Volume 126 Issue 25
kansan.com
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Pressure on program builds
Bill Self-coached team with talented players is always going to be good (and eventually, usually great). The last decade has shown us that. But the last three seasons have shown us that Self's magic can't overcome talent disparities, at least when comparing his Jayhawks to the best of the best, whether it be Kentucky two years ago or Louisville last season.
And like the last few seasons, the Jayhawks were going to enter this season without national title expectations. Self was going to work his magic, win 30 or so games, win the Big 12 Tournament, and earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. That's just what he does.
That was before May 14, however, when Andrew Wiggins decided to take his
Wiggins
talents to Allen Fieldhouse. The No.1 player in the 2013 recruiting class and one of the
best recruits of the last decade transformed a young, talented, needs-time-to-grow team into real contenders.
Finally.
With players like sophomore forward Perry Ellis and super-freshmen Wayne Selden and Joel Embiid, the Jayhawks might have been better than the past three seasons' teams anyway. But Wiggins' arrival puts real pressure on a program and fanbase that should always have—and welcome—real pressure. The last three teams didn't face that kind of pressure, at least not from the national media or realistic fans. The last two teams to be scrutinized all season, 2008 and 2010, were defined by their successes and failures in March, and this team will be no different.
Bill Self will never have a more highly-touted recruit with Wiggins, who will be in the NBA by next summer. Self may never have more raw talent on a team the rest of his career. And for a coach who has convinced me he could win the Big 12 with five students picked off Jayhawk Boulevard between classes, this team—like 2008 and 2010—will be remembered by everyone for its success or failure in March.
Embrace the pressure. Who wants to root for an underdog, anyway?
Edited by Madison Schultz
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