“Jayhawks searching to get back on track”

Benton Smith has an article in the LJW about how the Jayhawks are searching for how to get back on track. That article struck me as being a bit irresponsible and fueling unwarranted dissatisfaction with this group of players. It has taken me 19 games and endless hours or analysis to finally come to grips with the fact that this team IS on track. We, as fans, just don’t like the track. From a purely objective cool and collected analytical point of view, there has never been a point in time this season that the Jayhawks have given any indication that they are anything other than a very nice team that could come together and maybe break into the top 20 if they really gelled but more likely are a 30th-40th type team. Smith opens his article with “ A top-five team a little more than a month ago, before they lost their way,”. Garbage!!! They were ranked in the AP Poll in the top 5, that is true. But they were NEVER a top 5 team. Never! We were benefitting from the carry over of being the best team in the country last season and being Kansas, a blue blood. This team, from the tip-off against Gonzaga has played like a top 30-40 team. We have strung together some nice wins like West Virginia and Texas Tech. We beat a pathetic, 80th ranked Kentucky by 3. We beat a 27th ranked Creighton by 1. But we are 4-5 against teams in the top 25 of the DPPI. While it is certainly disappointing that we have a team that is this relatively mediocre. It is certainly frustrating, I agree. But my point is, do not put the onus on these young men to live up to the lofty expectations of the last 35+ years of elite excellence. If they can manage to win 11 games in the Big 12 that would, in my opinion and based on the objective analysis, be an actual overachievement. If you feel the need to “blame” someone for this team being so far below KU standards, then perhaps look to those who built and developed this team. Otherwise, you can join me is adjusting your expectation for this particular group of young men and root for a bit of realistic and measured overachievement. It is better to seek the light than curse the darkness.

Well stated, Corpus. It think starting in the Top 5 b/c of the carryover from last year and being a blue, which history over the last x number of years says that a carryover into the Top 5 would prove the prognosticators correct. This is just a different year as far as the talent level goes for our KU team. What does the data say about this team vs. the '18-'19 team...the one that had freshman Quentin Grimes and seemed to under achieve (not sure if that should be one word or two. )