Noted "en passant" - KU Men's Hoops Scholarships for AY2023-24 @2023-05-15

With KU still having 3 available scholarships for Men's hoops, and noting the self-administered penalty of losing 3 scholarships over 3 years (essentially 12 rides instead of 13 for AY2023-34, AY 2024-25 and AY 2025-26), there has been fan talk wondering what Bill Self will do?

Some people have written Self should go with what he has now and take as many of the penalty hits this year as he can, up to all 3 if Kevin McCullar Jr opts not to return after testing the NBA Draft waters again. He could. The wording of the penalty is 3 scholarships over 3 years, so taking them all in one year would satisfy that.

Others have written that he should just take 1 hit to the total this year as originally planned. If he cannot find someone he likes to fill the final 12th ride, give it to a walk-on such as Super Senior Mike Jankovich for this year.

Others have said phooey (or stronger words to that effect) to that idea and use that 12th ride to bring in a 5-10 minute, 5 foul bruiser with just one year of eligibility left for a backup center. Doesn't have to be great, just has to be able to give Hunter a breather without killing the team's chances in the process.

Well, I make no claims as to knowing what the best active coach in the game today is going to do other than this -- per Shay Wildeboor, Senior Writer/Editor for Men's Hoops at JayhawkSlant (and one time RCBer TruBlu many years ago) -- his sources tell him that Bill is going to use all 12 scholarships available to him this go-round.

As I noted yesterday, there is a crack in the formerly closed door that may lead to Kevin McCullar Jr returning to take one of those rides (and a nice NIL deal as well, as I would think the KU NIL organization Mass St. Collective can beat the $450K maximum for an NBA/G League two-way contract if it came down to the bucks as the final deciding factor).
Link: AS.com: What is the two-way contract in the NBA?
Link: KUAthletics.com: Mass St. Collective

So figure that at least 1 ride is going to be held back for Kevin until he fishes or cuts bait (not later than May 31).

And frankly, because there is a history of NBA Draft Early Entrants withdrawing and returning to college play, unless something truly fortuitous happens in the the next few days we should not expect to have any real news about potential new Jayhawks until after this Sunday, May 21, which is the last day of this year's NBA Draft Combine. That is when guys will start to make their "stay or go?" decisions, but again, they have until May 31 - 16 days from today - before they absolutely must decide. (For a historical example, Remy Martin did not announce his decision to withdraw until May 18.)

I'm am thinking that by this time in June the roster should be set. The next 4 weeks should see a lot of action as Self & Co move to fill those last 3 seats, hopefully with a true backup center, a 3 and a 4 to complete the manifest for next season.

So, relax for the next few days of the doldrums as the Combine moves through, then prepare to man the mainsails as the transfer portal becomes something of a maelstrom afterwards.

Will Kevin return?
Will the be another impact transfer to provide solid bench depth, at the 5 in particular but also the 4?

Have your popcorn at the ready, we can never know for sure when the show will start!