Kansas Jayhawks: non-conference schedule for 2017-18 maybe weak but could help the team

Jan 3, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talks with guard Devonte' Graham (4) in a timeout during the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talks with guard Devonte' Graham (4) in a timeout during the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kansas under Bill Self has regularly put up a non-conference SOS that thoroughly tests the team. However, this year the Jayhawks will have a relatively easier time during the non-conference leg of the season. The upcoming season’s non-conference schedule has the Jayhawks playing plenty of weak teams, mostly on the home court, although Bill Self thinks differently:

"Once again, I think we’ve put together a very competitive nonconference schedule."

But is it really “a disappointing step down” as Matt Norlander writes for CBS Sports? No doubt it is an aberration to the norm Kansas has established. However, it may not be such a bad thing after all.

It will allow Bill Self to test his new team and find the best rotations. There are plenty of questions to be answered before the always tough Big 12 conference begins. How effective will be Billy

Preston along side Udoka Azubuike? How much has Mitch Lightfoot improved? Can Svi Mykhailiuk and Lagerald Vick provide consistently good performances?

We must not forget that the overall SOS will be strengthened due to the Jayhawks’ Big 12 conference match-ups. One can argue that a tough non-conference SOS along with the Big 12 schedule may jade any team by the time we hit March Madness.

Now, a top tier basketball program should ideally not take it easy during the non-conference part of the season. It reduces the relevance of the those games in the larger scheme of things.

Conversely, if a team could benefit from it, it may be a legitimate reason to schedule relatively weaker teams to play you. Especially if the team is Kansas Jayhawks who have certainly earned it, after so many years of tough non-conference schedules.

Previous years’ non-conference schedule ranks –  a comparison of Kansas and NCAA winners

Look at the non conference SOS rank of recent winners of NCAA championship and Kansas as per kenpom.com below:

Year                Winner                   Winner nc-SOS rank         Kansas nc-SOS rank

2011-12       Kentucky               77                                          9

2012-13       Louisville               37                                          7

2013-14       Connecticut          55                                          2

2014-15       Duke                       41                                          2

2015-16       Villanova               32                                          18

2016-17       North Carolina     53                                          80

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Clearly, a weak non-conference schedule does not adversely affect the winners of the last few NCAA basketball championships. Jayhawk fans surely want the 14th straight conference title, but another NCAA title would be nice too.

So, if Bill Self believes that the non-conference schedule of 2017-18 basketball season is most suitable to ensure success at the NCAA tournament, maybe we should trust him on this. After all, he is one of the best coaches around!