These days, familiarizing yourself with the jersey numbers worn by your favorite Kansas basketball players is a borderline full-time job.
For one, it takes time to get to know who’s even on the roster from year to year, regardless of how high on your list worrying about their jersey number sits.
For two, there are some numbers that KU fans just can’t see anyone else wearing other than their all-time favorites or one of the school’s all-time greats.
There are a couple of numbers like that on the 2026-27 KU hoops roster, which was officially released, jersey numbers and all, late last week.
With that in mind, let’s have a little fun with numbers as you start to commit to memory which current players are wearing which jersey numbers. Don’t worry; you’ve got some time to get this all figured out. But the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be when October and November roll around.
For each number on the 14-man KU roster, I’ll provide a quick bio, the name of the first player who came to mind who wore that number in the past, the name of the best player to ever wear that jersey number at KU and the name of a player you surely know but you might not that he also wore that jersey number.
There are some pretty cool names floating around this page. And I’m sure that, while many of the answers are the same for all of us, some of them may be different for a bunch of you, depending on things like your age, your favorite players, how long you’ve been following Kansas basketball and more.
Without further ado, here’s a deep dive into the jersey numbers that will be worn by this year’s Jayhawks.
No. 0 - Taylen Kinney | Fr., 6-2, 185 pounds, Newport, Ky.
Who is he: The McDonald’s All-American point guard and virtual lock to start, who came to Kansas from the Bluegrass State, brings ultra-tough talent and a big personality to Lawrence. He’ll have a chance to be a fan favorite for a few different reasons.
First player who comes to mind: Thomas Robinson
Best player to wear the number at KU: Frank Mason III
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Marcus Garrett
No. 2 Leroy Blyden Jr. | Soph., 6-1, 170 pounds, Detroit, Mich.
Who is he: Toledo transfer who has big time breakout potential. He comes to KU after a stellar freshman season in which he averaged 16.4 points per game and was the MAC Freshman of the Year.
First player who comes to mind: Christian Braun
Best player to wear the number at KU: Christian Braun
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Conner Teahan
No. 3 Atticus Richmond | Fr, 6-8, 230 pounds, Lincolnshire, Ill.
Who is he: Freshman who played at a prep school in Boston last season. He’ll add depth to the KU front court and has been said to remind KU coach Bill Self of a young Mitch Lightfoot.
First player who comes to mind: Terry Brown
Best player to wear the number at KU: Dajuan Harris Jr.
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Brett Ballard
No. 4 Tyran Stokes | Fr., 6-7, 230 pounds, Louisville, Ky.
Who is he: No. 1-ranked player in the 2026 prep class, who chose KU over Kentucky during a long and intense recruiting process. He’s got tremendous skills, inside and out, and brings excellent versatility to the roster. He’s got one-and-done written all over him and is already being talked about as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA draft.
First player who comes to mind: Devonte’ Graham
Best player to wear the number at KU: Nick Collison or Sherron Collins
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Ryan Robertson
No. 5 Grant Mordini | Fr., 6-11, 210 pounds, Lake Forest, Ill.
Who is he: A freshman who comes to Kansas after a 1-year stint at a prep school in Connecticut, Mordini is another player who brings good size and physicality to KU’s front court who should be a valuable asset in practice and as a depth piece.
First player who comes to mind: Zeke Mayo
Best player to wear the number at KU: Keith Langford
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Jeff Withey
No. 7 Kohl Rosario | Soph., 6-6, 200 pounds, Miami, Fla.
Who is he: One of two returners from last year’s squad, Rosario started a handful of games last season as a true freshman and has elite athleticism and bounce to go along with good physicality and a shot that’s dying to be unleashed.
First player who comes to mind: Kohl Rosario
Best player to wear the number at KU: Bill Brainard
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Claude Houchin
No. 8 Keanu Dawes | Sr., 6-9, 225 pounds, Houston, Texas
Who is he: Crafty Utah transfer who brings good size, skill, athleticism and experience to the KU front court. A 4 man with great feel for the game, who can stretch the floor on offense and guard 1 through 5 on the defensive end.
First player who comes to mind: Maurice King
Best player to wear the number at KU: Charlie T. Black
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Diggy Coit
No. 11 Dennis Parker Jr. | Sr., 6-6, 215 pounds, Richmond, Va.
Who is he: Radford transfer who scored 53 points in a single game last season brings great guard size, excellent shooting skills and good range on his outside shot. Started his career at NC State so competing at the Power 4 level will not be new to him.
First player who comes to mind: Josh Jackson
Best player to wear the number at KU: Aaron Miles or Jacque Vaughn
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Remy Martin
No. 14 Luke Barnett | Fr, 6-3, 170 pounds, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Who is he: Sharp-shooting freshman guard who has a chance to earn immediate playing time because of his elite outside shot. Self called him the best shooter KU has recruited since Gradey Dick. He’ll have to show that he’s ready to make the jump up a level, but he’s got good size, balance and athleticism and can shoot it from anywhere.
First player who comes to mind: Kevin Pritchard
Best player to wear the number at KU: Darnell Valentine
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Tyrel Reed
No. 21 Will Thengvall | Jr., 6-4, 190 pounds, Wichita
Who is he: Returning walk-on who has been with the program for the past two seasons. He’s a true walk-on who could provide more value than ever by being a veteran guy who can help teach the newcomers the KU way.
First player who comes to mind: Nick Bradford
Best player to wear the number at KU: Joel Embiid
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Milt Newton
No. 23 Trent Perry | Fr., 6-5, 190 pounds, Frisco, Texas
Who is he: Texas wing is long, athletic, physical and willing to do whatever he’s asked on the floor. If there’s a path to early playing time, it’s likely through his versatility, especially on the defensive end. He’s good in space, likes to remain active all over the floor and can guard multiple positions.
First player who comes to mind: Ben McLemore
Best player to wear the number at KU: Wayne Simien
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Rex Walters
No. 25 Davion Adkins | Fr., 6-9, 205 pounds, Arlington, Texas
Who is he: Four-star freshman from Prolific Prep is ultra-athletic, plays above the rim, doesn’t shy away from contact and plays with a motor that’s often unmatched on the floor. He has been injured in recent months, but he’s the type of guy that may force his way onto the floor simply because the coaches can’t stand to see his energy and effort sitting beside them.
First player who comes to mind: Danny Manning
Best player to wear the number at KU: Danny Manning
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Michael Lee
No. 32 Christian Reeves | Sr., 7-2, 255 pounds, Charlotte, N.C.
Who is he: Mountain of a man who comes to KU from Charleston after starting his career at Duke. He, too, has been injured, so that’s worth keeping an eye on. But if he’s able to get healthy in time to get into the flow of things, it’s easy to see him playing a big role as a dominant defender and rebounder.
First player who comes to mind: Darnell Jackson
Best player to wear the number at KU: Darnell Jackson
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Mike Maddox
No. 34 Paul Mbiya | Soph., 7-foot, 245 pounds, DR Congo
Who is he: The other returner from last year’s Kansas team, the big fella who played his best basketball late — particularly in the NCAA Tournament — has a real chance to ride that momentum and an offseason of hard work into a huge role for the Jayhawks. He’s still got plenty of work to do, but he’s a monster, he punishes the rim, has pretty good hands and clearly understands what his role on the floor should be.
First player who comes to mind: Paul Pierce
Best player to wear the number at KU: Paul Pierce
Sneaky under-the-radar option: Richard Scott
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