KU hoops transfer from Iowa State is now on campus for summer drills: ‘He can shoot’

Jalen Coleman-Lands has arrived on the University of Kansas campus for the start of summer men’s basketball workouts.

Coleman-Lands, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior shooting guard who announced plans to transfer from Iowa State to KU on May 19 after playing one season for the Cyclones, worked out with his new KU teammates on Monday, June 21 in the Jayhawks’ practice facility.

The majority of KU’s players reported right before the start of summer school classes on June 8. Coleman-Lands had an excused absence, taking care of some personal business before reporting.

“It feels good. I feel at home. It’s the people that make the community. Right now I feel like I’m part of it. I’m excited to get going,” Coleman-Lands said in a video on the Kansas Basketball Twitter account. “Right now, just getting to see the arena and being welcomed and kind of being a part of this family it’s a whole different feel. Coming in as an opponent (as he did last year with ISU) in comparison to being a part of the family ... it’s big time,” he added.

Coleman-Lands spent some time with 19th-year KU coach Bill Self on Monday.

“I was talking to him today about whether he has completed his masters program (in management information systems) and what second masters program he’s going to complete while he is here,” Self said of Coleman-Lands during Self’s appearance Monday on the “Courtside With (Seth) Greenberg and (Dan) Dakich” podcast aired on Spotify.

“He is 24-years-old,” Self added of Coleman-Lands, a native of LaPorte, Indiana, who turns 25 on July 15. “He said during the conversation he’s not talked to a lot of dudes like me here recently. I said, ‘The 18-year-olds I’ve been talking to are a little different than your perspective.’

“He said, ‘Coach if I can get in this one class and get my overall (GPA) in this area I may not have to take another entrepreneurial shop class.’ It’s a little different conversation,” Self added laughing.

Coleman-Lands, who also has played at University of Illinois and DePaul, averaged 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23 games (22 starts) last season for the 2-22 Cyclones.

He hit 120 of 276 shots for 43.5% in his one season in Ames, Iowa. He made 58 of 147 threes for 39.5% and 31 of 36 free throws for 86.1%. Coleman-Lands dished 27 assists to 46 turnovers with 19 steals.

Coleman-Lands had a pair of productive games versus the Jayhawks.

First he scored 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting (3-of-7 from three and 5-of-5 from the line) with three rebounds, no assists and two turnovers in KU’s 97-64 rout of the Cyclones on Feb. 11 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Two days later in Ames, he scored 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting (3-of-7 threes and 5-of-5 from line) with five rebounds, no assists and four turnovers in ISU’s 64-50 loss to KU at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

“I’m excited about him. The biggest reason is he can shoot,” Self said Monday. “He is a 40% six-year college player. He’s transferred and sat out (one year at DePaul after transfer from Illinois in 2017-18) and got a redshirt hardship health injury (in 2018-19 after breaking left hand) and then got another year back (as a Super Senior as designated by the NCAA in response to the pandemic). I’m really excited about him,” Self repeated.

Coleman-Lands had placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal on April 9. Coleman-Lands played high school ball at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. He was ranked No. 34 in the recruiting Class of 2015 by ESPN.com, No. 37 by 247sports.com and No. 39 by Rivals.com.

He hit five threes in seven tries, scoring 17 points in a 105-77 loss to Iowa on Dec. 11, 2020 in Iowa City. In his college career, he’s played in 133 games, making 102 starts and scoring 1,401 points.

At DePaul in 2019-20, he averaged 11.1 points a game while making 32.1% of his threes. He played in just nine games at DePaul in 2018-19, suffering a broken left hand which forced him to miss the final 27 games. He received a medical redshirt for that season.

He redshirted at DePaul in 2017-18 after transferring from Illinois where he averaged 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 35 games in 2016-17. He averaged 10.3 points a game his freshman year at U of I.

The 2021-22 season will mark his seventh season as a college basketball player.

He was asked about his accurate shooting in an interview with The Star after he committed to KU on May 19: “That’s my ace. A lot of people have different strengths, that’s one of mine, to make shots and do it in different areas and variations.

“With my size,” he added, “we’ve got some smaller guys. I’ll play wherever the team needs me — offense, defense, being able to guard smaller guards. (I’ll) play all different positions if it’ll help me get on the court more. I’m not set on a certain position, just helping the team win. I’m not locked into a certain spot.”