College Basketball Preseason Rankings: No. 20 Kansas Jayhawks

Top-25 College Basketball: Kansas Projected Roster & Outlook

In this series, we'll be taking a closer look at RotoWire's preseason college basketball top-25, with an in-depth roster analysis and projected rotation for the 2025-26 season for each team. Today's feature will be the Kansas Jayhawks.

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.

20. Kansas

It's safe to say the Hunter Dickinson era at Kansas did not go as planned. While he put up great individual numbers, it resulted in the two lowest offensive efficiency seasons in the Bill Self era.

Losing other core players in Dejuan Harris and KJ Adams were also a necessary evil that will help Self and his staff play in a completely different style on the offensive end and be much harder to guard. 

All eyes will be on Darryn Peterson, who many feel is the best overall player in this freshman class. He is who many Jayhawk fans are counting on to bring Kansas back as a top title contender after two straight very disappointing seasons. Peterson makes the game look so easy with the ability to score at any level and make plays for others effortlessly. His 6-10 wingspan also will come in handy on the defensive end of the floor. 

Melvin Council, Jayden Dawson and Tre White were all brought in as transfers to complement Peterson's game. All three bring a level of intensity and nasty that was missing from Kansas last season. Council can be a secondary ball-handler, and Dawson is an elite three-point threat. 

Flory Bidunga also posses as much upside as any player in the country. He didn't get to play much behind Hunter Dickinson last season, but his per-40 minute numbers were 14.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and a ridiculous 5.6 blocks. 

Bryson Tiller, one of the best bigs in the 2025 class, reclassified and has been practicing with the team since January. He is coming off ankle surgery but will be ready to make an impact behind and/or next to Bidunga. 

Elmarko Jackson will also be an important player next season coming off a knee injury. Jackson was the team's top recruit in the 2023 class and will bring a serious speed and quickness threat.

There's likely one more piece coming for coach Bill Self, but this roster feels like it will rejuvenate him and allow for some more freedom without the crutches of Dickinson, Harris and Adams, whose skillsets constantly shrank the floor together. 

Check out how injuries are affecting the status of other players & teams on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.

2025-26 Kansas Basketball Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Melvin Council (14.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.1 SPG at St. Bonaventure)

SG: Jayden Dawson (13.9 PPG, 2.7 3PM at Loyola-Chicago)

SF: Darryn Peterson (No. 2 in ESPN 100)

PF: Tre White (10.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG at Illinois)

C: Flory Bidunga (5.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.6 BPG)

Key Reserves: Elmarko Jackson (Redshirted), Bryson Tiller (Redshirted), Samis Calderon (No. 87 in ESPN 100), Jamari McDowell (Redshirted), Corbin Allen (3-star Freshman)

Following another active transfer portal period, RotoWire's college basketball depth charts are updated with the latest in roster movement.

2025-26 Full Preseason College Basketball Top-25

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20. Kansas Jayhawks
21. Tennessee Volunteers
22. North Carolina Tar Heels
23. Oregon Ducks
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
25. Wisconsin Badgers