Friday, November 21, 2008
Kansas’ first two opponents, UMKC and Florida Gulf Coast, had never reached the NCAA Tournament.
Washington, who the Jayhawks play Monday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, has participated in three of the last five NCAA Tournaments. Kansas will then face off Tuesday against either Florida or Syracuse, teams that have combined to win three of the last six NCAA championships.
The Jayhawks’ level of competition in the CBE Classic isn’t just increasing, it’s rapidly intensifying. They say they’re ready for it.
“I think it’s time,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We’ll have a better idea of where we’re at.”
Self stressed, however, that it’s going to take a handful of quality practices to prepare his young team for its upcoming challenges. All three teams in the CBE Classic present unique ones.
Senior forward Jon Brockman leads Washington by averaging nearly 27 points and 14 rebounds through his first two games. Syracuse presents a backcourt duo with junior Eric Devendorf and sophomore Jonny Flynn, who are known for their ability to both shoot and drive. Florida relies heavily on sophomore forward Nick Calathes, last year’s Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.
After Tuesday’s 85-45 victory against Florida Gulf Coast, Self said he hadn’t watched Washington play yet. Florida and Syracuse, however, already impressed him.
“I’ve seen Florida and Syracuse play on television so far,” Self said. “And we’re going to have to play better than we have thus far to have a successful trip if success is equated to us winning games.”
Self knows enough about Brockman to fear the Huskies as well. If Kansas has displayed one troubling trait in its first two games, it’s the big men’s propensity to get into foul trouble. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich has recorded two fouls within the first four minutes of both games. Although freshmen Marcus and Markieff Morris have only combined for seven fouls in the first two games, Self knows they are still prone to foul trouble. And he knows that could become an issue against Brockman.
“If our big guys foul guys when they throw it to the post now, how are they going to play when they jam it into Brockman every possession?” Self said. “We’ve got a lot of things to work on, a lot of things to improve on.”
The two tests in two days should help Kansas prepare for a daunting upcoming schedule. The Jayhawks play seven teams in their nonconference schedule this season that made the NCAA Tournament last season and the runner-up of the National Invitational Tournament, Massachusetts.
Some of the toughest matchups will be in December and January when Kansas plays Arizona, Tennessee and Michigan State.
Self even said the nonconference schedule was a little harder than he’d like. But the players aren’t deterred. They know the opposing teams aren’t only strong, but also are particularly looking forward to playing Kansas.
“We’re still the defending national champions from last year so we’ve got a bull’s eye on our back,” junior guard Sherron Collins said. “We’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”
Sophomore center Cole Aldrich feels the same way. For Aldrich, Monday’s matchup against another skilled big man in Brockman serves as his first significant test.
But he’s excited for it. He says it will be fun for Kansas.
“The competition is really going to be tough,” Aldrich said. “We’re going to have to bring it in practice the next few days.”
— — Edited by Brieun Scott
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