Invoice Self was employed at Kansas on April 21, 2003.
Which implies it took 7,957 days — till Saturday, particularly — for the Jayhawks to hit the low level of his Corridor of Fame profession.
On condition that it is Kansas and Invoice Self we’re speaking about right here, even the low factors are nonetheless fairly excessive. Most packages can solely want for his or her darkest moments to look as comparatively vibrant as Kansas’ worst days. Be mindful the 15-6 Jayhawks are effectively on their approach to the NCAA Event for a thirty fifth consecutive time. Slotted No. 11 within the AP Prime 25 this week, they will nonetheless simply be ranked when the polls refresh Monday. Plus, KU remains to be cozily prime 15 in a number of predictive metrics.
However Saturday proved for good that this group is not a 2025 Massive 12 contender and, past that, it appears destined to do one thing subsequent month that we have not seen in additional than 4 many years. Extra on that in a minute.
First, let’s get into Saturday’s debacle at Baylor. The Jayhawks fell 81-70 to an unranked Bears group that was with out start line guard Jeremy Roach, then misplaced probably top-10 decide VJ Edgecombe to a left ankle harm early within the second half. Earlier than that, Kansas was up 21 factors.
It proceeded to blow its largest lead in a loss in class historical past. That is greater than 100 years of Kansas hoops.
I can not consider a Self-coached group truly vomited away that sport. On a Saturday crammed with outrageous finishes and season-altering outcomes, Kansas getting tidal-waved by Baylor is as significant a consequence as any.
Within the closing 21 minutes of gameplay, BU outscored KU 64-32. Kansas turned the primary ranked group in 15 years to lose by double digits after holding a halftime lead of a minimum of 15 factors. With out Roach and Edgecombe, Baylor’s Robert Wright III, a freshman, noticed a possibility to have his breakout second. He scored 20 of his 24 after halftime, serving to BU with a number of second-half double-digit runs.
Why could not Kansas shut him down and, in flip, win the sport?
On Kansas’ finish, Hunter Dickinson put up 20 factors (he continues to be KU’s greatest participant, comfortably), whereas a hobbled Dajuan Harris Jr. was sport to offer it an excellent effort, however 12 factors, eight assists (and three turnovers) weren’t sufficient. Reverse Dickinson was BU massive Norchad Omier, who stuffed the stat sheet with 18 factors and 16 rebounds.
Oddly, KU freshman Flory Bidunga, who began over ordinary starter KJ Adams (on his approach again from harm as effectively), logged simply quarter-hour. His absence within the second half unquestionably performed a job in Baylor’s historic surge. Why did not Self place confidence in Bidunga?
The Bears are 16-4, with a 6-4 report within the Massive 12 and might need discovered new life for the again half of the league slate.
Kansas? It is on a path to disappointment, the likes of which it hasn’t skilled in 40-plus years.
Self’s group has had quite a lot of angsty video games this season. Earlier this week, in opposition to middling UCF, they flirted with their first back-to-back house losses because the late Eighties earlier than successful 91-87. Every week in the past, Kansas discovered a approach to blow two almost un-blowable leads in regulation and additional time earlier than falling 92-86 at house to Houston in double OT. Earlier this season, it was taken out in surprising trend at house by West Virginia. Sixteen days later, it was routed 74-57 at Iowa State.
Battle for the Massive 12
The highest of the Massive 12 standings after Saturday’s video games.
With a 6-4 report alongside Baylor and BYU, Kansas is fifth within the Massive 12 race — the identical place it completed in 2024. It is a program that made ending first in one of the best league within the sport so routine (and in record-setting trend), it was onerous to not take it without any consideration.
This is the brand new path Kansas seems to be strolling: KU hasn’t gone back-to-back years ending past the highest two of the Massive 12 since 1987-88 and 1988-89. That appears a near-lock. However past that, the final time it completed exterior the highest THREE in consecutive seasons? That was in 1981-82 and 1982-83 (ending a stretch of 5 consecutive seasons exterior the highest three within the Massive Eight).
Actually, from 2001-2023, Kansas completed top-three within the Massive 12 yearly, with a top-two end in each season besides 2018-19 (third). Kansas followers should really feel shellshocked for the time being.
The Jayhawks have been a mediocre group from 3 usually below Self (not rating anyplace close to the highest 10 since 2017-18) and this yr is extra of the identical. KU is hitting 34% of its photographs from past the arc. The switch portal additions of Zeke Mayo, Rylen Griffen and AJ Storr have collectively fallen effectively in need of expectations, and it is mixed with a tangible lack of verve between Dickinson, Adams and Harris that has KU on this limbo the place the group is way from unhealthy, but it surely’s additionally not an inspiring watch.
For those who return a dozen years, Self has a declare as one of the best coach within the sport. Maybe can tweak Kansas out of its funk … however this additionally looks like his largest problem in 20-plus years main the Jayhawks. For as nice as Self is, I’ve doubts this group will determine it out, as a result of it appears like — though the issues are completely different — the boundaries to entry for elite standing this season have related vibes to what plagued Kansas most of final season.
That group, like this one, was ranked preseason No. 1.
Final yr’s group barely bought out of the primary spherical earlier than dropping to Gonzaga within the second. Is an identical March destiny awaiting? Amazingly, a preseason No. 1 KU group has by no means made the Candy 16.
Even the best packages face down durations. For many, meaning lacking the NCAA Event or worse. (Check out North Carolina this season or what Louisville was the previous two years.) For Kansas, it means the horror of not being one of the best, or the second greatest, and even the third greatest group within the convention you’ve got owned for many years.
At Kansas, the usual is completely different than actually each different program within the sport.
Can this group begin enjoying prefer it?