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5 thoughts about Kansas men’s basketball as Jayhawks’ 2022-23 season approaches

jordan guskey, topeka capital-journal
·4 min read
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LAWRENCE — The day before the 2022 edition of Late Night in the Phog, Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self and sophomore forward KJ Adams Jr. discussed their thoughts Thursday about the event and the team in general.

Self and Adams are preparing to defend their various championships, including the Big 12 Conference tournament, NCAA tournament and share of the Big 12 regular season crown. With different talents turning pro after the season, there are opportunities for certain players to take a significant step up. And that sort of attention brings with it a lot of anticipation for what could take place in the months ahead.

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Here are five takeaways from what they had to say:

In the end, the Big 12 preseason poll won’t matter much

Baylor men's basketball coach Scott Drew (right) looks on during a NCAA tournament game in 2021 against Arkansas.
Baylor men's basketball coach Scott Drew (right) looks on during a NCAA tournament game in 2021 against Arkansas.

The Big 12’s head coaches settled on Baylor as the favorite over Kansas to capture the conference’s regular season title. The two sides shared the championship a season ago. Considering the roster turnover for each, it may have been the most likely outcome.

But Self didn’t come across disappointed as he reacted to the news. He pointed out that it doesn’t mean much either way, and that second place is probably a good spot for the Jayhawks to be at this point. Self couldn’t pick his own team, and volunteered that the Bears were his choice as a result.

Late Night in the Phog contributes to the team moving on from the national title

This current group of Jayhawks didn’t win the national championship earlier this year. Some of them were on the team that did, of course. But others weren’t and the mere presence of those who were doesn’t determine much of anything for the upcoming season.

Self said he thinks the night will play a part in officially turning the page to a new season. There’ll be a chance to honor the recent success Kansas has enjoyed. There’ll be a chance to look ahead to what’s next.

Don’t expect a freshman to redshirt

Gradey Dick (left) holds a microphone as he speaks to a crowd earlier this year at the Dale Willey Memorial Golf Tournament. Dick was joined at the event by teammates MJ Rice, Wilder Evers, Charlie McCarthy, Zach Clemence, Dillon Wilhite and Ernest Udeh Jr.
Gradey Dick (left) holds a microphone as he speaks to a crowd earlier this year at the Dale Willey Memorial Golf Tournament. Dick was joined at the event by teammates MJ Rice, Wilder Evers, Charlie McCarthy, Zach Clemence, Dillon Wilhite and Ernest Udeh Jr.

Sure, there could always be an injury that dictates a player’s status. That could be a reason one of the incoming freshmen on scholarship ends up redshirting. But at the moment, Self doesn’t see any redshirt candidates among them.

Self praised freshman guard Gradey Dick for how well he’s done. Self highlighted that freshman forward Zuby Ejiofor and freshman center Ernest Udeh Jr. are both ahead of schedule when it comes to what Self anticipated they would be able to do. Self does think, though, that freshman guard MJ Rice has a gear Rice can reach that Rice hasn’t gotten to yet.

Bobby Pettiford Jr.’s status is unclear

Sophomore guard Bobby Pettiford Jr. missed significant time last season due to injury, and isn’t approaching his second season with the Jayhawks with the positive momentum many likely hoped for. According to Self, Pettiford has a tweaked hamstring that’s been bothering him for almost a month. If Pettiford had practiced recently, for the most part it’s been half-court work.

Self has praised how well redshirt junior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. has done so far this fall. Self praised redshirt junior forward Jalen Wilson, too, after Wilson's inclusion on the preseason All-Big 12 team. But the less available Pettiford is, Harris’ significance grows.

Bill Self is looking for more from Kansas’ bigs

Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self shows up during ESPN's "College GameDay" show on the hill earlier this fall in Lawrence.
Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self shows up during ESPN's "College GameDay" show on the hill earlier this fall in Lawrence.

In order to compete at the level Kansas’ national championship squad did, Self is looking for one of his bigs to come through. Sure, he feels the main four — likely Udeh, Ejiofor, super-senior forward Cam Martin and sophomore forward Zach Clemence — can play key minutes. But Self allowed he would rather have one step up and the rest play the role of a backup.

Self also would like to see improvement in the level of rim protection he sees from the Jayhawks. Because he doesn’t see interior scoring as a main strength, he anticipates Kansas needing to be able to shoot the ball well from behind the arc. Time will tell how that all affects what the rotation looks like.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: 5 thoughts about Kansas men’s basketball team entering 2022-23