I have been so good.
I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, but I have tried to refrain from posting about my favorite sports team ,as I know many of you are NOT sports fans and that is ok.
So if you don’t want to hear my cheering….you can stop reading now. teehehehehe!
This year, our college basketball team was not very deep.
That means we didn’t have many players.
At the beginning of the season, all the ESPN sports announcers pushed the Jayhawks to the back burner and said…. “this is the year this team will go nowhere.”
But like the little engine that could, the Jayhawks kept dribbling away and shooting baskets and ended up winning the Big 12 Conference for the 14th straight year.
Wow!
This is amazing because this year, almost all the Big 12 teams were really, really, really good.
So good that a freshman player from Oklahoma “stole” the show each time ANY basketball team played a game.
He is number 11 and his name is Trae Young…and he is a very good basketball player in spite of his youth.
It became annoying however, that during the commentating of games in which Oklahoma and Trae Young did not play, the ESPN analysts sorta ignored the two teams on the floor and would tout the attributes of Trae Young from Oklahoma.
They referred to any game that Trae Young played in (past and future) as “The Trae Young Show”
They disregarded whatever teams were playing their hearts out and continued to talk about Trae Young and Oklahoma.
All through the game.
All of a sudden, anytime Oklahoma would play basketball, the college arena seats were literally filled with NBA scouts for the professional basketball teams, seeing this new freshman as a recruit that could jump the college basketball scene at the end of the year and go straight to stardom and making big bucks.
The first few games of the season, one could understand the excitement of such an excellent player,……
………but as in all walks of life…there are the unsung heroes.
Such were the Kansas Jayhawks, as well as a few other teams of the Big 12….and the other divisions.
Their names WERE NOT in neon lights, but they kept up the consistency of playing (for the most part) good basketball.
Not Great basketball, but good basketball.
They were like the rabbit and the hare.
They kept on…keeping on…. while the rabbit begin to falter and his star begin to diminish a bit.
In all fairness, it is difficult being the star of college basketball.
So many expectations that most can not live up to.
It gets tiring.
Don’t misunderstand, Trae Young is a very good basketball point guard. (see quote below)
“The most polarizing on-the-court debate in college basketball right now is whether or not Oklahoma freshman phenom Trae Young deserves National Player of the Year. Young was the unequivocal front-runner for the first 10 weeks of the season. But over the past six weeks, his production and efficiency have sloped downward.”
BUT, in spite of all of that…he did not win the most valuable player in his own division.
Devonte Graham, #4, the little point guard for the Kansas Jayhawks did!!!
Pretty good, Devonte Graham… for being in the same Big 12 conference (division) as Trae Young.
“Graham, a second team all-Big 12 selection last season, was a unanimous pick for Big 12 Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches. He becomes the eighth Jayhawk all-time to bring home the honor.”
Remember, this is the team that played the same few players throughout each 40 minute game.
No rest for the weary.
Along with this honor, goes several other trophies for the Kansas trophy case….
The Kansas Jayhawks Coach, shared coach of the year title with Texas Tech AND Jayhawk, Malik Newman #14, was chosen as newcomer of the year.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Svi) #10 and Udoka Azubuike (Dok) #35, were appointed to the all star team, also… Lagerald Vick #2, got honorable mention.
All the above pictures were taken on February 19th…in Lawrence, and the score was Kansas 104 and Oklahoma 74.
The season now goes onto tournaments, let’s hope the Jayhawks continue to do their best….but no matter what happens during March Madness, they all have a special place in my heart.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!!
Have a great and blessed day.
OMG!!! I have been a Kansas Jayhawk fan for as long as I can remember! My mom is a die hard fan and I followed in her footsteps. I have been able to sit in Allen Fieldhouse a few times and it is truly an unexplainable feeling. I would be there for every game if I could afford it! I live just 3 hours west of Lawrence, KS. Last year I was able to attend the Big 12 tournament in KC. WOW, it was amazing. I love hearing from a fellow Jayhawk fan!
Oh Jenny, you are a girl after my own heart. If you don’t mind my asking…how far west are you?
I was born and raised in Salina and when living in KC, I had season tickets for not only the Royals and Chiefs, but my favorite Jayhawks. Needless to say, we always went to watch the Jayhawks when they played at Kemper AND later when they played at Sprint Center.
There is no other feeling at any other arena than at Allen Fieldhouse! The atmosphere is amazing. I have lived in Dallas, Seattle and Albuquerque and nothing comes close.
I have loved the Jayhawks since way before Danny and the Miracles…back when Wilt Chamberlain and many others whose jerseys hang in the rafters at the Phog.
We will cheer the Jayhawks on as long as I have breath to do so.
I have lots of pics on my Pinterest and Instagram pages of the Jayhawks over the years.
Thanks for stopping by.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
I love stories like this! Congratulations to Jayhawks.
Commentators in any sport get on my last nerve. (I’ll use that term instead of the word hate😁.) You would think they were all #1 in that sport before becoming a commentator.
I love basketball. I was raised in Kentucky where basketball is king. My brother played in high school and college. It’s the only sport I really understand. I look forward to March Madness every year. My teams from Kentucky may not be there this year but my Florida team, FSU might get there.
I always enjoy your blog.
Thanks Nancy….I do love my Jayhawks and luckily all my family are fans also. However, in the case of basketball, two of my grand kids went to college at the “competing” team, Kansas State (K State)…their colors are purple and white as Kansas (KU) have royal blue and white. I only say that because we all dress in our team’s colors while watching the games. We are all that “into” college basketball. 🙂
You have been fortunate in the past to have really great basketball teams. Coach Calipari always does a good job coaching. We have good friends down here who wear the same royal blue for Kentucky as Kansas, but the logos are reversed so we wear KU and they wear UK! So fun.
Thanks for commenting.