KU men’s basketball’s transfer class of 2026 unranked by ESPN analysts
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Blyden and Dawes were individually ranked No. 45 and No. 59 by ESPN.
- ESPN placed Missouri’s transfer class at No. 12 nationally among teams.
- KU’s incoming freshmen class was rated No. 3 in the country by ESPN.
Kansas men’s basketball’s four transfer portal additions — Leroy Blyden Jr., Keanu Dawes, Dennis Parker Jr. and Christian Reeves — as a group did not make the list of the country’s top 22 incoming transfer classes as selected by ESPN.
The team rankings were revealed this week following the commitment of former Iowa State 3-point specialist Milan Momcilovic to Kentucky. Momcilovic was the last of ESPN’s top-100 transfers to choose a transfer destination out of the portal.
ESPN ranked Tennessee’s eight-player transfer class No. 1 followed by Louisville, which signed former KU big man Flory Bidunga this offseason.
Texas was ranked third, followed by Kentucky, St. John’s, Indiana, Miami, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan, UConn, Missouri and Providence. Teams also considered for a top-13 ranking by ESPN: Xavier, Texas A&M, Villanova, Vanderbilt, USC, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Iowa State.
As far as ESPN’s individual transfer player rankings, KU’s Blyden, a 6-1 sophomore point guard from University of Toledo, checked in at No. 45 overall. Dawes, a 6-9 senior forward out of Utah, was ranked No. 59.
“Blyden will be facing a big step up in competition but has the two-way playmaking ability to make an impact in Lawrence, where he’ll be paired with fellow point guard Taylen Kinney. Blyden has proven he’s capable of playing off the ball after playing alongside another lead guard in Sonny Wilson at Toledo,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote of Detroit native Blyden. He averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals a year ago while shooting over 40% from 3.
Of Dawes, Borzello wrote: “Dawes’ performance against Kansas (22 points, 12 rebounds in a loss to KU last season) turned out to be significant, now that he’s heading to the Jayhawks. Perhaps Bill Self liked what he saw that night! Dawes is essentially the Bidunga replacement up front, and he should certainly be up to the task from a rebounding perspective.”
Dawes averaged 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds a game a year ago.
Parker, a 6-6, 215-pound wing out of Radford University and Reeves, 7-2, 255, from College of Charleston, were not included in the ESPN’s individual top-100 list of transfers.
Of No. 2 ranked Bidunga, a 6-8 3/4 (with shoes) junior forward from Democratic Republic of Congo who averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a sophomore, analyst Myron Medcalf of ESPN wrote: “Bidunga won’t score like some of his portal peers will, but he was arguably the most impactful player available. The nation’s top defensive player, Bidunga was the stabilizing force for a Kansas team that weathered the turbulence of Darryn Peterson’s availability to finish ninth in adjusted defensive efficiency while holding Big 12 opponents to a 45% rate on shots inside the arc.
“Bidunga’s presence automatically turns Louisville into a defensive force in the paint, where the Cardinals were vulnerable last season.”
It should be noted ESPN lists Bidunga at 6-10, while official NBA Combine measurements beg to differ.
Missouri’s No. 12-ranked group of transfers — Jaylen Carey, Jordan Crawford, Kennard Davis Jr., Jamier Jones, Cord Stansberry and Bryson Tiller — is led by former KU forward Tiller.
Of the No. 37 rated Tiller, a 6-11 sophomore from Atlanta, Borzello wrote: “Tiller completes what should be one of the most talented starting fives in the SEC next season. He’s poised for a breakout campaign. Dennis Gates’ up-tempo, pressure-based system should allow Tiller to use his athleticism to full advantage. Going from Kansas to Missouri adds some spice to his decision.”
It should be noted KU still has two scholarships available in recruiting. Various recruiting sites are reporting KU is interested in possibly signing a fifth transfer in Malique Ewin, a 6-10, 220-pound senior big man, who averaged 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds a year ago at Arkansas.
Ewin, who hails from Lawrenceville, Georgia, is seeking a waiver for a fifth year of eligibility. He started four of 37 games a year ago. He’s also played at Mississippi, Florida State, South Plains College and Arkansas over a four-year span.
KU’s four-man transfer class may not be ranked, but the Jayhawks’ seven-player class of incoming freshmen is rated No. 3 in the country by ESPN, behind only Arkansas and Duke.
Tyran Stokes, a 6-7 wing out of Rainier Beach (Washington) High School, is the No. 1 player in the class of 2026. Taylen Kinney, a 6-2 point guard out of the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta, is ranked No. 21 by ESPN. Davion Adkins, 6-9 forward out of Prolific Prep, is No. 64. Trent Perry, a 6-4 combo guard from Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, is No. 89. Luke Barnett, a 6-3 shooting guard out of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, California, is not ranked by ESPN but rated No. 121 by Rivals. Grant Mordini, 6-11 out of Avon Old Farms in Connecticut is rated No. 364 and Atticus Richmond, 6-8 forward out of Newman School in Boston, No. 366, both by Rivals.
“One year after landing potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson, Bill Self again has a superstar headed to Lawrence in Stokes, the best player in the class,” wrote Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN. “He’s too strong for most wings and too skilled for most big men, and he’s capable of doing a little bit of everything on the floor. He joins another top-20 recruit in immediate-impact point guard Kinney, who has the size and playmaking ability to cause matchup problems against smaller backcourts, is a terrific scorer with a variety of finishing moves and is developing as a playmaker.
The Jayhawks have also landed a top recruit for the class of 2027 in Javon Bardwell, a 6-6 small forward out of Overtime Elite who is ranked No. 13 by 247Sports.
