Hearings🚨 Bobby Pettiford Expected to Enter Transfer Portal

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

In this Hearings newsletter:

1. Why Pettiford is expected to enter The Portal

2. This creates a critical moment for Bill Self

3. Where this leaves KU for next season

Why Pettiford Is Expected to Hit The Portal

The Year of The Transfer Portal is upon Kansas basketball.

Kansas PG Bobby Pettiford will soon enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. This leaves the potential for only four scholarship players to return to KU next season.

Sources indicate Pettiford isn’t thrilled with the idea of limited playing time behind Dajuan Harris for two more seasons. The sophomore guard is coming off an injury riddled campaign in which he averaged just 12 minutes and two points per game.

While entering the Transfer Portal doesn’t guarantee Pettiford will leave KU, it confirms he’ll at least explore his options elsewhere. It’s a somewhat surprising move from Pettiford. Just two days ago I slotted Pettiford in a projected returning roster slot with a note that he’s “not a lock to return.” It’s now more likely than not Pettiford won’t be in Lawrence next season.

He won’t be alone, either. It now appears every scholarship bench player outside of Ernest Udeh and Zuby Ejiofor will explore leaving via the transfer portal. The four scholarship players likely to return are Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams, Udeh, and Ejiofor.

This creates a critical moment for the Jayhawks, as Bill Self’s track record with transfers prior to Kevin McCullar has produced mixed results. Remy Martin and Malik Newman both struggled until breaking out in March. Others like Jalen Coleman-Lands, Tyon Grant-Foster, and Isaiah Moss never became difference makers for KU. Dedric Lawson stands out as a star transfer on a team that fans would probably like to forget.

Self traditionally finds a way to unexpectedly keep someone around Lawrence. Still, with the possibility of one point guard and zero wings returning, the pressure has never been higher for KU to nail its transfer additions this year.

So where does KU stand now?

Updated Players Likely to Leave:

• Jalen Wilson

• Kevin McCullar

• Cam Martin

• Gradey Dick

• Bobby Pettiford (expected to hit the transfer portal, but could return)

• Joe Yesufu

• Zach Clemence (expected to hit the transfer portal, but could return)

• MJ Rice

• Kyle Cuffe

Projected Roster (Guards, Wings, Bigs)

Note: For simplicity, I’m leaving out the bench guys/walk-ons.

Guard: Dajuan Harris

Guard: Elmarko Jackson (incoming freshman)

Guard: Transfer

Wing: Marcus Adams Jr. (incoming freshman)

Wing: Transfer

Wing: Transfer

Wing: Jamari McDowell (incoming freshman)

Wing: Chris Johnson (incoming freshman)

Big: KJ Adams

Big: Ernest Udeh

Big: Zuby Ejiofor

Big: Transfer