Bill Self succession plan + Flory Bidunga/Tyran Stokes in a new KU Jayhawks Q&A

Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self announced his return for a 24th season this week, but make no mistake about it: KU was prepared in case he had opted to retire.

I spent the last two weeks calling various sources across the world of hoops. I wanted to learn the contingency plan in Lawrence if Self had chosen to step down. That meant I spent a lot of time building a list of likely candidates. It seemed to change every day.

I should add that money would not have been much of a factor in KU’s coaching search. I was repeatedly told that multiple donors would have stepped up and opened their wallets.

The four names I heard from multiple sources — guys KU liked as potential successors to Self — were Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Michigan’s Dusty May, Iowa’s Ben McCollum and current KU assistant coach Jacque Vaughn. Two sources mentioned Purdue coach Matt Painter, but he seemed like more of a long shot.

Notably, the Jayhawks wanted high-character candidates. So some of the names being mentioned on social media weren’t considered likely choices for KU.

Lloyd, in particular, was an interesting name because he had a non-compete clause for Big 12 schools. That meant, in theory, that if KU had wanted him, he would’ve had to sit out a season before coaching in Lawrence. That said, there were ways around it, but that requires diving deeper into the legal technicalities of it all.

All of this turned out to be moot, of course, because Self stayed put. And Lloyd wound up signing a five-year contract extension with Arizona Friday. That fended off speculation about the North Carolina job and made Lloyd one of the five highest-paid college hoops coaches in the country.

All of this is to say that whenever the time does come for Self to retire, we can expect the Jayhawks to be ready. This offseason provided a preview.

With that, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. Thanks, as always, for the questions …

With team settling in, NOW predict what the QB depth chart will look like in the fall. @JAndrew_Cochran

This is a great question. If you had asked me before Andy Kotelnicki’s return, the answer would have been starting quarterback Cole Ballard, backup Isaiah Marshall and third-stringer Chase Jenkins.

Now it’s a toss-up. Both Ballard and Marshall seem to have improved since last season.

“Confidence, comfortability,” coach Jim Zebrowski said of what he’s seen from the pair. “(They) really just make decisions. ‘Hey, I see it, check it down’ — they just understand what’s going on. They understand defensive structure, blitz and pressure so much more than they’ve done. I think they are really growing in the mental aspect.”

My current prediction is that Marshall will win the job. Why? I think he has more upside in Kotelnicki’s offense. It’s still early, though, and this competition could come down to the wire in August.

As of April 3, however, I like Marshall, Ballard and Jenkins, in that order.

If KU can only get/keep one who would you pick, Stokes or Flory @JLTWPod

I’ve been thinking about this question all week. I keep on going back and forth, but I think I’ve settled on Tyran Stokes.

The asking price for Flory Bidunga is reportedly $5 million. That probably won’t be what he ultimately gets from KU (or another program via the transfer portal), but he will still be an expensive proposition — especially after his stellar 2025-26 season. Bidunga declared for the NBA Draft on Thursday night, while maintaining college eligibility. He also entered the transfer portal.

Pairing Stokes with former AAU teammate Taylen Kinney would give KU two immediate starters. It’d also set the expectation that the Jayhawks would pluck three starters from the portal.

Ideally, KU can pick up a new quality big man without having to spend so much. And having another potential No. 1 overall pick in Tyran Stokes, a year after Darryn Peterson’s one season in Lawrence, would be good for the Kansas brand.

Will KU football shock the world and win the Big 12 this year?? @ajhawk13

I admire the optimism and see cause for excitement ahead of the 2026 season. But this team’s focus should be on qualifying for a bowl.

How does Bill Self returning affect who is going to leave from the current roster? (Will anyone be back?). Or do coaches even matter and everyone just chases the bag? @bewarephog

I’ve reported this previously, but multiple sources expect some departures even with Self’s return.

His decision to come back should also prompt other players to stick around. Think of such long-term program guys as Jamari McDowell and Elmarko Jackson, both of whom will likely take pay cuts/get recruited over.

Having a big-time coach like Self helps, but money is probably one of the biggest — if not the biggest — factors for typical prospects these days.

This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 1:09 PM.

Shreyas Laddha

The Kansas City Star

Shreyas Laddha covers KU hoops and football for The Star. He’s a Georgia native and graduated from the University of Georgia.