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Three Potential Bench Pieces Bill Self Can Bolster Kansas’ Roster With

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Three Potential Bench Pieces Bill Self Can Bolster Kansas’ Roster With


The Kansas basketball program has made several notable additions since the transfer portal opened, landing three newcomers to round out the starting five. More importantly, the Jayhawks were able to secure top-ranked 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes, one of the most talented high school recruits Bill Self has ever acquired.

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It has been an eventful offseason for the coaching staff, but its work in the portal is not done yet. KU still has four scholarships to fill out and will need to use one or two to add impact players off the bench.

Even if KU doesn’t land another starting-caliber transfer, it will need significantly more help on the second unit, especially in the backcourt. These are three players the Jayhawks have been in contact with and are considered strong options for the team next year.

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Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts in the first half against the St. John’s Red Storm during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

3. James White (New Orleans)

A former Ole Miss, UAB, and New Orleans guard, James White has endured a tumultuous collegiate career, but averaged 19.2 points and 7.0 rebounds at his last stop. He is a 6-foot-5 wing who can get downhill with ease and would provide instant offense on the second unit.

White has become somewhat of a forgotten name since being involved in a sports gambling investigation two seasons ago, but he is reportedly drawing interest from top programs like Kansas and has likely been cleared by the NCAA. If KU is willing to take a chance on his controversial background, White would be an excellent rim-running guard for the staff to pursue.

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2. Vyctorius Miller (Oklahoma State)

Miller took a visit to Kansas last month and hasn’t been closely linked to the program since. However, he remains one of the Jayhawks’ top targets as they look to add another bench piece.

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Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Vyctorius Miller (5) dribbles beside Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) during a men’s college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Kansas Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The former Oklahoma State guard averaged 10.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 32 games (26 starts) for the Cowboys this past season. If he is willing to take on a smaller role at KU, he could help replace the departures of Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell in the backcourt.

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1. Abdi Bashir Jr. (Kansas State)

Bashir Jr. completed a Zoom call with the KU coaching staff last week and has been on the radar of Jayhawk fans since. His skill set would fit perfectly as a sixth man off KU’s bench.

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After playing two years at Monmouth, where he earned All-CAA honors as a sophomore, Bashir transferred to Kansas State for his junior campaign. He averaged 13.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 44.4% from 3-point range on 8.4 attempts per game.

It has been a while since the Jayhawks have had a 3-point shooter as prolific as Bashir. The rest of his game, including his defense, may be a question mark, but Kansas could desperately use a flamethrower who can swing a game instantly with his outside shooting.

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Newly released song depicts world visiting Kansas City for historic summer

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Newly released song depicts world visiting Kansas City for historic summer


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – One creator has written an anthem for Kansas City to reflect the metro’s historic summer for years to come.

An Omaha-based Afrobeat artist, Kusher Snazzy, released a World Cup song, ‘KC to the World,’ celebrating the tournament’s culture and diversity.

A shot of the Kansas City skyline taken on July 4, 2024.(Zoe Shriner, KCTV5)

The song features soccer players and dancers representing multiple nations that played in the World Cup, including Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Italy. It was filmed locally in multiple locations, including a metro studio and rooftop.

READ MORE: Kansas City eyes 2031 Women’s World Cup bid after hosting FIFA tournament

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'KC to the World' depicts the uniqueness and excitement of a once-in-a-lifetime Kansas City...
‘KC to the World’ depicts the uniqueness and excitement of a once-in-a-lifetime Kansas City summer.(Kusher Snazzy)

Kusher Snazzy’s goal with the song was to depict the once-in-a-lifetime summer. His passion for soccer and the Midwest inspired the lyrics.

“We don’t know when FIFA is going to choose KC again,” said Kusher.

Joseph Termini is the mastermind behind the project. He took a vision and made it come to life. As a Kansas City native, he knew the importance of showcasing his city positively through a music video.

“Kansas City has been under the radar, and I feel like this is the first time we’re being put on a pedestal, and that pedestal is allowing other people to realize that this is more than just a small-town city,” said Termini.

KC to the World depicts the cultural connectivity the World Cup brings.
KC to the World depicts the cultural connectivity the World Cup brings.(WMTV)

Listeners can find the hit song on YouTube.

ALSO READ: Heart structure may stay in Kansas City after Fan Festival ends

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.

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Pilot of crop duster plane survives crash Monday in NE Kansas

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Pilot of crop duster plane survives crash Monday in NE Kansas


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The pilot of a crop duster aircraft appears to have survived without serious injury after a crash on Monday in northeast Kansas.

The Jackson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office was called around 12:30 p.m. Monday on a crash involving a crop duster aircraft south of Kansas Highway 9 near Whiting, Kansas, or about 80 miles northwest of Kansas City.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said that after the crash, the pilot was able to exit the aircraft before it caught fire. The pilot walked to a nearby farmhouse for help.

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Several area fire departments responded to the location to extinguish the fire.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.

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Keystone Pipeline system’s operator agrees to pay $26.9M penalty over major Kansas oil spill

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Keystone Pipeline system’s operator agrees to pay .9M penalty over major Kansas oil spill


TOPEKA, Kan. — A proposed legal settlement with the U.S. government would require the Keystone Pipeline system’s operator to pay a $26.9 million civil penalty over a major oil spill in Kansas in December 2022 and spend about $40 million more to prevent future accidents.

The agreement would resolve allegations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kansas that South Bow, based in Canada, violated U.S. and state clean water laws. The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of heavy crude oil into a creek running through a rural pasture in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

The accident was the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in the U.S. in nine years and surpassed all 22 previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to a 2021 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The total amount of oil spilled would have nearly filled an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

South Bow also would pay Kansas more than $3 million for environmental restoration projects under a proposed decree filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas. A judge would have to approve the proposal after a 30-day public comment period.

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South Bow also would pay Kansas more than $3 million for environmental restoration projects under a proposed decree filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas. A judge would have to approve the proposed decree after a 30-day public comment period.

“The oil spill blanketed land and water, rendering the waterway lifeless and useless and requiring extensive cleanup and remediation,” Jeffrey Hall, the EPA’s assistant administrator for its enforcement office, said in a statement. “The substantial penalty reflects the seriousness of the environmental harm.”

South Bow officials did not respond immediately Sunday to a phone message and email seeking comment, but the company told The Canadian Press that it “proactively” began cleaning up the area before receiving directives from U.S. officials. The cleanup was completed early in 2024.

The company that built the pipeline, TC Energy, spun off South Bow as a separate firm in 2024, after the Kansas cleanup was done.

No pipeline workers or area residents were injured, and officials said public water supplies weren’t affected by the spill. However, a complaint filed Friday by the U.S. government along with the proposed settlement said more than 2,700 animals were harmed or killed. The area is home to an endangered species, the long-eared bat.

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In a May 2023 report for the U.S. government, an engineering consulting firm said that a bend in the Keystone system where the spill occurred had been “overstressed” since its installation in December 2010 — likely because construction activity itself altered the land around the pipe. The complaint filed Friday in court said soil under the pipe had been “improperly compacted” and that while the company re-excavated the site in 2013, it did not replace that section of pipe.

The 2,689-mile (4,327-kilometer) Keystone system carries thick, Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.

In April, President Donald Trump gave the go-ahead for South Bow and another company to build a second pipeline from Canada to Wyoming, a smaller version of a massive $8 billion pipeline project known as Keystone XL blocked by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021 over environmental concerns.





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