Conner Frankamp came to Kansas last fall with a reputation as a terrific shooter, having set the Wichita City League all-time scoring record in high school. But just a year after joining the Jayhawks, Frankamp announced his plans to transfer on Friday. While Frankamp didn’t exactly produce much in his sole year in Lawrence, scoring just 2.5 points in 8.3 minutes per contest (though he was big in the Jayhawks’ curtailed NCAA Tournament run), his departure deepens a hole in the Kansas backcourt, which already lost Naadir Tharpe over the summer.
Conner Frankamp struggled last season to find sustained playing time, but shot 50 percent from the floor in the Jayhawks’ two NCAA Tournament games. (Mark Gunnoe/Topeka Capital-Journal)
In a statement, Frankamp indicated a desire to play for a team that would allow him a bigger role. At Kansas, there appeared to be an opportunity for him to step in behind freshman Devonte Graham, who is viewed as the team’s lead point guard despite his relative lack of experience. However, the transfer indicates that Frankamp finished behind sophomore Frank Mason in the competition for the Jayhawks’ backup point guard slot. The move leaves a skill set void for the Jayhawks, which are now in need of a floor-spacing knockdown shooter. Even though Frankamp didn’t put up huge numbers from beyond the arc — he shot just 31 percent from distance — there was plenty of potential for him to improve on those numbers in his sophomore year given the lack of clear alternatives.
Wayne Selden was more productive as a long-range bomber last season, though not by much (shooting 32.8 percent on 3.7 attempts per game), and is expected to be a more aggressive player in getting to the tin this year, leaving more three-point opportunities available for other players. Kansas’ options in those department include Brannen Greene, who averaged just 6.6 minutes per game, and raw Ukranian freshman Sviatoslav Mykhaliuk, who may not be ready for significant minutes until conference play. While it may not have been a guarantee that Frankamp would see more playing time this season, at the very least it appeared as though his opportunities wouldn’t be any more limited than they were last year, and that he’d be able to make a case for extended run with his play in shorter stints.
We’ve seen the Jayhawks have terrific regular seasons in the past despite backcourt questions and transfers from the odd man out are hardly new to the program, but it will be interesting to see who Bill Self gets to answer the bell this time around.