Rock, Dunk, Jayhawk

My career can be chopped up a number of different ways. There's the PA/AP/AD years, and the producer years. There's the single years and the family years. And there's the Big East years and the Big 12 years.

For the last decade, there is no team that I've covered more than Kansas basketball. And this week while I was toiling away at home and at Auburn, I saw the two greatest college basketball dunks I can remember. They were both by Jayhawks in the ever-heightening game of "can you top this?" between Jeff Withey and Ben McLemore this season. Both got me jumping out of my chair and shouting when there was nobody else around.

The first was Monday night by Withey, posterizing Kansas State's Jordan Henriquez. The sheer power of the slam with a strong defender draped all over him was awesome.

The fact that the slam was (way) contested and Withey brought it home with the "and one" made it one of the most remarkable basketball plays of this or any other season. And Withey was properly pumped up about it without going over the top.

Then on Saturday night, with the game against Texas well in hand, Ben McLemore got out in front of the field and did the most perfect, business-like 360 you will ever see outside of a dunk contest.

When he was out ahead you could feel it coming, but you had no idea what was about to happen.

The stills obviously don't do these athletic feats justice. So here are the You Tube links for the Withey dunk and the McLemore dunk. You're welcome.

Backtime Dateline: Kansas City

Here's a nice look from my 29th floor hotel room in downtown Kansas City. It's actually warmer here than it was in Orlando this past weekend. There's a November surprise.

When I was flying into KC on Saturday night with all the exciting primetime football going on, my mind wandered back to 2007, when Kansas and Missouri met at Arrowhead as the #2 and #3 teams in the nation.

But a lot's gone down since then. Kansas has fired two coaches and fallen flat on its face. And Missouri left the "Border War" to join the SEC.

The Jayhawks have not suffered the same fate on the basketball court - not even close. They won the 2008 national championship, and were runners-up in 2012. This year's incarnation promises to be just as dominant.

I have probably seen Kansas in person (OK in a truck right outside) upwards of 30 times since Bill Self took over 9 years ago. And they never looked as flawless and as dominant as they did in a 78-41 laugher over Washington State in the CBE Semifinals.

Freshman Ben McLemore is a potential Player-of-the-Year candidate and Senior Jeff Withey may be the most dominant big man in the nation.

Tonight KU will take on Saint Louis in the tournament championship here in KC, maybe a new border rival?

The Billikens are without coach Rick Majerus, whose health problems are critical at this point.

But he put together the foundation of a team that will give Kansas a run tonight, especially on the defensive end. Watch out for stopper and all-name team MVP Jordair Jett to be all over McLemore, but will it be enough?