Closing the Book on the 2015-16 Season...

A season like this seemed to beg for something other than a "see you next year" departure. With that in mind, I started writing up some season-concluding thoughts, including some perspective on the Elite Eight game (which most of you know I attended), some broader tournament performance questions, and some miscellaneous musings that don't necessarily fit any thematic category.

I will warn you that what started with a few thoughts wound up being a treatise, but you know me...and it's just one of those times!

Without further ado...

(My Additive Take on the Elite Eight Loss)

All of you have done a great job analyzing the game and what went into our loss (and Nova's win). I'm still reeling in pain (and yes, replaying the game in my nightmares) after witnessing it live in Louisville. I guess that's what happens when you invest so much emotional and "sweat" equity (in the form of money plopped down, time taken off, hundreds upon hundreds of miles driven, sleep lost, and family member tears shed). Regardless, I just couldn't engage the Board on Monday, as I was still comatose and in a slurred-mind state of semi-shock.

I think (though I'm not sure!) that I'm sufficiently of sound mind now to make some closing thoughts. Before we get to higher-order questions and some unordered musings, I have to re-visit the game (the now-infamous game) for just a few moments. With that in mind, I'll just add to the fine analysis already put forth to briefly highlight what I personally believe are the 5 key reasons we lost this game. Herewith, in no particular order:

* Frigid 3-point shooting. As I watched this team grow and flourish over the season, the one thing that I really felt we wouldn't have to suffer through was another KU flameout that resulted in large part from cold perimeter shooting. This is a perennial fear for KU fans due to many poor tourney showings in that department over the years... The reason I took comfort was that most of the latter debacles were when we had to rely on only one shooter (like a Billy Thomas or Ben McLemore) to shrink or have an off night, whereas this year we had a BEVY of strong shooters...and the whole team was one of the best 3-ball teams in the land! Well, that theory went over like the Hindenburg on Saturday night...and I'm sure Bill Self will now conclude even more firmly that 3-pointers are the ultimate "fools gold." Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh!

* Turnovers galore. To put it simply, we exhibited lousy ballhandling (resulting in far too many TOs) in the face of strong Nova pressure throughout the game. We couldn't execute simple handoffs, we lost balls in traffic, and even the sure-handed Perry Ellis had a nightmare of a night in this regard. Credit Nova's attack to a certain degree, I suppose, because in many ways it resembled what we typically encounter from WVU in Morgantown, right down to all of the vehement hacks that were not called by the zebras. Which is a nice segue to my next factor...

* The blasted zebras... With the beneficial eyewitness vantage point of lower-level seats in Louisville, courtesy of scalped tickets from dejected Miami fans hitting the exits, I can tell you that the refs absolutely STUNK in this game. Perhaps one could say that they stunk in both directions, but by calling a game not unlike what we have seen in Morgantown, Villanova rolled the dice on a street-fight strategy (which even their lead guard admitted was their plan) and the refs played right into their hands. They set the tone in the early going with a slew of calls against KU, including 3 arguably phantom calls on D-tae alone in the first half, all of which put us on our heels. Not only that, but they established that hacks and body-blows and what-not were good to go...while whistling us for touch fouls out on the perimeter. KU didn't counter to Nova's bullying, or when we did, we typically got whistled.

By far the most egregious calls were saved for the end, when the game was literally on the line. The call on D-tae's dive for the loose ball was a back-breaker: an absolutely horrible call that punished a hustle play...and interjected the refs directly into the outcome at the most pivotal point. The final insult was the ensuing non-call on Frank's final possession, which went down right in front of us. He got mugged and turned the ball over (also in part due to an error by Svi--a miscommunication) and that was that. Stick a fork in us. 8 free throws in the final :33 for Nova... Combine that with KU not converting on its much fewer trips to the line and you have a key difference in the game. It wasn't Nova out-shooting us, out-rebounding us, etc. It was us turning it over too much and Nova hitting a lot more free throws. Major bummer...

* Perry's disappearance and abject misuse. It's a gut-punching shame that Perry only took 5 shots in that game. FIVE SHOTS from our go-to scorer, in an Elite Eight game that was "win or go home crying." That is beyond a shame--it's simply unfathomable. One narrative would be to credit Villanova for so effectively gumming up the paint that we couldn't get the ball to him, he turned it over when we did, and/or he missed badly on inside shots against the strength and beef of Nova's players. Yes, that's one side of the story, with some definitive merit...

HOWEVER, the other story--the one that leaves me shaking my head, and will give me "woulda coulda shouda" nightmares until I go to my grave--centers on a simple question: WHY DID HE STAY IN THE PAINT ALL NIGHT? And more damningly, from a coaching and in-game adjustment standpoint, WHY DID KU NEVER EMPLOY HIM IN HIS MOST EFFECTIVE CAPACITY--AS A STRETCH 4 FACING UP TO THE BUCKET RATHER THAN BACKING UP TO IT?

I kept repeating this point over and over to my son at the arena, along with KU fans afterward, and I continue to be just utterly dumbfounded by it. It was as if Self went into the game with a plan of going back to "Stale Kansas" (from the early part of the season), when we were still trying (and failing) to turn Perry into a Power Forward, having him work deep in the paint, with his back to the hoop, against greater opposing strength--with very fitful results (turnovers, missed 2-footers, and tie-ups). This, as opposed to "Dynamic Kansas" (from the middle of the season through the Sweet 16 win) when we completely adjusted our attack to make Perry a face-up player operating frequently at the elbow and the top of the key...a stretch 4 who used his greater athleticism and moves to outmaneuver bigger, slower 4s and 5s and average 16-27 points per game.

What in the world happened to that Perry Ellis, and to that critical facet of his game? Did he simply grow timid in the face of Nova pressure, or prove unable to muster the necessary toughness or adaptive thinking to find openings away from the bucket? Did Self and the staff improperly game plan and/or adjust, once it was clear the inside power game was the true "fool's gold?" Why did we keep having him with his back to the basket, forcing passes inside to him, often resulting in deflections or steals? And why on Earth did Self say after the game that we didn't "feed it inside" to Perry enough, when any novice watching the game could've told you that was a recipe for disaster (and the definition of insanity), as opposed to going with what has actually been WORKING with and for Perry for the past two months (with great team results)?

I will never understand this, but in my mind it's the reason why our most important and RELIABLE scorer (the "money" guy I call the Ben Zobrist of our offensive attack) only registered FOUR points on the night, on a scant FIVE shots from the floor. Instead of going out strong as a senior who might have taken his place in the pantheon of KU greats and achieved "Rafters" status, this class-act of a young man ended his solid career on a completely down, silent, bewildering and befuddling note. I will simply never understand this, and will remain convinced until proven otherwise that this facet of the game--more than any of the others--cost us a Final Four berth (and a very likely championship ring thereafter).

* Better game scouting, planning, and coaching from Wright...and superb execution of same by Villanova's players. In the final analysis, Jay Wright and his staff obviously studied a ton of KU film (more than we apparently studied of them, I might add). In turn, they developed an outstanding game plan designed to dictate flow and tempo, to disrupt KU at its nucleus (Perry), and to hope that we both didn't hit outside shots and/or make creative adjustments. We did neither. Yes, we made some decent tactical shifts at halftime, but in terms of the existential stuff (see: misuse of Perry, and lack of adaptive counter-measures) we never adjusted or responded from a position of creativity, disruption, or strength. Coaching staff and player execution grades: Villanova B+, KU C-. That's another important difference in a tense 1-2 possession game.

A broader question here would be why did Villanova--operating on the same 2-day turnaround, having played a 3 seed while we played a 5--better scout and plan for us than we did them? And why is this an ongoing problem for Bill Self in Elite Eight quick-turn weekends?

And yet...despite all of the above...KU came back from the disheartening halftime deficit and had this game right where it wanted it 8 minutes into the 2nd half. If you look at each half as I do, in 5 separate 4-minute blocks, KU did exactly what it had to do to get back in the game--and even take control of it--in the first two blocks of the 2nd half. We were +11 in those first 8 minutes. But then disaster struck: a +9 Villanova run in the next block, then them holding on for a stalemate (+1 KU, + 1 Nova in the final two blocks) for the checkmate. Just when we thought this team had set itself apart from other recent KU squads by being so mentally tough and such great game closers, they laid a steamer on the court. Very sad...

(Yet Another Blown KU Opportunity at the Brink of the Post-Season Mountaintop)

I will submit, as well, that this was a massive opportunity lost. I firmly believe with every fiber of my being that this team was the best in the land, that this was a less-than-elite crop of teams this year, and that if we had gotten by an exceptional Nova team (which was the best #2 seed, clearly), we were going to cut down the nets in Houston for our 4th NCAA championship.

In so doing, we would've pulled even with "new money" UConn in NCAA titles (something that still grates at my nerves and just baffles me--that they are ahead of us). We would have pulled to within one crown of Indiana and UNC, and almost certainly propelled Coach Self into the Hall of Fame (in as much as Calipari got inducted based on just one crown but lots of FFs). In many ways, that's why this "close but no cigar" loss hurts WAY more than a round of 32 flame-out. Our expectations had risen to their highest level, only to be summarily dashed in an intense, super-tight game. A FF- or NC-caliber game. (As an eyewitness, I've never been to a game with so much passion and tension on display--interlocked, diametrically opposed fans sitting elbow to elbow, on their feet screaming at the top of their lungs for almost the entire 2nd half throughout the lower level.)

Very sad. Exceptionally sad...

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(Examining Self's Coaching Performance Against Other Standard-bearers)

Corpus has done a great job of examining how KU has underperformed relative to its often high seeds throughout the Self era. He's also underscored how ironic that is, given how dominant Self and KU have been during the regular season over the course of Self's tenure. Clearly, there is something that is not translating here--particularly when we hit the dreaded Elite Eight game. There are a million theories out there, but no one is an oracle, so no one knows with absolute certainty what the key factors (or combination and weighting of same) are.

In prior work, Corpus also has done a nice job of showing how Self's tourney resume stacks up against the other top coaches in recent history (i.e., Coach K, Roy, Calipari, Calhoun, Izzo, Pitino, as the modern-era coaching gold standard). By that standard, it's obvious he has work to do.

But if you don't want to compare him to that full lot, then let's just look at how he has fared against the coach that left KU before his arrival--Roy Williams. Both have plowed their trade at blueblood schools, and both have similar pedigrees--so it's a very natural comparative standard for us KU fans to consider.

With that in mind, here is their track record from 2003-04 to the present (a period spanning 13 seasons):

Regular Season Performance, 2003-2016

* Total regular season wins: Self 385, Williams 364
* Cumulative regular season winning percentage: Self .823, Williams .773

CONCLUSION: Self has clearly performed better than Williams during the regular season.

(Of course, someone like Corpus would have to run those numbers against Big 12 vs. ACC conference strength for all 13 seasons to see if that solid edge holds up, or if it's diminished by ACC strength going back to '03-'04...but just in absolute numbers, it's clear--Self is the man in the regular season...a point obviously borne out by the 12 straight league titles as well)

Post-season Performance, 2003-2016

* Total tourney wins: Self 30 (30-12), Williams 35 (35-9)...and counting
* Elite Eight Appearances: Self 6, Williams 7
* Final Four Berths: Self 2, Williams 4 (Self 1 every 6.5 years, Williams 1 every 3 years)
* National Championship Appearances: Self 2, Williams 2...and counting (Self 1 every 6.5 years, Williams 1 every 6.5 years)
* National Championship Trophies: Self 1, Williams 2...and counting (Self 1 every 13 years, Williams 1 every 6.5 years)

Important caveat in Roy's favor: UNC is currently alive and well in the Final Four. If the Heels advance to the NC game, Williams will have 3 NC appearances, which bumps him up to 1 every 4 years.

More tellingly (and appallingly), if the Heels advance and then win the NC game, Roy will have 3 NC rings to Self's 1--meaning not only 1 NC appearance every 4 years, but an average of 1 NC TITLE every 4 years...and a perfect 3-for-3 record in NC games for Roy. (Pray that this doesn't happen, if you already--like me--don't like this head-to-head comparison!)

CONCLUSION: Roy has clearly performed better than Self during the post-season. And if Roy wins another NC next Monday, it won't even be close. He is already in the HoF, and will further cement his position on the "Mount Rushmore" of modern-era coaches.

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...

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(Unquestioned King of the Mountain: A Sidebar Wish)

Just one time, as perhaps the "dream season" wish, I'd love to see KU go start-to-finish as the top team: that is, be ranked as the pre-season #1, then wind up at the top of the heap at the end. To me, that's the ultimate performance, because it signifies that your team, coach, and program assembled a strong set of pieces, welcomed the pressure of the initial top billing, embraced the fact that everyone was coming at you with their best shot (in the regular season and in the Dance), and yet you managed to remain dialed in even during the insanity of the post-season tournament to seize the crown.

Looking back over the 27 seasons since KU won it all in 1988, this feat has been accomplished 6 times, or about once every four years of post-season play. (If UNC wins it all next week, it will be an even 25%--7 times in 28 seasons)

Here are the schools (and coaches) that pulled off this accomplishment:

* UNLV, 1989-90 (Tarkanian)
* Duke, 1991-92 (K)
* Kentucky, 1995-96 (Pitino)
* UConn, 2003-04 (Calhoun)
* Florida, 2006-07 (Donovan)
* UNC, 2008-09 (Williams)

Still to be determined: UNC, 2015-16? (Williams #2) Please, dear basketball gods, do not allow Huckleberry Hound to get his third ring this year. That would be beyond devastating--and the height of celestial-hoops misalignment, given the academic fraud cloud that hangs over that school and program.

For Self to evade the notion that he wilts a bit under pressure, he needs to win another NC. (The sooner the better) But if he wanted to put it to rest for all eternity, it would be great if he could pull off one of these start-to-finish performances.

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(Hoops Potpourri: Uncategorized Musings)

* Gouged by the Committee? When the brackets were released, I made it clear on the board where I stood: that KU had the toughest top-to-bottom region of them all. I said the Midwest was by far the weakest, that the West had only OU as a legit NC threat, and that the East had some strength at the top (UNC, Indiana, UK, WVU), but that it dissipated after that and had a weak 2 seed (Xavier). I took some grief for that position, but I believe my analysis has been largely borne out by the brackets we see now. The Midwest completely fell apart, and has a freaking 10-seed in the FF. The East has been the Carolina show once the other heavies departed. And OU easily man-handled an Oregon that had no business being a 1 seed. Meanwhile, in our region, chalk prevailed, with the 1, 2, 3, and 5 advancing (and Maryland was arguably the true 4 over Cal).

But what is even more vexing and grating about our region is that KU WAS THE TOP OVERALL 1 SEED YET WAS GIVEN THE TOP OVERALL 2 SEED. In fact, Villanova was a consensus 1 seed going into the final weekend, until it lost to Seton Hall in its league tourney. The then-steady Wildcats were jockeying with KU for #1 in the polls over the last 3 weeks of the season, they were in the top 4 in KenPom at that time, they were the most balanced offensive/defensive team in KenPom, and they are now sitting as the top dog in KenPom over all the other teams. This was our reward for the top overall seed? And to have been cast all the way to Louisville on top of it, instead of going to our more natural Chicago alum base setting? I know that you have to play who is in front of you, but anyone who thinks the Committee did us a favor by giving us Nova over Xavier (or OU/Oregon) is deceiving himself/herself. Clearly it's water under the bridge, but it does make you wonder: was this the NCAA's way of slapping KU's wrists for Self publicly raising such an outcry over Diallo's case early in the season? Or some other untold beef they have with KU? It just makes you wonder...

* The Agony of Defeat, Part I. Vince Lombardi best summarized how the most excruciating losses seem to hurt more than the joy of the exhilarating wins. I know he was speaking from the standpoint of a coach and the players on the field, but given the symbiotic relationship between fans and the former, I'm here to submit that it also extends to the passionate core within a given fan base. 'Nuff said on that score--we all felt this Saturday night...and this one will linger like '97 for me (at least for awhile)...

* The Agony of Defeat, Part II. I'll never again conjure up so much as a snicker when someone on the board (or elsewhere) pokes fun at an opposing team's crying cheerleader (or crying kid) after a loss. Reason: I lived that moment on the receiving end Saturday night, with the streaming tears of a heartbroken 11-year-old at the arena (and beyond). It wasn't pleasant, to say the least, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. A BIG shout-out, however, to Uncle Anthony, who, while fighting back tears and reddened eyes himself, gave my son an elongated bear hug and pep talk after the loss in the hotel lobby. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but that very genuine gesture went a long way--just from an empathy standpoint--to healing my son's heavy heart.

* From the "It Could've Been Worse" Category... Our guys didn't play their best game, nor did our Coach execute anywhere near the top of his ability...and yet we were within a bucket or two down the stretch of the game falling our way, and us moving on to the Final Four. By contrast, look at what happened to the 1-seeded Virginia Cavaliers. We listened to that game on the way back to Virginia, and it was an unfathomable, irrefutable, complete collapse. They were up 16 and totally in control...and then BAM! A 29-8 run by Syracuse to steal the game away. TENTH-SEEDED Syracuse, which came within a hair of being bounced from the bubble by Monmouth! Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...or a colossal choke job! I felt horrible for UVA, whose coach, school, and program I greatly respect. But it suddenly made me also feel just a smidgeon better about KU--knowing that UVA's collapse would immediately shift the narrative, albeit perhaps only briefly, away from KU failing to hold serve as a high seed yet again. Imagine how their players, coach, and fan base must feel, with a Final 4 berth in their hands...until, suddenly and inexplicably, it was not.

* At this juncture, it's "Go OU!" or "Nova Win It All" as a fallback. UNC and Syracuse are both ACC teams. Both are playing in the FF under a scandalous cloud. Neither deserve to advance. As for OU, they hail from the Big 12. We beat them both times this year, so if they win it all, we'll always know that. Hield is an amazing player, and a likable young man. Kruger has never sniffed the promised land, and he's a class act. OU fans can be obnoxious in football, but the Big 12 needs a team like this--if it's not to be KU--to inject greater national respect into the conference when it comes to hoops. This will only benefit KU in the long haul--better conference rep, better competition, etc. So I'm holding my nose and pulling for the Sooners. And if not them, then Jay Wright and Villanova--who had to beat the top team in the land (sadly, KU) to get where they are. Oh ye basketball gods, please make it thus! Anyone but UNC and Huckleberry Hound, or Syracuse with that moron who had no business beating us in '03!

* Praise for the Tourney Experience. I've now traveled to several tourney sites over the course of my 30+ years of adult fandom. This was the second time with my son--the prior one being when he was 7 (in 2012) to the opening-round weekend in Omaha. I must say that, while you get more bang for your buck (in terms of the number of games) in the opening round, the quality of games--and the greater intimacy of the fan/alumni shared experience--is more discernible during the second (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) weekend. We were able to hang out with alumni and fans, briefly meet the players and coaches, shoot the breeze with the likes of Jim Nantz, Bob Davis, and Uncle Anthony, go to the open practices and autograph opportunities, soak in the awesome pep rallies with the band and cheerleaders, root the team on as it headed to the bus for the Elite 8, and be part of a proud, raucous, very crimson-and-blue-tinged crowd at the arena. All told, if you've never done it and get the chance sometime to do so, I highly recommend it. Yes, it will set you back a bit of cash, but in the grand arc of life, for us passionate hoops fans, it's definitely worth it. (Or so I say...) Of course, I'd underscore this exponentially if we'd won the Elite 8 game, because the party and celebration afterward would've injected enough energy and enthusiasm in all those present to last through the end of Spring...but it's still worth it, regardless.

In that vein, just to give you some sense of the full spectrum of atmospherics, I bring you some final shots from our road trip to the South Regional in Louisville:













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I'll close by saying that it's been a long yet fun year, harkening all the way back to the summer games in Korea, running through the 12th-straight Big 12 championship and Big 12 tourney. From the ups to the downs, the peaks to the valleys, I've enjoyed every single moment with you all on this Board.

Here's to next year ending on a much brighter, happier note, when KU cuts down the nets to win the whole enchilada!

To those who will continue to linger on the board, we'll soon pivot to recruiting and projections of the future. As for those taking a break, thanks for your time and contributions on here. But to all of you...be well. And Rock Chalk!

We'll keep the light on...

Konza63

Peter--

Great stuff, and I very much appreciate the kind sentiments--en toto. Goes both ways!

As for the substantive meat and potatoes, I think I'm in pretty violent agreement with you on just about everything you said, but let me address your points just to ensure the discussion has gotten its full due:

First, you don't discuss one of the issues which has to have been a factor in this game, which was 'tightness.'

You're absolutely right in that I did not go there. I most certainly went there in the VCU debacle, because I could clearly see it for myself...on TV. And that's why I couldn't address it honestly or objectively in this instance--because I was at the venue and not watching it with the benefit of multiple camera shots and close-ups that you get from TV. Being there live is a benefit from the standpoint of seeing certain action on the court better, but in the case of tightness and Self's demeanor, etc., I had no vantage point on that at all. I tried to zero in on him with the binoculars at various points, but didn't get any good shots...and the team huddle was directly across from us (players' backs to us), so it always blocked my view of Self in the huddle.

What I can say is this: it wouldn't surprise me at all if you and astute KU fans picked up on this with him, and that it was translating into the performance on the court. Someone on here said that, when they saw Self chewing on the inside of his cheek at the beginning of the game (on TV), they knew it was going to be a bad night. Well, I've seen that look, along with the "laser eyes" and the constant, nervous straightening of his tie knot. I saw it right before the VCU Elite Eight disaster, and I said to myself "Oh, no, I don't like the look that Self is giving off." So, bottom line: I plead ignorance on this one, only because I couldn't see all of the TV shots that you and others did--which do a far better job of conveying that critical intangible of tightness vs. looseness. (And a confession: because we lost and I was so miserable, I have not gone back to watch the game on TV, even though I recorded it. Too painful...)

Incidentally, I had this "tightness" factor very much at the top of my mind as I stood in the hotel lobby with my son and all of the KU fans waiting for the coaches and players to walk through on the way to the bus that was taking them to the arena for the E-8 game. As Self and each player passed by, guess what I said to each one? It wasn't "Good luck!" or "Go get 'em!" or "Rock Chalk!" I said "Pleasure Over Pressure!" It was from a quote that I saw from Self earlier in the year, and to me it spoke of a VERY healthy evolution (or hoped-for evolution) in his demeanor and approach toward the players: that he was trying to instill in them the notion of going out there and having fun, playing for the love of the game, and letting that fuel a looseness that would be much more conducive to winning than tightness and playing "not to lose." I guess it didn't work...

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Second, several of our turnovers were the result not only of our carelessness, but of uncalled fouls.

Yep, I couldn't agree more. I should've made that connection clearer, in that I had both factors cited. I did see some crazy unforced errors, or TOs caused by light "pressure" that normally wouldn't phase us (like a guy closely trailing Perry and/or Frank to disrupt what should've been a simple/sure handoff). But I absolutely agree that a good chunk of the TOs were due to uncalled fouls.

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Third, the refs. I simply cannot understand why year after year the refs get worse.

No argument whatsoever from me. My post makes it pretty clear that these guys stunk to high heaven. They literally and repeatedly injected THEMSELVES into the game, as active participants--both in terms of egregious calls AND baffling non-calls--and therefore took away from the kids on the floor to greatly influence the outcome. The calls at the front end and back end were back-breakers, but most egregiously the stuff at the tail end, because that was just a bald-faced statement (witting or not) that they weren't going to give the favored team a chance to win the game on its merit. (Referring to the Devonte hustle play and dive that fouled him out, as well as the hack job on Frank that forced the key final TO when we still had a shot at winning)

It's truly baffling and unsettling, and maybe it's this way with all fan bases, but it does seem to inordinately cost us more than others on the biggest of stages. I'm not into conspiracy theories, but someone posted on Twitter the identity of one of the refs who made several bad calls against us, and it turns out he hails from Pennsylvania--maybe outside of Philly, can't recall. Who knows? But it leaves us with yet another putrid taste in our mouths...and one step shy of the the road to the promised land (FF/NC berths).

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Fourth, I'd like someone to ask Self why Perry was not directed to the foul line or the 3 point line.

As I read the board in my comatose, dejected state on Monday, I saw that you were one of the only people (if not the only one) consistently raising this pivotal question. For me, it was THE defining variable in the game...because even with the poor shooting, the TOs, the lousy officiating, and what-not, we were within 1-2 buckets in crunch time of taking this thing. 1-2 buckets! While our most prolific scorer was busy being reduced to putting up a scant 5 shots, and all of them in traffic deep in the paint. This is the same guy whose game has absolutely taken off by diversifying into a steady, "money" face-up player on the elbow, key, and perimeter. A guy who has shown an ability to consistently knock down the 15-footer with ease, who hit 44% of his threes this season (and was growing increasingly comfortable there the deeper the season went), and who thrived in space, as opposed to being force-fit into a PF role, back to the basket, trying to out-muscle typically beefier, stronger 4s and 5s at the rim. And YET, we went completely BACK to that role in our execution in this all-the-marbles game. It is just mind-boggling to me...it was at the arena that night, in my discussions with other fans afterwards, and it remains thus today.

In short, I completely share your perspective here, and am also super-curious as to why the tough question hasn't been asked...or if it has, why it hasn't been elaborated on for more knowledgeable fans like those on this board. The only thing I heard was some comment (can't remember if it was an audio piece from the post-game presser or a line in an article) where Self said something to the effect of "they took away our pick and pop out top." I would have to go back and study the game tape to see if that is where he's referring to the negation of Perry's perimeter game, or not. But even if he is, is he not paid the big bucks to figure out effective counter-measures to whatever the opposition is doing to gum up the gears on our attack? I hate to be that critical--he's the Coach, and knows infinitely more about hoops than I do, but I do know that half the battle in any game or sport is realizing that it's not just a set-piece battle...that the enemy will throw wrenches into your plans, and you'd better be able to think on your feet and offset that with effective counter-measures.

As for your closing comments on this:

And I guarantee you that it was entirely Self's decision. So again, why? And considering how difficult it was to get Perry the ball inside of 10 feet, why not? A true mystery. I have my theory, and it is not complimentary to Self.

I'd love to hear your theory...and if it's too controversial for this board, feel free to PM or email me.

I haven't thought about what my "theory" would be, but I do know that Self's noticeable shortening of the bench (example: way too much Jamari and hardly any Bragg, even though we really could've used his deft touch from 10-15 feet, since Perry wasn't scoring from the 4) does hint at Self falling back to false comforts when the light shines brighter. In other words, as the stakes increase, he feels far less inclined to stray from his core beliefs, even though this year his straying from those a bit (pushing Perry out on the perimeter, giving Svi and Bragg more playing time down the stretch, allowing and encouraging more 3-pointers, etc.) is what got us to the Elite 8 in the first place. Along with the bench-shortening thing, the push to have Perry operate exclusively from the blocks also would seem to indicate him falling back to false comforts (he loves that inside game), even though the team was at its most dynamic and efficient state (up through the Sweet 16 game) when Perry was operating outside-in, when Perry and Lucas had far more space to collaborate (e.g., with Perry driving, drawing the D, and dishing to Landen for the dunk), and so forth. Anyway...I'm just shooting from the hip on this, but I'm sure if I thought long and hard enough, I might find some pay dirt here. Again, I'd love to hear your thoughts/theory...and perhaps others would too.

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Fifth, Wright did not do a "better job" of scouting, etc. than our guys. We stopped them, cold. They were terrible on offense, in large part because we shut them down. Yes, they shut us down, but we were more talented, and we never adapted.

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This is probably the one area where I'm inclined to disagree with you, though I admit that it's hard for either of us to prove our position since we don't have access to the scouting that occurred, the amount of time each focused on the E-8 foe (and simulated/practiced for it), the game plans, the adjustments, etc. I can only go by what I saw, and I saw a fluid, well-oiled KU machine completely taken out of sync and rhythm from the opening tip. Yes, the refs played a role, but when you're a top 5 adjO team that averages 81 PPG and you only score 25 in the first half, you have suffered a serious train derailment...and I have to attribute some of that to a solid game plan by Villanova AND bad KU execution AND a seeming inability to adjust and adapt with effective counter-measures. That's why, in that factor I cited, I didn't limit it to just the scouting and game planning, but the in-game COACHING. I hate to say it, but Wright most definitely appeared to me to out-perform Self that night, in as much as the latter didn't adapt to what Wright was throwing at him. (Back to the Ellis issue, as the most glaring example) Villanova disrupted our game more than we disrupted theirs...Self likes to say that the key to winning basketball is to "find your own comfort zone while taking the opponent out of his." Well, congrats to Villanova, because they did a much better job of that against us than we did against them. (At least from my vantage point--again, allowing for not seeing some things on TV that others might have, but seeing some things live that a TV audience might not)

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I have to say one more thing here. I'm trying to just get things off my chest, and in so doing might be coming off to some as "Self-bashing" or implying that I would rather have some other coach at KU than Self. I want to systematically and unequivocally say that that is NOT the case. I love the guy, I believe in him, and I support him as our standard bearer. I just want him to get the credit he truly deserves, and to reach his highest ceiling, because he deserves it AND (of course, the selfish motive) that would mean great things for the KU basketball program, tradition, and relative national standing. The latter is where I always go back to--if anyone is ever looking for what drives me, vis-a-vis KU hoops and sports in general. I love our program, and want it to take a back seat to no one. NO ONE. 'Nuff said on that front, hopefully...
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I'm sorry that my post rejuvenated bad feelings inside yourself (the agitation thing)... I wasn't trying to slow down or reverse the "healing" process that has been alluded to on here. I truly wish I could've thrown in my two cents yesterday, but the wounds were too fresh and I didn't just want to wade in with tactical grenades. I wanted to step back and think a bit more holistically, on several levels.

Thank you as well for all of your work and insights, this season and always. It was a fun ride, and it's just a bloody shame it had to end so abruptly, on the cusp of greatness, when it seemingly didn't have to or shouldn't have (if you, like me, agree that we were the best team in this year's field by the time the tourney got underway).

Here's to next year, indeed...and to making you and I (both solid "realists") optimists again. I'm kind of in "Show Me" mode now, as it pertains to post-season greatness, and am inclined to believe it only when I see it again. To proceed otherwise is to subject oneself to the highest expectations (like those of a week ago, built up over two glorious months), only to have them summarily dashed in an instant in some cavernous arena in March. (Then again, I'm a fan, ultimately, and a passionate lover of the crimson and blue...so I tend to get excited as we progress and improve in a given season, thereby subjecting myself to the same potential pitfalls if it doesn't work out...and it only works out for one team out of 350 or whatever!)

Much obliged on the sentiment for my son. He's well on his way to being just like his Pop when it comes to his fandom...and I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing--though the highs (like the Royals NC last year) are wonderful!

Rock Chalk, amigo...

Great exchange of analyses, gents, one of the reasons I love this board. I actually learn things here.

My very short two cents:

Despite Self's mystifying return to an offensive format that had proved not to be appropriate for the skill sets of the players at his disposal, the game was still winnable if there had been some combination of 1-2 more 3s made or just 3 fewer TOs. The O plan was one factor, the missed 3s and numerous TOs (speaking just of the careless ones here, not the ones induced by fouls that the refs did not call) were the two other main factors in the loss. (I won't speak to the horrible officiating here as I want to focus on the things that KU could influence.)

Free throws really were not the issue in this game. Yes, Nova was 18-19 from the line, and a perfect 8-8 in the last 40 seconds of the game, but they were just 10-11 (compared to KU's 7-11) before then. Credit to them for making the shots, but the *only* reason they had the opportunity was because KU had to foul by then. Some combination of two more made threes and/or three fewer TOs earlier in the game and KU would have been in front and defending, not fouling them trying to catch up, at the end.

Thanks again!

JR, I will concede your point on the missed front ends of the 1&1. Of course making instead of missing those front ends would have helped.

My point was that the huge difference in the final FT #s was solely due to our having to foul in the closing seconds, and if we had done as I noted, those fouls would not have been made. IOW IMO this was not like the 2003 NC game where we were absolutely putrid in FT shooting. This game we were respectable at the line, hence my comment.

So many woulda/coulda/shouldas...

Re: your post being lost due to your session having expired -- when that happens to me I find that if I hit the back arrow the board will return me to my post exactly where I left off, and I just click on Submit again to post it. It has worked every time for me. Please try this next time and let us know if it works for you. Thanks!

Thanks, Corpus...and concur on playing the teams in front of you. I was just making the point that it was a really tough draw--the toughest of any 1 seed. I agree as well on all of the other points.

This recovery period too shall pass...but I must say that, even though part of me could care less how the FF/NC goes down with us now out, having OU or Nova win it all (instead of those other two cloud-covered programs) would take a small bit of the sting off of Saturday night's outcome. But maybe that's just me...

konza63 wrote: This recovery period too shall pass...but I must say that, even though part of me could care less how the FF/NC goes down with us now out, having OU or Nova win it all (instead of those other two cloud-covered programs) would take a small bit of the sting off of Saturday night's outcome. But maybe that's just me...

Speaking for myself, no, it isn't just you.

You didn't ask about the Infamous Sheahon Z, Wheaty?