Luke Barnett Emerging as a Pleasant Surprise for Kansas During Summer Workouts
When Kansas basketball began its summer workouts, freshman Luke Barnett entered the program with plenty of expectations surrounding his ability to shoot the basketball.
A four-star recruit from Laguna Niguel, California, Barnett was already known as one of the better shooters in the 2026 recruiting class. However, his performance during the summer has given Kansas head coach Bill Self even more confidence in what the freshman can bring to the Jayhawks this season.
Self identified Barnett as one of the biggest surprises of Kansas’ summer workouts, praising the freshman for his ability to consistently make shots from beyond the arc.
“Maybe the nicest surprise we’ve had so far has been Luke Barnett,” Self said. “He’s been terrific. So that has been a pleasant surprise.” (Yahoo Sports)
Barnett’s shooting has been the biggest reason for the excitement surrounding him. Self said Kansas shot the ball better during the summer than he originally expected and specifically pointed to Barnett as one of the players who stood out.
The praise is significant for a freshman who has yet to play an official college game. Kansas will have several new faces on its roster, meaning opportunities could be available for young players who show they can contribute immediately.
Barnett has already established himself as a dangerous perimeter shooter. During his high school career at Mater Dei, he set school records for points and three-pointers while also scoring 55 points in a single game. Kansas originally recruited him because of that shooting ability, with Self previously comparing his shooting to former Jayhawk Gradey Dick.
“Luke’s the best shooter we’ve recruited since Gradey,” Self said when Barnett signed with Kansas. “He has great range.” (University of Kansas)
That shooting ability has continued to show up in Lawrence. Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts also highlighted Barnett during the summer, saying, “He’s an unbelievable shooter. He’s shot it really well this summer — really well.” (LJWorld.com)
For Barnett, the next step will be translating that success in summer workouts into meaningful minutes once the regular season begins. Kansas has a talented roster with several players competing for opportunities, but reliable three-point shooting can be difficult to keep off the floor.
The Jayhawks will still need to see how Barnett handles the physicality, speed and pressure of college basketball. However, his summer performance has already changed the conversation around what he could contribute as a freshman.
With Self calling him one of the biggest surprises of the summer, Barnett has given Kansas another reason to be excited about its incoming freshman class.
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Jimmy Adeniran is a contributor to JayhawksROUNDTABLE. He can be reached at [email protected]
