LAWRENCE — As Kansas basketball coach Bill Self talked last Thursday, it was clear the Jayhawks were in an advantageous position.

Self’s squad hadn’t seen any key contributors, or players at all, enter the transfer portal or declare early for the NBA draft. There had been a couple of commitments through the transfer portal, who complimented Kansas’ incoming freshman class, in Florida’s Riley Kugel and South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo. Although there was still some uncertainty surrounding which players from this past season’s team might be back, the vibes at the end-of-season banquet were positive.

But while that was all true, Self wasn’t satisfied.

Self still had his eyes on adding to the roster, on putting together a more talented team than he already had for the 2024-25 campaign. Nothing definitive has come out since he spoke after the banquet, but it seems more like a matter of when and not if.

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“I can’t talk about anybody that hasn’t signed a financial aid agreement,” said Self, asked about one of the transfers who’d already committed. “All I can do is just talk general, but we’re excited about the guys that have committed.”

The way Kansas’ 2023-24 season ended, with a crushing defeat in the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, drew a comparison to how the team’s 2020-21 season ended. It ended the exact same way in the NCAA tournament, albeit against a different team in a different city. But from Self’s perspective, they need more out of this offseason than the one a few years ago.

Heading into the 2021-22 season, which ended with a national championship, the Jayhawks added one player who became a significant part of their rotation. Heading into the 2024-25 season, in part because of where they were at scholarship-wise in 2023-24, that’s not going to be possible — based on sheer numbers. As Self spoke, they’d earned two commitments through the transfer portal who could be key contributors, and he mused the final number might rise to three or four.

How many that final tally ends up being could have something to do with what freshman guard Johnny Furphy and senior center Hunter Dickinson each decide to do, when it comes to turning pro or coming back to college for another year. Furphy announced Tuesday he'd declare for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. But while there is some uncertainty there, Self noted last week he felt he knows enough to be able to do some work.

Regardless, Self left the door open to the possibility that there are returning players who could leave based on the guys he adds to the roster. He also was flexible on if the penalty of one more scholarship loss would be used this year or next year, with Kansas sitting at 12 next season as he spoke — leaving the number at the full 13 the following year if the penalty finishes this upcoming season. Overall, Self wants to address athleticism and perimeter shooting and might not wait around for a guy if they test their NBA potential like Kevin McCullar Jr. did last year.

“I would say more than likely yes, but Kevin, what we did was we didn’t wait for Kevin,” Self said. “We just held the scholarship. So, we could certainly do the same thing this time. But we will recruit, if they declare, like they’re not going to be here. And then if we get them back that’ll be a bonus.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self isn't done in the transfer portal