“Naismith 101” The Kansas Jayhawks: A scientific perspective.

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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