I’m a graduate from The University of Kansas. A 2008 graduate to be precise. I’m also a college basketball fan. Being a Jayhawk, I’d like to think I’m a fairly knowledgable one. When I was a senior in 2008, my beloved Jayhawks beat Memphis in a game for the ages. I was there. I felt that. As a fan, I was a worn, torn, bloodied mess as my fellow Jayhawks and I rode a train through the dark, disastrous trails of March Madness. It was quite the ride…A fairly tale to say the least. It was the year we forgot about a man named Roy and understood that Danny wasn’t the only miracle maker.
We were National Champions.
That year I knew we had a tremendous team. Maybe the not the best, but we were tough. Loaded if you will. Such an odd feeling I had… When it was all said and done, we were holding up that trophy.
This year, in all honesty, I can say I feel that same strange feeling. That feeling inside that won’t let me open my mouth to rant and rave about how “MY” team is the nations best, and how “MY” team is going to tank it’s way through to an NCAA title. I could say it. I could say it everyday. I have reason to. But I don’t. I just sit back, with my lips sealed, because once again it’s believable that this years 2010 Jayhawks men’s basketball team CAN win it all.
I knew the 2008 team well. Here is a refresher of what we had.
| Season Averages | ||||||||||||||
| NAME | GM | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% | PPS |
| Brandon Rush | 38 | 29.7 | 13.3 | 5.1 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.2/1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | .435 | .779 | .419 | 1.22 |
| Mario Chalmers | 39 | 30.0 | 12.8 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 2.3/1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 2.5 | .516 | .746 | .468 | 1.57 |
| Darrell Arthur | 40 | 24.7 | 12.8 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1/2.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 3.0 | .543 | .702 | .167 | 1.29 |
| Darnell Jackson | 40 | 24.3 | 11.2 | 6.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1/1.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.3 | .626 | .691 | .333 | 1.64 |
| Sherron Collins | 34 | 23.8 | 9.3 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 1.5/1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 | .462 | .776 | .362 | 1.25 |
| Russell Robinson | 40 | 27.5 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 2/1 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | .424 | .779 | .318 | 1.47 |
| Sasha Kaun | 40 | 17.7 | 7.1 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1/2.7 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.4 | .619 | .541 | .000 | 1.61 |
| Cole Aldrich | 40 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1/4.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | .518 | .684 | .000 | 1.35 |
| Rodrick Stewart | 33 | 11.6 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.7/1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.9 | .493 | .607 | .313 | 1.30 |
| Conner Teahan | 21 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1/1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | .593 | 1.000 | .600 | 1.70 |
| Tyrel Reed | 23 | 6.3 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 5.3/1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | .514 | .000 | .458 | 1.34 |
| Jeremy Case | 30 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 4.7/1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | .378 | 1.000 | .379 | 1.04 |
| Brennan Bechard | 12 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .556 | .500 | .400 | 1.56 |
| Matt Kleinmann | 20 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2/1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .429 | .333 | .000 | 1.00 |
| Brad Witherspoon | 12 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1/1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.000 | .000 | 0.50 |
| Chase Buford | 13 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1/2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .111 | .000 | .000 | 0.22 |
| Team Averages | 40 | – | 80.5 | 38.7 | 18.0 | 13.2 | 1.4/1 | 8.9 | 5.9 | 17.7 | .508 | .702 | .397 | 1.39 |
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Here is what we have now. (As of 2/22/10)
| Season Averages | ||||||||||||||
| NAME | GM | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% | PPS |
| Sherron Collins | 27 | 32.5 | 15.0 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 2/1 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.5 | .422 | .854 | .368 | 1.27 |
| Xavier Henry | 27 | 27.0 | 13.6 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1/1.2 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.0 | .442 | .769 | .400 | 1.33 |
| Marcus Morris | 27 | 24.8 | 12.8 | 6.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1/1.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.4 | .568 | .690 | .348 | 1.52 |
| Cole Aldrich | 27 | 26.7 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1/1.4 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 2.6 | .558 | .697 | .000 | 1.58 |
| Tyshawn Taylor | 27 | 22.3 | 7.2 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 1.7/1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 2.1 | .459 | .701 | .350 | 1.34 |
| Markieff Morris | 27 | 16.0 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1/1.2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.6 | .561 | .574 | .563 | 1.54 |
| Brady Morningstar | 18 | 24.3 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 3.3/1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | .423 | .667 | .405 | 1.23 |
| Tyrel Reed | 27 | 15.0 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 2.9/1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.8 | .473 | .833 | .435 | 1.33 |
| C.J. Henry | 11 | 6.5 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 2/1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.1 | .609 | .500 | .550 | 1.74 |
| Thomas Robinson | 25 | 8.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1/2.7 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | .483 | .400 | .000 | 1.23 |
| Elijah Johnson | 19 | 7.7 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.9/1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.1 | .568 | .667 | .308 | 1.51 |
| Jeff Withey | 10 | 4.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.3 | – | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | .538 | .556 | .000 | 1.46 |
| Conner Teahan | 14 | 4.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.5/1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | .333 | .667 | .375 | 0.90 |
| Jordan Juenemann | 9 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.33 |
| Chase Buford | 11 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1/1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | .333 | .571 | .000 | 2.00 |
| Team Averages | 27 | – | 82.7 | 41.5 | 17.6 | 13.0 | 1.4/1 | 8.7 | 6.6 | 18.4 | .487 | .693 | .398 | 1.39 |
*Is the 2010 team, better than The 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS? Hmm.
*After studying the statistics, here is the “Tale of the Tape” from the two heavyweights. For each category selected, the “winner” receives 10 points.
2008 CHAMPS (37-3) 2010 (26-1) as of 2/22/10
PTS X 10
REB X 10
AST 10 (18.0) X (17.6)
TO X 10
STL 10 (8.9) X (8.7)
BLK X 10
FG% 10 (.508) X (.487)
FT% 10 (.702) X (.693)
3p% X 10
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40 (Underdog) 50 (Favorite)
Only time can tell…
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