Another season, another banner for the Kansas Jayhawks who claimed at least a share of their 10th straight Big 12 Championship. KU does lose three starters but as always, Bill Self won’t be rebuilding this year, but rather reloading.
Kansas Jayhawks
Last Season: 1st, 14-4 in Big 12, 25-10 overall
Predicted Big 12 Finish: 1st
Projected Depth Chart
C: Cliff Alexander (Fr)/Hunter Mickelson (Jr)/Landen Lucas (So)
PF: Perry Ellis (Jr)/Jamari Traylor (Jr)
SF: Kelly Oubre (Fr)/Brannen Greene (So)/Sviatoslav Mykhailuk (Fr)
SG: Wayne Selden (So)/Connor Frankamp (So)
PG: Frank Mason (So) or Devonte’ Graham (Fr)
Gone: SF-Andrew Wiggins, C-Joel Emblid, C-Tarik Black, PF-Justin Wesley, PG-Naadir Tharpe, SG-Andrew White (transfer-Nebraska)
2014-2015 Outlook:
The Kansas Jayhawks will have one of the deepest frontcourts in the country thanks to the addition of a pair of top ten recruits in the 2014 class. Cliff Alexander possesses the ideal blend of athleticism and physicality to be a force inside for Kansas. He should be a terror down low and one of the most productive freshman in the country.
The other McDonald’s All-American heading to Lawrence is Kelly Oubre. The 6-7 lefty is insanely athletic and at his best slashing to the rim. That freshmen duo will be joined by Perry Ellis in the starting lineup. Ellis is a solid all-around player who is efficient on the offensive end and plays extremely hard.
The physical Jamari Traylor and seldom used big man Landen Lucas return to provide depth inside but the bench gets a boost now that Arkansas transfer Hunter Mickelson becomes eligible. The former top 100 recruit never found his niche with the Razorbacks but can stretch defenses with his outside shooting and is also a solid rim protector.
Little known Sviatoslav Mykhailuk is a huge x-factor for Kansas. The 17-year old Ukrainian holds a unique skill set for a 6-8 wing since he can shoot it from the outside and handles the ball well for his size. If he can handle the increased physicality of the college game, Mykhailuk could steal minutes from sharpshooting Brennan Greene on the wing.
An area of weakness for the Kansas Jayhawks the past two seasons has been the point guard position. With Naadir Tharpe leaving school early, Frank Mason and freshman Devonte’ Graham battle it out for the starting spot. Mason was a decent contributor his first year at KU while Graham was a late bloomer who shot up the rankings of the 2014 class. If I were a betting man, I would lay money on Graham being the starter sooner than later.
Bill Self received great news when Wayne Selden chose to return to Kansas after a rather underwhelming freshman year in which he battled nagging injuries. Selden’s a physical wing who needs to display more consistency this season. Long distance threat Connor Frankamp gives the Jayhawks another option at guard and someone who can quickly light it up from deep.
The Kansas Jayhawks are once again the team to beat in the Big 12 and should be a staple in the top ten rankings. Depending on quickly the four freshmen adapt to this level will determine whether KU can be a legit Final Four contender.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/18 vs. Kentucky (in Indianapolis)
11/27 vs. Rhode Island (Orlando Classic)
11/28 vs. Tennessee/Santa Clara (Orlando Classic)
11/30 vs. Michigan State/Rider/Marquette/Geogria Tech (Orlando Classic)
12/5 vs. Florida (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)
12/10 at Georgetown
12/13 vs. Utah (in Kansas City)
12/22 at Temple
1/4 vs. UNLV
OTHER BIG 12 PREVIEWS:
#2 TEXAS LONGHORNS
PAC-12 PREVIEWS:
#1 ARIZONA WILDCATS
#4 UCLA BRUINS
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.