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Now that the draft lottery has a winner

May 22, 201310:20 a.m.

By Rustin Dodd

Late last week, as the NBA’s top prospects assembled for the league’s draft combine in Chicago, former Kansas guard Ben McLemore expressed his desire to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

It’s been decades since a true shooting guard went No. 1 overall. (Depending on how you categorize Allen Iverson, you probably have to go back to David Thompson in 1975.) And McLemore would be the first Jayhawk to go first overall since Danny Manning in 1988. But does McLemore have a chance?

The NBA Draft lottery took place on Tuesday night, and the Cleveland Cavaliers walked away with the top pick for the second time in three years. Last season, the Cavs used the No. 4 overall pick on former Syracuse shooting guard Dion Waiters (he averaged 14.7 points in 61 games), while point guard Kyrie Irving continues to emerge as one of the league’s best young players.

So perhaps the Cavaliers will find McLemore appealing, but they certainly don’t have a gaping hole at the guard spot.

After Tuesday’s lottery, draft expert Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com projected McLemore to go No. 2 to the Orlando Magic, while ESPN’s Chad Ford pegged McLemore to go No. 4 to the Charlotte Bobcats. Both Givony and Ford projected former Kentucky center Nerlens Noel to go No. 1 overall.

(Meanwhile, Givony projects former KU center Jeff Withey to go No. 22 overall to the Brooklyn Nets, and former MU guard Phil Pressey to go to Atlanta with the 50th pick.)

If McLemore doesn’t go to Cleveland, here are four other places he could land.

No. 2 Orlando Magic

A possibility, mostly because the Magic, coached by former KU guard Jacque Vaughn, has holes all over its roster. Arron Afflalo, a 27-year-old shooting guard, led the Magic with 16.5 points per game last season.

No. 3 Washington Wizards

Probably not a great fit. The Wizards selected shooting guard Brad Beal (McLemore’s old AAU teammate in St. Louis) in the first round last year.

No. 4 Charlotte Bobcats

The perpetually moribund Bobcats are still looking for a spark. Kemba Walker hasn’t been able to lift the franchise. And the Bobcats have few answers … inside or out.

No. 5 Phoenix Suns

If McLemore would slide outside the top four, he could become teammates with former Jayhawks Marcus and Markieff Morris.

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

McLemore part of big underclassmen list

May 1, 20131:11 p.m.

When Kansas freshman Ben McLemore declared for the NBA Draft on April 9, he became just the third Jayhawk to leave school after just one season in Lawrence. (The others: Xavier Henry and Josh Selby)

McLemore’s decision was expected… and sound. He is a projected top-five pick (maybe even higher) and actually spent two seasons at Kansas after taking a redshirt for academic reasons in 2011-12.

But even after projected first-round picks Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Isaiah Austin (Baylor) and Adreian Payne (Michigan State) returned to school, the list of early NBA Draft entries is long and crowded. Missouri junior guard Phil Pressey also declared early for the draft — and so did more than 40 other college players.

The list, which was released by the NBA on Wednesday, includes 46 players from U.S. colleges and 31 international players. The draft, which will take place on June 27, features just two rounds and 60 selections.

Players from U.S. colleges or prep schools

Juniors (23)

C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph’s, 6-9, Junior

Vander Blue, Marquette, 6-4, Junior

Lorenzo Brown, North Carolina State, 6-5, Junior

Reggie Bullock, North Carolina, 6-7, Junior

Adrien Coleman, Bethune-Cookman, 6-5, Junior

Allen Crabbe, California, 6-6, Junior

Dewayne Dedmon, Southern California, 7-0, Junior

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, 6-11, Junior

Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State, 6-5, Junior

Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan, 6-6, Junior

C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State, 6-9, Junior

Nurideen Lindsey, Rider, 6-3, Junior

Amath M’Baye, Oklahoma, 6-9, Junior

Ray McCallum, Detroit, 6-3, Junior

Victor Oladipo, Indiana, 6-5, Junior

Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, 7-0, Junior

Marshawn Powell, Arkansas, 6-7, Junior

Phil Pressey, Missouri, 5-11, Junior

Andre Roberson, Colorado, 6-7, Junior

Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-7, Junior

Trevis Simpson, North Carolina-Greensboro, 6-4, Junior

Tony Snell, New Mexico, 6-7, Junior

John Taylor, Fresno Pacific, 6-1, Junior

Sophomores (13)

Trey Burke, Michigan, 6-0, Sophomore

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia, 6-5, Sophomore

Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse, 6-5, Sophomore

Christian Kabongo, New Mexico State, 6-4, Sophomore

Myck Kabongo, Texas, 6-1, Sophomore

Shane Larkin, Miami, 5-11, Sophomore

Alex Len, Maryland, 7-1, Sophomore

Tony Mitchell, North Texas, 6-8, Sophomore

Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown, 6-8, Sophomore

Tahj Tate, Delaware State, 6-4, Sophomore

Adonis Thomas, Memphis, 6-7, Sophomore

B.J. Young, Arkansas, 6-3, Sophomore

Cody Zeller, Indiana, 6-11, Sophomore

Freshmen (and prep schools) (10)

Steven Adams, Pittsburgh, 7-0, Freshman

Anthony Bennett, UNLV, 6-8, Freshman

Archie Goodwin, Kentucky, 6-4, Freshman

Grant Jerrett, Arizona, 6-10, Freshman

Ricky Ledo, Providence, 6-7, Freshman

Ben McLemore, Kansas, 6-5, Freshman

Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA, 6-6, Freshman

Nerlens Noel, Kentucky, 6-10, Freshman

Joshua Simmons, Spartanburg Methodist (JC), 6-4, Freshman

Norvel Pelle, Los Angeles College Prep Academy, 6-9, Post-Graduate

International players (Year of birth)

Alejandro Abrines, Barcelona (Spain), 6-6, 1993

Giannis Adetokunbo, Filathlitikos (Greece), 6-9, 1994

Francois Affia Ambadiang, Geoplin Slovan (Slovenia), 6-11, 1993

Nemanja Besovic, Partizan (Serbia), 7-2, 1992

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan (Serbia), 6-6, 1992

Matias Bortolin, Arkadia (Austria), 6-9, 1993

Linos Chrysikopoulos, PAOK (Greece), 6-9, 1992

Laszlo Dobos, Zaragoza (Spain), 7-3, 1993

Dorde Drenovac, Biancoblu (Italy), 6-8, 1992

Viktor Gaddefors, Oknoplast Bologna (Italy), 6-7, 1992

Rudy Gobert, Cholet (France), 7-0, 1992

Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Boulogne (France), 6-10, 1994

Livio Jean-Charles, ASVEL (France), 6-8, 1993

Sergey Karasev, Triumph (Russia), 6-7, 1993

Louis Labeyrie, Paris-Levallois (France), 6-10, 1992

Raul Neto, Lagun Aro GBC (Spain), 6-1, 1992

Philipp Neumann, Brose Baskets (Germany), 6-10, 1992

Lucas Riva Nogueira, Estudiantes (Spain), 7-0, 1992

Alexandre Paranhos, Flamengo (Brazil), 6-8, 1992

Artem Pustovyi, Khimik (Ukraine), 7-1, 1992

Bogdan Radosavljevic, Bayern Muenchen (Germany), 6-11, 1993

Marko Ramljak, Zadar (Croatia), 6-6, 1993

Dario Saric, Cibona (Croatia), 6-9, 1994

Dennis Schroder, New Yorker Phantoms (Germany), 6-1, 1993

Strahinja Stojacic, Smederevo (Serbia) , 6-5, 1992

Walter Tavares, Gran Canaria (Spain), 7-2, 1992

Daniel Theis, Ratiopharm (Germany), 6-8, 1992

Janis Timma, Ventspils (Latvia), 6-7, 1992

Marko Todorovic, Barcelona (Spain), 6-10, 1992

Axel Toupane, Strasbourg (France), 6-6, 1992

Adin Vrabac, Spars Sarajevo (Bosnia), 6-7, 1994

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Rio Adams won’t be back at KU

April 8, 20132:24 p.m.

Rio Adams, the Kansas freshman guard who had second thoughts about transferring last week, will not return to the Jayhawks for the 2013-14 season.

KU coach Bill Self said in a statement that he and Adams met Monday and “together we’ve come to the conclusion that it is in his best interest to pursue other opportunities and go to a place where he has the chance to really impact a program and, preferably, a school that is closer to home. This will allow him to redshirt and have another year to work toward graduating.”

Last Wednesday, Self announced that Adams had been granted his release to look for another school. But on Thursday, Adams said on his Twitter account he wanted to stay at Kansas.

“I can’t go I love my team too much,” Adams tweeted late Thursday night, before adding: “I’m not going anywhere I’m a Jayhawk for life….”

Monday, Adams had this to say on Twitter: “Transferring.”

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Rio Adams might want to stay at KU

April 5, 201312:08 p.m.

 

By Rustin Dodd

Rio Adams, the freshman guard who announced his decision to transfer from Kansas on Tuesday, is apparently having second thoughts about leaving KU.

After announcing earlier this week that he would look for a new school closer to his hometown of Seattle, Adams reversed course on Thursday, using his Twitter account to declare his desire to stay at Kansas.

“I can’t go I love my team too much,” Adams tweeted late Thursday night, before adding: “I’m not going anywhere I’m a Jayhawk for life….”

The timing of Adams’ reversal is a little curious. He used his Twitter account on Tuesday to announce that he would be leaving Kansas, and KU coach Bill Self confirmed his departure the same night.

On Wednesday, Self announced in a statement that Adams had been granted his release to look for another school.

“I feel like going home and playing closer is better for me and my family,” Adams said in the statement. “This was definitely a family decision and it was a decision I wanted to do that would be best for my situation.”

Self, who is at the Final Four this weekend, was not immediately available for comment Friday.

 

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/05/4163341/freshman-rio-adams-says-hed-like.html#storylink=cpy
By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

A look at Self in the Sweet 16

March 28, 20132:10 p.m.

By Rustin Dodd

ARLINGTON, Texas — Here we are, Cowboys Stadium, the NCAA regional site with a video board longer than the basketball court. The No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks will take the floor here against No. 4 seed Michigan at 6:37 p.m. Friday in the first Sweet 16 matchup (No. 3 Florida vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast will follow.), and KU coach Bill Self will make his 10 appearance in the Sweet 16.

It’s been a pretty good round for Self, who is 7-2 all-time in Sweet 16 matchups — a record that spans 13 seasons and three schools. Self is also 6-0 when his team is the better seed. By comparison, Self is just 2-5 in the Elite Eight. With Kansas preparing for Michigan, let’s take a look back at Self’s previous nine Sweet 16 matchups.

2000: No. 7 Tulsa 80, No. 6 Miami 71 (Austin, Texas)

In his first Sweet 16 appearance, Self’s Tulsa squad kept its unlikely run going with a turbo-charged victory over No. 6 seed Miami. The Golden Hurricane outscored Miami 49-46 in the second half.

2001: No. 1 Illinois 80, No. 4 Kansas 64 (San Antonio)

In Self’s first season in Champaign, his veteran Illini squad outmuscled a KU rotation that included sophomores Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich.

2002: No. 1 Kansas 73, No. 4 Illinois 69 (Madison, Wis.)

One year later, Roy Williams and Kansas gained a measure of revenge, taking down Illinois on the way to the KU program’s first Final Four since 1993.

2004: No. 4 Kansas 100, No. 9 UAB (St. Louis)

After winning two games in Kansas City, KU faced an upstart (and frenetic) UAB squad that had taken down No. 1 seed Kentucky. The fast tempo suited Kansas just fine, and the Jayhawks advanced rolled to the Elite Eight in Self’s first season at KU. They would lose in overtime to No. 3 seed Georgia Tech.)

2007: No. 1 Kansas 61, No. 4 Southern Illinois 58 (San Jose, Calif.)

In an ugly, defensive-oriented showdown, Kansas sophomore Brandon Rush finished six of six while leading KU with 12 points. The run would end with a loss to UCLA in the regional final.

2008: No. 1 Kansas 72, No. 12 Villanova 57 (Detroit)

On their way to the NCAA championship, the Jayhawks made a stop in Detroit, pounding a Villanova squad that featured Scottie Reynolds and not much else.

2009: No. 2 Michigan State 67, No. 3 Kansas 62 (Indianapolis)

Self’s second loss in the Sweet 16. Kansas led the Spartans 36-29 at halftime, but Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas made more plays down the stretch as the Jayhawks ran out of gas.

2011: No. 1 Kansas 77, No. 12 Richmond 57 (San Antonio)

The shocker would come in the next round, when KU would fall to another school from Richmond, Va. But first, the top-seeded Jayhawks throttled another double-digit seed in the Sweet 16.

2012: No. 2 Kansas 60, No. 11 North Carolina State 57 (St. Louis)

On a run that defined winning ugly, junior center Jeff Withey had eight points and 10 blocks while KU survived a woeful shooting night (one for 14 from three) and advanced to play North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

 

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

KU, WSU not playing anytime soon

March 26, 201311:50 p.m.

By Rustin Dodd

No. 1 seed Kansas was supposed to be in the Sweet 16; No. 9 seed Wichita State was not. But together, the two schools have pulled off something that hasn’t been accomplished since 1988: Two Kansas schools in the Sweet 16. (KU and K-State faced off in the Elite Eight in 1988.)

When KU coach Bill Self was asked about Wichita State’s surprise victory over No. 1 seed Gonzaga, he responded with some textbook wit — the kind that might also strike a tender nerve.

“I’m happy for the Shockers. I’m excited for them,” Self said, smiling. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to play them.

“That was a joke. Because I knew that would be the next question.”

So yes, even after Wichita State’s second Sweet 16 appearance in eight years, Self and the Jayhawks are holding true to their word. Don’t expect any KU-Wichita State showdowns in the near future.

 

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Trust in Nate Silver

March 25, 20133:37 p.m.

By Rustin Dodd

So, No. 1 seed Kansas picked up NCAA tourney victories over No. 16 seed Western Kentucky and No. 8 North Carolina this past weekend in Kansas City, advancing to play No. 4 Michigan in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Arlington, Texas.

But did the Jayhawks actually improve their NCAA title odds? The answer is no, if you choose to believe Nate Silver, the statistical wunderkind who predicts presidential elections, writes best-selling books, and projects the NCAA Tournament on the side.

According to Silver’s latest projections, updated Monday on his FiveThirtyEight blog, Kansas now has a 4.5 percent chance to cut down the nets at the Final Four in Atlanta.

The number is down from Silver’s pre-tournament projection of 7.5 percent, which placed the Jayhawks as the fourth best bet behind Louisville, Indiana and Florida. After the opening rounds, KU is now behind tournament favorite Louisville (32.4 percent) and Florida (21.3 percent), the No. 3 seed in the Jayhawks’ South Region. And four other schools also have a better chance of winning it all, according to Silver. No. 1 seed Indiana (10.9 percent), No. 2 Ohio State (6.8 percent), No. 2 Duke (6.0 percent) and No. 4 Syracuse (4.8 percent).

So what’s going on here? Well, Florida Gulf Coast’s run to the Sweet 16 has opened up better odds for No. 3 Florida. And Silver’s model, based on predictive computer formulas (but not R.P.I), likes both Michigan and Florida.

It’s not all bad.

According to Silver’s projections, Kansas is a slight favorite to beat Michigan, with a 54 percent chance to take down the Wolverines and reach the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks also have a 23.3 percent chance to reach the Final Four, and an 11.2 percent chance to reach the title game.

Yes, Silver has pegged the Jayhawks as a considerable long-shot. But remember: Silver’s model gave No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast a 3.3 percent chance to reach the Sweet 16. And the Eagles went all “Dunk City” on No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 7 San Diego State to join Kansas, Florida and Michigan in the Arlington regional.

The odds of Dunk City crashing Atlanta and cutting down the nets?  0.019 percent.

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Getting a look at Michigan

March 25, 20132:41 p.m.

By Rustin Dodd

LAWRENCE — Back home on campus after a successful trip to Kansas City, the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks now have four days to prepare for their next challenge: No. 4 seed Michigan at 6:37 p.m. on Friday in palatial Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It’s a battle between programs that split the No. 1 ranking in the polls on Jan. 28. Michigan topped the Associated Press poll for the first time since 1992-93, the second season of the Fab Five, while the Jayhawks rose to No. 1 in the coaches poll before losing three straight.

The Jayhawks, of course, rallied to win the Big 12 regular-season crown and earned a No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, Michigan finished 7-6 while facing a brutal schedule in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines, one of the youngest and most talented teams in the country, appear to have found something in the NCAA Tournament, posting blowout victories over No. 13 South Dakota State and No. 5 seed VCU. Here’s a first look at Michigan, which is making its first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1994.

THE BREAKDOWN: Michigan and Kansas offer polar opposite styles — at least, according to the advanced stats. The Wolverines, led by sophomore guard Trey Burke, are second in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com.) Michigan scores 1.21 points per possession, trailing only No. 1 seed Indiana.)

The Wolverines shoot a respectable 37.5 percent from three-point range, but they also do a solid job of getting good shots, hitting 53.8 percent from two-point range.

Kansas, of course, has the nation’s best interior defender in Jeff Withey, and thus the nation’s best defense inside the three-point line. (The Jayhawks hold opponents to just 38.7 percent on two-point attempts, the best mark in the country by a substantial margin.)

So why did the Wolverines struggle down the stretch in the Big Ten? For one, they rank 41st in defensive efficiency, the fourth worst among teams still in the tournament. Florida Gulf Coast (97th), La Salle (86th) and Marquette (52nd) are the only teams with worse defensive numbers.

Can Michigan stop Kansas? After KU’s victory over No. 8 seed North Carolina on Sunday, the Jayhawks had dropped to 32nd in the country in offensive efficiency.

Which leads to an interesting point: The computer profiles of both teams offer tournament red flags. In the last 10 years, the national champion has ranked in the top 20 in offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. Of course, if Kansas or Michigan play well enough to advance to the Final Four and beyond, their efficiency numbers will likely climb.

THE HISTORY: Michigan leads the all-time series 5-2, but KU has won the last two: a 75-64 victory at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 19, 2009, and a 67-60 victory in Ann Arbor on Jan. 9, 2011. Kansas coach Bill Self is 8-0 against the Wolverines, including a 6-0 mark at Illinois.

BEST WIN: The Wolverines took down Ohio State 76-74 in overtime in Ann Arbor on Feb. 5. They had dropped the first matchup at Ohio State, a place where Kansas won back in December.

WORST LOSS: Michigan cratered in an 84-78 loss at Penn State on Feb. 27 — a loss that was nearly as bad as Kansas’ loss at TCU. The Wolverines allowed Penn State to shoot 27 of 57 from the floor and committed 15 turnovers.

BEST PLAYER: Sophomore guard Trey Burke is a National Player of the Year candidate after averaging 18.8 points and 6.7 assists and shooting 47.0 percent from the floor.

ONE MORE TO WATCH: Freshman Mitch McGary is a 6-foot-10 forward who played at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, the same prep school that produced former KU All-American Thomas Robinson and current KU guard Naadir Tharpe. Similar to KU freshman Perry Ellis, McGary has had a breakout March. He’s averaging just 6.8 points per game, but he finished with a career-high 21 and 14 rebounds while making 10 of 11 shots against VCU in Michigan’s 78-53 victory over VCU in the round of 32.

 

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

A look at KSU-KU, Part III

March 16, 20133:33 p.m.

By Rustin Dodd

On Saturday night at the Sprint Center, No. 1 seed Kansas will face No. 2 seed Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. It will be the second time in four seasons that the in-state rivals will meet for the conference tournament title — and this one may mean a little more.

They shared the regular crown, turning tonight’s title tilt into a de facto tie-breaker. Here are three things to watch at the Sprint Center.

1. KU’s bench production. Last season, Kansas advanced to the NCAA championship game with a bench that basically amounted to senior guard Conner Teahan and juco transfer forward Kevin Young. The Jayhawks’ reserves played just slightly more than 20 percent of the minutes in six NCAA Tournament games — and just 30.3 minutes per game from the Elite Eight on.

It didn’t matter much.

Depth can be a non-factor in March. Television timeouts are a little longer. Starters play major minutes. And for most of February, it looked as if Kansas would have to follow the same model this season. Sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe and freshman forward Perry Ellis — generally the first two players off KU’s bench — have been inconsistent this year. And freshmen Jamari Traylor, Andrew White III and Rio Adams all need more seasoning.

But in two victories in the Big 12 Tournament, the Jayhawks have tapped into some unforeseen production from the KU reserves. Freshman Perry Ellis had a career-high 23 points in Friday night’s semifinal victory over Iowa State, and the KU bench finished with 37 points. That would have been a season high — if not for the 39 bench points in Thursday’s blowout victory over Texas Tech.

For perspective: In KU’s final six games of the regular season, the bench had averaged just 14 points per game. The bench explosion against Texas Tech was a little misleading — Rio Adams went on a tear in the final minutes, and of course, it was Texas Tech. But if some combo of Ellis, Tharpe and Traylor can give KU productive minutes, it could widen the Jayhawks’ margin for error in March.

2. K-State’s three-point shooting. Kansas State took aim from deep in a 59-55 loss to Kansas at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 22. The Wildcats hit just nine of 30 from three-point range, and K-State coach Bruce Weber was questioned about the strategy after the game.

In the rematch in Lawrence, the Wildcats shifted gears, attempting just 19 three-pointers (they hit eight) and attacking the Jayhawks inside. That didn’t work, either. KU center Jeff Withey finished with five blocks (he had zero in the first game), and the Jayhawks limited K-State to just 12 of 31 shooting from two-point range. Will K-State revert to the three-point plan in the third matchup?

3. Can K-State keep KU off the boards? The Jayhawks dominated the offensive glass in the second game in Lawrence, outrebounding K-State 40-23. The Jayhawks nearly had as many offensive rebounds (14) as K-State had defensive (17), and KU turned those extra possessions into 19 second-chance points.

The rebounding advantage wasn’t as stark in Manhattan (KU outrebounded K-State 35-28), but K-State’s Jordan Henriquez and Thomas Gipson will have to find a way to keep the Jayhawks off the boards. If KU senior forward Kevin Young isn’t 100 percent — he suffered a lower-leg injury in Friday’s win over Iowa State — that may help K-State close the gap.

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Spring football begins

March 5, 201312:37 p.m.

By Rustin Dodd

LAWRENCE — The Kansas football program began spring practice on Tuesday. The Jayhawks will practice 14 times over the next month before finishing the spring schedule with the program’s spring game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. Fresh off a 1-11 season in his first season at Kansas, second-year coach Charlie Weis released the initial spring depth chart on Monday.

It features a few mild surprises. But here’s one that isn’t: Junior quarterback Jake Heaps, who sat out last season after transferring from BYU, is listed as the starter at quarterback. Weis, who is very high on Heaps’ ability, said Heaps and sophomore Michael Cummings would be the only quarterbacks to get reps this spring.

Weis listed junior running back Tony Pierson at a new hybrid “F” position that figures to be used in the rushing and passing games. Finally, there are eight players listed as offensive and defensive starters that haven’t played a down for Kansas.

That list, which includes Heaps, also features juco offensive linemen Ngalu Fusimalohi and Mike Smithburg; juco defensive linemen Ty McKinney and Chris Martin; redshirt linebacker Courtney Arnick; redshirt safety Tevin Shaw and junior college safety Cassius Sendish.

Here’s the rest of the depth chart:

OFFENSE

QB: Jake Heaps, Jr. // Michael Cummings, So.

RB: James Sims, Sr. // Taylor Cox, Sr. OR Brandon Bourbon, Jr.

RB/WR: Tony Pierson, Jr. // Colin Spencer, Fr.

LT: Pat Lewandowski, Jr. // Riley Spencer, Sr.

LG: Ngalu Fusimalohi, Jr. // Damon Martin, So.

C: Dylan Admire, So. // Gavin Howard, Sr.

RG: Mike Smithburg, Jr. // Randall Dent, Sr.

RT: Aslam Sterling, Sr. // Brian Beckmann, Fr.

WR (X): Andrew Turzilli, Jr. // Justin McCay, Jr.

WR (Z): Tre Parmalee, So. // Christian Matthews, Sr.

TE: Jimmay Mundine, Jr. // Charles Brooks, Sr.

DEFENSE

LE/T: Jordan Tavai, Sr. // Tedarian Johnson, Jr.

N: Ty McKinney, Jr. // Tyler Holmes, Fr.

RE/T: Keon Stowers, Jr. OR Keba Agostinho, Sr. // Kevin Young

LB (Buck): Chris Martin, Jr. // Ben Goodman, So.

SLB: Courtney Arnick, Fr. // Brian Maura, Jr.

MLB: Ben Heeney, Jr. // Darius Willis, Sr. (Schyler Miles, INJURED)

WLB: Jake Love, So. // Victor Simmons, Jr. (Prinz Kande, INJURED)

CB: Dexter McDonald, Jr. // JaCorey Shepherd, Jr.

SS: Tevin Shaw, Fr. // Ray Mitchell, Jr.

WS: Dexter Linton, Sr. // Greg Allen, Fr.

CB: Cassius Sendish, Jr. // Tyree Williams, So. OR Nasir Moore, Jr.

SPECIALISTS

K: Trevor Pardula, Jr. // Eric Kahn, So. OR Ron Doherty, Sr.

P: Trevor Pardula, Jr. // Ron Doherty, Sr.

LS: Zackary Young, Sr. // Reilly Jeffers, So.

Hold: Blake Jablonski, Jr. // Tre Parmalee, So.

KR: Tony Pierson, Jr. // Brandon Bourbon, Jr.

PR: Tre Parmalee, So. // Nasir Moore, Jr.

By Kirk Seminoff | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments