2011-2012 Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Preview

Kansas Jayhawks - Big 12 Conference

2010-11: 35-5, 14-2

2010-11 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Bill Self (237-46 at Kansas, 441-151 overall)

Kansas has some reloading to do, but they will not drop as far as many think. There are a handful of very talented players who have been waiting for their opportunity to play major minutes. The opportunity has come. One of those players, Thomas Robinson, likely could have been a first round draft pick had he opted to leave school after his sophomore season. The 6-9, 237 pound forward averaged 7.6 points and 6.4 rebounds a year ago. That may not sound too impressive, but he only played in 14.6 minutes per game, usually off of the bench. The coaching staff will turn him into a dominate interior force and he will go a long way in replacing the production left behind by the Morris twins.

Who’s Out:

And the Morris twins had a ton of production. Together Marcus and Markieff averaged 30.8 points, 15.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. That is a lot of production to replace. And it gets worse. The third leading scorer behind the Morris’ is also gone. Tyrel Reed was the team’s most prolific outside shooter and somebody will need to fill that role. The other starting spot on the wing was split between Josh Selby and Brady Morningstar, both of whom are also gone. Even Mario Little was a key player off of the bench at times. But this is Kansas, they lose players and others are ready to step up.

Who’s In:

Despite all the loss of talent, Kansas does not need to throw a bunch of freshmen on the floor, although this group could do pretty well on their own. Ben McLemore, a 6-5 guard, is the best of the bunch, but he is a little raw and it will likely take some time before his potential is realized. Naadir Tharpe would be starting right away on most teams, but he will be a backup point guard for now. Christian Garrett and Merv Lindsay will provide some more depth on the wing and this is a team that could use some perimeter depth so they may be asked to contribute a few quality minutes here and there. The bigger issue is finding a partner for Robinson up front. Jamari Traylor is a high flying freshman who very well could earn the starting job by January, if not immediately. Justin Wesley is a walk-on transfer from Lamar who will provide some depth, but Traylor’s biggest competition for the starting job is Loyola Marymount transfer Kevin Young. A couple years back Young started at LMU and averaged 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. He may not put up numbers like that in the Big 12, but he is an experienced player who can hold down the fort until Traylor is ready for major minutes.

Final Projection:

The backcourt has a star and a few more that are ready to become stars. The frontcourt has a few more questions, but with Robinson leading the way, the unit should be fine. The newcomers will have to play a big role, but Coach Bill Self has brought in a nice mix of talent and experience. Jeff Withey, a 7-0 center, has spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career stuck on the bench, but he could even start living up to his potential and play a more significant role. However, the newcomers are talented enough that Withey’s role could be relegated to its usual mop-up duty. If that happens, it means the Kansas frontcourt is doing very good and the Jayhawks will make another deep NCAA Tournament run.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

• Tyshawn Taylor, Senior, Guard, 9.2 points per game

• Elijah Johnson, Junior, Guard, 3.4 points per game

• Travis Releford, Junior, Guard, 3.7 points per game

• Kevin Young, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

• Thomas Robinson, Junior, Forward, 7.6 points per game

By Joel Welser courtesy of www.CollegeSportsMadness.com
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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