Kansas basketball is one of the preseason favorites to win the national championship for the 2018-19 season. Why are the Jayhawks so highly regarded?
For the last several years, Kansas basketball has been a sure thing atop the Big 12. Easily the best program in the conference over the course of the 21st century, head coach Bill Self consistently puts an amazing product on the court. More specifically, the Jayhawks have won (or at least tied for) the Big 12 regular-season title in each of the past 14 seasons. This is something that, despite the fact that Kansas has won only one national title during this stretch, separates the program from just about any other.
And, as we look forward to the 2018-19 campaign, there is no reason to believe that Kansas will not once again be one of the top teams in the nation. In fact, with an abundance of returning talent to go with several newcomers on the roster, it seems likely that the Jayhawks will at the very least be ranked in the preseason top-5 if not as the No. 1 overall team in the nation. While it is totally reasonable to expect that there will be hurdles for the team that is now without players like Devonte’ Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this upcoming season.
So, without further ado, here are five reasons why the Jayhawks should be on the short list as national title contenders for this year.