Jayhawks: Time To Defend Ready Or Not

The Jayhawks face a daunting task this year in the Big 12, not only are they defending National Champions but there is very little left of the team from last year..  

Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich are the two carryovers from the team and when you watch them on the court it looks like Collins is trying to carry the team on his shoulders.  But, there are definite signs of hope with Tyshawn Taylor, the Morris twins, and Mario Little, (the Big 12 newcomer of the year). 

Entering league play the Jayhawks need to find their identity fast.  I have yet to see a full forty minutes of basketball.  What used to be fastbreaks and alley-oops has become confusion on the court and turnovers du jour. 

Gone are the days of the big man rotations with Kahn, Jackson, Arthur, and Aldrich. Gone is the guard play and talent of Rush, Chalmers, Collins, and Robinson. In their place, the “R” word, yes, rebuilding is upon us.

Bill Self has a knack for bringing players and meshing them into a well running team. Let’s hope he can work his magic yet again as every team in the Big 12 will want a piece of their championship. We can all be grateful the Big 12 is not the juggernaut that is the Big East this season. 

If the Jayhawks are going to compete for the Big 12 Championship again this year they will need to develop the guard play of Taylor, Little and Reed. 

Collins is going to have to learn how to be the leader of the team while allowing the players around him to develop.  He has a tendency to try and take the game over when things are going bad. Unfortunately, this makes things worse. 

The Morris twins are going to need to stay out of foul trouble and learn to play within the offense. 

If Taylor, Little, Reed and the Morris twins can mature on the court, Collins and Aldrich can learn each other and become a dynamic duo and if, finally, the Jayhawks as a whole can find an identity, than the Big 12 Championship is not out of the question. If not, hello N.I.T.

I’m David Dreyer, and that’s the way I see it