ESPN Men's Basketball

While the rest of the basketball world debates whether Andrew Wiggins will be the top pick in the 2014 NBA draft, his college coach is waiting for him to become the best player on his team.

"He’s been marginal," Kansas coach Bill Self said last week. "Compared to what people are saying, I think he’ll have some ups and downs."

That’s not meant to be a jab at Wiggins. Self is quick to add that he has never seen anyone with as much promise and explosiveness as Wiggins. "We’ve never had anybody who can do what he can do," he said.

But Self is also about reality, not hyperbole, and reality is on the court at Allen Fieldhouse, not on Twitter.

And the reality is Wiggins might be a basketball prodigy whose legend already has grown to almost urban myth, and whose most recent game was against high school kids.

Wiggins’ jump-out-of-the-gym talent is eye-popping, but to succeed as a collegiate player he has to learn to be more than just the occasional exclamation point.

That’s what Self is waiting on.

"You’d watch him play 10 minutes in a game and leave out of there going, 'Wow,' " Self said. "He makes plays that truly leave you in awe. But he doesn’t know yet how to play hard consistently. He can definitely do that. He just has to learn how."

Wiggins isn’t unusual. In fact, in these fast-twitch times, he’s the norm, merely the latest in a succession of guys tagged "It" for the season -- following in the oversized footsteps of Nerlens Noel, Anthony Davis, John Wall, Harrison Barnes, Derrick Rose, Greg Oden, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant, all the way back to a guy named Manning at Kansas.

They are the next LeBron, the next sure thing, their team’s savior and the game’s future. Most -- though not all -- have handled the burden extraordinarily well and even more surprisingly, most -- though not all -- have lived up to the hype, but it’s a head-swimming ascension for even the coolest customer.

By all accounts, Wiggins is humble, despite all of the attention, a "sweet kid," according to Self.

Just a few months ago, Wiggins was trying to find the right cummerbund for the prom.

Now he’s posing for GQ.

It puts college coaches in a quandary. In these hyperattentive times, they have to find the proper balance, to protect their players from the insanity without coddling them on the court.

"It’s just been harder, faster, tougher so far, but at some point I have get inside his noggin," Self said. "He’s been humbled already and that’s a good thing. I just hope the expectations don’t weigh him down too much."

It’s up to Self to make sure they don’t, and it's up to the coach to tell it like it is. The rest of the world can debate whether Andrew Wiggins is the future top pick; it’s up to Self to be a realist.

Following his induction this weekend, Louisville's Rick Pitino will become the fourth active men’s college basketball coach to join the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

The number could soon grow. Here are four other college coaches who have an excellent shot of being inducted before the end of their careers.

John Calipari, Kentucky: Calipari is arguably the greatest recruiter in college basketball history. The only problem with that label is that it overshadows his excellence as a coach. Calipari’s teams at Memphis and Kentucky have averaged a national-best 32.5 wins over the last eight years. He’s reached three Final Fours during that span (once at Memphis, twice at Kentucky) and won the NCAA title in 2012. Yes, Calipari’s teams are loaded with future NBA players, but coaching one-and-dones is hardly an easy chore. Many arrive with huge egos and poor work ethic after being coddled throughout their high school careers. Calipari is a master motivator who almost always gets the most out of his players while getting them to buy into the team concept. Defensively, his squads are usually among the nation’s toughest and most physical. On the other end of the court, it’s rare to see a player average more than 15 points per game for Calipari, who stresses selflessness and sharing the ball. The 2012 NCAA title was a first for Coach Cal, though more could be on the way.

Billy Donovan, Florida: Donovan led Florida to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, making him one of just 13 coaches in history to win multiple titles. That feat alone should make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. The 48-year-old Donovan, however, is far from finished. Heck, he might even be getting better. His program took a huge hit when it lost Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer from the championship teams, but Donovan rebuilt his roster and guided Florida to the Elite Eight each of the last three seasons. He averaged 28 wins during that span. Donovan also receives deserved praise for his character off the court. He’s contacted for other jobs almost every year and even briefly accepted the Orlando Magic gig in 2007, but has remained loyal to Florida, where’s he’s coached the last 17 years. He’s also active in charitable organizations and worked closely with USA Basketball. In short, along with a successful coach, Donovan has been a tremendous ambassador for college basketball. And there is still so much more to come.

Tom Izzo: Not many coaches in history have been as good in the NCAA tournament as Izzo, who has guided the Spartans to six Final Fours and one NCAA title during his 18 seasons in East Lansing. Michigan State has also reached four additional Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight under Izzo, who passed up an opportunity to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers to stay in the college ranks. Izzo’s teams are respected for their rugged, blue collar style of play, especially in the paint. They compete in one of the most balanced conferences in America and have still managed to finish fourth or higher in the Big Ten standings nine of the past 11 seasons. Izzo is known for scheduling one of the most difficult nonconference slates in the country every year, which makes his .713 winning percentage even more impressive. Michigan State’s postseason success and overall consistency under Izzo should make him a prime candidate for the Hall of Fame.

Bill Self, Kansas: No coach in college basketball has been as good as Bill Self over the last decade. While some programs have taken a temporary dip (Calipari, Izzo and Donovan all have NIT appearances on their résumés), Kansas hasn’t missed a beat. The Jayhawks have won nine straight Big 12 titles, the longest streak of consecutive league crowns by a major-conference team since UCLA won 13 in a row from 1967-79. In fact, dating back to his days at Illinois and Tulsa, Self has won 13 conference championships in his last 15 seasons. The other two years his team finished second. In his 10 years at Kansas, Self has averaged 30 wins. He took a program that was wildly successful under Roy Williams and made it even better. Self led KU to its first NCAA title in 20 years in 2008 and guided the Jayhawks back to the title game in 2012. Self’s teams almost always rank among the best in the nation for defensive field goal percentage, a sign that his players buy in and play hard for him. He’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

Other coaches with a shot: Tom Crean, Indiana; John Beilein, Michigan; Mark Few, Gonzaga; Sean Miller, Arizona; Bo Ryan, Wisconsin; Thad Matta, Ohio State; Lon Kruger, Oklahoma; Tubby Smith, Texas Tech; Buzz Williams, Marquette; Bob Huggins, West Virginia

For college coaches, the National Basketball Association is an irresistible siren. It's not hard to figure out why: Coaches are insanely competitive people with a burning desire to take on and conquer new and ever larger challenges. The old analogy about sharks drowning if they don't stay in constant motion applies here. For many, the climb is all there is. The prestige of the NBA, the opportunity to match wits with other elite coaches and the best athletes in the world -- fellow paid professionals, for better and worse -- is the next upward motion. It is a coach's opportunity to prove his skills are universal, his acumen applicable to all levels of the game.

Plus, you don't have to recruit, which is super nice.

That's why we've seen pretty much every marquee coach of the past 20 years flirt with the NBA, make the leap or both. Rick Pitino did it twice in New York and Boston; John Calipari coached the Nets. Mike Krzyzewski has had not-so-quiet flirtations with the Los Angeles Lakers on more than one occasion. (Remember when former Timberwolves GM David Kahn made a run at Coach K? Yes, it actually happened. Yes, it was hilarious.) Tom Izzo, possibly the college-y college coach of them all, flirted hard with the idea before declaring himself a Spartan for life. Billy Donovan got all the way to an introductory news conference with the Orlando Magic before checking out of the play. Brad Stevens turned down so many college offers that he had everyone convinced he wanted to stay in Indianapolis for the next 30 years ... just before he joined the Boston Celtics.

You can't blame any of them for pulling the trigger, and certainly not for thinking long and hard about the idea. When coaches climb one mountain, they don't turn around and admire their ascent. They start looking around for new things to climb. Stagnation is death.

Which brings us to our next question: Does Bill Self feel this way? He offered a pretty sizable hint this week:

"[The NBA] hasn't really tempted me because I haven't had that many people talk to me about it," Self said Monday night, speaking to The Oklahoman during ceremonies in which he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. "But at some point and time, sure, I think it would.

"It would be great to be able to match wits with the best athletes in the world, but I'm certainly happy where I'm at." [...] "I'm not saying I never would. But I'm locked in."

On one level, it would be silly for Self to close off potential career paths. Nothing would make Kansas boosters come running with fistfuls of contract cash like the threat of their highly successful coach bolting for a high-profile gig in the Association. It's smart bargaining, at the very least.

But it's also fair to wonder whether Self might really be looking for a new challenge sometime down the road. He's been massively successful at Kansas, winning or sharing nine straight Big 12 regular-season titles, churning out No. 1 seeds, notching a national title in 2008. With the exception of a few more college rings, there isn't a whole lot more Self can do to assert his excellence. At this point, these things all feel less like hard-won accomplishments than effortless facts of life. It's like when you level so far up in a video game that things stop being fun. What do you do then? Play a different game.

For whatever reason, Self is rarely mentioned in the ranks of possible future NBA coaching candidates. Maybe everyone just assumed he'd want to keep what he has going at Kansas forever. And really, it's not like he's going anywhere now, or any time soon -- he's merely refusing to say "never." But it is kind of fun to imagine Self, after turning the Big 12 into his personal playground for the better part of a decade, feeling that creeping sense of stagnancy coming on, looking around and realizing that if he's not on the top of the mountain already, he's close. Someday, he might take a look around and decide to see what else is worth climbing. He'd hardly be the first.

Kansas coach Bill Self discusses his recruitment of Andrew Wiggins and his team's chances this season.

One time, when my brother and I were little kids putzing around on summer break, we got, as little kids often are, bored.

To entertain ourselves, we decided to push our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy chest down the stairs. I don't exactly recall the logic underpinning this decision, but I was like six, so there probably wasn't much logic involved. Now, this toy chest was boss. It was a few feet tall, wooden with metal clasps like a music roadie's amp box, and heavy. When we shoved it down the stairs, gravity did its thing, and at the bottom it slammed into our home's newly plastered drywall. The hole it left behind -- and our sudden terror at what we had done, and what would happen when our parents saw it -- is one of my most vivid childhood memories.

I share this story because I want to empathize with the NCAA: Summer boredom makes us all go a little stir-crazy. That's probably the best, or at least the most generous, explanation I can come up for the Division I men's basketball recent committee's spate of delayed, ineffectual, borderline pointless reprimands handed out in a series of statements this week.

The first object to catch the NCAA's remarkably belated judicial gaze was Kansas coach Bill Self, who on Wednesday was "fined and reprimanded" for hitting the scorer's table during KU's NCAA tournament win over North Carolina. Our own Jason King discussed this Wednesday night. As King said, no one even noticed Self's outburst, which apparently busted an LED light, at the time. But committee chair Ron Wellman had his crack forensics team re-open the cold case just in time to end Self's monstrous reign of terror. Thank goodness.

Next up was a hearty tsk-tsk sent in the general direction of Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson, who memorably flipped fans the bird after his team's second-round loss to La Salle. At the time, most everyone (even those who get really bored by crusty arguments about decorum and/or the good old days) agreed that Henderson's antics had crossed the line from "insane but enjoyable" to "just plain dumb." Henderson, for his part, agreed, and in early April penned a thoughtful letter apologizing for being offensive.

Case closed? Nope. The NCAA circled back this week, almost three months after Henderson's letter, to make sure he knew, as Wellman put it in a statement, that the committee wants to ensure "championship participants act in a manner that represents the highest standards of sportsmanship" and that Henderson's actions "failed in this regard." You can almost smell the justice. It's intoxicating!

And last but not least, the D1 men's hoops committee's turned to the vile international outlaw known as Darron Boatright (if that is his real name), an associate athletic director at Wichita State. Boatright's crime? A "verbal confrontation with the Staples Center security staff prior to Wichita State’s regional semifinal contest against LaSalle." Wellman issued another public reprimand, and another quote that ended with "highest standards of sportsmanship," and who would dispute the world is a great deal safer for it?

Some have criticized, and even gone so far as to lampoon, the men's basketball committee for this. Many have insinuated that the NCAA's punishments are so meaningless as to be nonexistent, and so drastically delayed as to be irrelevant. Some have even been so insulting as to begin their blog posts comparing their six-year-old exploits toy chest destruction as analogous to the NCAA's motives.

Now that we've had a chance to review the evidence, though, we can only praise the men's committee's bravery in this matter. Wellman and his rogueish band of brothers are the only people standing between March Madness as we know it and the bird-flipping, table-punching, Staples Center-employee-arguing dystopia that lies just beyond our walls. They may not be the heroes we deserve, but they're the ones we need right now.

Jason King discusses the news that Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has been reprimanded by the NCAA for striking a scorer's table during the NCAA tournament.

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The Andrew Wiggins era at Kansas got underway Wednesday when the most hyped basketball prodigy since LeBron James drew 1,300 fans to Lawrence.

For a pickup game.

Wiggins scored just seven points in a scrimmage against former Jayhawks stars such as Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins. But he definitely had KU faithful buzzing after soaring for a thunderous tomahawk slam just 10 seconds into the contest.

“I let loose all of my nerves,” Wiggins said. “I was good after that dunk.”

Indeed, the months leading up to Wednesday’s highlight-reel play were certainly taxing on Wiggins, who didn’t announce his college destination until May 14. Wiggins’ final list consisted of Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Florida State.

When he finally picked the Jayhawks, he was as relieved as he was excited.

“Everywhere I went -- no matter where I went -- everyone asked me where I’m going to school,” Wiggins said. “So now it’s like a big relief, a big weight off my shoulders.”

Judging by Wiggins’ first few days in Lawrence, that pressure could soon return.

A anonymous poster on a Kansas message board somehow figured out Wiggins’ travel plans Sunday and posted his flight information online. When Wiggins landed in Kansas City, a handful of Jayhawks fans were there to greet him at the airport.

About an hour later, when he arrived at his Lawrence apartment for the first time, Wiggins encountered more autograph seekers who had been waiting for him in the parking lot.

Even though Wiggins -- the projected No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft -- has spent much of the past few years in the spotlight, Kansas coach Bill Self said what he’ll experience at KU is “a different level.”

“I kind of feel for him,” Self said. “(He’s got) professional autograph seekers waiting for him every time he steps out of his apartment. He’s going to have to tell people ‘no.’ We’ve got to help him do that.

“Players can have rock star status and whatnot. But this could be kind of ridiculous if he lets it get to him. He just wants to come here and enjoy the summer. Hopefully people will allow him to do that.”

Self said he may ask former Kansas star and current Tulsa head coach Danny Manning to counsel Wiggins about life in the Lawrence limelight.

“Other than Danny, you’d have to go back to Wilt (Chamberlain) to find a guy that had this much fanfare coming in,” Self said. “He’s just a kid. I told him the other night that he hasn’t made a basket yet. The attention he’s received is based on potential. It’s not based on anything he’s done.

“But I think he should welcome the expectations. There’s no reason he should run from them.”

Fans at Wednesday’s scrimmage -- about half of them were kids attending Self’s basketball camp -- began chanting “We Want Wiggins!” shortly before KU’s newest star took the court. He threw down several effortless dunks during the layup line and also displayed the soft outside shooting touch that makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the court.

Wiggins’ slam on a two-on-one break in the game’s opening seconds caused an eruption in the stands. He dunked again moments later after stealing a pass at mid-court.

The rest of the contest was uneventful for Wiggins, who missed four of his final five shots. At times he seemed to lack energy, which is understandable considering a whirlwind last few weeks that included a trip to his native Toronto. The initial plan was for Wiggins to spend the majority of his summer there training for the Canadian National team.

But he changed his mind a few weeks ago and decided not to play for the squad.

“I know that college is a big step from high school,” Wiggins said, “so I wanted to make sure I was ready for it. Coming here early would (enhance) my chances of being ready for college.”

Wiggins said he’s also looking forward to spending time with his older brother, Nick, who plays for Wichita State.

“One of the reasons I came here is to be close to my brother,” Wiggins said. “Me and him are really close. I’ll be able to see him a lot this year. And when my family comes down they won’t have to travel a lot. We’re only (two hours) away from each other.”

Even though it’s likely Wiggins will only spend one season at Kansas, he said he’s confident he’ll enjoy his time in college. He said folks in Lawrence have “shown me nothing but love,” and he’s excited about getting to know his new teammates.

Kansas’ recruiting class is ranked No. 2 in the nation. Besides Wiggins, the Jayhawks signed a pair of potential future first-round draft picks in center Joel Embiid and wing Wayne Selden. Point guard Frank Mason should contend for a starting spot as a freshman and sharpshooters Brannen Greene and Conner Frankamp will provide a nice boost off the bench.

The Jayhawks, who lost all five of last season’s starters, also added Memphis transfer Tarik Black, a senior forward who is likely to open the 2013-14 campaign as a starter.

“It’s an experience I can enjoy,” Wiggins said. “A lot of former players always say that college is a great basketball experience. The fans, going to school, being on campus ... it’s a great vibe. I’m looking forward to it.

“I want to win. I want me and my teammates to go as far as we can and to be the best players that we all can be. And hopefully win a national championship. That’s my main goal.”

1. Kansas coach Bill Self said every newcomer but Andrew Wiggins is on campus and in summer school. He said Wiggins' summer plans are still unresolved. Wiggins may play for the Canadian National team or may not. He is expected on campus soon. Self is already raving about Wayne Selden, one of the six newcomers. This will end up being one of Self's most enjoyable teams. He gets a chance to completely mold this crew in the summer with the comfort of having Wiggins. The Jayhawks won't be dominant, but they will be one of the most intriguing and entertaining teams to watch next season.

2. ACC freshman of the year Olivier Hanlan of Boston College won't go with the Canadian World University Games team to Russia next month. BC coach Steve Donahue said Hanlan was with the Canadian National Team for six days last week, but will spend the rest of the summer working out with the Eagles. Hanlan scored 41 points in an ACC tournament win over Georgia Tech. Hanlan has a chance to get the most out of this summer by working with his national team and better competition, while also spending quality time with his Eagles team that needs to make a move in the ACC and has a real chance to do so with so many returnees.

3. Oklahoma and Wisconsin are taking foreign trips in August, with the Sooners heading to Belgium and France and the Badgers going to Canada. The timing for the trips is crucial for both. Oklahoma is coming off an NCAA tournament season, but is retooling in what should be a Kansas-Oklahoma State-Baylor led Big 12. The Badgers desperately needed prep and games for Josh Gasser as he gets back from an ACL injury. Having this trip will allow Gasser to re-adjust to being the leader on this team. Traevon Jackson was the top playmaker in Gasser's absence. Now the two can attempt to work together. Wisconsin's season ended with a thud, losing to Ole Miss in the NCAA tournament. Playing in Canada in August will be a good precursor to mounting a run back to the NCAAs.

1. UNLV lost another player over the weekend. The latest to depart is Katin Reinhardt, who apparently had issues with the way he was being used by coach Dave Rice and wants to play the point more than shooting guard, Rice told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Reinhardt will have to see if Andy Enfield plays him at the point if ends up at USC, as the Review-Journal reported is a likely destination. Reinhardt shouldn't play immediately (I feel like I have to say that now with everyone getting waivers) and can use the redshirt year to become a point if that's his chosen position. The Runnin' Rebels already lost Anthony Bennett to the NBA draft after one season, and then Mike Moser graduated and transferred to Oregon to play immediately. (UNLV was also set to lose seniors Justin Hawkins and Anthony Marshall.) The Rebels will be scrapping with San Diego State to catch New Mexico and maybe Boise State in the Mountain West. But Rice shouldn't be worried. He needs players who want to be in Las Vegas, and the Rebels have replacements. Bryce Dejean-Jones can play shooting guard. UConn transfer Roscoe Smith had a year to better understand the game and how to play power forward. Depth is available with Carlos Lopez-Sosa and Kendall Smith, who can play either the point or the two for the Rebels. Khem Birch is eligible for a full year and can try to be more assertive offensively and dominant defensively. This team will be in flux, but the pieces are still in play to be an NCAA team.

2. Players don't necessarily have the allegiances that fans do. That's why Antonio Barton has no issues going from Memphis to rival Tennessee. The Vols desperately needed another guard after losing Trae Golden. And of course the Vols are now a beneficiary of the new free agency in college basketball. "It's safe to say kids are more concerned with the best opportunity,'' Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin said about players holding rivalry grudges. As for picking up players on the fly, Martin said, "Free agency, it's a tough call. We're on the good side of free agency. I think a lot of mid-major programs are affected by the market.'' Martin used to be the coach at Missouri State and knows all too well about life at a lower level.

3. Former Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said on our college basketball podcast Friday that Caris LeVert is ready for a breakthrough season in 2013-14. Hardaway heaped high praise on LeVert. Meanwhile, Kansas coach Bill Self hit on a number of topics, including Ben McLemore, a recruiting class that he said had tremendous promise even before Andrew Wiggins signed, and coaching Wiggins next season. You can listen to the podcast here.

It's an exciting time to be a Kansas fan.

That sounds a little silly, doesn't it? Really, when isn't it a good time to be a Kansas fan? In 10 seasons under Bill Self, the Jayhawks have won or shared the last nine Big 12 regular-season titles, a ridiculous streak no program in the country, not even the most dominant mid-majors, can match. They've won six conference tournament titles, and averaged 30.6 wins per season in that span. In 2008, Kansas won the program's third national title thanks to one of the most thrilling shots in college hoops history. They've been seeded No. 1 in the NCAA tournament bracket in five of the last seven seasons.

This success didn't come after some extended period of suffering; it came after an already very successful coach (Roy Williams) made the difficult decision to take his dream job (North Carolina), which ended up working out for everyone. The Jayhawks play in arguably the best -- and probably the loudest -- building in the country. "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" is one of the best sporting songs this side of English football.

Should we go on? The point is, it's always good to be a Kansas fan. Even in the darkest, Ali Farokhmanesh-induced days, the Jayhawks faithful have it better than just about any other program in the country.

And despite all that, I am still willing to argue that this is an especially exciting time for Kansas, mostly thanks to two words:

Andrew Wiggins.

Before Wiggins' commitment, Kansas was losing all five of its starters -- four seniors and a freshman who might be the No. 1 overall pick -- and replacing them with a handful of minor contributors and a crop of talented but hardly overwhelming talent. Marcus Smart was back at Oklahoma State and gunning for a conference title. The notion that 2013-14 would be the year Kansas' force-choke grip on the Big 12 finally loosened ran rampant through the college basketball cognoscenti.

After Wiggins' commitment, followed by the news that Memphis senior forward Tarik Black would also join up, the whole notion seemed laughable. Self had already reloaded with a very good recruiting class, including Joel Embiid, the No. 1 center, and Wayne Selden, the No. 4 small forward. Then he added a highly skilled 2-3-4 hybrid with handles and a 3-point shot.

It would be easy, given Wiggins' recruitment and the accompanying giddiness, to assume the hardest part of Self's job was over. False. In its own way, this season may be the toughest challenge of Self's already illustrious career. This isn't the usual Jayhawks' reload. Typically, when a score of players leaves Lawrence for NBA glory, Self replaces them with a crop of fully ripened second-, third-, and fourth-year players who can play his high-low offense from sheer muscle memory. The Jayhawks have had one-and-dones, but in an now seven-year era culturally dominated by eight-month players, Self has more often achieved success by unleashing the Thomas Robinsons and Jeff Witheys of the world after two or three seasons on the bench.

He won't have that luxury this season. He will be playing more freshmen at the same time than at any point in recent memory.

Because of those freshmen, it has been easy to gloss over how important Kansas' returning players always are to the Jayhawks' success, and how little that will change next season. There are three returning contributors likely to play big minutes: sophomore forwards Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor, and junior guard Naadir Tharpe.

Tharpe is easily the most important of the three.

That's not to say he's the best. Ellis, a four-time class 6A Kansas state champion at Wichita Heights High School, had by far the most efficient season of the three in his rookie campaign, posting a 114.1 usage rate and comparable offensive and defensive rebounding percentages to Withey. He played just 33.4 percent of the Jayhawks' available minutes, and he struggled at times, but more often than not he was good. He will be good. Traylor, for his part, is extremely raw and athletic, which also makes him extremely exciting.

But Ellis and Traylor are forwards and with Wiggins, Black, Selden and Embiid, Kansas has at least four guys who can play some combination of the traditional 3, 4, and 5 spots. Ellis will play plenty; he's something close to a lock to start at the power forward spot, thanks to systemic experience alone. It's not that Ellis isn't good. It's that Self doesn't need Ellis to be good -- at least as much as he needs Tharpe.

That's because Tharpe is a veteran point guard on a team noticeably short on both veterans and point guards. Unless mostly untouted freshman Frank Mason surprises, four-star freshman Connor Frankamp, the No. 10 ranked point in the class, is the only other option at the spot.

That sound you heard was Kansas fans collectively shuddering. Tharpe is that kind of player -- clearly talented, clearly getting better, still maddeningly frustrating. His, ahem, nadir (sorry, but it had to happen eventually) last season came in Kansas' loss at TCU, when he finished 1-of-15 on some of the least-advised late-game shots you'll ever see. Tharpe wasn't that bad, obviously, but he was never a really efficient player; he finished with a 99.9 offensive rating, shooting 35.8 percent from inside the arc and 33.0 percent from beyond. Likewise, while he assisted on 28.3 percent of his possessions, he turned the ball over on 21.1 of them. At times, it seemed the only thing keeping Tharpe off the bench was senior guard Elijah Johnson's profound struggles.

For Kansas to legitimately contend as a national title candidate, Tharpe will have to be better. The good news? He won't have to score. Not with Wiggins and Selden, Embiid, Ellis and Black. However, what Tharpe will have to do is arguably just as important. He'll have to play great defense at the point of attack. He'll have to avoid turnovers. He'll have to hit the occasional outside shot. And he'll have to lead Kansas on the break, when it can avoid getting bogged down in the crowded half court, and most effectively unleash Wiggins' massive ability.

The first three, if not givens, seem eminently achievable. The fast-breaking responsibilities are the biggest concern. Last season, per Synergy scouting data, Tharpe ranked in the seventh percentile in the country in transition efficiency. Overall, Tharpe averaged just 0.654 points per transition possession. As the ballhandler, he averaged .821 -- better, but average at best.

Tharpe will have the luxury of playing alongside a swath of talented big men and probably the best amateur basketball player on earth. He won't have to do everything; he won't even have to do all that much. What he will have to do is make good decisions, particularly on the break.

The 2013-14 season is new territory for both Self and the Jayhawks. It is extremely exciting, yes, but like anything worth getting excited about, it's a little scary, too. Tharpe is a three-year veteran at a veteran-led program that is suddenly devoid of veterans, in the most important position on the floor. It's his job to minimize the scary parts and maximize the excitement, to represent the solidity that has defined Kansas in one of the more successful decades in the sport's history.

It's a different kind of pressure than what Wiggins will face -- but it is pressure all the same.

Remember when the 2013-14 Kansas Jayhawks were going to be a shaky proposition? I do!

Just two weeks ago, Kansas was the team losing all five of last season's starters, among them four seniors and one freshman top-five draft pick. Left in their wake was an unusually young team. Sophomore Perry Ellis would have to be a star. Naadir Tharpe would have to develop into a less erratic distributor. A crop of promising freshmen would have to step up right away.

After nine straight titles, Kansas' stranglehold on the top of the Big 12 must be taken as an article of faith. But with Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart back, and Baylor looking plenty talented in its own right, said stranglehold appeared to be straining at the knuckles. Would this finally be the year?

Those were the days, weren't they? Of course, that was before Kansas landed arguably the best young prospect in the past decade in Andrew Wiggins, and also before Monday evening's news that Memphis senior Tarik Black had chosen to play his final year of collegiate eligibility -- available immediately via the graduate transfer exemption -- in Lawrence, Kan.

Black's decision is more icing than cake. Whereas Wiggins was a revolutionary addition, by all accounts the type of player who could have lifted an 18-16 Florida State team into ACC title contention, Black is merely a nice bonus. Which is not to say he isn't talented. He is, and always has been. But after arriving as a highly touted prospect, he was disappointing in three seasons at Memphis, primarily thanks to his inability to stay out of foul trouble. Over three seasons, Black averaged 5.7 fouls per 40 minutes. His lowest rate, 5.1 as a sophomore in 2011-12, also coincided with his most efficient performances. His 68.9 effective field goal percentage was the second-highest in the country that season.

Whether or not Black will be able to stay on the court long enough to put his combination of skills and size to work is an open question, but it's almost beside the point. Kansas needed another big body, not a star, and preferably a veteran. Black should be able to play 20-25 effective minutes, when he can take some pressure off the nation's top-ranked incoming center, Joel Embiid. That's a baseline expectation KU coach Bill Self would surely be happy with. Anything else is, again, a bonus.

In any case, any thoughts you might have had about the Jayhawks two weeks ago are essentially irrelevant. Kansas is still young, sure, but not as young as it was. It is more talented than ever now, with the exact thing it lacked -- a veteran in the frontcourt -- signed up for the ride. The end result is another KU team that will enter the season as the Big 12 favorite and a national title contenders. Same as it ever was.

Kansas coach Bill Self dishes on Andrew Wiggins' decision to join the Jayhawks, Wiggins' potential, the one-and-done rule and more.

There was some very big news on the recruiting front Monday: Andrew Wiggins, the top prep player in a loaded 2014 class and by many accounts the best since Kevin Durant, announced the cancellation of his remaining home visits with North Carolina, Kansas, and Florida State, according to CBS' Jeff Goodman.

Kentucky coach John Calipari did in fact enjoy a home visit with Wiggins, a bonus the rest of the coaches competing for his services will not have. Calipari has already put together one of the best (if not the best) recruiting classes in the modern history of the sport. The most predictable outcome, that Wiggins would choose to play for a national title for the coach that has landed more top prospects than any other in the past five seasons, now appears to be a mere step or two away from completion.

I mean, let's be serious: It's over, right?

Maybe not! From Jeff Borzello:

“It means nothing,” Rob Fulford told CBSSports.com Monday morning. “He's just tired. He doesn't want to deal with it.” Wiggins played for the World Team at the Nike Hoop Summit this past weekend, and is still stuck in Portland after his flight home was canceled. “He's just drained. He is shutting it down.”

Of course, a high school coach saying a development in his player's recruiting decision had no meaning even though it really did would be less surprising than Wiggins ending up playing for Kentucky. (I'm trying to think of the last time a top prospect was well and truly pursued by a Worldwide Wes-backed Calipari and ended up playing somewhere else. The list isn't long.)

That's how these things work. Everything is accorded an undue amount of suspense. Every tiny development is scrutinized on the Internet. Every wave of scrutiny is immediately dismissed, and then the cycle begins anew. Throw in every fan base taking to comment sections and message boards to tell you why a kid will definitely no doubt about it choose my school and here's why, and the better the player, bigger the mess.

Personally, I can't help but think Wiggins' in-home recruiting thing is an important piece of information, because college basketball recruiting is a marketplace of respect, and that works both ways: You better believe Roy Williams, Bill Self and Leonard Hamilton would like their crack at the classic living room pitch. (I bet all three have some unreal living-room stuff in their repertoire. I would pay for tapes.) But I also don't know. Maybe Wiggins made up his mind in the opposite direction! Maybe he's introverted and would prefer to discuss these things via an IRC chat room. Or maybe he really is just exhausted.

Kentucky fans are seeming somewhat triumphal today, and understandably so. But -- as is always the case with recruiting -- it's probably best to save any such emotion until things are really, officially done. No one, save Andrew Wiggins, really knows.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Seven-foot Kansas center Jeff Withey couldn’t help but do a double-take when he spotted Michigan’s Mitch McGary in the bowels of Cowboys Stadium Friday.

“He’s not as tall as I thought,” Withey said of the 6-foot-10 McGary. “But he definitely looks strong.”

Indeed, McGary -- who had started just two games all season before last week -- has been one of the top performers in the NCAA tournament thus far. He averaged 17 points and 11.5 rebounds in victories over South Dakota State and VCU to help Michigan advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 19 years.

His matchup against Withey in Friday’s Sweet 16 showdown could be one of the more entertaining battles of the evening.

“[McGary] brings intensity to the game,” Wolverines point guard Trey Burke said. “He’s kind of like our X factor. He’s the guy that gives us the spark and makes our engine run in the frontcourt.”

McGary’s biggest test to date will come against Withey, the second-leading shot-blocker in NCAA tournament history. Withey may have a few inches on McGary, but there aren’t many players in all of college basketball as thick and strong and agile as the UM freshman, who weighs 250 pounds.

“I guess I kind of have a football mentality,” McGary said. “I played it growing up, but that’s my mentality. I’m just a hard-nosed, blue-collar guy who likes to do the nitty-gritty stuff.”

The attitude is fitting for where McGary plays, as Michigan natives have always adored physical bruisers such as Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Rick Mahorn.

McGary certainly commanded Withey’s attention during film sessions last week.

“Just how physical he is and how hard he plays,” said Withey when asked what impressed him the most about McGary. “He loves to dive after loose balls and he loves to screen people. He likes to hit [people].

“I’m used to getting hit and whatnot. I’m not worried about that.”

Michigan coach John Beilein is counting on McGary to do everything he can to neutralize -- or at least limit -- Withey on both ends of the floor. ESPN.com’s Big 12 Player of the year, Withey averages 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks. He had 16 points, 16 rebounds and five swats in Sunday’s victory over North Carolina.

“You run a beautiful play,” Beilein said, “it couldn’t be run better, and he somehow blocks a shot and they’re going the other way. It can be very deflating to a team.”

WHO TO WATCH

Burke, Michigan's point guard, averages 18.8 points and 6.7 assists per game and leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. “He’s the national player of the year,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “He deserves it. He’ll get it. I think he’s terrific.” KU's Ben McLemore is a projected top-five pick in this summer’s NBA draft, but he’s averaging just seven points in his last four games.

WHAT TO WATCH

Michigan, which is making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1994, was ranked No. 1 in early February but hasn’t played as well down the stretch. The Wolverines lost five of their final 10 regular-season games and ended up with the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Kansas, which has a huge alumni base in Dallas-Fort Worth, will have the homecourt advantage.

STAT TO WATCH

Kansas ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.7 percent) ... Jayhawks coach Bill Self has won 300 games and counting during his 10 seasons in Lawrence for an average of 30 wins per year ... All of Michigan’s key players are non-seniors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- He’s the projected No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft, the leading scorer for one of the nation’s top teams and the latest Kansas Jayhawk to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

For Ben McLemore, though, none of that mattered in a 70-58 victory over North Carolina on Sunday, when the All-American candidate spent most of the second half on the bench.

The reasoning was simple.

“We were better without him,” KU coach Bill Self said.

The comment wasn't a jab at McLemore. No player is immune to a bad game. Not even a star freshman such as McLemore. Instead, Self's words were a testament to why the Jayhawks are one of the most dangerous teams remaining in the NCAA tournament and a favorite to reach the Final Four.

On a night when McLemore scored just two points, Kansas turned to its other secret weapon -- its experience -- to defeat the Tar Heels and advance to the Sweet 16. Travis Releford scored 22 points and Jeff Withey added 16 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks to propel the Jayhawks in front of more than 18,000 fans at the Sprint Center.

Seniors Kevin Young (10 points, nine rebounds) and Elijah Johnson (four assists) also made huge contributions for a KU team that trailed 30-21 at halftime.

The gutsy effort shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering all four seniors played significant roles in last season’s march to the NCAA title game, where the Jayhawks lost to Kentucky.

“We have toughness,” Withey said. “We know what it takes to win a game. You can see that just by the way we played in the second half. All four of us -- we didn’t want it to be over.”

But it almost was following one of Kansas’ most woeful first halves of the season. The Jayhawks missed 12 of their first 13 field goal attempts en route to a 7-of-28 performance in the opening stanza. North Carolina forced KU into 12 first-half turnovers, which resulted in a 30-21 Tar Heels lead at intermission.

“We were sped up,” Self said. “Our guys care so much, and sometimes when you care as much as our guys, you played tight.”

Self tried to fire up his squad at halftime, but just as they would do later on the court, KU’s seniors were the ones who made the biggest difference in the locker room.

Withey singled out nearly every member of the team, pointing at them and screaming, “Is this how you want it to end?”

Releford made sure his voice was heard, too.

“This could be our last 20 minutes,” he said he shouted at his teammates. “We can go out there and leave it all on the court or we can roll over like we did in the first half.”

Releford’s speech made a huge impact.

“It did a lot,” KU guard Naadir Tharpe said. “It woke us up.”

Apparently.

Johnson’s 3-pointer early in the second half forced a 35-35 tie and ignited a 38-23 game-ending run for Kansas. Withey was dominant in the paint, Young played lockdown defense on P.J. Hairston and Releford limited UNC standout Reggie Bullock to five points, nearly 10 below his average.

“That was the best game he’s played in a Kansas uniform,” Self said of Releford, who was playing before his hometown fans in his native Kansas City.

McLemore, who entered the game averaging 16.2 points, played just six minutes in the second half and finished with a season-low two points, both of which came on free throws. He was 0-for-9 from the field.

“I think it’s exciting for our team to know that you can win a game like this and have your leading scorer not make a basket,” Self said.

Self knows that probably wouldn’t have happened if Kansas didn’t boast such a senior-laden roster. And it’s no secret that the teams with the most experience are usually the ones that advance the furthest in the NCAA tournament.

The Jayhawks won the 2008 championship with a veteran cast that included Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun. Tyler Hansbrough led UNC to the title as a senior in 2009. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith did the same for Duke a year later and Connecticut wouldn’t have won the 2011 championship without junior guard Kemba Walker.

Even last year’s Kentucky team -- which was heavy on freshmen -- boasted a trio of veterans in Darius Miller, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb.

“[Experience] brings a calm,” said Johnson, who has now played in 13 NCAA tournament games. “It brings more leadership. It brings a lot of things to the table. It brings things that younger players don’t have.”

Pleased as they were with Sunday’s victory, the Jayhawks know their chances of continuing to advance will be slim if McLemore doesn’t break out of his slump. In 10 of his past 11 games, McLemore’s point total has been less than that of his season average of 16.2. McLemore is shooting just 42.4 percent in those 10 contests, and only 34.6 percent from 3-point range.

“That’s going to happen with a freshman,” Withey said. “He’s going to be up and down. We know that. We need him to be ready for the next game. He’s still a stud, still a top-five pick in the NBA draft. It’s all a mindset.

“Thank God we have a week to prepare for this next one. We need him to be firing on all cylinders.”

That would help.

But even if McLemore isn’t, it’d be foolish to count out Kansas.

Just ask North Carolina.