Funny how it can work this time of year, with March four days away. The evaluation process tends to shift toward the strength of the conference as much as the team itself.
In that regard, Kansas University’s 89-52 blowout of a rebuilding Iowa State team that somehow took the Jayhawks into overtime in Ames didn’t help its chances of moving toward a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. It likely called attention to just how weak the lower half of the Big 12 Conference is this season.
Kansas finished the Big 12 North portion of its schedule with a 10-0 record, the final eight victories coming by an average margin of 27 points. Yet, just one of those teams, Kansas State, has a shot at an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Furthermore, Kansas has played just two games against teams now in the Top 25 (Florida and Texas A&M).
Strength of schedule isn’t in KU’s favor, but the committee might want to consider a few other vantage points, such as:
¢ Kansas defeated Florida on a neutral court. Sherron Collins, who has developed into the Jayhawks’ most consistent performer, played seven minutes in that game, committed three fouls and did not register a point, rebound, assist or steal.
¢ With two freshmen and three sophomores in the lineup, Kansas is younger than most teams, so the reality that the Jayhawks are closing with so many blowouts has as much to do with them being on a speedier improvement curve than more experienced teams as it has to do with the frailty of their opponents.
Not to be overlooked in the overall improvement is how much better Julian Wright has become at playing with his back to the basket. Whereas he used to have a sort of panicked expression when he received the ball in the post and tended to treat the basketball as a hot potato, he now looks to score.
Wright knew he represented a hard guard for Wesley Johnson, and the only expression he showed was that of disappointment once when he didn’t get the ball passed to him. Great sign.
Wright shared a point of emphasis aimed at making him more aggressive in the post he hears daily in practice: “Give them something to guard. Put pressure on them.”
In the Ames game, Wright had seven turnovers. He turned it over once Saturday and played a super-efficient, all-around game.
¢ Regardless of the competition, it’s not normal to play the type of defense Kansas consistently plays. It has become a reflex for the players, rather than something they need to remind themselves to do. Years from now, when Dodie Dunson brags to his children that he was his team’s leading scorer in a game in Allen Fieldhouse, he won’t have to mention he scored eight points. KU pressures without surrendering soundness. Nine different Jayhawks had at least one steal. Mario Chalmers shut down Mike Taylor, and Wright did the same to Johnson.
If Kansas wins out, it could have three victories against Top-25 teams, adding Texas and Texas A&M (if both favorites get to the title game of the conference tourney) to the Florida victory. Winning those could get the attention of the seeding committee, provided the Jayhawks don’t trip up in Norman, Okla., on Monday night.
