The young guys spent some time in the studio today for some pics in their new threads. ???????????? #KUbball pic.twitter.com/HwEKnquNoR
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) June 27, 2018
While the Kansas men’s basketball team continues to battle through summer workouts and summer classes, the powers that be within the athletic department who update KU’s web site slapped the Jayhawks 2018-19 roster on the Internet on Thursday.
While none of the names on the list were a surprise — [KU’s 2018-19 roster,][1] which now includes 13 scholarship players and three walk-ons thanks to the recent return of Lagerald Vick — it’s always worth noting what numbers guys will be wearing.
That is particularly true this time around, with seven newcomers — four freshman and three transfers who sat out a season ago — expected to be in the rotation for the Jayhawks when next season rolls around.
There are no real strange number choices on this year’s roster, which features five single-digit players and 11 double-digit Jayhawks. And pretty much every one of these players has some kind of reason for wearing the number they wear, be it the only jersey number they’ve ever had, a lucky number or as a way to pay homage to someone or something from their past.
In the interest of giving you a head-start on familiarizing yourself with the new players wearing a few familiar numbers for your favorite team, here’s a quick look at the entire roster in numerical order.
0 – Marcus Garrett, 6-5, 180, Soph.
———————–
The sophomore guard from Dallas is wearing the same number he wore as a freshman. Many called it a bold choice to wear the number worn by then-reigning national player of the year Frank Mason III, but Garrett handled it well. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 0 – Drew Gooden and Thomas Robinson.**
1 – Dedric Lawson, 6-9, 235, RS-Jr.
———————–
Former Memphis standout and likely starter at the 4 has chosen to keep the number he wore at Memphis, making him the first KU player since Wayne Selden Jr., to wear numero uno. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 1 – Xavier Henry, Jeff Hawkins, Mario Kinsey.**
2 – Charlie Moore, 5-11, 170, RS-Soph.
————————-
The former Cal point guard wore No. 13 with the Golden Bears during his freshman season in 2016-17 but wore No. 2 in high school. With former KU No. 2 Lagerald Vick temporarily away from the program, Moore switched back to his old standby. [Now that Vick is back with the team for his senior season,][2] he’ll have to pick a new look. But the jersey number on his back is the least important element of the Vick situation. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 2 – Cliff Alexander, Conner Teahan, Omar Wilkes.**
3 – Sam Cunliffe, 6-6, 200, Jr.
———————
The former Arizona State transfer is sticking with the number he wore in high school, during his one semester at ASU and thus far during his time as a Jayhawk. What’s more, Cunliffe told me recently that he’s really been working hard on his 3-point shooting this offseason, so perhaps the number will prove prophetic on a team that could use a 3-point marksman. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 3 – Terry Brown, Brett Ballard, Lester Earl, Andrew White III, Russell Robinson.**
5 – Quentin Grimes, 6-5, 205, Fr.
———————-
He wore No. 6 for USA Basketball during his recent run to the gold medal, but opted for No. 5 at Kansas long before that, paying homage to his roots and high school days. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 5 – Charlie Hoag, Keith Langford, Evan Manning, Terry Nooner, Jeff Withey.**
10 – Elijah Elliott, 6-3, 185, Fr.
———————–
No word yet whether Elliott will rock the sleeves and undershirt under the jersey a la recent No. 10 Svi Mykhailiuk, but the walk-on from Southlake, Texas, will be stepping into some pretty big shoes. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 10 – Scooter Barry, Kirk Hinrich, Tyshawn Taylor, Jeremy Case, Brennan Bechard.**
11 – Devon Dotson, 6-2, 185, Fr.
———————
The point guard from Charlotte is wearing a very point guardy number when it comes to players from Kansas past. Both Aaron Miles and Jacque Vaughn rocked No. 11 and they’re two of the best to ever run point in the program. Dotson wore No. 1 at Providence Day High but evidently didn’t want to go to battle with a teammate with seven inches and 50 pounds on him for the rights to the number so he just added another digit. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 11 – Josh Jackson, Mark Turgeon, Otto Schnellbacher.**
12 – Chris Teahan, 6-4, 190, Soph.
———————–
The younger brother of former KU sharpshooter Conner Teahan wore No. 12 during his freshman season a year ago and is sticking with it this season. Teahan wore No. 23 during his prep days at Rockhurst High. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 12 – Brady Morningstar, Kelly Oubre Jr., Patrick Richey, Billy Thomas.**
13 – K.J. Lawson, 6-8, 205, RS-Soph.
————————
Lucky 13 will be K.J.’s third different number in three seasons as a college basketball player. As a freshman at Memphis, he wore No. 14 and during his second year with the Tigers, he switched to No. 0. Now it’s back to the teens for the older Lawson. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 13 – Wilt Chamberlain, Jeff Boschee, Cheick Diallo, Walt Wesley, Carl Henry.**
20 – Garrett Luinstra, 6-2, 155, Fr.
————————
The walk-on from Lawrence’s Free State High said during a recent video and photo shoot featuring the newcomers in their KU jerseys that he was wearing No. 20 in honor of former KU walk-on and former Free State Firebird Tyler Self. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 20 – Ricky Calloway, Kenny Gregory, Stephen Vinson, Steve Woodberry, Niko Roberts.**
22 – Silvio De Sousa, 6-9, 245, Soph.
————————-
The big fella from Angola, who rocked No. 22 at IMG Academy before coming to Kansas for the second semester last season, is sticking with the number that helped him get to KU and helped KU reach a Final Four. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 22 – Jeff Carey, Dwight Coleby, Cedric Hunter, Marcus Morris, Dean Smith, Andrew Wiggins.**
24 – Lagerald Vick, 6-5, 185, Sr.
———————–
Part of the conditions of Vick’s return were that he would no longer be able to wear No. 2 because Self and company were not going to ask Moore to give it back. Vick on July 6 revealed that he would wear No. 24 for his senior season, keeping his old No. 2 in the mix. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 24 – Sasha Kaun, Alonzo Jamison, Chris Piper, Al Kelley, Travis Releford, C.B. McGrath.**
30 – Ochai Agbaji, 6-5, 205, Fr.
———————
The Oak Park High grad from Kansas City, Mo., said recently that he had worn No. 30 almost his whole life and was thrilled to be able to wear it during his first season with the Jayhawks. Not that he had much to worry about. The most recent KU player to wear No. 30 was Julian Wright during the 2006-07 season. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 30 – Greg Dreiling, Adonis Jordan, Roger Morningstar.**
33 – David McCormack, 6-10, 265, Fr.
————————
The big fella with the even bigger motor is wearing the same number in Lawrence that he wore at Oak Hill Academy throughout his prep playing days. **Other former Jayhawks who have worn No. 33 – Luke Axtell, Jeff Gueldner, Greg Gurley, Bryant Nash, Landen Lucas.**
35 – Udoka Azubuike, 7-0, 280, Jr.
———————–
KU’s monster inside is back for his third season in the program and isn’t about to change things up from the number that led him to 120 dunks and the best field goal percentage in the nation a season ago. **Other Jayhawks who have worn No. 35 – Jerod Haase, David Magley, Calvin Thompson.**
44 – Mitch Lightfoot, 6-8, 225, Jr.
———————–
Lightfoot wore No. 44 during his prep days at Gilbert Christian back in Arizona and carried it through to his first two seasons at KU. **Other Jayhawks who have worn No. 44 – Eric Chenowith, Ron Kellogg, Pekka Markkanen, Paul Mokeski, David Padgett, Pierre Russell.**
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/documents/2018/jun/28/ku-basketball-2018-19-roster/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/jun/30/five-intriguing-aspects-of-lagerald-vick/
