Contemplations of note as AY2023-24 begins…

Now that the NCAA case is finally over and we’ve (more or less) shaken off the dust from that kerfuffle, here are some things I find of interest heading into the new season…

BILL SELF
•25 KU wins this time around ties him with Phog Allen at 590 wins
•28 wins gives him 800 wins for his entire career.
•35 wins and he will be the first coach to ever win 600 games at KU.

KANSAS MEN’S BASKETBALL
•6 more wins than UK this season will put KU back on top as the all time winningest program (ATWP) for D1 Men’s basketball program.
•Winning the Big 12 this season would give KANSAS 21 of the 28 regular season titles in conference history.
•Winning the Big 12 Tournament would give KANSAS 12 of the 27 tournament titles in conference history (remember COVID-19 axed the 2020 tournament).
•KUMBB’s 5th NCAA title (7th NC) is the final objective for the AY2023-24 team.

OTHER COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOTES

•Last season UCLA passed Temple for 5th place on the All-Time Winningest Programs list, and under Mick Cronin looks to continue its success. With its historical NCAA tournament success and its entry into the top 5 ATWP – despite not starting to play men's hoops until 1920 -- relative newcomer UCLA appears to me to be solidly and undeniably a “Blue Blood Program” up there with KU, UK, UNC and Duke.

•Furthermore, UCLA is one of three (3) programs looking to enter the 2000 Wins stratosphere this season --
14 wins get ATWP #5 UCLA there
23 wins for #6 Temple
27 wins for #7 Syracuse (hoping to re-enter that stratosphere after their 2015 run-in with the NCAA)

•St John’s has been in something of a decline ever since the 1992 retirement of Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca. Currently still at #9 (1922 wins) on the ATWP list, the hiring of Rick Pitino and his reworking of almost the entire roster from last season promises to make them a team to watch in AY2023-24.

•Indiana (1913 wins) and Arizona (1912 wins) will be battling all year – even if they never play each other – for 10th place on the ATWP list.

•Defending National Champion UConn (1800 wins) hopes for another great season and the chance to end up in 24th place on the ATWP list after catching and passing Princeton (1806 wins) this season. Of course, with great success and Michigan State (1811) not doing so well, they could move up to #23, but 11 games are awfully hard to make up in one season.

What are you looking forward to?

Good stuff as always, HawkE...

As for your closing question, what I'm most looking forward to this season is to see if KU can break its rather infamous historical streak of failing to close the deal whenever it's been ranked #1 in the preseason men's basketball poll.

Per the stalwart longtime KU media analyst, Gary Bedore: In addition to this pre-season, the Jayhawks have been ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll entering the 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2018-19 seasons. Kansas was also No. 1 in the first poll of the 1956-57 season, but preseason polls did not begin until 1961-62.

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article280595169.html#storylink=cpy

In doing my own quick research into how each of those seasons turned out, the sad fact is that KU was not only unable to secure a national championship at the end of those seasons, but flamed out early in each of the tournaments:

2004-05: Bounced in first game of NCAA tournament (Bucknell)
2009-10: Bounced in second game of NCAA tournament (Northern Iowa)
2018-19: Bounced in second game of NCAA tournament (Auburn)

Barring major injuries or other unforeseeable calamities, something tells me this year will be different for our beloved Hawks. The question is can we not just do better than we did the other times, but go the distance and win it all? Fingers crossed...