Kansas College Basketball Players to Watch in 2023 NBA Playoffs

With the NBA Play-In tournament wrapping up and the playoffs beginning Saturday, now is a great time to look back on former Kansas and Kansas State players competing on the sport’s biggest stage.

Between Kansas’ two Power Five programs, there are six players competing in either the play-in tournament or playoffs, including most valuable player contender Joel Embiid of Philadelphia and Golden State veteran wing Andrew Wiggins.

Kansas State has a single former player taking part in the 2023 playoffs in Cleveland reserve forward Dean Wade.

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For the first time, Kansas sports betting is available for state basketball fans who want to back their former college favorites in the NBA playoffs.

Of the six teams that have at least one KU or K-State player on their roster, the Warriors have the best title odds on BetMGM Sportsbook Kansas at +850. The 76ers (+900), Denver (+1100), L.A. Clippers and Cavaliers (+4000 apiece) and New York (+10000) round out the list.

BetKansas.com — the place to go for Kansas sportsbook bonuses during the NBA postseason — looked at the rosters of all the NBA teams to see which former KU and K-State players are still fighting for a title.

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KU Players in NBA Playoffs

• Joel Embiid (76ers): 33.1 points per game (1st), 10.2 rebounds per game (8th), 4.2 assists per game, 54.8% field goals in 2022-23 
• Marcus Morris (Clippers): 11.2 PPG, 4.0. RPG, 1.8 APG, 42.6% FG 
• Andrew Wiggins (Warriors): 17.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 47.3% FG 
• Quentin Grimes (Knicks): 11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 46.8% FG 
• Christian Braun (Nuggets): 4.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 49.5% FG

Kansas State Players in NBA Playoffs

• Dean Wade (Cavs): 4.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 41.2% FG

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Who’s Still Playing In The Postseason?

Between better known players like Embiid and Wiggins and role players like Morris (14th NBA season) and Grimes (second NBA season), the Jayhawks are well represented in the postseason.

Embiid is fourth at Kansas betting apps in NBA Finals MVP odds at +1000.

Grimes is coming off a renaissance season in his second year in the league, nearly doubling his points per game (from 6.0 to 11.3) and seeing his playing time skyrocket from 17.1 minutes per game as a rookie to 29.9 minutes per game this year.

Morris is on the backside of his career, but still averaged double figures for the 10th straight year, finishing just below his career average for points per game (12.3) at 11.2.

Morris is in the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season and the sixth time overall and has averaged 12.7 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists per game in 64 postseason contests.

Rounding out the KU playoff participants roster is Nuggets bench player Christian Braun, who averaged 4.7 points per game in 76 games (and six starts) as a rookie this season.

Wade is the lone Wildcat to be on a playoff or play-in tournament participant’s roster.