Three key questions Kansas must answer this offseason

As the rest of college basketball gears up for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in Houston, Chicago, San Jose and Washington D.C. this weekend, the center of the Kansas basketball world revolves around one question.

Will he or won’t he?

He, of course, is head coach Bill Self, who, for the first time in his career, appears to be giving real thought to retiring after 33 seasons as a college head coach, including the last 23 at KU.

That’s the first of three key questions that Kansas must answer this offseason and it’s a doozy. The result of Self’s talks with family and his internal dialogue could, and likely would, drastically impact keys two and three on this list.

But we’ll cover them all as things sit today on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, and continue to adjust as we learn more.

1 - Will Self return for Year 24 at Kansas?

You all know the factors that Self is weighing, so we won’t go overboard rehashing them here.

But, just in case you’ve forgotten a couple or if you’re having a hard time keeping them straight, here are the key points.

• There’s no doubt in my mind that Self would like to keep coaching. This isn’t a matter of if he’s burnt out or if the game has passed him by or anything like that. If his health allows him to coach and his family agrees that it’s a good thing for him to do so, he’ll almost certainly be back.

• The health thing is no joke. You’ve seen him miss time because of his heart issues, and he’s been hospitalized and had to change his diet and lifestyle pretty substantially. If he’s able to convince those closest to him — and quite possibly even himself — that he can manage that without it taking a greater toll on him and his body than it already has, it seems fair to think that everyone would be OK with him coaching another year.

But that’s a pretty big if and it’s pretty scary stuff. He’s only 63 and he’s a grandfather now. You know his family wants him around and healthy for as long as humanly possible and you know he wants that, too.

• Self loves KU. And he has spent his entire 23 years in Lawrence going out of his way to remind people that he’s just the caretaker of the program for a short while and that no one person — coach or player — is bigger than Kansas basketball.

Because of that — it’s 100% genuine, by the way, and always has been — he wants nothing more than to see KU continue to be wildly successful well after he’s done.

That means leaving the place in the best shape he can when he does decide he’s done, and, if he doesn’t feel like stepping away now allows him to do that, I can see that weighing on him in a big way.

• Finally, it’s important to remember that this is what Self does and who he is. A ball coach.

He has plenty of other interests, a great family, lifelong friends he enjoys hanging with, loves golf and the beach and traveling. But how many of those things can provide the kind of challenge that Self has always thrived in chasing?

He’s as competitive as they come, and he certainly would not be the first coach or player to choose to stay in the game for a little longer just because he’s unsure where the adrenaline that accompanies competing would come from without it.

2 - What will the 2026-27 KU roster look like?

Right now, there is enough there to make you think that Kansas could have a pretty strong returning roster if everyone who’s eligible to return elected to do so next season.

Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller and Kohl Rosario all started games and have tremendous upside. Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell are veterans who have been with the program for years now and care a great deal about keeping it among the elite in all of college basketball.

Add to that the fact that young bigs Paul Mbiya and Samis Calderon still have the look of players who could turn into stars with a little more time and development.

Here’s the thing, though. I’m not sure any of those seven are 100% locks to return. You’d think that Jackson and McDowell probably are, but I wouldn’t call you crazy if you told me that either or both of them would want to see if they can earn a starting spot somewhere else.

You’d also love to think that Bidunga and Tiller will be back, but there has been plenty of speculation about each of them possibly leaving this offseason, either to turn pro or to transfer, so you can’t say with absolute certainty that either will be back, as much as Kansas may want them back and as important — not to mention well-paid — as they both would be.

They’re both virtual locks to at least test their NBA draft stock and they’ll likely keep all of their options open to them throughout that process.

That leaves Mbiya, Calderon and Rosario, along with redshirt Corbin Allen, who figures to be back without much doubt. All three came to KU expecting to make an impact and be big parts of the program’s future. If that’s still the message they’re given and how they feel about their roles, then it’s an easy choice to return.

But life in the transfer portal can be awfully appealing these days and there’s no doubt that all three would have suitors if they elected to look around and see what options are out there.

It’s not uncommon for programs to turn over their entire roster from one season to the next these days. Heck, KU almost did as much from last season to the recently completed one. So, we know there will be new faces and we know there will be some comings and goings.

How many will go a long way toward determining what we know about this group heading into the summer, no matter who is coaching it.

3 - Can KU keep its strong recruiting class together?

It starts with point guard Taylen Kinney, a 5-star McDonald’s All-American. But it’s bigger than that. KU has been rumored to be the favorite to land No. 1 overall prospect Tyran Stokes, another 5-star recruit.

If the Jayhawks add Stokes to an already impressive class, you may be looking at the best 2026 bunch in the country.

As of today, without Stokes, it’s ranked No. 3 in the country by 247 Sports and includes 4-star prospects Luke Barnett (6-3, 170, SG from Mater Dei), Davion Adkins (6-8, 205, PF from Prolific Prep) and Trent Perry (6-4, 175, SF from Link Academy).

It goes without saying that these guys picked Kansas expecting that Self would be their coach. If he decides to call it a career, could Kansas’ staff and whoever they name as Self’s replacement, do enough work in a short period of time to keep this class together?

It’s certainly possible. As much as Self and his coaching staff were a huge part of these commitments, so was Kansas in general – its history, its tradition, its fan base, its home court and its status as one of the elite programs in the country and a true blueblood.

All of those guys had other good options. So, they would have good options again if they chose to re-open their recruitment in the event that Self retires. But the new coach, whoever he is, and whatever members of Self’s current staff may stick around surely would have a shot at keeping them committed to KU.

It would be easier with Self leading the way, but not impossible without him.

Either way, as things stand today, this group figures to be a big part of KU’s 2026-27 season and the future of the program in general.

Keeping them, especially if that includes adding Stokes, is a huge part of the offseason.

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