Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Could Bill Self Look Overseas for the Next Jayhawks Addition? Avdalas, Henshall & More Names to Know

Episode Date: May 19, 2025

Could the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team be eyeing international talent to boost their roster? With the transfer portal options dwindling, exploring overseas recruits might be the game-changing strategy that Bill Self needs. Derek Johnson profiles potential international stars like Neoklis Avdalas, a versatile 6'9" forward from Greece, and Ben Henshall, a sharp-shooting guard from Australia. These players could bring fresh dynamics to the Jayhawks' lineup. The episode also highlights the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team's impressive Big 12 success including a sweep at West Virginia and getting screwed for the conference title, as well as the commitment of top football recruit JJ Dunnigan.Discover how these developments could shape the future of Kansas sports. Tune in for exclusive insights and analysis!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

KS didn't get Dalmey Sarr, but could they go overseas? There's some other interesting players out there who are some names to attach it to, and could that be the solution as KS and Vilself look for another game changer via this offseason? You are Locked On Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the KS Jayhawks, part of the Locked On Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What's going on Derek Johnson here. This is Locked On Jayhawks. And thanks for making Locked On Jayhawks your first listen every day. Thank you that every day is catching each and every episode of the show. We're free and available anywhere you get your

podcasts including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. And on today's edition of LOJ, we're talking a little overseas, going to go abroad in this episode about some players from, you know, elsewhere that Bill Self could possibly look to if the transfer portal isn't the final answer, whether it's for that final big splash edition or for another player just to kind of fill out the rotation or the roster for KU? Could that make sense? And who are

some names to maybe keep an eye on in that area? And before we get into any of that, today's episode of the show is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLege at MonarchMoney.com for 50% off your first year with Monarch Money. Okay, so we'll get into some of the names out there as well as some of the latest news as well. I'll start here. I think because of the names maybe being an area that are things are drying up, right? Like Darian Williams and Jameer Watkins, and the guys that are possibly available, are they going to stay in the NBA draft? Are they not? If they do come back, are they going to pick your school? Are they going to pick a different school?

You're running out of options that are available in the portal. And so opening up to the rest of the world's quite literally, by looking overseas enhances your options and the possibilities of finding people who would be able to come over and build and the possibilities of finding people who would be able to come over and build out the rest of your roster. That can come from a couple different areas. It can come if you're looking for a backup big, it can come for that other splash play for KU.

Clearly going hard for Dame Saur is something that like, okay, that would be an opportunity for, you know, KU would get that big splash play from overseas. But the Damesaur thing seems like that is starting to look like a Duke thing. So who are some other names that are out there that have been linked to KU? The first one is somebody who's going in the draft process. And this isn't somebody that I've seen in some way like linked to KU outside of

there was like one just brief like social media mentioned about it but hasn't really popped up anywhere else but I guess there was some sort of content one point it's neoclass of Dallas and this is probably the best player that we'll talk about here among the different names we're going to go over he's a 19 year old greek ford who is at the NBA draft combine and he measured six foot seven and a half without shoes. So you're probably talking like six nine with shoes 198 pounds, six foot nine wingspan eight foot nine standing reach and you watch some

of the highlights you're immediately taken aback by like, you have this six nine dude who's dribbling between his legs and shooting step back threes to where like he can be a small forward or with the six foot nine frame you could play him as a four right and I think honestly like it's kind of interchangeable with KU and with Trey white to where one guy's three one guy's the four I don't know that it matters like that much but he would fit in on the wing certainly for KU but

he could stay in the NBA draft because he's somebody who's being seen as like, could he work into the late first round? Could he be an early second round pick? What is he going to do? I don't know. But he began with Panathinaikos in Greece in 2021, limited bets, 20 games played, then 10 games in 2022 to 2023. Both years he was a teenager kind of struggled in some areas. So then as they do in like European soccer, they do this in European basketball, they loaned him out to Cardizzo, which is another team in the top Greek league. And he goes

for like 15 minutes a game, 25 games, four points, three rebounds almost. The efficiency though not good 35% from field, 14% from three. But again, that's, you know, when he's a 17, 18 year old. So this past season, when he's basically an 18 year old, he starts to have his breakout season to where it's like, okay, this guy could be something to watch here, right? So he gets loaned out again from Panathinaikos. He goes to Peristeri, which again is in Greece, and he plays 26

games, 18 and a half minutes per game. In those 18 and a half minutes per game, 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. And he does it while shooting 44% from the field, 36% from three, and 70% foul line. Really kind of just starting to put it all together. And again, that comes as he's playing against other grown men, other professionals in the Greek league, which is one of the best leagues that is out there. So impressive to do that as an 18 year old, where you're part of the rotation and getting that he was also voted the Greek league leagues best young player in back in late February. Yeah, he was on San Vecini's top 100 big board for the NBA draft. And yeah, he could be somebody who has NBA draft potential

whether this year or in a future year. And so watching some of his highlights, I was really impressed with, had good speed in the open floor. I wouldn't call him like the quickest guy in the world, though for 6'9", he has good quickness, but really good speed once he gets in the open floor and in transition. Again, not the most like explosive player, but he's solid. Like he's a solid. You might not be like Zion Williams an athlete. He's a solid athlete, right? Like I don't think he's going to have a, I don't

think he had a 40 inch vertical, but like solid leaper, occasional fun dunk. He can dribble. He can put it between his legs. he shoots well off the dribble, he shoots well on step back threes, he can operate as a ball handler out of ball screens, so you can, you know, use him in a way that if he's being guarded by the opposing foreman, the fact that he can run a ball screen as the pick and roll pick, I guess, ball handler makes him even more dangerous. He's also a willing passer.

He works well in spot up situations too, off the ball. Seems to have good footwork, seems to have different ways to kind of get to the rim. And if you put a four on him, I think he can really win in isolation in those situations. If you put a three on him, he's gonna probably be bigger than the opposing three man So it's a good place to be in so he would definitely be somebody that would be in the top of my wish list if

Kansas can get that done this next one is Ben Henshaw And this is one that again haven't heard like a ton about KU and Henshaw necessarily But he is one of my favorite players that I watched him on like I think he might be my favorite player that I watched among the highlights of the five players I'm going to bring up names today. I think fit wise and what this KU team needs more though is a wing. So that's why I think Avdolis would be the best pickup. But Henshaw is just my favorite player in a vacuum. Again, of the ones that we're going to talk about today. So he's assumed to be 21 year old. So you know,

it doesn't matter. He's got a chance to do it a little bit older. Six foot five, 198 pounds. Size wise, he'd be kind of a two or three, but honestly watching him, he's more of like a combo guard. So in 2023, he signed with Perth of the NBL. And that's like, ESPN actually came out with like a ranking of the best leagues outside of the US and the world. I think that came in 10th.

So anyway, he also signed with Otago in the New Zealand NBL. And I don't know how that works, if they're played at different times or what. But anyway, first year with Perth, he played 16 games, limited minutes. With Otago, he wound up going for 11 points, four rebounds, two and a half assists per game and a steal per game on a 43-33-86 splits. And so then this most recent season with Perth, where they played, I guess, if you total up all the competition between the NBL,

just the league games and the NBL blitz, which I don't know if that's just like a tournament or what, he played 35 games. Henshaw had 24 minutes per game, nine and a half points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 2 had 24 minutes per game, nine and a half points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, 1.1 steals per game. Only 39% from the field, 33% from 386% from the foul line.

I would venture to guess that the field goal percentage is down because of the amount of threes that he takes. And actually back in late February, Sam Vissini of the Athletic had him number 58 on his NBA draft big board. So again, somebody has potential to eventually be an NBA player. And like the reason I liked him so much

is that like he has a fantastic pull-up game and a fantastic like three point game off the dribble. He can make some really tough shots. He does a lot of work scoring and hitting jumpers off the dribble. He can play on or off the ball. He's a solid passer. I think he's somebody that I look at him like, okay, if you want somebody who can come in and hit shots for you, whether it is off the dribble or off the catch, Henshaw is your guy. He's

somebody who I think that's going to translate to the collegiate level and could be a really, really good score in a lot of different ways. And so he was just if you just watch the highlights, really fun player to watch in terms of the highlights that he's putting together and some of those crazy threes that maybe he's hitting near there. Again, I think I've dollars would probably the best pickup for KU but I love me some Ben Henshaw. I'll put it that way. I we got

three more names to get to that latest news around KU. Get to that in a moment. Unlocked on Jayhawks. This episode of the show is brought to you by Monarch Money. Ever check your bank account and wonder where'd all the money go between dining out, online shopping and entertainment? It's easy to lose track. That's where Monarch Money comes in. Your personal CFO giving you full visibility and control over your finances.

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they have still three scholarships remaining. Could one be one of these international players? All right. Next name on the board Declan Duru he is an 18 year old wing slash forward from Germany he stands six foot eight two hundred twenty five pounds somebody that I think Trilli Donovan kind of kind of brought up as a possibility for Kansas that they were at least doing some sort of contact there and Duru is the ultimate like high ceiling high potential potential, all the tools in the world, but it's a bit raw. So seven foot wingspan, 38 and a half inch vertical, those are at basketball without borders. 18 years old. He was signed by the Real Madrid Academy back in 2021, made his

professional debut in November of 2024. Now, not a ton of varsity appearances for DuRue. You're talking one game at the senior level, one other game for the team, senior level of EuroLeague. The majority of his play came for the B team and the Spanish under 19 league for Real Madrid. So for the Real Madrid B team, 17 games, 21 minutes per game, seven and a half points, five and a half rebounds per game on 49-34-73 splits. So a big man who's super lengthy,

super athletic and can shoot threes a little bit. That's nice there. Then in the seven games, he played for Real Madrid in the United League, 12 points, 5.4 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game on 49-42, only 45 from the free throw line though. But total up all his stats between those two, between the senior teams, and then the four games that he played at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament. You wind up with 30 games played

and about 7.6 points per game. He also played at the Under 17 World Cup in Turkey in 2024. And the numbers look really good. 10.8 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 2.4 steals per game, 1.2 blocks per game. That's awesome. Now what's not awesome is if you look at the shooting percentages in that tournament for him,

he shot two of 21 from three point range. That is right, under 10%, two of 21 on three point shots. He was 18 of 39, so well below 50% on two point shots and total it up, that means he only shot 20 of 60, 33% from the field. So a six to eight big man, slash wing, shot 33% from the field in that event. Now that's one event, limited games, right? He was also the second youngest player on the team.

But yeah, I don't know, it's kind of interesting there. But overall, just a very raw prospect, incredible athlete with like, he might wind up being this insanely switchable defensive piece, who can be a good rebounder and a defender and dunker. Almost think like a Cohen Carr at Michigan State. Now Cohen Carr is like another level athlete. So I don't even know if I would go there necessarily,

but I think potential for maybe more skill from that perspective than like Cohen Carr. But yeah, I would think this would be one where it's like, maybe if you're bringing him on, it's more for the future than this year. Like maybe he'd be a rotation piece this year. But I think realistically, if you bring on Do-Roo, it's more for the future than this year. Like maybe he'd be a rotation piece this year. But I think realistically, if you bring on DuRue, it's more for the idea of what he could be

in year two or year three. The next two guys we have are a couple of Croatian players, which I know a lot of people saw this hit going around on social media about kids showing some interest in a couple of Croatian guys. This was like a week or two ago. Ivan Bogdanovic, he is a soon to be 21 year old in July. He's a six foot nine Croatian who was just playing in the month in the league in Montenegro. 21 games for

Derby. That's the varsity team in that top league league in Montenegro. Also played in the ABA. How a lot of these European league game or teams work. They play their league games. They play like, I don't know, they have like the Euro league, they have like sometimes regional leagues and the ABA is like a Baltic thing. Anyway, you total it up between the league play and the ABA play. And he appeared in 41 games, 17.2 minutes per game,

5.7 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, one assist per game, and he shot 44 from the field, 24 from 363 from a foul line. A year prior to that, he played in the Croatian top league with actually better splits, 45 from the field, 31 from three, 55 foul line on nine points, four rebounds per game. And I would say on tape like Bogdanovich,

he kind of passes for more of a small forward wing type that is a three or a four, but I think maybe lean stored being a three a little bit more than the next I will get to is more of that, but more of the four version, I think. And when you're talking about Bogdanovich, he can work out spot ups. He has, I think, a little bit more off the dribble than Scorich, who's the next guy we'll talk about. I think I like Scorich's shot look a little bit better,

but still it's not bad. And I would say he works well off the ball, is both a spot up player and in terms of cutting to the basket. I think solid athleticism in terms of being like relatively fluid, especially for like six, nine, but not like super big ups or anything like that. Like you don't see him throwing down like a ton of dunks or anything like that.

I think he shows slightly more vertically though. And like, if you're comparing him to Scorich, he has a little bit more there. I think a little bit more shake than Scorich. I think Scorich is the better passer. So let's get into Scorich here too. He's 22 years old. And I guess, by the way, this is just a new way to get old, stay old and call Scorch is the better passer. So let's get into Scorch here too. He's 22 years old. And I guess, by the way, this is just a new way to get old, stay old in college basketball, recruit Europeans who will be freshmen, but they'll be 21, 22 years old. So anyway,

Scorch is a six foot nine from Croatia as well. Kind of a versatile, powerful type. And he's someone who, I don't know, it's interesting. So playing for the Sabona or Sabonia, I don't know, the Croatia Premier League, 17 minutes per game, 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 59% on twos, 20% on threes. But then in the 22 games they played in ABA, he was at 5.4 points per game, 51% on twos, 14.35, which is 40% on unlimited numbers of threes. So I almost wonder if Scorich is the better three-point shooter, but I do think Scorich is the...

He's more of like an even more of a spot-up shooter. Like I think Bogdanovich can get shots off the dribble more than Scorich. Again, I almost view Scorich as being like a like a stretch spot-up four, whereas Bogdanovich is kind of more of a wing, if that kind of makes sense, even though both are six, nine, and there are some similarities between the two. But you look at it, and I would say that Evdolas and Henschall would both be guys

that I would probably expect to be in the starting lineup. Henschall, maybe that'd be more in competition with like Dawson and Council, but like definitely with Evdolas, I'd expect him to be a starter. Henshaw, I think I would. With Dooru, I'd view again more rotation this year, long-term piece. Bogdanovich would be closer to me. I guess right now I'd project him to be a starter because like you don't really have many other wings to go to. With Scorich, I wouldn't be surprised either way of it though. But if you're looking to add more talent, you're looking

to widen your horizons, and you don't know what's gonna happen with some of these NBA decisions. Taking a look overseas, not the worst idea in the world for Bill South. All right, latest news from both KU baseball and more. This is Lockdown Jayhawks. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Locked on Jayhawks. What a weekend it was for KU Baseball as they were able to get a three-game sweep at West Virginia. So in the end, Kansas finishes the regular season over 40 wins.

They finish 20 and 10 in Big 12 play. That's good enough for the two seed in the Big 12 tournament, which importance to get in top four seed to get a first round buy. And this year is the first year that the Big 12 is moving away from a double elimination format into a single elimination format for the Big 12 tournament. I think it makes some sense, even though it'll create a little bit more randomness and like,

maybe it'll make it more likely that you can get an underdog, a Cinderella, or the best team doesn't end up winning a single elimination and baseball is almost crazy at the end of the day, like in a big 12 tournament setting. I don't hate that because in the double elimination, you're playing so many more games and then you end up with do you wear down some of the pitching and some of the teams right before the NCAA tournament. So I think this is a good idea overall, but kids

getting the two seed means they'll play on Thursday and I think Thursday like four or something like that. The thing that sucks out of all this, so Kansas finishes the big 12 regular season 20 and 10, that puts them in second place. Team who finishes first, West Virginia, is the team they just swept on the road. West Virginia goes 19 and nine in big 12 play.

And the reason they went out is the winning percentage is slightly better. The reason they get less games here is because they had two games against I think it was Oklahoma State that got canceled due to weather and they couldn't make it up. I'm just sitting there like, okay, we'll just make them up now. Make them I don't know, make them up beforehand or just stay in extra day and still water when you were supposed to be there. Or if you're not going to have a way to make games up because you're in a situation where if they just go one and one in those two games or they go

0 and 2, Kansas wins the big 12 at that point in time. If that's not going to be your answer, then it shouldn't be based off winning percentage. Because if it's based off winning percentage, then theoretically a team could go, you know, one and oh, and then sneak a manager out there the night before every game and oh, oh, turned on the sprinklers field got flooded night before we will want to know we have 1000% percentage we're in the big 12. It should be based on so like it. Obviously, if you watch baseball, you'll be familiar with this. If you don't, then maybe this won't make as much sense.

But a lot of times, if you're watching baseball, they'll show the standings. It'll be like, this team's three and a half back of that team. How that is calculated is, okay, you take the number of wins, your back of the team, and then cut it in half. And you take the number of losses, your back of the team,

cut it in half, add it up, boom, there you go. So for instance, in a scenario where, I don't know, let's say the Royals are 15 and 15, and the Detroit Tigers are 19 and 14. How do you figure out with a different number of games how many games back the Royals are of the Tigers? Okay, well, Tigers have 19 wins, the Royals have 15. Again, this is just a hypothetical. So that'd be a four game difference. But again, you cut it in half, so that'd be two. And then the Tigers in my scenario had 14 losses, the Royals had 15.

So that's one, that'd be half game. So you would say in that scenario where the Royals are 15 and 15, and the Tigers are 19 and 14, that the Royals are two and a half games back of the Tigers. So in this scenario where Kansas in West Virginia where West Virginia has played less games than Kansas if you viewed 20 and 10 verse 19 and 9 It would just be that they're even that neither team was back of the other and Then you would have the tiebreaker where Kansas swept them in Morgantown to me

That makes more sense if you're gonna have a because that's the thing in the MLB, if you get a game postponed, they're going to play it later. Apparently, we don't have that system in place in the Big 12. And that's really stupid that Kansas gets jobbed out of winning a Big 12 title just because West Virginia had a couple games canceled. You know, that seems stupid to me. But anyway, two seed in the Big 12 tournament. That's really cool. Obviously, they're going to be making the NCAA tournament. That's really cool. And who knows, maybe they can do some damage in the big 12 tournament and have a chance of getting a more favorable path

in the NCAA tournament as well. Okay, last piece of news, I guess, before we go here. JJ Dunigan, who is the top recruit in the class of 2026 for Kansas. Remember, Kansas has a really strong recruiting class in the class of 2026. They have a really strong is a really strong recruiting class in the class of 2026. They have a really strong recruiting class in terms of in-state recruits as well.

And JJ Dunigan is no different here. Also, doesn't hurt that he's from Manhattan. Being somebody who's right in the neck your woods of your in-state rival, right? But a very good player. And not just a very good player that, oh, he's a good player in state, which is a big deal on its own. But also he is like being,

I mean, he's a top 200 recruit nationally. This guy was at the Under Armour All-American game and had like an interception there. This dude is a big deal for any program in the country to get, right? And so he had committed to KU already, but he was still like taking other, I don't know if he was taking other visits,

but he was certainly having other conversations with other schools and you'd see the occasional offer come in from other schools. Well, he posted this on social media, born and raised, here to stay, recruitment shut down, hashtag Kansas. Cool looking graphic as well on his social media talking about this, but that's exciting because you knew there were going to be other suitors. And I guess even if a recruit says I'm shutting it down, hypothetically, if you're another school, like you could still call

and send a text message, like it's not going to completely shut that down. But that being the intention here, as opposed to being like, I'm committing, but I'm kind of leaving myself open. Again, doesn't guarantee anything, but it makes it feel even more official. And what a get it would be if Kansas does get done again on campus

and officially as a Jayhawk, because this dude is going to be a baller in his time playing college football. All right. That'll do it for this episode of Lockdown Jayhawks. You can find our show anywhere you get podcasts, including on our YouTube page, where you can like and subscribe to the show. See you next time with L.O.J.