Let’s hope that traditional powerhouses Kansas and Kentucky are on a collision course to meet in the NCAA finals.
These two programs, steeped in tradition and currently ranked #1 and #3 respectively, have a number of story lines in common that would make for an eventful tournament matchup. It’s UK vs. KU, two of the top 5 all-time winningest programs and a battle for respect, pride and historical supremacy.
Another subplot is the rematch between Kansas Coach Bill Self and UK’s John Calipari, who met in the 2008 finals when Kansas defeated Cal’s old team Memphis in overtime. The two have often competed for recruits and, during the last off season, exchanged a few lighthearted barbs.
But now we can add another dimension to the list: the battle for who is the top freshman in the country.
While Kentucky’s John Wall has dominated the headlines, KU’s own super frosh Xavier Henry has quietly (relatively speaking) put together a spectacular first month. Henry leads the top ranked Jayhawks in scoring at 18 ppg, and if you listen to some of the headlines, seems to be motivated by the attention aimed thus far at Wall.
Both players are studs and future high impact NBA players. That’s for sure. But will one be remembered for a Carmelo Anthony-like run?
Here’s a nice piece from KUsports.com that elaborates:
http://www2.kusports.com/news/2009/dec/15/henry-or-wall-both-freshmen-having-big-years/?mens_basketball
