KU hoops’ recruiting nearly complete: ‘I’m very happy with our portal class’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bill Self says KU's portal recruitment is basically done ahead of summer workouts.
- KU has 12 players on scholarship and three scholarships likely for practice players.
- Kansas added four portal players and two first-year players, including Tyran Stokes.
For the first time in seven weeks — ever since a second-round, season-ending NCAA Tournament loss to St. John’s in San Diego — Bill Self and his Kansas basketball assistants can relax a bit prior to the June 1 start of summer workouts with members of the 2026-27 team.
“I would say our portal recruitment is basically done unless something unexpected happens between now and the start of summer school,” said Self, who is about to begin season No. 24 at KU.
He’s played the role of team builder/general manager for nearly two months since learning just two scholarship players (Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya) would return from last year’s KU team with four incoming freshmen (Taylen Kinney, Davion Adkins, Luke Barnett, Trent Perry) who signed in November.
In that seven-week span, KU has added two additional first-year players — Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 prospect in the high school recruiting Class of 2026 and Grant Mordini, who is expected to be more of a practice player than in-game contributor at least in the near future.
The Jayhawk coaches, who are allowed to have up to 15 players on scholarship, have corralled four players from the transfer portal in Dennis Parker Jr. (Radford), Keanu Dawes (Utah), Leroy Blyden Jr. (Toledo) and Christian Reeves (College of Charleston). Reeves will be out until mid-summer following shoulder surgery.
So at this date — as final exams week begins on campus Monday — KU has 12 players on scholarship with the last three scholarships likely to go to practice players, the type of players who in past years were deemed “walk-ons.”
The NCAA no longer allows walk-ons, as all 15 players on the roster are to receive scholarships. KU junior guard Will Thengvall has been grandfathered in as a non-scholarship player.
“I’m very happy with our portal class, happy with the recruitment of these guys,” Self told The Star on Friday in a phone interview.
“We tried to recruit for needs. We did address needs and I think this class will allow us to play at the highest level nationally to go with the highest rated recruit nationally,” Self added.
KU’s freshman recruiting class, which includes a potential top-five NBA Draft pick in Stokes plus an elite point guard in Kinney, has been accorded a No. 2 national ranking by 247sports.com, No. 3 ranking by both ESPN.com and USAtoday.com and No. 4 national rating by Rivals.com.
The class of portal players, however, has been ranked No. 26 by 247sports.com. The ranking could improve once the signing of Parker is officially announced.
“Regardless of where we are ranked … we have had high rankings before where the class was called great and rankings where the class is considered not as good. This is one that maybe is not ranked as high as we feel as it should be. We’ve got one guy ranked above all of them, though,” Self continued, referring to the country’s top individual prospect — Stokes.
Self cannot comment on the addition of Parker until his financial aid materials are processed by compliance. The 6-foot-6 senior-to-be guard/forward averaged 18.3 points and 5.9 rebounds at Radford a year ago. A 38.0% 3-point shooter, he hit 10 threes en route to 53 points in a win over Coppin State.
KU in the portal also landed Dawes, a 6-9, 225 senior-to-be forward who averaged 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds last year at Utah. He had 11 double-doubles there, including seven against Big 12 opponents. He scored 22 points and secured 12 rebounds in a loss to KU on Feb. 7 at Allen Fieldhouse.
“He is a very versatile perimeter forward. At 6-9, he is extremely athletic and his skill set is improving. He’s a 4-man that can stretch the defense,” Self said. “We are very excited about his versatility. We think he can guard one through five and see him as being an immediate impact player for us. Keanu has been very well coached, well drilled, and has a unique feel for a player his size.”
Reeves, a 7-2, 255 senior-to-be, averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 boards last season at Charleston. He played two years at Duke (undergoing a pair of ankle surgeries while in Durham) and one season at Clemson. He’s expected to be 100% recovered from his shoulder surgery later in the summer.
Self said he believes Reeves, “will have an immediate impact for us. It’s exciting because he’s dealt with so many injuries and for the first time in his college career we can see the potential because it’s the first time he’s really been able to play.”
KU signed a high-scoring portal guard in Leroy Blyden, Jr., a 6-1, 170 sophomore-to-be who was the Mid-American conference freshman of the year. He averaged 16.4 points, scoring in double figures in 24 games with 13 contests of 20 points or more, including a career-high 36 points against Western Michigan.
Blyden had eight games with six or more assists, including a career-high 13 assists against Buffalo. He ranked third in the league in steals per game (1.8) and free-throw percentage (84.6%). He was seventh in the league with 2.3 threes per game and a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“We felt Leroy was one of the very best guard prospects in the portal, period,” Self said. “He can score. He shoots it with range and he’s efficient. He can be the lead guard and a scoring guard. His ability to make plays and get his shoulders past you is something we really need.”
The 247sports.com site has rated Dawes the No. 49 player in the 2026 transfer portal. Blyden is No. 90, Parker No. 158 and Reeves No. 171. ESPN has ranked Blyden No. 45 and Dawes No. 59.
Self, who will begin welcoming players into Lawrence near the end of the month for the start of summer school and summer workouts, said the Jayhawks will consider taking advantage of a new NCAA rule allowing a team to take a foreign trip every year.
“We are in the process of looking into doing something this fall. There’s been no determination yet,” Self said. “One benefit is the competition but more than that 10 days of practice (allowed by NCAA before the tour) with several new players. It’s not been decided. We’re looking into it.”
