Is this the year the rotation grows?

The return of Tre White and Melvin Council to a Kansas basketball lineup that many of us thought was already complete does far more than create a debate about what this team’s starting five might look like. 

It also opens the door for Kansas coach Bill Self to do something this season that he rarely has done — utilize a deeper rotation than the 7-to-9-man looks he typically has used. 

I know there are skeptics everywhere when it comes to the Bill Self rotation equation. And it’s hard to blame you. No matter how deep Self’s teams have appeared to be in recent years, he still has seemed to shrink his rotation to 7-to-9 players, particularly during the Big 12 portion of the schedule. 

The reason is simple. Self prefers to play the guys he trusts. Always has. Always will. 

And before Council and White returned after injunctions against the NCAA cleared the way for them to play another season of college ball, Self and his coaching staff were going to find 7-to-9 players on the previous roster — a Top 15-20 team in the country, by the way — that they liked and trusted to handle the majority of the minutes for the 2026-27. 

Isn’t then the return of Council and White the perfect opportunity for Self to play a deeper bunch than he has in recent years? And doesn’t he have the roster to do it? 

Time will tell, of course, but it sure seems to me like this is the perfect opportunity for Self to find 10 or even 11 guys who are capable of playing 12-25 minutes per game and move forward with that approach. 

Keep guys fresh. Utilize all of your available talent. Make things harder to scout and prepare for. Give yourself options on nights when your first and maybe even second plans of attack aren’t quite working. 

All of those, and more, are obvious advantages to the idea of committing to a deeper rotation. 

And given the fact that guys like Leroy Blyden Jr., Dennis Parker Jr. and Christian Reeves all came to KU with the idea that minutes were available, this also provides an opportunity to keep everyone happy. 

You all know the deal. Self plays who he trusts and he trusts who he trusts. That's not going to change. But what if this is the year that he actually trusts 9 or 10 guys? Remember, before Council and White returned, he was probably going to find 8 or 9 guys he already had to make up the rotation. So, adding the two returnees is like bonus time.

These guys will still have to earn it, of course. Playing time’s not going to be handed out to players who don’t compete or execute or grind on defense. But if they all demonstrate the ability to do those things on a consistent basis, this is the way to make sure they’re all rewarded for those efforts. 

And for those who don’t, the guys who might’ve gotten squeezed a little by the return of Council and White? Well, they still have every opportunity in the world to show the coaches they belong on the floor and are still in position to reap the benefits of what it means to play at Kansas. 

Gear, travel, exposure, history and, if the Council and White returns work out the way many are expecting they will, a whole lot of winning. 

Not a bad deal. 

Here’s a quick look at where the Jayhawks’ depth chart might currently sit. It’s worth noting that the starters below make up one of those small lineups Self recently talked about as an intriguing option for this team. He also said during last week’s interview that they’re still in the process of figuring out whether the Jayhawks’ best lineup has a true 5 man (Mbiya or Reeves) or whether the best lineup has Dawes or Stokes at the 5. 

PG: Melvin Council Jr. - Taylen Kinney 

SG: Leroy Blyden Jr. - Luke Barnett - Trent Perry

3G: Tre White - Kohl Rosario - Dennis Parker Jr. 

 4:   Tyran Stokes - Davion Adkins 

 5:   Keanu Dawes - Paul Mbiya/Christian Reeves 

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