KU Basketball: Going for 14 straight conference titles
By Chris Taylor
The Faces
Every one of these seasons has brought the same type of pressure. Not one of those kids wants to be a part of the team that ends this streak. The players and the Jayhawk faithful collectively hold their breath as they go into one more season. This season is for all the marbles, however, to stand all alone at the top.
The task won’t be easy for the Jayhawks as the lineup will look quite different than it did last season.
Frank Mason and Landen Lucas both graduated, Josh Jackson was a Lottery pick, and Carlton Bragg Jr. transferred to Arizona State.
Incoming transfers include small forwards K.J. Lawson and his brother, Dedrick from Memphis. Both should see playing time this season at some point.
This year’s freshmen to fall in love with are 6’10” forward Billy Preston and 6’5″ guard Marcus Garrett.
These additions combined with Devonte’ Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk, Udoka Azubuike, LeGerald Vick and the long-awaited debut of Malik Newman give hope to yet another dominant season. However, this season is filled with unknowns.
Devonte’ Graham will no longer have Frank Mason in the backcourt, so many wonder if Graham can have a similar season to Mason when it comes to being the heart and soul of this team.
Malik Newman is probably the most anticipated player in which fans should be interested. Many would venture to say he is the Jayhawks x-factor. At this point, he is the biggest unknown coming into the season.
Newman has the potential to bring Allen Fieldhouse down this year. His outside shot will gain the interest from NBA scouts and his ball handling skills will, well, he’s going to break some ankles this season.
Don’t be surprised if Newman not only gets the Big 12 Newcomer of the year award but also is in the running for league MVP.
If the Jayhawks were missing anything last season, it was the presence of Udoka Azubuike. If the big man can stay healthy, he could open up the scoring from outside. Former Jayhawk Darnell Jackson mentioned on KUSports.com that he will be a “real problem in the paint” after playing against him in a scrimmage this summer.