@JhawkAlum the 2012 team absolutely did. Sure we had Trob and Tyshawn, but this years team bears a striking resemblance to that team as far as toughness goes. No we dont have a TRob but we have pieced together a front court out of Lucas, Mickelson and Traylor. We also have 2 point guards that are waaaaay better than Tyshawn and Elijah. As @jaybate-1.0 said earlier, we get Perry back and he is good? Everyone else better watch out. Cuz KU is comin and they wont take prisoners. He is also right about the majority of it hinging on Perry's return and how healed up he is.

@jaybate-1.0 Fascinating stuff about WWII tactics of the Marauders. I wish I knew more about Perry's knee. But, he was out there in warm up sweats, thats better than street clothes right? Maybe the Docs will clear him to play by next week. Maybe Coach held him out of the TCU game, just as insurance. Give him a solid knee brace and I bet he can play. He might not be as effective off the bounce but he could play. Of course playing injured gives a greater chance of getting injured more seriously.
Coach Self has to piece together his line ups and play Bad Ball with an injured team. "We're just kind of make-shifting," Self said. "Today was a good game for us in this regard because we had to play a way we haven't practiced very much at all."
Our guys are tough as nails, they wont lay down for anyone. An injured animal is more dangerous backed into a corner, and our Jayhawks are dangerous.

@Crimsonorblue22 Truth.

@JhawkAlum My opinion, Toughness. That and More Toughness. Those guys wont back down from anyone again. Also, Coach Self absolutely has adjusted. See @jaybate-1.0 s posts on "BAD BALL"

KU can absolutely get to the elite 8 this year. It all depends on match ups, luck and some hot shooting from our boys, Yes I think the lid will come off the bucket soon.

@Crimsonorblue22 You are right, we have. And, Self > Drew. We all know that. But, if Perry is still out, Im wondering if our chances against Baylor will be negative.

@Shanghai_RCJH Dont forget about Svi, He will be better next season. I also think Brannen is back next year. Why would he go? Unless we get a super stud on the wing like Wigs or Oubre or Ben.

@jaybate-1.0 Bad Ball, I swear you need to patent that and sell it to Div 1 teams who come up short in recruiting. Basically everyone cept UK and Dook and AZ.

Glad our boys won today, survive and advance! Can we beat Baylor a 3rd time?
I like our chances but wont be surprised if the Bears beat us. The only guys we have that can keep their big PF off the glass and body up to him are Landen and...Landen. Maybe Mickelson.

@BeddieKU23 Plus their toughness quotient will be even bigger next season. I hate to look forward already with this season not over yet but I cant help it. Im curious.

@JayHawkFanToo Granted this is a basketball and sports forum, not really a politics forum. But my two cents... professional politicians are just killing this country. Citizen legislators with a true sense of what the real needs of people in this country are, instead of special interests and their own pocket books, etc. Its lame. Im so cynical in regards to ALL politicians not just the right or left. Everyone. They can all go suck a you know what honker

As the speculation draws closer about who will join Kentucky as a No. 1 seed when the NCAA men's tournament bracket is unveiled Sunday evening, it’s never too early to start looking to the future -- and who will be fighting for top seeds in 2016.

It’s not quite so easy with the uncertainty of who is leaving for the NBA draft, and also because eight of the top dozen recruits still haven’t announced their intentions on where they will play.

However, here’s our best stab at who winds up getting the No. 1 seeds, and also who earns Nos. 2-4, a year from now.

No. 1s
Kentucky Wildcats

It doesn’t matter who stays and leaves anymore. John Calipari just flat-out reloads and has more talent than everyone else. Look for Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns to leave for the NBA draft. Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Dakari Johnson and the Harrison twins all could join them. But my guess is that a couple of those guys (i.e., Johnson and Andrew and Aaron Harrison) will come back, and stay with Tyler Ulis, Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee.

Calipari has three guys signed for next season in skilled forward Skal Labissiere, point guard Isaiah Briscoe and wing Charles Matthews. And they are in the mix for several remaining uncommitted high-level guys who could be immediate difference-makers. UK as a No. 1 seed shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Virginia Cavaliers

Tony Bennett could well bring back everyone except for senior Darion Atkins, who was a key piece, but not one that can’t be replaced. There’s also a chance that junior wing Justin Anderson leaves for the NBA draft, but that’s up in the air after his broken finger and then an appendectomy in the second half of the season. If Anderson does return, the Cavaliers will have everyone of note back except for Atkins from a team that has lost just twice this season.

Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill will be fifth-year seniors while Anderson, Mike Tobey and Evan Nolte will be true seniors. London Perrantes will be an upperclassman, and freshmen Marial Shayok, Devon Hall and Isaiah Wilkins all received experience this season. Virginia has been the cream of the crop the past two years, and it might stretch into a third season.

Kansas Jayhawks

Bill Self won his 11th consecutive Big 12 title this season, and he did it without getting a ton from his heralded freshman class. Kelly Oubre is likely a one-and-done, and Cliff Alexander also could be history after one ho-hum campaign. However, as long as Perry Ellis returns, which is a flip of the coin, the Jayhawks will be better next season.

Ellis and Jamari Traylor will be seniors; Wayne Selden Jr., Frank Mason and Brannen Greene will be juniors; and Devonte Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk have a year under their belts. Hunter Mickelson and Landen Lucas will provide depth up front. The Jayhawks also already have skilled forward Carlton Bragg coming in, but it will be interesting to see his impact, especially if Ellis returns. I would also expect Self and Co. to add another impact freshman or two. The top candidates are big men Stephen Zimmerman, Cheick Diallo and Ivan Rabb, or scorers Malik Newman, Jaylen Brown and Brandon Ingram.

Iowa State Cyclones

This one probably hinges as much on whether Fred Hoiberg sticks around as coach and doesn’t take an NBA gig as anything. The Cyclones will lose Bryce Dejean-Jones and Dustin Hogue, but will bring back their best player in Georges Niang, one of the nation’s top point guards in Monte Morris and athletic big man Jameel McKay.

Iowa State will also return shooter Naz Long and Abdel Nader and add Oregon State transfer Hallice Cooke and Marquette transfer Deonte Burton. Also, don’t be surprised if Hoiberg and his staff add a fifth-year transfer who is eligible immediately.

No. 2s
North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels don’t add much, but may not lose anything, either. Marcus Paige should be healthy and will be a senior, and coach Roy Williams should bring back all of his top big men in Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Joel James. J.P. Tokoto will be a senior, and guys like Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson and Joel Berry all have a year under their belts. I’m not sure this team can cut down the nets, but the Tar Heels should still be a top-10 team.

Duke Blue Devils

The Blue Devils will lose Jahlil Okafor and maybe Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. My gut says that Jones will return, and then coach Mike Krzyzewski likely will go small with a bunch of quality wings on the team. He’ll bring back Matt Jones and Grayson Allen, and will add a talented, versatile freshman in Luke Kennard. Amile Jefferson will be a senior, but the key will be whether Marshall Plumlee and freshman Chase Jeter can hold it down up front. There’s also a chance that Duke adds uncommitted big man Caleb Swanigan, a strong, physical guy who could help right away.

Maryland Terrapins

The Terps will lose Dez Wells, but coach Mark Turgeon will likely have a returning core that includes Melo Trimble and Jake Layman. He’ll also have a quality big man in Robert Carter, who averaged 11.4 points and 8.4 rebounds a year ago at Georgia Tech. Dion Wiley and Jared Nickens likely will see expanded roles, and Michal Cekovsky should see a jump in performance into his sophomore campaign. The Big Ten won’t be overpowering, either, so the Terps have a chance to win the league.

LSU Tigers

This may depend on whether Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey return, but neither is a lock to go in the first round of the draft. The Tigers will add the top-rated freshman in the country in Aussie Ben Simmons, so the front line could wind up being insane with Simmons, Martin and Mickey. The backcourt will also receive a jolt with the addition of scoring guard Antonio Blakeney, who will push Keith Hornsby. The key, however, will come at the point, where Josh Gray has been inconsistent this season after coming from the junior college ranks.

No. 3s
Gonzaga Bulldogs

The ‘Zags will have a tough time replacing the senior backcourt of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr., but Josh Perkins and Silas Melson are talented and Eric McClellan is a veteran who has produced on the floor at Tulsa and Vandy. The frontcourt is as good as just about any with Przemek Karnowski, Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer, and they also have veteran Kyle Dranginis back.

Syracuse Orange

I know, this one is somewhat surprising. However, Chris McCullough will return healthy and the ‘Cuse could have oft-injured DaJuan Coleman back as well. Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije will be seniors, and Kaleb Joseph should be better after an up-and-down freshman campaign. The Orange also bring back Tyler Roberson and add four top-100 recruits in wing Malachi Richardson, who has size and can really shoot it, combo guard Franklin Howard, big man Moustapha Diagne and shooter Tyler Lydon.

Villanova Wildcats

The Wildcats will lose JayVaughn Pinkston and Darrun Hilliard, but will have leader/point guard Ryan Arcidiacono back as well as Daniel Ochefu, Dylan Ennis, Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Phil Booth. ‘Nova will again be the class of the Big East. Coach Jay Wright also adds arguably the best point guard in the country in Jalen Brunson.

Wichita State Shockers

Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet are back, which means that the Shockers again will be the team to beat in the Missouri Valley. Coach Gregg Marshall will need to find a big man to replace Darius Carter, but he does add Kansas transfer Connor Frankamp and also top-100 recruit Markis McDuffie.

No. 4s
Michigan Wolverines

This one hinges on whether Caris LeVert returns to Ann Arbor. After he suffered a broken bone in his foot, I’m going to take a stab that he comes back for his senior year. With LeVert and Derrick Walton Jr. healthy, and Zak Irvin and Spike Albrecht in the fold as veterans, coach John Beilein should have the Wolverines nationally relevant again. Big men Mark Donnal and Ricky Doyle should be much further along after a year of playing time.

Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats will lose a ton -- likely their entire starting unit -- but coach Sean Miller still will have guys like Dusan Ristic, Gabe York, Elliott Pitts and Parker Jackson-Cartwright, and he also is bringing in a talented freshman class, led by scoring wing Allonzo Trier, Justin Simon and Ray Smith. Arizona may also add big man Ivan Rabb, will have BC transfer Ryan Anderson and scoring guard Kadeem Allen eligible. The ‘Cats will take a dip, but still can compete for the Pac-12 crown.

Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies are a fringe tourney team this season, but will return Danuel House, Alex Caruso and Jalen Jones -- all of whom have been in college for at least three years. Coach Billy Kennedy also brings in a talented recruiting class that includes big men Tyler Davis and Elijah Thomas, along with wings D.J. Hogg and Admon Gilder. All four players are ranked in the top 75.

Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals likely will lose Montrezl Harrell, but don’t be shocked if Rick Pitino gets Terry Rozier back. He’s a fringe first-rounder. They also will add talented wing Donovan Mitchell and have Quentin Snider returning. Then the key will be whether the Cards can find a big man to step up. Pitino can coach, so I think he’ll find a way to keep this team among the nation’s top 15 or so.

@drgnslayr That just doesnt seem right, I would also think KU would be tops in selling stuff for the conference at least!

@Crimsonorblue22 I think its a great idea! I can see that being a very good thing and a step in the right direction.

@wrwlumpy Dont worry, you werent the only one. For a while there, i thought we were all guys on here too. Is that chauvinistic or just naive/ignorant?

@nuleafjhawk @drgnslayr Yes, KU has been consistently inconsistent this year. Can they put together a 6 game run? Dunno. That term above reminds me of a term we use in Cardiology for an abnormal heart beat. Atrial Fibrillation or AFib for short. The heart rhythm is literally irregularly irregular.
SO, this team is now dubbed the Afib team of '15

@drgnslayr Yah I am nervous, very nervous for The Madness. I just dont see us losing game one of the conference tourney no matter who it is. Game two? Yah sure.
The second game of the NCAA's? To me it depends on who is at least 90% healed, who is dialed it and how Coach lets his guys play. Thats an awful lot of what ifs. I just dont know.
That said, I am still very excited to see them play and hopeful that they can get past the first weekend.

No matter what. I am a proud Jayhawk fan, always will be. And, there is Always next season.

@jaybate-1.0 I like it! I like it aloot! I realize that some of your description here might be a bit of a stretch, or a bit of tongue and cheek. But I also see the actual potential here too. Especially with Landen and Mickey!! Dude, those guys were all out beast mode for us at OU.

@Jyhwk_InTigrtwn Has noone heard my cheering version before?

@Crimsonorblue22 Good write on Traylor. The guy needs to be even more killer the next 4-8 games. However much we can pull off. But then again so does Landen and Ellis and Mickey Its basically a forgone conclusion that we wont be seeing Cliff again. SO here's to hoping our underdog and undersized front line can be the Marine platoons front line on its way to Mytikina in how eloquently @jaybate-1.0 describes our figurative and literal up hill battle in the Madness.

@JayHawkFanToo Yah, knowing absolutely nothing about the politics/procedure involved with this type of stuff, I just feel like Cliff is done dudes.

He hasnt really impressed me at all, I kinda feel like I did with Josh Selby.

@jaybate-1.0 Raaah Raaah Reee, kickem in the knee! Raaah Raaah Rass, kickem in the other knee!

@wrwlumpy Superman!

@Lulufulu I was joking....a lot.

@drgnslayr Im cool with giving KU the title in 03, circumstantially of course.

@wrwlumpy Lets hope SMU doesnt get the snub this year and actually gets in the NCAA's

@HighEliteMajor HA!

@BeddieKU23 I hope Kstate gets beat in the first round by TCU, badly. We can beat either team, it doesnt matter which one we face in our first game. Texas will probly beat Tech, although Id like to see Tech beat Texas.

Baylor is peaking but WVU is tough as nails. I'll say Baylor wins. That guy they have that should be a football player? WVU doesnt have anyone to stop him and if Baylor can beat their press, they'll just feed the big boy inside all game.

Iowa State should win their first game, regardless who they play.

OU should beat Okie state.

Next round --

Baylor against KU. Tough game without Cliff being there and Perry being injured. If Perry is fine then we can win. If not, then it'll be really hard for KU to win. Lucas and Mickelson will both have to be huge again for us. Our guards will need to stay FOCUSED( Brannen) and not turn the ball over and make their average % of treys to win. I think Baylor beats us.

@jaybate-1.0 Hey man, it looks like your 8-10 loss season will happen. You called it. That said, I still think we have the ability to overachieve this season. Noone expected KU to win the conference and we did. Noone expects KU to get past the first round of the NCAA's. Those boys will use that as motivation. Tell them what they can't do and they will.

Iowa state vs OU. My gut says OU will beat them in revenge for their last game.

Baylor Vs OU for the title. OU wins it. Buddy Heild kinda gets to be a prophet. They didnt win the conference but they may win the tourney trophy.

@jaybate-1.0 Is he a candidate for the Women's coaching job?

@jaybate-1.0 Someone with printing skills and stuff should draw up a t shirt design for that one KU store, not the official one but the funny one. Make it something applicable to "Bad Ball" and winning #11

@Crimsonorblue22 Thats what Ima talkn abizzout!

@Crimsonorblue22 Hell Yah!!

@jayhawk-007 Im actually pulling for Wisconsin to win it this year. On the off chance that KU makes it that far, well then thats another thing entirely

@justanotherfan Landen and Mickelson were studs the last game! I was just as surprised as anyone. What if they can contribute that way in the Madness?

@jaybate-1.0 Only comparison I was making was the toughness of '15 compared to '12

@wissoxfan83 No I really dont think its overly optimistic. Last years team went 3-3 the last 6 games too and they folded to Stanford. Nothing about this years team says fold to me. Nothing.

@jayhawk-007 Agreed, I think Self should be Big 12 COY and NCAA COY

@jaybate-1.0 Fascinating. Very interesting indeed. Inquiry, IF KU needs Hunter to come out and get some O boards and block some shots and knock some down in the next couple of weeks, do you think Bill puts him in?

@HighEliteMajor I completely respect your opinion HEM. I do. Please keep saying our boys wont last long in the madness this year. They feed off of it. It makes them stronger.

RCJH

@jaybate-1.0 I have a very intense feeling about the 3rd season coming up. The post season. Our guys might get dropped to a 3 seed at worst. Might. Either way, this KU team is the definition of tough. The definition of heart. The Madness is all about match ups. KU can match up with anyone now. They have proven that. They dont care if they get their shots blocked 14 times, they dont care if they miss every 3pta. They keep fighting. They keep charging forward with the tenacity of a pitbull, with the tenacity of an injured fighter ready to deliver the KO. They smell blood and it may be their own but it makes them stronger. They will not fold to a Stanford team this season. They will not fold to a UK team this season. Now, its win or go home and our boys will continue to fight and take punches until the very last 0.1 tick on the clock.

@jayhawk-007 he still should be

@jayhawk-007 At least one of the best games should be ISU coming back to beat OU, therefore giving us the Big 12 title!

Every year we look forward to the college ball season and every year we anticipate a good showing by our boys in crimson and blue. I think they will at the very least top last years NCAA showing. So so tough.
Only thing is, regardless of what happens, this season is almost over. It makes me sad. I love this sport, all its flaws and beauty combined.

@wrwlumpy Yep. Me too. They fought hard. They are a tough, tough bunch. Reminds me of the type that the '12 team had. Minus the experience.

@Crimsonorblue22 Fair point. This is just a guess but Id say Brannen got a lil party on after the WVU game. Maybe didnt make it to practice on time or who knows what. Agreed though, why screw something up the LAST freeking conference game of the season? We cant give the guy a pass just because he is what, 19? But, I mean, he is acting like a kid that he is, does something stupid, Coach pulls him into the office and gives him a good verbal beat down and holds him out for the last game.
hehehe, I would have liked to be a fly on the wall of Coach's office during that "discussion"

@wissoxfan83 Eehhh, I dont know if that is sound logic either Wissox. Basically you are saying that the SEC and the ACC are both better conferences than the big 12 based on, how many, 3 teams? UK,UF and Duke? Your not accounting for almost 3/4ths of the equation here. We are talking about the entire conference, top to bottom. Which is better, top to bottom.
No freeking way is the SEC a better conference than the Big 12. No way.
Is the ACC better? Maybe, but only by a little bit. I mean the RPI rankings showed recently that the difference between the Big 12, The Big 10 and the ACC were mere percentage points, 10ths of a percentage point. 0.10

@nuleafjhawk They beat us bad, I'll give you that BUT it was the 2nd game of the season AND Kentucky had like 3 more weeks than us to practice and work on plays and Calipari had that much more time to figure out how to cheat some more. Kentucky had a hard time against Georgia for crying out loud. Thats like a TCU level school right there. Do you really think that Kentucky would go undefeated in the Big 12, with a home and home against ALL of the teams?
No way. Nope. Not happening.

@Crimsonorblue22 Yeah, I probly would be more upset if we were counting on this win for seeding or for the 11th conf title. Fortunately this game really shouldnt mean much towards that. That said, I am a fan of Brannen, but GD, he has to keep his head in it!!! What did he do anyways?

@HawksWin Yeah, I mean Im just so ready for Calipari to get burned doing something wrong that any hint of it coming is like a knee jerk reaction for me

@BeddieKU23 OK so Im going to consult my magic 8 ball and go to the gym before the game...we should win, no problem ;)

@RockChalkinTexas I F*%^&$#% knew it! I knew it as the day is long. I knew Calipari was a cheater. I could feel it in my gut.
This is an extremely extensive article. If there is even one ounce of truth to this, the NCAA absolutely has to investigate it. Calipari should be thrown out of the sport and put in jail for the rest of his miserable crap eating life.
Well apparently the article isnt legit but seriously if even one bit of it is true, which rumors are often found to be true, Calipari must be forced to hang from his toes from a tree in the middle of the Amazon covered in honey.

My wishes. And, I have to put more than one up because I cant just have one.
My wishes are KU fights claws and scratches their way to an Elite 8 appearance.
That being said, I will try very hard to not be too disappointed if that does not happen.
I also wish that Kentucky will get their butts handed to them by UNI or VCU or even Wichita State.
I hope Villianova goes down in the first round with a round house kick to the head by a sneaky mid major with hot trey guns.
I wish that all the top "experts" get their brackets busted by the second weekend.
I wish that all the top "experts" continue to say KU is over rated in the RPI and that they are in a weak conference and wont make it past the first weekend of the Madness in order to give more fuel to our boys in crimson and blue.