The Kansas basketball program underwent a roster transformation this offseason, landing top-rated 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes and highly rated transfers like Keanu Dawes and Leroy Blyden Jr. The past few months have been eventful for head coach Bill Self, who is returning to Lawrence for his 24th season at the helm, but it appeared he had likely wrapped up next year’s roster.
However, a new name has emerged on the recruiting front that could be a huge pickup for the Jayhawks. According to Arkansas insider Michael Main, KU would be the favorite to land big man transfer Malique Ewin if he is granted a fifth year of NCAA eligibility.
Keep in mind that all of this is contingent on Ewin receiving an eligibility waiver from the NCAA. He is seeking a similar ruling to the ones that have allowed former JUCO players to receive an extra year of eligibility, since he has technically spent only three years at the Division I level.
Entering what would be his fifth year of college basketball, Ewin has taken an unusual path. He began his career in the SEC at Ole Miss, where he played sparingly across 14 appearances.
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He then transferred to South Plains Community College and finished his sophomore season as the No. 1 JUCO player in the country. The Georgia native’s resurgence led to interest from several Power 5 schools, and he enjoyed his best season in 2024-25 when he averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists at Florida State.
Although he was a solid contributor for John Calipari and Arkansas during the Razorbacks’ Sweet 16 run, the team’s up-tempo offense didn’t necessarily get the most out of Ewin. He started just four of the 37 games he appeared in and saw his averages dip to 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in a sixth-man role.
Ewin has shown interest in Kansas before, listing the Jayhawks among his top five schools last offseason alongside Auburn, Mississippi State, Virginia, and Arkansas, where he ultimately committed. KU eventually secured a commitment from Flory Bidunga after his brief stint in the transfer portal, but this year, the coaching staff doesn’t have a player of that caliber waiting.
Kansas’ frontcourt has been one of the biggest concerns among fans this offseason. The Jayhawks are expected to rely heavily on Charleston transfer Christian Reeves, but he has a lengthy injury history and could miss time at the start of the season after undergoing labrum surgery last month.
Returning sophomore Paul Mbiya and incoming freshman Davion Adkins should provide depth in the paint, but an addition like Ewin would be one of the most impactful moves of the offseason. He has already proven he can produce at a high-major program and would immediately become a serious contender to start at center ahead of Reeves.
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All of this information should be taken with a grain of salt, as it originated from an uncredentialed YouTube report by Hogville’s Kevin McPherson. Still, it is notable that Arkansas insiders are labeling Kansas as the frontrunner, considering they generally have a good feel for what is happening around the Razorbacks program.
Ewin receiving a waiver this late in the offseason may be a long shot, but if the Jayhawks can somehow pull it off, their frontcourt outlook for the 2026-27 campaign would look much stronger.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Kansas Rumored to Have Interest in SEC Star Malique Ewin.
