Kansas Basketball could have tough time turning things around

After an embarrassing blowout loss in the NCAA Tournament, the future of Kansas basketball seems bleak. 

Defeating the Eastern Washington Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Tournament feels like a lifetime ago for the Kansas Jayhawks. After that victory, they faced the USC Trojans in the second round and had the doors blown off of them, falling 85-51, the largest loss for KU in the tournament under Bill Self.

This was a bizarre season for the Jayhawks. The team wasn’t the dominant force they typically are, even falling out of the top 25 at one point during the course of the season. They were honestly probably overseeded in March Madness and it showed considering how easily they were pushed around by USC.

Defense, especially guarding against shots beyond the arc, was a big reason why the Jayhawks got destroyed in this game and that’s something KU needs to improve on. USC made 61 percent of their three-point shots (11 of 18) against the Jayhawks.

For the season, Kansas ranked 172nd in the country in three-point percentage allowed. That is something the Jayhawks need to improve going into next season.

Unfortunately for Kansas basketball, the future is a big ol’ question mark right now.

Fixing the defensive issues normally wouldn’t be a big issue for Bill Self or the Jayhawks. After all, Kansas has notoriously landed some of the top recruits in the country and those guys typically come in and make an immediate impact.

Fans obviously hope that can remain the case, but that’s where things get dicey for KU.

With the program under investigation by the NCAA, recruiting is going to be difficult for Kansas. Players might opt to stay away from the university in fear of KU eventually getting banned from tournament play.

The investigation has already proved to affect recruiting, which is exactly why they were put in the situation they found themselves in on Monday (getting blown out by a No. 6 seed). Until Kansas receives its penalty or the case is thrown out in arbitration, finding the kind of talent the program is used to landing could prove difficult.

Right now, Kansas’ case is being investigated by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process and once their investigation is complete and they’ve made a binding ruling, head coach Bill Self can move the program forward, one way or another.

Kansas had one of its worst teams in the Self-era and still came in second in the Big 12, earned a No. 3 seed in the tournament, and won a tournament game. That’s a pretty big accomplishment for this group of players, but unfortunately, it ended on a sour note.

KU fans normally can take solace in the fact that the team will fix what ailed them the season prior and make a run the following year, but until the cloud of the NCAA investigation clears, we might be looking at some lean years for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Hopefully, Monday’s loss isn’t an indictment of what’s to come for this group and they can continue to prosper.