The Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse will be playing without Mario Little and with Josh Selby. The debut of Selby, the No. 1 player coming into this year, has been highly, highly, highly anticipated around Lawrence, Kan. I can't tell you how much folks have been talking about this and how excited they are. When Selby's decision not to wear a headband is a headline, you know you've got some excitement.
"I think Allen Fieldhouse will be as juiced as any game right before Christmas as in a long time, maybe ever, just because of Josh making his debut," Kansas head coach Bill Self said.
Like any good coach, Bill Self is trying to temper expectations for Selby, particularly for game No. 1. He's already said he won't be starting and has mentioned, on a few occasions, that folks need to have realistic expectations for him.
"Josh is not going to average 20 (points) for us. He may have games where he has 20. We are not going to have anybody do that," Self said.
That's not a knock on Selby. That's just the reality of playing with a team like Kansas that can beat you pretty much any way you allow yourself to get beat.
What Selby does do is added a dimension that Kansas probably needed. He can be that one-on-one scorer that can get you a bucket when the offense isn't running. He's highly athletic and a natural scorer. It's like adding a major play maker to a technically sound team.
Are you excited yet?