Kansas is on its way to defending its first NCAA basketball championship in 14 years. I'm going to posit that the 2022-23 edition of the Jayhawks is more talented than the championship team. Blasphemy but hear me out. The only thing missing from this year's supremely talented squad is senior leadership.
Gone are All American Ochai Agbaji, the enigmatic David McCormack, the surprising Christian Braun and the longest serving Jayhawk in history, Mitch Lightfoot. It's a lot of leadership and talent. But back are two key pieces to the Jayhawk roster, fourth year junior Jalen Wilson and junior Dajaun Harris.
The best player on the team is the best freshman that I've seen since Andrew Wiggins suited up for Kansas. Gradey Dick is the real deal. He's got something that Wiggins lacked, aggressiveness. Somehow Norm Roberts had forgotten that he had buried Dick on the bench. Once back in with five minutes to go Dick made a three, a back door flush and a twisty lay up and it was game over for Duke. Dick has the quickest, purest jump shot I've ever seen. And for a freshman he doesn't look completely lost on defense.
Harris leads a stalwart back court. His old man game would be complete if he ever committed to being a good three point shooter. The same can be said for his principal back up Bobby Pettiford. But both guards play hellacious defense and dole out assists like Mary Poppins spreading sunshine and cheer. Then there's Joseph Yeseufu. I said it last year and it's even more evident this year. He's a waste of a scholarship. He's taking minutes that should go to MJ Rice, another fabulous freshman who will have to fight for minutes.
Harris's running mate is a Texas Tech transfer who is the only senior on the squad. Kevin McCullar plays defense. He's the best defender since Marcus Garrett and he can do something that Garrett couldn't do, he can shoot. Even though he is one of two seniors, it's clear that Harris and Wilson will provide the leadership for this squad. The other senior, Michael Jankovich would actually be a better alternative for instant offense that Bill Self will look for out of Yesefu. He's a deadly shooter but isn't the defender that Yesefu is. Too bad.
The three guard rotation will be vital because the achilles heel of this year's squad is the four big men expected to take the black of David McCormack. K.J. Adams deserved more minutes than he got his freshman year. He's not tall but he's supremely physical who needs a little more polish to his interior game. He'll be backed up from two supreme freshmen who are both beasts in the making and both first rate shot blockers. Ernest Udeh and Zuby Ejiobor are physical specimens. Both are 6'9" and both top 240 pounds. Once they get some minutes under their belts, watch out.
That leaves sophomore big man Zach Clemens on the outside looking in. Clemens excels from the perimeter but seems to lack the desire to go inside. If he can stand to wait his turn odds are he'll be in an excellent position to take Wilson's spot on next year's squad. But my guts tell me he's going to think about transferring out. Speaker of transfers, one has to wonder if the now injured Kyle Cuffe will stick around. With a number of guards already committed for next year and McCullar the only senior guaranteed to be graduating it leaves a dwindling number of minutes.
And then there's Bill Self, serving out his four game suspension. The NCAA is so neutered and incapable of doing anything it's going to look really bad if they try to take serious action against the Jayhawks, for violations that occurred nearly a half dozen years ago that under the new NIL rules would likely be legal. Kansas is back for another deep NCAA run and possible trip to another Final 4.
