KU Basketball News: Jayhawks in simulation championship, Danny Manning rules
By Joel Wagler
The KU basketball season came to an abrupt, premature end this season through no fault of the team’s when the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments shut down.
It was a bitter disappointment to players, coaches, and fans alike as the Kansas Jayhawks were rated number one in the country in both the AP and Coaches polls.
CBS has treated fans quarantined at home with replays of classic games tournament games for the past few weekends and as you would expect, Kansas basketball teams were featured prominently in these classics.
Despite the lack of actual live games, there have been some exciting goings-on around the internet this week.
KU Basketball News: Jayhawks to play in simulated National Championship game vs. Lousiville Cardinals
One simulation out there being promoted by a twitter account called 2020 NCAA Tournament Simulation had Kansas beating Villanova, 81-80, avenging one of Kansas’ three losses.
Kansas is headed to the National Championship!
— 32 Analytics (@32_Analytics) April 4, 2020
After a Kansas missed shot, Bey makes a three to give Nova the lead 80-79. With 8.1 seconds left, Dotson drives the lane and his layup is good! Kansas wins 81-80! Kansas will play for the National Championship on Monday night! pic.twitter.com/4xKNzcably
Louisville beat Gonzaga Gonzaga in the other semi-final simulated game, setting up the KU basketball team to play the Cardinals on Monday night.
Sports Illustrated’s Pat Fords also had the Jayhawks in the National Championship game and beating Gonzaga to take home the title.
KU Basketball News: Danny Manning named a top all-time March Madness player by Sporting News
The Sporting News compiled a list of the top 68 March Madness players since the tournament expanded its brackets for the 1985 tournament.
It is no surprise to see Danny Manning ranked at number two, behind only Christian Laettner. Manning played in two Final Fours, winning it all in 1988, leading “Danny and the Miracles” to victory. In the win, Manning scored 31 points and pulled down 18 rebounds. In 16 career NCAA Tournament games, he scored 328 points.
Frank Mason also made this list, sliding in at number 66. Missing from the list were Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison, both of whom played in two Final Fours and 16 total tourney games. If they had won a championship in either of those seasons, they both would have made this impressive list.
KU Basketball News: Bill Self congratulates mentor Eddie Sutton on Hall of Fame election
Bill Self and several other current and former Big 12 coaches joined together to congratulate Eddie Sutton on his election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Sutton is ninth all-time in wins with 806, including 368 at Self’s alma-mater, Oklahoma State.
How good of a coach was Eddie Sutton? Ask his fellow coaches.#LetsWork I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/IKtXvJ0q8H
— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) April 4, 2020
If you get a chance to see the Kansas basketball game against Oklahoma in the National Championship game in 1988, it is a fun game to watch. Hopefully, CBS will air it again at some point.
Next. Greatest scorers in KU Basketball history. dark
March and early April haven’t been as exciting as most KU basketball fans expected, and there is no way to know what may have happened if the Jayhawks had played in the tournament this year. That is extremely disappointing, but focus now on what looks to be a great group of players gearing up for next season.