LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The pressure to win, here in America's Heartland, has subsided. If that's possible when it comes to Kansas basketball.

But these Jayhawks seem looser, at least more relaxed, which means a Final Four run is a lot more realistic this season.

	Kirk Hinrich says this year's group of Kansas juniors need to lead by example.

But don't mistake lower expectations nationally, and in the Big 12, for the same in Lawrence, Kan. Getting to the Sweet 16 last March for the first time since 1997 got rid of their constant tightness, but not the drive. Kansas hasn't won the Big 12 since 1998, finishing as low as fifth in 2000.

"We don't feel like we have to, that sense of urgency to win the title," Kansas junior Kirk Hinrich said. "This is a looser team. We've got a bunch of freshmen that are goofballs and like to play around. When it's time for business, we'll do that."

Kansas coach Roy Williams added humor to a tense situation last season when he brought out a children's stuff monkey to show what cliché no longer be applied to him and the Jayhawks after they reached the second weekend of the tournament. That move, and the streamlining of leadership to its best players, may make the difference in reaching this team's potential.

"This team will have a feeling of let's have some fun while we play our tails off," Williams said. "(Last season's seniors) Eric (Chenowith) and Kenny (Gregory) did what they were supposed to do for us, but in the back of their minds they were thinking about the NBA last season. Luke (Axtell) was so unsettled (because of injuries). All three did a great job for us, but I think we'll have more of a normal situation."

Williams said he's confident this team won't feel the pressure to win the league and get to the Final Four.

"I want these kids to enjoy the journey, too," Williams said.

And what is happening is the three juniors -- Hinrich, Drew Gooden and Nick Collison -- are taking ownership of the leadership and not holding back in some candid criticism of their departed seniors.

"The seniors tried to tell us one thing, but they weren't doing it," Gooden said. "They would tell us to toughen up and get a rebound, but then they weren't doing it. Me, Nick, Kirk and (senior Jeff) Boschee will be out there carrying the task. We won't be false role models or mentors to the younger guys. What coach says to do, we'll do. If the young guys aren't doing it then we'll make sure they are."

The Jayhawks are still considered a contender by most, picked No. 5 in ESPN.com's preseason top 25. But the consensus is that Missouri and Oklahoma State could just as easily win the Big 12 instead of the Jayhawks. Kansas split games with Missouri, and was swept by Iowa State last season in going 12-4 in the Big 12. Kansas didn't scare any of last year's contenders on the road. The Jayhawks just weren't intimidating when they arrived in the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo., or at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

As a result, Kansas enters this season right in line with a core of five teams -- Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas -- that all have a legit shot to win the Big 12.

"Me, Nick and Kirk always thought we would cakewalk and win the Big 12," Gooden said of his classmates. "We saw so many Big 12 championship rings when we came here. But now we're this underdog against Missouri and Iowa State, who we haven't beaten in two years. I'm 0-4 against (Iowa State). The monkey might be off our back (with the Sweet 16) but we've still got things to do here."

	“	Expectations are always high here, even if they're not elsewhere. To be predicted to finish third in the Big 12, like I saw in one magazine, is unheard of around here. Everybody knows it doesn't mean anything and teams will still get excited to play us. But not being seen as the top team in October will help us. ”
		— Nick Collison, Kansas junior forward

The difference in 2001-02 might be the Jayhawks' quickness. Gooden and Collison remain the staples inside, with Wayne Simien giving them a more plodding, traditional big man in reserve. But the Jayhawks should be able to play with the quicker teams like Missouri this season, largely because of freshmen Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Michael Lee.

"Aaron Miles makes good decisions, Keith can get to the basket and Michael can do a bit of everything, especially defensively," Hinrich said.

The Jayhawks should be able to knock down 3s with Hinrich (51 percent; 52 of 102) and Boschee (36 percent; 68 of 189) as the first two perimeter options. Gooden and Collison will be able to stretch the defense with a perimeter shot, and then Miles as the likely fifth starter capable of scoring in the lane or from the perimeter. But, Miles or Langford, will have to rebound, picking up for the loss of big guard Gregory, who was the team's third-best rebounder at 7.3 rebounds a game. And despite his apparent lack of leadership, the 7-1 Chenowith averaged a second-best 7.6 to Gooden's 8.4 rebounds a game.

"That's nearly 16 boards between them so me, Nick and Wayne are going to have to pick that up," Gooden said. "We can't let teams beat us on the boards. Me and Nick might have to average four more boards a game."

But it's doable, especially for a team that believes it's capable of making a run without feeling the pressure of doing it for the first time in years.

"Expectations are always high here, even if they're not elsewhere," Collison said. "To be predicted to finish third in the Big 12, like I saw in one magazine, is unheard of around here. Everybody knows it doesn't mean anything and teams will still get excited to play us. But not being seen as the top team in October will help us."

Kansas doesn't have the overall frontcourt depth, but the Jayhawks won't need it if Gooden and Collison have banner seasons (see: 18-20 points a game and near double figures in boards). They need Miles or Langford to emerge as a viable fourth option, behind whoever is hot between Hinrich and Boschee. If Simien can be productive off the bench and they can get the necessary role-play out of Lee and forward Jeff Carey then they've got a shot at a spot in the Final Four -- even if they don't feel the pressure to get to Atlanta.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.