Trouble on the Mount?

Do off the court troubles put KU's season in jeopardy?

So recent off-the-court issues have raised some serious eyebrows concerning the Jayhawks and the high expectations they have going into this season.

Brady Morningstar, sometime starter and key reserve was pulled over and given a DUI this summer leading to his suspension for the first half of the season.

Following that, the basketball team found themselves in an altercation with the football over a girl.  This scuffle caused Tyshawn Taylor to injure his thumb, causing him to have a trip to the hospital and providing a slight smudge to the name of the Jayhawks on the national scene.  Taylor looks to be alright and we are told he will be ready by the time the season rolls around.

What are the implications of these events?



Well, there are a few.  First of all, the biggest event of these is the loss of Morningstar for the first half of the season.  KU is looked at as a favorite to make the Final Four and compete for the National Championship due in large part to the depth that the team has at every position.  This loss means they have one less player in the backcourt, and we all know, in college basketball, it's all about the guards.  Thankfully, guard may be KU's most stacked position.  Tyrel Reed received a lot of playing time last year and is a more than adequate replacement for Morningstar.  Further, new recruit Elijah Johnson can play the 2 guard if necessary, as can Xavier Henry, and let's not forget, Tyshawn Taylor is going to start.  My guess is KU will be able to cover for this loss until Morningstar's return for conference play.

Tyshawn Taylor getting his thumb injured in a scuffle shows us a few things.  Now, Taylor should be back for the season but the implications of this are not good.  This shows the team maybe having a little too much confidence and might not be as focused as they should be heading into a season which expectations are as high as they are.  This event has proposed a problem that could cause the team to lose focus.  However, I will say that I think this kind of stuff happens on all campuses and probably is not the first time it has happened at KU.  This event has gotten so much publicity because of the expectations on KU and the prominence of the program in general.  Not to mention Taylor was a leader on the U-19 USA Basketball team.

All in all, these are distractions that KU doesn't need going into possibly the most hyped season in their history (which is saying an awful lot).  The loss of Morningstar won't hurt as much as it would've last year, but it most certainly wont help.  Taylor should be able to bring it together and will need to if he plans on riding the success of this season to the NBA.  I think the Taylor issue is being made bigger than it actually is due to the hype and prominence of this team, however, I think the team can regroup, overcome and have a good season.