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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
Journal-World File Photo
Christian Braun, left, and Jalen Wilson
WHAT’S INSIDE: The season’s big story lines Pages 4-7, Page 9
A revamped roster, the Jayhawks’ style, the ongoing NCAA infractions case & more.
Big 12 projections
Meet the Jayhawks
The conference race could be crazy. A few quick takes.
Get acquainted with this year’s roster.
Must-see matchups
Kansas’ schedule
Mizzou? Kentucky? Baylor? Oh, my.
Mark your calendar — the action starts in November.
Page 8
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What’s in store for 2021-22? Lots of new faces, a wild Big 12 race & much, much more.
BIG THE SEASON’S
STORY LINES By Matt Tait
•
mtait@ljworld.com
I
n the aftermath of last season’s 34-point loss to USC in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Kansas coach Bill Self made it clear what the Jayhawks needed to do to get more competitive. The way Self saw it, the Jayhawks needed more athleticism, toughness and 3-point shooting, and he and his coaching staff went out and snagged an abundance of all three in the offseason.
> CONTINUED, PAGE 5
AP File Photo
Kansas head coach Bill Self
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Story
lines
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
The Jayhawks brought in four impact players through the transfer portal. They added four true freshmen who made up the 16th-ranked recruiting class in 2020, according to Rivals. And they tossed in two walk-ons with talent and ties to the program. In all, KU added 10 new faces to a roster that also returns four starters from last season’s third-seeded team that went 21-9. The result: KU is taking its customary place in the top five of most preseason rankings. “It’s a good class,” Self said during the offseason. “We were able to hopefully address some things that we were missing. Hopefully we got a little more athletic, and certainly I think we’ve gotten bigger.” How the old blends with the new — and how well Self can fit all
Hopefully we got a little more athletic, and certainly I think we’ve gotten bigger.”
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of the pieces together — will play a big role in determining how much success this team can have. But the roster has been restocked, and the national pundits all seem to believe that KU is one of the top contenders entering the 2021-22 season. Read on for a look at four other story lines that are worth following this season.
> CONTINUED, PAGE 6
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
could make them a load to handle this season. Arizona State transfer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Remy Martin, with his quick first step and elite balance, Athletes leads the way, but fellow everywhere newcomers Joseph Yesufu Five players on the curand Bobby Pettiford are also rent Kansas roster have ver- capable of turning the corner tical jumps of 40 inches or and attacking the paint. That better. Two others are close could lead to easy buckets behind in the 38-inch range. inside or free up shooters for Beyond that, the Jayopen looks on the perimeter. hawks now possess the kind Because of that, along of speed in the backcourt with the addition of freshand depth on the wings that men Zach Clemence and KJ
Story
lines
Adams and the continued development of the upperclassmen, you can expect KU to play above the rim more often this season.
Pick a style, any style
Once, Self was hesitant to jump aboard the trend of using high-volume 3-point attempts. Now, he seems to have fully embraced it. And that was before he went out and added a ton of
Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
3-point-shooting prowess to this roster. KU’s clubs since the 2016-17 season have been some of the best in school history from behind the arc. Self appears to be leaning into that philosophy more than ever this season, particularly at the 4 spot, where he added Division II transfer Cam Martin and Clemence, who could be among the best shooters on the team.
> CONTINUED, PAGE 7
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Story
Cormack poised for a big year, the Jayhawks will not CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 rely solely on outside shooting this season. In fact, this could be one of the more balanced Iowa State transfer Jalen offensive teams Self has had Coleman-Lands is another big-time shooter who hovered in a while, with depth and weapons at all spots and the around 40% last season, and Ochai Agbaji’s 3-point percent- ability to play any style. The Jayhawks will play age has improved every year fast; they’ll still try to punof his career, from 30.8% as a freshman to 33.8% as a sopho- ish people inside; and they should be able to spread the more and 37.7% last season. With so much depth and floor and create a bunch of wide-open looks for all of speed in the backcourt and those shooters. senior forward David Mc-
lines
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It seems like it will be a pick-your-poison proposition for opposing defenses this season.
After ripping off an NCAA-record 14 consecutive conference titles through the 2017-18 season, KU has won the Big 12 regular-season crown just once (2019-20) in Big 12 race the past three seasons. should be wild Two other Big 12 proWhat was viewed as a giv- grams — Texas and Baylor en for Kansas for more than a — are expected to be ranked decade has become tougher to in or near the preseason top come by in recent years, both 10 this season. That means because of KU’s struggles — we could be looking at a relatively speaking — and the wild race at the top. rise of other programs in the > CONTINUED, PAGE 9 Big 12.
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
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BIG 12 PROJECTIONS ... in 12 words or fewer! By Matt Tait
G
• mtait@ljworld.com
et ready for a crazy Big 12 race in 2021-22. Plenty of teams in the league are stacked with talent — here are some quick takes on what their fates might be this season.
2: Texas
3: Baylor
Loaded with talent; Chris Beard brings a whole different mentality to Austin.
Defending champs brought in new talent and still have plenty to compete.
5: Texas Tech
6: West Virginia
Vaunted Red Raider defense will still be there. Can they score?
It’s a talented new crew, but are they Bob Huggins tough?
1: Kansas Ten new faces and four returning starters make KU the favorite.
4: Oklahoma State No Cade Cunningham, no problem. Mike Boynton has it rolling in Stillwater.
7: Oklahoma Lost a lot and added a lot, including new coach Porter Moser.
8: TCU
9: K-State
10: Iowa State
New faces mean the Frogs could finish higher than this — or lower.
Getting closer, but still miles away.
First-year coach TJ Otzelberger will need some time.
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Story
lines
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
And that doesn’t even include what Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Texas Tech have proven they are capable of doing on any given night or the fact that there are new coaches in charge at Oklahoma (Porter Moser) and Iowa State (TJ Otzelberger).
NCAA case still looms
In late April, the NCAA announced that all of the infractions cases on the Independent Accountability Resolution Process path — the track that KU’s case is on — would be resolved within the next 12 months. In August, the IARP itself tweaked its rules to create greater transparency and speed up the proceedings as rumblings of frustration over the long, drawnout process began to get louder.
At this writing, the NCAA’s case against the Kansas men’s basketball program, which includes allegations of five Level 1 infractions, a charge of head coach responsibility and a tag of lack of institutional control, was one of six cases being reviewed by the IARP. By the end of September, the IARP was supposed to provide public updates on the status and timeline of each case. It remains to be seen what an in-season ruling, if it were to come, would do to KU’s season. But Self and others with knowledge of the process have speculated in the past that whatever penalties are handed down — if any — would not impact the current season. All rulings by the IARP are final and not subject to appeal, which is different from rulings handed down by the more traditional NCAA Committee on Infractions.
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
Journal-World File Photo
Allen Fieldhouse
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DON’T MISS
THESE GAMES
Mizzou. A blue-blood battle. And some big conference clashes. By Matt Tait
O
• mtait@ljworld.com
ne year after college basketball programs across the country were forced to rearrange schedules multiple times because of the pandemic, we’re back to a full slate heading into the 2021-22 season. For the University of Kansas, that means not only a return to 31 regular-season games, but also a return to a schedule loaded with tough challenges both inside Big 12 play and out.
> CONTINUED, PAGE 11
ALL ‘HAWKS, ALL THE TIME
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
games
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
Here’s a quick look at the most compelling games on the schedule this season.
KU vs. Missouri Dec. 11 at Allen Fieldhouse
If you need to read the explanation here, you probably haven’t been paying much attention for the past 100 years. KU and MU will face each other in a real game, with bands, cheerleaders, fans and full-on intensity, for the first time since 2012. It’s the start of a six-year renewal of the bitter rivalry, and it will be the hottest ticket all season. KU leads the all-time series with Mizzou, 174-95, and the Jayhawks have won 11 of the past 13 meetings between the two.
KU vs. Texas
March 5 at Allen Fieldhouse
Chris Beard’s first Texas team is pegged by many as a top-five team entering the season.
> CONTINUED, PAGE 12
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Journal-World File Photo
Dajuan Harris (3) has his shot stuffed against Texas in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 2, 2021. Kansas lost this game, 84-59, and will have a chance for revenge when the Longhorns visit on March 5, 2022.
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The Longhorns are loaded with a number of impact transfers and returning talents. The two meetings between Texas and Kansas should be huge in deciding this year’s Big 12 champ. But for KU, it’s the one at home that rises to the top of the list, because of the way Texas beat the Jayhawks in
their own building a season ago — and because it will be the first trip back for former KU assistant Jerrance Howard, who joined the Longhorns earlier this year.
KU vs. Kentucky
Jan. 29 at Allen Fieldhouse
It’s the first meeting in Lawrence between these two blue-blood programs since 2016, but the fifth between them in the past
five years. Any time the two programs sitting 1-2 on the NCAA’s all-time wins chart get together, it dwarfs every other game on the schedule that day. John Calipari’s Wildcats are a preseason top-10 team in the eyes of most analysts, and the roster features a few players who were courted by the Jayhawks but ultimately picked Kentucky instead. KU is 3-1 in its last four meetings with Kentucky.
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KU vs. Michigan State Nov. 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York City
This one has the buzz of Bill Self versus Tom Izzo and power program versus power program, but the Spartans are just a fringe top-25 team entering the season. Doesn’t matter. Not only is the Champions Classic one of the best and brightest showcase
> CONTINUED, PAGE 13
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Big
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
events on the entire college basketball schedule year in and year out, but it’s also the season opener for the entire sport, which adds a level of excitement no matter what the matchups look like. KU has won three of its last four matchups with Michigan State.
PAGE 13
house with the memory of losing to Kansas the last time they were there. KU was one of just two teams to beat the Bears during their 28-2 run to a national title last season.
Honorable mention:
• KU at Colorado on Dec. 21 — a rematch with an old friend led by former Jayhawk Tad Boyle. • KU at St. John’s NYC on Dec. 3 KU vs. Baylor in — Kansas’ second trip Feb. 5 at Allen Fieldhouse to NYC this season, It’s KU versus the in which the Jayhawks defending national will be playing in a champs, who have lost brand new, state-ofa lot of production but the-art arena built for still have enough talent the NHL’s New York to be a preseason topIslanders. 10 team. The three-way battle at the top of the • KU vs. Alabama in Orlando, if they Big 12 — KU, Texas meet in the ESPN and Baylor — will be Events Invitational. outstanding, and this • KU’s meetings matchup in Lawrence with Oklahoma on will be massive for both of these teams. It’s Jan. 17 and Feb. 12 — welcoming new always important for KU to protect its home Sooners head coach turf. But the Bears will Porter Moser to the conference. come to Allen Field-
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This year’s roster looks a lot different:
MEET THE
Ochai Agbaji: Page 15
Remy Martin: Page 16
Jalen ColemanLands: Page 17
Mitch Lightfoot: Page 18
David McCormack: Page 19
Cam Martin: Page 20
Christian Braun: Page 21
Jalen Wilson: Page 22
Dajuan Harris: Page 23
Joseph Yesufu: Page 24
Bobby Pettiford: Page 25
Kyle Cuffe Jr.: Page 26
KJ Adams: Page 26
Dillon Wilhite: Page 28
Chris Teahan: Page 29
TEAM Profiles by Matt Tait mtait@ljworld.com
•
W
hen the Jayhawks tip off this fall, fans will recognize a few veterans — but they’ll also see 10 new faces, including several true freshmen and some transfers who should make an immediate impact. To get ready for the season, we rounded up some fast facts about the players — not just their stats and highlights, but also fun facts that some fans might not have known.
Zach Clemence: Page 27
Michael Jankovich: Charlie McCarthy: Page 27 Page 28
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
OCHAI
senior guard • #30 • 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
AGBAJI • Hometown: Kansas City, Mo. • Fun fact: With 77 consecutive starts entering the 2021-22 season, Agbaji ranks 12th on KU’s all-time list in that category. As long as he stays healthy, cracking the top five is within reach. And if KU were to make a run all the way to the national title game and Agbaji were to start every game this season, he’d finish second on the list, one game ahead of Raef LaFrentz (116 in a row from 1995 to 1998) and still 24 behind Danny Manning (141, 1985 to 1988). • Key stats: Agbaji’s points per game and minutes per game have increased in each of his first three seasons with the Jayhawks.
> AGBAJI, PAGE 30
AP File Photo
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
REMY
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super-senior guard • #11 • 6 feet, 175 pounds
MARTIN • Hometown: Burbank, Calif. • Fun fact: Shortly after committing to KU during the offseason, Martin told the Journal-World that he was named after his maternal grandfather and that there was no connection between his name and the Remy Martin brand of cognac, much in the way former KU great Perry Ellis had no connection to the clothing line or famous designer. • Key stats: Although he averaged double figures in scoring during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, Martin’s best season for assists was his sophomore year. That year, Martin had 12.9 points per game and an average of five assists, nearly doubling what he did before and setting his career high in that stat. His scoring went up to 19.1 points per game in each of the next two seasons. • Quotable: “We believe Remy to be one of the best lead guards in America. His competitiveness will elevate others overnight. He (will) be a very high-energy leader on our team and within this campus.” — Kansas head coach Bill Self
AP File Photo
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
JALEN COLEMANLANDS
super-senior guard • #55 • 6-foot-4, 190 pounds • Hometown: Indianapolis • Fun fact: In addition to his college basketball career, Coleman-Lands also founded a nonprofit organization called FigurePrint that is intended to help young people overcome communication barriers in their homes. Like most college basketball players, Coleman-Lands would love to make it to the NBA someday, but his main goal is to become an entrepreneur and build a reputation for helping others. • Key stats: Coleman-Lands comes to Kansas after the best shooting season of his college career.
> COLEMANLANDS, PAGE 30
AP File Photo
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
super-senior forward • #44 • 6-foot-8, 225 pounds
MITCH LIGHTFOOT
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• Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz. • Fun fact: Lightfoot, who is now in his sixth season with the Kansas basketball program, was the first player on the team to capitalize on the NCAA’s new name, image and likeness rules, which allow student-athletes to make money off of their personal brands while still in school. Lightfoot’s first deal was with junk-hauling business 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, but he has a handful of agreements with other businesses, too.
> LIGHTFOOT, PAGE 31
JournalWorld File Photo
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DAVID McCORMACK
PAGE 19
senior forward • #33 • 6-foot-10, 250 pounds
• Hometown: Norfolk, Va. • Fun fact: Before his freshman year of high school, McCormack weighed 320 pounds. Since then, he’s been on a journey to get lighter and leaner. His efforts to fine-tune his physique have taken off during his time at KU, and he is now 70 pounds lighter and has more muscle than ever. • Key stats: Despite a bump of just nine more minutes per game, McCormack nearly doubled his scoring numbers and increased his rebounding total by 50% during his breakout junior season.
> McCORMACK, PAGE 31
JournalWorld File Photo
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super-senior forward • #31 • 6-foot-9, 240 pounds
CAM
MARTIN •Hometown: Yukon, Okla. •Fun fact: Martin said that while he was at Missouri Southern State, he routinely had 3-point contests with the coach, KU great Jeff Boschee. On his best night as a shooter (see below), Martin called his shot, telling Boschee during the pregame shoot-around that if his first one went in, he was going to set the record. •Key stats: That record-setting night was a 2019 first-round NCAA Division II Tournament game against Washburn. Martin made nine of 10 3-pointers in Missouri Southern State’s 101-100 victory. He scored 46 points and added 11 rebounds. •Quotable: “He’s got a ton of potential. And he definitely didn’t need to stick around our place any longer.” — Boschee
JournalWorld File Photo
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CHRISTIAN BRAUN junior guard • #2 • 6-foot-6, 210 pounds
• Hometown: Burlington, Kan. • Fun fact: Braun is far from the only person in his family to play big-time college hoops. The 2018-19 Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year’s mother, father, aunt, uncle and older brother all played Division I basketball as well, most of them at Missouri. • Key stats: While his 3-point percentage dropped by 10 points from his freshman season (44.4 to 34 last season), Braun still ranked in the top 15 among all Big 12 players for 3-pointers made last season with 52. That was just six behind Jalen Coleman-Lands, who is now his teammate but was at Iowa State last season.
JournalWorld File Photo
> BRAUN, PAGE 31
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Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
JALEN sophomore guard • #10 • 6-foot-8, 220 pounds
JournalWorld File Photo
WILSON •Hometown: Denton, Texas •Fun fact: Wilson’s younger brother, Jace, is an emerging football prospect back in Denton, and he already has a scholarship offer from KU. Jace Wilson is a 6-foot-4, 185-pound wide receiver who is among the top playmakers on his Guyer High team. •Key stats: Jalen Wilson was a double-double machine in 202021. He finished with nine for the season and six in Big 12 play, which tied him for the most in the conference. And his rebounding average of 7.8 per game for the season was the second best of all-time by a KU freshman, just behind Joel Embiid’s mark of 8.1 during his freshman season.
> WILSON, PAGE 31
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DAJUAN
sophomore guard • #3 • 6-foot-1, 170 pounds
HARRIS • Hometown: Columbia, Mo. • Fun fact: Harris is known by his teammates and even some of his coaches as “Juando.” The nickname is a reference to his pass-first mentality that resembles that of NBA veteran Rajon Rondo. • Key stats: Despite averaging just 16 minutes per game — and just 13.5 minutes in Big 12 play — Harris led the team in assists eight times in 2020-21, including a season-high seven in a win at TCU. There were also four times when he recorded five assists in a single game. • Quotable: “[H]e's a guy that is going to be a contributor as long as he’s here. The better the players we have out there, the more effective Dajuan can be.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
AP File Photo
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Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
JOSEPH YESUFU JournalWorld File Photo
sophomore guard • #1 • 6 feet, 180 pounds
•Hometown: Bolingbrook, Ill. •Fun fact: Yesufu’s surname is Nigerian, and he’s the latest in a line of players with Nigerian heritage to come through KU. Teammate Ochai Agbaji also has Nigerian roots, as did former KU big man Udoka Azubuike, who grew up there. •Key stats: In addition to hitting 38.4% from 3-point range in 31 games for Drake last season, Yesufu has proven to be a reliable finisher at the free throw line. His career average at the line is 82.4% — 88.2% as a freshman and 81.2% when he was playing a bigger role for the Bulldogs as a sophomore. •Quotable: “Joseph is an explosive, dynamic scoring guard that will allow us to play an up-tempo, aggressive style on both ends of the floor.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
BOBBY
freshman guard • #0 • 6-foot-1, 175 pounds
PETTIFORD • Hometown: Durham, N.C. • Fun facts: Pettiford owns the all-time scoring, assists and steals records at South Granville High in Durham, and he is one of five players on KU’s 2021-22 roster with a vertical leap of 40 inches or better. • Key stats: Pettiford averaged better than two steals per game for three consecutive seasons in high school.
> PETTIFORD, PAGE 31
JournalWorld File Photo
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Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
freshman guard • #5 • 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
KYLE CUFFE JR. •Hometown: Harlem, N.Y. •Key stats: Cuffe •Fun fact: Cuffe, who reclassified averaged 25 points to head to college a year early, is the per game during the son of former St. John’s standout Kyle 2020-21 season, but Cuffe Sr. The elder Cuffe attended Rice that average was inHigh in New York, the same school flated by the fact that that produced former KU guard Russell Blair Academy played Robinson. Robinson knows the family Cuffe just two games beand said this spring that KU fans should cause of COVID-19. enjoy the younger Cuffe’s game. Still, Cuffe scored 28 and 22 points in
those two games and seemed to be on his way to an even bigger junior season than the 16 points per game he delivered in his sophomore year. •Quotable: “I’ve seen his highlights and his background, and that winning DNA, I think that’s really going to transition well. Kansas fans are going to love him, and I can see a lot of good things coming with him.” — Robinson
freshman forward • #24 • 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
KJ ADAMS Adams
•Hometown: Austin, Texas •Fun fact: After the 2020-21 season, Adams won the American Family Insurance Slam Dunk Championship for high school athletes that was held in conjunction with the 2021 Final Four on CBS.
•Key stats: While scoring at will both inside and out, Adams averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior at Austin’s Westlake High. He then went and improved on those numbers during his senior season, finishing at 25 points, 7.5
rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the 2020-21 season. •Quotable: “KJ is a jack of all trades. I think KJ is a big guard that can play inside. He’s definitely strong enough. He’s a physically gifted youngster that can defend the 5, too.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
PAGE 27
freshman forward • #21 • 6-foot-10, 221 pounds
ZACH CLEMENCE •Hometown: San Antonio, Texas •Fun fact: Despite playing two seasons of prep basketball in Kansas, Clemence’s roots are in Pleasanton, Texas, a town of 11,000 people in the San Antonio area that dubs itself “the birthplace of the cowboy.” •Key stats: Clemence shot 42% from 3-point range during his final
two seasons of high school ball, which were played at Sunrise Christian in Bel Aire. Clemence averaged 10 points and four rebounds as a junior and Clemence 10.5 points and five rebounds as a senior.
•Quotable: “We haven’t had anybody here like Zach that is truly a 4 that can maybe be the best shooter in the game. I anticipate him coming in and being able to play multiple positions on the perimeter, and if we decide to go really small he would be a nightmare-type matchup for 5 men.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
junior guard • #20 • 6-foot-5, 190 pounds
MICHAEL JANKOVICH •Hometown: Dallas •Key stats: One •Fun fact: Jankovich is the son of forwas the magic nummer KU assistant coach Tim Jankovich, ber for Jankovich who is now the head coach at SMU. Beduring the 2020-21 fore returning to Lawrence after a threeseason. The walk-on year prep career in Dallas and a senior played in just one season at Northfield Mount Hermon game and attempted Jankovich School in Gill, Mass., Jankovich lived just one shot all in Lawrence from ages 4 to 8 while his season — a 3-pointer father was on Bill Self’s coaching staff. that missed. He also recorded one steal
and one foul before sitting out with an injury the rest of the way. •Quotable: “All I have is great memories of Lawrence and Kansas. It feels great to be back. It’s almost like a second home to me and (it’s been fun) getting to meet all the new guys and just getting acclimated with the school and getting affiliated with everything. It’s great.” — Michael Jankovich
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
freshman guard • #13 • 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
CHARLIE McCARTHY McCarthy
•Hometown: Rancho Mirage, Calif. •Fun fact: McCarthy is the son of longtime KU donor and alumnus Kent McCarthy, and he will live in the men’s basketball dormitory named for his grandmother, Marie S. McCarthy Hall.
•Key stats: Despite his guard size, McCarthy was a factor on the glass during his senior season at Shadow Hills High in California, where he added eight rebounds per game to his 12 points and five assists in helping lead his team.
•Quotable: “Charlie and (fellowwalk-on) Dillon (Wilhite) will both be able to put their handprint on what we are trying to do in the men’s basketball program, and they’ll both have a role in accomplishing that. I’m excited for both of them.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
freshman forward • #15 • 6-foot-9, 240 pounds
DILLON WILHITE Wilhite
•Hometown: San Diego, Calif. •Fun fact: Wilhite is the grandson of longtime KU basketball administrative assistant Joanie Stephens, who has worked for both Bill Self and Roy Williams while at Kansas.
•Key stats: While his role is expected to be limited to a key practice player in his first year, Wilhite has proven that he can play. As a senior at San Diego’s Cathedral Catholic High, he averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds while leading his team to a 15-2 record.
•Quotable: “They know it’s going to be a lot of work. More importantly, what they are most excited about is being at the University of Kansas and continuing their family tradition.” — Self on legacy walk-ons Wilhite and Charlie McCarthy
Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
CHRIS
PAGE 29
super-senior guard • #12 • 6-foot-4, 195 pounds
TEAHAN • Hometown: Leawood • Fun fact: Teahan is vying to reach his second Final Four as a Jayhawk, which would pull him into a tie with his brother, Conner, for family bragging rights in that department. Conner played on KU’s 2008 and 2012 Final Four teams, and Chris is one of two players on the current roster (Mitch Lightfoot is the other) to have played on the 2018 Final Four squad. • Key stats: If there were a stat that linked cheers from the student section to 3-pointers made, the longtime KU walk-on would dominate it. A fan favorite for years, Teahan drained three of four triples in limited action last season, bringing his total to 10 3-point makes for his career.
> TEAHAN, PAGE 31
JournalWorld File Photo
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Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
Agbaji CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
As a freshman, he averaged 8.5 points in 25.9 minutes per game. That jumped to 10 points in 33.3 minutes per game in his second year. And both went up again last season to a team-best 14.1 points in 33.7 minutes per game.
Coleman-Lands CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
In 23 games with Iowa State last season, he shot 39.5% from 3-point range, making nearly three per game on 6.4 attempts.
•Quotable: “We are all very excited Ochai has made the decision to return for one more year. He did exactly what the process allows and encourages players considering the draft to do. He will be better for it and so will our basketball team. We believe Ochai is a firstround talent, and I look forward to pushing him daily toward that.” — Kansas head coach Bill Self • Quotable: “I view this as me kind of finishing off my college career on a high note, being able to play with some talented guys and have a coaching staff and teammates who share the common goal of trying to win a championship.” — Coleman-Lands
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2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
Lightfoot
a look at his per-40-minutes numbers illustrates CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 the type of player he could be if he were needed in • Key stats: Playing a larger role. Over 127 time has been tough to career games, Lightfoot come by for Lightfoot, but is averaging 10.4 points
and 9.3 rebounds per 40 minutes played. • Quotable: “Mitch is so unselfish. The guy bleeds Jayhawk. If you open his chest, a Jayhawk is definitely flying out. As a kid, it was a dream
PAGE 31
of his to play at Kansas. He has exceeded all our expectations of what he can do, what he brought to the table, how good a teammate he’s been.” — KU assistant coach Norm Roberts
Wilson
Braun
Teahan
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
(Coleman-Lands had 58 makes and finished third in the conference at 39.5%.) • Quotable: “I’ve wanted to beat Mizzou my whole life. I grew up heckling my family the whole game, telling them how much better KU is than Mizzou. The cool part about that is now I get to show them.” — Braun on The Jayhawker Podcast
• Quotable: It’s been said too many times to quote it just once, but any time Self is speaking to a crowd about Teahan, he always makes sure to tell Teahan’s mother how sorry he is that her son’s not playing more. The comment draws a laugh every time, especially from anyone with the last name Teahan.
•Quotable: “He has no fear. I didn’t think he had any, but until you’ve actually coached him, once we started playing, I mean, this dude’s got no fear. He likes the (big) moment.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
McCormack CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
In 2020-21, he had 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29 games. • Quotable: “There’s definitely going to be some expansion to my game for sure, whether it be spacing the floor, defending, just being an all-around athlete, a leader, a floor general.” — McCormack
Pettiford CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
• Quotable: “We were very fortunate when Bobby opened up his recruitment. We feel Bobby has a tremendous future, great upside and will make an immediate impact for us. His work ethic and drive are something I think every program hopes every player has.” — Kansas coach Bill Self
Journal-World File Photo
PAGE 32
Lawrence Journal-World & KUsports.com
2021-22 KANSAS HOOPS PREVIEW
KU’S SCHEDULE Nov. 3
vs. Emporia State (exhibition)
Nov. 9
vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic, New York City)
Nov. 12
vs. Tarleton State
Nov. 18
vs. Stony Brook
Nov. 25
vs. North Texas (ESPN Events Invitational, Orlando, Fla.)
Nov. 26
vs. Dayton or Miami (ESPN Events Invitational, Orlando, Fla.)
Nov. 28
vs. Alabama, Belmont, Drake
Jan. 8
Feb. 5
Feb. 22
Dec. 3
Jan. 11
Feb. 7
Feb. 26
Dec. 7
Jan. 15
Feb. 12
March 1
Jan. 17
Feb. 14
March 5
or Iona (ESPN Events Invitational, Orlando, Fla.) at St. John's
vs. UTEP (Kansas City, Mo.)
Dec. 11
vs. Missouri
Dec. 18
at Texas Tech vs. Iowa State vs. West Virginia at Oklahoma
Jan. 22
at Kansas State
vs. Stephen F. Austin
Jan. 24
Dec. 21
Jan. 29
at Colorado
Dec. 29
vs. Harvard
Jan. 1
vs. TCU
Jan. 4
at Oklahoma State
vs. Texas Tech vs. Kentucky
Feb. 1
at Iowa State
vs. Baylor at Texas
vs. Oklahoma
vs. Oklahoma State
Feb. 19
at West Virginia
vs. Kansas State at Baylor at TCU
vs. Texas
Journal-World File Photo
Mitch Lightfoot, left, and Dajuan Harris have a chat while waiting to check into the game on Jan. 28, 2021.
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