Who's Better: UNC or Kansas?

This comparison is based solely on the games played by each team at Georgia Tech this year. Both undefeated teams struggled to win in Atlanta, with GT having the ball with less than 30 seconds to play and a chance to tie or take the lead against both.

OFFENSE:

Perimeter - UNC's Ty Lawson showed the ability to blow by GT's slower guards at will, but UNC did not have a ton of open looks outside and failed to convert when they did. UNC's guards were very effective at feeding Tyler Hansbrough, but also committed a lot of turnovers in the process. Kansas' three (sometimes four) guards were quite effective beyond the arc as well as driving to the basket. The smallest guys on the court had great games and looked unstoppable at times, while Rush, Arthur and Kaun struggled. Advantage: KANSAS.

Post - Darrell Arthur for Kansas was not able to establish consistent good position inside, so he did not get as many touches as he should have. Sasha was almost totally ineffective. The Kansas forwards and centers combined for 6 made field goals, 7 attempted free throws (in a foul-filled game), and 2 offensive rebounds, a pathetic showing against GT's frontcourt (not All-American material). In the UNC game, Hansbrough dominated, especially in the first half with 18 points. His 7 baskets, 15 free throws, and 3 offensive rebounds all exceed the totals of the combined Kansas big men. However, it is noteworthy that the other UNC big men were not particularly impressive. Advantage: UNC.

DEFENSE:

Perimeter - Kansas was able to shut down the GT offense most of the night, preventing them from running anything close to a set play and forcing 18 turnovers. UNC was able to generate a few turnovers leading to easy scores, but did not apply a consistently high level of pressure on the ball (GT put up 46 in the first half). GT had no trouble running their offense most of the game, in spite of some incompetence. Advantage: KANSAS.

Post - Tyler Hansbrough is an excellent position defender, allowing very few easy shots and forcing the opponents to shoot over him. This allowed him to stay out of foul trouble. However, a skilled post player could take advantage of that strategy. Kansas had the manpower to be more aggressive, and they blocked 9 shots as a result (4 of them by Rush at guard/forward). This resulted in the GT big men going 6-22 from the floor, while those same players were 17-33 against UNC. By the second half, GT pretty much abandoned their inside offense against KU. Advantage: KANSAS.

LEADERSHIP and INTANGIBLES:

Both teams have experienced leaders and are highly motivated. Both coaches know their stuff. No advantage.

DEPTH:

Both teams have talented players coming off the bench. However, UNC only has one truly talented big man, while Kansas has 5 guards that rotate into the game, any of whom can go off any given night. Foul trouble for Tyler would be crippling to UNC, while Kansas does not appear to have a single point of failure. Advantage: KANSAS.

So who's better? KANSAS.