The 2025 edition of Kansas Men’s Basketball’s Late Night In The Phog takes place on Friday. On Wednesday, media had the chance to hear from Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Self and a multitude of KU players. While it was announced earlier this week that KU checks in at No. 19 in the Preseason AP Poll, one thing is clear as day – this team has a chance to be dangerous.
Projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darryn Peterson, was understandably a hot topic of discussion. The conclusion from DP’s teammates? Yeah – he’s as good as advertised. Peterson is the key piece for KU Basketball in 2025-26, and the success of the team is largely dependent on the talented freshman.
KU also returns “veterans” in third-year players Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell, as well as sophomore big man Flory Bidunga. Both Bidunga – a potential first round NBA draft pick himself – and Jackson should be major on-court contributors for the Jayhawks. A lot of the talk of media day also centered around a late addition to the KU roster over the summer, freshman wing Kohl Rosario. Rosario was the answer to the oft-asked questions from reporters such as: “Who will surprise KU fans this year?”, “Who is the best shooter on the team?”, and “Who do you enjoy playing with the most?”. The freshman, who has been on a rapid ascent, figures to be a bigger piece to the puzzle than fans realized when he announced his intentions to come to KU.
Incoming senior transfers Melvin Council, Jayden Dawson and Tre White will be vital to KU’s success as well. It’s a brand new look to a KU roster who loses veterans Dajuan Harris Jr., KJ Adams Jr. and Hunter Dickinson. KU disappointed each of the last two seasons when they were preseason No. 1 in the AP Poll. Don’t be surprised if the switch flips in 2025-26, and the preseason No. 19 ranking for the Jayhawks is laughable in hindsight. Let’s get ready for a wildly entertaining and successful season for the most storied program in all of college basketball. Rock Chalk!
Sean Kellerman