Nginyu Ngala Scouting Report: How Kansas’ New Transfer Could Carve Out a Role

Bill Self added the 13th and potentially final player to Kansas’ 2025-26 roster. How will KU’s newest commit fit in with the Jayhawks?

Kansas coach Bill Self looks back at his bench after a play in the second half of Friday's game against Connecticut inside Allen Fieldhouse. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas Jayhawks landed a commitment from Laurentian University guard Nginyu “Gee” Ngala on Friday.

It is rare to land players this late in the offseason, but KU now has another valuable roster piece it can use to its advantage over the course of the season. Ngala brings a diverse skill set to Lawrence and could help out the team in many ways.

What Does Nginyu Ngala Bring to Kansas? 

Even with Darryn Peterson running the show, the Jayhawks still lacked a true ball handler off the bench before acquiring Ngala.

Bill Self had previously mentioned that KU was searching for a guard who could run the point, and Ngala fits that mold perfectly.

At 5-foot-10, Ngala will immediately remind fans of David Coit from a year ago. He won’t be too effective scoring the ball downhill due to his size, but he is a strong, shifty guard who can hit shots from beyond the arc.

MORE: Kansas Basketball Signee Nginyu Ngala: What He Brings and How He Fits

At Laurentian in the 2024-25 campaign, he shot 39.1% from 3-point range, hitting them off the catch and in the pull-up game.

His playmaking ability remains a question mark, so his overall impact will depend heavily on how much he contributes to the offense.

Since Kansas already has plenty of minutes to distribute in the backcourt between Peterson, Melvin Council Jr., Jayden Dawson, Elmarko Jackson, and Kohl Rosario, fans can realistically expect him to play 10 minutes a night, depending on the game. 

Ngala’s minutes could be sparse at times, especially if he is struggling on the offensive end.

But even if he does not contribute much on the floor, the Canadian guard brings a veteran presence and leadership to an inexperienced Jayhawk squad.