It’s being billed as a rematch of the 2008 National Championship, but when Kansas and Memphis meet tonight for the first time since that game, two different teams will take the court.

A coaching change at Memphis, combined with graduations and players leaving for the NBA, means that November 2009 likely won’t resemble April 2008. In 2008, Kansas and Memphis were both top-ranked teams, but now, Kansas is the top-ranked team and Memphis, under first-year head coach Josh Pastner, is an unproven team in transition.

Senior guard Sherron Collins said he was surprised when he saw Memphis was the second game of the season. Despite the turnover the two teams have seen since 2008, Collins said he still sees this as a game of pride.

“It’s a totally different team, totally different coach,” he said. “I think just because we beat them back then, there’s still going to be a little bit of animosity.”

Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich are the only current Jayhawks who played on the national championship team. In that game, Collins played 34 minutes and scored 11 points with six assists. Aldrich played only four minutes without scoring.

Memphis seniors Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack were the only Tigers who played in the game. The two combined for six minutes.

“The pieces have totally changed,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “There’s very few of the same parts. There are some and certainly I know when our guys think of the elite programs in the country, Memphis is definitely one of them and always will be with us.”

Four players on this year’s roster for Kansas are linked with Memphis through the recruiting process. C.J. and Xavier Henry, as well as Marcus and Markieff Morris, all committed to Memphis at one point.

C.J. Henry attended Memphis last year, but did not play because of injuries. He battled another injury this year but practiced lightly the past couple of days and was cleared to play Monday, although Self said there was a good chance he might not play.

“It’s kind of ironic that I’m cleared to play coming back against Memphis seeing as that was the school I went to last year,” Henry said.

Xavier Henry said one of the main reasons he and his brother chose Memphis was former head coach John Calipari. When Calipari took the head coaching job at Kentucky in April, the Henrys reevaluated and headed to Kansas.

In spite of their past experiences with Memphis, both sets of brothers said they were still approaching this game like any other.

“I haven’t really thought about it too much,” Marcus Morris said. “I know those guys but I’d rather be here than anything. I feel like I have a closer bond to the guys I’m here with than over there.”

Kansas leads the series against Memphis 4-2. Memphis (1-0) defeated Jackson State 82-53 in its season opener.

Follow Corey Thibodeaux at twitter.com/c_thibodeaux.

— Edited by Nick Gerik