Anyone else miss KU Men's hoops 4th commitment last month?

From KUAthletics.com - Early signing period Football signees Dec 4 2024
Jaden Nickens
WR, 6-3, 190 lbs., Simi Valley, Calif., Sierra Canyon School

High School: Rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and a three-star by Rivals … Coached by Jon Ellinghouse at Sierra Canyon … Ranked the No. 30 ranked athlete prospect in the Class of 2025 by Rivals … Dual sport athlete, playing both football and basketball for Sierra Canyon … Helped his team to an 8-4 record as a senior, including a 5-0 conference record.

Personal: Son of Shamrya Kennedy and Nathaniel Jones Jr. … Has three brothers and 3 sisters,, Demerius Vealy, Nathaniel Jones III, Jaxon Jones, Dayja Hurst, Akilah Masters, Natalya Jones… Chose Kansas over offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, California, Georgia and Texas A&M, among others.


More from KUSports.com

Of interest is the impact of Nickens on the scholarship/roster limit issue.

Again, here's the previously linked article talking a bit about the issue - KUSports.com - Greenstein: KU coaches discuss implications of Nickens’ multi-sport participation. Dec 10, 2024 .

And based on that article, if the NCAA penalty is 3 scholarships over three years, with taking the last scholarship penalty next season wouldn't KU still be able to have 15 on the AY2025-26 roster as the Nickens scholarship counts against football?

I may be wrong, but IIRC the details of the NCAA penalty (the "letter of the law," if you will), written before this latest decision that seems to sync scholarship limits with roster limits, does not mention losing roster spots, only scholarships.

That would seem to me to allow for KU to have an AY2025-26 roster of 15 total, with 14 men's hoops scholarship players plus Nickens, who by NCAA rule would count against KU's new 105 football scholarship limits.

Yes? No?

Note that the hoops impact of Nickens will likely be minimal - but he can always aspire to be the next Clint Normore, eh?

I chatted with JayhawkSlant's Shay Wildeboor today. Shay says he doesn't know if walk-ons will exist in the new era, but will ask Self during a media opportunity this week. I'll provide Self's and Shay's responses once I hear from him.

Nickens will play both. Football is his primary sport and he was recruited for that, but he also wants to play hoops. That was important for him, and I understand he will join the team after football is finished, much like KUFB safety Clint Normore did in 1987-88.

Under NCAA rules his scholarship will count against the football program’s 105 player scholarship|roster limit, not basketball’s 15.

Hence my question about how dual sport athletes and walk-ons are to be treated, since the new rules set the scholarship limits equal to the roster limits. Has not been the case.

Examples, this AY is the last for these old limits

Football: S=85 R=105
MBasketball: S=13 R=18

Hence walk-ons.
But will there be walk-ons under the new limits?

Doesn’t seem like it, unless a program chooses not to fund the maximum number of allowed scholarships.

Also brings up my question about next year and KU taking the final scholarship penalty.

KU can only award 14 scholarships in MBB next year because of the last penalty.

But since Nickens will count against the FB limits, can he still be in the MBB roster to make it 15?

IIRC the NCAA penalty did not address losing a roster placement. It only took away 3 scholarships over 3 years.