re: how can Kansas be so good at bball & awful at football?

It takes MANY more players to have a good football team than it does to have a great basketball team. KU has long been a power in basketball. Therefore, they are able to sign 4-6 great basketball players from all parts of the country/world and then fill in the rest with good regional players. You can win a national title with an eight man rotation in basketball. Plus, injuries are nearly as common in basketball as they aren't in football. Even if a school somehow had a great first 22 players in football, you still need a lot of depth because it's almost a certainty that many of those guys will miss at least some snaps/games during the season due to injury.