@Gunman
Playing two very good teams in 3 days will put a sweat on any team. But KU played SOME TOUGH TWO GAME SETS, like WVU AND KSU, right? And in regular season you have to play in the other team’s crib, which you don’t have to do in the Carney.
The appearance of differing seeding paths and whistles appearing more difficult than regular season seem factors also. More asymmetry in seeding paths and whistles might lower one teams stats some, and raise another’s, but I haven’t read evidence of such.
But I don’t see any conspiracies in basketball, unless and until (if ever) proven by the authorities in court. Conspiracy theories appear intel memes for suckers.
So what is there to see? Maybe some entertainment value bias, since Coach Barry Hinson reportedly mentioned some once. And maybe an appearance of rent-a-teams, since Coach Bo Ryan reputedly referred to one team as such.