Recently this debate has surfaced with some concerns for our next few games.   We have discussed our team's youthful talent from time to time and their lack of a lot of experience.  We know both can be a factor in winning games.  We have seen where experience may have crushed our opponent a time or two, but we can't say for sure.  And we have seen a lot of heart and will by our young, talented guys be the factors in winning games.  Our guys have shown us their refuse-to-lose mentality most of the time.  I don't think one can put a measurement on heart and will-to-win.  But if you want to look at a couple of things in the vicinity of experience vs youth, we can do that too.

Here is an article titled Experience vs. Youth from a Villanova blog written this past October.  It lists the early favorites for the 2010 Championship and has their experience factor (returning players minutes played).  As far as I know, it is a decent look of where things stand in that category.  Purdue ranks highest among this year's top ten pick's with 11,990.  Kansas came into this season totaling 11,871.  UNC (the 2009 champs had 14,265 minutes last year entering into the season), this year only 6,386.  Our very young Wildcats owned an exp factor of 6,350 to start (less than the Tarheels).  Texas only logged an exp factor of 5,011 coming into the season.  I think we probably would give the Jayhawks or the Boilermakers (both almost double our exp factor) a great match-up.  I don't believe I have lone rights to that thought.      NOTE: The above link doesn't have experience minutes for Syracuse this season.  A quick check lists general starters as 2 seniors, 2 juniors and 1 freshman this season.  

I also found this article Sports of The Times; In Experience vs. Youth, It's the Talent That Wins discussing said debate.  It is a little dated, back to April 2003, but it discusses when Jim Boeheim's young team out-shined (only down 1 for seconds, early in the game) the more-experienced Jayhawks. Young 'Cuse finished that season 30-5, winning this last game.  That is always a requirement to be National Champs, after all.  Roy Williams' experienced KU went 30-8 that year.

Breaking these two down, the 2002-03 Orangemen had just one senior, Duany. He was joined by junior McNeil, sophomores Warrick (he had a huge block), Forth, and Pace.  And freshmen, Anthony (3rd freshman in history named MOP), McNamara and Edelin.  The Jaywhawks had two seniors, Henrich and Collison.  Other starters for Kansas were juniors Bryant and Graves, sophomores Langford, Lee and Miles.  Kansas probably was the more experienced team of the two but that wasn't enough for the title.

Now let us return back to the present and list our youth.  Our Wildcats regular starters are (you know these guys) freshmen John, DeMarcus and Eric, sophomore Darius and junior PPat.  Off the bench (those seeing the most playing time) we have sophomores DeAndre and Darnell, another freshman Daniel and seniors Perry and Ramon.

I think there is no doubt we are a young team.  Can our youthful talent excel and advance far, maybe win it all, in the Big Dance?  Most feel we have the talent.  We know they have the will-to-win.  One big plus is they have gained a bit of experience along this 190 Miles to Glory aspiration.  Coach says it hasn't been just for fun-sies, you know.  The fact is, Indy has some strings they are striving to acquire.  Go Big Blue !!!

Kentucky Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats roster