Kansas vs. Kentucky: Which Team is Better Heading into Postseason Play?

They are the giants of college basketball. Kansas and Kentucky are not only conference leaders, but they stand one and two in the national rankings, respectively. Considering the Jayhawks and Wildcats have all but locked up top seeds for the NCAA Tournament, I asked myself this question: Which team is all around better heading into the most critical time of the season?

According to ESPN, the two college basketball powerhouses rank one and three all-time. Kentucky owns seven titles (trailing UCLA by four), while Kansas has cut down the net a respectable three times. So it is only fitting that these two teams each have favorable chances at winning another National Championship in 2010.

Kentucky has struggled mightily in recent years with Billy Gillispie at the helm, but have obviously turned things around with John Calipari and a fantastic freshmen class. Kansas, on the other hand, coming off a National Championship in 2008 and a deep run in the Tourney in 2009, looks primed for another late March winning streak.

And with Syracuse losing earlier today, the Kansas Jayhawks and Kentucky Wildcats are the top two teams to beat. So, with both teams possessing enough skill to win championships in the near future, I am going to break down who is better heading into postseason play. Here are five key aspects of each team, and who would have the advantage if they played today.

1. Backcourt

Kansas and Kentucky have two of the top five guards in the country in Sherron Collins and John Wall. The point guards are likely locks to be first-round draft picks this June in the NBA Draft. Although Wall is only a freshman, the two guards are the emotional leaders of the team.

John Wall has been sensational in his first year of college ball, averaging nearly 17 points and 6.2 assists per contest. He is easily one of the best players in the country. Along with Evan Turner of Ohio State, Wall has a great shot at player of the year. He also shoots a respectable 78 percent from the charity stripe, which is key late in games. The starter from Raleigh, North Carolina is a huge reason the Wildcats have played so well this season.

Sherron Collins, on the other hand, is not to be outdone with 15.3 points per game, while dishing out 4.3 assists. He hasn't been as impressive as Wall this season, but is definitely a solid player. The one thing he does have over Wall is experience. His 2008 National Championship is huge.

Although these two stars are vital to their teams, the two other guards that complement their backcourts are skilled as well. Eric Bledsoe, also just a freshman, has helped the Wildcats a lot this season. Kansas shooting guard, Xavier Henry, isn't getting the props that John Wall is, but holds an average of over 13 points per game, and is an accurate three point shooter. Tyshawn Taylor would also be considered a part of the starting backcourt, and the freshman is averaging over seven points a game.

In a narrow margin, I would say Kentucky has the backcourt advantage if Eric Bledsoe continues to play well down the stretch.

Advantage: Kentucky

2. Frontcourt

First off, we all know what Cole Aldrich can do in the NCAA Tournament. The junior had a triple-double in points, rebounds, and blocks in a 17-point win over Dayton in the second round last season. This one game really doesn't define the remainder of 2010, but the Sultan of Swat can really block shots well.

Besides the exceptional play of Aldrich, the Jayhawks have a solid frontcourt. Marcus Morris averages 12 points and six boards as a sophomore, and has been a large contributor. The two post players combine for nearly 16 rebounds per game. Crashing the boards would be very important if the two teams played in the tourney.

The Wildcats have two phenomenal players that form the frontcourt in Demarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson. Cousins has surprised a lot of people around the nation with his double-double average. He has accepted his role on the team and gone with it. Patterson has seen his scoring reduced a little since last season because of the incredible recruiting class, but is still a solid player. Ramon Harris and Darius Miller don't really contribute a ton, but this is once again because of the skill of the players on the team

The two frontcourts in these teams are incredible. They are both very even in so many ways, but once again, I have to go with the Wildcats.

Advantage: Kentucky

3. Depth

It's the same story for each of these teams: The starters are scoring machines. While Kentucky and Kansas heavily rely on their starting five for scoring, they do have some pretty good depth.

Kansas gets a decent amount of scoring and skill from its bench. Markieff Morris is probably the biggest contributor with 6.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The twin brother of Marcus is one of the most reliable "sixth men" in the country. He makes a difference in every game. The Jayhawks also get help from Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed, two juniors who have definitely made an impact and could be huge down the stretch.

Kentucky has less of a bench than Kansas. The majority of the minutes come from Darnell Dodson and Deandre Liggins. Dodson has started in some of their games and continues to be a great player off the bench. Once again, the fact is that Wall, Patterson, and Cousins are the heart and soul of the team with little help from the bench.

Neither team will get a load of help from the bench in the postseason, but it is very important for non-starters to see minutes at the end of the season to keep starters from tiring out. The Jayhawks definitely have the advantage here.

Advantage: Kansas

4. Coaching

Bill Self and John Calipari are prestigious coaches. You can't question their abilities to lead a bad team to national respect. They are among the likes of Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, and Roy Williams in terms of winning percentage.

John Calipari was very successful at Memphis, which obviously got him the job as the Kentucky coach. He was undefeated in conference play for the previous two seasons. Calipari has also been equally as impressive at Kentucky. Bill Self is a Hall of Fame lock and a quality coach. He has 94 wins in the past three seasons with several more games to go in this one.

There is also an interesting relationship between these two coaches. The last time they met was in the 2008 Championship game when Mario Chalmers hit a three-pointer in the final seconds of the game to force overtime. Kansas went on to win the game by seven points.

Whether these teams' coaches meet in the title game again or not, they are both outstanding. By the end of their coaching careers, there will be no difference in wins.

Advantage: Even

5. Experience

There's no doubt about it. Kansas has so much experience on their team. Not only do they experience in big games and against great players, but in the NCAA Tournament as well. Although they only have seven upperclassmen on the roster that were around for the National Championship, the Jayhawks have been through a large number of big games.

Of course, the experience Kansas holds was just in comparison with Kentucky, but there are several teams (Duke and Michigan State, for example) that have more. I am not saying that Kentucky doesn't have experience with big games, but the Wildcats are so young this season with five freshman. Besides, Kentucky only has two players on its roster, Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson, that have even been to an NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky is a good enough team not to have problems with experience in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, but Kansas has too much with every player on the roster (excluding freshmen) having made it to at least the Sweet 16.

Advantage: Kansas

Final Verdict

These teams are flat out the best in the country. Obviously, teams such as Duke, Ohio State, and Syracuse could pose a threat for them. However, the three other potential No. 1 seeds don't look to be quite as good as Kansas and Kentucky.

Kansas and Kentucky are so similar. Each team has future NBA stars, are a few games removed from regular season losses, and both lost to Tennessee. Both names even start with K.

As the two storied programs have been in the top five all season, they have given, and will continue to give us an awesome year in college basketball. They could potentially meet in the final game, but the NCAA Tournament is truly the most upset-prone time of year.

So, once again, after looking at all of these aspects, which team is better heading into postseason play?

I would have to say the Kentucky Wildcats are a better team than the Kansas Jayhawks. Although Kansas holds more tournament experience and depth on the team, I would say John Wall is far more superior a player than Sherron Collins, and the Cousins-Patterson duo down low is potent.

If the teams played in the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky wins, 79-71.