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KU Basketball: Fear and Talent Should Eventually Get KU to Final Four

By trevb

Mar 25, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the second half against the Oregon Ducks in the finals of the Midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the second half against the Oregon Ducks in the finals of the Midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bill Self and KU basketball will eventually crack the Elite Eight blues and get to their third Final Four together. What will get them there might be a contribution of their past and present.

Bill Self is a great coach. There is no denying that. Being an eventual Hall of Fame coach means you have definitely been doing something right. Self, however, lacks a great postseason resumé to go with his illustrious Big 12 titles, and it’s what keeps a heavy cloud of doubt over his head.

Again this year Self will be watching the Final Four games at home.

What he needs to silence the doubters is to win another title. People will not stop doubting him until he does, and his best way to do it is just to get to the Elite Eight. Yep, his best bet to get another title is just to get to the round of the tournament that has sent him packing so many times.

Why should Self’s goal every postseason be to get to the round that his wronged him so many times? That’s easy… The answer is fear. Fear should finally be a reckoning that rings in his ears and stings like a lingering headache.

With two straight losses in the Elite Eight for Self, it would completely appall me if he extends that streak to three. It would be a disappointment that his returning players, like Devonte’ Graham, should fear facing.

Just like being the team that finally loses the Big 12 Conference title, fear should motivate the team to be afraid of falling in the regional finals. It may be the only way that Self breaks his losing streak in the Elite Eight.

Of course you can not just get to a Final Four simply on fear, it requires a bit of talent, too. With next season’s roster, the Jayhawks are back in contention for a deep tournament run.

The Talent

More from KC Kingdom

  • Devonte’ Graham returns – Although he was constantly overshadowed by the leader of the team, Devonte’ Graham will finally get his chance to lead the squad at Kansas.
  • Udoka Azubuike returns – After a season ending wrist injury, Udoka Azubuike played a healthy set of minutes. In those minutes he was monster down low with monster blocks.
  • Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk returns – Svi was kind of stuck in the mix last season, but he will add on to his stellar performance from the previous season.
  • Carlton Bragg Jr. returns – Carlton Bragg has not lived up to his recruiting hype, but let’s see if he makes that change next season.
  • Dwight Coleby returns – Dwight Coleby was impeded by injury similar to Azubuike, but he still played well and played crucial minutes.
  • Lagerald Vick returns – An offensive solution when the offense would falter, Lagerald Vick was a clutch player for the Jayhawks, though his time to lead most likely is a season away.
  • Mitch Lightfoot returns – Lightfoot barely saw any playing time during the season, but when he did he honestly reminded me of Jeff Withey with his shot blocking.
  • Malik Newman joins – Malik Newman is an impressive transfer. In his first season at Mississippi State, Newman turned heads, and now he slipped into a spot on the KU roster.
  • Billy Preston joins – A five-star recruit sets himself to the Kansas program, as a forward Preston could make an immediate impact for his probable one and done season.
  • Marcus Garrett joins – Marcus Garrett is another promising point guard recruit who should see time later in his career. Remember when KU had point guard problems? Problem solved.

When Will Bill Self Crack the Elite Eight Once Again?

Next season will be the season to get to the Final Four if there was one. Then again, nothing is guaranteed. I hope the disappointment of KU basketball‘s loss to Oregon motivates this team next season. Though if they do make it to the Elite Eight once again, I do not see them losing three straight.

So, hopefully Self figures it out for this Jayhawk team. It has been almost a decade since KU Basketball’s last title.

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