Kansas' string of 11 straight Big 12 titles is suddenly in real jeopardy
Kansas is now 5-3 in the Big 12 through eight games for the first time ever under Bill Self. That suggests the Jayhawks' string of 11 straight Big 12 titles is in danger of being snapped.
By
Gary Parrish
•
3 min read
Bill Self's run of 11 consecutive Big 12 regular-season championships is remarkable and well-documented and unlikely to ever be matched by a Power 5 coach again.
Also worth noting: it's rarely been on the verge of being snapped more than it is now.
Don't believe me?
Here's a look at Kansas' record through eight league games the past 11 seasons:
- 2005: 8-0
- 2006: 6-2
- 2007: 6-2
- 2008: 7-1
- 2009: 8-0
- 2010: 8-0
- 2011: 7-1
- 2012: 7-1
- 2013: 7-1
- 2014: 7-1
- 2015: 7-1
As you can see, during this 11-year run of trophy-stacking, the Jayhawks have been 8-0 through eight Big 12 games three times, 7-1 through eight Big 12 games six times, and 6-2 through eight Big 12 games two times. So Monday night's loss at Iowa State, by definition, put the Jayhawks in a spot they've never been in under Self. They're now 5-3 in the league through eight Big 12 games, a game back in the loss column of Oklahoma, West Virginia and Baylor. And they still have road games at Oklahoma and Baylor. Which means unless Kansas really turns it on -- and/or unless Oklahoma, at the very least, falls a part a little -- then it's difficult to envision the Jayhawks winning a 12th straight Big 12 title.
The current KenPom projections have Kansas finishing 11-7 in the Big 12 this season.
According to the projections, that would be three games worse than Oklahoma.
According to the projections, that would put KU in a three-way tie for third.
"We haven't played with a lot of poise away from home," Self said late Monday, after his Jayhawks dropped to 1-3 in Big 12 road games this season. "The things you have to do away from home, I don't think we're very good at doing them yet."
That's a fair assessment, I think.
But KU's biggest issue doesn't appear to be how well it does or does not play away from Allen Fieldhouse. The biggest issue, or at least one of the biggest issues, it seems, is that the Jayhawks are mostly operating without pro talent -- proof being how DraftExpress.com doesn't project a single starter to go in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft.
Cheick Diallo is a projected first-round pick.
But he barely plays.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is a projected first-round pick.
But he barely plays.
Meantime, the starting backcourt is solid but far from amazing. Frank Mason was ranked 119th in the Class of 2013, according to 247Sports. He does not project as an NBA player. Devonte Graham was ranked 100th in the Class of 2014, according to 247Sports. He does not project as an NBA player. So it's not like KU has a massive talent advantage over the Big 12's other top programs, at least as it pertains to the players Self uses most. And though that's not exactly unprecedented, it is uncommon. In fact, if DraftExpress.com's projections prove true, and KU's starting lineup doesn't change, this will be the first time Self has ever coached a team at Kansas with zero starters who went on to be first-round picks.
That's worth noting.
To be clear, it's still January, and anybody counting out a Self-coached team in January is silly bordering on stupid. So don't get it twisted. That's not the point of this column. The point of this column is simply to highlight that Self has never been this deep in the Big 12 loss column at this point in the season, and he's never had a less-talented starting lineup at Kansas, either. And those two things are probably related, don't you think?
Either way, this incredible run of Big 12 titles is very much in jeopardy.
That's undeniable.
The Jayhawks are 5-3 in the Big 12 for the first time ever under Bill Self.
They could turn it around and finish on top, I suppose.
But, according to the projections, that isn't the likely scenario.
