The national perception around the Kansas basketball team has changed drastically in the matter of a week. Bill Self brought back standout wing Tre White to the squad, and the Jayhawks even have a chance to add Melvin Council Jr. to the backcourt.
KU has gone from a second-tier Big 12 team with several question marks to a real national title contender in the right circumstances. Doing so would not only improve this group's depth, but also bring back an experienced starter who played every game for the Jayhawks a year ago.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows in the city of Lawrence yet, though. There are still plenty of things that need to be sorted out before we can label this team a top-10 squad in the country, primarily on the eligibility front.
Eligibility Clouds Loom Over Two of Kansas' Potential Starters
An important distinction with both White and Council's cases is that they were granted preliminary injunctions. Nothing is set in stone in the courts yet, as either ruling could still be reversed and the NCAA could ultimately prevail.
The NCAA is attempting to receive a stay from the higher courts to pause the White-Indiana lawsuit until a final resolution is made. Something similar could happen with Council, who is in the midst of his own personal lawsuit.
Imagine this scenario: Kansas is off to a hot start to the regular season, potentially picking up some marquee wins over schools like Kentucky along the way. Then, multiple weeks into the campaign, the Jayhawks and other schools in a similar position find out that a judge has reversed his decision. All of a sudden, these highly sought-after players instantly lose their remaining college eligibility. That would be an utter disaster.
When discussing KU's outlook for next season, it's important to put an asterisk next to White and Council's names. And as it was reported yesterday, Self and his coaching staff have not had any one-on-one discussions with Council about bringing him back on board since he was granted the injunction days ago.
The bottom line is that before White and the possibility of Council became available, the Jayhawks were considered an inexperienced unit with several roster deficiencies, especially in the frontcourt. Tyran Stokes is the No. 1 recruit in the country and will be in All-American conversations, but one player can only lead you so far.
These supposed roster-altering additions for Kansas are currently nothing more than practice players with conditional eligibility. Until the threat of the NCAA taking away their opportunity to suit up is cleared, fans should remain wary about both players' futures.
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Today's best reads
- Former Kansas Guard Melvin Council Jr. Granted Injunction: Will He Return to Jayhawks?
- Kansas HC Bill Self Breaks Silence on Tre White's Eligibility Situation
- Why Kansas Basketball Could Look Beyond Melvin Council Jr. For One Final Addition
- Kansas' Projected Starting Lineup if Melvin Council Jr. Returns to Jayhawks
- Tre White Returning to Kansas Basketball: What it Means for Jayhawks
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as A Scary Truth About Kansas Basketball's Current 2026-27 Roster Situation.