Jayhawks don't have a big star, but they might have something better — balance Jayhawks don't have a big star, but they might have something better — balance
Is it Brandon Rush, the junior who nearly went pro after last season? Sasha Kaun, the 6-foot-11 senior center? Ultra-quick guard Mario Chalmers? Oklahoma City's own Darnell Jackson?
It's a question even the most serious college basketball fan has struggled with this season. The answer is: None of the above. Darrell Arthur leads the Jayhawks in scoring with 13.8 points per game. Those others aren't far behind; Jackson averages 12.4 points, Chalmers 12.2, Rush 12.1, Kaun 7.5 and Sherron Collins 9.2.
The ultra-balanced Jayhawks, the No. 4 team in the country, are considered a serious contender to win this year's national championship. But can a team without a big scorer go the distance? Do you need a go-to guy if you can go to every guy instead?
Earlier this season Kansas coach Bill Self said it was a "problem” most coaches would love to have, but also voiced some concerns, telling the Kansas City Star "It could potentially be a problem if you look at it from a negative standpoint. At crunch time, with the (Chicago) Bulls, everybody knew who was getting the ball. Kobe and the Lakers. (Duncan) and the Spurs. Most of the great teams in the past, they had that one guy that can just go get them a shot.”
It hasn't hurt Kansas much so far, and Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton said he thinks the Jayhawks' balance will be more of an asset than a problem come tournament time.
"I think they can (win the national championship) because they've got so many different weapons, you can't key on one or two guys,” said Sutton, whose Cowboys are coming off a huge win in College Station to host Kansas today. "They're definitely explosive enough on offense to get by anybody.”
Recent history agrees.
Florida won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 with players whose numbers resemble the 2008 Jayhawks' numbers. In 2006 Joakim Noah was the Gators' leading scorer with 14.2 points, and all five starters averaged double-figure scoring. In 2007 point guard Taurean Green averaged 13.3 points, and all five starters were within three points of each other.
ESPN's Dick Vitale, silenced much of the season because of vocal cord surgery, wrote in his ESPN.com column in late January about the similarities between the Gators and the Jayhawks.
"They have phenomenal balance, and what does that remind you of? ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla recently mentioned it on a telecast: This Kansas team is reminiscent of Florida. I couldn't agree more. When you study this Jayhawk edition, look at the distribution of points. They have so many weapons capable of scoring and beating you.”
By looking at the national champions' season statistics, winning with balanced scoring appears to be a trend. Since 2000 every team that has taken home the title had at least four players in double figures.
But in the last 20 years, only four teams have won the national championship without a player who scored 16 points or more. In addition to Florida, Kentucky won in 1998 with its scoring leader averaging just 13.7 points and North Carolina won in 1993 with Eric Montross just below the mark at 15.8 points per game.
In the last 20 years nearly 60 percent of national championship teams had a 20-point scorer.
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It's a shame the Joke-al-homan does have the KU-OSU score after this historic game. GO SEAN - GO BYRAN - GO OBI - POKES ROCK! ! ! ! - Shame on the GAYlords - GO BACK to Memphis - it's where you belong.
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