Kansas Goes Draftless for First Time Since 2019, But Help Is on the Way

The Kansas Jayhawks did not have a single player drafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. The last draft to go without a player from the University of Kansas was in 2019.

Before that, it was a full decade, in the 2009 draft, when the Jayhawks did not produce a player in the NBA Draft. Let’s just say it’s typically a rare occurrence when head coach Bill Self doesn’t put players into the NBA.

The Jayhawks had a number of solid college players who graduated this past year, including DaJuan Harris and KJ Adams, who spent their entire college careers at KU, plus Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo, who transferred in from Michigan and South Dakota State.

Those four players were not superstars, but rather very solid role players. Dickinson’s game doesn’t translate well to the NBA, and while Mayo had the chance to be a prolific scorer, he was up and down in his one season at Kansas.

Harris is a player full of heart and hustle, but it would take a lot of work for him to make it at the next level. Adams is recovering from an ACL tear late in his final game as a Jayhawk and has taken on a role inside the KU basketball program for the time being.

This isn’t a knock on those players, or a knock on Self and his coaching of these players, but
they just weren’t destined to be star NBA players. There’s always a chance these guys get a
shot, but only time will tell.

Dickinson agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the New Orleans Pelicans shortly after the draft. Harris has signed a deal with the Charlotte Hornets to be part of their NBA Summer League team. As of the writing of this article, Mayo had not been picked up by a team.

I will be the first to wish each of these guys the very best in whatever they are hoping to do in the next phase of their lives. They will always be welcomed back at KU for alumni events, and KU fans will always have special memories involving each of those players, including a national championship with Harris and Adams.

Now the Jayhawks are in full rebuild mode. In today’s collegiate landscape, that doesn’t mean tanking for a season and building things back up. Self and company, through the transfer portal and incoming freshmen, can turn things around immediately. That’s exactly what Self is hoping to do.

This week, the Jayhawks have added two more commitments for the upcoming academic year. Kohl Rosario re-classified to the 2025 class and will join the team in Lawrence this summer. He was a top-30 prospect in the 2026 class as ranked by Rivals before the reclassification.

The 6’5”, 185 lb Rosario played his final high school season with Overtime Elite in Atlanta, where he averaged nearly 16 points, six rebounds, and two assists per game. During his previous two high school seasons with Moravian Prep in Hudson, North Carolina, he averaged 25 points and six rebounds per game.

The Jayhawks also landed 6’11” center Paul Mbiya, an incoming Freshman from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mbiya most recently played in the ASVEL team system in the top-tier level French Pro A League, where he averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots per game.

Prior to playing in France, Mbiya was part of the NBA Academy Africa and was a 2022 Basketball Without Borders All-Star selection. Self is excited about both of these new additions to the team. The 7-foot, 8-inch wingspan on Mbiya is certainly a plus and gives the roster depth behind Flory Bidunga while adding competition with incoming freshman Bryson Tiller.

Self likes the potential of Rosario with his athletic perimeter shooting ability. He also called Rosario, “one of the hardest-working youngsters they have ever recruited,” and thinks his transition from high school to college ball will be seamless.

Rosario and Mbiya join four other incoming freshmen: Darryn Peterson, Samis Calderon, Corbin Allen, and the aforementioned Tiller will all be new faces on campus. This high-profile freshman class will also be teamed up with spring transfer portal signings Melvin Council Jr., Jayden Dawson, and Tre White.

The 2025-2026 Jayhawks will be full of new faces, but expectations will still be high for a Kansas team looking to bounce back after early exits from the NCAA tournament the past couple of seasons.