After years of early tournament exits, the Jayhawks are reloading with five-star talent and elite transfers in an attempt to restore their championship pedigree.
Ever since their 2021-22 NCAA Basketball National Championship run, the Kansas Jayhawks have struggled early in the tournament brackets.
Since cutting down the net in 2022 with their 72-69 victory against the North Carolina Tar Heels, Kansas hasn’t made it past the second round of the tournament.
Going into the 2026-27 season, the Jayhawks aren’t wasting time trying to change their fortunes with an impactful and long list of new acquisitions via the transfer portal and recruiting trail.
For more on the newest addition, Atticus Richmond, Jayhawks Roundtable writer Liam Carson has more.
Since the team’s 67-65 second round exit against St. John’s in March, Kansas hasn’t made been on a clear mission to rebuild its blue-blood program and pursue an immense amount of turnover in order to increase its odds at making a deep run in the next tournament.
The Jayhawks’ deep transfer class includes 7-1 Charleston center Chandler Reeves—who began his collegiate career with Duke, Utah forward Keanu Dawes and guard Leroy Blyden Jr. from Toledo. Blyden averaged 16.4 points per context with the Rockets last year.
Along with Richmond, who will provide valuable depth for the team’s roster, the Jayhawks also landed five-star players forward Tyran Stokes, who also had offers to attend Kentucky, his hometown Louisville, USC, and Oregon and 6-foot-1 guard Taylen Kinney.
Both players were McDonald’s All-Stars together and now become elite options to help to fill the fortunes of the Kansas program.
As the next NCAA men’s basketball season rolls around, Kansas should be looked at as its usual threat. But throughout the season, especially as its young players begin to settle in, they could re-establish themselves among the collegiate elite before the tournament is under way.