LJWorld.com

First of all: a shout out to ESPN360. Since I'm been far away from Larry air, the ability to catch all the games had been impossible. Not no more!

So, how do the 'Hawks look so far? Who's wowing, who's struggling, why?

I've been impressed by a number of things, but at the top of the list has to be the physical condition of the entire team. The boys are bulky and cut! Anyone remember what we looked like standing next to MSU last year? I wonder if that was a prime incentive to hit the weight room. The twins, Cole, and Tyshawn are noticeably more thick and muscular, Sherron looks like he's in his best shape ever, and X......? He has to be the most impressively built freshman I've ever seen. If he came from the Dominican Republic everyone would be suspicious that he was actually 25, for cryin' out loud.

Number two on my list goes right back to the X-Man: Kid can ball. And he might be the purest shooter KU's had since......who? Ron Kellogg, maybe? With Memphis the only solid opponent thus far it's too soon to tell, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict X is going to end up being the best freshman since Danny. He's strong, fast, athletic and when coupled with Cole I think they'll prove to be the toughest match-up tandem in the country.

Number three: the Twins have markedly improved. I was never one of the people down on them last year, freshmen will be freshmen and I thought they and Taylor played phenomenally for the minutes that were thrust upon them. But the bro's hit the weights and worked on their games, no question. They've honed new moves to create space for shots and are attacking with more aggression and power to the rim. That equals a ridiculously strong front-court for the 'Hawks this year.

Number four: the role players look like they'll be impact players as well. Elijah, Robinson, Teahan, and Reed all wield a myriad of intangibles when they hit the floor and will be vital to the success of the season. They all have hiccups to cure: Elijah needs to learn to control the throttle, Robinson needs to control the foul rate, and Teahan will be out-matched against quicker guards. Reed hasn't been shooting that well so far but he's a gym rat, he'll bounce. But each one of these players can get to double figures scoring and all are strong rebounders regardless of size (Robinson's a beast on the glass! That'll be invaluable in Big 12 play if he starts hitting his throws).

Negatives thus far? We've gotten pretty sloppy on occasion, need to clean it up, that was a problem last year, too. Could be a reflection on the opponents to date, playing down, easing up, ......but that won't matter to Coach.

Taylor's slow start. I believe he'll be fine, but he seems like a player better suited to a style of play more akin to Mizzou's chaos-theory rather than a half-court player. I think he'll shine from time to time, particularly when we play an up-tempo team or style of game.

Mid-range shooting. This could purely be my issue, this aspect of the game always concerns me as it seems to fade a little each year. Players tend to park behind the 3-line and forget how to dribble drive for a solid bank shot when the D gets tighter. This could also be a reflection of the opponents and hasn't been neccesary yet. We'll see. And it hasn't been all bad. The twins are solid 12 and in, Collins is usually money, and X can shoot anywhere.

Nitpick: with the added bulk I'm a little concerned about a drop in speed/quickness. I haven't seen evidence of this, mind you, just a thought.

The way the schedule is shaping out it looks like Tennessee will be our toughest non-con foe and might be the quickest, most athletic team we face all year. That's the game I'm really looking forward to for a solid guage of this team's abilities: on the road, incredibly hostile environment, prime time game vs. a Great 8 caliber team; that's a steak and scotch kinda game! The best part of all this? Watching the team improve as the season goes along. The mark of a great coach is how much better his team is at the end of the season compared to the beginning of the season. Coach Self, just like Roy, almost always accomplishes this feat. And for me, it's fun to watch the progression.

Go 'Hawks!