Kansas Jayhawks headed to Puerto Rico this summer to play exhibition basketball games

Kansas men’s basketball will gain a valuable summer head start on the 2023-24 season.

The Jayhawks — who return three starters from last year’s Big 12 regular-season championship team while welcoming eight newcomers to the 2023-24 squad — are scheduled to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico to play three exhibition games in early August, according to a recent mail-out to KU Williams Fund members.

The trip is to start Aug. 1 with the last day of the trip Aug. 8.

Information on KU’s exhibition game opponents will be available next week, a travel agency involved with the tournament told The Star on Friday. KU officials had no comment at this time on the trip.

Perhaps more important than the exhibition games will be the 10 practices prior to the trip held in Lawrence in accordance with NCAA rules.

Common opponents for college teams that have visited Puerto Rico in the past have been the Puerto Rico national team and the Puerto Rico national team reserves, as well as the San Juan all-stars.

Toledo in the summer of 2022 traveled to Puerto Rico to play the Guynabo All Star Team, the Sancturce All Star Team and the Carolina All-Star Team.

NCAA rules allow teams to make an international trip once every four years. KU in the past has traveled to Italy, where the Jayhawks played four games in August of 2017, as well as Switzerland and Paris for four games in August of 2012.

Kansas’ fan travel package is hosted by Walton Sports in conjunction with First In Service Travel.

The Jayhawks return starters Kevin McCullar, KJ Adams and Dajuan Harris from the 2022-23 squad. The team has gained Hunter Dickinson, Arterio Morris, Nick Timberlake and Parker Braun from the transfer portal while losing Zuby Ejiofor, Ernest Udeh, Bobby Pettiford, Kyle Cuffe, Zach Clemence, Cam Martin, Joseph Yesufu and MJ Rice from the same portal.

KU also has signed freshmen Marcus Adams, Elmarko Jackson, Chris Johnson and Jamari McDowell. KU has one scholarship available to give in recruiting.