Kansas Basketball: How the Jayhawks reached the Final Four

Preseason expectations for Kansas

There are a number of ways that a coach can bring talent to their program. They can get high-profile recruits from high-school, grab them as transfers from another school, or develop them in four years.

More than anyone else, Bill Self has managed to do all three very successfully, which is why Kansas has been such a powerhouse program. To help replace Wooden Award winner Frank Mason, he went out and grabbed a few transfers that will have a huge impact for next season. Unfortunately, they couldn’t play this season, limiting the depth severely for them.

But those who were available to play were among the best, including Devonte’ Graham, who got the chance to play outside of Mason’s shadow and facilitate the offense on his own. We also got a chance to see Udoka Azubuike, whose freshman year was cut short with an injury.

One transfer who was eligible to play was Malik Newman, who came from Mississippi State after one season. He had some moments with the Bulldogs but was going to be relied upon for production with Kansas, considering the bench.

The Jayhawks were once again picked to win the Big 12, but the question was which team would be their biggest contender for the title. Little did they know, the non-conference showed that all of them were gunning for Kansas, making it a fun title race.