Amid a contentious week for college basketball recruiting, the Kansas men's basketball team fell short once again, losing out on five-star Italian shooting guard Dame Sarr, who committed to the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday, May 22.

Kansas head coach Bill Self had been putting the pedal to the floor in his recruiting efforts to land Sarr for his 2025-26 roster, which currently lacks the necessary starpower to succeed.

Sarr was one of the last few chances that Self and the Jayhawks had to raise their group of commits from the class of 2025 to a top 10 or even top 20 status, currently residing at No. 42 in the country.

Before Sarr even announced his commitment, Self added three-star shooting guard Corbin Allen to his squad, who signed with the Jayhawks just a day before Sarr's decision was announced. While Allen's stats and measureables might not add up to those of Sarr's, he is still an exciting prospect for Kansas.

However, Allen most likely won't become a consistent starter for Self during his first season of collegiate basketball. Meanwhile, Self's projected starters aren't exactly filled with college-level or Power Conference experience.

Darrion Williams, a former star for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, recently withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft and kept his name in the NCAA transfer portal, looking to find his next collegiate landing spot. Currently, he is projected to commit to the Jayhawks or the NC State Wolfpack.

If Williams were to commit to the Kansas Jayhawks, Self's transfer portal class could easily rise into a top-10 spot in the national rankings. He might just be the last chance for Self to truly solidify a squad that would be in contention for a title.