The Kansas basketball season ended in Saturday’s Final Four battle. The media immediately focused on future for several Jayhawk players.
The fabulous Kansas basketball season ended Saturday night in San Antonio. The Jayhawks ran into a hot shooting Big East opponent and could not recreate the type of play we saw throughout the month of March. Before the players had time to shower, the media wanted decisions on their future plans.
If you’ve watch a postgame press briefing, you know many media members ask amazingly stupid questions. Coaches and players usually smile and try to politely answer. Throughout the season, lazy reporters never just ask about the game a team just won or lost.
They instantly ask about the game ahead. A coach or player attempting to enjoy the thrill of victory or clear their minds after a loss for more than just sixty seconds, have to instantly turn their attention to the next opponent. I’ve watched coaches angrily respond to those kinds of questions with “Let us enjoy this for a moment or can’t you see how difficult this was, give us a moment.” There is always time before the next game to answer those questions.
We saw the same thing in the Jayhawks postgame locker room Saturday night. Everyone is in a hurry to know what Udoka Azubuike, Malik Newman or Lagerald Vick might do. Young men following one of the most difficult losses of the season were forced to respond to questions about their future. I felt badly for the Jayhawks who just played the final time with this outstanding group. I felt worse when they were hounded immediately about a decision on their pro careers.
Living at McCarthy Hall is nice
Next: Jayhawk fans must have Blue Blood Dominance T-shirt
I hope Azubuike, Newman and Vick all return. The NBA drafts on potential. Dok and Vick have plenty of potential but the eighteen-year-old, 7-footer and the Memphis junior will benefit from another season under Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. Living at McCarthy Hall, the dorm for Kansas basketball players, isn’t that bad is it?
Over the past month, Newman certainly has shown he is NBA ready. On the other hand, he saw what Devonte Graham and Frank Mason did by staying a little longer in Lawrence. There is no hurry. The media and the NBA aren’t going anywhere.