Well, that was painful. Moving on.
Collegehoophits.com will be on a hiatus for about a week or so while we wash away the angst on a Caribbean beach with lots of umbrella drinks.
Rock Chalk Jayhawks!
With us every step of the way. Thank you for a great season. #RockChalk pic.twitter.com/wAvcZJ3H6q
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) March 27, 2016
Although its hurts real bad we fell short, no one can take away what we did.. I truly love my brothers #RockChalk pic.twitter.com/kvrYrYUcPv
— 1 (@WayneSeldenJr) March 27, 2016
All-America honors continue for Perry Ellis with Monday's NABC selectionhttps://t.co/8ipo3pwvyR #kubball pic.twitter.com/Md8Z1b8BLo
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) March 28, 2016
Perry Ellis named to 10-man @WoodenAward All-American Team: https://t.co/QTZ8gQxwCa #kubball #RockChalk pic.twitter.com/QhRKOd9j4I
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) March 29, 2016
I have grown so much as a player/person my 4 years here! Fell short but it was a honor to have KANSAS across my chest! Thank you everyone!
— Perry Ellis (@PElliz) March 27, 2016
So much love for the seniors and everyone on this team.. Going to miss competing with this group of guys the most.. Sad it had to end...
— Landen A. Lucas (@LandenLucas33) March 27, 2016
“These kids are tough,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We may not play well, but nobody can say they’re not tough.”
This was a fantastic season in most ways for Kansas. It won the best Big 12 ever by two games, plus the conference tournament. It went 33-5, and there is no shame in losing to Villanova, particularly in the Elite Eight. But being at Kansas means any season that ends in a loss is a disappointment, especially a loss before the Final Four.
Every disappointment needs somewhere for the blame to go, so there will be talk of Ellis playing his worst game of the season in his last game at Kansas, and questions about why the Jayhawks played so tight for so long, or about some questionable calls by the officials. At the final buzzer, Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend screamed at a referee, appearing to say, “You were awful tonight!”
Bill Self has now won just two of eight regional finals, the game he calls the toughest of the tournament — the difference between a good season, and a special one.
This is a different kind of loss. Three years ago, it was Elijah Johnson’s meltdown against Michigan. Two years ago, it was Andrew Wiggins scoring just four points against Stanford. Last year, it was a roster-wide backdown against Wichita State.
This time, KU just got beat. Some of it they did to themselves with decisions that were too slow, and adjustments that were too late. But Villanova earned this, too.
“It hurts because I’m proud of our seniors and whatnot,” Lucas said. “But it’s a different feeling than the last couple years.”
This particular group of Jayhawks did not have the depth of talent of the 2008 team, or the star power of the 2012 team, but they pushed themselves to the doorstep of the Final Four because they were relentlessly effective. They were made up of complementary parts, each man knowing exactly what was needed in both the big picture and the moment.
This was not the prototype of a powerhouse, however. Bill Self talked often of how the makeup of his roster left a smaller margin for error than some of his best teams, and it had been so long since they’d lost — 61 days, actually — that it was easy to forget what he meant.
“Coaches probably know better than anybody what teams’ ceilings are, and these kids played pretty close to it the last couple of months,” Self said. “I don’t know if this particular group could have a special year without getting to (the Final Four), but nobody can say these kids didn’t have a great year.
“They battled hard and almost always rose to the occasion when they needed to. Tonight, we played a team that was scrappy also, and they made a couple more plays.”
KC Star Mellinger
Switching on the post game radio show to get my final fill of Bob Davis' dynamic and dedicated voice. Thx for the decades Bob. Your the best
— Wayne Simien Jr. (@waynesimien) March 27, 2016
Do not look for Cheick to return to KU for a soph season.
— Gary Bedore (@GaryBedore) March 28, 2016
Kansas University freshman forward Cheick Diallo’s mentor told coach Bill Self today that the 6-foot-9 Mali native would declare for the 2016 NBA Draft.
“I spoke with Tidiane (Drame, mentor of Diallo) today. He informed me Cheick plans to declare at this time and not hire an agent,” Self told the Journal-World. “This certainly comes as no surprise,” Self added.
Self had no further comment.
Sources tell the Journal-World that Diallo is expected to stay in the draft.
Self said he had not spoken with Diallo and did not know when he would speak with various players about their future plans.
“I’ve got to go to Houston for the Final Four,” Self said. “I don’t know if anything will be done in the next few days.”
LJW
NBA Draft/Early Entry Guidelines for 2016
“Pay Heed. The game you love began here. Respect those who came before you. Make their legacy your own. Because destiny favors the dedicated. And rings don’t replace work. In this game you don’t get what you want. You get what you earn. We are Kansas. Together we rise. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!”
BIG 12/COLLEGE NEWS
Find out the tournament history for specific seeds, teams, coaches or conferences.
NCAA Tournament Brackets and History interactive tool
CBS Interactive Tool: Pick two teams to compare record, RPI and SOS details head to head. By default, the top two teams in RPI are shown.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology/team-comparison
NCAA stats
RECRUITING
#Kansas #Jayhawks commit Udoka Azubuike is currently attempting to tear rim down each trip fown floor on dunks #KU
— Scott Burgess (@scottybscout) March 28, 2016
@TimUdoka pic.twitter.com/3kVR8wFgO0
— Carltun Brag (@CarltunBrag) March 29, 2016
@SLAMonline @McDAAG Udoka Azubuike is now forever -Big Punisher- for how hard he dunks the ball.
— Leigh Klein (@leighalanklein) March 28, 2016
Congrats to @j_josh11 on being named to our @amfam ALL-USA first team. READ: https://t.co/aCzHtPTveu
— Jason Jordan (@JayJayUSATODAY) March 29, 2016
Josh Jackson monster dunk over Nancy Mulkey. She's 6'9. pic.twitter.com/pbEa0L7V2E
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) March 29, 2016
Josh Jackson (@j_josh11) with the rim hanger for a perfect 70 ... https://t.co/QxYvGUDBgY
— Chip Miller (@BLUEChip_Miller) March 29, 2016
This was first of 6 straight days of #HSBB coverage on ESPN networks https://t.co/KBAzrOkSVk
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) March 29, 2016
Top basketball recruit and Michigan State target Josh Jackson told Rivals.com in a Sunday evening interview that he knows his college choice, but he also said he probably won’t announce it this week.
“It’s probably gonna be later on,” Jackson told the recruiting site during an interview from Chicago, where he is taking part in McDonald’s All-American Game festivities this week.
And it was supposed to happen Thursday, Jackson said – which coincides with heavy rumors on recruiting sites that night that he was about to announce. But he said there were some “family members and close friends” who couldn’t be with him, so he held off.
Those rumors also had Jackson picking Kansas that night, over finalists MSU and Arizona. But Jackson isn’t tipping his hand right now.
He told Rivals.com that, of the three head coaches, he probably has the closest relationship with Arizona’s Sean Miller. He said he was impressed on his official visit to Kansas.
“It was the loudest gym I’ve ever been in, in my entire life,” he said of Allen Fieldhouse. “And I was just the whole time thinking, ‘Man, I’d hate to be the opposing team right now, but I would love to be playing for Kansas right now.’ Just one major thing is their fans, their fans are amazing, probably the best fans in college basketball. And the coach, coach (Bill) Self, he’s a great coach. He coaches players really hard, pushes them, makes them better.”
And MSU? Jackson – a 6-foot-7 wing ranked the No. 1 prospect in the nation by some services – wasn’t asked by Rivals.com specifically about the Spartans. But when asked which other McDonald’s All-Americans are recruiting him hardest to join them, he was quick to answer.
“Definitely Miles,” Jackson said of MSU signee Miles Bridges. “By far. By far. Daily, constant.”
Bridges, of Flint and now Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, has long been friends with Jackson, who is from Detroit and is now a senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif.
Jackson and MSU signee Joshua Langford will play for the West team during Wednesday’s McDonald’s All-American Game (9 p.m., ESPN), and Bridges will be on the East team.
Lansing State Journal
TERRANCE. FERGUSON. #McDAAG pic.twitter.com/ZxAfRjYxN7
— ESPNU (@ESPNU) March 29, 2016
Terrance Ferguson (@the2kferguson) with the oh my gosh flush ... https://t.co/B38PZCQf92
— Chip Miller (@BLUEChip_Miller) March 29, 2016
Recruiting Calendar (updated for 2016)
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