Jayhawks projected in 5-10 range by most national pundits in way-too-early Top 25 polls

By Matt Tait     Apr 6, 2021

article image
Kansas forward Jalen Wilson (10) roars after hitting a three pointer against West Virginia during the second half, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Now that college basketball has a new champion for the first time in two years, it’s on to the next season everywhere but Waco, Texas, where the Baylor Bears will continue their celebration of the 2020-21 season for decades to come.

As well they should. Scott Drew’s team had an incredible season — for the second year in a row — and capped it off with two dominant performances at the Final Four in Indianapolis.

While the transition to another offseason of college hoops means looking closer at which players are returning, who’s leaving and, in the modern day, who might be transferring, it also means taking a first glance at how things might stack up entering next season.

The Kansas men’s basketball team figures to return most of its core for the 2021-22 season, and Bill Self and company have been adding pieces via transfer or late prep commitments in the past week or so, as well.

All of that, along with the likelihood of more to come, has the Jayhawks positioned to be a Top 10 team entering next season according to most of the national media.

Here’s a quick look at what several national outlets are saying about the Jayhawks in their traditional “way too early” Top 25 polls for next season.

**Who:** [ESPN.com’s Jeff Borzello][1]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 5

**Skinny:** “One of the best teams in the country over the final month of the season, Kansas should celebrate Bill Self’s lifetime contract with a much more consistent group. The Jayhawks are likely to lose senior Marcus Garrett, but most of the rotation should return. Jalen Wilson and David McCormack both had long stretches where they looked like stars, while Christian Braun and Ochai Agbaji are stalwart starters. The big question could be at point guard without Garrett. But DaJuan Harris showed flashes of his two-way ability this past season, while former Louisville signee Bobby Pettiford was a top-100 prospect at the high school level. Self also has Bryce Thompson, who came into school with the reputation as a big-time scorer but struggled with injuries as a freshman. Kansas’ frontcourt should be loaded, though, with top-50 prospects Zach Clemence and K.J. Adams entering the fold.”

___

**Who:** [Stadium’s Jeff Goodman][2]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 6

**Skinny:** “The Jayhawks should return the majority of last year’s team and will add a few key pieces. Bill Self has a lifetime contract now, but he’ll need for the freshman Pettiford to be ready, as he’ll be expected to make plays off the bounce. KU has a strong frontline of McCormack and Wilson, and quality perimeter players in Agbaji, Braun and Thompson. But the key comes at the point guard spot, where it could be up to Pettiford to change the dynamic of this team.”

___

**Who:** [CBS’ Gary Parrish][3]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 10

**Skinny:** “Even if Ochai Agbaji moves on, Kansas should still return four starters from a team that went 9-2 in its final 11 games and advanced in the NCAA Tournament. A top-10 recruiting class will help the Jayhawks compete for the Big 12 title.”

___

**Who:** [The Athletic’s Seth Davis][4]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 6

**Skinny:** “The upside of having a down year (by the Jayhawks’ standards, anyway) is that the team won’t lose a bunch of players to the NBA Draft. Agbaji could test the waters but is not a projected first-round pick. Bill Self didn’t land any McDonald’s All-Americans, but his recent addition of Pettiford strengthened the freshman class, and Curry is a juco transfer who should have a chance to play significant minutes. Martin is an intriguing grad transfer who averaged 25 points and 9.1 rebounds at Division II Missouri Southern State.”

___

**Who:** [NCAA.com’s Andy Katz][5]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 5

**Skinny:** “Jalen Wilson could be a star and the Jayhawks will be ready to challenge the Bears again for the title.” We’re assuming Katz is talking the Big 12 title there, but who knows?

___

**Who:** [USA Today’s Scott Gleeson for Yahoo Sports][6]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 10

**Skinny:** “Coach Bill Self’s lifetime contract means continuity in the pilot’s chair. What KU’s roster looks like in 2021-22 will be less predictable. There’s a chance the Jayhawks lose Ochai Agbaji to the NBA, along with departing senior Marcus Garrett, but David McCormack (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Jalen Wilson (11.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg) are set to return. Self will be busy on the recruiting trail, where he’s yet to land a five-star.”

____

**Who:** [SI.com’s Kevin Sweeney][7]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 11

**Skinny:** “Bill Self was open about needing to add more talent this spring after a blowout NCAA tournament loss to USC, and the Jayhawks are set to do just that. In addition to strong returners like Jalen Wilson and David McCormack, Self has already signed three four-star recruits, a top-10 juco recruit and top D-II transfer Cam Martin. Sophomore point guard DaJuan Harris has a critical offseason ahead of him to develop as the top playmaker for the Jayhawks, and Self may have a bit of a logjam on his hands with several different options up front. One big draft decision to track: Ochai Agbaji, the team’s leading scorer this season and a projected second-round pick.”

___

**Who:** [247 Sports’ Kevin Flaherty][8]

**Where KU’s picked:** No. 6

**Skinny:** “The Jayhawks had one of the nation’s best defenses in the latter part of the season and should bring back four starters: David McCormack, Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun, with Agbaji potentially testing the waters. But it’s what Bill Self has done around those guys that could elevate the Jayhawks. He’s added two big-man shooters in freshman Zach Clemence and transfer Cam Martin, another powerful interior player in juco transfer Sydney Curry and a hard-nosed 4 in freshman KJ Adams. Former five-star Bryce Thompson could be due for a second-year leap, while DaJuan Harris will battle four-star freshman Bobby Pettiford and potentially (Ty Ty) Washington — the No. 3 point guard in the 247Sports Composite — for the point guard spot. The Jayhawks could also lead for athletic Creighton big-man transfer Christian Bishop, and 247Sports’ Brandon Jenkins reported that Kansas has the most momentum for South Dakota’s Stanley Umude.”

[1]: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/page/earlytop25040521/gonzaga-ucla-1-2-way-too-early-top-25-college-basketball-rankings-2021-22
[2]: https://watchstadium.com/jeff-goodmans-way-too-early-preseason-top-25-for-2021-22-04-05-2021/
[3]: https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-rankings-ucla-is-no-1-in-never-too-early-2021-22-top-25-and-1-preseason-rankings/
[4]: https://theathletic.com/2499773/2021/04/06/way-too-early-mens-college-basketball-top-25-gonzaga-michigan-and-ucla-lead-seth-davis-list/?source=emp_shared_article
[5]: https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-04-06/way-too-early-power-36-rankings-2021-22-college-basketball-season
[6]: https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketballs-way-too-early-102146993.html
[7]: https://www.si.com/college/2021/04/06/ncaa-basketball-rankings-early-top-25-gonzaga-michigan
[8]: https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/College-Basketball-rankings-2022-top-25-Duke-basketball-Michigan-Wolverines-Ohio-State-Buckeyes-163725780/

PREV POST

Bill Self: New AD Travis Goff gives KU 'exactly what we need'

NEXT POST

55671Jayhawks projected in 5-10 range by most national pundits in way-too-early Top 25 polls

Author Photo

Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.