Kansas Basketball: Reasons to be thankful in 2018
By Mike Norris
Year in and year out Kansas has one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. That didn’t change this year, and in the end it will make for a better team come March.
It’s a bit cliche to say that a young team that is tested early will go through some growing pains, mature and then be better for it come March and hopefully April — but that doesn’t make it wrong. Also, strong schedules can look great on paper and fall flat once the season starts — and vice versa — but wherever KU’s schedule falls once the non-conference season is over, it’s clear they are going to be tested.
Sports Illustrated ranked the Jayhawks’ non-con schedule the hardest in the nation at the beginning of the season with notable games such as @ Kentucky, vs. Tennessee/Louisville* vs. Michigan State*, vs. Villanova, vs. Marquette*, @ Arizona State.
The Jayhawks already dispatched then number ten Michigan State 92-87 to open the season earlier this month, and of course are taking on Marquette tonight. Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star put the schedule into perspective following KU’s win over the Spartans.
Only two Power Five teams in the last 10 years have faced a tougher non-con than this year’s Jayhawks: https://t.co/4GnnhwVzHK
— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) November 10, 2018
Newell noted how KU’s opponent on November 10 — Vermont — was their second-easiest test of the year despite winning at least 20 games each of the past seven seasons and being picked to win the America East this year.
Self shared his thoughts in the article as well.
"“I don’t know that we’ve ever played a schedule like that,” he said, “where you’re looking at playing a non-conference schedule where every team is a postseason team.”"
Newell also cited Bart Torvik’s advanced stats site, which dates back to the 2007-08 season, and ranks each school’s non-conference foes. The Jayhawks are ranked first this year and only two teams have ever had harder schedules. If you’ve been following Kansas basketball since Self arrived, you might not be surprised to learn, as Newell points out, those two teams were also named Kansas.
Advanced metrics aside, the Jayhawks aren’t playing cupcakes, and they won’t in the talented Big 12 Conference either. Come March, when this team is in the NCAA Tournament for a record 30th consecutive time, nothing should scare the Jayhawks.
Well, except for maybe Zion Williamson, but let’s move on.