ROUNDBALL DAILY

Kansas Jayhawks: NCAA Tournament Profile

ku_bkc_tcu_03_t365x500Kansas Jayhawks (24-9, 14-4 Big 12)-This would have been a popular Final Four pick before freshman center (and the consensus No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft) Joel Embiid hurt his back a couple of weeks ago.  Now, the Jayhawks have more questions than answers. They still defeated Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament sans Embiid, but fell to Iowa State in the semis.

His numbers weren’t gaudy (11.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.6 bpg), but Embiid’s presence inside was huge for Kansas. Like do-everything freshman Andrew Wiggins, his value lies more in his potential than it does on the court this season. In Embiid’s absence, Wiggins has stepped up–big time–scoring 41 in a loss at West Virginia before going for 30 against Oklahoma State.

Though he didn’t quite live up to the “Next LeBron” hype for much of the season, Wiggins quietly improved as the season went along and may have been the best player in the Big 12. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds this season.

Sophomore forward Perry Ellis (13.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) was also a force down low and a threat to go for 30 at any time. Kansas’ biggest weakness is its point guard play, which is often shaky behind junior Naadir Tharpe and freshman Frank Mason.

KEY STATS:

6th  Field Goal Percentage (.496)

25th Points per Game (79.5)

33rd Rebounds per Game (38.2)

 

 

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