Can Kansas do it again? (NCAABB)

It was one of the greatest title games ever played . . . maybe the greatest.

With 2:12 left on the clock in the second half and down by nine, K.U. mounted one of the most improbable comebacks in championship history and with time ticking away Mario Chalmers drained a three-pointer to tie the game and force overtime.

If you’re a Kansas or Memphis fan you know the rest of the story all too well, but even the casual basketball fan knows the end to this story–Kansas rolled, Memphis choked and the Jayhawks captured their first title in 20 years.

Of course that was more than a year-and-a-half ago and college basketball is all about the here and now.

Which begs to the question: Can Kansas capture a second title in three years and hoist yet another banner in the rafters of Allen Field House?

Well, they do have a lot going for them this season in Lawrence.

They are returning two All-American players in senior point-guard Sherron Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich, who was predicted to go top-ten in last year’s NBA draft before announcing his decision to stay at Kansas.

Both Collins and Aldrich provide the Hawks with veteran leadership on the floor, but they both also know just what it takes and the hard work that goes into winning it all in April as they were both on the 2008 championship squad.

They have one of the top recruited freshman in the land starting for them in guard Xavier Henry and though the season is still in its infancy, Henry is already leaving his mark. Henry posterized a poor Pitt State Gorillas defender in the Hawks final exhibition game last week earning him SportsCenter’s top play. In his official debut in a Kansas jersey last Friday against Hofstra, Henry put up 27 points setting a new school record for a freshman debut.

(The most points scored in a debut in school history was set by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain who scored 52 in his debut as a sophomore . . . freshman weren’t allowed to start then.)

They also boast one of the top recruiting classes in the nation with Elijah Johnson and Thomas Robinson joining Henry and his brother, C.J. They have the twin towers in Marcus and Markieff Morris, who looked much improved from last season, and a bench that runs at least seven deep giving head coach Bill Self essentially two starting lineups to work with.

And they sit atop both the AP and Coaches Polls. But this may be more of a curse than a blessing.
Sure, UNC was the pre-season favorite last year and won it all, but as for Kansas, having the bulls-eye on their back all season hasn’t boded well; the only other time K.U. was ranked pre-season No. 1 was back in ‘04-’05 and they suffered a quick first round exit to Bucknell in the NCAA Tournament.

There have also been some indicators of a lack of discipline on this team that is necessary to win it all, i.e. Brady Morningstar’s DUI and an on-campus altercation involving both K.U. basketball and football players.

But all in all this team has all the makings of a champion and come April the Rock Chalk Chant should be resonating in Indianapolis.

–Aaron Whitebread, Red Editorial Staff