I'm not the only one that thinks MU SUCKS

Snyder's return only delays inevitable at Missouri
Nov. 16, 2005
By Gregg Doyel
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Missouri should have fired Quin Snyder in March, and I mean that in defense of Snyder.

Quin Snyder's Tigers are already off to an 0-1 start. (Getty Images)
Like Mike Davis at Indiana, who clearly must lead his team into the 2006 NCAA Tournament or start packing his things, Snyder is facing a win-or-else season at Missouri.

No one has come out and said exactly that -- no one who would know, anyway -- but that's the widespread speculation. Quin must win, or Quin is gone.

Even Snyder speculated as much this summer, and then last month he said he suspected that Missouri "might can my ass" -- an outrageously honest thing for a coach to say so close to the early signing period. Within days, point guard Armon Bassett had backed off his commitment to Missouri (and opted for Indiana, of all places).

The only person who knows Snyder's status for sure is Missouri athletics director Mike Alden, and he's not talking. He didn't respond to multiple interview requests from CBS SportsLine.com on the topic. Alden knew what my question was going to be. By refusing to even entertain it, he basically gave away his answer.

Quin must win, or Quin is gone.

Which is ridiculous, because Quin can't win. Not this season. Not with this Missouri team in this Big 12 conference. The Big 12 is awesome, perhaps as awesome as it's ever been. Missouri is young, perhaps as young as it's ever been. That's a bad combination. Losing to Sam Houston State on Monday night was not a fluke. It was an omen.

But there were omens before, if Alden had been paying attention. He should have known in March where Missouri fit into the Big 12's immediate picture. Don't start with Linas Kleiza, either. Kleiza knew in March he was leaving for the NBA. Snyder knew. Alden had to know, and if Alden didn't, shame on him for being unable to see the forest (the Big 12's outlook in 2005-06) or the trees (Kleiza's NBA plan).

Despite its recent mediocrity on the court and an NCAA investigation that ended with three years of NCAA probation, Missouri chose to bring back Snyder for a sixth season. Alden made that announcement in February. He also indicated that Snyder didn't have a lifetime appointment, or even a multiple-year guarantee. To keep his job beyond 2005-06, Snyder needed to win more games. Alden was clear on that.

Nice. You don't walk into a Kia showroom and ask to see a Cadillac. You don't hit the McDonald's drive-through and order filet mignon. And if you're the athletics director at Missouri, you don't look at the current state of your basketball program, and at the current state of the Big 12, and demand immediate and noticeable improvement ... or else.

You fire the coach. You make the move, and you move on. That's what Alden should have done, because it would have been a lot more realistic than expecting tangible improvement on the court this season. Missouri is not Indiana. Snyder is not Mike Davis. If Indiana can't get into the 2006 NCAA Tournament with the talent on hand, Davis doesn't deserve another year in Bloomington.

Indiana basketball isn't the mansion it once was under Bob Knight, but it's still a damn fine house, and it's move-in ready. Missouri is a fixer-upper. Missouri needs time. Whoever the coach is, he needs time.

Another layer to this conversation is the relationship between Snyder and Alden. There isn't one. That's the worst-kept secret in Columbia, Mo. They clash over everything, from the location of Snyder's parking space to the time of daily department meetings.

Their relationship turned during the NCAA investigation. The NCAA went looking for $100 bills but found only nickels and dimes, but it was enough. It was embarrassing, beginning with the Ricky Clemons fiasco that began to unfold in 2003 and had turned Missouri into a punch line by 2004.

Alden could have fired Snyder several times along the way. He didn't, though it's not clear if he was showing strong leadership or weak indecision.

Now, Alden apparently has given Snyder an NCAA-or-else ultimatum. That's not indecision, but it's not leadership, either.

It's a wasted year for everyone involved.

My Thoughts on the Darnell Jackson situation

I've been in the US=CLASS, THEM=NO CLASS boat for a long time....and I've finally recently come to the conclusion that that belief is complete horseshit.

There are, or have been, classy fans and idiot fans at every university. There are, or have been, classy players and idiot players at every university. There are, or have been, classy coaches and idiot coaches at every university. There are, or have been, classy administrators and idiot administrators at every university.

And I realize this means that I've said that MU has some classy people too. I don't have problems with them. It's the idiots I can do without....and that's regardless of what university they represent.

WE ARE KANSAS. But we are far from above the law....and I think that entire line of thinking needs to go out the window with the rest of the bathwater.

Should we strive for it as a university, as fans, as coaches, as administrators, as students, etc? Hell yes. But will there always be friggin' idiots that screw it up? Hell yes.

So we'll just keep fighting the good fight....keep having good natured rivalries.....keep cheering on our alma mater.....and roll with the punches when bad luck or misfortune falls upon our beloved university.....

I mean...what other choice do we really have? Is anyone here going to stop being interested in KU basketball or football anytime soon? I know I'm not.

Mic

Kurtis Townsend on 810 A.M.

Kurtis Townsend was on 810 A.M. this morning...here are a few tidbits....

*Thought the kids played hard and really shared the ball. They played unselfish.
*Brandon can score 15-20 points and make it look easy. He played pretty good defense and rebounded the ball really well.
*Christian gives you "that steady hand and he's been there before".
*Russell Robinson--"Russell's had a great fall and a really good summer. He's gotten a lot stronger. I thought Russell did a good job. He can shoot the ball really good and didn't shoot it as good as he wanted to."
*Stephen Vinson--"Coach rewards guy that work the hardest and do the best. He doesn't have the talent that the other guys do. Coach sends the other guys a message on this is how hard you have to work. He's a great leader in practice. He's been the best of the guys in practice for 3 weeks. I thought he played hard like he does every day in practice and Coach rewarded him for that."
*Most important things to work on before Maui---Every day in practice, try to get better. We really have to get better defensively. Good teams aren't going to turn it over that much (as FHSU). We want to get the ball up the court and run. We've got things we definitely need to work on. I'm impressed on how hard they played and shared the ball.
*Best freshman last night--Rush--really impressed with how he played...and shot the ball so well from the FT line.
*Mario has unbelievable poise. He doesn't look or play like a freshman.
*Free throw shooting is always a concern, but they haven't worked on free throws much because they've been working on so many other things in practice. If you take Sasha out, the team didn't shoot that bad. Sasha has to get better because he is going to get fouled a lot. We'll work on it and get better.
*Different approach for coaching such a young team--Last year's group was great, but there is something about youth...they come in and are wide eyed....they are like sponges....even the sophomores....they all like each other...it's a challenge every day and it's fun....it's a good group and we're looking forward to the season.
*Darnell Jackson---has an eligibility issue--more precautionary thing--I can't say more than that--Coach Self would have to address that. I expect him to be ready for the season, but that's in somebody else's hands.
*Matt Kleinnmann--Matt's a fan favorite...he's a kid that works very, very hard....he works as hard as anybody...he's one of our best sealers of all of the big men, but doesn't have the athletic ability of the other big men...I think he's going to be able to help us before he gets done...that was fun to see him get out there and score enough last night.
*Sherron Collins--one word: TOUGHNESS...he grew up on the streets....he is a really tough kid that hates to lose...he'll be a really exciting player and I think you guys will really like him.
*Brady Morningstar--great feel for the game---great local kid---great program player--someone that will work hard every day, understand the fundamentals, and do the things that will help you win.

Mic

First Half Thoughts--KU vs. Fort Hays State

KU forced 9 TO's in the first 8 minutes. Quick, quick, quick hands!

Anyone else in love with Mario Chalmers yet?

Nice give and go from Rush to Sasha for a dunk early in the game.

Oh and did I mention the defense? Wow...I love the full court pressure....I love the intensity.

And how about CJ Giles showing some range on a couple of nice jumpers?

This team is going to be A LOT of fun to watch if they bring this type of intensity night in and night out.

Dear Sasha: Please call 1-800-I-Need-Help-With-My-Free Throw-Shooting. A little arc might help as generally the ball doesn't go in when you throw it in a straight line at the rim.

Clearly this team is learning who can score and will go through some lapses where no one really wants to take the shot. CJ seems like the only one that isn't a bit gun shy....but the unselfishness is nice to see across the board.

Hawkins with 3 fouls in the first 16 minutes....but also three 3's.

Mic

Random Thoughts: National Championship postgame

1. This year’s KU team couldn’t have beaten Illinois or UNC.
2. It is mind boggling how much better these teams were than KU from 3-pt land. I believe Galindo was our third highest three point shooter, making 17, this year. I think UNC and Illinois have about 10 players combined that could make that many 3’s in their sleep.
3. It sure would be nice to have a team that had 5 players on the court at the same time that are capable of scoring.
4. It’s a lot of fun to watch transition basketball. It strikes me as the exact opposite of what KU fans watched for much of the season.
5. Both of these teams played like TEAMS are supposed to play. They knew where each other was supposed to be…they passed the ball…they played unselfishly…and they had a will to win. I think either team beats this year’s KU team handily.
6. I would have loved to see Simien go toe-to-toe with May.
7. Billy pACCker was the reason the MUTE button was invented.
8. Did the officials treat Sean May with kid gloves tonight or what?
9. Amazing that Jim Burr and Ed Hightower weren’t calling the game. Rumor has it they were at an undisclosed location calling fouls on KU.
10. I’m glad Roy got his championship, even if it was at the wrong school. He’s put in a lot of effort over a lot of years to get to the top of the mountain. It’s just too bad he had to step on a few people’s heads to get there.
11. James Augustine got screwed tonight. 5 fouls in 9 minutes? That was a huge factor in this game.
12. This win is going to make it even harder for Kansas to recruit high school athletes over UNC. UNC has the championship…and they are a Nike school….both of those things matter to young high school kids.

Clarifying my thoughts on Roy

I’m not upset about Roy the person being gone....I’m over that part of it…...I’m upset that his decision to leave left us with a team of seniors that lost in the first round to Bucknell….and that likely wouldn’t have happened if Roy was still the coach at KU (because of continuity…not meant as a slight to Self). I’m thrilled to have Bill Self as our coach…Kansas fans will get the last laugh…and likely a championship or three….because of that.

But if you can honestly say you don’t care whether Roy wins or loses tonight, then I’m calling bullsh*t. You don’t follow a man…and a program….like all of us do for 15 years…..and then see players that we all really care about suffer a pathetic first round loss….and not hope that their former coach loses his a$$ on national television again….especially with the group of players that got Matt Doherty booted because he was too tough on them.

Again…let Roy win one….I think it would be good for all of his years and efforts….just not THIS year. Not while Simien, Langford, Miles and Lee have to watch the UNC whiners celebrating at midcourt…celebrating the championship that never would have been if Roy was a man of his word to KU’s four seniors.

What will make this Jayhawk fan happy?

The only thing that would make me happy at this point in the college basketball season is to see players Bill Self recruited celebrating their school’s first-ever National Championship, while Roy, the UNC players that Matt Doherty recruited who in return thanked him by getting him fired, and the arrogant Carolina administration and their fans cry about an opportunity lost.

Oh, and Wayne Simien being voted Player of the Year would be nice too….but we know that since the AP chose Utah's Andrew Bogut, it’s likely that he will get it, even though he had a quality season against inferior competition and Wayne had a tremendous season against the #1 schedule in the country (just take a look at all of the success that KU opponents had this year….South Carolina and St. Joes in the NIT final, Wisconsin-Milwaukee making a run in the tourney, the Big 12 with six teams in the tourney, etc, etc)

If there is a higher power out there that cares about college basketball, we will all go to bed on Monday night with a subdued smile on our face, Roy will be crying and will still be the most successful active coach without a championship, UNC will lose 3-4 players to the NBA, Bill Self will know he recruited the type of players that could get close the deal, and Wayne Simien will be the Naismith Player of the Year.

Mic's Truth About Roy

I think the truth will come out years from now…after Roy has retired….he’ll tell the story about why he had to leave…and KU fans will feel sorry for him and appreciate his motivations…and wonder why he didn’t just come out and say that in the first place….the reason, of course, is because he wanted UNC faithful to think he was coming there because of the almighty draw that is UNC…uh, no..that’s why he turned it down the first time….there were reasons he HAD to take it the second time it was offered….family illness and Dean putting pressure on him to save UNC basketball being the two biggest reasons….so he did it out of obligation to his own personal family and to the guy who was like a father to him (and Dean was wrong in putting Roy in the situation, by the way)….

But Roy will NEVER get over the fact that he lied to his players and let them down…and that their senior year ended in a first round loss to Bucknell. Part of that loss is on Roy..and he will never forgive himself for that.

I want Roy to win a championship…after Self does….and not this year while the seniors he betrayed are sitting at home watching THEIR championship go to a bunch of malcontents at UNC. Roy left them behind…and took TWO championship runs away from them.

He will FOREVER feel guilt…regardless if players “forgive” him for what he did….

He may be Carolina born and Carolina bread….but he is a Jayhawk in his heart….and he will never come to terms with the fact that he let so many people down by going against what his heart and mind told him to do…and that was to stay at Kansas.

He wasn't true to himself...and he wasn't true to Jayhawk nation...and that is why he is constantly trying to "make amends" with Jayhawk fans and players because the scarlet letter he bears on his chest says UNC...and he is ashamed for what he did to his Jayhawk family.

JR Giddens and Next Season

I can see next season for JR Giddens going one of two ways...and I'm praying for #2:

1. JR remains one dimensional, continues to struggle with his shot, gets a big head and starts acting like the leader of the team before the team has collectively chosen him as the leader, ends up taking a "back seat" to a younger player or players who perform better on the court, and then becomes "disgruntled" and negatively impacts the team's chemistry.

2. JR works on his game in the off-season and develops more aspects to his game so he is no longer a one-dimensional three-point shooter, learns how to dribble and create his own shot and that part of his game really develops by about mid-season, continues to joke around with players and keep the lockeroom loose, gladly accepts the role of leader AFTER the team has collectively placed that honor in his hands, continues to mature as a young man and particularly as a young man in the spotlight of Kansas basketball, becomes a solid supporter of Self and the coaching staff and what they are trying to teach, helps the younger guys get through the "sophomore slump" by sharing what he learned through his slump this season, starts to find confidence from three-point land again, starts to play with the energy and enthusiasm that he tried to unnaturally muffle, comes out and provides stronger leadership than we saw from any of the four seniors this year, comes to play EVERY night and doesn't feel like he can turn the switch on or off whenever he feels like it (hopefully he will have learned from this year's seniors), and start enjoying basketball again and becoming the contagious positive personality that we all know he has inside of him....and getting the opportunity to indirectly say "GO F*CK YOURSELF" to the idiot fans that boo'd him this season and to all of the radio personalities and others that beat him down this year.....and that he finally starts to trust people around him that truly care about him and his well being. And by season's end, he'll be leading the team back to the promised land of the NCAA Tournament....and conversations about him being a first-round pick in the NBA draft will actually be legitimate conversations.


Did I mention I'd be PRAYING hard for #2?

Rock Chalk.

Mic

We don't know what to expect from Self...yet

We don’t know what Self is, or isn’t, capable of when he has a team of “his guys” and doesn’t have to try to figure out how to coach around the “baggage” of inheriting a team of successful seniors who, by some reports, never fully bought in to what he was teaching. And if the seniors don’t follow 100%, it’s safe to assume the younger guys won’t either.

I never felt like this was Self’s team…I never really felt like the seniors brought the team together as one….unified in what their mission was and aligned with the mission of the coaching staff….

It’s an over-used cliché, but a big part of making a run in the tournament is team chemistry.

And this team’s chemistry was out of whack for pretty much the whole year. The first round loss was a culmination of a year-long struggle to find something that simply was never there.

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.

KU-OSU Thoughts

Click the title "KU-OSU Thoughts" to see some pictures from my last couple of days at the Big 12 Tournament.

And here are my thoughts on today’s game:

*It was a helluva basketball game. Definitely had the feeling of two heavyweights going at it punch for punch.
*A great effort by KU today, without Keith. To have a shot to tie at the buzzer…and get a good look…was a tribute to the entire team. They left it all out on the floor today.
*With Keith, we are the better team out of the two. Without Keith, we are equal to OSU.
*Kemper Arena got LOUD on a few occasions. It was a great college basketball atmosphere.
*The food and bathrooms at Kemper still suck.
*Kudos to Bill Self for going with a 3-point shooting lineup, which allowed KU to climb back into the game after two threes from J.R., one from Jeff Hawkins and one from Alex Galindo. I loved this lineup.*Shame on Bill Self for abandoning that 3-point shooting lineup after it got KU, and the KU fan base, back in the game.
*Wayne Simien should be the Player of the Year. After his last three games, there is no question about that. And today he has 30 points, 7 rebounds, and only 1 foul and 1 turnover. This team can go far if they keep going to Wayne. He is ready to take this team on his shoulders for a deep tournament run. OSU had NO ANSWER for him today. He was a man among boys.
*Why did we not continue to go to JR when it was clear he had the hot hand and was feeling it? He could have really helped blow that game wide open.
*Excellent job by KU today as they had only 11 turnovers. Unfortunately, OSU only had 5, which is really remarkable when you think about it.
*I like how we shared the ball. 23 assists on 31 field goals.
*We went through a 6-7 minute lull where we forgot to get the ball to Wayne. Again, there is NO REASON he shouldn’t touch the ball on every offensive possession.
*Russell Robinson played some MAD defense today.
*CJ Giles should be starting…and get more playing time…than Christian Moody. We have ridden Moody far enough, but he has become a serious liability, particularly offensively, for this team. The right answer is definitely to start CJ Giles. He brings an energy and enthusiasm that Moody simply doesn’t have. And CJ’s upside is far more than Moody’s. Oh yeah, and CJ had THREE blocks today.
*I think it is ridiculous that KU had 10 free throw attempts to OSU’s 24. Think that makes a difference in a 3-point game? And OSU’s Joey Graham had as many made free throws (10) as KU had free throw attempts. Operators are standing by…just call 1-800-BULLSH*T. There is no question that a huge disparity like that pretty much decided the game.
*I think it is ridiculous that Joey Graham had three fouls in the first half and NONE in the second half. And it was doubly ridiculous that apparently he has carte blanche when it comes to dipping his shoulder and driving into his defender.
*I think it’s even more ridiculous that Bill Self and his staff didn’t make it a point to get that fourth foul on Joey Graham. We barely went after him.
*Kudos for Alex Galindo to have the cajones to take that last shot to go for the tie….and for Self to trust him. It was a well executed play. It just didn’t fall this time.
*Fran Fraschilla could very easily be confused with Froto.
*I saw Coach Jankovich today. He was wearing a Carolina blue tie. I yelled out, “Hey Coach Jank. That’s the wrong color blue.” To which he responded “That’s the only one I had.”. Well, get a new one, Coach. NEVER where that color of blue.
*Wayne, Miles, and Lee were WARRIORS today. They gave it everything they had.
*I do take a lot of consolation in the fact that KU has had more success in the NCAA tournament when not playing on Sunday in the forever meaningless Big 12 Conference Tournament.
*I really wish Miles would have stepped it up offensively today, though I do think he was exhausted from the tremendous defense he was playing. And he deserves major props for dishing out 11 assists.
*So much for Darnell Jackson “getting it”. He played 2 minutes.
*And Sasha Kaun must definitely not “get it” as he played ZERO minutes.
*Has JR busted out of his slump? Hopefully so…nice job going 3-of-5 from deep today.
*While I am beyond impressed by the way other players rose to the occasion in Keith’s absence, it has me wondering why they don’t consistently step up more often. Mike Lee, for example, has played AWESOME the last two games. Ditto for Jeff Hawkins. What changed? I hope we see more of this stepping up the rest of the way, regardless of who is healthy and who isn’t.
*A question: Texas Tech has this hand signal that looks like they are holding guns up. And OSU does the same. Who has a patent on it?
*OSU did a fine job of taking care of the ball on the offensive end. That was a big key to KU’s inability to get over the hump in the second half.

On to the NCAAs…

Understanding Bill Self

What I find myself trying to do as a “new Bill Self” fan is understand him…why he does things the way he does….why he doesn’t do certain things….etc.

I, for one, think I got so comfortable with RW over the years that I pretty much had a good feeling for the way he ran things or the decisions he would make. I didn’t always agree, but I generally had a good understanding of why he made the decisions….or I had come to the conclusion that “that’s just the way Roy does it” and I accepted it because of his tremendous winning percentage, the way he represented the university from a national perspective, the Final Fours he took us to, the conference championships he won, etc.

With Self, we’re still in the “getting to know ya” stage, so it’s uncomfortable. Some of us want that same comfort level quickly and some of us are fine with just letting it play itself out. It’s kinda like people and relationships…some people want things to move fast….others want them to move at a slower, more “natural” pace.

It is extremely difficult for the players that were recruited by, and played for, Roy Williams to fully buy in and trust Bill Self. They, too, are in the “getting to know ya” stage and some will move faster in that trust and others will want to take things more slowly….and may not have that true trust until they are long gone and graduated. Add in to the mix a bunch of freshmen that are adapting to college, being away from home, playing at the Big 12 and college level, etc. and Bill Self has a lot on his hands in terms of trying to figure out exactly what buttons work for each player. By default, he’s going to go with what’s worked before….but if it doesn’t work with a particular player, then he has to figure out what does. So he has a lot of learning to do as well…and I believe he knows that.

This may not be a divine revelation, but I was definitely struck with a little bit more clarity on just how difficult it must be for Bill Self to be everything to everyone after following someone that had been so successful. We are indeed in a transition period. And we’re doing pretty damn well all things considered. So put me in the camp of people who will question Bill Self….but do so for understanding and not meaning to be critical…..but I think Kansas Basketball is going to be in really good hands for a long time to come.

So let’s enjoy the ride and take some time to get to know Bill Self, the man and Bill Self, the coach.

But put me down for one of the folks that strongly believes we’ve got a good one….on both fronts.

Concerns entering the post-season

At this point in the season, I'm concerned about:

*Keith's ankle
*Galindo and RussRobb: Can they consistently contribute solid minutes in the postseason even though Self has hardly played them over the last couple of months? They did a fine job today in a tough situation, but can they do it consistently now all of a sudden that we need them? SELF: "I haven't given Russell a chance to play much lately." Yeah, no kidding.
*Our team's unbelievable ability to repeatedly forget that Wayne Simien is on the floor...and for Self to not be able to get them to execute getting Wayne the ball. He said in his post game comments that Wayne should touch the ball every time down the court. I agree. So why doesn't he?
*Christian Moody's propensity to foul and inability to score...and how clueless the team looks on offense when Christian has to sit because of fouls.
*The team's propensity to place little value on critical possessions at key moments in a game
*The fact that our seniors lost for the first time in the regular season to MU
*That Aaron Miles said that MU was tougher and stronger than KU today
*Whether JR will ever find the deadly shooting stroke we saw last year
*Our team's confidence level after losing to a shitty MU team who haven't even qualified for the NIT
*That Alex Galindo said he feels like they let the seniors down today
*That OU is playing heads and shoulders above where KU is playing right now
*Whoever we play in the first game of the Big 12 tourney, whether it is KSU or A&M. If Keith is out, we're very beatable.
*MU went 8.5 minutes without a field goal in the second half...and they still beat us
*KU had a chance to win the title outright and secure the #1 seed and they weren't able to take care of business.
*That if you take out ONE of our starters, then our entire offense goes completely in a funk
*This team let numerous opportunities to lock up the conference title, each time letting it slip through their fingers
*That KU has played 40 minutes of Kansas Basketball maybe 3-4 times this season
*That we enter the post-season having lost 4 of our last 6

Can this team make a run in the post season? Maybe.

I'm just not very confident based on what I've seen in the last 5-6 weeks.

Way to go, Seniors

KU, predictably, beat a much improved K-State team tonight in what was an emotional Senior Night.

Aaron, Mike, Wayne, Keith: Thank you for four incredible years. You are the epitome of Kansas basketball and the four of you will forever go down as one of the best classes of all time.

Congratulations on another Big 12 title and best of luck in winning the title outright when you head to Columbia to face the KU-wannabee-MU Tiggers.

Rock Chalk.