Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: Nick Timberlake’s fit, Hunter Dickinson and stadium renovations

After a flurry of transfer portal departures, Kansas basketball landed its first transfer pickup on Wednesday.

Nick Timberlake, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior combo guard from Towson, is the newest Jayhawk.

Timbererlake’s main suitors were the past two NCAA champions — UConn and KU — along with UNC. He averaged 17.7 points (on 45.5% shooting), 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. The first-team All-CAA selection also shot 41.6% on three-pointers.

The former Towson standout is an athletic shot-maker who can score at all three levels and help mitigate the loss of KU guard Gradey Dick.

KU coach Bill Self has talked about wanting shooting and size and Timberlake hits the mark on both.

Timberlake can not only create offense for himself, but he’s a lob threat. His mix of athleticism and shooting is a perfect fit alongside point guard Dajuan Harris. He will allow Harris to play the facilitator role, which he excels at, without putting pressure on him to score.

Finally, Timberlake brings a veteran presence to a young Kansas team.

“I feel I can bring a scorer’s mentality and veteran leadership,” Timberlake told 247Sports in a recent interview. “I have played in over 100 games in my college career and have been a part of a winning program at Towson for the last two years. I have been the main guy for those two years and I feel that will help me impact winning at an even higher level.”

KU still has two scholarship spots open — and potentially more, depending on whether guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. decides to return.

Kansas is busy with roster visits in the next few days — former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson arrived in Lawrence Thursday, while former Texas guard Arterio Morris was on campus for a visit Wednesday. In addition, former Stanford wing Harrison Ingram has an upcoming visit.

With that, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. As always, thank you for all the questions!

That’s a great question. I’m going to pick KU baseball. The start of the season wasn’t the prettiest, but they’ve gone 11-4 in their last 15 games.

That span includes sweeping Big 12 foe Baylor and taking the series against No. 19 West Virginia. If the Jayhawks can keep up their form heading into postseason play, they can make some noise.

On April 10, crews started renovating KU’s locker rooms and weight rooms in the Anderson Family Football Complex. Locker room installation will officially begin on July 7 and those facilities should be ready by training camp.

In February, Kansas athletic director Travis Goff told The Star that David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and the 11th and Mississippi gateway have made great progress. He also said he plans to share a more precise visual representation of improvements later this year.

Hopefully, I’ll have more details regarding the stadium in the coming weeks.

If I’ve learned anything from how KU handles its business with transfers: Just because buzz appears quiet with a player (like Timberlake) doesn’t mean the Jayhawks are out of it.

Dickinson’s entire recruitment has been relatively quiet and he’s currently visiting KU. It’s also not a secret Self wants him (or a player like him). He’d be a perfect fit alongside Harris. Self has run his offense through big men in the past and Kansas is a lot closer to winning a national championship than any of the other schools Dickinson is linked to (Maryland, Villanova, Kentucky and Georgetown).

Factor in NIL and the national stage KU provides, I think Dickinson ultimately ends up at Kansas.

On Wednesday, SI’s Pat Forde reported Kansas had its IARP hearing this past weekend. A verdict should likely come sometime later this summer.

Finally, Timberlake plays very much like Braun. It’s uncanny how much he reminds me of a mix of Braun and West Virginia’s Erik Stevenson.

His defense isn’t great, but if anybody can mitigate his defensive struggles, it’s Self. Timberlake will also be on the floor with Harris, Adams and potentially Udeh, so they can help lessen his issues.

College-aged me would want a NIL deal with Panda Express. I was vegetarian until I was 12 years old, then I tried a bite of orange chicken and everything changed. I still only eat white meat, but Panda Express is my favorite fast-food place.

Non-food brands, I’d go with Jordan. I love collecting pairs and matching them with different outfits.