Our Biggest Game Since 2012
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On the eve of the Kansas vs. Duke Elite 8 game I find myself contemplating the last time I felt the level of excitement that I have for tomorrow’s contest. Was it last year for the Elite 8 matchup with Oregon when we had player of the year Frank Mason and were playing in front of essentially a home crowd? Was it the Elite 8 tangle with Villanova when Perry Ellis was potentially going to play his final game of his incredible four year career? While the Oregon and Villanova games the last two years were games where we were one step away from the Final 4 something still felt missing leading up to these contests and I think I have figured a few things out tonight as I soak in what this team has accomplished before tomorrow’s game is even played.
The biggest game that Kansas basketball has played in recent memory was the 2012 title game vs. Kentucky. This pretty much goes without saying. Since then we have had epic games at Rupp Arena, buzzer beaters at Madison Square Garden and heroic comebacks at Allen Fieldhouse. We have won more Big 12 titles and had players named All Americans. We have rattled off numerous 30 win seasons and collected a slew of #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. Over the last 5 years we have all enjoyed watching brilliant basketball played by our beloved Jayhawks but tomorrow’s game will be the marquee game we have all dreamed of since Tyshawn and T Rob clashed with Anthony Davis and MKG.
A trip to the Final Four was on the line last year and it was on the line the year before but tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow is against Duke. The Duke who is coached by the winningest coach in history. The Duke who has the most Final 4’s and National Titles of any team since UCLA’s dominance in the 70’s. The Duke who beat Kansas in the '86 Final Four and the '91 Title game. The Duke that everyone is saying we can’t beat!!! Duke has been the golden standard of college basketball for nearly 30 years and if you take off your crimson colored glasses it is tough to admit for all of us. Myself very much included.
Tomorrow is Kansas vs. Duke for the Final Four. It doesn’t get any bigger than this at the college level and I expect our Jayhawks to rise to the level that this game deserves. Guards win in March and man do we have some guards!! Four amazing guards come to mind and one in particular. Devonte Graham has not looked himself yet in the NCAA tournament but I have a feeling that this will change at 4 p.m. CST Sunday, March 25. I fully expect a career performance from our stalwart who will play every single minute. And why not? This is the brightest the lights will ever be for Devonte and the team he leads and it is his time to achieve greatness.
Tomorrow is an epic clash with Duke.
Tomorrow is the biggest game we have played in 6 years.
Tomorrow is the premier game of the entire season in college basketball thus far.
Tomorrow is when we punch our ticket to the Final Four and take another step towards a Rock Chalk Championship.
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LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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This why people come to Kansas my friends. Dook vs Kansas for a trip to college basketballs biggest stage.
