In a recent poll from CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish, 100 different Division 1 college basketball coaches gave their pick for who will be the nation’s best team in 2024-25.
The team receiving the most consistent buzz was Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks, who 35.6% of coaches selected as the best team in the country.
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Joining Kansas on the list were Alabama (27.9%), Houston (13.5%), Duke (9.6%), and UConn (7.7%).
In addition to leading the Candid Coaches Poll, Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks earned the No. 1 overall seed in Joe Lunardi’s way-too-early bracketology update. The Jayhawks boast an impressive roster that includes stars like Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams, AJ Storr, Rylan Griffen, and many more.
While Self’s team lacked depth in 2023-24, which led to an early exit in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the legendary head coach was not willing to risk a similar fate in the following season. Kansas dominated in the transfer portal, snagging the nation’s No. 3 class behind Arkansas and Indiana.
Kansas added six transfers this offseason with an overall player grade of 92.4. The group includes four-star South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo, four-star Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, four-star Alabama forward Rylan Griffen, four-star Rice guard Noah Shelby, three-star Mississippi State combo guard Shakeel Moore, and three-star point guard David Coit Jr.
While the team will still have to put things together in 2024-25, on paper, the Jayhawks appear to be one of the nation’s best teams this offseason.
