Kansas’ Big 12 streak on line
Middle-of-pack Jayhawks show vulnerability
All of the greatest streaks eventually come to an end.
By the looks of the Big 12 this season, Kansas’ epic 13-season streak of consecutive conference regular-season titles could be in serious jeopardy.
That’s not just because the Jayhawks are vulnerable (they are). It has much more to do with how solid the league’s top-tier teams — No. 5 West Virginia, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 15 TCU, No. 18 Texas Tech — appear to be.
That and the Big 12 isn’t just top heavy. The conference is as deep as it’s been. Outside of Iowa State, no team is an easy out, and the Jayhawks usually struggle on the road against the Cyclones. Nine of 10 teams have NCAA tournament potential.
Coach Bill Self told USA TODAY before the start of the 2017-18 season that there’s always “subtle pressure” each season not to be the Kansas team that fails to extend the record streak. Well, after Tuesday night’s 85-73 home loss to Texas Tech, consider the pressure building. The Red Raiders didn’t have to beat the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on a buzzer-beater. They were the better team from tip to finish. If Kansas is going to contend again, it must get better. Fast.
Over the years, Self said, “My guys have done such a great job at raising the level when it mattered in January and February.” But what if there aren’t the resources to do that? Self finds himself with a guard-heavy roster and a depleted frontcourt, causing an array of issues and making this team very beatable.
Outside of 7-footer Udoka Azubuike, Kansas has no one bigger than 6-8. The top reserve big man is sophomore Mitch Lightfoot. Kansas football player James Sosinski was added to the roster to help the frontcourt bulk up. One of the missing pieces, of course, is five-star 6-10 freshman Billy Preston, who is being held out for an on-campus incident and waiting for the NCAA to declare him eligible. His return can help. But will it be enough? And in time to be the Big 12 force Kansas usually is?
The frontcourt issue has led to a heavy reliance on perimeter shooting and not enough attacking the rim — the Jayhawks are among the worst teams in the country in free throw percentage rate.
It also puts a serious strain on preseason All-American Devonte’ Graham. LaGerald Vick has been a pleasant surprise, Mississippi State transfer Malik Newman has transitioned nicely and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has taken a huge step forward as a senior. But none of that solves the dilemma that was heavily exploited in home losses to Texas Tech and Arizona State: Protecting the rim and defending at a gritty level Self ’s championship teams have been known for.
Entering the season Self had lost 10 times in his nearly 15-year tenure at Al- len Fieldhouse — now it’s 12. And the Jayhawks’ quest to surpass UCLA’s long-held record of 13 conference titles in a row will be a big challenge.
There certainly is time to get it going, but considering the strength of the Big 12, the loss to Texas Tech puts Kansas one step closer to hitting the panic button. The Red Raiders probably are a step behind the Big 12’s elite, West Virginia (13-game winning streak), Oklahoma (Trae Young looks like the player of the year) and TCU (the Horned Frogs narrowly lost to Oklahoma last weekend, their first loss).
Self told The Kansas City Star last week, “I don’t think we’ll be close to what we can be until February.” If that’s the case, how well Kansas survives January could determine its fate in the record books.