The Elitist Jerks' Sports Information Collective

Kansas players emerge from the locker room shortly before a routine practice.

The fighting Jayhawks will take to the court this season as the preseason number 1 and a heavy favorite to reach the Final Four next March in Indianapolis.  Writers, coaches and pundits are all touting Kansas as the odds-on team to beat.

So, who are we, here at EJSIC, to disagree?

Bill Self’s squad is gearing up for a special season in Lawrence.  Led by the BigXII preseason Co-Players of the Year, guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich,  the team will be ready to face all comers.  Sophomores Tyshawn “Thumbs” Taylor, Travis Releford and twins Markieff and Marcus Morris look to improve on their solid freshman campaigns and become the solid core of the rotation that fans and coaches wanted them to be last year.  Added to the mix this year, of course, are the talented freshmen Elijah Johnson, Thomas Robinson and Xavier “Don’t Call Me Zay-Vier” Henry.  Jeff Withey and Xavier’s brother, C.J., also look to contribute as redshrit freshman transfers.

The only major question that surrounds this team will be whether there are enough minutes to go around.  Self has not ruled out, but also not directly alluded to, a possible redshirt or two this season.  Either way, the team will be (rock) chock-full of talent, athleticism, size and depth.  However the active roster and starting line up play out, the Jayhawks and their fans have plenty to be excited about.

Kansas will move quickly through the early part of their non-conference schedule, facing and dismissing mid-major fodder like Hofstra, Tennessee Tech, Central Arkansas and Memphis.   These games will build confidence for the ‘Hawks and end abruptly when they get too cocky and drop an embarrassing game to either Alcorn State or Radford at home.  To regain focus as a cohesive unit, the team will attempt to knock over a liquor store together.

The second, and more difficult, part of the non-conference schedule sees the Jayhawks match up against UCLA, Cal and Michigan before a hostile road game in Knoxville where headbands and elbows will fly as they take on perennial powerhouse Tennessee.

Two or three arrests later and boys in crimson and blue will find themselves smack in the middle of conference play where they will be challenged by Texas and…well….let’s just say…Iowa State.  They will finish BigXII play with no more than 10 losses and roll through the conference tournament where they will lose in the Final to….Iowa State.

The dream season will culminate in the Jayhawks stomping through the first several rounds of the NCAA tournament, suffering only a single misdemeanor charge along the way.  They will pull into Lucas Oil Stadium to claim the school’s 14th trip to the Final Four.

After that, the future gets hazy.  Will they preempt the 20-year wait and claim their second title in 3 seasons?  Maybe.  Will they be down by 18 at halftime to a pesky Villanova team, only to claw their way back to a three-point deficit, collectively holding their breath as Collins clangs a 3-pointer off of the front of the rim at the buzzer?  Perhaps.  Will they rent a Uhaul, fill it with cases of vodka and try to make their way to Canada?  Who knows?

One thing is for sure, though, this team has shown that it can bounce back from any setback.  If anyone or anything tries to get in their way, they will not rest until they have punched through the obstacle.  Nothing is going to stop this team.  And nobody is going to put them in the corner.

Just ask the Kansas football team.

Tags: Bill Self, Final Four, Jayhawks, Kansas, Preview