The Kansas frontcourt was already thinner than years past — and that was before Wednesday’s announcement that freshman center Udoka Azubuike will miss the rest of the season because of a wrist injury suffered in practice.
It wasn’t that long ago when guys like Cole Aldrich, Jeff Withey and Mario Little had the title of fifth-best big man on KU’s roster. That sort of incredible depth gave Bill Self a luxury not many other coaches had.
This year’s KU team already was different. After playing four possessions of four-guard “small ball” last season, Self quickly realized the benefits of putting freshman Josh Jackson at the 4 this year, deciding that this set needed to be how KU played a majority of its possessions.