Projecting Who's Staying and Who's Leaving from Kansas After NCAA Tournament Loss
There will be no back-to-back national title for the Kansas Jayhawks after they bowed out of the 2023 men's NCAA tournament with a second-round loss to Arkansas.
Nevertheless, it was another strong year for a thriving program.
Kansas won an outright Big 12 regular-season championship for the 12th time and at least a share of the conference crown for the 17th time in Bill Self's 20 years at the helm. Plus, the Jayhawks landed a No. 1 seed for the 10th time.
There will be turnover—Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick, in particular—but Kansas will again reload for next season.
Who's Staying?
The core pieces of Kansas' rotation will be different in 2023-24.
Because fourth-year junior Dajuan Harris Jr. did not participate in Senior Day festivities, the assumption is he'll be back. Kansas should also return a second starter, KJ Adams Jr., next season.
From there, the Jayhawks will be leaning on some inexperienced but highly recruited players.
Kansas has a collection of one-time 4-star signees, including reserve center Ernest Udeh Jr. and guard Bobby Pettiford Jr.
Cam Martin—a former D-II second-team All-American—will pursue a medical redshirt after a shoulder injury effectively sidelined him all season.
Who's Leaving?
Kansas is fully expected to lose Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick to the NBA, and Kevin McCullar Jr. may follow suit.
Although the Jayhawks leaned on Wilson, his prospect billing isn't as high as his freshman teammate's stock. Dick is a projected top-10 draft pick, according to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.
Wilson is a potential second-round selection. After four years in college, though, his perception has probably peaked.
McCullar entered and withdrew from the 2022 draft, then transferred to KU and excelled as a defender. He could return to hold a featured role next season, but his Senior Night participation means he's likely gone.
As always, it's important to note the possibility of transfers—especially given how often the Jayhawks land experienced newcomers, such as Remy Martin in 2021 or McCullar last year.