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I am not going to let yesterday ruin my favorite day of the year. Selection Sunday is a day that I have circled on my calendar literally a year in advance. Can't plan any trips. Can't make dinner plans. Can't even think about having the in-laws over. It is my favorite day and to me it is better than Christmas. It is the day where we see the final road that lies ahead in the long and grueling basketball season. There really is nothing more exciting than hearing all of the names called and seeing the draws.

"How are they a 3 seed?"

"That is a really scary 7 seed."

"No one is going to want to be a 1 seed with that team as an 8 seed."

It is awesome and I can't wait for 5 o'clock tonight.

Another reason I am not going to let yesterday get me down is it simply doesn't matter. We are about to play in a single elimination tournament. It is all about the next game and the prior games all disappear. KU has come into the NCAA on fire many times and it has not worked out for us in the NCAA. 2010, 2011 and 2013 all come to mind. Those are years where we won the Big 12 tournament, came in as 1 seeds and failed to reach the Final 4. Failed to reach the Elite 8 in 2 of those years.

My argument is that it should not matter that we lost yesterday or that we blew a big lead. How often do you see a team struggle down the stretch and then get hot in the tourney? Or even struggle in the tourney and then find a way to win and make a run? The answer is all of the time. UCONN last year needs OT in the very opening round! Butler gets to the Finals two years in a row! Are you kidding? It is just a crap shoot and it is what makes March so amazing and so awful all at once and I can't wait for it to start.

I feel the same way about Selection Sunday. Also, Thursday is my Christmas morning. If possible, I take Thursday and Friday afternoons off and go to a place that has 4 TV screens so I can watch all of the games at once.

What are the chances the L yesterday flip flops us ( 26 - 8 ) and Iowa State ( 25 - 8 ). They take our 2 seed with the two Ws over us and we take their 3 with our 2 Ls and non-AFH record ( 10 - 8 ). I wouldn't be shocked if this is how it all plays out at 5pm cst.

@Kip_McSmithers ISU is 9th on RPI and 6th SOS, we are 2nd and 1st on those. I don't see that happening.

@Kip_McSmithers i actually could see it happening. Possible. But not probable at this point. But in the end it really doesnt matter. It could even be that the 3 gives us a better matchup. Who knows

@cragarhawk I agree. Who cares. If we get a 3 seed perhaps we will play with a chip on our shoulder.

Agreed with cragarhawk and joeloveshawks. A 1 Seed makes a difference for the 1st week. A 2 or 3 Seed make no difference for the 1st week.

As long as it's not in the Midwest bracket?

There have been 18 14seeds to beat a 3seed in tourney history. Seven- 15s have beaten the 2s. I liked our chances better as a two.

@Kip_McSmithers It seems we have the potential to be beaten by any number between 1 and 16.

Or maybe ND moves to a 2 and we go to a 3. Agree that there is little difference between a 2 or a 3. I look at the projected 6 or 7 seeds and sometimes I like the matchup vs. a 6 instead of a 7.
Especially for us, it really is about matchups.

@joeloveshawks Agreed. Even though I took yesterdays loss pretty hard, as did most of us on here, I really believe this sport is the best out there and I love The Madness! Every year.

As I posted on another thread, according to Lunardi, KU is a #2 seed and in the Mid West bracket with Kentucky (Omaha) while ISU is a #3 seed in the South with Duke (Louisville). Other than the location, I would trade places with ISU since they seem to have the easier path to the Final Four. @Crimsonorblue22 had it right indicating that it was better to be the top #3 seed than the bottom #2 seed.

@Kip_McSmithers Gottlieb tried to make that case to the chairman of the selection committee at noon on cbs and the chairman simply responded "We tend to look at the whole body of work and what happened in conference play.". Doogie was not happy and wanted to but but they beat us 2 out of 3 times. Neither Seth, Clark or Gumbel let him finish.

@JayHawkFanToo I said that?

One thing to remember is that, no matter who we draw in the 2nd round, as either a 2 or a 3 seed, that team will not be as good, in theory, as ISU, OU, Baylor, or WVU. OSU? OK, but they beat us on their floor.
Regardless of whom we draw, they will not be as good as the teams that have beaten us.....with the exception of Temple (who really isn't very good) and OSU....and they beat us in a hostile environment.
We should feel good about our chances of getting to the Sweet 16.
Once there...it's a crap shoot. You're looking at someone like ND or Maryland. Teams similar in talent and record to ISU, OU, etc. Beatable, for sure. But pretty much a toss up.
I'm not dismissing the first round.....we could always lose....but I don't waste time worrying about it.

@Crimsonorblue22

I am so sorry. My daughter said that last night and since you are both such huge KU fans I got you two confused... my bad... :) :) :)

@joeloveshawks I agree as well, one of the best sports days of the year. I will fill out entirely too many brackets, I will pick KU in all but a few, I will root for teams I don't care about and I will not one time think about losing yesterday because as you said, it simply doesn't matter. In years past when we did win the conference championship game and then follow with a loss any time in the tourney I never and will never feel solace in the fact that we won the Big 12 tournament.

Hey...at least we got the post-season loss out of the way; better at the Conference Tournament than at the NCAA. Now on to victory!!!

screwed

wichita st in our bracket wow talk about screwing

Some here have been saying they want another chance at Kentucky. Maybe we'll get it.

@JayHawkFanToo

Brutal bracket. Ughhhhhh.....

@wissoxfan83

no chance

That is worst case scenario for KU.Somebody had it in for KU, not only it is in the same bracket with UK but it has the ubber motivated WSU Shockers to contend.

@BeddieKU23 No chance we'll get to Kentucky? Why not?

@Lulufulu

Yes?

I'm gonna quit KU buckets if I start to hear more NCAA is screwing us nonsense. That's not a threat, well, it's not a promise either! But I know I'll hear a lot of it and it's nonsense.

@JayHawkFanToo Part of the problem with this team all year has been the inability to get motivated. If they can get to WSU, maybe that will motivate them. If not, they don't deserve to be there in the first place.

@JayHawkFanToo the website ate my post. Here is what I tried to say.

@JayHawkFanToo Ehhhhhhh, I disagree. We did make it further in the Big 12 tourney than we did last year based on toughness alone. But, how injured KU is right now and how bad they are on offense right now will almost guarantee a loss in the first weekend for us.

Everyone here should temper their expectations for KU in the NCAA's this year. By all means root for our boys, I sure will. But, I cannot realistically pick KU to make it to the sweet 16 this year. I just can't. That said, I hope against hope that I am wrong.

I'm speechless at how loaded that bracket is, not just as a KU fan either. The committee really wants to see if they can knock off UK. I guess since no one else has.

@KUSTEVE Lunardi is only guessing at the brackets. He isnt on the selection committee. I'll believe the brackets when I see them set in 1 hour

@wissoxfan83

then i guess your watching ku with a different set of eyes than everyone else.

if we get wichita st in the 2nd round its like their SUPER BOWL. how hard is that to understand

NCAA is toying with us.

Thanks NCAA, May I have another?

@BeddieKU23

I try to watch it like it's a game and not life and death. It's a juicy matchup for the tournament. So we'll have an excuse if we lose to them? Why don't we make it our super bowl? We sound petty and childish when we make statements like I'm seeing here.

@wissoxfan83 Agreed.

@wissoxfan83 I respectfully ask you to look closely at how these seedings are placed. Dayton in Dayton? KU matching up with WSU?

Lots of rematches looming like Mich St and Virginia.

NCAA does not have a lot of credibility as an objective, unbiased entity.

Still. A 7? Really?

@joeloveshawks Well, OK the brackets are set. I thought it wasnt until 730 eastern. My Bad!
Well then, let the madness begin. Someone, please for the love of all that is basketball holy, Please beat Kentucky!?!?!?

no matter if we get by the first round matchup our best player will be playing the rest of the year injured. No other team is going into the tournament worrying about their star players health other than West Virginia.

i'm glad your staying optimistic but I've got tempered expectations because what I've seen is a 2nd round exit team. We had a great year and the kids are worn out. We will have to put 2 half's together just to beat New Mexico St, that game won't be a pushover. It's what I think, some may think differently so sue me

@Lulufulu I'm watching them on TV right now.

@wissoxfan83

WSU has been ranked in the top 15 all season long and currently sits at #12 in both the AP and Coaches Poll and #14 as per Pomeroy...how in the world do they end up with a #7 seed? A #7 seed indicates that there are are between 24 and 27 teams better than they are and I think that is plain BS any way you look at it WSU should have been a #4 or #5 but no way they are a #7 seed. The other #7 seed so far is Michigan State that is not even ranked in the top 25 in either poll.

Pleas explain to me how this is non-sense? Please note that I used actual numbers from different sources to back my comments.

@bskeet OK, Where do we play our first weekend? I don't remember, but year after year we've been placed near home. Don't know anything about Dayton. Who do they play?

Ya. Wow. I was so looking forward to going. But i just dont think i can give them any of my money this year. And we went to the same location as wsu last year too. I dont care to spend time with those fans ever again

@KUSTEVE Oh yah, I see that just the midwest bracket is set

@JayHawkFanToo So Wichita got screwed maybe? Their early exit in the tourney probably hurt them. So maybe we could have had an easier 2nd round game, I get your point, but our 8 losses and poor showing of late hurt our ability to get any favorable matchups in the dance.

@wissoxfan83 Dayton plays a play-in game on their home court. Does it really matter who they play? The point is that they say they seed according to rules.. but the rules allow for a lot of latitude for them to apply the rules with an agenda.

@Lulufulu ????????

@bskeet Thanks, I see your point. They probably could have avoided putting Dayton in the playin game.

@KUSTEVE Uhh, ESPN has the midwest bracket set

@KUSTEVE ESPN.GO
Now they have the east bracket set

Ya. I dont really want anyone to leave. But i dont see how anyone can label it as anything less than a good old fashioned hosing

SMU playing UCLA? I REST MY CASE.

Larry Brown plays against a school he used to coach? What a coincidence!

@Lulufulu OH. You're not watching CBS...that's why you're behind....

@wissoxfan83

Again and with all due respect, you really do not know what you are talking about. Dayton was the runner up in both the regular season and conference tournament in the A-10 and were slated as #8 seed instead they will be playing in the play-in round which happens to be played in Dayton every year,...how is that doing them a favor? They will have to play AND wind one game before getting into the real Tournament.

@JayHawkFanToo Yeah.. And I don't know if it's a disadvantage or an advantage. I just know that it's WEIRD. It's provocative and they don't have to create those kinds of provocative situations, but they do.

@bskeet

See my post about Dayton, they got royally screwed as well.

How in hell did Texas get a 11 seed and Dooke a 1 when they didn't win the conference or tourney?

@wissoxfan83

So Wichita got screwed maybe?

YES, that is the point, both KU and WSU got screwed as they both should have had easier opponents in the second round.

@JayHawkFanToo I don't mind that we could be playing the Shockers. In fact, I'm kinda glad to see it's possible.
But I agree that WSU should have gotten a better seed.

@BeddieKU23
I love this scenario! This gives KU legitimate motivation to get to the Sweet 16. First off, you know Self will be pumped to put it to Marshall, so I'm confident he will be fully engaged on the coaching side. Additionally, you know our boys are going to want to stick it to CF for bailing on them. Even though he's not playing, I believe they'll be juiced to show Connor what he gave up and what he now has.

Keep in mind, too, that WSU is not guaranteed a pass to us. You'll figure that the coaching staff will be all in on IU, that they'll be scrambling to put together a gameplan. Even tho we won't be looking past our first opponent, I have to believe that we're putting a gameplan together now for the Shockers

@JayHawkFanToo said:

So Wichita got screwed maybe?

YES, thatsis the point, both KU and WSU got screwed as they both should have had easier opponents in the second round.

Yes-- And they NCAA can point to the rule "keep the team close to their geographical home" as the reason for the placement, but really they selectively let that rule override the rule of balanced seeding. All to serve an agenda.

I guess I'm as much of a conspiracy theorist with the NCAA as @jaybate-1.0 is with the shoe companies. Hard to know which is more insidious.

To add to my previous post, the #7 in the South is Iowa, unranked in both polls and in the West #7 is VCU, also unranked in both polls. WSU got screwed as much as KU.

@JayHawkFanToo We got screwed. We should've lost to TCU, and got a 3 seed, like Baylor, OU, and Iowa State.

@KUSTEVE I kind of agree.

I mean, I don't wish to lose to TCU, but I would have preferred to be a #3 seed in any other region than than a 2 in the Midwest, the way they seeded it.

@KUSTEVE Problem is, that would have just swapped us with Notre Dame.

@konkeyDong I think you're right.

@KUSTEVE

I agree. I thought we should rest the starters, play the bench and lose to TCU. A #3 seed would have been better.

NCAA: Blah blah blah Dayton. Blah blah blah UCLA

On the other hand, 4 Big 12 teams in the top 12...that is a full 33% of the top 12 teams. Looks like the Conference got some respect; let's hope it does well.

@bskeet

UCLA got in based on its 40 year old reputation and big market location. All the brackets I was tracking (10+) had them out and Dayton as #8-9 seed.

Well, I was hoping that we wouldn't get in Kentucky's bracket, but it happened, though I wasn't expecting an elite eight appearance necessarily.

I agree with other posters - just don't have high expectations and enjoy each game.

@wissoxfan83 Come on. WSU is underseeded as a 7. They were neck and neck with NIU, who is a 5.
Most had both of them as a 4 or 5 all along.

@JayHawkFanToo The B12 got a lot of love from the committee - KU a 2, ISU, OU, and Baylor all got 3s, WVU a 5 and UT and OSU in, as well. Hopefully, all can live up to their seeds - and one or more exceed by getting to Elite 8s or FF. The others may have a better shot at that than the Hawks, esp. FF. And, yes, WSU got screwed - which means KU gets screwed if they end up meeting. Would sure look forward to that game though. Hope neither we nor they look past the first game.

@JayHawkFanToo said:

UCLA got in based on its 40 year old reputation and big market location

And the NCAA has REPEATEDLY denied that past-performance or demographics has an influence in the seeding.

bullsh cough cough it.

Time to regroup and focus! Tough road ahead, but the quest for banner number six begins now! Let's go Jayhawks!

!image.jpg ↗

@FarSideHawk Very nice! :+1:

Enough talk...LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious." -Vince Lombardi

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK GO KU

Sorry to sound like such a sourpuss about the seedings.

I realize every team has the same challenge: win 6 in a row. Just win.

However, the NCAA is not getting points of admiration from me.

@Hawk8086
WSU is not as good as u think they are. They beat up on a pathetic MVC, and they were constantly in close games that had no business being close. Yes they've got good guards and play great D, but they have no inside game and if we take Baker and VanVleet outta their game, we should win convincingly. I believe WSU stayed ranked as high as they did all year, based partly on their rep from last year and the 2013 FF. Other than that, they didn't blow the doors off any expectations this year

@bskeet I need a cigarette- don't smoke!

@ZIG I don't think cf can travel? Do you know?

@Crimsonorblue22 Does Cliff get to?

@RockChalkinTexas he didn't get to go to OU, but was in kc. Go figure.

KU selection sun. Reporters asked Perry about playing WSU-hometown team, he handled it well, looking at first game first. He said the fans want that game. Talked about injuries, ll pretty beat up, Perry said he was getting better every day. Said injuries are all mental at this time. Self said they took today off, light tmrw, harder tues-wed before they leave. Self thought WSU and uni got bad seeds. Thought nms was a higher seed.

Coach said no need to talk about Cliff at all, distraction.

@BeddieKU23 I agree with you fully. Im not picking KU to get past anyone this time.

@Lulufulu

I don't want to be right at all and i don't care if people don't like my stance on this. I'm calling it the way I see it and I'm certainly not going to say "I told you so" if we bail out early.

I wouldn't feel this way if we had a healthy Ellis but we won't have that the rest of the year. 6 days isn't going to magically heal him. He's hurt and he's going to be 80% at best of himself. That's just not good enough when we don't get the entire team to step their game up.

The NCAA tourney committee screwed us royally by putting us in the same bracket as Kentucky and Wichita St. We could even play Texas yet again if we both won 2 games. It's simply a joke the way they seeded us with Wichita fully knowing the situation in playing them. It would be like putting Missouri in our bracket if they ever made the tournament again.

@ZIG But they beat NIU and finished right there with them in conference. NIU is a 5. My point is they should be higher than a 7.
Now.....I agree that we should be able to beat them.......

@BeddieKU23 Ellis is hurt. So is Selden, Oubre, Landen, Traylor and Greene. Mason and Devonte got hurt earlier and they also may not be complete. Cliff is gone, we wont see him again. We are at 1/3rd strength at best. They wont win against a hungry NMST team looking for its first win. If they do, they certainly wont beat the second team, whoever that turns out to be.

That said, I did have one bracket where I picked KU to win it all, just because I hope. And, because I love KU.

@Lulufulu

i have the same scenario. NM St has won something like 12 games in a row and like 16 of its last 17 so even if they are a 15 seed they are a team who knows how to win. They are big and have 2 40% plus 3 point shooters. So a good 3 point shooting team who can offensive rebound is exactly the recipe for losing 1st round.

With Ellis he's just going to play through it because its the end of the season. If this was earlier he'd sit weeks til it fully healed. But he's going try through it because he's a fighter and he has to. Is a 80% healthy Ellis good enough to play 30 minutes a game? Landen & Traylor are really banged up, Mason is worn out because of minutes. For all our depth we are just so worn out.

@JayHawkFanToo

"With all due respect you don't know what you're talking about". Nice, why add the with all due respect because there's nothing respectful in telling someone they don't know what they're talking about.

@BeddieKU23 Your more than welcome to join any of my bracket pools. Just don't tell anyone you're a KU fan when you pick us losing first round...lol.

@KUSTEVE Obviously we are all a bit hot and bothered about playing WSU in the 2nd round (assuming we get by our first opponent) but it is what it is. Would you rather play MSU who is a 7? Would you rather play the winner of VCU / Ohio St? These are all really good teams. Ohio St. has a kid who will go top 5 in the draft. MSU just outplayed Wisconsin for 38 minutes. No matter who we were going to get in the 2nd round (or 3rd round or whatever it is now called) it was going to be against a team that can easily beat us. But also against a team that we SHOULD beat. I for one would not be surprised if KU beats the winner of the WSU / Indiana game by 15. Why not? We are KU and we have studs just like they do. Bill has a week to game plan for both squads. We are coming off of a loss and should have plenty of anger and fire for these games.

My glass of beer during the opening rounds will be half full. Rock Chalk!!!

Nices comment I've ever seen from a UK fan.

"You guys do realize I am expecting 40-0 right?? Hoping someone beats Kansas. We put them down hard and they are miles from the same team and likely pissed off. March retribution can be fickle and nasty."

Hope he gets to live his biggest fear.

@joeloveshawks "My glass of beer during the opening rounds will be half full. Rock Chalk!!!"

I've got enough in the garage fridge to keep mine full.

@brooksmd beer though?🍻

@dylans Anyone that's ever been on this site knows I'm not a hater. I get an attitude once in a while, true. But I love, love, love all things KU. I'm also a realist.

Anyone who thinks we have a shot to beat Kentucky this year - P.O.'d or not - is out-side-their-mind.

Especially if we get a 17 point lead. We're toast.

@nuleafjhawk I just hope KU gets a chance to play Kentucky again. If KU beats (I'm assuming) WSU and ND, I'd consider that a good tournament outcome. I'm hoping to win it all, but reality is KU has a very difficult path to the title. ND and UK upsets would greatly help the Jayhawks.

I just want to see this years team leave it all on the court, win or lose.

@dylans said:

I just want to see this years team leave it all on the court, win or lose.

That would be awsome! Unfortunately, it's something they've done very little of this year. Hence the continual stream of big leads blown for losses or hanging on for close wins.

But, now would be as good a time as any to turn things around.

UK's very capable front line averages just about 7' where KU's averages a generous 6'-7" and their back court is taller as well. KU just does not have the height inside or outside to compete with UK. Can KU win? Sure, but the odds are against it...but then...It is March Madness and anything can happen.

Like Self said, if we get a shot at UK, it's gravy. I'll be thrilled if this beat-up team makes it out of the first weekend alive. If we're tipping off against UK a week from Saturday, that's already a W in my book.

Does Buckets seriously not have its own bracket competition?

@wissoxfan83

Please do tell...how exactly do you tell someone "respectfully" that is, that "they don't know what they're talking about"?

I did not mean to offend you but your comment showed a gross lack of knowledge....you know about Wisconsin and I defer to you on that subject and I don't make uninformed comments about them. I KNOW about Dayton and I will leave it at that.

The NCAA tournament is a single elimination tournament.

That means every single game is the Super Bowl for every single team. You win, you keep playing. You lose, you go home.

There is no reason that Wichita State should be more motivated to win an NCAA tournament game than KU is. This is Kansas. We want to go to Final Fours and win titles. There is no reason to not be up for an NCAA tournament game, regardless of what name is on the other jersey.

Remember, a lot of these WSU players have been to the Final Four and are dying to get back. Most of them were on the unbeaten squad from last year. Their motivation isn't to beat Kansas - their motivation is getting to Indianapolis. Maybe for the fans, it means something different, but WSU's players and coaches want to get to the Final Four, whether its beating Kansas or beating Virginia or whoever.

For KU, it's the same thing. We want to get a shot at the Final Four - doesn't matter if that takes us through Wichita State or through Ohio State. We want to get to Indianapolis.

I had a feeling when KU lost the Big XII title game that we would end up bracketed with UK as the lowest #2 seed and Iowa State would move up on the 3 line. That seems pretty fair, honestly. Notre Dame moved up to the top 3 seed by winning the ACC, followed by the Big XII logjam of ISU, Baylor and Oklahoma. I can't say that we were treated unfairly there because I can't make an argument that we were more than the 8th best team in the field. We certainly haven't looked like better than the 8th best team.

All I know is that we better focus on taking care of business against NM State, or we won't have to worry about the Shockers, let alone the Cats.