Kansas Jayhawks
Big 12 (27-6, 16-2)
The expectations were relatively low by Kansas standards heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. The ineligibility of freshmen Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor did not help either. But Coach Bill Self quickly had his team ready to play. They knocked off Georgetown and Ohio State, among some other decent teams in non-conference play and were right there with Baylor and Missouri all the way through the Big 12 slate.
Big Wins: 11/21 vs Georgetown (67-63), 12/10 Ohio State (78-67), 2/8 at Baylor (68-54)
Bad Losses: 12/19 Davidson (74-80), 1/28 at Iowa State (64-72), 2/4 at Missouri (71-74)
Coach: Bill Self (9 seasons at Kansas)
Why They Can Surprise:
The biggest reason for the Jayhawks success this season has been due to the emergence of seven-foot center Jeff Withey. Kansas knew they had a fine frontcourt player in Thomas Robinson, but they needed Withey to step up and help shoulder the load. Withey has gone from a roleplayer to a menace in the paint on both ends of the floor. He is not a great scorer, but he is a big enough scoring threat in the paint to make the defense work. More importantly, Withey can help Robinson on the glass and block a ton of shots. Robinson is the big scorer. Anytime he does not get a double-double it is a rare occasion. Robinson, at 6-10, is a nightmare to guard for most opposing power forwards since he can attack the basket and step outside and knock down the mid-range jumper, or even the three-pointer with consistency. The other big scorer for KU is point guard Tyshawn Taylor. He is a very consistent outside shooter and that has really boosted his scoring output this season. In the past Taylor’s inconsistent shooting was a concern, but not anymore. It is also very nice to have a senior point guard in March and few can match Taylor’s ability.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Coach Self will usually run an eight man rotation. Forwards Kevin Young and Justin Wesley only average about ten minutes per contest and they are a big step down from Robinson and Withey. When Robinson or Withey run into foul trouble, Kansas will have to play small or stretch out minutes from Young and Wesley. Wings Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson do have nice size. Releford and backcourt sub Conner Teahan are both 6-6 and can spend some time at the four spot against certain competition. That is not an ideal situation though and the Kansas frontcourt must stay out of foul trouble when the going gets tough as the tournament progresses. Turnovers have also been an occasional problem for Kansas. Taylor is a smart senior, but he does turn the ball over quite a bit, as does the rest of the team. The Jayhawks can usually overcome the turnovers with their strong rebounding and suffocating defense, but if Withey or Robinson are off the floor, that rebounding and defensive advantage goes with them.
Probable Starters:
Tyshawn Taylor, Senior, Guard, 17.3 ppg, 4.8 apg
Elijah Johnson, Junior, Guard, 9.6 ppg, 3.8 apg
Travis Releford, Junior, Guard, 8.5 ppg, 1.9 apg
Thomas Robinson, Junior, Forward, 17.9 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 1.9 apg
Jeff Withey, Junior, Center, 9.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.3 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Conner Teahan, Senior, Guard, 5.9 ppg
Justin Wesley, Sophomore, Forward, 1.3 ppg
Kevin Young, Junior, Forward, 3.6 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.8 (36th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 61.2 (37, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.4 (15, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.2 (7, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.0 (180, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.4 (119, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.4 (156, 7)
Rebound Margin: 6.3 (20, 1)
Assists Per Game: 15.6 (21, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (154, 6)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Kansas 2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Boston U
Kansas 2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Illinois
Kansas 2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Richmond
Kansas 2011 NCAA Regional Final loss to VCU
Kansas 2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Lehigh
Kansas 2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Northern Iowa
Kansas 2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over North Dakota State
Kansas 2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Dayton
Kansas 2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Michigan State
Kansas 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Portland State
Kansas 2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over UNLV
Kansas 2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Villanova
Kansas 2008 NCAA Regional Final win over Davidson
Kansas 2008 NCAA National Semifinal win over North Carolina
Kansas 2008 NCAA National Final win over Memphis
Kansas 2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Niagara
Kansas 2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Kentucky
Kansas 2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Southern Illinois
Kansas 2007 NCAA Regional Final loss to UCLA
*all team stats through 3/4
