You see, going into this year Allen has perhaps the greatest and most gifted athlete ever to put on sneakers leading the way in Lawrence and the expectations for this program to finally get to the summit (Mt. Everest or Mt. Rushmore) of college basketball are high.  I know that is quite a strange analogy for these flatlanders but that also shows you how far away this program has been from climbing these peaks even with all of their success.  No other so called ‘blue blood’ program has achieved so little when they have went dancing and no one especially Allen knows why?  In the past as much as the Jayhawks have dominated the Big 8 (and they have) they have always found a way to either peak too soon or overlook some team that plays the game of their careers against the mighty Jayhawks and upend their season.  Of course much of that had to do with some of the ancient rules before there were shot clocks and when big guys weren’t allowed to dunk but even with the changes this program is as snake bitten as it comes.  Even last year the Jayhawks got upset by lowly Iowa State in the Holiday Classic before getting upset once again in the Big Dance by Arizona in the 2nd round in a game people around will soon not forget.  As a matter of fact Allen has scheduled a rematch with the Wildcats for this year’s Holiday tournament that is of course if they beat Illinois and if Lute Olson’s team can beat Duke?    There is no doubt that the Jayhawks are going to be dancing when the winds of March hit; the only question is where and how high of a seed they will get? After all as dominant as Kansas is in the Big 8 this conference does only have 8 teams and though it’s reputation as one of the Big 5 conferences is intact is indeed ranked 5th on that elite list! With some burgeoning leagues moving up the totem pole rather quickly even the Jayhawks are scrambling to fill up their schedule with power teams to not only stay up with the Jones’s (and ACC’s, Big 10’s, SEC’s and PAC-10’s) but to stay ahead of the Big East and Conference USA’s as well.  There are, after all, only 4 # 1 seeds and to earn that prestigious moniker you better have one heck of a SOS to receive that. There are rumors that this league might dip down into Texas and bring in the hated Longhorns and some of their brethren to make this league a bit more attractive with those dreaded power rankings sabermetrics that the selection committee counts on to decide who gets seeded where and how high?  For now Allen has arguably the most elite out of conference schedule in the country hoping that will be enough in March! 

Three years ago when Phog Allen somehow convinced the 8th wonder of the world to leave Philadelphia after his record shattering high school career at Overbrook High School and come to tiny Lawrence the expectations were that the Jayhawks would win at least a few national titles.  That has not happened of course but from the moment he stepped on the court Wilt Chamberlain has been not only the man in the Big 8 but the biggest storyline and most popular drawing card the college ranks have ever seen.  Sadly, he was not allowed to play as a freshmen (the Big Dipper led his team to a win over a varsity team that eventually made the elite eight in the annual preseason game) and then came two terrific years where everything they said about the 7’1 275 pound man/child was true.  He averaged over 25 pts a game in both years and almost 15 boards a game as well which led the country and the Jayhawks rolled.  Until of course they hit the Big Dance.  The upset losses though did not dissuade Chamberlain for coming back for one more year but when rumors started to swirl the Kansas State Board of Education was going to make Allen retire due to the mandatory state employee retirement age of 70 (Phog turns 70 on November 18th) well Wilt was having none of it.  He pushed to be allowed to go professional but the pros pushed back so Wilt was ready to join his buddies Goose Tatum, Meadowlark Lemon and Marquis Haynes on the Harlem Globetrotters and see the world (and maybe meet a few young ladies along the way with different accents).  Cooler heads prevailed and Allen will be back for one more year in Lawrence.  And so will the Dipper.  And Kansas fans cannot be happier as there is definitely some unfinished business for the Stilt, Phog and crew.  And speaking of that crew will Phog be able to surround the marvelous one with enough talent to finally get to the Promised-Land of Indianapolis where this year’s final four is being held?  The Jayhawks do have one game just down the road in Bloomington in game 4 and the outcome of this one might just go a long way in determining if these corn fed (and cheese steak in some instances) kids are coming back to Indiana in early April! 

Just how good is Chamberlain?  Well he was screwing around last spring and went out for the track team to kill time in between basketball and his other favorite past time and actually high jumped over 7 feet to win the Big 8 title.  Yes, a seven foot man high jumped seven feet.  Imagine how far above the rim this man gets.  Yes, he might be the most physically gifted big man ever but he also has a natural feel for this game and though he scores in lump sums (HA) he is not a selfish player.  (can you hear the oohs and ahs now from the kinder gender)  Chamberlain is a great team player who can do anything on the court.  He has basically patented the finger role and has a great turnaround and when he gets the chance (when not double teamed) to dunk, he can throw it down with a ferocity you only see in slasher movies.  Chamberlain is not a monster and is not scary unless you get under his skin.  He usually plays with a calmness that one might consider aloof but he is anything but?  He is a tremendous defensive player who dominated the paint and though he may not be the shot blocking King as his great rival Bill Russell is he will most definitely send one right back at you if you dare to come near his hoop.  He is always under control and hardly ever fouls (he has never fouled out) and barely comes out of the game unless it is a blowout (which happens often in Allen).  He is also one of the best passing big men in the country and plays hard all of the time though he does not always look it with his Cadillac style.  The pundits always hammer the guy about not winning the big one.  I guess if you are the very epitome of what a man should be then you are going to have jealous people around you and I think anyone who is around the Big Dipper knows not only how magnificent of a physical specimen that he but that he is a great human being as well.  

 Chamberlain is not the issue in Lawrence.  And Allen has more than enough talent at his disposal.  The problem is fitting all of the pieces together in a unit that succinctly fills all of the roles of a basketball team.  Oh, and outside shooting.  The Jayhawks need some shooters to surround their big man that can hit some open threes and take away the double and triple teams.  Chamberlain will kick out the ball if the guys will hit the shots.  The Jayhawks might have the best front line in the game with Chamberlain at center and fellow senior Clyde Lovelette and sophomore Danny Manning at forward.  Lovellette is the perfect complement to Chamberlain.  A rugged player with the broadest shoulders in the world (Frankensteinesque one might say), Lovellette takes a lot pressure off Wilt.  He bangs inside and used his body to punish people.  He can also score inside and out as he has developed a nice little set shot from 18 feet knowing that he needed to do something to help the Stilt down low.  Lovellette is a winner straight up and will take what role he needs from starter to backup, which he did last year at times, to help the Jayhawks win.  He may have been overshadowed by Chamberlain but this big man is hugely popular in Kansas and though he might not get drafted # 1 overall (Chamberlain is a pretty good bet there) he is going to be helpful and hugely productive to whatever pro team that is smart enough to get him on their team next year.  But first things first!  Lovelette wants the ring and is he and his sidekick have anything to do with it then they will be chanting Rock Chalk long after the final buzzer in Indy in early April! 

The freshmen phenom from last year Manning is the complete player.  He can pass and score and plays solid defense.  He is willing to take a team on his shoulders if needs but likes to keep everyone involved and is best matriculating the ball down low from his high post position.  He is agile and quick enough to guard wings and strong enough to do the dirty work in the paint.  And when you play next to Chamberlain you better be ready for dirty work.  The problem here though is that all of these guys are 6’10 or above and though they do work well together it leaves them vulnerable to smaller, quicker teams especially in the day of trading easy twos for contested threes!  Arizona did not have anywhere this kind of talent up front but hit 18 threes on their way to upsetting the Jayhawks last year and in the much anticipated matchup of freshmen small forwards the Wildcats Sean Elliott used his quickness to gain the advantage over Dan the Man. This happens too often to Manning to be honest is better suited as a power forward but he is too talented to not utilize and with the two seniors set in the lineup.  Allen had to put him somewhere.  And for the most part it works.  Usually the Jayhawks destroy teams with their inside strength but if a team can even come close inside in the paint (and that does not happen often) and can press and run and of course hit threes you have a shot against these studs! 

The Jayhawks have depth up font with players like seniors Bill Bridges, Wayne Hightower and Charles T. Black.  Bridges at only 6’6 is a natural rebounder who loves to bang and can jump to the moon.  He does not score much but might be the best inch for inch board man in the country.  He is invaluable off the bench coming in and doing the dirty work and unlike Wilt is not immune to getting some fouls called against him.  Known for his huge hands ‘the Train’ also played a role as not exactly an enforcer but more of a protector of his teammates as the fans from Missouri will surely tell you after last year’s near riot in Columbia.  Hightower is more of an offense oriented big man who loves to score inside (no Wilt jokes here) and ironically followed up the Dipper at Overbrook High as well as coming west.  Black at 6’5 is a little bit small for this level and once Manning came to Lawrence this one time stud has seen his role diminish.  Ironically Charles B shares the same exact name as former legend Charles T who a few years back teamed with Paul Endacott to form quite arguably the greatest back court in college basketball history.  Allen was just starting out then but this duo put Kansas basketball and in reality college basketball on the national map.  Junior Dave Robisch was part of a group of Upperclassmen that got pushed aside on the front line as Allen planned for the future in Lawrence.  Players like Walt Wesley and BH Horn who have had solid careers in Lawrence had to step aside for the betterment of the program or so they were told.  No worries because if you are a Jayhawk and played at all in Lawrence you probably have a pretty bright future at the next level.  Of course it might not be at the pro level because around here AAU is king.  The Jayhawks are always trying to stay one step ahead and have the resources and sway to get the top High School players and coaches but there is a pecking order and players have to earn their way up.  The Jayhawks JV squad is obviously one of the best in the country (final four once again coached by Bill Self?) but Allen likes to get his young guys some time when he can to not only get their feet wet but to see what he has got for next year because one thing is for sure the JayHawks do not rebuild, they reload.  And if you are going to play in Lawrence you are going to earn it no matter how good you were in High School because they are all Mickey D’s kids here! 

The backcourt for Kansas may not have been as strong as the front court but they were still very gifted. The Jayhawks will never be able to replace the aforementioned Endacott and Black here but they have a couple of gamers ready to go.  Senior Jo Jo White was mentored by the great Endacott and is the go to guy in the backcourt now.  He will be relied upon to lead this team from either the point or the two spot.  He is adept at either spot and is a hell of a one on one player.  He is a also a fine shooter who opens up the inside game but has not really developed three point range yet.  This is the Achilles heel of this great team and by this point everybody in the country knows that.  A great competitor, White knows how to win and is the consummate teammate.  He will take and usually hit the big shot (even if sometimes it is disallowed) and is not afraid of anyone.  His showdown with Spencer Haywood in the Detroit game last year was epic-or is this the Bridges fight with Haywood?.  He does not miss games and is ready to play at a high caliber every night.  He plays tough in your face defense but sometimes has to guard guys much bigger than he is and has some problems.  Don’t get me wrong White will not back down from the likes of Maravich and Jordan but at six three no matter how tough he is White has some issues with bigger guys.  Of course those guys have problems guarding this cat quick and tough as nails kid who loves jumpers.  White is probably better suited guarding point guards but this tweener has issues with the waterbugs as well.  Enter sophomore Darnell Valentine.  Valentine is a muscle bound playmaker who loves to use his physical style against small point guards.  Valentine is a quarterback who gets the ball to the right guy but is best known for his tough in your face defense.  Is he ready for this to be his show this year as he will be running a pretty high octane machine in Lawrence.  Of course neither one of these guys solve the biggest issues the Jayhawks have with their inability to hit long range shots consistently.  Allen does have a trio of seniors that will be vying for some playing time in the backcourt but none of those three answer that question either!  Ray Evans is a hard-nosed gamer who comes from the football which is actually his better spot.  Evans will be pursuing his future on the gridiron and might be not be available until after the season.  Good thing the Jayhawk football program is not very good so he has been able to play most of the season on the basketball court as well but Evans will not only be getting much time other than as a defensive specialist.  The Kelley brothers are in the same boat and play together well but they are vastly undersized both 5’11 and about 165 and are not exactly scorers though Dean is a heck of a setup man.  Allen has been phasing them out and they were never wore than solid backups but in today’s world might not even get on the court if some of the new recruits are as good as advertised. 

Allen will be looking for some players to step up and show they can hit some shots from the perimeter.  Losing super recruiter Roy Williams to North Carolina could hurt as some are saying he was getting tired of waiting for Allen to retire.  Of course NC is his alma mater as he played for (well sort of, he was on their vaunted JV squad which he will now be coaching) for Dean Smith (who ironically played for Allen in Kansas-yes there is some kind of symbiotic connection with these two programs).  Williams did not leave the cupboard bare as he had a hand in recruiting most of the incoming freshmen who will undoubtedly make up most of the JV squad for the Jayhawks.  How good are these kids?  Well, let’s say there are more Mickey D’s AA’s in the Kansas program than all of the other Big 8 programs combined.  There are some carryovers who have waited in line and will also be in the running for those coveted minutes in Allen Fieldhouse.  Junior Bud Stallworth is a good wing scorer but has some problems guarding more athletic guys and is more adept getting to the hoop than launching threes.  He was huge last year on the JV but when he got moved up to the big show he struggled quite a bit?  Stallworth can play and he will get the first shot as the first wing off the bench but we shall see if his game does indeed transfer to the next level?  The best bet here is sophomore Ron Kellogg who showed he can hit the long range shot on the JV squad last year.  Dubbed ‘Snap, Crackle, Pop’ by former JV coach Larry Brown the smooth stroking lefty can flat light it up from behind the arc.  Kellogg actually shot over 50 percent from the field even though he fires primarily from long range.  Kellogg is a bit quirky and as good as he is he has not played at all on the varsity before so Allen is hedging his bet as this will be the key to this team’s desire to get to where they want to go.  Allen will be looking for some help here in a freshman class that Allen, Williams and Brown have brought to Lawrence. Usually the players here move up the chain systematically and freshmen do not play many minutes.  That changed last year with Manning’s ascension due to his incredible talent.  This year most likely the Jayhawks will be looking for someone similar to step up from the wings and fill the void for a long range shooter.  There undoubtedly will be several options as the Jayhawks are never lacking for blue chippers.  Foremost of these are Paul Pierce from Inglewood California and Brandon Rush from up the road in Kansas City.  In a bit of irony the hated Tigers of Mizzou got Brandon’s brother Kareem to go to Columbia so the brother war will also be a brother war for the next four years.  Pierce and Rush are big , 6’7 and 6’6, and athletic wings who are just what the Doctor (Naismith would have never dreamed players would have got this athletic in his game) ordered to keep up with the great athletes from the other Blue Blood programs specifically in North Carolina.  Now if they can shoot the three ball the Jayhawks might have found something here.  Allen is not hedging his bets as he has brought in another pair with the shooters pedigree though nowhere near the athleticism in Jeff Boschee of North Dakota and Kirk Hinrich from Iowa.  Heck, they have even gone so far as ‘stealing’ a sharpshooter from bottom feeder Northwestern using this new portal which is all the rage.  Kansas is one of those programs as you can see that recruit nationally and if you can play and you fit a need they will go anywhere to get their man. Of course these perimeter players are not the only players coming into Lawrence as there are some stallion point guards who might have a shot at minutes including Jacque Vaughn from Pasadena who set a Mickey D’s All-American game record with 13 assists. The biggest (and best) recruits are front court players who have relatively no chance of playing.  At least not this year but Chamberlain, Lovelette and company will be gone to the next level soon enough.  The Jayhawks will keep reloading and to be honest miss about as often as they hit but in the game of recruitment it is all about numbers and colors (blue chippers) that you can get and nobody does it better than Kansas.  

The Kansas Jayhawks have built a legendary program under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen.  Allen has always had great players but has never been able to quite get over the hump and win a national title.  The soon to be retiring coach wants to out on top and his prize pupil is coming back to win one for the Phogger.  Forced as it may be Allen is giving up the reins next year to young Bill Self (boy did Williams time that wrong?  Or did He?) and superstar big man Wilt Chamberlain is returning (after much trepidation) to prove to the naysayers he can win the big one and not just score a bunch.  The Jayhawks will be prepared as they might be playing the most difficult out of conference schedule of any program in the nation with the likes of North Carolina, Indiana, Depaul, UCLA plus two tournaments with elite competition and a return to Philadelphia trip for Chamberlain late in the year against Temple. That one might be the most important test of all as the Owls are a guard heavy team that the Jayhawks have had trouble with in the past ie Arizona, UTEP etc.  Of course everyone wants to see the Stilt against the other mighty big men in the Universe and they should get their due with Mikan, Alcindor and company on the ledger. Ranked in the top five preseason per usual is there enough of a supporting cast especially in the backcourt to propel the Rock Chalk Jayhawks to the national title their fans and Allen and yes the Big Dipper so deserve!