Jayhawks Rise Over This Year’s March Madness Lunacy

March Madness this year has been even more maddening than usual. I knew someday a team seeded sixteenth would win against a team seeded number one, but I assumed such a fluke would be close. Virginia’s twenty-point loss to the University of Maryland – Baltimore County (UMBC) completely surprised me. I expected Roy Williams to cast his usual spell during halftime and have North Carolina be competitive in the second half of their game against Texas A&M. Instead, they were fortunate to lose by only twenty-one points. Wichita State’s performance was also disappointing. After consistently being poorly positioned in the brackets, the Shockers went to a more prestigious conference, got seeded appropriately, and were eliminated in the first round. Loyola-Chicago of the Missouri Valley Conference - Wichita State's former conference - meanwhile will be playing in the Final Four after embarrassing Kansas State in their Elite Eight game.

The final game of the Elite Eight, though, was the best game of the tournament so far. Although fans of both schools thought the referees made some dubious calls, in the end, the officiating did not decide the game. Kansas and Duke fought a classic bout. Malik Newman had not played up to my expectations most of the season. In the post-season and particularly in this game, he was the difference, scoring all the Jayhawks’ points in overtime. For the first time for an entire game, this squad played as a team and looked deserving of being seeded first in the Midwest bracket.

In celebration of the 120-year history of Kansas basketball, nearly two hundred former KU players were honored February 3. The alumni endured the unthinkable - watching the current Jayhawks lose their third game of the season at Allen Fieldhouse. Two more blowout losses subsequently happened on the road before the Big XII Tournament. Questions were asked if this team was worthy of being called Jayhawks. The answer is yes. If the Jayhawks continue to play with the intensity and confidence they showed against the Blue Devils; they should win the national championship. Rock Chalk!