Jayhawks look primed for deep tourney run
Throw out Kansas’ 86-56 thrashing of Texas on the road. It was an outlier game. But I agree with Ken Pomeroy that the Jayhawks are the top college team going into March Madness. Here’s why:
Toughness - Kansas has mature and tough players at every position. Frank Mason leads the charge at the point. Wayne Selden anchors the wing. Inside, Perry Ellis and Landen Lucas are physical players with Jamari Traylor coming off the bench. These guys fear nobody.
Experience - The Jayhawks start one senior, three juniors and one sophomore. This is the type of team that Bill Self thrives with in the NCAA Tournament. On Kansas’ national championship team in 2008, the Jayhawks started two seniors, one junior and a sophomore. Contrast that to the teams in which they’ve had high lottery picks and sputtered — like in 2014, when KU won just one game with Andrew Wiggins in the NCAA tourney — and it seems Self has the kind of club he loves heading into postseason play.
Depth - I think depth is typically overrated in college basketball, but for what it’s worth, Kansas has plenty of it. The frontcourt is loaded. Jamari Traylor comes off the bench and there’s also two McDonald’s All Americans - Cheick Diallo and Carlton Bragg - at Bill Self’s disposal playing a reserve role. Hunter Mickelson, a four-star recruit, is also available. On the wing, Brannen Green and Sviatoslav Mykhailuk are deadly threats from deep. There isn’t a bona fide backup point guard, but starting shooting guard Devonte Graham can slide over to the point. He has better than a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio.
Offense - Kansas is No. 7 in adjusted offense according to Ken Pomeroy. They can score in transition and in half-court sets, which might be where the Jayhawks are most dangerous. Perry Ellis is a go to scorer with four years of experience. And the Jayhawks have the ability to hurt opponents inside and outside with a balanced attack.
Ellis, Mason, Selden, Graham, Green and Bragg are all shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. Sviatoslav Mykhailuk is just under 40 percent but has come on of late as a serious deep threat. As a team Kansas is shooting 43 percent from three, second only to Michigan State who is at 43.3 percent.
As far as overall field goal percentage, Kansas is No. 8 nationally at 49.3 percent.
Defense - Kansas is No. 5 in adjusted defense according to Ken Pomeroy. Mason is a lockdown defender at the point of attack — he hounded Buddy Hield when Kansas and Oklahoma played this year — and the Jayhawks play exceptional team defense.
Coaching - Bill Self is a arguably the best coach in college basketball. He has had some early defeats in the NCAA tournament but has also won a championship and finished runner-up.
In line with Pomeroy, I like the complete nature of Michigan State and Virginia, who he has number two and three, but I love the completeness of No. 1-ranked squad Kansas.
http://247sports.com/Bolt/Jayhawks-l...y-run-44057683