For many school basketball groups, a 17-8 file via mid-February with a No. 23 rating within the AP High 25 would represent a really advantageous season. However for Kansas, a projected 5-seed within the NCAA Event, it is a borderline catastrophe. The Jayhawks play Tuesday night time at BYU in a recreation that may ship the loser to sixth within the convention. They’ve misplaced three consecutive street video games — and 12 of the final 16 relationship again to final season. Final week, they fell out of the AP prime 10, snapping a streak of 55 straight weeks there. In December, the Jayhawks misplaced back-to-back non-conference video games for the primary time since 2017.Â
Total, the preseason No. 1 Jayhawks have misplaced 4 of their final eight video games within the Massive 12, which isn’t practically as sturdy because it had been in prior years, when Invoice Self dominated the convention. Contemplating my information of this system as a Kansas Metropolis resident and any person who covers school basketball recruiting and the switch portal, my editors teed me up with three burning inquiries to reply about Kansas’ season up to now.Â
1. What’s Kansas’ largest downside?Â
There’s a lot happening with Kansas proper now however in my estimation the most important problem that they’ve is that they only aren’t very dynamic offensively. Whereas Zeke Mayo has been a really nice addition out of the portal, they have not gotten the offensive pop they have been hoping from from both AJ Storr or Rylan Griffin. Hunter Dickinson can actually rating and is a significant concern for opposing defenses, however he wants extra shot makers and athleticism round him.Â
Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams have given a lot to this system, however neither is a potent scorer. Due to that they’re inconsistent offensively and the shortage of men who can go and create offense on their very own actually has them transferring in mud at instances.
2. How a lot are you shorting Kansas’ ceiling the following month?Â
As a lot as Kansas has struggled at instances, they nonetheless have potential to make a run and as a lot as they’ve proven a bent to play all the way down to their degree of competitors, they nonetheless have an upside. They’re among the many most skilled groups in school basketball and regardless of what the lunatic fringe may assume, Self continues to be one of many perfect that there’s in all of school basketball.Â
On a impartial flooring, Kansas beat Duke. They outplayed Houston earlier than a once-in-a-lifetime meltdown within the remaining seconds. The Jayhawks have not made it to the second weekend in both of the final two NCAA Tournaments and in the event that they wish to be multiple or two and they’ll want a intestine verify.
3. Kansas has a 5-star signee in Darryn Peterson who Self loves. How a lot would he assist?Â
Peterson is probably the most dynamic scorer in all of highschool basketball. What he does greatest is rating off of the dribble with effectivity and from all three ranges is strictly what Kansas is lacking probably the most.Â
Peterson has nice measurement, he performs with tempo and he is by no means rushed or lets any second get too massive for him. He is additionally an elite defender and whereas his scoring will get probably the most consideration, he is a terrific passer and this particular Kansas staff desperately wants any person else to lighten Dajuan Harris’ load as a main ball handler and playmaker. Waiting for subsequent season when Harris is gone, all indications are that Peterson goes to be given the ball from Day 1 and could have lots of freedom to make performs for himself and others giving Kansas a completely totally different look.Â
Invoice Self says five-star signee Darryn Peterson is greatest participant he is recruited at Kansas — is he proper?
Adam Finkelstein
Ideally, Kansas will discover one other ball handler within the portal to assist ease the transition for Peterson, however he is bought the expertise to deal with the function as a main ball handler and needs to be an improve.