Kansas Basketball: Reasons to be thankful in 2018
By Mike Norris
Kansas basketball usually give its fans plenty to be thankful for, and this year is no exception. Off to a 3-0 start and number two national ranking, the Jayhawks are once again a Final Four candidate and their fans are once again counting their blessings.
As head coach Bill Self and his Jayhawks prepare to take on the Marquette Golden Eagles tonight in the NIT Tip Off at the Barclays Center, dreams of a 16th Final Four and fourth NCAA Championship are already on the minds of Kansas basketball fans everywhere.
It’s a bit of a quandary to root for one of the best college basketball teams of all time when ending the past three seasons in the Elite 8 twice and Final Four once is considered a disappointment. Fan bases for 98 percent of the more than 300-plus Division I teams would probably take a decade of despair if it meant having the three-year stretch Self and the boys just had.
But for Kansas, it leaves a bit to be desired.
Sure, 31 wins, a 14th straight Big 12 regular season title, a conference tournament title, and a Final Four appearance with a team that wasn’t one of Self’s best was fine for most Jayhawks fans, but when you have the second-most wins all-time and “only” two national titles since 1952, anything short still leaves the season feeling a bit empty.
Boo hoo say the Clemson Tigers and Davidson Wildcats of the world, but winning is so ingrained in the minds of folks in Lawrence that watching anyone else hoist the national title trophy in April is like Norm Stewart having to spend a dollar in the state of Kansas.
But Kansas fans, don’t put pressure on yourselves just yet. Duke is ranked number one, has the top-three recruits from last season and is squarely the favorite to win it all right now. Let the media fawn over them. For now, just relax as Self begins to mold this team — once again full of new faces — into a championship contender come March.
And to help you do so, here are a few things to be thankful for as a KU basketball fan.