Brady Morningstar's Moments with Kansas Jayhawks Will Be Minimal

Kansas didn't play particularly great against Memphis.  That contest was one of the most intense, physical games a Bill Self team has been a part of in a while.

However, as with all close games, there was still something good to be seen from the Jayhawks.

Last night, the Memphis Tigers, KU fans, and the a large portion entire nation just witnessed what is, almost without a doubt, the deepest and most versatile team in the nation in Kansas.

We all knew depth was one of Self's strengths this season, but it's becoming more and more evident that no one can pull as much talent off the bench, the steps, the stands, or where ever the heck else all these players are coming from as the Kansas head coach can.

Dick Vitale said he'd take Kansas's second five against any other second five in the country, but I disagree.

I'd take Bill Self's second five guys off the bench against 75 percent of the NCAA's starting fives.

Elijah Johnson, C.J. Henry (soon, we hope), Tyrel Reed, Thomas Robinson, and Markieff Morris?  What more needs to be said?

There is only one team in the nation on which Travis Releford and Mario Little take a red-shirt any season, and that's Kansas.

Sherron Collins is hurt?  Give Taylor the ball.  If he's not playing well, let C.J. Henry take over.  Until Henry comes back, Johnson can man the point.  When Johnson gets tired, Reed can bring the ball up the court.

Even Xavier Henry could play point-forward.

Speaking of forward, what happens when one of ours needs a breather?  Markieff Morris could cover center or power forward, and brother Marcus likes power or small forward. 

If Self wants to go small, the younger Henry is more than strong and athletic enough to man the post for a while and Thomas Robinson brings all sorts of energy to the power forward position but could certainly hold the fort at center against littler teams if needed.

Even Jeff Whithey has the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, learn from the best and maybe grab decent minutes in the season's second half.

I still have one question, though.

What will Bill Self do with Brady Morningstar?

There are legitimately five men already on the roster with better ball-handling abilities than Morningstar.  All five of those men plus Xavier Henry are more than capable of playing the shooting guard spot, especially because Self likes to keep two dribblers handy at all times.

Morningstar will likely have the most opportunity as a 3, but even then he could be buried deep.

If Withey is able to contribute immediately and Robinson continues to grow, Marcus Morris may find himself backing up Xavier more often.

Really, how many minutes Morningstar can scrap up nightly may depend more on Reed than anything, and I think the Burlington product brings plenty of advantages to the table.

First of all, Morningstar and Reed have similar size, but Reed brings very underrated athleticism to the table that matches up far better with the Big 12's elite swingmen than Morningstars.

Secondly, Morningstar may have a more consistent long ball, but Reed is much better at creating his own shot and needs far less room and time than Morningstar to toss up the trey.

Thirdly, one may argue that Morningstar has experience and maturity on his side, but Kansas's oldest junior begs to differ.  I don't call drinking and driving particularly mature, and Reed won't be particularly rusty when Morningstar finally becomes eligible again.

In fact, the only advantage the Free State guard has over Reed is his defense. 

Unfortunately for him, Reed is making some big strides in that department as well; he is finally learning to use all of his athleticism, and the reduced minutes he plays as opposed to last year has resulted in 110 percent effort when he's on the floor.  Effort is Coach Self's favorite component of defense, too.

Extra depth is great, and Morningstar will be more than welcomed back to the roster.  However, he's not going to have any minutes gift-wrapped for him. 

In fact, if he can't bring the same effort Reed brings (or a little more), as well as a little something extra to the table, the former starter may be reduced to nothing more than mop-up minutes for the nation's current number one team.

Morningstar is a program guy and will do what it takes to win, even if that means being the most devastating third-string Bill Self has ever had in practice.  You just have to wonder, though, how hard that could be on his psyche, and if maybe then he will truly regret the poor decision he made early on in the school year.

It's too early to tell, though, and we don't know how Morningstar will react to this situation just yet.

All we do know is that, right now, Morningstar and fellow junior Connor Teahan help make up a pretty impressive third team for the Jayhawks.

I'm not sure what that's worth, but it can't be a bad thing, can it?