Money next year
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Despite not sleeping well, I'm more sanguine (or at least neutral) about all of this. The ball bounces your way sometimes and bounces the other team's way sometimes.
I recall those FF years and the 2 championship runs and there was always a place where you can find moment in the game where you can say-- if that call goes the other way or the ball didn't drop at that moment... Self's legacy looks markedly different. We have never had a team that was so dominant that we didn't need a little luck to get to the FF or NC.
Also, we've been a juggernaut: In the tournament EVERY year and a historic run of B12 championships.
The consistent success made it seem like we should have even more success in the tourney. Easy to forget how difficult and rare it is to get a National Championship. (...I will be grateful, not spoiled...)
Only nine schools have won the title since 2004.
UConn (2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024)
Florida (2006, 2007, 2025)
North Carolina (2005, 2009, 2017)
Kansas (2008, 2022)
Villanova (2016, 2018)
Duke (2010, 2015)
Kentucky (2012)
Louisville (2013)*
Baylor (2021)
Virginia (2019)We all want more, but there are schools that have had a lot of success in the last 20+ years not on that list (Purdue, Gonzaga...)
On the PAY FOR PLAY topic, I'll just say that it was necessary and appropriate to pay players. It was also predictable that it would be bumpy, especially with the NCAA's track record of poorly establishing governance that drives the right behavior and also poor track record of consistent oversight and enforcement.
Final point: Performance & Payment.
As a fan, focused on the 40 minutes that we watch on TV, it's hard to remember that player performance goes beyond what we see on court — beyond the stats.
We already know that there are aspects to the game that are beyond analytics, despite trying to count EVERYTHING.
But performance includes many things that we don't see and cannot be captured by analytics. These contributions to a program and to a team should still go into compensation consideration.
For instance, did the player show up to all the workouts? All the practices? Were they engaged in community services with the team and good stewards of the university? Did they do something stupid to damage the program's reputation? Were they disruptive or disrespectful?
When they do all the 'invisible' things right, we tend to ignore them as though they didn't count. But, those expectations are certainly there. And these 'employees' are mostly between the age of 18-23.
I'm disappointed by the loss but I am trying to keep things in perspective.
It was a good group of guys and a good coach. Coach probably did a phenomenal job this year in unique and tough circumstances with DP's situation/injuries.
It was a bad way to lose but the comeback (which shouldn't have been necessary) was still pretty heroic.
Rock Chalk!
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@BeddieKU23 this is Self’s biggest issue imo and why we struggle to get any depth. He picks his typical 7 players and rides with them regardless of what happens. We have seen it kill chemistry and development with this new era of college sports. I have said literally dozens of times thru out the season Kohl, Mbiya and Dawson should be playing more. I think without question had Kohl and Dawson gotten Mari and Elmarkos minutes several games they would have developed clearly being the better players of the bunch.
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@bskeet that’s not a bad take on perspective but I’m sure a lot of folks in Nebraska had a similar take in the early 2000s. Yes Coach Self was once great but that time has unfortunately passed. I’m very grateful for Selfs time here and what he has done. That being said I hope retires at this point, he is only damaging his legacy and this program. Kansas hadn’t had 3 11 or more loss seasons in a row under Brown, Williams or Self til the last 3 years. It’s literally the worst this program has been in my lifetime. If we do nothing to change it, it will continue. I will bet anyone any amount of money I have right now that if Coach is back next season we will once again lose 11 or more games, not win the conference and be sent home in the first weekend of the tournament. 6 of 7 years isn’t the exception, it is the rule at this point.
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@benshawks08 said in Money next year:
"His production (DP) was nothing compared to about 5-10 of the other top freshmen. And they didn't command the $3 million that DP did. That's a big concern.
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When I put on my tinfoil hat and get cynical (or is it pragmatic?), I convince myself that it's all about the B1G and the SEC, with east coast and Duke bias sprinkled in for ratings. That's where the money is. The engine is running and well-fueled (football) and good luck stopping or slowing it.
SWEET 16 since conference realignment:
2025: DUKE + 7 SEC and 4 B1G =12
2026: DUKE + 2 Big East teams. 6 B1G teams. 4 SEC teams = 13.Big12, allegedly the best conference all year gets 3 teams to the s16. Now maybe they all get to the Final Four, but right now, it doesn't look good.
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@BigBad I've always had a bit of an addictive personality. Dive headfirst into something (golf, bowling, whatever it may be), go like a bat out of hell for a while and then burn out.
KU basketball has been, by far, my longest and most intense addiction but I'm done. It's not worth the emotional investment to watch minor league ball as you say
America! Where you have the right to be wrong.
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@nuleafjhawk world cup is going to be here soon. We could talk about that?
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world cup!!!!
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@approxinfinity what's a world cup? A large drinking vessel?
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@nuleafjhawk seriously we should find some obscure sports that make no money and those who play it do it for the love and we should invest an unhealthy amount of our speculating on it. KU Baseball and volleyball are my nominations, but I could be convinced to go weirder and more obscure.
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Maybe we can start off not giving hundreds of millions to a football program to win 5 games a year or stop getting top 5 recruits for a WBB program that can’t even make the tournament?
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@kjayhawks2.0 as Approxinfinity said, In today's college game(s), it's all about the efficient allocation of resources!
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@approxinfinity that's a great idea!
