Nice BB Wrap-up
 

Apologies in advanced for the jacked up tables. Here's the link: http://uponfurtherreview.kansascity.com/?q=node/800

KU: 2009 is sooooo yesterday!

A 60-55 lead with 3:10 left deteriorated into to 60-63 deficit (0-8 anti-run) and the rest is history. So, ends the somewhat unlikely 27-win season for the Jayhawks. I doubt if many expected 27 victories (I predicted 24) or coming this close to the Elite Eight. Still, once you get near, you hate to see it end. Even so, who believed we would have beaten Louisville anyway? Not me.

The upside for yours truly is that I am correct on all eight of my Elite Eight picks in the office bracket. There are 36 of us, so that would be a nice little bonus for having to watch a grinding slo-mo 60-60 type game – the kind I hate - especially when KU loses.

I posted this table before, but this is the ultimate time for it.

Shown below are the eight teams in history who lost 4 or 5 players to the NBA draft, their record the year after and their finish in the tournament. Only one team went farther in the tournament and KU was the best of the three teams that lost five players to the draft. I’m not sure if NC has five “draftable” players or not, but perhaps they can continue the streak of three straight years (an amazing stat!).

1991
UNLV 4 26-2 Probation
1996 Kentucky 4 35-5 NCAA Runner-up
1999 Duke 4 29-5 Sweet 16
2001 Arizona 4 24-10 Sweet 16
2005 N Carolina 4 24-9 Round of 32
2006 Connecticut 5 17-14 No tournament
2007 Florida 5 24-12 No tournament
2008 Kansas 5 27-8 Sweet 16

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Also, if you are feeling a little down, one thing that took the sting out of it for me was with seconds to go, the announcer’s words… “Kansas – The Defending National Champions”. Even though KU is showering for the last time this season, we’re still NCs for at least another 10 days and nobody else is! Besides, having an NC to fall back onto will last me a few years.

There isn’t much to say about this game except I applaud Michigan State. The mistakes Kansas made were not made because KU didn’t play hard or smart (well, except for the insane MkThrees). KU looked ragged and they got beat for one reason only – Michigan State’s defense. They play T-O-U-G-H and I admire it. It aint pretty, but if it wins, whose to criticize?

Of course, statistically, the low hanging (rotten) fruit was 19 turnovers (SC with 6) and Michigan State’s 16-17 from the line. What’s even worse is that their only miss became an offensive rebound and, ultimately, a score. Those two things killed KU and eliminated a 13 point first half Jayhawk lead. Normally, I would be upset by losing a lead of that size (ie Missouri 14), but not in this case. If KU would have been able to extend it to 15 by halftime instead of letting it get to seven in the last couple minutes, they may have been able to keep the up-tempo alive. As it was, Michigan State stayed close enough to dictate the pace. That’s what won it for them and lost it for us. End of story.

KU’s free throw percentage ended at 72.506% (11-13 tonight) which is #4 all-time. Their opponents ended at 72.598% (#2 all-time). Incredibly enough, that difference probably cost KU a chance to get Cardinalized on Sunday.

Kansas did end the season with a 41-game home court winning streak and 74 straight games where they kept their opponents under 50%. (MSU 39%). Those are great streaks and give the team something to work with next season.

There is a lot to say about 2010 and I’ll put together a post on that in the next day or so. But, suffice it to say, if Collins and Aldrich stay and with the incoming class, they have a great shot at challenging for the title – something that was unrealistic this season.

Rock Chalk Ti Gers Go M U

Rock Chalk Soo Ners Go O U

Here's to a Big 12 National Championship two years in a row.



Here are the Points Scored and the Efficiency Rating for each KU player in the game. Also shown is their final season scoring and season efficiency average.

For a better explanation of EFF click here.

EFF=[(Pts + Reb + Ast + Blk + Stl)–(Miss FG + Miss FT + TO)]

Sorted by EFF Pts EFF PPG EFF/G
Aldrich So C 17 29 14.9 23.9
Collins Jr G 20 14 18.9 15.1
Taylor Fr G 8 7 9.7 9.3
Morningstar So G 6 6 6.5 8.7
Little Jr G 2 3 4.7 6.3
Morris-Mk Fr C 2 3 4.6 7.2
Morris-Mc Fr F 4 2 7.4 8.8
Reed So G 3 1 6.5 5.7
Appleton Jr G 0.8 0.6
Bechard Sr G 0.1 -0.3
Buford So G 0.4 0.5
Juenemann Fr G 0.0 -0.4
Kleinmann Sr C 0.4 0.8
Releford Fr G 2.8 2.5
Teahan So G 0.7 0.9
Thomas Fr F 1.6 2.3