Note to Brandon Rush, Jayhawks: There are no "B" games.

Brandon Rush: “I’m surprised it (Self calling him out in the media about his lack of offensive aggressiveness) became a big deal in a little ‘B-game’ we played the other day."

I'm sorry, Brandon, but what did you just say?

Do you think it's a coincidence that you (and presumably some of your teammates) looked at Loyola as a B-game and then came out with significantly less than your A-game? Did you forget already that it was a 5 point game with 4 minutes to go in the first half?

The majority of KU fans can understand when a player has an off night, but there is no excuse for changing the level of effort and intensity based on how worthy you think the opponent is. That is what loses NCAA tournament games, Brandon, or have you already forgotten about a couple of other B-games (Bradley and Bucknell)?

Have you watched the tape of the Loyola game yet, Brandon? One play in particular stood out to me. There were FOUR Jayhawks and ONE Loyola player in the lane when a Loyola shot went up. Who do you think came away with the rebound? If you answered "a Jayhawk", you'd be wrong. NO ONE put a body on the one little Loyola player and he scooted right in the middle of the four Jayhawks and got the rebound. Not bad for a guy playing in a B-game. Of course I'm assuming it wasn't a B-game to HIM.

Are the Jayhawks getting a little too comfortable? Did they get a little too fat and happy over the holidays and as they breezed through a less-than-difficult non-conference season?

Brandon is making comments about a "B-game". Other players, and even Bill Self, are making comments about a lack of respect from the national media. Are these guys just running out of things to talk about before playing the 6 or 7 A-games they have circled on their schedule this season?

In my opinion, this shows a lack of focus/execution. As we've learned over the years, a slight lack of focus/execution now can come back to bite you with a slight lack of focus/execution later in the NCAA Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament all you need is one focused team (like an underdog that has nothing to lose) and one team with a slight lack of focus (like maybe the one that missed 19 layups and dunks last year vs. UCLA) to create an upset.

And yes, I did think UCLA’s win in last year’s NCAA Tournament was an upset because I firmly believe that KU had the better team. If the Jayhawks hit half of those layups and dunks, they win by double-digits. Of course it also might have helped if the NCAA didn’t put a #1 seed in a #2 seed’s backyard.

But I digress.

For the first time in a long time, the KU Basketball team needs to take a page out of the KU Football team’s playbook: Respect EVERY opponent. Approach EVERY game with the same focus and intensity. Oh, and did I say respect EVERY opponent? I know that is a lot to ask of a bunch of young college kids that think they've got it all figured out, but THAT is what championship teams do. That is what National Champions do.

Keeping this team consistently focused and motivated is Bill Self's biggest coaching challenge this season. It will be the key to winning the Big 12 Conference and the Big 12 Conference Tournament. It will be the difference between going to the Final Four or exiting the NCAA Tournament early.

The choice is yours, Brandon. You can listen to the coaches that are trying to get you to maximize your potential, get you to the Final Four, get you a National Championship ring, and get you drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Or you can keep telling yourself that you know which games are A, B or C games. If you do the latter, we just might see you back in Lawrence next year.

Please do yourself and Jayhawk Nation a favor. The next time you and your teammates think you have a B-game coming up, think about the national media (yes, the same media you are worried about not giving you enough respect now) talking about how a team with so much talent lost again in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic
www.jaytalkers.com