Kansas Basketball Bolsters Rotation with High-Scoring Transfer Dennis Parker Jr.

Bill Self and the Kansas basketball coaching staff added another impact player through the transfer portal on Thursday after the Jayhawks received a commitment from Radford transfer Dennis Parker Jr.

The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 18.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season for the Highlanders while shooting 48.4% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range.

His biggest moment of the 2025-26 season came when he scored an incredible 53 points (19-of-24 from the field, 10-of-14 from deep) in a game versus Coppin State back in December. It was the most points scored by a Division I player in a single game since 2019.

Newest Jayhawk Dennis Parker Jr.

Highlights from his 53 point game last season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QyCJ3sEGwC
— Aint No Seats Podcast (@AintNoSeatsPod) May 7, 2026

Before Radford, Parker spent two seasons at NC State. He averaged over 15 minutes of playing time as a freshman and averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game during their 2024 Final Four run. But his playing time and production dropped as a sophomore which led to him transferring to Radford for his junior season.

Parker is rated as a four-star transfer (according to 247Sports), and his commitment now brings the Jayhawks’ transfer class to a total of four. He joins Charleston transfer Christian Reeves, Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr., and Utah transfer Keanu Dawes in a transfer class that is now ranked No. 26 in the country.

Parker will join Kansas as a senior with one year of eligibility remaining.

What He Brings

Parker is projected to be an excellent scoring option off the bench for Kansas next season.

While his numbers from the free throw line aren’t impressive (65.7% this past season), he’s shown the ability to go get a bucket when his team needs it. And his ability to stretch the defense with his outside shot could be a difference maker when he’s in the game.

His assist-to-turnover ratio is not a strength of his game as he averaged just 1.3 assists and 2.3 turnovers per game this year for the Highlanders, so look for him to be more of a scorer than a distributor when he’s on the floor.

He’s also played on big stages before against high-level competition in the ACC Conference and in the NCAA Tournament. That experience will be much needed for a KU team that will be heavy on sophomores and freshmen next season.

Overall, this appears to be a really good late addition for the Kansas roster next season. His experience and shooting skills are both two things the Jayhawks needed and now have with his commitment.

The Jayhawks now have three open roster spots remaining.

Add us as a preferred source on Google