Jayhawks Hit the Transfer Portal, And That's OK For Everyone Involved
It’s the first week of the Kansas basketball offseason, but it wasn’t an uneventful week. Multiple Jayhawks decided to enter the transfer portal, which isn’t a guarantee that they’re gone, but doesn’t give high hopes for their return.
Those players so far are Cam Martin, Bobby Pettiford, and Zach Clemence. And there’s a chance more follow (I won’t speculate here, as I’m sure you can figure it out with a few Google/Twitter searches).
The natural initial response to news of multiple players deciding to leave the program is fear. It leads to question marks and we fear the unknown. But in this case, it might be the best outcome for all involved.
Why? Because circumstances change. It doesn’t make the initial decision wrong, but it also doesn’t mean it has to stay the way it is.
Normally, when someone says an outcome is good for everyone, it’s really not. Splits are rarely mutual, and we won’t get into whether that was really the case here. But the circumstances around the moves are logical and, you could argue, necessary.
Pettiford has the bad fortune of having injuries hamper his development and playing the deepest position on the team. KU’s starting point guard (Dajuan Harris) has the same number of years of eligibility left as Pettiford despite being two years older (thanks to a COVID year and redshirt). And a five-star in Elmarko Jackson is coming in. So there’s no obvious chance for Pettiford to wait his time and take the reins.
Martin also battled injuries throughout his time and he and Clemence have games that don’t fit well in Bill Self’s system. Add in that you have KJ Adams, Ernest Udeh, and Zuby Ejiofor for at least two more years and it’s hard to find a clear role for either.
Let’s be clear, this doesn’t mean all of these players are terrible or busts. It’s hard to grow when you can’t consistently practice due to injury and get in the game. Kansas fans should thank them for their contributions and wish them the best.
At the same time, this is not a worrisome development for Self and the staff. This doesn’t mean the staff failed at recruiting (see above). Instead, there were position needs for the team at the time that are no longer there. And it benefits Kansas to not have four scholarships taken by players at deep positions who averaged a combined 5.4 points per game last year.
With Kevin McCullar, Gradey Dick, and Jalen Wilson leaving, the Jayhawks need to add depth on the wing. Some of that is happening through the freshman class (I’ll be writing more on that soon) but KU needs depth and size/athleticism, which is not what you get from this group on its way out. It's also why I hope MJ Rice sticks around, even though there are rumors he may also look for another school. Rice also battled injuries during prime developmental times and is the type of body and position Kansas needs more of.
The saying at Kansas is that faces change but expectations don’t. That’s true. But circumstances also change. And it really is best for everyone to see this outcome. Kansas needs a skill set that is different than when these three were recruited, and now Pettiford, Martin, and Clemence get the chance to make a bigger impact for a team that still needs that skill.
And you better believe Self will put those open scholarships to good use.
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