AY2025-26 MBB Recruiting @2025-11-16

This Origin Post is updated throughout the year with the latest summary data for Kansas Men's Basketball recruiting as of the date shown in the Subject line. This one post gives the reader a snapshot of the known and rumored status of KUMBB recruiting as of that date. Subsequent posts in this thread will contain later information or comments as events unfold, but the data those posts contain will be summarized in this origin post as appropriate.

For your easy reference, you can click here to see last season's recruiting thread.
And you can click here for information on the NCAA recruiting calendar for the academic year..
Enjoy!

NB: I started this in October 2025, and a lot has already happened for this recruiting year.

REQUEST TO RCBers
In an effort to keep recruiting information and Q&As easily accessible in one thread, please consider posting your recruiting comments and questions for this recruiting season in this pinned thread. Alternatively I will post a link here to your post in order to keep the recruiting info connected.

Also, if you know of an error or omission, please let me know so I can correct it.

Thank you!
ROCK CHALK JAY HAWK K U!


ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-26 KANSAS JAYHAWKS RECRUITING SYNOPSIS
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Sources: Rivals/On3, 247Sports, ESPN
National Rank & Ratings used for HS recruits are Rivals/On3.

BLUF (Bottom line up front)

SCHOLARSHIP|ROSTER OPENINGS AVAILABLE UPDATED 2025-11-16
The best guess S|R math as I know it at the latest update...
15 (NCAA Scholarship|Roster limits for Men’s and Women’s Basketball)
- 9 returning COUNTERS (see DEPARTING & RETURNING at end of post)
=6 openings (after known Early Entrants/Transfers Out)
- 5 new COUNTERS on roster (HS recruits, transfers in, upgraded walk-ons)
∴1 OPENINGS available as of update date.

COMMITTED/SIGNED UPDATED 2025-11-16 LEGEND and NOTES for COMMITTED/SIGNED
(1) 247sports.com: #13|****; ESPN100: #17|*****
(2) 247sports.com: #33|****; ESPN100: #46|****
(3) 247sports.com: #119|****; ESPN100: #77|****
(4) 247sports.com: #143|****; ESPN100: #na|*na
(5) 247sports.com: #13|*****; ESPN100: #40|**** (2027 ranking|rating)

TRANSFER AND JUCO REMAINING ELIGIBILITY CODES
^ Transfer with 3 years left to play.
+ Transfer with 2 years left to play
# Transfer with 1 year left to play
& JUCO recruit with 3 years left to play
% JUCO recruit with 2 years left to play

RECRUITING CLASS RANKING UPDATED 2025-11-16
4 - Rivals/On3
2 - 247Sports.com
2 - ESPN.com
?? - RSCI (not published until recruiting season is over)
NOTE WELL: The new NCAA rules starting AY2025-26 set ROSTER limits for all NCAA sports and removed scholarship caps, setting SCHOLARSHIP limit = ROSTER limit for each sport. Accordingly, new "walk-ons" are not going to exist anymore unless the program chooses to limit itself to fewer scholarship players for economic reasons. In the past there was always an allowance in the roster limit for walk-ons above and beyond the scholarship cap. Starting AY2025-26 student-athletes can still agree to play without a scholarship, but the new "S|R Limit" ruling has walk-ons impacting how many scholarships a program can offer because the roster limit cannot be exceeded. The court case settlement affirming these changes also included a transition rule protecting AY2024-25 walk-ons that wanted to continue their careers with their program in the future but were in danger of being dropped given the new S|R limit. As long as they remain on the team and still have eligibility left, they can remain on their AY2024-25 program’s future team rosters without being considered "counters" toward the S|R limit. Any new walk-ons will count against the S|R limit.

OFFERED HS RECRUITS (Multiple sources; where available, National Rank & Ratings are Rivals.)
The following list contains only recruits with a reported KANSAS offer (per Rivals/On3, 247Sports, ESPN)
or a listing on JayhawkSlant's "Hoops Hot Board".
(NB: ! after Position indicates recruit is listed on JayhawkSlant's “Hoops Hot Board”; !! means Shay Wildeboor likes him despite no reported offer at posting time.)
UPDATED 2025-11-16 [TO BE LINKED WHEN CREATED]Link to the RCB thread TRANSFER PORTAL 2026.


IMPORTANT DATES
_______________________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-26 SIGNING PERIODS FOR D1 MEN'S BASKETBALL
Early Signing Period window: .... 2025-11-12 thru 11-19
Regular Signing Period window: 2025-04-15 thru date based on institutional policy for awarding scholarships (new beginning AY2025-26).
Source: NCSA Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar for Prospective Student-Athletes Signing AY2025-26 and Enrolling AY2026-27 .

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES UPDATED 2025-10-17

TRANSFER PORTAL
MONDAY 2026-03-23 through TUESDAY 2026-04-21, the last date for ALL PROSPECTIVE transfers to enter the portal and be eligible to play next Fall without an NCAA waiver. The only exception will be for players who experience a coaching change at their current schools. Regardless of the window, they have 30 days after the change takes place to enter the transfer portal.
Source: NCAA D1 Transfer Window Dates 2025-2026 .

NBA DRAFT RELATED

SUNDAY 2026-04-??, 11:59 PM ET: NBA deadline to declare for the 2026-06-?? draft (60 days out)

WEDNESDAY 2026-05-??, 11:59 PM ET: NCAA deadline to withdraw from draft and retain eligibility assuming no agent is hired or an NCAA certified agent is hired.*
Date is ten days after the final day of the annual NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for
SUNDAY May ?? through SUNDAY May ??, 2026.
Note the NCAA deadline is NOT the same as the NBA's draft withdrawal deadline (5:00 PM ET 2026-06-??, 10 days before the NBA draft is held over two days starting on Wednesday 2026-06-??).
*With the NCAA rules approved in August 2018, effective with the 2019 NBA Draft players can hire an NCAA certified agent and still return to school.
Sources:
[url=link needed]• NCAA Memorandum 2026-??-?? SUBJECT: Information Regarding the 2026 National Basketball Association Draft and Combine, Agents and Workouts[/url]
• NBA.com: Key Dates 2025-26 (no NBA Draft and Combine dates set as of the last update).
• InsideHigherEd.com: 'Committed Change' for Men's Basketball.


DEPARTING & RETURNING AY2025-26 PLAYERS
_______________________________________________________________________________________
DEPARTING PLAYERS AFTER AY2025-26 ((S)cholarship, (W)alk-on, *past red shirt)

GRADUATING SENIORS and GRAD STUDENTS

GRADUATE PLAYERS
G Nginyu Ngala (S)

SENIORS
G/F Justin Cross* (W) (grandfathered)
G Jayden Dawson (S)
F/G Tre White (S)
G Melvin Council Jr

PROJECTED EARLY ENTRANTS (EEs)
G Darryn Peterson (S) for certain
F/C Flory Bidunga? (S)?

TRANSFERRING OUT

OTHER LOSSES
___________________________________________________________________________________
RETURNING PLAYERS and AY2026-27 STATUS by Class ((S)cholarship, (W)alk-on), *Redshirt)
REMEMBER: The court settlement of House v NCAA et al. grandfathers in walk-ons from AY2024-25 who still have eligibility left, and that status is good until their eligibility expires, i.e., they won't count against the new Scholarship|Roster limits as long as they remain walk-ons for the rest of their college careers. Last year’s grandfathered walk-ons who will still be eligible for the AY2026-27 season are included here.

SENIORS
G Wilder Evers* (W) (grandfathered)

JUNIORS
F Flory Bidunga (S) (EE if plays to everyone’s hopes as a sophomore)
G Elmarko Jackson* (S)
G Jamari McDowell* (S)
G Will Thengvall (W) (grandfathered)

SOPHOMORES
C Bryson Tiller* (S)
G Corbin Allen (S)
F Samis Calderon (S)
G Kohl Rosario (S)
C Paul Mbiya (S)
G Jaden Nickens (S Football and Hoops)

RED SHIRT FRESHMEN
None at present

Last I have learned Jaden Nickens, even though counting against KUFB for scholarship purposes, will also count against KU Men's Hoops roster (now=scholarship) limit. If I have missed an NCAA change that allows multiple sports athletes to not count against their non-primary sport(s), please advise. The to-my-knowledge extant situation just seems wrong to me.)

This recruiting season KU is at a full 15 player roster and 15 scholarships for the AY2026-27 playing season.
SCHOLARSHIP|ROSTER OPENINGS AVAILABLE SEE THE BOTTOM LINE UPFRONT (BLUF)

___________________________________________________________________________________
FORMER RECRUITS (Rankings not updated once they are off KU's radar)

247Sports Eric Bossi on Luke Barnett comitting to KU

Scouting notes from 247Sports Adam Finkelstein -

A shooting specialist with deep range and a quick release.
Took over 70% of his shots from behind the arc in EYBL play,
made 37% overall, but
47% of unguarded shots.
Excellent floor-spacer, understands how to utilize the deep corner, spacing and O structure.

NOT a true creator or dynamic ball handler, but is solid and a willing ball-mover who makes telatively quick decisions.
An extremely efficient finisher (71% at the rim in EYBL)
Find easy points sprinting the floor in transition and attacking.

Physically - solid positional size, some strength, and enough bounce to finish above the rim in the open floor.

Defensively he can be flat-footed guarding the ball.
Can struggle to get around screens, but closes hard.
He is disciplined in contesting shots, and covers ground pretty well when he's forced to scramble.
While never being the most gifted defender (definitely needs to improve) his motor and IQ will help him.

RCB: KU expected to sign 4 during early signing period

Men's Basketball Early Signing Period window: .... 2025-11-12 thru 11-19

OP updated for the 4 early commits signing with KU on the first day of the early signing period today.

RCB - KU expected to sign 4 during early signing period