Tre White's return to Kansas came as a major boost to Bill Self and the Jayhawks with the regular season just around the corner. The All-Big 12-caliber wing gives KU a proven roster piece despite spending the past few months preparing without him.
While White's arrival gives this squad more flexibility to shuffle things around, it also creates a complicated numbers game for several players who were anticipating bigger roles. These three Jayhawks will be affected the most by White's return, whether it comes to their spot in the starting five or their overall workload.
3. Paul Mbiya
Mbiya and White may not play the same position, but White's workload could have a direct effect on the big man's role. His return could force the coaching staff to consider a small-ball rotation – at least in short spurts – which would allow Kansas to use an extra guard or wing instead of a true center. That would hypothetically leave Mbiya or Charleston transfer Christian Reeves outside the starting five.
Even if Coach Self does start a big man like Mbiya or Reeves, there are only so many minutes to distribute with another prominent wing in the mix. With an abundance of talent in the backcourt, Kansas could prioritize stretches where it plays smaller and faster, which would naturally cut into Mbiya's opportunities.
2. Kohl Rosario
Rosario initially entered his sophomore campaign with high expectations to finally break out and tap into the potential he showed in 2025-26. However, White's return may throw a wrench in those plans.
The Miami native is already competing with several players for minutes on the wing, and now, a premier player has come in to take a starting spot. That makes him the third or fourth player off the bench to open the season at best, which isn't ideal considering he needs the live reps to improve.
You could argue this spot belongs to Dennis Parker Jr., but the former Radford standout is more of a score-first, shot-creating bench asset. Rosario was supposed to fill White's shoes, albeit to a lesser degree, as the 3-and-D wing. Kansas needs more ball-handling on the floor if White is going to play 30+ minutes per game in this lineup, and that's why Rosario's playing time could be negatively impacted.
1. Taylen Kinney
As we've written about on Kansas on SI, there's reason to believe that Leroy Blyden Jr. is the frontrunner to win the starting point guard job. If the Jayhawks don't play small ball and run two point guards, Kinney is more likely to be pushed out of the starting five than Blyden.
There are questions about Kinney's perimeter scoring and how disciplined he is entering Year 1 in Lawrence. Although Blyden may have played at a mid-major school at Toledo last year, he was one of the most effective true freshmen in the country and excelled as a facilitator and outside shooter.
It may sound intriguing on paper to run Keanu Dawes at center and let Kinney and Blyden man the backcourt together, but that's easier said than done. Assuming the Jayhawks aren't willing to sacrifice the rim protection and paint presence a traditional center offers, Kinney's role as a freshman might look a lot different with White in the picture.
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Today's best reads
- Tre White Returning to Kansas Basketball: What it Means for Jayhawks
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- Kansas HC Bill Self Breaks Silence on Tre White's Eligibility Situation
- Christian Reeves Injury Update: Kansas Center 'Couple of Weeks Away' From Being Cleared
- This New Development Could Clear the Way for Tre White to Return to Kansas
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Three Kansas Players Who Could See Less Playing Time With Tre White's Return.