7 Questions Ahead of the Kansas 2022-23 Basketball Season

The start to any season brings a mass of excitement and optimism, but also plenty of speculation. There is an abundance of questions but few answers at this stage, and that is amplified in the case of Kansas basketball this year with so many new and moving pieces.

We have limited information to go on, and since I am not in these practices every day, no true answers will come until the ball is tipped for real (we do have an exhibition game against Pitt State to go off). But let’s try to make this picture a little clearer.

Who will start at the five spot?

The frontcourt is the biggest mystery on the roster so far and where the Jayhawks are the least experienced. Ernest Udeh got the start at the five against the Gorillas on Thursday, but only played 8:30 minutes. Zuby Ejiofor was roughly the same minutes-wise and both were productive. Zach Clemence got the most run on Thursday and is primed to take the spot early, but Bill Self also used KJ Adams at the five and admitted after the exhibition that Kansas is better playing small than big right now.

This could be a case where Self mixes up the lineup early based on the matchup until someone separates himself from the pack. But to start, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Clemence.

Who will back up Dajuan Harris as KU’s primary ball handler?

Bobby Pettiford is back healthy (fingers crossed) and Self has been raving about him in the lead up to the season. Who will get the nod first between him and Joseph Yesufu will be interesting to watch play out. And right now, Pettiford has the edge. Self said after Thursday’s exhibition that Pettiford was the best bench player other than Gradey Dick against Pitt State.

I’m also interested to see how much Self goes with two primary ball handlers in the game together a la Harris and Remy Martin a season ago. Kevin McCullar also handled the ball quite a bit at Texas Tech, but he is likely going to play more off the ball in Lawrence.

Who are KU’s non-freshman breakout candidates?

This depends on your definition and qualifications. You could say Jalen Wilson is a breakout candidate if the breakout is as the unequivocal number-one guy. But what I’m talking about here are guys who were either non-factors or bit players last year and could see a large uptick in minutes and production this year.

While a lot is being made of this freshman class, and rightfully so, there are a couple of sophomores that could be in line for this category. Pettiford and KJ Adams are two that come to mind that won’t be in the leading scoring discussion, but could have a much bigger impact on the game while improving greatly on their one ppg and 4-8 minutes on the court averages last year. A third name that could be a bigger score is Clemence, who can stretch the floor and play well in a fast-paced offense.

What are the Jayhawks’ toughest non-conference opponents?

Thanks for asking. I actually have a ranking of KU’s non-conference schedule here. Enjoy.

Which freshman will have the best season?

The obvious answer here is Dick. If you wanted to go a different direction, your argument could be that Dick is playing at the Jayhawks’ deepest position, and there’s value in banking on either Udeh or Ejiofor to break out and become the guy down low.

But after watching how easy Dick made it look in the exhibition—granted against DII competition—it’s hard to go in another direction right now. Especially since the advantages Dick has offensively translates well across competition. His release is lightning quick and being 6-8, few defenders are going to be able to disrupt him at the college level.

I think MJ Rice is going to be good—and stay in Lawrence longer than Dick—but he needs to get healthy so he can get some run early in the season.

Who is Kansas’ biggest challenger in the Big 12?

It’s Baylor, again. Texas and TCU are both getting love and one of them could give the Jayhawks and Bears a run for their money, but Baylor is in the best position to challenge Kansas right now. Adam Flagler, LJ Cryer, and Flo Thamba are back, Jalen Bridges from West Virginia is now in Waco, and everyone is talking about Keynote George, the Bears’ highest-rated recruit and Big 12 preseason freshman of the year.

Who will lead the Jayhawks in scoring?

It feels like a two-horse race between Wilson and Dick. Kevin McCullar will be in the mix as well, but I think he will impact the game in so many other ways that he will be more involved in defense and passing.

It feels like Wilson is in line to lead the team in shots, so he is probably the safe pick here. But don’t be shocked if Dick has a Josh Jackson-type season (16.3 ppg). 

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