Kansas basketball: 3 starting lineup options for next season

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - MARCH 07: Guard Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks handles the ball during the first half of the college basketball game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on March 07, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

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Kansas basketball (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Middle-of-the-road scenario

Point Guard: Marcus Garrett
Shooting Guard: Bryce Thompson
Forward: Ochai Agbaji
Forward: Silvio De Sousa
Center: David McCormack

Though it would be great if Dotson returned for another season playing at Allen Fieldhouse, the simple fact of the matter is that it’s unlikely to happen. Subsequently, the likeliest scenario is that rising senior Marcus Garrett assumes the role as the starting point guard, something that he appears more than capable of doing.

Last season, Garrett played a big role in the Jayhawks rotation but was not the primary ball-handler thanks to Dotson’s presence. Even still, he averaged 9.2 points per game and actually led the team in assists at 4.6 per game while also contributing 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. With an uptick in scoring, he could adequately replace the void left by Dotson should the latter leave for the NBA.

While that may be true, Garrett still shouldn’t need to be the elite scoring threat Dotson was. For starters, Thompson appears more than capable of having an instant impact in that regard as a player who can both get open off the ball and create his own shot when he’s in possession. Furthermore, Agbaji averaged 10 points per contest last season and, with more responsibility, could improve his scoring there, as could McCormack in the post.

Though De Sousa wasn’t terribly inspiring when on the court this past season (he was suspended for 12 games due to the K-State brawl), he’s likely their best option at power forward. And in stark contrast to the best-case scenario, the Jayhawks likely need more size and less explosiveness if they have Garrett and Thompson manning the offense should Dotson leave, hence De Sousa taking the starting nod.