Kansas And Everyone Else

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Bill Self

In the 13 years that Bill Self has been the men’s head basketball coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, he has seen things change and remain the same in the Big 12 Conference at the same time. From 2011-2012, the Big 12 lost four members to other conferences in conference re-alignment in the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Colorado Buffaloes, Texas A&M Aggies, and Missouri Tigers while picking up the West Virginia Mountaineers and the TCU Horned Frogs. But the turnover in the Big 12 has not mattered to Self and the Jayhawks as they are on the verge of their 12th consecutive regular season conference title. And what makes it sweeter this time around for Kansas is that they are on the verge of being king’s of the mountain in what has arguably been the best and toughest conference in college basketball this season as six teams from the Big 12 are currently ranked in the top 25 of the Associated Press Poll.

When Self came to Lawrence in 2003, he was simply looking to keep the Kansas machine going. Self was replacing Roy Williams who had led Kansas to four Final Four appearances during his tenure, and together the two men have combined to lead the Jayhawks to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

But Self has kept Kansas rolling along while carving out his own spot in Jayhawks lore as only Williams, Ted Owens, and Phog Allen have more wins that he does at Kansas. In 2008, Self led Kansas to their first national championship since 1988 and he has sent 22 players to the NBA which includes the league’s current Rookie of the Year in Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Andrew Wiggins.

This season’s Kansas team might not be full of potential NBA superstars, but they have played as a team all season long. After Kansas lost their second game of the season to the Michigan State Spartans in the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago, they would win their next 13 games. Over that streak, the Jayhawks won the Maui Invitational which included victories over the UCLA Bruins and Vanderbilt Commodores, along with their first three conference games which was highlighted by a triple-overtime victory over the Oklahoma Sooners who were ranked second in the nation at the time. After an 85-72 road loss to the Iowa State Cyclones on January 25, Kansas has distanced themselves from the pack in the Big 12 as they have won their last eight games. And over this current stretch, the Jayhawks have completed season sweeps of Oklahoma and the Baylor Bears. Kansas has also done a tremendous job of protecting their home court of Allen Fieldhouse as they have not a lost a conference home game since January 2011 which is a tribute to the culture in Lawrence.

Led by senior forward Perry Ellis, the Jayhawks have four players that are averaging at least 11.1 points per contest. And as a team, Kansas can beat opponents in a variety of ways as they are able to win with an uptempo style, or simply grind it out. But most importantly, Kansas has moxie as it isn’t easy to be a dominant team in a conference every year when you know that teams want to knock you off; however the Jayhawks continue to find a way.

A victory tomorrow for Kansas over the Texas Tech Red Raiders would ensure them of their 12th consecutive regular season conference title as they apparently don’t like to wear their road uniforms at the Big 12 Tournament. But this Kansas team has a different vibe to it as they play for the man next to them. There isn’t anyone that is worried about going to the NBA as the focus is simple; leave it all out on the court in every game and let everything else take care of itself.

A strong finish in the regular season along with a solid showing in the Big 12 Tournament will ensure the Jayhawks of a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. And now that Kansas have shown that they are the best team in the Big 12, they can set their sights on another trip to the Final Four which would be their first since 2012 and their 15th in school history.

 

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By | 2016-02-26T17:33:48+00:00 February 26th, 2016|Categories: College Basketball|Tags: , , |0 Comments

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