Hey all,

As most of you know, Kansas opened up its doors to the media on Monday for media day. It was a great opportunity for the media to spend some quality time with Coach Bill Self and the entire University of Kansas men’s basketball team.

To me, it felt like a long time since we’d had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Coach Self and the squad, so media day arrived at the perfect time.

— The first thing that stood out to me is that Coach Self really likes this team. Last year, as most of you know, was extremely frustrating, or it appeared that way to Coach Self. Obviously, the injuries played a big role in how the season ended, but I think we can all agree that some guys just didn't perform as expected. In the off-season, Coach Self added quite a few bodies to his roster and I’m not sure he could be any happier with where things stand heading into the season.

“Well, we've been going, you know, basically every day, not every day, but most every day since June, when school started, June 3, June 4 or whatnot,” said Self. “And certainly been hitting it pretty hard since school started. I would say the thing that stands out to me more than anything is probably just options, more bodies, more athletes. I think we shoot it better, even though there'll be some days we don't.

“But I do think we're a much better shooting team, and I think we even helped ourselves athletically, for sure,” he added. “So there's a lot of things that we, I think potentially could do well. A lot of things we don't do very well at all right now, but it is a different-looking team physically than what we've had this past year.”


— With the season set to begin in the very near future, I think we can all agree that Dajuan Harris, Jr., KJ Adams, Jr., and Hunter Dickinson simply can’t afford to play 30 (plus) minutes a game this season. It just simply can’t happen again this year. Last season, especially with so few options off the bench, the guys got worn down and simply ran out of gas. With so many new bodies, and talented ones at that, Harris, Jr., Adams, Jr., and Dickinson should see a reduction in minutes this season.

“That's not really real, though, because in games that are close, they probably played 37, 36 and 35 (minutes),” said Self. “Do you follow what I'm saying? So the amount of minutes that you actually said right there is less than what they actually played in most big games.

“So the fact that I would like to get those guys all under 30, I think we’ll be a better team if we can get them all under 30,” he added. “ And that allows for more guys to be contributors and good players to actually play a role in the success of what’s going on more.”


— I know I posted this question on the board a few weeks ago, so I decided to ask Coach Self the same question at media day on Monday.

How important is it for Kansas to make a deep run in March?

To me, it’s extremely important for Kansas to make some noise during the NCAA Tournament. After winning the NCAA Championship a few years ago, Kansas has been bounced from the NCAA Tournament the first weekend the past two years.

“Well, I would say every year it's really important that year to make a run,” said Self. “Yeah, the last two years, we've been first-weekend knockouts. Arkansas got us, and then last year Gonzaga obviously whipped us good in the second, you know, in the second game. You guys know as well as I do both of those teams got knocked out, and neither were whole when they were actually competing there at the end. I'm not saying I would have made much of a difference, but I would have liked to have coached in the NCAA tournament that year. And then, of course, last year, if I'm not mistaken, in the Big 12 tournament, Hunt and Kevin didn't play. I mean, that was not a very good team we were putting out there at the end. And I know Hunt played in the tournament.

“He wasn't 100%,” he added. “So I thought last year felt a lot like USC to me because I didn't think we were competitive late. And I don't think that team that lost to USC was competitive, either. David (McCormack) and obviously Jalen (Wilson) got Covid that week. So I don't think that was a team that was whole, either. But I do think it was very apparent after that year that we needed to adjust, and fortunately, we did. But the way we adjusted wasn't the way I intended for us to adjust. I thought we'd really go out and recruit a plethora of guys that would be different than what we had. And what ended up winning the next year was the exact same team. Dudes just got a lot better, and with the one addition and then Remy and then this year, we kind of took a different approach.

“We need to improve ourselves physically and athletically, and I think we did,” he continued. “So, yeah, the last two years haven't set well with any of us, but I think last year hurt more than the year before because I think the year before we can maybe say, yeah, but I, you know, you won it the year before or this or that last year. No, we got our butts whipped. And so I think it does add some extra initiative or motivation that this year doesn't need to be like that.”


— It sounds like a very real possibility that a player could ultimately end up taking a redshirt year this season. I think most can agree that Flory Bidunga is going to play this season, which, in my opinion, likely leaves Rakease Passmore and Jamari McDowell. Because Kansas has so many talented players this season, if the team can stay healthy and if the guys that are expected to contribute do just that, I think a player taking a redshirt is a good idea.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Self when asked about the possibility of a player taking a redshirt year. “I don't know exactly how it's going to play out, but I think so. You know, freshmen, you know, Flory obviously won't, and I'm not saying Rakease Passmore will at all, but at least freshmen get to play in the exhibition games. Before you make that decision, a guy that's in your program and healthy, to my understanding, if they play in the exhibition games, it's the same as playing a regular season game from a red shirt situation.

“So if anybody doesn't play, like against Arkansas, don't read into it that they're definitely redshirting,” he added. “Read into it that we probably hadn't made a decision yet on how much they can actually help us this particular year based on what our needs are.”

I'll start:

"I would rather shorten my johnson than watch KU rush 4 guys while protecting a 4th quarter lead."

will have video posted later

Leopold is whining around about defensive depth and injuries for what sounds like an excuse. Who is that on? He is in year four. Shouldn’t he have recruited decent depth by now? In theory that is 100 scholarships at his disposal. K State doesn’t seem to have depth problems. It’s plug and play with them.

Anybody who watched him try to play the other night knew something wasn't right. I'm surprised they let him keep playing

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Weird how the "stick to sports" crowd is nowhere to be found on Butker's activism.

This is all extremely possible. It's best scenario for each conference to get the max number of teams in the CFP. The committee would have their work cut out.

Bold is winner of conference championship. Parentheses is who they lost to. Green means the loss already happened.

SEC
Texas A&M 11-2 (ND, Texas)
Texas 11-2 (Georgia, A&M)
LSU 10-2 (USC, A&M)
Georgia 10-2 (Alabama, Ole Miss)
Alabama 10-2 (Vandy, LSU)
Ole Miss 10-2 (UK, LSU)
Missouri 10-2 (A&M, Alabama)
Tennessee 9-3 (Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia)

Big Ten
12-1 Ohio State (Oregon)
12-1 Oregon (Ohio State)
11-1 Penn State (Ohio State)
11-1 Indiana (Ohio State)
10-2 Illinois (Penn State, Oregon)

ACC
12-1 SMU (BYU)
12-1 Miami (SMU)
11-1 Clemson (Georgia)
11-2 Pitt (Clemson, SMU)

Big 12
12-1 KSU (BYU)
12-1 BYU (KSU)
11-1 ISU (KSU)

Indy
11-1 Notre Dame (Northern IL)

G5
11-1 Army (Notre Dame)
12-1 Boise State (Oregon)
11-0 Liberty

According to Sebastian Williams-Adams, he's no longer going to visit Kansas for Late Night in the Phog. Instead, the No. 56 ranked player in the 2025 class has rescheduled his visit to Vanderbilt.

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Quick note before Leipold starts. Cobee Bryant and Jalen Todd listed with an OR on depth chart.

Marvin Grant and Taylor Davis with an OR.

ESPN listed the biggest non con games for each team


I noticed Indiana had a light opponent so I looked at their schedule. WTF. They play no one. They will surely be undefeated by the end of noncon play.

Until Houston found a way to beat TCU I would have told you my confidence level in this game would be higher. But that game against TCU kind of clouds how Houston started the season.

I watched the games against TCU and Iowa State.

My first impressions are they look solid in places on defense, good up front, and not very good on offense.

Against TCU they went with sophomore QB Zeon Criss. Going into the TCU game Houston didn't score for eight quarters. In the Iowa State game you could feel a change was brewing because Criss started splitting time with Donovan Smith (Tech transfer) at QB.

They threw mainly short passes for Criss against TCU. He throws the ball sidearm and I am surprised more balls don't get batted down. He's a really good runner. Against TCU he threw for 141 and ran for 113. His running started to loosen up the TCU defense.

I thought the OL was bad against Iowa State. It was good enough against TCU but they got the ball out quick and Criss helped by eluding a lot of defenders.

The RB didn't stand out more than normal.

I really liked some of the DL up front Keith Cooper, Carlos Allen and Anthony Holmes. They go 280, 295 and 295. They have some size and can move. I think that might be the strength of the defense.

In the secondary A.J. Haulcy was really good against TCU. He's a transfer from New Mexico.

Houston played a lot of zone and made Hoover from TCU try to beat them and he made some bad throws.

Against Iowa State, Houston had the ball driving midway through the 3rd quarter only trailing 3-0. Houston eventually wore down and Iowa State started getting some success on the ground. The Houston QB were not good in the Iowa State game.

Houston's defense is ranked 5th in the conference and the offense is last. Listen, this should be a game KU can win. But they also could have won about every game on the schedule. The mobile QB worries me but Houston doesn't throw it well and hasn't rushed well with their RBs.

I looked up the OL on PFF and here is where they stand:

Peyton Dunn G- 65.9 (361)

Tank Jenkins G- 60.9 (334)

Dakota White T- 56.5 (184)

Jake Wiley T- 56.4 (337)

David Ndukwe T- 55.7 (186)

Demetrius Hunter C- 55.1 (363)

What an absolute stain this would be on campus. It's as if they can't look as Wescoe and think about the long term rather than this.

I know we are 6 games in, but have there been any players that have played 4 games or less who are opting to redshirt (and hopefully not transferring)?

Both starting QB’s are ex-B12’ers.

Transferred up and out.

2,281 yards, 456 yards per game so far this year. The most in college football at any level.

22 TD’s, 4 INT

Here are some advanced numbers for the first half of the season. For all you numbers junkies some interesting stats in there. This is a breakdown of every most important metrics that PFF offers I was going over this morning.

PASS BLOCKING:

Michael Ford- 82.7
Logan Brown- 80.7
Devin Neal- 77.4
Kobe Baynes- 74.9
Bryce Foster- 73.3
Bryce Cabeldue- 73.2
Calvin Clements- 71.0
Jared Casey- 51.7
Trevor Kardell- 54.0
Shane Bumgardner- 43.5
Daniel Hishaw- 36.4

RUN BLOCKING:

Michael Ford- 79.0
Bryce Cabeldue- 78.4
Bryce Foster- 78.2
Jared Casey- 77.4
Logan Brown- 76.7
Calvin Clements- 67.1
Darrell Simmons- 66.5
Kobe Baynes- 66.0
Torry Locklin- 64.3
Lawrence Arnold- 61.0
Shane Bumgardner- 60.0
Luke Grimm- 58.4
Trevor Kardell- 56.5
Devin Neal- 54.4
Daniel Hishaw- 53.4
Quentin Skinner- 48.4


TACKLING:

Damarius McGhee- 83.5
Jayson Gilliom- 79.7
Dean Miller- 79.2
Cobee Bryant- 76.4
Blake Herold- 76.2
Cornell Wheeler- 76.2
Jalen Dye- 73.1
Marvin Grant- 70.6
Taiwan Berryhill- 67.3
D.J. Withers- 65.7
Caleb Taylor- 65.7
Mello Dotson- 64.2
Kenean Caldwell- 54.1
Devin Dye- 53.5
JB Brown- 53.4
Jereme Robinson- 52.0
Mason Ellis- 49.8
O.J. Burroughs- 44.7
Tommy Dunn- 31.0
Dylan Wudke- 26.5
DJ Warner- 20.7


COVERAGE (LB and Secondary)

Mello Dotson- 78.6
JB Brown- 72.7
Cobee Bryant- 70.8
Mason Ellis- 65.9
O.J. Burroughs- 63.3
Cornell Wheeler- 62.7
Damarius McGhee- 57.7
Marvin Grant- 56.0
Devin Dye- 55.8
Jayson Gilliom- 50.0
Taiwan Berryhill- 47.1


RECEIVER TARGETS/CATCHES

Luke Grimm- 46 (32)
Quentin Skinner- 35 (14)
Lawrence Arnold- 28 (16)
Trevor Kardell- 11 (4)
Jared Casey- 10 (7)
Devin Neal- 8 (7)
Torry Locklin- 5 (1)
Daniel Hishaw- 3 (3)
Trevor Wilson- 6 (3)
Doug Emilien- 2 (2)
Tevita Noah- 4 (1)
Bryce Cohoon- 1 (0)
Mack Moeller- 1 (1)
Sevion Morrison- 1 (1)


PASSING DIRECTION and NUMBERS

Jalon Daniels
With clean pocket- 74-for-124 911 yards 6 TD, 5 INT
Under Pressure- 12-for-36 151 yards, 1 TD 3 INT
Not Blitzed- 58-of-97 739 yards, 5 TD 5 INT
When Blitzed- 28-of-63 323 yards, 2 TD 3 INT


Chart for season passing direction and totals:

IRVING, Texas – For the 21st time in the 28-year history of the coaches’ men’s basketball preseason Big 12 poll, Kansas has been selected as the favorite to win the conference as the league announced preseason awards Thursday.



Individually, Kansas graduate center Hunter Dickinson is the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season becoming the first player in conference history to earn the accolade twice. Dickinson, a unanimous preseason all-conference first team selection, is joined on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by KU teammate Dajuan Harris Jr., who is on the preseason all-league second team.



Kansas received nine of a possible 15 first-place votes in the poll as coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. KU amassed 215 points, edging 2024 Big 12 regular-season champion Houston (211) in the poll. Houston had five first-place votes. Iowa State (194), with one first-place vote, was third in the poll with Baylor fourth and Arizona fifth. Arizona garnered one first-place vote in the poll.



Historically, Dickinson marks the 12th Jayhawk to collect the preseason player of the year award. Kansas has had at least one player on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team in all but two of the 29 seasons the conference has existed, since 1996-97. Dickinson is the 41st Jayhawk to be listed on the Preseason All-Big 12 first team.



Kansas is coming off a 23-11 season where it advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time in the last 34 years, a run that started in 1990. KU returns three starters led by Dickinson, a 2024 Consensus All-America Second Team, All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year selection. Dickinson was the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double (17.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg) last year. Harris has been the starter each of the last three seasons and was the 2023 Big 12 Defensive player of the Year. A three-time all-league honoree, Harris has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio two of the last three seasons and has ranked in the top five in the conference in assists per game each of the last three years. Two-time All-Big 12 selection and the 2023 Big 12 Most Improved player, KJ Adams Jr. is also back as a returning starter. Kansas has nine newcomers on its roster that includes six upperclassmen transfers.



2024-25 Big 12 Preseason Honors (as voted on by the coaches)

Preseason Poll

Place. Team (first place votes)

1-KANSAS (9) – 215

2-Houston (5) – 211

3-Iowa State (1) – 194

4-Baylor – 185

5-Arizona (1) – 179

6-Cincinnati – 140

7-Texas Tech – 135

8-K-State – 133

9-BYU – 116

10-TCU – 90

11-UCF – 83

12-Arizona State – 64

13-West Virginia – 62

14-Oklahoma State – 46

15-Colorado – 37

16-Utah – 30



Preseason All-Big 12 First Team
Caleb Love, Arizona
LJ Cryer, Houston
J’Wan Roberts, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas*



Preseason All-Big 12 Second TeamNorchad Omier, Baylor
Jeremy Roach, Baylor
Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
DAJUAN HARRIS JR., KANSASColeman Hawkins, K-State



*- unanimous selection



Preseason Player of the Year: HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS
Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year: Jeremy Roach, Baylor
Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year: Coleman Hawkins, K-State
Freshman of the Year: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor



Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.



Kansas’ Preseason Big 12 Player of the Years – Jacque Vaughn (1996-97), Raef LaFrentz (1997-98), Wayne Simien (2004-05), Brandon Rush and Julian Wright (2006-07), Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins (2009-10), Devonte’ Graham (2017-18), Udoka Azubuike (2019-20), Remy Martin (2021-22), Hunter Dickinson (2023-24), Hunter Dickinson (2024-25)



Big 12 Preseason Poll History

Season – Preseason Selection (actual finish); Big 12 Champion (preseason selection)

2023-24 – Kansas (T5th); Houston (2nd)

2022-23 – Baylor (T3rd); Kansas (2nd)

2021-22 – Kansas (T1st); Kansas (1st), Baylor (3rd)

2020-21 – Baylor (1st); Baylor (1st)

2019-20 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2018-19 – Kansas (3rd); Kansas State (2nd), Texas Tech (7th)

2017-18 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)*

2016-17 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2015-16 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2014-15 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2013-14 – Kansas (1st), Oklahoma State (8th); Kansas (1st)

2012-13 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st), Kansas State (5th)

2011-12 – Kansas (1st), Texas A&M (9th); Kansas (1st)

2010-11 – Kansas State (T3rd); Kansas (2nd)

2009-10 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2008-09 – Oklahoma (2nd); Kansas (3rd)

2007-08 – Kansas (T1st); Kansas (1st), Texas (2nd)

2006-07 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2005-06 – Texas (T1st); Kansas (3rd), Texas (1st)

2004-05 – Kansas (T1st), Oklahoma State (3rd); Kansas (T1st), Oklahoma (4th)

2003-04 – Missouri (T5th); Oklahoma State (5th)

2002-03 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2001-02 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

2000-01 – Kansas (T2nd); Iowa State (4th)

1999-00 – Kansas (5th); Iowa State (6th)

1998-99 – Oklahoma State (T5th); Texas (5th)

1997-98 – Kansas (1st); Kansas (1st)

1996-97 – No coaches poll; Kansas



*The 2018 title was later vacated.