LAWRENCE — When Kansas basketball participates in Big 12 Conference media days on Tuesday, in Kansas City, Missouri, coach Bill Self will be joined by a trio of players.
There’s senior forward Keanu Dawes, who transferred in from Utah. There’s sophomore guard Kohl Rosario, who’s back from last season’s KU team. And there’s freshman guard Tyran Stokes, who’s a potential top pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.
But ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season, as the tied-No. 18 Jayhawks’ exhibition slate unfolds this preseason, what are going to be some storylines to follow at Big 12 media days? What’s the attention going to be on? What could Self find himself talking about as much as anything else?
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Here are some topics to keep in mind as the day unfolds:
What’s in store for Bill Self’s 24th season leading Kansas?
This will be Self’s 24th season leading the KU program, and considering the roster he’s assembled it’ll be a team that’ll be expected to contend both in the Big 12 and nationally. As any team would it’ll need some time to develop, especially with the recent additions to the roster, but the potential is there.
Self hasn’t reached a second weekend in the NCAA tournament since the national title run in 2022. This group should have the goal of not just reaching the second weekend, but making another deep run.
Just how good can Tyran Stokes be for Kansas this season?
Stokes arrived in Lawrence with high expectations, given he’s 247Sports’ No. 1 overall recruit from the class of 2026. He’s considered to be one of the top players in the nation, and when he turns pro he shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his named called in the NBA draft.
But is Stokes going to just have a phenomenal season individually, or can he be a talent that does that while also propelling KU toward the type of success it’s yearning for? When fans look back on his freshman year at Kansas, how will they remember it?
How did Bill Self manage to add Trey Kaufman-Renn to the roster?
On Monday, Kansas announced fifth-year forward Trey Kaufman-Renn would join the roster as a transfer from Purdue. Kaufman-Renn, currently eligible due to a court case he’s involved in in the state of Indiana, is taking the roster spot of a freshman forward in Grant Mordini who’ll have to miss the season due to injury.
It’ll be interesting to see what Self has to say about the process of bringing Kaufman-Renn into the fold, and what that was like. With Kaufman-Renn in the front court, KU’s ceiling rises considerably.
Who’ll be affected most by Kansas’ recent additions?
Kaufman-Renn wasn’t the only recent addition to Kansas’ roster, as senior guards Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White both were as well. Council and White were both members of KU’s team last season, and are currently eligible due to separate court cases of their own.
The starting lineup and regular rotation might take some time to develop during the early weeks of the season, as the three get acclimated, but it wouldn’t be hard to imagine all three being starters — or at least key contributors — at some point in the near future. That means, though, that some players who thought they’d have more significant roles are going to have to figure out what the season now has in store for them.
Is there going to be a surprise standout player this season?
With Stokes and some more players seemingly already heading toward having significant roles, it could be tough for someone to be a breakout player and stand out this season. But the potential is there, whether that be as a starter or a key contributor off of the bench.
Self has talked highly of the freshman class, and not just about Stokes and guard Taylen Kinney. There’s talent elsewhere, too.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Storylines to follow as Kansas basketball opens Big 12 media days