Oread Observations: The importance of Johnny Furphy's emergence

The Australian freshman is the key to Kansas reaching its lofty goals this season.

© Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

It’s fair to say that the start of the Johnny Furphy era for the Kansas Jayhawks has been non-traditional.

He was a late addition to a recruiting class that needed a spark after multiple signees entered the transfer portal. It’s not like he was a random nobody, though, emerging from a strong summer with the NBA Academy program and garnering interest from several high-major programs.

Furphy didn’t get a ton of practice time leading up to his freshman campaign, battling through shin splints just before the season tipped off.

“We couldn’t be happier with him so far on his presence and also his play, but he’s a young guy that needs reps,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said at the time.

A year ago Johnny Furphy was perceived as a mid-major recruit.

Last night, he had 23pts (7-8 FG, 3-4 3pt, 6-9 FT), 11rebs, & was the “best player in the game” according to Bill Self. (@MSwain247 story: https://t.co/HKI23MmUWw)

Looks like a mid-season Draftables riser. pic.twitter.com/Pnp03wsZD1

— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) January 23, 2024

It makes sense, then, that his production came more in flashes than in consistent stretches for the pre-Christmas portion of KU’s schedule.

But in the last several games, with more confidence and vital playing time under his belt, Furphy could be the missing piece that propels Kansas to the heights it wants to reach this season.

There are some issues that will plague the Jayhawks all season. This team simply doesn’t have the depth that’s so crucial for surviving the Big 12 grind, even if there’s still hope that freshman Elmarko Jackson can take a step forward or that Nick Timberlake can figure out his shooting woes. Just in general, this likely won’t be one of the conference’s best three-point shooting teams.

If this squad is going to have those types of issues, its starting/top five needs to be great night in and night out. With Furphy on the floor, KU has its best chance of reaching that threshold.

In three games as a starter, Furphy is averaging 17 points a game while nailing over half his shots from the floor, also grabbing over eight rebounds a night in the process. The Jayhawks have found the final piece of their best five.

another angle of this buzzer beating FurphTHREE 😮‍💨#LevelUp x Johnny Furphy pic.twitter.com/crYCYTFi7N

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 23, 2024

As important as his statistical contributions are, there’s also the importance of gravity. If Furphy continues to draw more attention, that naturally means less on the other four guys on the floor. That’s going to make life easier for Kevin McCullar, it will alleviate traffic inside for Hunter Dickinson, etc. With how important their offensive outputs are, lightening their load even a little bit is going to make a world of difference for the Jayhawks.

Furphy is far from a finished product, that goes without saying. He’s still susceptible to getting taken off the bounce, something Cincinnati threw at him constantly this week. And while a three-game stretch of excellent offense is a fantastic start, there is a lot of Big 12 and tournament basketball left to be played this year and this season can be a grind for young players (and even older ones, frankly).

Even so, the importance of finding that fifth piece to this team’s best lineup can’t be understated. The easiest way for Kansas to contend for a national championship is for its best five to dominate with regularity. And the best way to reach that lofty goal is to ride the ascent of No. 10 as long as the Jayhawks can.

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