Let the healing begin.

I am not sure which of my compatriots at RCB Central pinned this thread, but 'twas not I.

I suggest leaving it pinned at least through the evening of April 6.
Let the NC be over with.
All the season awards should be announced.
Then we'll see if it's still needed anymore.

Thanks for the tickler, Bayhawk!

It was I who pinned it (in the depressing wee hours of Sunday morning). Thought about unpinning it today, so with your blessing, yep, here she goes!

Thanks, Bay...and hope you're recovery is well underway, if not complete. You're a great presence on the Board, and much appreciated!

Your call, then, Konza! And thanks!

I went ahead and pulled the pin. I think it served its purpose well, and even though some of us (ahem, LOL) are still debating others (and themselves, heehee) over tournament performance and what-not, I think we're well on our way to looking ahead.

The recruiting talk is heating up, so that's a good sign we're at least in stage 3 or 4 of the Kubler-Ross mourning paradigm.

I know Denial didn't last long
Anger was over fairly quickly, too.
I skipped right over Bargaining as it was a fait accompli.
Depression has been the pits and will probably rear its ugly head on occasion (especially if one of Cheaters, Inc, win it all -- might even end up back at anger in such a scenario), but
Acceptance will come as it does, in due course.

I can never remember the stages, but doing such an exercise always helps -- at least for a while...

Good stuff.

It's funny, I used to know them pretty well too, and even tried to make a stab at a notional progression with my emoticons. (You're a sharp tool, so I'm sure you caught that)

As for a cheater winning it all, that wouldn't bring for me...instead, it would bring VISCERAL

So here's to Saturday's and Monday's aftermath leaving us very

Not as as if our beloved Hawks had gone on to cut down the nets but still very

Lastly, there's something about the natural progression of our mourning...and the ceaseless flow of time...and your "Acceptance..." thought that made my mind drift to this lovely little ditty (which I know you and perhaps others on here will appreciate):



I guess it's actually rather appropriate tonight (transitioning into tomorrow) as well...

I hear that pain in your voice, my friend, and I feel the same thing.

But when I look at it from the "glass half full" side of the ledger, I realize that, among the other top-tier programs, Roy only has one more ring than Self, despite coaching 5 years longer than Self and being 12 years older than Bill. (Pray/pray/pray that this factoid holds after Monday night) Izzo? I think I've shined a bright light on that one, in the "Newell" thread tonight. Just looking at the years associated with Self's tenure at KU, he's clearly out-performed the "great" Tom Izzo (pejorative, just because, while I really like the guy, it's amazing the praise and passes he gets relative to Self).

I think (or hope) that, as Self gets longer in the tooth, he'll grow wiser, hopefully loosen the sphincter a bit, and his guys ON THE FLOOR will execute more effectively to cut down a few more nets. Honestly, save for someone like Brad Stevens with the Celtics, I look around and there's no one I'd rather us have here.

I'll just harken back to what I said in my "season-closing" note the other night:

My OVERALL, bottom-line takeaways from the above:

* As of right now, Self is a Top 10 (great) coach working at a Top 5 (elite) program.

He's getting enough opportunities to flirt with elite status, but he's failed to perform sufficiently in the tournament to break through that tough, elusive, yet critical door.

* Will he make it in the future? Are his best years ahead of him, much like Wooden, Smith, and Williams before him?

You'd like to think so, just from the "wisdom and experience" angle (i.e., learning from past mistakes, having the law of averages with respect to "breaks" and luck turning his way, etc.). But we can't say one way or another with complete foresight. All we can do is watch it all play out...and pray he's not the Bobby Cox (Braves) or Peyton Manning (Indy days) of college hoops.

Mario Chalmers' shot heard 'round the world (and Memphis's meltdown at the line) ensured that he's not the Marty Schottenheimer or Marv Levy of college hoops...but he's literally a hair away from being known as just that. He can and must do better if he wants to reach elite status (which we all, I think, believe is his true ceiling).

* Having said all of this, Big G is spot on, however, in underscoring the systemic benefits that Self has brought to our program and school...

This includes shining a bright light on our history (by amping up the museum and AFH, etc.)...ensuring connective tissue between the present and the past (bringing back the former coaches and players, keeping an open door for all Jayhawks, etc.)...overseeing facility and venue improvements...and representing our university with class, integrity, and dignity.

We have a fantastic ambassador, an exceptional human being, and a top 10 coach running our proud program quite ably. In future years, we can only hope that this will improve to "fantastic ambassador, top 5 elite coach, and Mount Rushmore Hall of Fame-bound great." Speaking just for me, I'm keeping the faith...

Hang in there, Brother JR! (PS: Spring is here...)

This is a gem of a post, Illhawk. Thanks for taking the time to craft it. I really enjoyed it, and all of your posts this season.

Be well...

Obviously it stings a bit to know that the one team that got in our way on the path to the NC game turned out to be the ultimate champion. It also stings that the Committee put them in our region (as the overall 1 seed) as a 2. Perhaps that was payback for Self critiquing the NCAA so loudly on the Diallo knuckle-dragging at the beginning of the season? We'll never know, but KU shouldn't have sniffed Nova until at least a FF game. Water under the bridge, sour grapes, yadda yadda yadda.

As for the bright side, given that KU was bounced from the tourney 9 days prior to the NC game last night, my personal, recalibrated goals and hopes were for Nova to beat UNC. The reasons were simple:

* UNC systematically cheated in academics for 18+ years, gained two additional NC crowns with ineligible players while doing so, and was somehow still playing in this tourney. (WRONG on all levels) On any ethical plane and with any sense of karma in mind, they had to go down. Super pleased that they did so.

* UNC is stuck on 5 championships today instead of increasing that to 6. It may not seem like much, but KU only has 3 in its long, illustrious history. So we are only 2 behind them (and Duke, Indiana to boot--also with 5). That keeps us in striking distance, which I like. A 6th would have allowed them to "double up" over KU, and would likely mean no chance of KU catching them on that score in my or many of our lifetimes. More broadly, the reason this matters has been stated before: NC crowns are the sole blemish or hole in an otherwise impeccable historical record for KU. We are an elite blueblood in every sense of the term with the exception of NC crowns. The UNC defeat, however, keeps us in the mix, and I like Self's chances of getting us another one sometime in the next 5 years.

* If someone was going to win it outside of KU, given who was left standing before Saturday night, I would have taken OU or Nova over Syracuse (for obvious reasons, as a KU fan) or UNC (see above). OU got throttled in the most lopsided defeat in FF history, so that left Villanova. They're a proud program with a solid coach who personally had yet to earn a ring, so it has a feel-good angle to it. Again, if KU wasn't to be there, then Villanova was not a bad outcome. Congrats to them and a major hat tip to both Wright for phenomenal coaching and teaching and to their players for sterling execution and fight on both ends of the floor. They played like true champions throughout the whole tourney, and beat some solid teams to get to the promised land.

This is why I'm a thousand times happier for the outcome today than I would've been if it had gone otherwise last night. And while we can't know it to be true, if Jenkins misses that shot and it goes to OT, all of the momentum would've been with UNC after the ridiculous make by Paige (just like it was with KU after Chalmers' shot in regulation). Nova didn't just dodge a bullet--they caught it in their teeth and spit it back out with authority. Gotta hand it to them.

Onward and upward.

Rock Chalk...

Only thing I would add (delving deep into the world of conspiracy theory similar to your having the NCAA punishing Self for his Diallo diatribes) is OU AD Joe Castiglione being the Selection Committee chair.

1. No other Big 12 teams in KU's region (KU could beat them all)
2. KU, instead of fellow 1 seed Virginia, was placed in the South region (um, "ol' Viginny" not in the South when it was possible?) instead of in its more natural midwest setting in Chicago. Would have set up a possible KU v Michigan State regional final.
2. The #1 2 seed -- who was a (the?) top Kenpom program going into the tournament selection, and really should have been a 1 over either Oregon or Virginia, take your pick -- was placed in the same region as the overall 1 seed, when historically it should have been paired with the weakest 1 seed and the weakest 2 seed should have been paired against the strongest 1 -- the old "S" curve (see below). If Michigan State could have the chance to play what would practically amount to home games in Chicago if it made its regional, why couldn't Villanova have that same chance to play its regionals in Philadelphia?
3. OU was paired with arguably the weakest 1 seed in its region with Oregon.
4. OU and KU were potentially paired for the FF , but not the NC. Upside for OU - beat KU and go on to title game. Downside for OU -- if lose, at least it was not for all the marbles.
5. WVU was placed opposite the bracket from OU, so OU could only meet them if it was for all the marbles.

Yeah, yeah, I know, even if Castiglione went in with such ideas, it would be too hard for him to work it out with the others to get what he really wanted -- KU possibly gone by Nova (or even earlier if UConn had another of its "playing out of its mind" tournaments) and a possible chance to beat the Nova squad that OU had pummelled earlier in the season.

Well, you got it, Joe. How's that taste in your mouth these days?

I'm feeling much better these past 24 hours -- antibiotics for my illness (I'll be fine ) and an encore performance by Cryin' Roy (this time accompanied by his tar baby boys) to close out the season.
Seems all too familiar, doesn't it?
Taking off my tinfoil cap now...

River --


KU!


(I really am smiling as I post this, River, I really am! Just teasin', and I always appreciate being given the chance to call upon Oddball.)