photo by: Nick Krug

Blue Team guard Josh Jackson drives against Red Team guard Brannen Greene during the Bill Self basketball camp alumni scrimmage, Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at the Horejsi Athletic Center.

photo by: Nick Krug

Blue Team guard Josh Jackson drives against Red Team guard Brannen Greene during the Bill Self basketball camp alumni scrimmage, Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at the Horejsi Athletic Center.

Freshman forward Josh Jackson during Thursday’s media day told reporters that he expected to play four different positions at times during what is likely to be his lone season of college basketball.

As much as that sounds like a heavy workload, it actually is a step in the other direction for the 6-8 guard who spent part of his high school career playing all five positions on the floor at one time or another.

While the prospect of Jackson playing as the Jayhawks’ center or lone big man on the floor during the upcoming season — remember KU coach Bill Self does not necessarily look at it as point guard, shooting guard, small forward, etc., but rather looks at guards and bigs — certainly is unlikely, envisioning a scenario in which he plays the one through four positions at some point is not that difficult.

At 6-foot-8, 213 pounds (and growing), Jackson adds good size to great athleticism and therefore can offer a variety of luxuries to this team on both offense and defense.

Here’s how it could look:

Jackson at the 1

1 – Josh Jackson

Analysis: This lineup certainly would be one of KU’s weaker ball-handling lineups, but Jackson said he has worked in practice as the guy bringing the ball up the floor and one assistant coach told me the Jayhawks would have in their arsenal plenty of sets that go 1-4 flat, with Jackson at the top with the ball in his hands. Can he do it? Absolutely. Will the Jayhawks want to do this for long periods of time? No. It’s likely to show up only in the case of foul trouble for Mason and Graham and on those nights when the ball is sticking and the offense is not flowing the way Self would like. It’s hard to imagine long stretches — or even short stretches — when at least one of KU’s two lead guards is not on the floor. Again, though, in the case of injuries or foul trouble, this is an option.

Jackson at the 2

1 – Devonte’ Graham (or Frank
Mason)

Analysis: This is a lineup I think you’ll see a lot this season, especially during the middle portion of each half. Mason and Graham no doubt are going to play together a lot of the time this season (and almost always together, with Jackson, in crunch time), but they’ll also both need breathers. When that happens, one will stay on the floor with Jackson moving to the 2 as a secondary ball handler and Svi or Vick sliding into that 3 spot to provide a third ball-handler, another shooter and another athlete. Because Bragg can run, this is a fast team, but it’s by no means KU’s fastest team. The Jayhawks can only be at their fastest with Graham and Mason on the floor together.

Jackson at the 3

1 – Frank Mason

Analysis: As you all surely know, this is KU’s projected starting lineup and the group that figures to log the most minutes together this season. It puts Jackson in a dream role as a third ball-handler and play maker and also puts two guards on the floor who can create space and make plays for Jackson, as well. Beyond that you’ve got two 6-10 forwards in the game who, with Jackson’s help, should be able to hit the glass and defend the paint with their strength and length, and five unselfish players, four of which are offensive threats almost anywhere on the floor. The fact that this group will get pushed in practice by lineups that include some of the other names on these lists (Svi and Vick, along with Udoka Azubuike, Dwight Coleby, Mitch Lightfoot and transfer Malik Newman) only reinforces the fact that this group is going to be battle tested and strong together.

Jackson at the 4

1 – Frank Mason
2 – Devonte’ Graham
3 – Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (or Lagerald Vick)
4 – Josh Jackson
5 – Landen Lucas (or Carlton Bragg)

Analysis: This is that much-talked-about four-guard lineup that Self has hinted at playing and it’s a thing of beauty. With Mason, Graham, Jackson and either Svi or Vick on the floor at the same time, these guys are going to be able to fly. I think you’ll see Lucas in there a lot with this group because of his superior defense and rebounding ability, but if Self goes this route strictly for offense, then you could easily see Bragg in there at the 5, particularly against smaller teams or if Lucas is in foul trouble. Shooters at four spots — five if Bragg’s out there — and four guys who can handle the ball, this lineup will be a nightmare match-up for most teams.

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One thing that jumps out at me after doing this exercise is just how similar these lineups actually are. The Jayhawks have some serious interchangeable parts this season — which is often the goal but not always reality for Self’s teams — and that should give Self the luxury of handling any number of calamities that could hit this team, from foul trouble and off nights to injuries and ineffective play.

The frontcourt certainly is thinner than the backcourt, but, as Self mentioned Thursday at KU’s Media Day, that’s exactly why he’s planning to play some four-guard lineups this season. Jackson and Svi, at 6-foot-8, allow Kansas to get away with playing small for short stretches because their size at least gives the Jayhawks a chance to hold their own on defense and their skill set creates match-up problems for opponents on the other end.

Regardless of how these things play out, — and let’s face it, you can never fully prepare for the ups and downs you’ll get during an entire season — this much is clear one week into KU’s practice: Mason, Graham, Jackson, Svi and Vick are the five guards in the rotation and Lucas, Bragg and Azubuike are the three bigs in the rotation, with Coleby and Lightfoot battling for that fourth forward spot, should Self need or want it.

It’s been a long time since KU’s rotation has been so crystal clear so early in the season. And the versatility of the guys on his roster is a big reason Self has that luxury heading into the 2016-17 season.

photo by: Nick Krug

Red Team guard Devonte' Graham has his dunk stuffed at the rim by Blue Team guard Josh Jackson on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at the Horejsi Athletic Center.