4 Kansas players who will be "hard to keep" out of starting lineup, as per coach Bill Self
Kansas coach Bill Self admitted that Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams, Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo would start every Jayhawks' game in the 2024-25 college basketball season.
With only a week before Kansas plays its first non-conference regular season game, against Howard on Nov. 4, Self noted that it would be hard to keep these four out of the starting rotation. This is because they have been the most consistent players during the offseason.
“It would be hard to keep Juan (Dajuan Harris), KJ (Adams), Hunt (Hunter Dickinson) and Zeke Mayo out of the lineup,” the veteran coach said (per On3.com).
The 61-year-old, who led Kansas to two national titles, in 2008 and 2022, was high on South Dakota State transfer Mayo, calling him the best guy in the team since June.
“Zeke, he’s been our more consistent, best guy since June, in my opinion,” Self said.
Kansas beat out Creighton, Oklahoma and Texas in getting the commitment of the sharp-shooting, 6-4 guard, who shot 46.6% from the field, including 39.1% from the 3-point line in his third and final season with the Jackrabbits.
Bill Self wants Zeke Mayo to open up scoring lanes for big men Hunter Dickinson and Flory Bidunga
Kansas will have two big men patrolling the paint this coming season — Hunter Dickinson and five-star center Flory Bidunga.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self wants to make life comfortable for his big men. So, he shopped around for shooters who will open up the lanes for Dickinson and Bidunga and help the team be a multi-dimensional squad.
The veteran coach sees Mayo, who made 2.6 3s per game over the past two seasons, as someone who can stretch the defense and make teams look foolish on planning to lock down Dickinson in the paint.
“It would be nice if you could stretch the defense around him to give him more opportunity to work and KJ (Adams) is not a guy that can do that,” Self said. “KJ can do a lot of things and he’s improved so much, but the bottom line is, we need some shooting around those two. Zeke provides that as much as anybody.”
Last season, Kansas ranked 229th overall from 3-point percentage, at 33.2%, and was worse in 3-point attempts, at 17 tries per contest (336th among Division I schools.
Having Mayo plus scorers, such as AJ Storr and Rylan Griffen, in the lineup would make the Jayhawks a threat from inside the paint and at the wings as well.
Kansas is The Associated Press' preseason No. 1-ranked team in the 2024-25 campaign. But the 85-69 loss against Arkansas in an exhibition game on Thursday is expected to make the media think about giving the early favorites tag on the Jayhawks.
They are also scheduled to play Washburn on Oct. 29 at home. They will begin their non-conference season against Howard on Nov. 4 and play North Carolina four days later.
Will Bill Self help Kansas win their fifth national title in the 2024-25 college basketball season? Let us know your views in the comments section.