The Kansas Jayhawks look like they will be one of the top teams in college basketball once again in the 2024-25 season. They did a wonderful job of filling the gaps in their lineup from players departing this offseason.
Kansas landed major additions in the transfer portal, snagging AJ Storr from Wisconsin, Rylan Griffen from Alabama and Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State. With Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams and Hunter Dickinson returning, Bill Self has himself quite a squad to work with.
But, he will already have to make some adjustments to his backcourt depth. On Tuesday, it was revealed that sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson will miss the entire 2024-25 season after tearing his patellar tendon.
The injury occurred on Tuesday while Jackson was taking part in a scrimmage at the annual Bill Self Basketball Camp. Sometime in the next few days, he will undergo surgery and begin what will be a 12-month rehab process.
Jackson started 17 out of the 34 Kansas Jayhawks games last season. He averaged 4.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18.7 minutes per game. The emergence of Johnny Furphy led to a decrease in minutes for Jackson last season.
However, his role was expected to grow in his second season with the program. Furphy kept his name in the 2024 NBA Draft and he would have an entire offseason to work on his game and improve upon his weaknesses.
For Jackson, that would be perimeter shooting. He made only 12-of-45 3-point attempts last season, playing a part in the Kansas Jayhawks’ inability to space the floor successfully. A former McDonald’s All-American, Jackson was the No. 20 ranked prospect in the Class of 2023.
“We are all crushed by this,” the team said in its announcement. “Elmarko has had a terrific spring. He has worked so hard and improved so much. This will be a challenge that he will meet head on and he will return as good as ever.”
The work Self did in the transfer portal provides the Kansas Jayhawks with ample depth in the backcourt. But, the loss of Jackson still hurts, as the former top recruit will have to wait until the 2025-26 season to get back on the court.
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