Our Bold Prediction No. 6 is a look at Kansas, the fourth No. 1 seed in our Preseason bracket.
Kansas
The Jayhawks may be the fourth No. 1 seed in our bracket, but they may have a better chance that some of the other four teams on this line to be a one seed when all is said and done. If Brandon Rush’s knee is OK – and all reports so far say that it is and that he should ready by early December – the Jayhawks will be favored to return to the Final Four and to contend for its first national title since 1988. Kansas is the clear favorite in the ridiculously weak Big XII, and therefore they should have no problem, barring injuries, getting through the regular season with four or fewer losses. Their OOC schedule is manageable (vs. Arizona, at USC, at BC) and they shouldn’t lose more than a couple games in conference. Aside from Rush, the Jayhawks are stacked at every position. Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins make up a dynamic backcourt. Super sophomore Darrell Arthur takes over as Kansas’ force inside, replacing the departed Julian Wright. He’ll have some help in the paint with the arrival of 6’11” freshman Cole Aldrich, who Bill Self loves. All told, the Jayhawks have as much depth as anyone in the country, they are tournament tested, and they have a star player looking to show NBA scouts that the knee that kept him out of last year’s draft is just fine. Sounds like a one seed to us. Don’t be surprised to see Kansas fans strolling the River Walk come March.
2 comments:
With Singletary returning, where in the field does Virginia fall??
We are still putting the finishing touches on our preseason bracket, but as of now we have Virginia as the top 8 seed. Singletary's return is obviously huge - he's a potential first team All-American and is the ACC's second best player and most its explosive perimeter threat. His supporting cast, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired. Virginia's frontcourt is very thin; they have height but not much scoring ability up front. Mamadi Diane is a solid wing player, but he's the Cavs have in terms of reliable second options. Singletary's presence alone makes Virginia a tournament team, but they likely won't finish any higher than fourth in the deep ACC. We have them as the fifth best team right now (a notch below Clemson), which puts them on the 8 line.
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