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Sherron Collins and the stacked Jayhawks have all the pieces in place for another national-title run.

10 Offseason Storylines

By Dana O'Neil
ESPN.com

1. Rock chalk, get ready for Jayhawk talk: When Tyler Hansbrough & Co. decided to return to Chapel Hill for the 2008-09 season, North Carolina became such a prohibitive favorite that people were already tired of talking about the Heels by November. Replace Hansbrough with Cole Aldrich, Chapel Hill with Lawrence and you've got this season. The combination of experienced talent (Aldrich, Sherron Collins, Marcus and Markieff Morris and Tyshawn Taylor) and young talent (Xavier Henry) will launch Kansas to the top of every preseason list.

2. Happy draft day: The Big East was so good last season because it was able to keep its top talent out of the NBA for an extra year. The same theory holds for the Big 12 this season. When Oklahoma's Willie Warren and Iowa State's Craig Brackins joined the Kansas inside-out combo in deciding to stay in school, the league automatically got better. But that crew is merely the headline for a league full of depth. Consider: seven of the league's first- and second-teamers are back, four of its top five scorers, six of its top 10 rebounders, three players who earned All-America honors on some ballot and the entire all-rookie team.

3. Who's got next? Kevin Durant begat Michael Beasley begat Blake Griffin, giving the Big 12 a three-year stranglehold on national player of the year honors. So can the league continue the run this year? There are candidates, the most likely being KU's dynamic duo of Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins. But don't count out a guy like Craig Brackins. His Iowa State team won't get the same attention as the Jayhawks, but Brackins, who is the league's top returning scorer (20.2 points per game, along with 9.5 rebounds per game), continues to put up numbers that make him hard to ignore.

4. Six-guard rotation, anyone? Rick Barnes has a problem. Not that he'll get any sympathy. The Texas coach has a backcourt so talented and deep, he ought to be offering guys out on loaners. Along with Dogus Balbay, Varez Ward and Justin Mason, the Longhorns will add top recruit Avery Bradley, Florida transfer Jai Lucas and class of '08 stud J'Covan Brown, who was recently given the OK to play by the NCAA. There's not a bad one in the bunch, so divvying up playing time and keeping everyone happy will be Barnes' No. 1 task.

5. Stability at Colorado: Jeff Bzdelik's tap dance with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer left a lot of people uneasy in Boulder. The uphill climb that is Colorado hoops -- one winning season in the past five, one conference win last season, facilities that can't compete with the upper tier of the conference hierarchy -- would have become Sisyphean if Bzdelik had bolted. Now that he's agreed to stay, at some point the CU administration might want to do something to keep him.

6. Not going anywhere: Two seasons ago Mike Anderson endured a nightmarish season complete with suspensions and gunshot wounds. Then he led Missouri to the West Region final and became one of the hottest coaches in the country, with Georgia coming at him hard and Memphis making overtures. By signing Anderson to a new seven-year deal, Missouri all but assured last season's run won't just be a flash in the pan.

7. Sounding the all is not clear: Anderson and Travis Ford will have to do some shuffling after their top recruits did not meet the NCAA's eligibility requirements. Keith Dewitt was expected to help Missouri get over the loss of DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, while Karron Johnson, ranked 50th in his class, would have been a big boost to the Oklahoma State roster. Instead both will enroll in junior college.

8. High-impact transfers: Texas isn't the only school about to get an injection of new talent in the form of a transfer. Baylor is expecting big things from former Michigan man Ekpe Udoh, while Kansas State welcomes Curtis Kelly from Connecticut. The 6-foot-10 Udoh earned all-Big Ten defensive team honors in his final season with the Wolverines, racking up 92 blocked shots. He should make an immediate impact for a young Bears team. Kelly didn't play much for the Huskies, but that will change at KSU, where the skilled forward fills a void for the Wildcats.

9. New blood: John Calipari isn't the only one hoarding talent like a squirrel. The Big 12 has its share as well. Twenty-one of ESPNU's top 100 players will make their debut in this conference, including five of the top 15. That includes top-ranked Avery Bradley and eighth-ranked Jordan Hamilton, who are both going to Texas; third-ranked Xavier Henry, who joins loaded Kansas; Keith "Tiny" Gallon (No. 11) and Tommy Mason-Griffin, who are off to Oklahoma; and No. 15 Wally Judge, ready to bolster K-State.

10. Golden summer: He may take a backseat in the preseason hype to teammates Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, but Tyshawn Taylor made an international name for himself this summer. The sophomore helped the American U-19 team to its first gold medal in 18 years. He scored 18 points and chipped in six assists and five steals in the championship game against Greece and finished as the team's leading scorer, averaging 10.8 points per game. That's a huge confidence boost for an already-gifted player.

10 Key Players

By Dana O'Neil
ESPN.com

• Denis Clemente, Kansas State: Clemente is K-State's best returning offensive threat, not to mention the Wildcats' floor leader. But he is the king of H-O-R-S-E right now. Clemente's ridiculous off-the-scoreboard, nothing-but-net shot is a YouTube sensation. But for the Wildcats to be really good, the Puerto Rico native will have to make more traditional shots with equal ease.

• Cory Higgins, Colorado: His dad played 13 years in the NBA; Michael Jordan is his godfather. Hoops by osmosis, anyone? After a terrific freshman season, Higgins doubled his production last season, a good sign that at least some progress is taking place in Boulder.

• Willie Warren, Oklahoma: Careful what you wish for. Warren said he welcomed the pressure of becoming the face of Sooner hoops with the graduation of Blake Griffin. Now it's time to see how he handles it. A great scorer, he will need to become smarter with his shot selection if he wants to become the dominant player he is capable of being.

• Damion James, Texas: The Longhorns are equally deep in the backcourt and frontcourt. James is the best among the forwards. Tenacious on the boards -- he led Texas in rebounding last season -- he needs to become as consistent of an offensive threat.

• Craig Brackins, Iowa State: His wasn't exactly a household name. Being the second-leading scorer in a league where a guy by the name of Blake Griffin is the leader will do that to you. But if Brackins' scoring and rebounding can lift the Cyclones out of anonymity, he could be this year's James Harden, a guy everyone knows by season's end.

• Sherron Collins, Kansas: No one would have blamed Collins if he had bolted for the NBA. He grew up in a hardscrabble part of Chicago and has a young son. But Collins wisely realized that with so many guards in this year's draft, this wasn't his year. Two seasons ago he made the play that set up Mario Chalmers' heroics. Maybe this time he simply makes the play.

• Cole Aldrich, Kansas: The big man spent the summer working on his lower-body strength, matching himself against NBA talent at the LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire camps. It could pay off immensely. A surefire first-round pick had he come out after his sophomore season, Aldrich could emerge as the latest national player of the year to come out of the Big 12 if he puts together the sort of season most people expect.

• J.T. Tiller, Missouri: If Mike Anderson's swarming defense has a face, it belongs to Tiller. He is nothing shy of relentless, a one-man wrecking crew that wreaks havoc as he leads the Tigers' menacing, full-court pressure. Without Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll, Tiller will need to add equal parts offense to that defense.

• James Anderson, Oklahoma State: OSU's leading scorer (18.2 ppg) last season, Anderson will be even more important to the Cowboys with the departures of Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris, along with the non-arrival of top recruit Karron Johnson. More performances like the 35 points he put up at Texas and the 37 at Oklahoma will go a long way toward keeping the Pokes relevant in the Big 12.

• Tweety Carter, Baylor: His decision to come to Baylor signified the official rise of the program out of the abyss that Dave Bliss created. The all-time scoring leader in U.S. high school history, Carter has been good for the Bears but not nearly as good as those high school credentials. He needs to be now as Baylor transitions from its NIT runner-up season.

10 Freshmen We Can't Wait To See

By Mike LaPlante
Scouts Inc.

• Avery Bradley, SG, Texas: Bradley, who finished his high school career as the top-rated player in the ESPNU 100, is a high-level athlete that is outstanding in transition. His perimeter shooting has continued to improve, which compliments his superior midrange game. He has the ability to be a lock-down defender once he learns the nuances of the college game.

• Aaron-Mike Davis, SG, Texas Tech: Davis is just what Pat Knight needs at Texas Tech -- a strong, physical guard who consistently plays with a high level of intensity on both ends of the floor. He has a good feel for how to play and understands how to play to his strengths. His ballhandling and passing skills will take some pressure off the point guard.

• Xavier Henry, SG, Kansas: Henry is a scoring machine with range out to the NBA 3-point line. The left-hander, who missed a good portion of his senior season recovering from an injury suffered in a car accident, should benefit from a healthy preseason program and make an instant impact with the Jayhawks.

• Keith Gallon, C, Oklahoma: Gallon's development should be fun to watch. He is a surprisingly agile athlete for a player his size (300 pounds) and possesses a solid set of perimeter skills. He will need to assert himself as an inside/out player and avoid drifting to the 3-point line too often. Adjusting to the size and strength of the post players at the collegiate level should be no problem, but conditioning may prove to be his biggest challenge.

• Tommy Mason-Griffin, PG, Oklahoma: The powerfully built point guard looks as if he could play on the gridiron for the Sooners, but I am sure Coach Capel will find enough to keep him occupied this fall. TMG shoots it with range, excels at drawing contact and finishes at the rim. His ability to penetrate into the heart of the defense and find the open man will help make him a favorite amongst his teammates.

• Jordan Hamilton, SF, Texas: After missing his senior season, Hamilton is a bit of an enigma. If he is able to quickly regain his timing at a high level, he could be one of the top impact freshmen in the nation. He is a gifted offensive player who is skilled and can score in a variety of ways.

• Raymond Penn, PG, Oklahoma St: The 5-9 point guard has a scorer's mentality and does a great job of pushing the ball in transition. He is fearless attacking the rim and drawing contact. Penn is an explosive athlete that uses his quickness to get into the paint and create for his teammates. He also can beat you from behind the 3-point arc.

• Wally Judge, PF, Kansas State: Judge has great upside and should provide K-State with immediate help on the front line. He is a great-looking athlete who runs and jumps with the best of them and is able to impact the game with his rebounding and shot-blocking ability. Judge can score facing up from 15-17 feet or with a little jump hook over his left shoulder. He's also effective around the rim as an offensive rebounder.

• Nolan Dennis, SG, Baylor: Baylor benefited from John Calipari's departure from Memphis by winning the recruiting battle for Dennis after he was released from his national letter of intent. The Texan is a long athlete who plays with some bounce and is effective at driving the ball to the rim.

• Elijah Johnson, PG, Kansas: Johnson is a gifted athlete who will fit perfectly in Bill Self's system. He is a powerfully built point guard who has the ability to dominate his position with his strength and skill level. He excels in transition, where he is a threat to get it to the rim and finish or knock down the pull-up jumper.

10 Nonconference Games We Can't Wait To See

By Dana O'Neil
ESPN.com

• Kansas vs. Memphis, Nov. 17: Too many new faces to call this a legit rematch of the 2008 national championship game. (You know … the one the NCAA says didn't happen.) But don't think that retroactively imaginary game won't be brought up several times when these teams square off at the Hall of Fame Showcase in St. Louis. KU probably will be too much for the Tigers to handle right now, but it'll still be must-see TV.

• Texas A&M vs. Clemson, Nov. 26: A nice first-round matchup at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif. There's no such thing as an NCAA elimination game this early, but these are two similar teams trying to distinguish themselves from the middle of their conference packs. Edge to the winner.

• Washington State at Kansas State, Dec. 5: The Cougs may be under new leadership in the form of Ken Bone, but Wazzu has one of the best players in the Pac-10 in Klay Thompson. This Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood series game will be a good early December barometer for a Wildcats team expected to again be in the hunt for an NCAA berth.

• Arizona at Oklahoma, Dec. 6: Nic Wise versus Willie Warren? Not bad. Two teams that should be good but have questions -- new coach for the Wildcats, no Blake for the Sooners -- should make for an even more intriguing show.

• Michigan at Kansas, Dec. 19: The Wolverines could be the first of back-to-back visits by top 25 teams in Lawrence. No doubt this will be a tall order for John Beilein's still emerging team, but Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are a potent duo that will make KU work.

• Michigan State at Texas, Dec. 22: Just three days after the Longhorns face defending national champ North Carolina at the Dallas Cowboys' new palace -- and yes, we also can't wait to see that one -- the national runner-up comes to Austin. The Spartans could have their hands full trying to handle the Longhorns' depth inside. Still, this should be a terrific top-5 matchup.

• California at Kansas, Dec. 22: Yes, another Kansas game. The Jayhawks are going to be preseason No. 1 and are playing the sort of schedule -- they also travel to Tennessee in January -- that top teams are supposed to play. So sue us. Cal will be a player on the national scene and will be looking to make national headlines. Beating the Jayhawks at the Phog would do it.

• Baylor at South Carolina, Jan. 2: The Bears don't have a ton of nonconference sizzle on their schedule. Winning a legit road game against a decent Gamecock squad will go a long way to giving Baylor some pop with the selection committee.

• Iowa State vs. Duke, Jan. 6: Do the Cyclones have a legit shot at the tourney? They'll have a good indication after squaring off against the Blue Devils at the United Center in Chicago. What program trying to prove it's on its way back up doesn't love an opportunity to prove it against a blue blood like Duke? Should be fascinating to see how Coach K devises a game plan for Craig Brackins.

• Texas at Connecticut, Jan. 23: Another great matchup in yet another nice home-and-home series for Texas. Jerome Dyson helps even things out for the Huskies in the backcourt, but like with Michigan State, the Longhorns should have the edge inside.