MARCH 2009: No doubt, Kansas has the talent and the depth to win another national basketball championship.

Yet, Kansas State could surprise by cutting down the nets in Indianapolis and appears set for a deep run in the NCAA tourney.

Last March Missouri advanced to the Elite Eight before losing in Glendale, Ariz. The Tigers went further in the NCAA tournament than any Big 12 team in 2009.
Which local Big 12 team — KU, K-State, MU — will advance further in the NCAA Tournament and why? We asked our expert panel at SportsRadioKC.com.

Bradford Doolittle, writer for SportsRadioKC.com (and a Mizzou guy): As much as it pains me to write this, I have to admit that if KU doesn’t win the national title, it’ll be a huge upset. The Jayhawks are just flat loaded. I think Mizzou and K-State will both do well in the tournament, which is set up perfectly for teams that use high-pressure systems because there is no time for opponents to prepare. But I think it is KU’s year.

David Boyce, writer for SportsRadioKC.com (and a KU guy): All season Kansas has been a favorite to reach the Final Four. The Jayhawks have been ranked No. 1 for most of the season. They appear to be a lock. But, there is a “but.” KU has played a lot of close games this season against inferior talent. There is something to be said about the Jayhawks’ mental toughness to win these games.

But the NCAA Tournament is a different animal than regular season. There’s a reason it’s called March Madness. Close games sometimes bite the favorites because the pressure is on for them to advance. For this reason Kansas State will advance farther than KU in the NCAA Tournament. Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats copy what Missouri did last season and reach the Elite Eight.

Guard play is very important in the NCAA Tournament. K-State has two of them in Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. They will have a great tournament and carry the Wildcats.

It shouldn’t be too shocking if KU falls in the Sweet 16. The Jayhawks will face a solid team. Senior Sherron Collins will try to do too much. He will take one bad shot too many and the Jayhawks will fall by a point.

Missouri will lose in the second round. The Tigers had a great season just returning to the NCAA Tournament.

But no matter what KU does in the NCAA Tournament, it has been another stellar season for the Jayhawks. Remember KU fans, the good feeling from a national championship should last 10 years. If MU and K-State fans poke fun at the Jayhawks for an earlier than expected departure from the NCAA Tournament, just point to the 2008 NCAA Championship banner.

Steve Renko, co-host of “Behind the Stats,” Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. (and three-sport letter winner at KU): That’s tough to say right now because we don’t know the pairings. It’s easy for me to say KU because they’ve been a No. 1 team this year and I think they’re the best team in the country. In a tournament like this, though, anything can happen. But, even when guessing where the three teams will be seeded, I think KU will be in the tournament the longest because — besides how deep and talented they are — they should get favorable locations, so they’ll be closer to home. With that, KU may lose in the second round. We’ve seen it happen before. You just never know.

Dave Stewart, co-host of “Behind the Stats,” Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. (and a K-State grad): KU for a lot of reasons. Number one, they have the most talent. Two, they have the most tournament experience, largely with a veteran team. MU has experience, we know that, based on what they did last year, but many of those guys are gone. There are guys on this KU team who were part of the 2008 national title, and that means a lot. One thing that might work against KU is that they haven’t had a lot of close games. They’ve had a few, but not down-to-the-wire tight games where one or two guys have to really step up in the last couple of seconds. When you get in that spot in the NCAA Tournament, what do you draw strength to, or reference? I like K-State a lot in that they’ve been able to play well on the road. But hands down, out of the three, I think KU is the closest to being ready to make a deep run.

Jason Tarwater, host of “The Happy Hour Show,” weekdays at 3 p.m.: This is definitely an interesting question. Easy answer: Kansas. However, this is not an easy question. Detailed answer: Kansas and Kansas State both have the potential to go MUCH further in the tournament.

However, Mizzou presents such a match up problem – particularly in the second game of a weekend with only one day to prepare for this defense. KU clearly has more weapons than K-State or Mizzou. But we’ve seen talented teams bow out early – the joy of a single elimination tournament.

K-State definitely has a chance to reach the Final Four but it’s going to depend on one thing – the outside shooting of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. If those two guys are on at the same time, forget it. They can beat any team in the nation.
Missouri’s problem is simply going to be where they’re seeded. Early indications have the Tigers as a seven seed and they could face a really good Villanova team or someone like that. So the potential of facing a good team earlier makes me nervous to pick Mizzou.

My choice – 1. Kansas; 2. Kansas State (narrowly) and 3. Missouri. But don’t be surprised to see all three go far or for two of them to go to the Final Four.

Rich Zvosec, former UMKC coach and host of “Coach Z Live,” Mondays at 2 p.m.: Before you can answer that question there are a couple of variables that you must take into account.

First, are all of the Wildcat, Jayhawk and Tiger players healthy? Secondly, what are the match ups? Who you play is the most important factor when it comes to winning a tournament. There are some teams that you match up with better. For example, if Missouri plays an athletic team with size they could be in for trouble. Or if Kansas plays a patient team that relies on the three-ball (Cornell), the game could be a nightmare. And if the Wildcats square off with a team that has a great guard combo, it proves fatal. OK, now that I have given you all my caveats, here is my breakdown.

Missouri has overcome a lack of an inside scoring presence all year with timely outside shooting and great defense. However, in the tournament the weakness inside will be exposed early and I think they could be the first local team out.

Kansas State has a tremendous backcourt in Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. And they are playing their best basketball at the right time. Plus this team is built on offensive rebound effort and turnover point production. I think they can go to the Final Four.

Kansas is a team on a mission. They relish the bulls-eye, which they’ve had on their backs all season. With the best inside-outside combination in the country in Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, along with a slew of future NBA players, I believe they have the mentality and depth to win it all. If all of that holds up, here’s hoping for a Wildcat-Jayhawk final!