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Will Kansas add a 20 ppg scorer?
It must be the middle of summer when one crystal ball prediction can catch on and get Jayhawks fans excited about David Coit. Plus, a former touted recruit is cleared and reports from overseas tours.
Tristan Freeman
August 09, 2024
Even in August, the transfer portal still fuels storylines. And if the latest developments are true, it’ll be quite the summer addition.
1. Examining Kansas and David Coit
A few weeks ago, the NCAA granted former Northern Illinois guard David Coit an extra year of eligibility. The 5-11 guard averaged 20.8 ppg and 3.4 apg last season and initially was connected to teams such as Texas A&M, Villanova, and Arkansas.
However, according to Aaron Gershon of 247sports, Kansas has emerged as the favorite.
The Jayhawks already landed an impressive transfer portal haul in Wisconsin wing AJ Storr (16.8 ppg), Alabama wing Rylan Griffen (11.2 ppg), South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo (18.8 ppg), Miss State guard Shakeel Moore (7.9 ppg), and Rice guard Noah Shelby (3.4 ppg), who’ll redshirt.
That provides a ton of depth alongside starting point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., returning sophomore Jamari McDowell, and incoming freshman Rakease Passmore. Even if KU runs three-guard lineups, the minutes will be tough to come by.
Which poses the question: why would Coit be interested in the Jayhawks?
Coit likely would compete with a reigning Conference POY (Mayo), Griffen, and Moore for minutes. Yes, he’s a capable scorer, but he’s the smallest guard of the bunch and might get buried on the bench.
Maybe’s it’s the circumstance. More of the Power 5 conferences have established rosters. Coit doesn’t have many options. Hook up with an establish program and play a microwave role?
Some might think redshirting is an option — Colgate transfer and Patriot League POY guard Braeden Smith will do just that for Gonzaga — but the Jayhawks are already at 13 scholarships.
And in the end, Kansas adding Coit may not change much in the hoops landscape. Maybe the most important thing would be ensuring where Coit doesn’t go.
2. Former top-40 prospect Chance Westry cleared
Chance Westry had been a consensus top-40 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He figured to be a key piece for Auburn, but injuries limited him to just 11 games played as a freshman., He later transferred to Syracuse, but sat out his entire sophomore season due to a lower body injury.