I'm actually relieved...

This season has been like watching something die. I'm glad it's over. Although the announcer jinx at the 3 minute mark (Self hasn't lost in the 1st round in 18 years) was absolutely perfectly fitting. As were Mr. Dickensons scoreless and turnover laden last few minutes.

And that's my short theme here. While I'm sad to see Harris and KJ go and will miss them, and am also sad we didn't get more Mayo, I'm actually thrilled that the Dickenson era is over.

Self put all of his eggs in the Hunter basket and it didn't pan out. I remember before he showed up, he was bragging about how he and Harris were going to connect on SO MANY alley oops. I think he dunked 3 times...maybe 4 in his 2 years? This was a failed experiement.

Sometimes they talk about a guy who does things that don't show up in the box score. Usually it's a good thing...good defense, changing shots, setting picks, setting up the other guys on the team...all good things that give a guy lots of playing time even if they aren't filling the stat sheet.

DIckenson is the exact opposite. The stat sheet shows points and rebounds, but it DOESN'T show his slow feet, lack of defense, lack of leadership, poor attitude, plodding gait, missed bunnies, or general apathy. He might score 20 in a game, but the stat sheet doesn't clearly indicate that it could have been 30 if he didn't take ill-advised 3's or put up weak baby hooks rather than dunks. He may grab a dozen rebounds, but the stat sheet doesn't show how many times the guy he was assigned to got his share because he didn't put a body on him.

While there were other issues with this team, the team was built around a bad core. And now that core is gone and I'm relieved we can move on.

Good Riddance to a lousy basketball team!

I know I found this team hard to watch. I have no doubt HCBS was not happy with a lot of things they did. The team still did make the NCAA tournament so it may be lousy for KU standards it was still an above average MCBB team.

Hairy,

Just my opinion. KU is held to a different standard. When the University, Coaches, Players and fans accept making the NCAAT and being above average and not exceptional, decay follows. Kansas Basketball should not lower its standards, I doubt HCBS is doing so, and trust next year will better.

I don't think the NC is a good "standard" as I think there are just too many variables involved. But I agree that "making the tournamet" is akin to "wearing your uniform right side out" when it comes to minimal expectations for KU. The expansion of the Big 12 will certainly make it more difficult to win the conference as we have in the past, but there should never be a season where we are out of the hunt this early. And if we're good enough not to be eliminated from the conference race until the last 2 or 3 games of the seasosn, that means we should also be a contender in the Big 12 tourney. In that case, we should also be a 4 seed or better as we have been, which means that the real "expectation" most years is the sweet 16.

Nevertheless, this year, the expectations were blown to hell by February, so yesterday's loss was on brand for this team. But not for this program.

So it's less about "making" the tournament and more about:
>KU should never fall out of the top 25
>KU should win 20+ games every year
>KU shoulld never lose more than 2x at home in any season or more than 3x over 2 seasons
>KU should be a top 5 seed or better in the NCAA tournament
>KU should survive the first weekend of the NCAA tournament

To me, that's the standard we have come to expect. Falling below that is underperforming and a disappointment. We aren't Coppin State. We have our pick of top recruits. No excuses.

Not O - spot on. I am a bit greedy, so my expectation is we expect the FF…. You are definitely more realistic.