When Kansas bought arguably the No. 1 switch within the portal in Hunter Dickinson this previous offseason, it was clearly a nationwide title favourite and was rightfully the No. 1 workforce within the USA TODAY Sports activities preseason coaches ballot.
The consequence? Certainly one of Invoice Self’s worst seasons teaching the Jayhawks.
A promising begin to the season was met with with a disappointing finish, as accidents and easily being outplayed resulted in an 8-9 file to complete the season and a second-round exit within the NCAA Match after the Jayhawks bought thumped by Gonzaga.
Kansas appeared removed from the workforce it was anticipated to be when it hit its downfall started in late January, and it bought to the purpose the place there have been some video games you knew Kansas wasn’t going to win earlier than tip-off. Ultimately, the 11 losses this season are most Self has had in his 21 seasons on the helm, and given the dismal end to this marketing campaign, the highest-paid males’s basketball coach within the nation admitted after the loss to the Bulldogs he was already achieved with this yr.
“For the final month, I’ve been fascinated with subsequent season to be sincere,” Self mentioned.
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At the very least he wasn’t the one person who already wrote off the Jayhawks. The disappointing finish to the season highlights the winners and losers from day one of many second spherical, the place workforce will survive the primary weekend and advance to the Candy 16 subsequent week.
WINNERS
North Carolina State
Seven wins in 12 days.
NC State remains to be alive after it beat Oakland in an time beyond regulation thriller to proceed its magical postseason journey. The Wolfpack did not let event star Jack Gohlke beat them, holding the sharpshooter to 6-of-17 taking pictures from 3-point land due to fixed switching on protection.
With one event star gone, the nation ought to give its full consideration to huge man DJ Burns Jr. A significant catalyst to NC State’s postseason run, Burns was a menace to the Golden Grizzlies protection with 24 factors, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Give Kevin Keatts credit score for what he is been capable of orchestrate when there was a really actual probability he may’ve misplaced his job as soon as the season was over. Now, the Wolfpack are giving its followers a run similar to its 1983 workforce.
Gonzaga’s second half
There aren’t many groups within the nation that would survive what Gonzaga did within the second half on Friday, it simply occurred to be Kansas that was the sufferer.
The Bulldogs offense was unstoppable when it went on a outstanding 32-4 run to open the second half whereas it made its first 5 3-pointers of the half to place the sport out of attain earlier than Kansas may blink. The sport bought to rubbish time early and it damage Gonzaga’s general second half stats, but it surely completed the ultimate 20 minutes 16-for-24 (66.7%) and 5-for-6 (83.3%) from 3-point land. Gonzaga outscored Kansas 46-24 within the second half.
Gonzaga is a superb taking pictures workforce, coming into Saturday second in Division I in field-goal share at 51.6%, however even it must be impressed with what it did in opposition to Kansas. If the Bulldogs proceed to shoot lights out, it may make what could be its most spectacular Remaining 4 run but.
Rick Barnes
Possibly that is the yr Rick Barnes does it.
It had all of the makings of a being an upset loss, however Barnes’ workforce confirmed resiliency when it fended off an upset-minded Texas to maneuver Tennessee again into the Candy 16. The offense did not look nice, however when the buckets aren’t stepping into, good groups make changes and do not collapse. As an alternative, the Volunteers weathered the storm and held off the late rally from the Longhorns.
Tennessee ought to be feeling good as a result of the secret is survive and advance. It survived, and it has a while to regroup earlier than it performs within the Candy 16. After proving his workforce can come out on prime even when taking part in poorly, Barnes is in prime place to get the Volunteers to the Elite Eight for the primary time in his tenure, and presumably get to that elusive Remaining 4.
LOSERS
Upsets
To this point, no underdog has been capable of pull via within the second spherical,.
The one higher-seeded workforce to win on Saturday was Gonzaga, but it surely was the betting favourite in opposition to Kansas, so it would not really matter. Dayton, Michigan State, Washington State, Duquesne and Texas have been all outmatched of their defeats, and Oakland fell simply wanting changing into the primary No. 14 seed since 1997 to make it to the Candy 16.
This yr’s first spherical was thrilling with eight double-digit seeds advancing, but it surely hasn’t carried over into the second spherical − but.
Everybody on Oregon not named Jermaine Couisnard or N’Faly Dante
Oregon was so near changing into the second No. 11 seed to advance to the Candy 16 this event, but it surely fell simply brief in double time beyond regulation. You may’t blame Jermaine Couisnard or N’Faly Dante, however you may blame everybody else.
The Oregon duo left all of it on the courtroom for the Geese, as they scored 37 of Oregon’s final 39 factors within the loss. In complete, they scored 60 of Oregon’s 73 factors, together with Dante’s career-high 28 level recreation to go along with 20 rebounds.
The place was everybody else?
Oregon wanted not less than one different participant to step as much as get the upset, however as a substitute the remainder of the workforce scored 13 factors on 6-for-24 (25%) taking pictures, and three gamers did not even rating. Jackson Shelstad was injured in the course of the closing stretch so you may’t fault him late, however Couisnard and Dante could not have achieved anymore to drag of the upset. It is a disgrace their teammates could not step up.