Isiaih Mosley, come on down!
As it stands today, four Jayhawks from last year’s roster have declared for the draft. McCormack and Agbaji will not be coming back, barring some last minute change of heart from Dave. Wilson and Braun feel… 50/50? I’m guessing they’re counting their NIL chips right now and considering mega-offers from local Lawrence businesses like Dairy Queen.
Personally, there isn’t a void currently in my Jayhawk-related universe; the fact that we won the natty a month ago feels surreal, and I hope the feeling never fades. No NCAA sanction can kill my vibe. Looking toward the future is not a priority right now, because living in the recent past is heaven. But it’s the offseason, and things are in motion.
Prolific Missouri State gunner Isiaih Mosley is in the portal. Mosley is a two-time Missouri Valley First Teamer, and a flat-out bucket; he went 50/40/90 last year, which is… Good. While KU has targeted a few of the portal’s big names—SDSU’s Baylor Scheierman, SMU guard Kendric Davis—Mosley feels like the most realistic get, and a natural to hypothetically slide into an aggressive and opportunistic playmaking role, a la one Remy Martin. He is very fun to watch, and has played particularly well against good competition.
Mosley’s connections to the Jayhawk program run deep. He grew up playing on the same AAU teams as Christian Braun and Dajuan Harris. He spent a lot of time at the Braun household, to the extent that Braun’s mom could easily throw together a photo collage:
So, why isn’t Mosley already a Jayhawk?
Commensurate with his status as one of college’s most ruthless scorers, he’s in high-demand, with programs like Duke also hoping to land him. I have to think that Mosley’s decision hinges on Braun’s. Could Mosley’s commitment keep Braun in Lawrence? I think Braun’s status still largely depends on the NIL, but Harris/Mosley/Braun in Lawrence is a tasty proposition, and a really cool story to boot.
KJ Adams BACK. KYLE CUFFE BACK. Bobby Pettiford Jr…. presumably back? Even without Wilson and Braun, that’s a dangerous roster filled with shooters and scorers, and I haven’t even talked about the offense/defense possibilities Gradey Dick and MJ Rice bring to the roster. I don’t know a lot about Ernest Udeh yet, but he moved well in the McDonald’s game and seems poised to be KU’s next great rim protector. A defensive set with Adams and Udeh in has me all 👀👀👀👀. I am psyched, and we’re just getting started on the 2022-23 story. In the meantime, let’s keep the title game replay on a tight broadcast rotation.