Reasons to be positive going into the NCAA Tournament

Folks, as I read through this morning’s articles, I am convinced there are several things to be positive about as we head into the NCAA tournament:

*All of the quotes I am reading today are focused on the right mindset…..JR saying that he got back to shooting yesterday “without thinking”….Galindo saying he feels good that his teammates trust him…..quotes that the seniors have talked to the team about the NCAA tournament and what to expect and now that “it’s on”….Self saying that he feels better about this team now than he did heading into the Big 12 Tournament and that the team learned something about themselves in the Big 12 tournament…..Keith saying that he liked what he saw out of the team as he sat on the bench….EVERYONE finally talking about how they understand that the ball must go into Wayne and that they must ride his coattails.
*Something clicked with this team yesterday. I’m not sure what it is, but it clicked.
*The senior class has been playing all season long for this moment. They have unfinished business. They still have the sour taste of the loss to GT and the loss to Syracuse in their mouths. They will be ready. And they will step up their games.
*JR had his best shooting game in forever yesterday and was playing with the swagger that has been missing. Remember how important confidence is for a shooter. And I think JR has his confidence back.
*IF the NCAA selection committee puts KU at a 3 seed, the players and coaches will have extra motivation to shove it down the committee’s collective throat during tournament play.
*We are starting to get solid contributions from Robinson, Galindo, Giles and Jackson. They, too, know how important they are to this team making a run and that the stakes are higher in the tournament. All of the talk has been about the seniors wanting to finish things, but there should be a lot of talk about the freshmen making their dreams come true and playing in their first NCAA tournament.
*Langford will be back…with a vengeance….and well rested.
*Wayne Simien is playing the best basketball of his career as we enter the tournament.
*We will be playing teams that, most likely, have only seen us on tape, and not teams that have played us year after year and know what to expect. You cannot simulate Wayne Simien in practice. You cannot simulate Keith Langford driving past you in practice. You cannot simulate the sense of urgency that the four seniors will be playing with. You cannot simulate just how ready Bill Self and his staff will have this team for the tournament.