Bill Self has been receiving plenty of praise for his recent efforts on the recruiting trail, and rightfully so.
Within the span of just eight days, the Hall of Fame coach landed four pledges to Kansas’ recruiting classes, three in 2026 and one in 2027 with a potential reclassification.
In recent years, Self has focused primarily on veteran transfers and returning players, but he now appears to be shifting back toward the high school level. Leading the Jayhawks this year will be incoming freshman Darryn Peterson, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, along with other Day 1 impact players like Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya, and Samis Calderon.
The emphasis on young talent is certainly refreshing for the fanbase, but the question is whether it actually result in success for KU moving forward.
Kansas has reeled in several top-10 recruiting classes in recent years, but most of them have failed to meet expectations.
Starting in 2022, KU’s highly touted class of Gradey Dick, Ernest Udeh Jr., MJ Rice, and Zuby Ejiofor — all top-50 prospects — were expected to make long-term impacts in Lawrence.
However, none of them returned for a second season, eventually being pushed out by older players such as Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr., and other transfer additions.
That trend marked the beginning of several transfer-heavy classes that simply didn’t work for the Jayhawks. Players like AJ Storr, Rylan Griffen, and Nicolas Timberlake simply never fit in on the team, and others like Arterio Morris turned out to be an utter disaster for the program.
And while Dickinson brought some offensive success, he was often the root of KU’s defensive struggles. Self’s recent preference for quick fixes through the transfer portal rather than developing long-term pieces, something that defined his coaching success with homegrown pieces like Christian Braun and Trent Perry, ultimately backfired and hurt the program’s continuity.
But this year, Self seems to be returning to what made him a great coach in the first place. He has brought in players such as Peterson, Rosario, Calderon, and Mbiya, all of whom are expected to contribute immediately.
KU already has three commits in the 2026 class, and that number could continue to climb up. Taylen Kinney and Davion Adkins will play early roles for the Jayhawks, as could Javon Bardwell if he decides to reclassify.
MORE: What New Kansas Commit Davion Adkins Will Bring as a Player
It is no secret that experience often wins in college basketball. However, when a program recruits at the level KU currently is, there are some exceptions.
Whether this new approach translates into success remains to be seen, but Self has clearly recognized that his recruiting philosophy needed to change after three straight first-weekend exits in March Madness.
He is in the final stages of his career and knows that he needs to do something different if he wants to sustain the program.