On Sherron Collins:

Offense:

On offense, KU will have a more potent and bigger group on the floor than it did last season, as the stronger and more versatile Xavier Henry will no doubt consume most of Morningstar’s minutes from last year and the Morris twins are a year older and wiser.  In any case, they definitely look stronger and more aggressive around the rim.  This can only be a good thing for Sherron, allowing him more freedom to set teammates up for good shots and resulting in fewer instances where he has to generate tougher shots late in the shot clock.

Sherron will no doubt be fine on offense.  The key for him is how he adjusts from being the man last year and throwing up 14-18 shots per game to deferring to the talented weapons around him this year while still getting his 15-20 points per game off of 10-12 shots.  I also hope that Sherron will improve in taking care of the ball.  His A/T ratio last season wasn’t bad (1.51) but if he can make some better decisions with the ball and push that ratio up to around a Ty Lawson-esque 2.0 or better, KU becomes an even more dangerous team.  

Defense:

On the other end of the court, Sherron seemed to be less aggressive during his junior year than in years past.  Most of this, no doubt, can be attributed to needing to conserve more energy after seeing a huge increase in minutes from his sophomore to junior years (23.8 to 35.3 per game).  This year, Sherron should be able to not hold anything back.  I would not be surprised to see Sherron’s minutes decrease by just a bit, as Taylor and Johnson can spell him at the point with no decrease in the team’s tempo.

On Tyshawn Taylor

Offense:

Look for Tyshawn to improve tremendously from his first season to his second.  Specifically, he’ll need to be smarter with the ball in his hands and demonstrate more consistency with his outside shot.  He showed flashes of being unstoppable on the dribble-drive last year but also had horrible body control at times, which led to a lot of charging fouls and ill-advised turnovers.  He shot a decent percentage from 3 (36.4%) but seemed hesitant to take the outside shot at times and never commanded absolute respect from opposing defenders behind the arc.  He shot very well playing for Team USA this summer, so I hope that is a sign that his shooting has improved.

Overall, Tyshawn is already an effective third scoring option, but he has unlimited potential on the offensive end, as evidenced by his scoring outbursts against Syracuse, Kansas State, and Oklahoma last season. In terms of raw athleticism, he is not far behind Elijah Johnson.  He is very explosive and if he plays under control, few guards in the nation will be able to contain him.    

Defense:

Tyshawn needs to become a more consistent defender. He has a terrific wingspan for a combo guard and needs to use that physical tool to disrupt passing lanes and generate more steals.  He’ll need to do a better job of communicating and being a leader on the floor on the defensive end.  Against teams last season with physical guards such as Michigan State, he had trouble fighting through screens and doubling down in the post. While Tyshawn’s starting spot is de facto secured Kansas has more depth this year on the perimeter, so he knows that the heat is on for him to be smart and effective on defense at all times lest he spend more time getting an earful from Coach Self while sitting on the bench.

On Brady Morningstar

Offense:

Note that Brady’s minutes per game didn’t drop at all as his shooting percentage fell precipitously during the last third of the season. Self’s confidence in Brady actually seemed to grow, which is a testament to how much Brady improved on defense (despite being a non-factor on offense in the MSU tournament game his defense of 6’7” Raymar Morgan was masterful) and to a lesser extent how KU really lacked a big wing who could play consistent and effective minutes.

Defense:

Bill Self did not hesitate to label Brady as KU's best on-ball defender, and Brady did not disappoint.  His defense was solid all year and he drew the toughest defensive assignment game-in and game-out except at the 1 and 5 positions.  Throughout the year, Brady frustrated and limited the following professional-caliber players - Syracuse's Paul Harris, Temple's Dionte Christmas, Arizona's Chase Budinger, Tennessee's Tyler Smith, Kansas State's Denis Clemente, Michigan State's Raymar Morgan, Oklahoma State's James Anderson, Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn (first game), Colorado's Cory Higgins, Oklahoma's Willie Warren, Texas' A.J. Abrams, and Dayton's Chris Wright.   Brady, perhaps more than any player, compensates for a lack of speed and strength with superb vision, anticipation, and an understanding of spacing on the court.  He also sticks to his man like glue and is a great help defender on the ball.  His defense may be missed in non-conference season tests this season - Memphis, Cal, Michigan, UCLA, etc.

This year, Brady looks to be the odd man out in the backcourt rotation.  He really shot himself in the foot with the DUI conviction and subsequent suspension, as it’s going to be difficult for him to crack Coach Self’s nine man rotation in January.  Barring an injury and/or extremely poor play from the guys ahead of him in the 2-3 spots at this point – Taylor, X. Henry, Reed, Johnson, C.J. Henry, Marcus, and one of the Little/Releford redshirt candidate duo - Brady will spend more time on the bench this year than last.

On Tyrel Reed:

Offense:

Tyrel’s offensive game is limited but valuable.  Essentially, he shoots open, spot-up threes and shoots them well.  He can’t really create his own shot on the dribble and is not able to elevate over taller defenders to get his shot off.  Despite the one dimensional nature to his game, Tyrel thrives at hitting big shots in high-value possessions.  I do not think I can count the times that Tyrel hit a three at the end of a half or right before the shot clock was to expire.  That takes mettle and mental toughness, and by all reports Tyrel possesses both.

Defense:

This is Tyrel’s bugaboo.  His playing time would increase tremendously if he were even an average defender.  Tyrel is very strong, but not as strong as Xavier or Sherron.  He does not possess the lateral quickness of Tyshawn or Elijah, and he does not have an intuitive knack for spacing and being glued to his man like Brady does. 

Overall, Tyrel is still going to see lot of time as long as those shots are going down.  He’s a great leader and a good zone-buster, which KU will probably see a lot of this year.