College basketball countdown: No. 5 Kansas

THE FIRST WORD: Bill Self has reloaded before, and he has 10 consecutive Big 12 Conference titles to show for it.

But it's impossible to ignore the loss of the No. 1 and No. 3 NBA draft picks.

Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid were certainly the headliners last season, putting the Jayhawks in the national spotlight plenty. Because of that top-tier talent, it's not out of the question to suggest that Kansas underachieved — despite another Big 12 title: The Jayhawks finished with a third-round NCAA tournament loss to Stanford. It might have been different had Embiid been healthy, but this is Kansas, and expectations were high.

And they will be again.

But there is not a group of veterans left over to give the Jayhawks an experienced roster in 2014-15. As for the reloading, Self isn't shy in making a bold prediction.

"I think we could be better than last year's team," said Self, now in his 12th season in Lawrence.

The Jayhawks hauled in another stout recruiting class with prime-time power forward Cliff Alexander and electric shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr.. They will join key returnees Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden Jr.

"This year it's about balance," Self said. "We may not have high-profile guys like we did last year, but I think we have at least 10 talented guys we can put out there. We have a collection of players unlike anything we've had before. I really, really like our personnel."

2013-14 IN REVIEW: 25-10 overall, 14-4 (Big 12 champions), lost in third round of NCAA tournament to Stanford.

PATH TO THE DANCE: Big 12 auto-bid.

PROJECTED TOURNEY SEED: No. 2 seed.

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE GRADE: B. See full schedule here.

The Jayhawks will have their work cut out, starting with a Nov. 18 matchup against Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis. Then they host Florida in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and have another chunk of tough home tests against Utah and UNLV. Road games at Georgetown and Temple won't be easy, either.

TEAM BREAKDOWN: See full roster here.

STAR WATCH: Ellis (13.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg), a 6-8 junior, is the top returning producer after a big improvement as a sophomore. Even more will be expected this year. In those games in which Wiggins practically disappeared offensively, it was Ellis the offense. He is capable of averaging a double-double and can put the team on his back offensively — he tallied 32 vs. TCU on Feb. 15 and 30 against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament title game.

Selden (9.7 ppg) was overshadowed by classmates Wiggins and Embiid, but the former five-star recruit was a steady contributor, starting every game, and should transition into a lead role. The 6-5 sophomore is a capable scorer, but he'll have to show maturity as a sophomore by being more consistent (he scored two points in both NCAA tournament games) and limiting turnovers.

X-FACTOR: Point guard position wasn't a strength last season. Inconsistent starter Naadir Tharpe transferred so floor general duties will be shared by 5-11 sophomore Frank Mason III (5.5 ppg) and top-50 recruit Devonte Graham, a 6-2 guard Self believes can be the "missing piece" in the offense. Expect Graham to close out games if he doesn't start right away. Self raved about the freshman's maturity level. Great point guard play can make the rest of the strings on the instrument play better, and that's what Self hopes will happen here.

KEY NEWCOMERS: Alexander is expected to make an immediate impact and provide the muscle to a program searching for a new identity. He's 6-8 and a relentless rebounder. Alexander's physicality will be necessary with the losses of Embiid and Tarik Black. Oubre, at 6-7, is an explosive wing, and he will have a chance to start and become a primary part of Kansas' offense. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, a 6-8 shooting guard, is a player to watch. The 17-year-old from Ukraine has waves of potential that Self is anxious to uncap.

TEAM STRENGTH/WEAKNESS: A fair criticism of Kansas' 2013-14 team, despite its wealth of talent, was that there was no alpha dog. Wiggins scored 40 points in a game but was held to single digits in others, and Embiid was dominant at midseason but plagued with poor health. Self hasn't identified a go-to guy yet for this season. "I'm not sure who our best player is," Self said. "Nobody's separated themselves." Ellis and Selden potentially can fill that role, and Alexander and Oubre could grow into the go-to guy. But it's one intriguing area to keep an eye on as this team develops.

Kansas has always been good at defending the block and protecting the rim, and then scoring easy baskets on the other end. This year Self looks for 6-8 junior Jamari Traylor (4.8 ppg), Landen Lucas (6-10 sophomore) and Hunter Mickelson (6-10 junior transfer from Arkansas) to provide depth.

FUN FACT: James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, coached at Kansas. He, by the way, is the only coach in program history with a losing record (55–60).

BASICS: The University of Kansas is in Lawrence, and the Jayhawks play their home games at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, which opened in 1955 and seats 16,300.

About this post: Every weekday for the next three months, one of the 68 teams in USA TODAY Sports' projected field will be dissected. In November, the final bracket will be revealed.