The Kansas men’s basketball program fleshed out the back end of its roster a bit more on Tuesday when it earned a commitment from Will Thengvall, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard from Wichita’s Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School who will serve as a walk-on for next year’s Jayhawks, per multiple reports.
Thengvall averaged 17.6 points per game as a senior for a team that won a state title. He was named to The Wichita Eagle’s All-Metro team and Sports in Kansas named him its 5A boys basketball player of the year.
His coach Steve Eck told The Eagle that Thengvall’s leadership was on full display as the Crusaders made their run through state competition in Emporia.
“He was a good shooter for us and everybody just liked him,” Eck told The Eagle. “He got along real well with everybody and was just a likable person and our kids followed him and the other two seniors.”
Thengvall will attend KU alongside his brother Nathan, who is committed to the track and field team for next season, and he isn’t the first Division I men’s basketball walk-on among his siblings, as an older brother, Henry, serves in that role at Wichita State.
The addition of Thengvall helps KU replenish its walk-on corps a bit after the graduation of longtime stalwart Michael Jankovich. Patrick Cassidy and Dillon Wilhite obtained their degrees from KU over the weekend, but Cassidy, Justin Cross, Wilder Evers, Charlie McCarthy and Wilhite all have additional eligibility.
Chris Carter, who transferred from Cal State Northridge to serve as a walk-on last offseason, entered the transfer portal once again after the conclusion of the season, KU Athletics confirmed on Tuesday. Carter played in one game during the 2023-24 season, in the final minutes of a blowout loss at Texas Tech.
