Following Their 2022 NCAA Championship, KUs Lineup Will Look Very Different
The instant that the Kansas Jayhawks finished their historic 72-69 comeback win to beat North Carolina in the NCAA Championship, the emotions for KU players, coaches, and fans alike were all the same; pure joy. It was not until the following days/weeks where the realization set in that a large majority of the core group that represented the Jayhawks during this championship run would be gone in 2022-2023. Not only this but over 130 minutes per game from last season and 29 years of college basketball experience would also be walking out of the building:
Starters Not Returning:
Ochai Agbaji (Senior, 35.1 minutes per game last season, 116 games started at KU)
– Selected 14th overall in the NBA Draft
Christian Braun (Junior, 34.4 minutes per game last season, 74 games started at KU)
– Selected 21st overall in the NBA Draft
David McCormack (Senior, 21.9 minutes per game last season, 96 games started at KU)
– Signed exhibit 10 contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Bench Players Not Returning:
Mitch Lightfoot (6-year senior, 12.2 minutes per game last season, 167 games played at KU)
Remy Martin (5-year senior, 21.1 minutes per game last season)
Jalen Coleman-Lands (7-year senior, 8.2 minutes per game last season)
With those departures, KU does bring in a highly-regarded transfer in Kevin McCullar, as well as three 5-star recruits in Gradey Dick, Ernest Udeh Jr., and MJ Rice. Along with that, the Jayhawks also return two key starters from last season in Dajuan Harris and Jalen Wilson (who already has a friendship with Kevin McCullar from them both growing up in the San Antonio area). The goal in Lawrence always seems to be “championship or bust” but with so many new faces entering Allen Fieldhouse, what will the 2022-2023 University of Kansas Men’s Basketball Team lineup look like?
Starting Point Guard: Dajuan Harris
The clear starting PG for the Jayhawks in 2022-2023 will be redshirt-junior guard, Dajuan Harris. Harris started 39 games for KU last season, averaging 5.4 points and 4.2 assists in 29.0 minutes per game. While these stats do not jump off of the page, Harris also averaged 1.5 steals per game and helped set the tone for the defensive-minded Jayhawks. The 6’1” guard shot just 32.3% from beyond the arc in 2021-2022 and will need to work on his shooting stroke before the season begins, but he has already shown nice flashes on offense when needed. Bill Self will look to Harris to fulfill more of a leadership role this season, as this team will be much younger.
Starting Shooting Guard: Gradey Dick
With all three of Gradey Dick, Joseph Yesefu, and Kevin McCullar being suitable starting guards, the SG spot is definitely up for grabs. The reason we landed on Dick for this starting spot is because he is the best pure shooter on the entire team. In March, he was ranked as high as the 8th overall prospect in the 2022 class and was a consensus 5-star player. Gradey Dick shot 46.7% from 3-point range his senior year of high-school, averaging 17.9 PPG, and won the Gatorade National Player of the Year. With Agbaji and Braun both leaving for the NBA, the 6’7” freshman wing will undoubtedly be needed as a consistent shooter in 2022-2023.
Starting Small Forward: Kevin McCullar
Similar to Marcus Garrett, who played with KU from 2017-2021, Kevin McCullar is a capable offensive player, but an absolutely elite defensive player. Last season, McCullar averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 29.9 minutes per game. Multiple big 12 coaches also viewed the 6’6” wing as one of the best wing defenders in the country. While he is listed as a guard, much like Marcus Garrett, Kevin McCullar has the size to play SF and will thrive much more as a secondary ball handler and anchor on defense. His shot is still not consistent however part of his struggles last season likely were due to ankle injuries he was playing through. Before his initial injury, he was averaging 13.5 PPG on 37.2% shooting from beyond the arc.
Starting Power Forward: Jalen Wilson
Jalen Wilson once looked like a long-shot to return to KU after he received an NBA Combine call-up before the draft. Instead he pulled out of the draft at the last moment and announced that he would indeed join Dajuan Harris as a returning starter for Kansas at the PF spot. Each of the last two seasons, Wilson averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game, but was doing so as the 4th offensive option on the Jayhawks, behind Agbaji, McCormack, and Braun. With all three now gone, Jalen Wilson projects to have a massive year and could easily become a double-double machine in the NCAA. Bill Self has even stated on record that he believes that Wilson could be a 2022-2023 All-American after he announced he would return to Lawrence.
Starting Center: Zach Clemence
The starting C role is by no means locked in and will be the biggest competition of the early season. If the season started today though, Zach Clemence, the 6’10” sophomore, would be the best bet to start over Ernest Udeh Jr. and Cam Martin. With Harris, McCullar, and Wilson all being below-average deep threats until proven otherwise, it would make sense for the starting center to be able to stretch the floor. Clemence, the 36th ranked prospect a year ago (87 rating, 4-star recruit), averaged 10.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG in high-school and shot 37% from three. With Jalen Wilson being an elite rebounder, Clemence would pair nicely with him. However, if he struggles with physicality early on, Ernest Udeh Jr. could easily steal this starting spot.
Backup Point Guard: Bobby Pettiford
In 2021-2022, Bobby Pettiford was talked about as being the next Frank Mason. After averaging 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 16 minutes per game for the first three games of the season however, he slowly saw his minutes decrease and began dealing with a nagging abdominal injury. Eventually, in February, it was deemed best for him to have season-ending surgery to repair a core muscle in his pelvic area. The 4-star recruit played in just 14 games, but still projects well as the 4th guard. Joseph Yesefu will likely dominate him in minutes and play more with the starters, but Bobby P should have a more productive season than his 2021-2022.
Backup Shooting Guard (6th Man): Joseph Yesefu
At backup SG, and perhaps the most impactful bench player for KU in 2022-2023, Joseph Yesefu gets the nod. There has been some buzz about him potentially starting, however with how the roster is built currently, the 6th man role that Remy Martin played for KU on their March Madness run is perfect for Yesefu. The undersized combo-guard can get hot in an instant and he even played a similar role at Drake before transferring to KU last offseason. In 2020-2021 Yesefu started just 7 of 31 games but he carried Drake when they needed him most, putting up 25 points in the MVC Semifinal, 21 points in the NCAA First Four, and 26 points in their loss against USC in the round of 64. He should be the primary scoring threat off the bench for KU.
Backup Small Forward: MJ Rice
MJ Rice is another 5-star recruit coming to KU in 2022-2023 as a freshman. While Bill Self has indicated that both he and Gradey Dick will be competing for a starting spot, ultimately the path for Rice to start is more complicated. He is a good, not great perimeter shooter, which is why the starting SG spot likely goes to Dick, but with McCullar transferring over from Texas Tech, that likely leaves Rice soaking up more minutes at the wing spots off the bench. He is a powerful athlete who is also an elite rebounder for his size, but it is probably his sophomore season where he truly shines at KU, as this season he will be more of a role player.
Backup Power Forward: KJ Adams
For a player who only averaged 4.8 minutes per game and scored just 38 total points last season with KU, it is still not an overstatement to say that KJ Adams is a beast and deserves more playing time. Despite the lack of consistent minutes, Adams appeared in 37 games, even getting a start along the way. Bill Self has shown that he is confident in KJ Adam’s defensive ability to guard the 2-5 spots for short periods of time and KJ should see his role increase this season with McCormack, Lightfoot, and Braun all departing. He will be a huge energy guy, can play forward or small-ball center, and can even spot-start for a few games if needed.
Backup Center: Ernest Udeh Jr.
As discussed in the Zach Clemence section above, Ernest Udeh Jr. should be in the rotation immediately and could easily find himself starting depending on his early performances and the matchup that KU is facing. The 6’10” incoming 5-star recruit, averaged 13.2 PPG and 9.2 RPG during his senior year at high-school and with a 7’2” wingspan will be a defensive force as early as this season. Similar to Udoka Azubuike in 2016-2017, the potential upside looks amazing, however Udeh Jr. is likely more of a 12-15 minute a night center at the moment especially with two other capable centers on the roster as well as KJ Adams, who can play small-ball center.
Projected Depth Chart Overview:
PG: Dajuan Harris / Bobby Pettiford / Joseph Yesefu
SG: Gradey Dick / Joseph Yesefu / Kyle Cuffe
SF: Kevin McCullar / MJ Rice / Gradey Dick
PF: Jalen Wilson / KJ Adams / Kevin McCullar
C: Zach Clemence / Ernest Udeh Jr. / Cam Martin
Part-time rotation players: G Kyle Cuffe, PF/C Cam Martin
Non-rotation players: PF Zuby Ejiofor, F Dillon Wilhite, G Charlie McCarthy, G Michael Jankovich
