Christian Reeves made his first action as a Jayhawk on Friday and looked ready for it. The 7-foot-2 center, back after shoulder surgery and a long layoff, produced a double-double in 12 minutes against Division II Pittsburg State and added four blocks.
That is why the search for Tre White matters now, too: Kansas used Late Night in the Phog to introduce a wave of new Jayhawks, and Reeves was the one who made the strongest immediate case for a bigger role. Bill Self said Reeves played with both hands above his head, did not seem worried about the shoulder and was the best he had looked all night. Self went further and said he thought Reeves was Kansas' best player in the game.
Reeves said it felt good to be back after not playing since March of last year. He spent last season battling a shoulder injury at Charleston, where he averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds, and then had offseason surgery before joining Kansas. Even in a short run, the payoff was obvious: the size was hard to miss, the rim protection was real and the new frontcourt option looked usable right away.
There is still a catch. Pittsburg State was a lower-division opponent, and that can make a debut look cleaner than it will against stronger teams. But Jeff Boschee said Reeves was better than he expected and called him a space eater, while also saying Charles Caporaso had trouble getting around him in practice. Boschee added that teams such as Florida and Michigan have had success with multiple big men, a reminder that Kansas has choices if the frontcourt comes together.
Those choices are not settled yet. Kansas kept Paul Mbiya and brought in Reeves to compete at center, while Tre White's late arrival created the possibility of more small-ball looks with Keanu Dawes in the post. Self said Thursday that such a setup would be more of a periodic, situational option for now, and he also said his big men are not scorers yet, just players who can help by screening and rebounding. Reeves did that Friday, and for Kansas that is enough to make the next test a lot more interesting.
