@jayballer54 National titles since 1990? We know the big names - Duke 5, UConn 4, UK 3, UNC 3.
The topic you raised is by conference. ACC, Big East, SEC, and even Pac 12 have better NCAA title resumes in that time frame. The Big 10 also has more final fours than the Big 12.
The Big 12 hasn't had another school in the title games since OU in 1988.
The Big 12, once March begins -- where it really counts -- is the worst of the power 5 conferences.
The reason folks challenge our conference is because this conference regularly fails to produce Final Four teams and National Champions. No team in our conference has won a national championship other than Kansas since the 64 tourney format started in the 80s, and we've only won two of those (counting when we were the Big 8 and the SWC was in existence).
The perception is that we secure our conference strength by playing each other, and we don't "prove it" in the NCAA tourney.
Until the Big 12 starts getting to multiple final fours, and winning national titles at a reasonable rate, it really isn't "hating" -- I believe it's just a reality we just need to accept.
It's the only "shut up statement" that will get us past the skepticism.
@JayHawkFanToo And all this time I thought it was due to Self continuing to focus our offense on getting it into the post, and thus our shots in the post were contested by bigger players (i.e. we missed bunnies -- it was the missed bunnies game). Or, maybe, we're now saying the same thing?:astonished: (that is my first emoji here, and it was the "astonished" one)
I also seem to recall Wiggins sitting out on the wing, with multiple players in his face, all while the high post could have offered him an opportunity for some offensive looks.
The 2017 Self would never have lost that Stanford game.
Well let me ask this, if our current comeback style is one that inspires belief, what about the ISU game at Allen?
There is no doubt that our "style" is a risky one.
What makes our style even more risky is that we don't have AFH on our side in the NCAA tourney. We'll have, most likely, a partially hostile arena (as the fans of all other teams will be rooting against the #1 seed).
We have to really win three games to get to the final four since the first one is a gimmee.
Coach Self's quote, as noted by @Bwag, is right on point, and think goes to what @cragarhawk's concerns .. “These guys are confident, but I think they think that, whatever the situation, they can flip the switch, which is a bad trait. You get behind like this in a game that really matters and you may not and probably can’t…”
That says it all. Self knows our style is very risky in one loss and out tourney format.
Of course, our toughness is a great asset.
We've had all sorts of teams lose short of the final four under coach Self. Until we get there, I don't expect that we will. It has not been the pattern for whatever reason. The pattern has been finding some way to lose, short of the final four.
All we can hope for is that this unique toughness that Self describes will be the x-factor this season.
I also think that the "good guard" theory is on our side, too. And we have one, POY Frank Mason, that can lead us to the title like so many other PGs have done for their teams. That, in my opinion, is our greatest weapon.
@drgnslayr If we're 3/2, then we'd see the traditional high/low. We've abandoned the high/low. With a true 4/5, I bet it returns.
@JayHawkFanToo What if Self remains committed to the 4 out, 1 in we see this season (though personnel-wise it doesn't seem as likely)? Or what if Mr. Preston appears to be a big hurdle to overcome at the 4? Lots of moving parts there.
The guy I wonder about is Bragg -- not in a good position draft-wise. Has had a rough season. Is he back? Draft or transfer?
Who believes that we are the best team?
I think we're in the same group as NC, UCLA, Villanova, Gonzaga, and perhaps Louisville. Not a lot of difference. Flaws with each team.
That said, I wouldn't trade places with any team.
I keep going back to @JayHawkFanToo's Shaka warnings … he never won a conference title. Ever.
@BeddieKU23 That's good .. because they're pretty bad. Jarrett Allen, though, would have looked mighty nice in a KU uniform.
Coleby ... the Jeff Graves of 2017, albeit a bit late?
And Bragg. I am at a loss …
Let's try it this way -- Self's punishment, when we all look at it with his knowledge, may actually be reasonable. Let's acknowledge that. That's fair. The point was made that Self has earned our trust. That is very true.
Even with that, there are two very good reasons to suspend JJ that trump whatever inside knowledge Self has.
There are no denials that JJ pursued a female into a parking lot of a bar, after she threw a drink in his buddy's face. Then damaged her car by kicking it. In fact, Self has admitted it occurred by saying he punished JJ for it already.
First, without a suspension for JJ, it makes our program look very bad. So if you forget the discussion on whether the action warrants suspension, that is perhaps something everyone can agree on -- this looks bad for KU. I would also say it looks bad for Self. You purposely follow a girl out of a bar and damage her vehicle, because she threw a drink in your buddy's face, and punishment is internal? Anywhere else, we'd be mocking that program or coach. I didn't raise my sons to do that to a woman (or a man, but we can acknowledge the difference). I bet most of you didn't, either. And I bet most of you, if your son played sports, would feel a suspension of your son would be warranted, regardless of the girl that was part of it. Again, why?
That brings me to point number two -- because it is a terrific life lesson -- there are many folks sitting in the Lansing penitentiary that escalated an incident. I would want my son to learn that lesson through punishment on something that is rather benign in the scheme of life, that might deter future conduct. And that goes to @approxinfinity's post regarding the dilemma in dealing with a bad actor on the other side (which we are just assuming at this point). Regarding escalation, remember, it can go further. The young lady could of course have a gun and with an angry 6'8" man damaging her car, one might wonder if she should seek to defend herself. That's the risk of escalation. I would want JJ to be punished strongly to demonstrate to him the seriousness of escalation.
Mind you, this is not just responding, which is different. This is not JJ standing in a bar and a guy swings at him, and JJ responds and decks him. This situation with the young lady was clear escalation.
To that issue, what if this young lady is your daughter? I would not want my daughter throwing a drink in any man's face to begin with. Also, there are freaks that will punch (escalation) you for it (such as the animal from OU that decked that young lady we saw on video). But would anyone with a daughter believe it to be reasonable for a man to damage her car because of it? I hope not.
Also, is JJ Vick's defender? The girl didn't throw the drink in JJ's face, right? So JJ intervenes AND escalates.
Last point -- really, under the law, what the girl did in throwing the drink in his face was committing a battery. Folks have been charged with a battery for spitting on someone. Just a thought there.
Ok, really last point -- if there is a punishment of JJ that anyone feels is more severe to JJ, meaning more impactful to him that sitting on the bench in street clothes for the world to see, let me know what that is.
I simply cannot imagine not suspending Jackson for the rest of the regular season. He purposely took out after a female, in anger, and purposefully damage her car -- all leading to a criminal charge. A criminal charge that has the earmarks of favoritism due to Jackson's status as player (both the lesser charge and the suspicious timing). And I'm assuming the young lady involved is bad news, for the sake of consideration. Making that assumption. Regardless, just plain ugly.
For that matter, if we are really trying to groom the players as young men, there should be a penalty for Graham's arrest. The guy was arrested. I don't even care why, or his explanation. He screwed up. The only way to really punish these guys is sitting out. Graham should have been suspended at least a game.
Regardless of what we do or don't know, much of this, with the public nature of all of the issues, is how the program looks. Again, this looks ugly.
None of this is major. I get that. But the limited reactions to the public airing of these issues is a very negative look for Kansas -- our school.
We are simply to just trust Self? We of course have no choice.
But we can call a spade a spade and offer our opinion. I think Self has screwed this up when he didn't have to. For the first time in Self's tenure, I question his perspective related to student athletes and priorities.
These types of stories can get uglier. This seems to have that possibility. In fact, we've seen it keep getting uglier.
I love the some of the crimson and blue colored glasses here. It is really a good read. Not a flattering read, but certainly entertaining.
And I saw @KUSteve's post … "I just like them". Me too. For whatever reason, this team has "it" for me. I love Lucas' story, Mason is the best, Graham is a terrific complement, JJ is everything we'd ever want in an OAD (or player), maybe Bragg will turn it on, Vick is a star in waiting, and Svi, well, he can hit the three.
Nice year for a national title.
This is an absolute joke.
There was over $3000 of damage to the vehicle, but only charged as a misdemeanor. It is a rare instance that a prosecutor wouldn't charge that as a felony, and then work it to a misdemeanor plea or a diversion in the right circumstance. It appears the prosecutors are using some convenient skepticism toward the damages that other defendants don't enjoy when cases are initially charged.
Of course, maybe, this women's basketball player changed her mind on the value of the damages. -- a stinky quid pro quo, which may really be a "JJ will go pro, so collect once he passes go." .
The timing is impeccable and embarrassing. We wrap up the Big 12 Wednesday, and now we get the charges Friday. Who thinks this stuff up?
Again, embarrassing.
And a perfect time to set a court date, well into April. How many games on the schedule then? How does that work out? Amazing.
So I'm sure he'll get suspended indefinitely. And what do you know, he'll come back in two games or just in time for the Big 12 tournament.
I love the irony.
Or, "He's a coach of a top program and we have varying degrees of jealousies or insecurities, or we simply dislike anything that challenges Kansas' place in the CBB hierarchy, so we feel better about ourselves if we demonize the offending coach."
So in the past, we've had threads about how coach K sucks. Coach Cal sucks. Coach Pitino sucks. Heck, even some think coach Roy sucks. Amazing how these guys win national titles and suck so much. One could argue
Perhaps a little perspective from another point of view may enable a slight bit of objectivity to creep into the mix.
I would be utterly embarrassed if our fans chanted "You suck" at any coach. I would be utterly embarrassed if any adult in our arena was yelling "you suck" at an opposing coach or player.
"Sit down Norm" is perhaps our speed.
We can post our little digs at all of these coaches, but they all -- each and every one of them -- are great coaches. Titans in the arena of college basketball. All hall of famers.
But they suck. I get it.
@wissox Many, many have disagreed so you would be part of large group. You could say that he had no choice, but I'd suggest the old Self would have persevered with his system. Heck, we were playing Mario Little at the top of the high/low at some point.
Entering the season, Self of course started with Bragg at the top, and Lucas/Doke low. Bragg looked to be an excellent passer. With JJ at the 3, but slipping in as the back up at the top of the high/low when Bragg wasn't in. That seemed the most likely lineup to most everyone heading into season.
The old Self, in my opinion, would still be going with the conventional lineup, he would flop around on the bench when someone shot a three he didn't care for, the quick hook, he would mandate the post feed -- he would be talking about how we weren't scoring in the paint, how we weren't getting high percentage shots, and how we were relying too much the outside shot. We've heard it for years.
To me, Self has clearly changed. It's all about winning, and no as much how we win. What is as true as anything is that regardless of system, Self owns our wins because he has created/permitted/installed the success.
@cragarhawk He has embraced it. it has been awesome to see him instill drive and drop system that looks for the open three point shot. Amazing.
For years, many of us have been begging for coach Self to be more flexible, to break out of the same dogmatic approaches that he insisted upon regardless of personnel.
One theme I always suggested as explanation is that great achievers, in whatever profession, get there in large part doing it their way and not being distracted by those that suggest that they moderate and change. That makes them even more resolute in their beliefs, particularly when they achieve great success. And thus less likely to change -- they know what's best.
The comment by Fran Fraschilla about Self changing his style of play actually began last season. Last season, Self broke free of the standard rigidity and truly permitted his team to play to their strengths. This followed Self's admission that he did not handle the 2013-14 team correctly. All the while, hanging on to much of the scheme and approach that he's always relied upon for success. Adapting, tweaking, adjusting as needed.
It's all about flexibility. The new Bill Self.
Before the 2015-16 season, I just wanted Self to tweak his system. I'm a high/low fan, always have been. But when you have gunners, you have to gun. After a horrible end to the 2014-15 season, where our offense was in disarray, we all saw it begin in the World University games -- which could be the best thing to happen to coach Self as a coach. We saw him pucker a bit in the championship game. A little regressing on the road of change.
This is all some of us have every wanted. Results are not assured. Teams will lose. Players will be at fault. Coaches will be at fault. Circumstances (illness, injury, officials, etc.) can weigh against success.
But truly, now, Bill Self is a coach that views success as being possible outside of his previous tunnel of acceptability. That's really all it is now. That's the change. Success can be had on offense doing things differently. For those that ardently and loyally defended coach Self, with whom I've battled a bit over the years, all I can say is -- this is what I was talking about. Taking your talent, and melding your system to provide the best opportunity for success. As mentioned for years, other coaches do it. Self can do it. We now see it right before our eyes at Kansas. Much like Self did last season, when there were scant few discussions about scheme.
This is not your father's Bill Self. This Bill Self is different. This Bill Self is not at war with his team over scheme and style of play, as he was in 2014-15.
There may be times when the high/low and post feed basketball returns. But now, I have great confidence that Bill Self cares little about scheme, but more about what scheme will be successful. High/low will return when high/low gives us the best chance to win.
And that is good for Kansas basketball.
Is there a better coach in college basketball? I don't think so.
@jaybate-1.0 Tyshawn/EJ vs. Frank/Devonte -- I know who I'd rather have as my two guards. Easily, Frank/Devonte. More consistent. Better ball handlers. Better scorers overall. Better shooters. Better defensively as a combo, though Tyshawn was probably the best defender of the four. Tyshawn just caused me to want to jump off a bridge until the latter part of his senior season with his out of control, selfish, and inconsistent play. Frank has been, in my opinion, the best KU point guard in my lifetime. Maybe my favorite KU player (close call with TRob/Hinrich/Releford). I remember with Tyshawn the discussion was about his drives and missed shots creating rebounding/put back opportunities. No such discussion with Frank. The dude finishes. Frank is the best from three point range. I am usually good with guys leaving/graduating. Normal part of CBB. But when Frank goes, it will sting. To see where he was and where he is now -- Amazing. No rank Frank? Some idiots will say anything.
@JayHawkFanToo I'm liking what I'm seeing with Lightfoot .. obvious upside.
"At least you're better than KU in football … oh, sorry."
@DCHawker Yea, my assumption is we go 3-1 or 4-0 the rest of the way after Baylor. I do think, like you mentioned, OSU is an issue. But Texas is a pud. I'm confident we win that, particularly being more focused on the road.
That said, personally, I will sleep just fine if the Big 12 streak comes to an end knowing that we have a legit shot at a national title. We'll win the Big 12 though. And heck, we're even money in my mind at Baylor.
Also, as an aside, I kind of wonder if @JayHawkFanToo's boy, Lightfoot, has earned more PT. He played better than Bragg (who had a Traylor-like line last game -- without all the energy, of course).
This is one of those games on the schedule that is generally meaningless for Kansas. An expected loss. If take care of the rest of our business, it doesn't matter because of the quality of the competition and being on the road. If we win, does our star really shine that much brighter? Folks that know Kansas wouldn't be surprised if we won, so not sure we get much of a bump. We're #1 seed no matter what happens with this game, as long as we go 3-1 or 4-0 in the final games, and get to the conference tourney finals.
When I think of Guinness world records, I think of the book I had when I was a kid with the fattest twins riding motorcycles. Much more impressive than loudness I would say.
I recalled a KU/OU game I was at in the mid-2000s where we were way down and came back and won. It ended up being Feb. 5, 2006. We were down 50-34 with less that 10 minutes left and won 59-58. Not the greatest, of course.
But I found a link to an old KU sports article with some comebacks -- here's the link: Comeback kids ↗ Thought this would interesting since this game would like be in the top 5.
I saw the Purdue game in 2012 on the list. One of my favorite comebacks. Teahan with the huge three.
@JayHawkFanToo @jayballer54 I looked up NBA D-League Salaries ↗ -- $26,000 or $19,500. I cannot imagine starting for KU, living in McCarthy Hall, and having all the benefits of a KU player wouldn't be the better route. The NBA D-League salary is mere pennies. Maybe I'm wrong.
Does anyone really think Graham would make an NBA roster next season? The question is whether the next best step for him is KU, or the Iowa Energy (see Selden) of the D-League. Seems like leading a top program would showcase his PG skills, which he needs to showcase for the NBA. Maybe the D-League is a better option for that? Can't imagine that trumps a top program.
The simple fact is that good teams win. And we're not beating patsies (I initially typed "pasties", but that would have taken this conversation some other place). @chriz, you are right -- and we all know it. Self loves wins like this. Most of us, I think, would have preferred we coast when we up 10, to an easy 15 win. But what fun would that be?
I just love our ball movement. Best I've seen on any KU team in quite a while.
After reading @JayHawkFanToo's quote, this, from CNN -
BILL SELF ATTACKS KU FANS, MAKES UNCONFIRMED CLAIM THAT KU PLAYS WELL EVEN WHEN IT BARELY BEATS BAD TEAMS
Opposing Coach: Self hates KU fans, "justifying a riot"
Hollywood Star: "This is not the Kansas I used to know"
Legal Analyst: No Court would ever agree with Self's assessment
Opinion: Kansas has had its fill of Self's deceitful agenda
Many wonder if Self has undiagnosed mental problem
Shocker - Insider: Self asked assistant coach, "How many conference games do we play?"
Self may have lost millions in land deal gone awry in 2001
@Kcmatt7 Curious, who on this team do you think undermines the killer instinct aspect? I agree, killer instinct is very important. But who do you see as the weak links? Alternatively, is it just a collective deal mindset?
My view, as I posted a bit ago, is that our lack of defensive acuity leads to a much more thin margin of error. More volatility. Thus we are more susceptible to the runs and fluctuations that lead to a conclusion that that we lack a killer instinct. Maybe we really are trying and want to close things out, and have the right mindset, but our very real weakness simply leads to what we see? Don't know for sure.
Regardless of what it is -- it creates a greater chance for an unexpected early out.
As usual, 2007-08 was our gold standard. Just look at their margins of victory. They lost three, and if I counted right, only 3 wins were by less than 10 points. One incredible team.
@StLJhawk One thing is for sure, we've found a way to lose in the big dance all sorts of ways with very highly seeded teams. You name it, we've done it. Wouldn't be as much of a sore spot if we had a couple of more national titles since Roy took over.
Winning and losing in the big dance also has a lot to do with coaching. It is more amplified as coaches have to adjust on quick turnarounds against unfamiliar opponents. The coaching aspect is a huge deal.
The reason I really like our chances this season is that Self is clearly more flexible offensively. Self is a master of the set play/out of bounds situation, and one of the best defensive coaches. This is perhaps the perfect match.
A year where injuries and some turmoil create uncertainty, I think Self has us poised for a Final Four.
Young, Newman, Vick, Bragg, Udoka -- no joka.
Perhaps a rule from the Institution, put in the personal conduct manual.
Or a Kansas law prescribing the same punishment as one might get if someone hops the fence at Royals Stadium.
If it were something that the powers that be wanted to stop, you can create stiff penalties. Run the announcement before the game, at halftime, and in the last five minutes. This would stop the flood of students, but still not the few idiots that are drunk or that penalties don't persuade.
Not sure I see it as a real problem yet.
My view on yesterday was that our help defense left guys open. My main thought as ISU was making their run was to simply match up, be "in their grill" as @HawkChamp said, and help only when your offensive player was near the lane.
I do disagree, though, just a little bit. How would yesterday's game have changed if we had Udoka? Remember, our help defense is MORE necessary when the lane is vulnerable. The threat of the drive to the hoop requires the second defender. If that threat is marginalized by a shot blocker, my view is that we would not have to be so frantic in our help defense. It would be interesting to see how that would have impacted their three point shooting.
But there is no doubt that we can win playing the way we do, with our personnel. The bigger point that @HawkChamp is making, as I see it, is that every team has its warts. Rarely do you get the perfect combination. You can win with or without a shot blocker. This scheme and personnel can certainly win a national title.
Remember the age old narrative -- guards win titles? Well we have the best guards in the country. Period.
So I am completely with @HawkChamp here in what he's getting at -- screw the rim protector. We don't have one. We did play sloppy yesterday, to be sure, rim protector or no.
This team's margin for error, as I believe Self has mentioned earlier this season, is thinner.
In the big picture, this team is volatile .. like a stock that has ups and downs. If one invests, he/she is aware of the "beta." We are a high beta team.
We don't have solid baseline of reliable defense. In investing terms, a good, reliable defense would lower the beta (or volatility). It's why Self (and most coaches) preach defense. Good defense is much more reliable than good offense. The only reason you become an offense first team is because you have too. As a defense first team, you can still be explosive and aggressive offensively. That is where Self, in the past, has played it too conservatively. You can be dynamic offensively, just as we are now AND play bad-a** defense. Now, he simply has a team incapable of being a lock down defensive team. Thus the increased volatility.
However, I've always believed that playing conservative offensively increases the volatility as well. You allow lesser teams to stay in the game. But good defense is certainly more reliable.
So, are we any different than we've always been? Maybe not as much as we think. Our pedestrian offenses -- meaning deliberate, work the ball, toss it to the block, also created volatility. But I think it's a bit more this season.
Sadly, I think we were on the verge of a perfect combination with Udoka and four guards, with Lucas off the bench. Self clearly embraced the three point shot and the four guard line-up. Udoka did give us rim protection. The model Duke used with Okafer to with the title, with Jackson in the Justice Winslow role.
Udoka was not Okafer, but Lucas is not Udoka, either; regardless of which player you prefer, we can all agree that our next group of "bigs" (Mitch and Coleby) are a significant downgrade. Thus a big loss in depth.
But with our guards, we can still win the national title. Of course we can.
With our increased volatility, yesterday should be no true surprise. We could have just as easily lost to KSU or OSU at home.
We also have the accrual of off-the-court pressure and distractions. That's the real X factor this season.
I have great confidence that we walk into the house that Roy built on Monday night and come out with a win. In fact, with the loss Saturday, I'd be pretty surprised if we don't -- but with this team, not shocked.
We are 20-3. That is really what defines this team at this point. Does anyone really doubt that this team can win six games in a row in the tourney? I don't. And that's really what defines the future.
@JayHawkFanToo That is a brilliant and telling quote from Erich Fromm. It explains much of what we see.
Why don't reporters bother to report all the facts? It's because they have their own little biases and motivations. It's just like the newspaper as whole. Look at the front page each day. It's a constant barrage of the newspaper's agenda -- see today's front page as another example.
In the sports page, the agenda now is to keep the KU story line going forward.
Personally, I'm disappointed in Jesse Newell. His name was attached to some of these stories.
Now, the Star's editorial board is at it LINK ↗.
As I said a fews days ago, the knives come out in these situations.
We have to remember how some reporters get their job satisfaction. Some seek to destroy lives. One, like Laura Bauer a the Star, falls in to the category of pushing to harm lives of those she "reports" on. I mentioned the Tyreek Hill garbage.
We should be mindful of that here. With the KC Star editorial, they are coming after Bill Self. The knives are out.
And for pathetic reporters and editorial boards, what greater satisfaction could they get than to tear down a great man like Bill Self?
Jackson's the kind of presumed OAD that gets anti-OAD guys to start opening their minds to presumed OADs. Now, if keying a car is part of his repertoire, I reserve the right to retract.
@mayjay .. yikes, I don't like that timeline at all.
@Bwag Those were the good old days ….
I'll just say this about the KC Star .. on the day of the Chiefs playoff game with Pittsburgh, they run a re-hash story on Tyreek Hill with the premise of whether some have gotten past his incident with his girlfriend. They pick the most important day in many years for Chiefs fans, a home playoff game, and run a sensationalistic repeat of old news -- but of course searching out interviews to further malign the guy.
The timing was ridiculous. I guess they follow ESPN's lead.
The Kansas City Star is a rag.
This is good news -- but better news than it might appear. He would not get diversion if the DA thought there were other issues or problems hanging out there that were unresolved. My guess is the deal was struck quickly and he might be reinstated as the issue is now "resolved."
@Lulufulu I agree -- he has always been honest, and we should presume the same. I'm just more concerned with how this looks and how this sort of stuff hits ESPN, then gets momentum. Always sharks in the water.
The best approach, I think, is not to moralize either way on marijuana in this discussion. It's a team rules violation regardless of our beliefs on the topic. Self apparently had a rule and he broke it. That analysis is pretty easy.
On Vick, I am most troubled by the possibility that Bill Self lied -- saying he was sick.
I couple that with his clear deception (via carefully choosing his words) on the linkage of Bragg's suspension.
Not that it really bothers me personally. It's just that this is the sort of stuff that brings out the knives from certain quarters of our society.
Meanwhile, I saw that someone did ask Self about Maxwell and Self said he was gone from KU's campus at the time.
I thought my initial reaction was maybe an overreaction -- then I saw @JayHawkFanToo's post. Perfect summary. When you can go to UK and win, you can win the national title. Addition by subtraction.
If we boot Bragg now, we are very thin, but I think pulling the plug may be the best answer. Particularly if there is more behind the scenes than we know.
Truly a "trust Self" moment.
I will say that I think Self's statement to the press was a bit misleading. Too misleading in my opinion. He said -
“Carlton is suspended for a violation of team rules,” Self said. “This violation is not connected to the alleged incident in McCarthy Hall on December 17th.”
The bongs were found during the rape investigation. So I would say it's connected to the investigation. Of course, as he said, it's not connected to the "incident." Technically correct.
But my first reaction was that Self was a bit misleading there. I know what he means. The rape had zero to do with the suspension. However, no rape, no discovery of the bongs, no suspension. I wish he would have phrased it better.
This was the biggest win of the season, and until we start winning NCAA tourney games, it will remain that way. Winning at Rupp vs. a top 5 team is more impressive than anything else we can accomplish prior to the NCAA tourney.
Also, I know we all struggle with the lack of media coverage for KU, but this has to take the cake.
@HawkChamp Me too .. I've got a little Lucas crow that lingers from last season.
@HawkChamp I will pretend your post didn't happen. But I bet you're happy.
This from ESPN -- "Kansas hasn't let elite opponents get in the way of winning, as the Jayhawks, who play at No. 4 Kentucky on Saturday, are an amazing 15-4 since the 2003-04 season against top-five teams."
This is where Self is at his best.
Three days before Christmas against Temple, not so much. But who cares about that.
I like the JJ part, not the losing part.
This is also a brand builder for coach Self, too.
Down to 6 rotation guys, hostile environment, blue blood opposition, prime time.
This game will say a lot about our team. For those predicting defeat, I feel oddly good about the game. Think about it. What game this season could provide coach Self more positives than winning this game? Might spice up the recruiting trail a bit.
Maybe we get Mitch Lightfoot with 20 points, 8 boards -- if there's a time for @JayHawkFanToo's break-out guy to break-out, how 'bout tomorrow?
I'd love to see Frank solidify his POY resume, too.
@jayballer54 I've just brought up his name because of the phrasing used by Self ... Maxwell is no longer one of our players, wouldn't be subject to suspension, etc. Also, there are five players that were witnesses of some sort, and they had a game that night. So they apparently have some information. But as @KUSTEVE said, it could be a big zero and likely is. Just odd no one has at least asked.