nERD: 21.97
Many will tell you that Bill Self's 2008 Jayhawks weren't his most talented team in his 14 seasons in Lawrence, but they were the first and only national champions of his tenure. And the numbers tell us even more -- that they are, in fact, the best team he's had.
That season, the Jayhawks led the nation in nERD and were the only team at or above 21. As such, it comes as no surprise that they were the best offensive team in the country behind the balanced scoring of Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson, all of whom averaged at least 11.2 points per game.
In terms of win shares, Chalmers and Jackson were the best, with .257 and .259 win shares per 40, respectively. They combined for 13.8 total win shares.
There was much more to this Kansas team than just offensive firepower, though. Their defense was top-notch, ranking fifth in the nation. They were a well-oiled machine and capitalized on their strengths.
They ran through two number-one seeds on their way to a memorable '08 title over Memphis, where Chalmers hit a game tying-shot to send the game to overtime, where Kansas was ultimately victorious.