Kansas Jayhawks - The Reigning Champions

Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas made it a little more difficult to win back-to-back national titles as they became just the second No. 1 seed to loose a Big 12 tournament opener. More important than the conference title is the loss of momentum going into the big dance and that they ended up a 3 seed rather than a 2, making their matchups that much more difficult.

Coming off a national title, the question all season was how fast Bill Self could blend the fresh faces with a couple of key leftovers from last year. Kansas thrived on balance last season, but lost four double-digit scorers, as well as two other valuable contributors.

Despite the losses, the Jayhawks brought back junior guard Sherron Collins and budding sophomore big man Cole Aldrich. Self originally wanted Collins to take 18 to 20 shots per game, but the Jayhawks found he could still lead the way, averaging about 18 points and five assists while taking 12 to 14 shots. Aldrich, meanwhile, was roughly a double-double guy every night averaging 15 and 10 over the season.

The youth was a problem early as Kansas tended to run a little hot, not taking time with its possessions in order to get good shots in critical situations. Kansas learned their lessons along the way, and got a boost in the conference season with the debut of junior college transfer Mario Little, a strong 6'5" and 210 pounds who is basically a three-man playing the four spot.

Little, who had a stress fracture in his leg, nearly decided to redshirt but came back mid season and really bolstered the Jayhawks backcourt. His presence relieved the pressure off twin freshman posts Marcus and Markieff Morris, who showed flashes but weren't true immediate impact players. Little posed matchup problems at the 4 spot all year because he is quick enough to beat his guy to the basket but can still step back and drop the mid-range jumper.

Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor, who fell into Kansas' lap after he got out of his Marquette letter when Coach Tom Crean left for Indiana, had moments of brilliance surrounded by typical freshman mistakes. He’s had all year to mature and work on his poise, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure of tournament play.

Overall, Kansas had a productive year as they seemed to get better and develop depth throughout the season. The early exit from the conference tournament will either serve as a wakeup call to the young Jayhawk team or a shock they won’t be able to recover from.

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