Kansas coach Invoice Self wasn’t too optimistic about his staff’s March Insanity possibilities over the past a part of the season.
Within the minutes after No. 4 Kansas misplaced 89-68 to No. 5 Gonzaga within the second spherical of the NCAA event on Saturday, Self admitted that he’d been eager about the 2024-25 season for some time.
“I feel for the final month I’ve been eager about subsequent season to be sincere,” Self mentioned when he was requested about when his consideration would flip to the longer term. “Not within the moments through the sport however clearly we performed — we had eight guys on scholarship that have been wholesome there late, and accidents are a part of the sport in order that’s not an excuse, however we might have accomplished a a lot better job as a workers of placing extra guys on the market that we might play.”
“And in order that’s one thing that I’ve thought of for a very long time. And the factor about it’s in basketball, early on you possibly can play some issues. However the course of a season, there’s a grind that goes with it and our bodies get run down, accidents happen, that’s all a part of it. And whenever you don’t have as a lot firepower that perhaps you’ve had in previous years it definitely confirmed this yr.”
Kansas performed its NCAA event video games with out main scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. The senior performed in simply six video games for the reason that finish of January as he’s been coping with a bone bruise in his knee.
Each McCullar and Hunter Dickinson missed the Large 12 event, too. The Jayhawks misplaced 72-52 to Cincinnati with each their stars on the sideline.
However even with McCullar on the ground, Kansas would have wanted lots to go its solution to make one other nationwide title run. Kansas began the season at No. 1 within the AP Prime 25 after McCullar got here again for one more season and Dickinson transferred from Michigan. However it turned clear throughout convention play that this was not a critical nationwide title contender.
Kansas completed sixth within the Large 12 and went 10-8 in convention play after dropping three of its remaining 4 regular-season video games earlier than the loss to Cincinnati. Kansas by no means put collectively a three-game win streak throughout Large 12 play and was 2-7 on the highway.
KU mentioned earlier than the NCAA event that it hoped McCullar can be out there, however oddsmakers weren’t bought on that risk mattering an excessive amount of. Kansas was +4000 — or 40-1 — to win the nationwide title after the bracket was revealed. The Jayhawks formally entered the event as a protracted shot, and Saturday confirmed why.
Kansas’ scorching 3-point capturing saved it within the sport within the first half earlier than it went chilly within the second half because the staff’s porous protection continued. Gonzaga abused Kansas on repeated excessive pick-and-rolls and persistently acquired open photographs behind the arc or close to the basket. After main by one at halftime, Kansas was outscored 46-24 within the second half.