Borrowing walk-on from football team might not be bad idea for Kansas basketball

By Staff     Nov 2, 2017

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The Kansas Jayhawks exit the tunnel to the field before kickoff against Rhode Island on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said that he left Udoka Azubuike in at the end of the 100-54 exhibition blowout against Pittsburg State for conditioning reasons. Not a bad idea. Azubuike looked winded at the end of his 24-minutes night.

But as the season wears on, there will be games in which Self will want to rest all of his rotation players. As transfers from four-year schools, guard Charlie Moore and forwards Dedric and K.J. Lawson are eligible to practice, but can’t play in games.

At the moment, Kansas has eight scholarship players and two walk-ons available to play in games. Once Sam Cunliffe becomes eligible second semester, his anticipated debut coming at Nebraska, Kansas will have nine scholarship players, plus two walk-ons. One more walk-on, particularly a big one, wouldn’t hurt.

Through the years, college basketball coaches have addressed roster shortages by hitting up the football coach for help.

A review of KU’s football roster reveals one former basketball player worthy of some late-game minutes once the football season ends.

James Sosinski, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound tight end from Chandler, Arizona, put up nice numbers for South Mountain Community College in Phoenix last season. He averaged 19.1 points and 12.6 rebounds for South Mountain as a freshman. He has not yet appeared in a game for the football team. He would get more playing time if he joined the basketball team.

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51256Borrowing walk-on from football team might not be bad idea for Kansas basketball