13 straight or an NCAA title?

Why not be greedy? BOTH!!!

I really enjoy the conference title competition, because it makes every game, every week, meaningful. It also has built very strong rivalries with Baylor, WVU and others trying so hard to dethrone KU.

But ultimately, most people across the country don't care about our streak. Coaches and media folk talk about it and respect it, but I doubt Kentucky, Carolina or Duke fans even know how many years our streak is, nor do they care at all. Do you care whether Duke or Carolina wins the ACC? Or whether UCLA wins the Pac 10? Nope. When the streak ends, it will be forgotten very quickly. NC's live on forever.

Also, I think KU is so intent on winning the conference that player development is sacrificed. If Lucas gets hurt near the end of the season, will Colby or Lightfoot be ready to step in? No way. A seven man rotation to begin conference play? Shouldn't it still be time to bring young players along, rather than sit forever on the bench knowing your season is essentially over? Diallo anyone? It's really my only real beef with Self, which is a pretty small issue in the scheme of things.

The streak wouldn't have mattered much to me half a dozen conference championships ago, but now it's 100% about the streak.

When you realize that in most of our lifetimes, maybe not ever, will this feat be repeated, the streak wins hands down. If we don't succeed, it'll take AT MINIMUM another 13 years to get here. Meanwhile, our program is in the hunt for a NC every year.

Yes, the casual fan will look at total NC's and rate the blueblood programs accordingly. I honestly don't care about the casual fan. People who really follow the sport know that the team who wins the NC isn't always the "best team in the country" and that bad luck dooms many of the contenders early in the one-and-done tournament.

I've said it before: we're witnessing something truly historic happening. To have a program where conference championships outnumber home losses, and where the "impossible" UCLA streak is actually in danger is beyond fathomable.

Of course, if "both" is an option I'd take that too. But if I have to choose one, we've come too far on this journey to say it isn't enormously significant.