Moore: Who will be the 2008 go-to-guy?

After time to mourn, CJ is ready to talk about next years basketball season
Basketball fans start to look past the tragic loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight and start to cast their votes for next years go-to-guys. After phenomenal performances, Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur are among the candidates for the 2008 season.

It’s never too early to look forward to the next basketball season, especially here in Larryville. ESPN.com has already pegged the Jayhawks as the favorites to cut down the nets next April in San Antonio.

After a few therapy sessions, I’ve come to grips that destiny got confused and it wasn’t meant to be for the Jayhawks to win a national title in my senior year. I’ve moved on — kind of — and I’m ready to talk about next season.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Danny and the Miracles winning the national title in 1988 in Kansas City. With Danny Manning now officially an assistant coach with the team, it kind of feels like it’s in the cards for the Jayhawks to be national champions next season.
Manning’s Jayhawks in 1988 didn’t have as much talent as the 2006-07 Jayhawks or next season’s roster even if Brandon Rush goes pro, but they did have Manning, a dominant post player. And every team since then that’s won a title has had a go-to guy in the post.

Florida had Al Horford and Joakim Noah. Sean May carried North Carolina through the tournament in 2005. In 2004, Connecticut had Emeka Okafor. Syracuse had Hakeem Warrick (and his damn long arms) and Kansas had Nick Collison in 2003 — if a few more free throws had fallen for the Jayhawks, the Orangemen wouldn’t even be on this list (not like I’m bitter or anything). Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox were the difference for Maryland in 2002. Wilcox made Drew Gooden look like a schoolgirl in the semifinals that year. And in 2001, Duke had Carlos Boozer. The list goes on and on.

With some of these past champions the big men might not have been the first option, but they could at least score and demanded a double team.

The Jayhawks did not have that big man this year. It’s why they could barely get up a three-pointer against UCLA. It’s why all the pressure was on the guards to score. It’s why they didn’t make it to Atlanta and if they would have, they wouldn’t have won.

For the Jayhawks to live up to the early love from ESPN.com, one of the big men has to become a go-to guy in the post.

The attributes of a go-to guy in the post: scores at least 14 points per game (maybe 12 to 13 with the depth of this team), draws doubles teams when he gets the ball, which opens things up for perimeter shooters, and he can score with his back to the basket. The candidates: Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur and incoming freshman Cole Aldrich.

Julian Wright isn’t an option because he’s a small forward playing power forward and he’d rather give up bowling than earn his keep in the post.

So who is it going to be? Well, Kaun definitely isn’t the man. He’s improved his game every year since he’s arrived in Lawrence and he’s even developed a jump hook. But Kaun is a crusher. He rebounds, he sets screens, he blocks shots, he dunks and he crushes. As for scoring from the post, he just doesn’t have the skills. But still, he’s a nice role player.

Darnell Jackson was the most consistent Jayhawk during the NCAA tournament. He understood his role better than any KU player this season. His job was to provide an emotional lift to the team by making hustle plays and the occasional thumping of his chest — his signature move. He also needed to get boards, putbacks, provide a physical presence and make the occasional open 15-footer. He did all those and more at times. But he’s not a go-to guy. He’s undersized and doesn’t have the athletic ability to compensate, which was evident whenever he got blocked at the rim this season. Again, a great role guy; he’s probably my favorite player on the team and should be the co-leader on the team along with Russell Robinson next season.

Probably too soon to tell with Aldrich. But since ESPN.com thinks it’s not too early to predict how next season will go, I’ll take a shot with Aldrich too. I predict he’ll play 10 to 15 minutes per game next season, score four to five points per game, grab some boards, block some shots and rack up the fouls.

I’ve seen Aldrich play twice now: once in a game last spring at the Jayhawk Invitational and last week in the McDonald’s All-American game. After the Jayhawk Invitational, I left unimpressed. He scored one basket, moved very slow laterally and his footwork was sloppy in the post. The thing he did best was be huge.

Well, he was still huge, and he did look like he was a little faster in the McDonald’s game. He also showed a nice 15-foot jumper and blocked some shots. He did seem winded. He’s going to have to get in better shape to run with the Jayhawks.

Aldrich is going to be a good player some day. It’s probably not fair to judge a kid after seeing him play twice. It’s going to take some time for Aldrich to make a difference for Kansas because he’s no go-to guy — at least not yet.

So that leaves Arthur. He’s the most talented of the bunch. He showed flashes of greatness this year and the success of the 2007-08 Jayhawks lies squarely on his shoulders.

Arthur has the athletic ability. He has enough size to be a dominant college post player at 6-foot-9. But he doesn’t have the skill-set yet. This was evident during the season but particularly evident against the Bruins. When Arthur got the ball with his back to the basket, he looked lost. Against UCLA and Southern Illinois, he’d panic and eventually force a bad shot. His one go-to move this season was a fade-away jump shot. Dominant college post players don’t fade away.

Arthur needs to spend this off season doing four things: work with coach Manning on his post moves, develop a strong go-to move, hit the weight room and watch hours of Nick Collison video. The key to effective post play is great foot work and no one did it better than Collison.

For Kansas to celebrate Danny and the Miracles’ anniversary in style, Arthur has to be the man. He doesn’t need to be Manning-esque; just a threat who wants the ball and DOESN’T FADE AWAY.

If Arthur doesn’t become the go-to guy, Kansas will still win a lot of games, still win a Big 12 title and still make a deep tourney run — just no NCAA title. And if Arthur is the go-to guy, then Kansas should live up to the early hype — maybe cut down a few more nets — and I can save some money by skipping out on my therapy sessions.