How they were built: Kansas, the model of consistency

HOW THEY WERE BUILT: Villanova | Arizona | Northwestern | Duke | Kentucky

As the tip-off of the 2017 NCAA Tournament draws closer, we look at some of the top storylines and how those teams were built through recruiting. Today, we look at No. 1 seed Kansas.

Since taking over at of Kansas when Roy Williams left for North Carolina, Bill Self has turned the Jayhawks into a model of consistency: 13 straight Big 12 titles, a national championship, a title appearance in 2012 and four other trips to the Elite Eight.

Despite all of that and being tied with Duke for the most NCAA Tournament wins (42) in the 2000’s, the Jayhawks have still been labeled March underachievers by many in the media. Today we look at how star guards that weren’t supposed to be here, a superstar freshman and fifth-year grinder have built the Jayhawks into a team that is capable of silencing critics with a Final Four run.

Senior point guard and national player of the year candidate Frank Mason signed with Towson out of high school. Junior combo guard and second team All-Big 12 performer Devonte Graham signed with Appalachian State. When they realized they could play at a higher level, they asked for releases but were denied, so it was off to prep school.

Once under-recruited, they both finished their high school careers as four-star prospects, and they’ve thrived under Self’s coaching since landing in Lawrence. While Kansas didn’t have that much competition for Mason when they went after him, they did have to sweat out runs from Virginia and hometown N.C. State for Graham.

Although it seemed improbable four or five years ago, Mason and Graham’s turn from nice mid-major prospects to Big 12 stars, along with Self and his staff’s identification of them, has allowed the Jayhawks to continue their incredible streak of conference championships.

While Mason and Graham get the headlines, they aren’t the only Jayhawks initially ticketed elsewhere. Sophomore wing LaGerald Vick has become increasingly important as the season has gone on, and the four-star prospect from Memphis initially signed with SMU before getting a release in the spring of his senior year. He picked Kansas over Kentucky late in the recruiting process.

During his time at Kansas, Self has landed the Rivals.com No. 1 player three times. The class of 2010’s No. 1 player, Josh Selby, was a bit of a bust, but was at least part of an Elite Eight team in 2011. Class of 2013’s No. 1 player, Andrew Wiggins, put up big individual numbers but will be remembered for a virtual no-show in a round of 32 loss to Stanford in 2014. Class of 2016’s No. 1 player, Josh Jackson, is hoping to lead the Jayhawks to the promised land.

During the recruiting process, not many expected Jackson to end up in Lawrence. Michigan State and Arizona were considered the frontrunners, but he landed with the Jayhawks. And while Frank Mason is a legitimate player of the year candidate, it can be argued that Jackson is the most important player on Kansas' roster. Look what happened to Kansas against TCU when he was suspended for a game in the Big 12 tournament.

A natural wing, Jackson has played most of the year as a mismatch four man, putting together 11 double-doubles while also serving as the Jayhawks' best passer at times. He’s the most versatile player of the Self era, and he’ll have to be at his best for Kansas to make a trip to Glendale.

Anybody who saw Landen Lucas in high school has to be surprised by his development into an immovable force from the Kansas rotation. Even though he was a high school star in Oregon, many West Coast programs had passed on him. When Kansas finally pulled the trigger, it was only because they had missed on other targets and were scrambling for a post player in the 2012 class.

Though he looked to be over his head early and though Kansas has brought in several highly-ranked players who were supposed to move him out of the rotation, the fifth-year senior has remained a constant. His overall numbers of 7.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game don’t jump out at you, but it’s clear that Kansas is at its best when Lucas is on the floor. He’s a tough defender, he’s a leader and he’s a reliable player who has outplayed expectations and will be counted on to continue doing so as the Jayhawks chase Self’s second national championship.