KU GAMEDAY

Kansas won’t be able to hide its flaws. Not anymore. Not during its next two games in the CBE Classic. Against UMKC and Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas possessed a noticeable advantage in talent. That’s not going to be the case against Washington and Florida or Syracuse. If the Jayhawks don’t play near their potential, they will lose. Kansas coach Bill Self even said it. Self also said, however, that the CBE Classic in the Sprint Center will serve as a way to figure out exactly what level his team is playing at this early in the season.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Freshman forward Marcus Morris

Quintrell Thomas started the first game of the season after playing better than the other freshmen big men in the exhibition games. Markieff Morris recorded 15 rebounds in the first game of the season and got the nod at power forward for game two. In the game against Florida Gulf Coast, Marcus played better than Markieff and Thomas with 10 rebounds. That should lead you to believe he will start against Washington. He’s also probably the most talented of the freshmen big men.

QUESTION MARK

Can Sherron Collins keep the Jayhawks focused on the court?

Collins’ teammates look up to him. And by all accounts, he’s done a terrific job directing them on the court in the first two games. Collins will face his toughest task as a leader, however, against Washington if: a) the Jayhawks get off to a big lead to start the game or b) the Jayhawks get off to a slow start and fall behind by more than 10 points. Collins will need to keep Kansas concentrated in either of those situations.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

“This is perfect for us. It’s probably perfect for Washington, Florida and Syracuse too. It’s a good way to find out where we’re at.”

— Kansas coach Bill Self on the CBE Classic

“This is why I came here. I knew we were going to play against good competition. I’m ready.”

— Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor on the CBE Classic

THE SPRINT CENTER WILL ROCK IF……

Cole Aldrich outplays Washington’s Jon Brockman. In accolades and statistics, Brockman has Aldrich beat in the battle of big men. Brockman is averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game as opposed to Aldrich’s 13 points and six rebounds. Brockman is an All-American candidate. Aldrich didn’t even make the first team of the Big 12 Conference. But if Aldrich slows down Brockman, he’ll start to get more attention.

PHOG ALLEN WILL ROLL OVER IN HIS GRAVE IF….

Jon Brockman rolls over Cole Aldrich. Let’s keep it simple. Aldrich is four inches taller than the 6-foot-7 Brockman, which should give the Jayhawk the rebounding advantage. Except Brockman, a senior, is one of the nation’s elite at positioning himself under the basket for rebounds. The matchup could get physical early as the two try to box each other out. This is where all of Aldrich’s weight-training in the summer could pay off.

Projected Starting Lineup

Sherron Collins, 5-foot-11 junior guard

Washington uses three point guards equally throughout the game. It shouldn’t matter. Collins is better than all of them.

★★★★★

Tyshawn Taylor, 6-foot-2 freshman guard

One of the last times Taylor played in Kansas City, he scored 47 points in a ProAm game. If he scored one-third of that against Washington, it would be huge.

★★★✩✩

Brady Morningstar, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard

Morningstar recorded six assists and no turnovers in the game against Florida Gulf Coast. He also played defense well enough to be used on an instructional video.

★★★✩✩

Markieff Morris, 6-foot-9 freshman forward

Markieff’s encore to his 15-rebound performance in his first game wasn’t anything special. He didn’t do anything wrong, though.

★★★✩✩

Cole Aldrich, 6-foot-11 sophomore center

If Aldrich swats a few shots or dunks a few balls early, he could give Kansas immediate momentum. He says he needs to play smarter to avoid foul trouble.

★★★★✩

SIXTH MAN

Marcus Morris, 6-foot-8 freshman

Morris pulled down 10 rebounds against Florida Gulf Coast, but shot only 2-for-8 from the field. He needs to be more patient and focus on getting points on put backs.

★★✩✩✩

WASHINGTON GAMEDAY

Boy, 2006 sure seems like a long time ago. Brandon Roy and Washington led No. 1 seed Connecticut in the Sweet 16 that year for nearly the whole game before blowing it at the end. That loss came a year after the Huskies earned a No. 1 seed and another Sweet 16 berth. Since then, Washington hasn’t been nearly as fortunate. Roy graduated, Spencer Hawes left early and Martell Webster never arrived on campus. Despite those losses, coach Lorenzo Romar has fielded a talented team that just can’t win against top competition. This is the last year for Justin Dentmon and Jon Brockman to bring Washington back, and a season-opening loss to Portland wasn’t a good start.

Senior forward Jon Brockman

Brockman is the best player for any of the four schools at the CBE Classic. ESPN analyst called him the nation’s best rebounder, and so far he’s averaging 11.3 rebounds per game to go along with 20.3 points. If Washington were located on the East Coast and got a few more victories, he’d be as good a candidate as anyone to win National Player of the Year.

Do the Huskies have enough depth and size?

The biggest problem for Washington the last two years hasn’t been talent at the top. The Huskies have had a starting lineup with Pondexter, Dentmon and Brockman, a big three that rivals the top teams in the Pac-10. Isaiah Thomas has shown promise so far this season, but after that, the Huskies struggle, notably on the inside. It already doesn’t help that Brockman and Gant are both undersized for their roles, but the players replacing them aren’t any bigger. Outside of raw seven-footer Joe Wolfinger, no one taller than 6-foot-8 gets consistent playing time.

“They believe that they can win because they’ve won. They’re system is their system. But when you lose a Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers (and) Brandon Rush all in the same year, you’re going to be a little bit of a different team.”

— Coach Lorenzo Romar, about Kansas to the Seattle Times

“When he comes into games, he comes in and stops the other team’s best player. Like coach says, if there’s a fire, you’re going to have to put the fire out. He comes in and puts the fire out.”

— Justin Dentmon to the Seattle Times about reserve Justin Holiday, who played 19 minutes in the Huskies’ victory against Florida International

Washington starters

Isaiah Thomas, 5-foot-8 freshman guard

So far he’s been backing up the famous name. Thomas leads the team in assists and scored 19 points in Washington’s most recent victory, a game against Florida International in which star Jon Brockman played poorly.

★★★★✩

Justin Dentmon, 5-foot-11 senior guard

Dentmon and Brockman are the two leaders. They played big roles for the Huskies as freshman when the team was getting national attention. Now as seniors, they are trying to get Washington back to prominence.

★★★★✩

Quincy Pondexter, 6-foot-6 junior forward

Pondexter’s scoring numbers are down, but he’s learned how to rebound. He’s turned into one of the best rebounding swingmen in the country, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game.

★★★★✩

Jon Brockman, 6-foot-7 senior forward

Washington might not make the NCAA Tournament or finish in the top half of the Pacific 10, but that shouldn’t keep Brockman from being regarded as one of the best post players in the country. He’s averaging a double-double and should become the Huskies’ all-time leading rebounder some time in the middle of the season.

★★★★★

Darnell Gant, 6-foot-8 freshman forward

Lorenzo Romar elected to redshirt Gant last year, hoping he could polish some of his skills. Early on, Gant has shown the athletic ability that made him a highly sought after recruit in high school, but he has yet to put everything together.

★★✩✩✩

Sixth Man

Venoy Overton, 5-foot-11 sophomore guard

In Washington’s season-opening loss to Portland, he was one of the most important players on the floor. Overton came off the bench to score nine points, grab five rebounds and hand out three assists.

★★★✩✩

PREDICTION: KANSAS 79, WASHINGTON 74