Kansas Jayhawks
2001 record: 3-8 (1-7)
Coach: Mark Mangino (1st season, 0-0)
Starters returning: 5 offense, 4 defense, 1 kicker

Outlook: Mark Mangino has the right blueprint. As offensive coordinator for the 2000 national champion Oklahoma Sooners, the first-year KU coach knows what it takes to build a program.

"There are some similarities in what we'll try to establish at Kansas and what we established at Oklahoma,'' he said. "It takes absolutely no talent to give effort."

	Around The Big 12
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	Kansas Jayhawks
	Kansas State Wildcats
	Missouri Tigers
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	Oklahoma Sooners
	Oklahoma State Cowboys
	Texas Longhorns
	Texas A&M Aggies
	Texas Tech Red Raiders

That's good news for Mangino, who inherits a team that ranked 113th in total offense and 111th in rush defense in D-IA. His task will be to take what proven talent the Jayhawks have -- they return only nine starters, fewest in the Big 12 -- and fit it to his spread offense and 4-3 defense.

He'll build the offense around quarterback Zach Dyer and running back Reggie Duncan, who showed signs of a breakout with a 227-yard day against Texas Tech. Mangino will work with Dyer to improve his completion percentage (career .475) and INT-to-TD ratio (4:3).

Defensively, the Jayhawks will build around linebacker Leo Etienne and little else. Finding depth at defensive tackle has been a major concern and doesn't bode well for the Jayhawks improving a rush defense that gave up 237 yards a game in 2001.

Key game: It's all about not slipping further at this stage for the Jayhawks, who have a serious rebuilding job ahead of them. That means staying ahead of Baylor, which also went winless in its division last year as it extended its Big 12 losing streak to 29 games. The Bears host Kansas on Oct. 5.

Keep an eye on: Basketball season. Or senior Harrison Hill. The wide receiver was granted a sixth year to complete his eligibility by the NCAA after having his freshman and senior seasons ended in the second game, both by broken bones. With 108 career receptions, he needs 26 to pass Willie Vaughn and Richard Estell as KU's all-time leading receiver.

It's a good year if . . . The Jayhawks avoid the North Division cellar. It won't be easy, with Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska and Colorado clearly ahead of the Jayhawks and Missouri looking to make marked improvement under second-year coach Gary Pinkel. Mangino will do well simply to get his system installed and avoid blowout losses.

Mark Wangrin covers the Big 12 for the San Antonio Express-News.