KU’s Bill Self discusses possible 2024-25 roster additions at Topeka golf tourney

Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self has welcomed 11 scholarship players and six walk-ons to campus for the 2024 summer school session.

“I would like to have one more, in a perfect world,” Self said Monday at the 22nd annual Topeka Jayhawk Club Golf Tournament/Otto Schnellbacher Classic at Shawnee Country Club.

Self was referring to possibly adding a scholarship player to the current 17-man ensemble.

“I think that with Zach (Clemence, junior forward) and Elmarko (Jackson, sophomore guard), they are good enough to play a lot of minutes,” Self said. “But I’d like to have a little bit more depth, to be honest with you. So we are still looking (in recruiting).

“But if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out. I like where we are at.”

KU’s 11 scholarship players include portal transfers AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State); freshmen Flory Bidunga and Rakease Passmore; and 2023-24 returnees KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, Hunter Dickinson, Jamari McDowell, Clemence and Jackson.

KU’s coaches have candidates in mind to fill the 12th scholarship slot. The Jayhawks will go with a maximum of 12 scholarship players this year (instead of 13) due to scholarship restrictions self-imposed following the NCAA’s inquiry into Self’s program. KU surrendered a total of three scholarships over a three-year period.

“We’re talking to some guys,” Self said of players still in the transfer portal, “so hopefully we can find someone who fits what we’re trying to do and would complement the guys we already have.

“We need some guys from a role standpoint that can make the other guys look better, not necessarily be a guy that you would think come in and score all the points or anything like that. That would be nice, obviously, but how do we have somebody that can come in and be a nice asset to us and benefit the others’ skill levels?”

Self said he would like to add a player who resembles “a Tyrel Reed, a Brady Morningstar or Travis Releford. There are a lot of guys we’ve had that fit that role — a Kevin Young, those type of guys,” Self noted, adding, “It’d be nice if we could find the right one that fits us.”

Self, who is beginning his 22nd season at KU, was asked if he would consider an overseas player to fill the scholarship vacancy.

“Yes we would, but it’s not quite as simple as just looking overseas,” he said, “because a lot of those overseas players are playing professionally and they have to get out of contracts, or maybe are amateurs playing in a professional league. Still, those teams, most of the time, want them to stay so they can become professionals at a later date. It’s not always easy with international guys.”

The Jayhawks recently lost a one-and-done player in Melbourne, Australia native Johnny Furphy, who last week decided to keep his name in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Self was asked about losing Furphy and his shotmaking ability. Furphy hit 35.2% of his 3-point attempts (44-of-125) a year ago.

“Johnny shot it unbelievably well the first half of the games in which he started,” Self said. “The second half, he didn’t shoot it well at all.

“We saw he was a very capable shooter. We need to replace that. Hopefully we have. I actually think Rylan Griffen probably shot it better at Alabama (74-of-189 from 3 for 39.2%) than what even Johnny shot it at Kansas throughout the entire year. The thing about it is you’ve got to do it (shoot) when people are still running at you. We’d have loved to have Johnny back, but the bottom line is that was a long-shot for him to come back.”

Former Badgers guard Storr hit 32% (48-of-150) of his 3-point tries a year ago.

“He’s got to be one of our best players, there’s no doubt,” Self said of Storr, a second-team all-Big Ten selection after the 2023-24 season. “He can score. He needs to get where he defends and rebounds as prolifically as he is as a scorer, but I do think he has a chance to be as good an athlete/player as we’ve had in a while.

“I don’t think he plays all areas of the game as well as he does when the ball is in his hands so he can improve in those areas.”

Of freshman forward Bidunga, Self said: “I think Flory is probably as good a prospect as we have. We’ve got to figure out who he is and how he impacts us in how he can help because he’s really not tall. He’s 6-7, 6-7 1/2. He’s a terrific, freakish type athlete that can change directions, can jump, can put some pressure on the rim. He can do a lot of things. Can he play with Hunter or how does it work? He’s got some things to work on to see exactly how it works. I think he a great prospect.”

Self was to hold his first practice with the 2024-25 KU team Monday afternoon after returning to Lawrence from the golf tourney.

He’s been busy lately. His son, former KU hoops player Tyler Self, married Whitney White over the weekend in Florida, where Bill and his wife, Cindy, have a beach house.

“It was great,” Self told the golfers in Topeka, referring to his son’s wedding and reception.