Hearings: The Kyle Cuffe Situation 🤔

What should Kansas do about Kyle Cuffe?

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.'

In this Hearings newsletter:

This is a Hearings piece without a clear answer about Kyle Cuffe’s future with Kansas. I think this is both interesting and important for KU hoops as the staff looks to rebuild at the roster for next season. I may not have the answer, but I hope it’s a discussion worth having.

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I've had a hard time writing about Kyle Cuffe’s situation with Kansas basketball. In my previous Hearings, I've listed the little-known guard as definitely "leaving" after this season, which appears to have been over zealous. That’s going to happen sometimes. I still think Cuffe ultimately transfers, but the current situation isn’t so clear.

Bill Self even mentioned Cuffe in a unique way during his mic-dropping press conference on Wednesday. 

“You return Dajuan. You return KJ. You’ve got Ernest. You’ve got Zuby,” Self said “Kyle… we still don’t know exactly what the situation is with Kyle.” 

Yeah, it’s clear Cuffe sits in a different position than the scholarship players expected to return next season.

Here’s what’s happening:

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Who is Kyle Cuffe?

The fact that I even have to write this should give you some idea of why this is unusual in the first place. 

• Cuffe has played six minutes in two seasons with the Jayhawks. He redshirted last season. He took a medical redshirt this season.

• Cuffe was a four-star guard out of high school, ranked No. 117 nationally in 247’s composite rankings. 

• He’s primarily known for his athleticism and was considered a long-term project during his recruitment. 

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What I’m Hearing

• My understanding is that it’s unlikely Cuffe is an impact player for Kansas next season.

• I've heard Cuffe has explicitly been told he shouldn’t expect to play much.

  • KU isn't a fit for everyone, and I think that message has been delivered to Cuffe.

• I've heard he was given a similar talk after last season, too. It was surprising that he returned to KU for this season.

• Cuffe, however, wants to stay at KU. 

• A new consideration for these situations is NIL. Cuffe likely makes more money at KU than he would elsewhere. It’s a challenging and fascinating element that will play out across major college basketball programs for the foreseeable future (or until rules change).

• Maybe Cuffe doesn’t care about playing time. Perhaps he believes in himself and refuses to hear the message about his role on the team.

In other words: I don't think KU's staff wants Cuffe taking up a scholarship spot next season.

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The Big Picture

• The timing is unique for the KU coaching staff after the program self-imposed a three-scholarship reduction over the next three seasons due to the ongoing NCAA investigation. 

• If Cuffe leaves, KU has four open scholarships to fill via the transfer portal (or if Kevin McCullar returns). The team must feel good about all 11 scholarship players on the roster this year.

• All accounts have Cuffe as a good person and teammate. It’s important to remember that when processing all of this information.

• Frankly, this is a hard thing to say about a college basketball player. I debated writing it, but I did for the following reasons: 

  • 1) I don't think anyone else would write it, but everyone close to the team knows about it.

  • 2) It's important to KU.

  • 3) Cuffe earning NIL money makes me less hesitant to withhold the Hearing.

  • 4) It's fascinating. I don’t know what’s right here.

I hope KU fans can appreciate a newsletter where the answer isn’t clear. Should the coaching staff run a player off, or do you let the player decide for himself? Does the philosophy change now that a player is getting paid for his Name, Image, and Likeness? 

Let me know what you think.