Kansas basketball: Strong defense a key to success next season
Last season, Kansas basketball was one of the best defensive teams in the nation, and they’ll need to be again during the 2020-21 season.
The Jayhawks were one of the best teams in the country last season heading into March Madness. It’ll forever be labeled as a “what if” year, but one positive takeaway is that Kansas basketball can build off of it for the 2020-21 campaign.
The Jayhawks had one of the strongest defenses in the country according to multiple analytics sites including KenPom, where they were No. 2 overall. Their defense, in particular, should follow them into next season despite losing team steals leader Devon Dotson and NABC Defensive Player of the Year Udoka Azubuike.
Despite the losses, Kansas still has Marcus Garrett, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. It’s hard to overstate Garrett’s value to Kansas, considering he can completely change games and lock up opposing stars.
He should be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12 on both ends of the floor during his senior season, especially if he can develop an even stronger offensive game.
Juniors Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack should be able to make waves as well. McCormack in particular showed flashes last season after playing behind Azubuike, so it’ll be interesting to see how great he is now that he’ll be getting more minutes.
Incoming freshmen Tyon Grant-Foster and Bryce Thompson can contribute on both ends of the floor too. Both have great size at their positions, so both should be able to create matchup problems for their opponents. Other contributors like Christian Braun and Tristan Enaruna are solid too, and it’s hard to find much fault with the Jayhawks on the defensive end.
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Without a doubt, Kansas basketball has a chance to be one of the best teams in the country next season despite losing Azubuike and Dotson. While the source of their offensive production might be a bit fuzzy right now, Kansas’ defense should not be in question next season.