Transfer guard Shakeel Moore has been a relative unknown for most of the season. He hurt his foot in the offseason and had only appeared in three games for a total of 12 minutes entering the Brown game.

Against Brown, Moore totaled 15 points and primarily served as Dajuan Harris’ backup as the point guard. He showcased his strength and ability to get to the rim, tying a team-high with four free throw attempts. Kansas ranks 360th out of 364 Division One teams with just a 20.4 free throw rate and it’s something that Bill Self has said the Jayhawks need to improve.

Self said Moore still needs to get in game shape, as he asked to be subbed out sometime during the game. However, he liked Moore’s strength and athleticism.

“I actually thought he looked aggressive and pretty good out there,” Self said. “And he’s strong and he’s athletic… I think he’s going to help us.”

Self said Moore could potentially play alongside Harris, and the two shared the floor for around three minutes while Self was trying various different lineups. However, his main purpose will be as Harris’ backup, which can allow Kansas to rest Harris more.

Moore is similar to Harris in some ways. The two are both lockdown defenders, as Moore was on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist in 2023. However, Moore’s strength can provide a change of pace from Harris, who’s known more for his finesse.

“I think he’s an athlete, and I think he’s strong,” Self said. “And I’m hopeful that he can come off a ball screen and get paint touches and that kind of stuff. I do think he can help us, and he should be a very good lockdown one-on-one defender as well.”

Moore’s teammates were excited to see him on the floor. It’s been a difficult road for him this season, but now he looks to be an impactful piece on this roster. His presence was felt, tossing a pass off the backboard that Flory Bidunga threw down to put a bow on an 87-53 win to close non-conference play.

“It was amazing,” KJ Adams said. “He’s been battling a lot of injuries, just to see him look like he’s almost to 100%, it was fun to watch. He’s been doing everything he needs to do in the treatment wise and it’s fun to watch him now get loose a little bit and do the fun things we know he’s capable of.”