Man with a plan

Good news for fans of JJ Redick’s podcast and as an announcer. The Lakers aren’t that into him.

Bad news for UConn fans: The Lakers are really into Dan Hurley. According to an early morning Thursday report from Adrian Wojnarowski, LA is “preparing a massive, long-term contract offer” to bring UConn’s two-time national championship coach to the West Coast. The sides reportedly have had preliminary contact and want to further discuss how Hurley, 51, could use his “tactical acumen and elite player development” to rebuild the Lakers.

Hurley said no to one big brand this spring (Kentucky), but the NBA and the Lakers? That’s a whole other world. We’ll have more on this in Friday’s Daily.

Let's get to the rest of the news.

1. Kansas already testing its roster depth

For about 75 minutes on Wednesday, Kansas looked like deja vu all over again.

Depth issues plagued the Jayhawks all season, stemming from the dismissal of guard Arterio Morris before the even began and with Kevin McCullar’s lingering knee injury. Sure, Kansas went 23-11 and made the second-round of the NCAA tourney, but for a squad that opened the year as the preseason No. 1 team and also beat UConn, the fade was real. And poor depth was a significant part.

So when this announcement hit, thoughts of a thin roster immediately surfaced among KU fans.

It’s brutal for Jackson, who started 16 games as a 5-star freshman and was slated to play a supporting role next season.

Yet coach Bill Self had a plan.

Mississippi State senior guard Shakeel Moore announced a transfer to Lawrence not long after the Jackson news, giving the Jayhawks an experienced guard and a big sigh of relief. Moore started 22 games for the Bulldogs and averaged 7.9 ppg, 1.8 apg and shot 36.3% from 3.

For Kansas fans, they’re probably daydreaming about the last Miss State player who came to Kansas (Malik Newman) or wondering if Moore will cut loose again against Missouri like he did this season.

Those are best-case scenarios. More likely is Moore serves as Dajuan Harris’ primary backup, providing experience, defense, and a guy who can hit an open shot. That’ll ensure South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo can focus on shot-creation and shot-making as the two guard. Or Mayo and AJ Storr play together, Rylan Griffen plays the 3, and KJ Adams and Hunter Dickinson are in the frontcourt.

Point is, Moore’s commitment is exactly what Kansas needs to avoid a thin roster like it had last season. And Self still has room for one more player…

2. Villanova’s roster slowly looking respectable

Kansas wasn’t the only program addressing depth concerns on Wednesday.

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