Three for Thursday

Three questions on this fine Thursday.

Q: Kansas' home loss to Oral Roberts sent shockwaves throughout the country. Is Kansas still for real or overrated to start the season?

A: Well, prior to the dismissal of C.J. Giles, I had Kansas ranked as the 2nd in the nation overall behind Florida. When Sasha Kaun returns from injury and preseason All Big 12 first-tearmer Julian Wright remembers that he is a force rather than a farce (6 points on 3-for-10 shooting from the field), Kansas will be dominant. Mind you, Chalmers, Rush, and Robinson make up the strongest backcourt in the nation, and don't sleep on Darrell "How did this guy get out of Texas?" Arthur. The freshman phenom led the Jayhawks with 22 in a losing effort. This team is for real. If they are not, Bill Self won't be the coach next year. Book it.

Q: What is the best game between now and Saturday?

A: Probably Texas and Michigan State. Sure, both teams are so depleted that it'll look like a junior varsity game. Nevertheless, it will be the first game for Kevin Durant against real competition. Don't expect much from the Spartans. They're traditionally slow starters under Izzo who throws his players into the fire by creating schedules that even the finest teams would fear undertaking. Last year was an anomaly, as the metamorphosis of Izzo's teams is usually evident by late February.

Q: The PAC-10 gets no pub on this site. Who are the frontrunners and key players who'll decide the conference?

A: According to those more knowledgeable than me, UCLA and Arizona are far and away the frontrunners. The emergence of freshman center Spencer Hawes makes Washington a real contender in the conference. USC would need O.J. Mayo to be eligible this year in order to vy for pole position. Arizona has a very athletic team buoyed by underclassmen swingmen Marcus Williams and Chase Budinger, but ultimately led by senior floor general Mustafa Shakur. Meanwhile, the Bruins' frontline of Mbah a Moute, Mata, and Aboya presents a stark contrast to the run-and-gun Wildcats. Question marks reside in the Bruins backcourt. How will Jordan Collison perform at point guard in place of Jordan Farmar? How will the Bruins get the ball to Arron Afflalo in scoring positions without Farmar setting him up? Can Josh Shipp stay healthy?

As for the Huskies, they are not as talented as the Bruins or Wildcats, but they are well-coached and fairly deep upfront. Justin Dentmon is not only the best ballhandler on the team but its best defender. He will be the guy that Head Coach Lorenzo Romar looks to right the ship following the graduation of Brandon Roy and Jamaal Williams.