Iba: Early departures will hurt Kansas

There is no doubt Pittsburg State basketball coach Gene Iba likes what he sees in this year’s Kansas University team.

He’s just disappointed that he’ll never be able to see what they could become.

“I’ve told several people that it will take some time because they’re young,” Iba said, “but if this group were to stay around for the length of time that you’re supposed to stay around, it would be as good of a team as there has ever been here.”

With the tradition of Kansas basketball as strong as any program in the country, those words would mean so much more without the disclaimer.

But Iba, like KU coach Bill Self, knows it is likely that many on the roster will not finish their four years of eligibility.

“That’s probably not going to happen, and it’s a real problem,” Iba said. “It’s gotten now where major Division I teams are nothing more than advanced junior-college teams, because kids only stay a couple of years and go.”

When Iba was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State in the 1960s — under his uncle and legendary coach Henry Iba — college teams could focus more on developing players.

Not so in today’s age, with many underclassmen opting for the glamour, glitz and green of the NBA.

“You’ve got to get them to play,” Gene Iba said of Kansas’ younger players. “That’s a very talented team. They obviously are not where they want to be, but they’re pretty good.”

Iba also experienced the Division I ranks as coach at Baylor from 1986 to 1992, compiling a 98-107 record.

The coach said many of his team’s struggles on offense — Pittsburg State scored just 47 points and made only 12 field goals — were caused by the talented Jayhawks.

“They’re very athletic, they’re very energetic, they’re big,” Iba said. “Those are three pretty hard combinations to deal with.”

The Kansas defense also was able to hold down Division II All-American Eddie Jackson.

The senior guard, who averaged 21.1 points last season, managed just six points on 2-of-7 shooting Monday.

“I just wasn’t on my game,” Jackson said. “I feel like I can score against anybody, and I just didn’t do it tonight.”

Though he never did get into a rhythm, Jackson said he didn’t feel nervous playing in front of the large crowd at the Fieldhouse.

“I don’t want to lie: I never have jitters,” Jackson said. “I like big-time games like this. We just didn’t execute.”

Much like his coach, Jackson said he could see a great future for this group of Jayhawks.

That is, if the players themselves stay around long enough to experience it.

“I think they’re good,” Jackson said, “but I think they’re still learning like we are.”