Kansas has talent, but lacks clutch player; more notes

	Sherron Collins could be the Jayhawks go-to guy, but the freshman may be reluctant to step into that leadership role. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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The day after his team blew a 10-point lead at home to Texas A&M, Kansas coach Bill Self still couldn't get over the cojones Aggies senior guard Acie Law displayed on Saturday night after he buried the game-winning three-pointer with 20 seconds left. "He didn't make a three the whole game and he had made just 22 all year," Self told me by telephone on Sunday afternoon. "Every coach in the league knows that Law is the best clutch shooter in the Big 12. We have several go-to guys, but it varies. We don't have one guy we turn to in those situations. Hopefully, we'll find one soon."

In a close game, where the smallest advantage can make a big difference, Kansas' lack of a go-to scorer proved to be its undoing. That deficiency could very well be its undoing again in the NCAA tournament unless someone steps up.

You'd think Brandon Rush, the team's leading scorer and preseason Big 12 co-player of the year (along with teammate Julian Wright), would be the leading candidate for this role. But Rush shot 3-of-13 against the Aggies, and as Kansas' lead was wilting he didn't seem to want the ball. Rush has been shooting pretty well the past month, but the word is out that he is not a good ball handler. That makes him easy to defend in the half-court -- and he knows it.

Plus, Rush does not have the mentality to take over a game in a tough spot. I remember when I interviewed Rush a few months ago during my visit to Lawrence for Sports Illustrated's college hoops preseason preview. While speaking with Rush and three of his teammates, I asked him if he was going to be more aggressive on offense this year. Rush demurred and let his buddies answer for him.

But after the other players left the room, I asked Rush the same question. He assured me he was going to be more selfish this year. "I just didn't want to say that in front of those guys," he confessed. Hardly a take-charge mentality.

And what of those other guys? Wright is a dynamic athlete, but his forte is passing and he does his best scoring in transition, not in the half-court. Junior guard Russell Robinson is mentally tough, but he is averaging just 6.8 points (down from 9.3 last year) and making 41.1 percent of his shots. Mario Chalmers has the skills to take over (Self designed the final play on Saturday for him, but his long three-point attempt was off), but apparently lacks the moxie to demand the ball like Law did. The one player with the skills and the moxie to be a go-to guy is 5-foot-10 point guard Sherron Collins. But it's hard to imagine a freshman taking on that role, even if he is from Chicago.

So what is Kansas left with? A darn good team, actually. This is still a Bill Self-coached group, so you know they play some mean D. KU is ranked first in the Big 12 in blocks (6.9 per game) and it is second in steals, rebound margin and field-goal defense. There is also something to be said for having a variety of different weapons to keep opponents off balance. It's not for nothing that this team is 19-4 and ranked ninth.

But in order to win an NCAA championship, a team at some point will need a great escape. (Think Danny Ainge, Tyus Edney and Christian Laettner.) When that critical moment comes, be it in the first round or the Final Four, whom will Kansas turn to?

As of now, the Jayhawks don't have an answer. Texas A&M does. That's about the only thing separating them right now, but on Saturday night it was enough.