The Arrival and Departure of the Jayhawks

The Jayhawks are losing two outstanding players in Darrell Arthur and Brandon Rush. As a Jayhawk Nation we can not be upset since they did bring a national championship home. They will be dearly missed but will be representatives for Kansas and should represent well in the pros. We also can not forget the seniors that put in such hard over the last four years and have ended their college careers on a high note. On the other hand, Kansas will bring back three players that contributed heavily to the success of Kansas' title: Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins, and Mario Chalmers (assuming he withdraws his name from the NBA draft). The Jayhawks' also are bringing in a solid recruiting class for next year. Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, Travis Releford, Quintrell Thomas, Mario Little, and Tyrone Appleton wiil be arriving in Lawrence for the 2008-2009 season. Marcus Morris is a 6-8 SF that can create a lot of problems for a defense. He can shoot threes and be dependable rebounder. Markieff Morris is a 6-9 PF that rebounds well while having the ability to step out and shoot the three. The Morris twins will be difficult to guard because of the matchup problems that they create. Travis Releford, a 6-4 SG, could be a player, while known as a top-tier prospect, that can become a reliable scoring threat when not many scouts would see an initial impact from his freshman year. He is a great shooter, good dribbler, and makes crisp passes. Releford looks capable of replacing Brandon Rush on the wing at the SF position. Quintrell Thomas, a 6-7 PF, is undersized for his position but at the end of his career at Kansas he could be remembered as a Darnell Jackson-type impact player. Mario Little is a 6-4 SF and Tyrone Appleton is a 6-3 SG. Both are junior college players and should give some leadership and experience to the ball club. Predicted 2008-2009 Starting Lineup PG- Sherron Collins SG- Mario Chalmers SF- Travis Releford PF- Markieff Morris C- Cole Aldrich Key Reserves: SF Marcus Morris, PG Tyrel Reed, SG Tyrone Appleton, SG Mario Little, PF Quintrell Thomas