One Kansas Basketball Freshman Struggling So Far
Kansas Basketball’s Newcomer Struggles to Find His Rhythm
The Kansas basketball program made three additions from the transfer portal this offseason, marking a complete retooling of the Jayhawks’ roster under head coach Bill Self. The Hall of Fame coach recognized the need for change after two consecutive down years in Lawrence and brought in several veteran newcomers, including Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, and Jayden Dawson. Among these players, Council and White have quickly found their places in the starting lineup, but Dawson has yet to make a significant impact.
In KU’s two exhibition contests against Louisville and Fort Hays State, Dawson combined to play just 20 minutes total, making 1-of-2 field goal attempts for two points and turning the ball over twice. This performance was particularly surprising given that he was expected to play a key role for the team this season. Instead, he has ceded minutes to players like Jamari McDowell, who were not as highly regarded.
The Potential of Jayden Dawson
When Dawson was recruited, his standout trait was his 3-point shooting. He shot 36.3% from beyond the arc at Loyola Chicago last year on 7.4 attempts per game. For a Kansas team that severely lacks perimeter threats, Dawson could bring a lot to the table, especially when Darryn Peterson is running the offense and needs shooters to kick it out to.
However, if Dawson can’t also contribute defensively and off the ball, his shooting ability alone will be in vain. He is not going to see significant playing time if he doesn’t defend at a high level.
Injuries and Competition for Playing Time
There is also a factor that could be contributing to his limited minutes: a lingering knee injury that slowed his progress in the offseason. Coach Self told the media after the Louisville exhibition that Dawson was good to go and almost fully healed, but it is clear that he has fallen behind schedule with the season opener just days away.
“Jayden is healthy, so that didn’t have much to do with him not playing a lot,” Self said last week. “But him being hurt probably put him behind where he probably wasn’t as ready to play the other day. It was nothing negative that he’s done or anything, but his health is fine. So I anticipate him definitely being able to be out there a lot more because he’ll be more in the groove.”
Freshman guard Kohl Rosario has already beaten him out for the final starting spot, a position Dawson was expected to compete for throughout the offseason.
Additionally, there were concerns among the Jayhawk fanbase about whether Dawson would be able to contribute beyond his outside shooting when he first committed due to the fact that he previously played at a mid-major school.
A Similar Path to Previous Players
There have certainly been cases of similar player archetypes who have panned out, but Dawson is on a very similar path to former KU guard Nicolas Timberlake, whose limited skill set ultimately defined his tenure in Lawrence.
Dawson is absolutely talented enough to play meaningful minutes in the backcourt this season. However, he is currently ranked below several players on the depth chart, meaning he will need to make the most of his playing time when he is on the court.
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