The roller coaster Kansas basketball season has come to an end at the hands of an embarrassing 89-68 loss to Gonzaga. From preseason No. 1 to a 10-8 conference record and final record of 23-11. This team, at its best, beat two No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 seed. At its worst, they showed that this team lacked a lot of things that we need to be a true title contender.
From a lack of athleticism, lack of shooting, poor point guard play, no depth, no 3-point threats, and a big man that can't defend the pick and roll all proved to be too much.
The first half saw KU come out and shoot lights out, going 7-for-11 from deep and going back and forth with a Gonzaga team that has now gone to nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances. The problems still persisted as Gonzaga could get whatever shot they wanted off the pick and roll as they shredded us.
Going into the half, KU was up 44-43, and you felt that we would figure out the pick and roll and find a way to win. That was not the case. We went cold from deep and finished 2-from-11 from deep in the second half. The problem remained as Gonzaga could get whatever shot they wanted and went unconscious from deep, going 8-for-15 on the game.
The reality is this team didn't have enough to make a legitimate run, and with Kevin McCullar not playing, the already slim margin for error was none. Onto the next year.
Bill Self needs to be a warrior on the recruiting path and must take a new look at what we need. Shooters, athletes, and 3-point threats should be at the top of his list. For a guy who loves defense, he needs to realize if you can't score, you can't win. This team was flawed, and with many of the same key players coming back, we could have a flawed roster again next year.
Kansas Basketball Player Ratings vs. Gonzaga
Tier 1: Big Jays
None. Losing in the Round of 32 by 21 points provicdes no players the Big Jay status.