The Kansas Jayhawks got to finish their regular season with one of the most satisfying wins you can get, a 104-85 win over your archrival. In this case, said rival was the Kansas State Wildcats.
From nearly minute one, the Jayhawks were far and away the superior, and were able to end the season with a deserved sense of relief after having fallen victim to a 2-4 record over the last six games.
However, now the Jayhawks must set their sights on what many coaches — including Bill Self — call the “third season.”
From Thursday until potentially Saturday, KU will be vying for its 13th conference tournament title, and following that conquest, the Jayhawks will be faced with the tallest task in the sport, claiming a national title.
CBS Sports points out the biggest challenge that Kansas may face in March
While through most of the season, the Jayhawks dominated the paint, in recent weeks production has steadily dropped.
Let's look at the last seven games of the Jayhawks’ season. In the most recent four losses, Bill Self’s squad has struggled to keep big men from getting points inside. Against players listed at 6-foot-10 or above, KU has given up 100 points to the nine players eligible.
Now, of course, this is not all the fault of KU big man Flory Bidunga. As a matter of fact, Bidunga has shot up the ranks as one of the nation’s best big men and deservedly so. His 2.71 blocks per game sit second in the nation. However, Bidunga can’t be everywhere, and when teams can send two big men up against the sophomore, the Jayhawks lack the size outside of Bidunga to keep opposition quiet.
In Isaac Trotter’s article titled “Which teams do top NCAA Tournament contenders like Duke and Michigan not want to draw on Selection Sunday?” It became obvious that Self and Co. would be more than happy to avoid reigning national champions Florida at any point in the tournament.
“Buy Kansas on Selection Sunday if its draw includes some teams without elite big men,” quoted Trotter.
“Sell Kansas on Selection Sunday if its path includes teams with elite frontcourts. I'd be sprinting away from Kansas if it had to play Florida in the Sweet 16.”
The Gators may chomp through the Jayhawks
To emphasize the point, three of Florida’s top five scorers are listed at 6-foot-9 or above in Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu. The trio combines for approximately 43 points per game on average.
Obviously, not many teams lost the ability to host such high-scoring big men, but the problem remains: Kansas struggles against big men
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