Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self led Kansas to the 2008 and 2022 national championships. Also, Self is a 2-time AP Coach of the Year and a 6-time Big 12 Coach of the Year. Further, Self has 16 Big 12 regular season titles with eight Big 12 Tournament championships. Bill Self arrived in Kansas in 2003 from Illinois. At Illinois, he took the Fighting Illini to the NCAA Tournament in all three of his seasons with an Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen berth. Late on, he signed a lifetime contract. Kansas is loaded for a deep College basketball betting run.
2023-24 Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Preview
| National Championship Odds: | +1200 |
|---|---|
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
2023-24 Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Outlook
On the whole, no program in the country enters a college basketball season with the online betting expectations of Kansas Basketball. Bill Self’s bunch is only a year removed from a national championship. Still, after a surprising second-round exit in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Kansas is more motivated than ever to return to the top of the college basketball mountain.
Kansas has lorded over the Big 12 conference, claiming 19 of the past 22 regular season conference championships. Still, the Jayhawks will face a new challenge this year with the addition of Houston, Cincinnati, BYU, and UCF.
Many returning teams pose a challenge to the Jayhawks. Last season, Texas was a NCAABB betting top-10 team. Also, they outlasted Kansas in the tournament, reaching the Elite Eight. Five other teams reached the Big Dance: Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, TCU, and West Virginia.
The transfer portal has changed college basketball. And the Big 12 is no different. Despite losing a wave of talent to graduation and the NBA, most teams in the conference have reloaded.
Texas has become more dangerous with the addition of Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas. Kansas State has replaced Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson in part with former Creighton forward Arthur Kaluma. Meanwhile, Mike Miles and Damion Baugh are no longer at TCU. But Jameer Nelson, Jr., one of the nation’s top transfers, is now a Horned Frog.
Kansas lost a ton of production from last year. Following Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson and Grady Dick both leaping to the NBA. But Bill Self hit the recruiting trail, and the transfer portal hard to fill the void. Former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson was one of the jewels of the portal. Additionally, he’ll be joined in Lawrence by former Towson big man Nick Timberlake and Santa Clara transfer Parker Braun.
Also, former Texas guard Arterio Morris transferred in as the presumed starting shooting guard. But Morris was recently dismissed from the team after being charged with rape. Morris’ dismissal has put a black cloud over the program before the season began. Especially because Self brought him in despite multiple previous allegations of assault.
The Jayhawks also brought in a talented trio of freshmen to fight for playing time. Namely, consisting of Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell, and Johnny Furphy.
Bill Self is also the beneficiary of good timing. Consider that he was caught on FBI tape making incriminating remarks that could have meant serious NCAA sanctions and a potential firing. But with the NCAA emasculated and college basketball’s already protective media in his hip pocket, Self has escaped unscathed.
Kansas has the perfect blend of youth and experience. Having a starting lineup consisting almost entirely of seniors will allow them to bring the freshmen along slowly. Hence, last year’s disappointing second-round loss to Arkansas should provide all the motivation this team needs to make a deep run.