What Kansas players are returning in 2023? Basketball roster & schedule analyzed, feat. Hunter Dickinson
Coach Bill Self and the Kansas program landed a big talent from the transfer portal when Hunter Dickinson committed. He was ranked as the Big 12's best transfer.
Dickinson entered the transfer portal from Michigan and is a huge addition to a roster that needed bolstering.
The Jayhawks, who were the national champions in 2021-22, lost two high-impact players to the NBA draft: Gradey Dick at No. 13 to the Toronto Raptors and Jalen Wilson at No. 51 to the Brooklyn Nets.
Last season, Kansas had the hardest strength of schedule among all Division I programs, and it'll be relishing this season's games, especially with the shrewd recruitment that it did in the offseason.
The nonconference schedule was released, and the Jayhawks will play the State Farm Champions Classic, which includes the Kentucky Wildcats, Duke and Michigan State, on Nov. 14 in Chicago, Illinois.
In the Big East-Big 12 battle, Kansas will host Connecticut on Dec. 1.
Is Kentucky Basketball a national title contender with this lineup? 👀🔥
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In-depth look at the Kansas roster and schedule
In the Mackenzie Mgbako derby on Dec. 16, Kansas will head to Bloomington to face the Indiana Hoosiers, whom the five-star recruit chose over the Jayhawks. This is a home-and-home matchup that began last year when Bill Self's men won easily.
Another fun game will be the clash against the University of Missouri, fondly dubbed the Border War. This year it will be played at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 9.
The Jayhawks will also host Yale in one of their nonconference games, although the dates have not yet been released.
The returns of Kevin McCullar Jr., Dajuan Harris Jr., and K.J Adams Jr. will boost Self's roster immensely.
Hunter Dickinson averaged 8.5 points, 1.5 assists and 9.0 rebounds at Michigan last season, and his transfer is being hailed as a coup. He was brutally honest when explaining why he left the program, saying how little he made in NIL money and his desire to increase his earnings.
The Jayhawks also signed Parker Braun, older brother to Denver Nuggets' Christian Braun who won the national championship with Kansas last year. Parker transferred from Santa Clara where he averaged 7.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 2.0 apg.
Nicolas Timberlake from Towson also committed early on, bringing precision shooting to the Jayhawks. The combo guard shot 41.6% from 3-point range while going 45.5% overall. He was ranked No. 25 in the transfer portal due to his shooting.
Other signings are Arterio Morris from Texas, five-star recruit Elmarko Jackson, four-star Jamari McDowell and four-star Marcus Adams.