Jayhawks must avoid playing UConn game

There are similarities, which could be good or bad. There are three or four NBA first-rounders. There is the cast of veteran supporting players, maybe wishing for greater glory. There is the missing bad boy, gone for the year. There is the gifted coach, certain he has something special even if the players aren’t grasping it. Even when things are going well, there always is the feeling they could be better.

Kansas 2006-07 is beginning to feel a lot like Connecticut 2005-06.

UConn went 30-4 last season, shared the Big East Conference title and landed a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed. That’s pretty good. But the Huskies were knocked out in their first conference tournament game, didn’t perform well in any of their four NCAA games and fell a few points short of the Final Four. All through the season, UConn could see that end coming but appeared transfixed by the knowledge, as if caught in the headlights of an oncoming train.

So this warning could serve a purpose, or perhaps Bill Self’s Jayhawks will be similarly paralyzed. KU already has two losses, and because neither was against Florida neither can be wholly justified.

Kansas is missing banished shot blocker C.J. Giles, just as UConn missed guard A.J. Price after he was suspended last season. If the Jayhawks don’t soon recognize individual talent can carry them only so far, they’ll finish their season in March with a lot of victories and a hollow sense of accomplishment.

These are but a few steps in the right direction:

“Playing for one another. What ultimately unraveled UConn was the attention so many players paid to draft positioning. They worried less about results than how they looked to NBA scouts. That trap catches lots of players, which is too bad because scouts can identify a “me” guy.

KU’s problem isn’t selfishness – it’s individuality. Forward Julian Wright wants to pass, but he wants to make passes you’ll remember instead of putting teammates in position to score. He breaks down the structure of too many possessions.

“Starting Sasha Kaun. His game is such a wreck that he doesn’t deserve a promotion, but this would be a strategic maneuver. Starting freshman big Darrell Arthur exposes him to the early fouls officials call when establishing the tone of a game. When Arthur is stuck with a couple of early calls, KU can’t yet trust him to avoid a third. He is the stable low-post foundation the offense must have.

A 6-11 junior, Kaun likely would avoid early fouls. Plus, starting might provide a jolt to help him turn around his season. This is a guy who reached double figures in points 10 times last season and is coming off an October knee injury, so it’s too early to give up on him. But if he’s the one stuck on the bench with two first half fouls, the cost isn’t as great.

“Accepting roles. Wing Brandon Rush fought against serving as KU’s primary scoring option. Now that he’s giving it a go, he’s rushing attempts and sprinting toward a slump. Point guard Russell Robinson must be a leader and distributor, but he can’t seem to escape the notion he should shoot every time he’s open – even if it’s early in the shot clock.

Until every KU player embraces his role, there will be moments this whole thing won’t work. And that will not be good for anyone.