Atlanta ? It remains to be seen whether Kansas will go undefeated again, or even win the Big 12 Conference, next men’s basketball season.
But the Jayhawks who lose 13 points a game from senior Jeff Boschee, two from Jeff Carey and perhaps 20 points a game from Drew Gooden, who is likely to head to the NBA return major contributors in seniors-to-be Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Both will let coach Roy Williams explore their NBA options, but ultimately figure to return.
Also coming back is a strong sophomore class of Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien, plus Michael Lee, who saw mop-up minutes his rookie season, and highly-touted point guard Jeff Hawkins, who red-shirted his first year of college.
Bryant Nash, who will be a junior, will get a chance to earn time in the regular rotation at small forward.
Signee Jeff Graves, a 6-foot-9 forward from Iowa Western CC, is expected to contribute right away, while Williams has said signee Moulaye Niang, a slender 6-9 forward from El Cajon, Calif., out of Senegal, may need some time to develop.
KU still is hoping to sign a player or two in recruiting with 6-5 shooting guard Devin Smith of Coffeyville CC emerging as a high priority. Andre Iguodala, 6-6 from Springfield, Ill., who signed with Arkansas but asked out of his letter-of-intent and now is considering KU, Arizona and Boston College, might have to sit out a year at his new destination for breaking his original letter of intent.
“I think so,” KU coach Williams said, asked if the future looks bright after a 33-4 season in which KU went unbeaten in the Big 12 and was atop the polls for a long time and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. “We went 23-10, 24-10 two years in a row. For us that was bad. A lot of other people will take it.
“We felt we were not as good as we wanted to be. Last year we made significant strides. This year we put our program back at the top level of college basketball. There are a lot of teams up there. We feel we’re up there, too.”
Gooden believes KU will be good, perhaps great, with or without him. He still has several weeks to announce whether he’s returning or bolting to the pros as he earlier said he “probably” would do.
As a projected lottery pick, it’d be a major upset if Gooden did return though he said Saturday it’d be a “tough decision.”
“We’ve got a lot of guys returning and hopefully get back to the Final Four next year and win it for coach,” Gooden said.
KU assistant Neil Dougherty, who is leaving for TCU he hasn’t announced his assistant coaches and Williams has yet to pick Dougherty’s replacement on his KU staff believes the returning players are a special group.
“I don’t want to predict, but certainly when this group of freshmen become sophomores and the juniors become seniors, they have a chance to come back and be a very good team again,” Dougherty said. “There’s good talent in our locker room and you need talent and people willing to work hard every day. These guys long ago decided they’d do whatever it takes to win and I’m sure they will do it again this offseason.”
Shooting guard Langford, who came on so strong at the end of the year, says he’ll relish a starting role next season. The way it looks now it could be Miles, Langford and Hinrich at the guards, with Collison and Simien manning the starting forward spots.
“I like my role on the team now. If I do get the opportunity to start, I’ll take advantage of it,” said Langford, who according to KU’s team doctor, has a strained left wrist no broken bones after slipping on a wet spot and falling on his wrist during KU’s 97-88 loss to Maryland Saturday.
“My minutes might increase. I need to continue to work on my defense. I’ve learned to adapt to the speed of the college game. Things have clicked to where I believe I can do it on a consistent basis,” Langford added.
The 6-9, 250-pound Simien plans on hitting the weight room, which could turn him into a version of the Incredible Hulk.
“I will not get to where I’m going to be in WWF wrestling,” Simien joked of the World Wrestling Federation, “but you can always get stronger. I am the kind of person who thinks you can always work on your strength. I am kind of a workaholic in that regard.”
The 6-6, 205-pound Nash, who has played minimal minutes, said: “I need to work on my handles and ability to take the ball to the basket,” he said of ballhandling and driving.
Shooting guard Lee plans on being a major contributor, if not next season, some day.
“I’ll work on my shot, try to perfect what I do best which is shooting and defending,” Lee said. “I’ll try to get in a lot better shape. I need to get in game shape.
“Next year I think we are going to be just as good, minus a few players,” Lee added. “We have to use what we’ve got. It’s been a good sign with Wayne, Keith and Aaron playing so well. They’ve stepped up and next year we’re going to be pretty well off.”
As far as the schedule, KU will open with one or two home games in the single-elimination Preseason NIT against yet-to-be determined foes. Two victories would mean a trip to New York for the semifinals and finals or consolation finals.
UCLA and Arizona will visit KU in an attractive home schedule. The Jayhawks will travel to Oregon and Tulsa and play Cal-Berkeley in the Newell Classic. Also KU will play UMKC in Kemper Arena and still has a couple open dates to fill on the home schedule against smaller conference or mid-major teams.
Atlanta ? It remains to be seen whether Kansas will go undefeated again, or even win the Big 12 Conference, next men’s basketball season.
But the Jayhawks who lose 13 points a game from senior Jeff Boschee, two from Jeff Carey and perhaps 20 points a game from Drew Gooden, who is likely to head to the NBA return major contributors in seniors-to-be Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Both will let coach Roy Williams explore their NBA options, but ultimately figure to return.
Also coming back is a strong sophomore class of Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien, plus Michael Lee, who saw mop-up minutes his rookie season, and highly-touted point guard Jeff Hawkins, who red-shirted his first year of college.
Bryant Nash, who will be a junior, will get a chance to earn time in the regular rotation at small forward.
Signee Jeff Graves, a 6-foot-9 forward from Iowa Western CC, is expected to contribute right away, while Williams has said signee Moulaye Niang, a slender 6-9 forward from El Cajon, Calif., out of Senegal, may need some time to develop.
KU still is hoping to sign a player or two in recruiting with 6-5 shooting guard Devin Smith of Coffeyville CC emerging as a high priority. Andre Iguodala, 6-6 from Springfield, Ill., who signed with Arkansas but asked out of his letter-of-intent and now is considering KU, Arizona and Boston College, might have to sit out a year at his new destination for breaking his original letter of intent.
“I think so,” KU coach Williams said, asked if the future looks bright after a 33-4 season in which KU went unbeaten in the Big 12 and was atop the polls for a long time and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. “We went 23-10, 24-10 two years in a row. For us that was bad. A lot of other people will take it.
“We felt we were not as good as we wanted to be. Last year we made significant strides. This year we put our program back at the top level of college basketball. There are a lot of teams up there. We feel we’re up there, too.”
Gooden believes KU will be good, perhaps great, with or without him. He still has several weeks to announce whether he’s returning or bolting to the pros as he earlier said he “probably” would do.
As a projected lottery pick, it’d be a major upset if Gooden did return though he said Saturday it’d be a “tough decision.”
“We’ve got a lot of guys returning and hopefully get back to the Final Four next year and win it for coach,” Gooden said.
KU assistant Neil Dougherty, who is leaving for TCU he hasn’t announced his assistant coaches and Williams has yet to pick Dougherty’s replacement on his KU staff believes the returning players are a special group.
“I don’t want to predict, but certainly when this group of freshmen become sophomores and the juniors become seniors, they have a chance to come back and be a very good team again,” Dougherty said. “There’s good talent in our locker room and you need talent and people willing to work hard every day. These guys long ago decided they’d do whatever it takes to win and I’m sure they will do it again this offseason.”
Shooting guard Langford, who came on so strong at the end of the year, says he’ll relish a starting role next season. The way it looks now it could be Miles, Langford and Hinrich at the guards, with Collison and Simien manning the starting forward spots.
“I like my role on the team now. If I do get the opportunity to start, I’ll take advantage of it,” said Langford, who according to KU’s team doctor, has a strained left wrist no broken bones after slipping on a wet spot and falling on his wrist during KU’s 97-88 loss to Maryland Saturday.
“My minutes might increase. I need to continue to work on my defense. I’ve learned to adapt to the speed of the college game. Things have clicked to where I believe I can do it on a consistent basis,” Langford added.
The 6-9, 250-pound Simien plans on hitting the weight room, which could turn him into a version of the Incredible Hulk.
“I will not get to where I’m going to be in WWF wrestling,” Simien joked of the World Wrestling Federation, “but you can always get stronger. I am the kind of person who thinks you can always work on your strength. I am kind of a workaholic in that regard.”
The 6-6, 205-pound Nash, who has played minimal minutes, said: “I need to work on my handles and ability to take the ball to the basket,” he said of ballhandling and driving.
Shooting guard Lee plans on being a major contributor, if not next season, some day.
“I’ll work on my shot, try to perfect what I do best which is shooting and defending,” Lee said. “I’ll try to get in a lot better shape. I need to get in game shape.
“Next year I think we are going to be just as good, minus a few players,” Lee added. “We have to use what we’ve got. It’s been a good sign with Wayne, Keith and Aaron playing so well. They’ve stepped up and next year we’re going to be pretty well off.”
As far as the schedule, KU will open with one or two home games in the single-elimination Preseason NIT against yet-to-be determined foes. Two victories would mean a trip to New York for the semifinals and finals or consolation finals.
UCLA and Arizona will visit KU in an attractive home schedule. The Jayhawks will travel to Oregon and Tulsa and play Cal-Berkeley in the Newell Classic. Also KU will play UMKC in Kemper Arena and still has a couple open dates to fill on the home schedule against smaller conference or mid-major teams.
Atlanta ? It remains to be seen whether Kansas will go undefeated again, or even win the Big 12 Conference, next men’s basketball season.
But the Jayhawks who lose 13 points a game from senior Jeff Boschee, two from Jeff Carey and perhaps 20 points a game from Drew Gooden, who is likely to head to the NBA return major contributors in seniors-to-be Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Both will let coach Roy Williams explore their NBA options, but ultimately figure to return.
Also coming back is a strong sophomore class of Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien, plus Michael Lee, who saw mop-up minutes his rookie season, and highly-touted point guard Jeff Hawkins, who red-shirted his first year of college.
Bryant Nash, who will be a junior, will get a chance to earn time in the regular rotation at small forward.
Signee Jeff Graves, a 6-foot-9 forward from Iowa Western CC, is expected to contribute right away, while Williams has said signee Moulaye Niang, a slender 6-9 forward from El Cajon, Calif., out of Senegal, may need some time to develop.
KU still is hoping to sign a player or two in recruiting with 6-5 shooting guard Devin Smith of Coffeyville CC emerging as a high priority. Andre Iguodala, 6-6 from Springfield, Ill., who signed with Arkansas but asked out of his letter-of-intent and now is considering KU, Arizona and Boston College, might have to sit out a year at his new destination for breaking his original letter of intent.
“I think so,” KU coach Williams said, asked if the future looks bright after a 33-4 season in which KU went unbeaten in the Big 12 and was atop the polls for a long time and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. “We went 23-10, 24-10 two years in a row. For us that was bad. A lot of other people will take it.
“We felt we were not as good as we wanted to be. Last year we made significant strides. This year we put our program back at the top level of college basketball. There are a lot of teams up there. We feel we’re up there, too.”
Gooden believes KU will be good, perhaps great, with or without him. He still has several weeks to announce whether he’s returning or bolting to the pros as he earlier said he “probably” would do.
As a projected lottery pick, it’d be a major upset if Gooden did return though he said Saturday it’d be a “tough decision.”
“We’ve got a lot of guys returning and hopefully get back to the Final Four next year and win it for coach,” Gooden said.
KU assistant Neil Dougherty, who is leaving for TCU he hasn’t announced his assistant coaches and Williams has yet to pick Dougherty’s replacement on his KU staff believes the returning players are a special group.
“I don’t want to predict, but certainly when this group of freshmen become sophomores and the juniors become seniors, they have a chance to come back and be a very good team again,” Dougherty said. “There’s good talent in our locker room and you need talent and people willing to work hard every day. These guys long ago decided they’d do whatever it takes to win and I’m sure they will do it again this offseason.”
Shooting guard Langford, who came on so strong at the end of the year, says he’ll relish a starting role next season. The way it looks now it could be Miles, Langford and Hinrich at the guards, with Collison and Simien manning the starting forward spots.
“I like my role on the team now. If I do get the opportunity to start, I’ll take advantage of it,” said Langford, who according to KU’s team doctor, has a strained left wrist no broken bones after slipping on a wet spot and falling on his wrist during KU’s 97-88 loss to Maryland Saturday.
“My minutes might increase. I need to continue to work on my defense. I’ve learned to adapt to the speed of the college game. Things have clicked to where I believe I can do it on a consistent basis,” Langford added.
The 6-9, 250-pound Simien plans on hitting the weight room, which could turn him into a version of the Incredible Hulk.
“I will not get to where I’m going to be in WWF wrestling,” Simien joked of the World Wrestling Federation, “but you can always get stronger. I am the kind of person who thinks you can always work on your strength. I am kind of a workaholic in that regard.”
The 6-6, 205-pound Nash, who has played minimal minutes, said: “I need to work on my handles and ability to take the ball to the basket,” he said of ballhandling and driving.
Shooting guard Lee plans on being a major contributor, if not next season, some day.
“I’ll work on my shot, try to perfect what I do best which is shooting and defending,” Lee said. “I’ll try to get in a lot better shape. I need to get in game shape.
“Next year I think we are going to be just as good, minus a few players,” Lee added. “We have to use what we’ve got. It’s been a good sign with Wayne, Keith and Aaron playing so well. They’ve stepped up and next year we’re going to be pretty well off.”
As far as the schedule, KU will open with one or two home games in the single-elimination Preseason NIT against yet-to-be determined foes. Two victories would mean a trip to New York for the semifinals and finals or consolation finals.
UCLA and Arizona will visit KU in an attractive home schedule. The Jayhawks will travel to Oregon and Tulsa and play Cal-Berkeley in the Newell Classic. Also KU will play UMKC in Kemper Arena and still has a couple open dates to fill on the home schedule against smaller conference or mid-major teams.
Atlanta ? It remains to be seen whether Kansas will go undefeated again, or even win the Big 12 Conference, next men’s basketball season.
But the Jayhawks who lose 13 points a game from senior Jeff Boschee, two from Jeff Carey and perhaps 20 points a game from Drew Gooden, who is likely to head to the NBA return major contributors in seniors-to-be Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Both will let coach Roy Williams explore their NBA options, but ultimately figure to return.
Also coming back is a strong sophomore class of Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien, plus Michael Lee, who saw mop-up minutes his rookie season, and highly-touted point guard Jeff Hawkins, who red-shirted his first year of college.
Bryant Nash, who will be a junior, will get a chance to earn time in the regular rotation at small forward.
Signee Jeff Graves, a 6-foot-9 forward from Iowa Western CC, is expected to contribute right away, while Williams has said signee Moulaye Niang, a slender 6-9 forward from El Cajon, Calif., out of Senegal, may need some time to develop.
KU still is hoping to sign a player or two in recruiting with 6-5 shooting guard Devin Smith of Coffeyville CC emerging as a high priority. Andre Iguodala, 6-6 from Springfield, Ill., who signed with Arkansas but asked out of his letter-of-intent and now is considering KU, Arizona and Boston College, might have to sit out a year at his new destination for breaking his original letter of intent.
“I think so,” KU coach Williams said, asked if the future looks bright after a 33-4 season in which KU went unbeaten in the Big 12 and was atop the polls for a long time and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. “We went 23-10, 24-10 two years in a row. For us that was bad. A lot of other people will take it.
“We felt we were not as good as we wanted to be. Last year we made significant strides. This year we put our program back at the top level of college basketball. There are a lot of teams up there. We feel we’re up there, too.”
Gooden believes KU will be good, perhaps great, with or without him. He still has several weeks to announce whether he’s returning or bolting to the pros as he earlier said he “probably” would do.
As a projected lottery pick, it’d be a major upset if Gooden did return though he said Saturday it’d be a “tough decision.”
“We’ve got a lot of guys returning and hopefully get back to the Final Four next year and win it for coach,” Gooden said.
KU assistant Neil Dougherty, who is leaving for TCU he hasn’t announced his assistant coaches and Williams has yet to pick Dougherty’s replacement on his KU staff believes the returning players are a special group.
“I don’t want to predict, but certainly when this group of freshmen become sophomores and the juniors become seniors, they have a chance to come back and be a very good team again,” Dougherty said. “There’s good talent in our locker room and you need talent and people willing to work hard every day. These guys long ago decided they’d do whatever it takes to win and I’m sure they will do it again this offseason.”
Shooting guard Langford, who came on so strong at the end of the year, says he’ll relish a starting role next season. The way it looks now it could be Miles, Langford and Hinrich at the guards, with Collison and Simien manning the starting forward spots.
“I like my role on the team now. If I do get the opportunity to start, I’ll take advantage of it,” said Langford, who according to KU’s team doctor, has a strained left wrist no broken bones after slipping on a wet spot and falling on his wrist during KU’s 97-88 loss to Maryland Saturday.
“My minutes might increase. I need to continue to work on my defense. I’ve learned to adapt to the speed of the college game. Things have clicked to where I believe I can do it on a consistent basis,” Langford added.
The 6-9, 250-pound Simien plans on hitting the weight room, which could turn him into a version of the Incredible Hulk.
“I will not get to where I’m going to be in WWF wrestling,” Simien joked of the World Wrestling Federation, “but you can always get stronger. I am the kind of person who thinks you can always work on your strength. I am kind of a workaholic in that regard.”
The 6-6, 205-pound Nash, who has played minimal minutes, said: “I need to work on my handles and ability to take the ball to the basket,” he said of ballhandling and driving.
Shooting guard Lee plans on being a major contributor, if not next season, some day.
“I’ll work on my shot, try to perfect what I do best which is shooting and defending,” Lee said. “I’ll try to get in a lot better shape. I need to get in game shape.
“Next year I think we are going to be just as good, minus a few players,” Lee added. “We have to use what we’ve got. It’s been a good sign with Wayne, Keith and Aaron playing so well. They’ve stepped up and next year we’re going to be pretty well off.”
As far as the schedule, KU will open with one or two home games in the single-elimination Preseason NIT against yet-to-be determined foes. Two victories would mean a trip to New York for the semifinals and finals or consolation finals.
UCLA and Arizona will visit KU in an attractive home schedule. The Jayhawks will travel to Oregon and Tulsa and play Cal-Berkeley in the Newell Classic. Also KU will play UMKC in Kemper Arena and still has a couple open dates to fill on the home schedule against smaller conference or mid-major teams.
