Kansas head coach Bill Self introduces the seniors during the Senior Night speeches on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

Topeka — After last summer saw several freshmen and transfers come and go from Kansas ahead of the 2023-24 season, head coach Bill Self is fully aware that his roster in June may not look like his roster in November.

“We obviously have a little bit more depth on paper,” said Self, who has brought in three marquee transfer guards and two highly rated freshmen, without losing anyone to the transfer portal. “But you know, last year at this time, we had more depth too. So unexpected things can obviously happen, but yeah, I like our roster a lot.”

He’s not fully content, however; among an expected 11 scholarship players so far, Self said he hasn’t yet reached his goal, previously articulated in an interview with the NCAA’s Andy Katz, of having “eight starters.”

“I’d like one more,” he said, addressing reporters at the Otto Schnellbacher Classic golf event at Shawnee Country Club on Monday morning.

The key is finding a complementary player, who can carve out space alongside previous starters KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris Jr. and Hunter Dickinson, transfers Rylan Griffen, Zeke Mayo and AJ Storr and promising returnees like Elmarko Jackson and Zach Clemence.

“We need some guys, guys from a role standpoint, that can make the other guys look better, not necessarily be a guy that you would think (would) come in and score all the points or anything like that,” Self said. “That’d be nice, obviously, but how do we have somebody that can come in and be a nice asset to us and benefit the other ones’ skill levels?”

He cited examples like Tyrel Reed, Brady Morningstar, Travis Releford and Kevin Young of past Jayhawks who have played such a role.

He also said that while some players go into the transfer portal seeking name, image and likeness compensation, or a bigger role, or to join a particular program, “What I have found out is, guys that have been in college for a while, and maybe can make one more go on it, and if they haven’t won consistently where they’ve been, that winning does kind of drive their motivation many times.”

One key avenue that might help KU bolster its depth is increased development from its returning bench players. Clemence, Jackson and Jamari McDowell all stuck around during the offseason; Clemence frequently received praise for his vast improvement during his rare mid-career redshirt season, while Self said he expects “a big jump” from Jackson and McDowell ahead of their sophomore year.

There won’t be as much pressure on them to contribute, unlike last year, when Jackson was in the starting lineup for the first couple months of the season.

“Elmarko was put in a tough situation last year,” Self said. “He’s talented, he’s really a good prospect, he’s going to be a terrific player, but he’d only been playing three years of basketball and then you throw him into starting at Kansas. That was a little bit, probably, much, and a little unfair to him at that time. He’ll be more prepared this year.”

Self said Clemence and Jackson are still “good enough to play a lot of minutes this year.”

“But I’d like to have a little bit more depth, to be honest with you,” he said. “So we’re still looking. But if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out.”