In his time as the Kansas basketball head coach, Bill Self has enjoyed tremendous success with multifaceted guards. These guards who can both score and facilitate are often referred to as combo guards, and Self likes to play these types together. Self might just have another pair in Leroy Blyden Jr. and Taylen Kinney.
A great combo guard can create shots for themselves and for others with equal aplomb. If a pair of combo guards are played at the same time, it doesn't matter who is bringing the ball up or who is on the wing.
Most recently, Self had Melvin Council Jr. and Darryn Peterson, though because of the latter's injury issues, they didn't realize their full potential when on the court at the same time.
This year, and maybe for a few years to come, Self has another pair of combo guards who might earn great success together. Freshman Kinney and sophomore transfer Blyden Jr. seem to fit into Self's preferred mold for his guards. They both appear to have the skill set to make their mark on the program.
3 sets of combo guards who were extremely successful at Kansas under Bill Self
Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins
These two guards teamed up for one of the most famous plays in Kansas basketball history. In the 2008 NCAA Championship game against Memphis, with KU down by three, Collins sprinted down the court in the waning seconds of regulation before getting the ball to Chalmers. The junior promptly hit a last-second three-pointer to send the game into overtime, where the Jayhawks won their third national title.
That play reflected the success these two guards had all season. That year, Collins averaged 9.3 points per game and 3.1 assists as a sophomore. Chalmers put up 12.8 points per outing and 4.3 assists as a junior.
The two played together the year before, too. Chalmers had 12.2 points and 3.3 assists, while Collins tallied 9.3 points and 2.9 assists. They did not get a chance to play a third season together because Chalmers declared for the NBA, where he had a successful nine-year career.
Collins stayed four years at Kansas and is tied for fourth on the all-time KU scoring list with 1,888 points. His 552 assists place him in the top 15 all-time for Kansas. He was also a Consensus First Team All-American as a senior.
Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson
Four seasons later, Self did it again. He paired two combo guards on another team that made it to the 2012 national title game, though they lost to Kentucky.
As a senior, Taylor averaged 16.6 points per game and 4.8 assists. Johnson was a junior that year and scored 10.2 points and dished out 3.5 assists.
These two played together the two years before, but Johnson didn't see a lot of playing time. He developed into a starter with Taylor as a junior, then took over as the main ball handler when Taylor graduated. In today's world, Johnson probably would have transferred after his freshman or sophomore season and wouldn't have gotten to play in a championship game.
Taylor would finish his illustrious KU career with the sixth-most assists in school history, though he now sits at ninth. He was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team as a senior.
Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham
While this duo did not make it to a title game (they lost both seasons, one game short of the Final Four), it is perhaps the greatest coaching accomplishment in Bill Self's career. Mason was initially slated to attend Towson for his college ball, and Graham to Appalachian State. Circumstances led them on a different path, bringing them both to Kansas.
During the 2015-2016 season, Mason averaged 12.9 points per game and 4.6 assists as a senior, while Graham put up 11.3 points and 3.7 assists. These numbers were good, but it didn't match what was to come.
In 2016-17, this duo exploded. Mason averaged 20.9 points and 5.2 assists. He would be an All-American and the National Player of the Year. Graham scored 13.4 points and had 4.1 assists. It was a powerful combo that was well decorated. The following year, after Mason moved on to the NBA, Graham was a Consensus First Team All-American himself.
Mason is eighth all-time in assists for the Jayhawks, and Graham is sixth. Mason is sixth all-time in scoring, and Graham is 11th. Both are all-time great guards for the Jayhawks.
For Self to find these two guards, both heading to mid-majors originally, and turning one into a National Player of the Year and both into All-Americans, is an incredible coaching feat. It probably will never be replicated in today's world.
If Bylden and Kinney can match any of the accomplishments of these three pairs of fantastic combo guards, it will be terrific for the Jayhawks. There is a chance that they could get three seasons playing together. If that happens, they might develop into one of the greatest combo guard duos in school history.
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