Three Kansas Basketball Newcomers To Watch in Exhibition vs Louisville

Unless you were present at Late Night in the Phog, today's scrimmage against Louisville will be the first time Kansas basketball fans witness the 2025-2026 team in action.

The Jayhawk faithful have been waiting all year to finally see how the new squad Bill Self constructed in the offseason plays together.

The only returning contributor from the previous campaign is Flory Bidunga, who is expected to be the starting center and one of the best defenders in the conference. However, the remainder of the players on the roster are newcomers or redshirts, meaning there are a lot of names to put faces to.

Of KU's 10 newcomers on the roster, the performance of these three will be worth watching tonight — and no, we're not going to go with the obvious option, Darryn Peterson.

3. Melvin Council Jr.

The transfer from St. Bonaventure has been praised all offseason for his defensive intensity and 'dog' mentality, but we haven't seen that translate to the hardwood yet.

Unlike his previous stops, Council will no longer be the primary ball-handler and will have to adjust to a more limited offensive role.

MORE: Darryn Peterson Hints at His Kansas Backcourt Mate for 2025-26 Season

He is not known for his outside shooting, so this will be a good test to see how he fits in off the ball, and more importantly, if his defense was truly worth all the hype.

2. Paul Mbiya

The aforementioned Bidunga is the big man everyone can't wait to watch as he makes his sophomore leap, but a name flying under the radar is Mbiya.

He is another elite defensive presence, standing at 7-foot and 245 pounds with an otherworldly 7-foot-8 wingspan.

Mbiya played professionally in France last year and still has parts of his offensive game to refine, but he shows as much promise defensively as any player to come through under Coach Self's tenure.

Whether he taps into that potential remains to be seen, but expect a few thunderous blocks if any Cardinal players try to test him inside tonight.

1. Kohl Rosario

More than any other player this offseason, the coaching staff has sung its praise for Rosario.

The incoming freshman went from being a Class of 2026 4-star recruit to KU's starting wing on opening night.

He has progressed faster than anyone could have expected, and judging from the noise around him, it wouldn't be surprising if he were a one-and-done headed to the NBA next year. But before those conversations can begin, scouts need to see him at the collegiate level first.

His strengths are 3-point shooting, athleticism, and defensive toughness, three skills that should make him a fan favorite fairly quickly.