Kansas Jayhawks: Remembering Big 12 Titles From Bill Self Era
Kansas Jayhawks forward Landen Lucas (33) Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2011-2012 Season
Many people doubted Bill Self because he lost so many players. Everybody was saying that this is finally the year that Self and the Jayhawks don’t take the Big 12 crown.
So how does Self respond?
Not only does he prove the critics wrong and win another Big 12 title, he makes it to the national championship game. Just to rub their noses in it.
This team had lost Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed, and Mario Little to graduation. Along with them, the Jayhawks lost the Morris twins and Josh Selby to the NBA draft.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still bitter about Selby’s decision.
That Mizzou game was an adrenaline-pumping frenzy. I’m not sure how many decibels were rocking out of Allen Fieldhouse when Tyshawn Taylor hit his free throws in the end of overtime to put KU ahead.
To counter all of the talent that they lost, Bill Self recruited shooting guard Ben McLemore, point guard Naadir Tharpe, power forward Jamari Traylor, and small forward Mervyn Lindsay. Self also had power forward Kevin Young transfer from Loyola Marymount University.
The NCAA deemed McLemore and Traylor ineligible for the season but they could still practice with the team.
This team didn’t seem as though they’d be as talented as years past. Sure, Thomas Robinson developed into an animal under the basket, but I didn’t think they had the all-around talent to win another Big 12 championship.
This season would also mark that last time that we would see the Border Showdown between KU and Missouri. The Jayhawks would lose to Mizzou at the Mizzou Arena but defeat them in Allen Fieldhouse.
That Mizzou game was an adrenaline-pumping frenzy. I’m not sure how many decibels were rocking out of Allen Fieldhouse when Tyshawn Taylor hit his free throws in the end of overtime to put KU ahead.
It probably wasn’t comparable to Arrowhead, but it was loud.
Along with that loss to Mizzou, the Jayhawks only lost one other game in conference play and won their eighth straight conference championship with a conference play record of 16-2.
They didn’t fare as well in the Big 12 tournament, losing to Baylor in the second round. Mizzou would go on to win the tournament.
That loss to Baylor lit a fire for the Jayhawks. They were hungry for another NCAA championship and came so close to it.
In the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, I remember watching Jeff Withey take Ohio State star Jared Sullinger completely out of the game. In the pre-game analyses, people were saying that Sullinger was the one that could propel Ohio State to the championship. Withey held him in check. He would go on to set an NCAA tournament record in blocked shots with seven.
They would go on to make it all the way to the NCAA championship.
Unfortunately, they would lose to Anthony Davis (with his uni-brow) and the Kentucky Wildcats 59-67.
The Jayhawks would finish with a total record of 32-7, their fourth season of 30+ wins in 5 seasons.
Thomas Robinson gained first team All-American honors.
By this point, you would think the “experts” would stop doubting Bill Self’s coaching ability. I mean, the guy had won eight consecutive conference championships and didn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
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