KU basketball has 3 talented freshmen competing for starting spot. Who has the leg up?
Kansas point guard Dajuan Harris noted that incoming freshmen usually take until January to feel comfortable playing college basketball.
This year’s KU basketball freshmen — Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell and Johnny Furphy — appear slightly ahead of the curve.
“They want to get better; they come in and work every day,” Harris said at Big 12 Media Day on Wednesday. “Really, they are just trying to learn from the best. We got the best big, the best point guard and then we got one of the best all-around players.”
Earlier this offseason, the Jayhawks (except Furphy, who joined the team later) took a trip to Puerto Rico to play in three exhibition games against various competition levels.
At one point, the Jayhawks faced off against the Bahamas National team, which included NBA players Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon.
KU guard Kevin McCullar said he’s seen much improvement from Jackson and McDowell since that August trip.
McDowell’s rapid improvement has been the biggest surprise of the summer.
Initially seen as a candidate for a potential redshirt season, he’s now in the mix for the last spot in the starting lineup. The candidates for that spot are the three freshmen and sixth-year sharpshooter Nick Timberlake.
Self went into detail about the competition on Wednesday.
“You can throw Johnny Furphy in that mix, too, and Jamari McDowell,” Self said. “But the bottom line is: I don’t think either one of them (Jackson or Timberlake) are quite ready at this state to let it go because I don’t think they’re quite yet comfortable.
“As talented or as competitive as we envision them being, I think there’s a whole ‘nother step they’re going to get to, a whole ‘nother level they’re going to get to whenever they kind of figure it out as opposed to (thinking) all the time.”
That fifth starter will pair up with Harris in the KU backcourt. As for who’s leading the competition?
“They’re all competing right now,” Harris said. “But I don’t know. Y’all are just going to have to see. I can’t say too much. ... It’s been a good battle though.”
Harris added that he doesn’t prefer any distinct type of playing style next to him. Rather, he “just trusts them to set the tone.”
As for Hunter Dickinson, KU basketball’s star center, he sees a bright future for all three freshmen.
“Elmarko has so much potential, so much skill — you can see it oozing out of him,” Dickinson said. “He’s going to be a future (NBA) lottery pick at some point. Johnny Furphy will be a future NBA player at some point. Jamari, I think, has the potential to be an NBA guy.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "KU basketball has 3 talented freshmen competing for starting spot. Who has the leg up?."
