Australian basketball sensation Johnny Furphy arrives on KU’s campus, Bill Self says
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self revealed some exciting news as he signed autographs and posed for selfies with some of the 5,000-or-so first-year University of Kansas students who swarmed around him at the conclusion of Traditions Night festivities Friday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
“The guys (Jayhawk players) are all trickling into town this weekend. Johnny just got here. Johnny got here today,” Self said of Johnny Furphy, a 6-foot-8, 202-pound, 18-year old native of Melbourne, Australia, who signed scholarship papers with the Jayhawks on Aug. 3.
Furphy, who has indeed arrived in Lawrence in advance of Monday’s start of fall-semester classes at KU, burst onto the summer basketball recruiting scene in early July after playing well in the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta. The shooting guard/small forward became a high priority late recruit for KU, Duke, Gonzaga, North Carolina and others.
Furphy is considered an NBA prospect who 21st-year KU coach Self said during a recent trip to Puerto Rico would “positively” be in the Jayhawks’ rotation in 2023-24.
“I am excited for him,” Self told The Star on Friday. “He is so excited to be here. Of course it’ll be a culture shock for him initially. He seems fired up for the challenge.”
Self said despite the 24-hour journey from Australia to Lawrence, Furphy “was beaming, glowing” upon arriving in Lawrence at 7:30 p.m. Friday, just a half hour before Self and KU football coach Lance Leipold spoke on the dais at Traditions Night.
“We’ll take it slow until he gets acclimated,” Self said. “He just traveled 24 hours.”
Furphy averaged 14.3 points (hitting 22 of 56 3s for 39.3%) and 5.6 rebounds in 12 games in 2023 for Australia’s Centre of Excellence Development Program.
“I don’t know,” Self said of the one-and-done to the NBA possibility regarding Furphy. “I don’t think he’s coming here to be that at all. He’s certainly talented and has been on their radar. He’ll go whenever the time is right for him to go.”
Of landing Furphy at this late date, Self said: “I didn’t do anything. Norm (Roberts, assistant) did a good job laying the groundwork. But people in Australia … obviously the NBA Academy, they are certainly close to Johnny and did a good job of selling our message to him.”
Self said the Jayhawks would probably “do something Monday,” in terms of practicing or individual drills in accordance with NCAA rules that allow limited practice time up until the official start of preseason workouts sometime in September.
“The Puerto Rico trip allowed us maybe to go a little slower when school starts,” Self explained
KU held 10 practices prior to the Aug. 1-8 trip to Puerto Rico.
The Jayhawks went 2-1 on the exhibition trip and have scheduled another upcoming exhibition game against Illinois — with all proceeds of the Illinois game going to relief efforts following devastating fires in Lahaina, Maui, site of the annual Maui Invitational.
That game will take place on Oct. 29 in Champaign, Illinois.
“It’s going to be good,” Self told The Star of the game versus Illinois. “I hope that every school in America follows suit and wants to play a game to help everybody on the island.”
Self said he believes the Maui Invitational will be contested this year in spite of the fires.
“We’ll have a tournament, we just don’t know where it’s going to be yet,” Self said. “I am keeping my fingers crossed it’s still able to be held on the island.”
Minor injury update
As for the start of practice, Self said junior forward KJ Adams and soph guard Arterio Morris may not practice at full speed right away, but their injuries sustained in Puerto Rico are not believed serious.
“KJ bumped his knee and Arterio (had a knee) sprain. It’s nothing major. That’s what we’ve been told,” Self said. “But that’s the reason KJ was so limited in the last game (in Puerto Rico) and why Arterio didn’t play.”
