Kansas made one of its most significant additions of the offseason by signing Radford transfer Dennis Parker Jr. out of the transfer portal. He gives the Jayhawks some much-needed scoring in isolation opportunities, whether it be off the bench as a sixth man or as the final starter.
Before bringing Parker on board, KU was not expected to add more than one or two more meaningful players on the open market. It remains to be seen whether the coaching staff will actually pursue impact transfers or simply add walk-on caliber talents like they did with Grant Mordini and Atticus Richmond.
This Kansas roster has the potential to be one of the top teams in the Big 12. However, are the Jayhawks a true national contender given their remaining needs?
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Kansas’ Remaining Roster Needs
Kansas has not made it out of the first weekend of March Madness in four years, and the upcoming season could be Bill Self’s last at the helm in Lawrence. Those two facts make it imperative that the coaching staff gets the roster right this offseason.
For starters, KU has one of its weaker frontcourts in recent memory. It added Utah transfer Keanu Dawes to fill the starting power forward void left by Bryson Tiller, but the duo of Christian Reeves and Paul Mbiya still leaves questions against premier Big 12 competition.
Another factor that must be considered is Reeves’ health and the fact that he recently underwent shoulder surgery to repair a labrum issue. That could leave KU’s frontcourt shorthanded at the beginning of the season and potentially force the coaching staff’s hand to add one more backup big in the portal.
Something else that cannot be ignored is KU’s backcourt size, as projected starters Leroy Blyden Jr. and Taylen Kinney both stand around 6-foot-1. Despite their exceptional talent on the offensive end, each newcomer lacks size, and that could become a defensive liability down the stretch.
The addition of Parker (6-foot-6) made some fans wonder whether he could crack the starting five and overtake one of the combo guards’ roles to create a lengthier lineup. Regardless, there are still concerns about Parker’s defense and whether his efficiency issues will resurface now that he is back at the power-conference level.
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Right now, the Jayhawks could still use another experienced veteran who can play limited minutes at the five to spell KU’s regular big man duo. They could also benefit from another starting-caliber player who could compete for a role at shooting guard or small forward, depending on how the team wants to utilize Tyran Stokes’ versatile skill set.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Is Kansas Done in the Transfer Portal After Adding Dennis Parker Jr.?.
