Update on the league race - ISU is eliminated

While there's still 1 game tonight to finish up round 13 (KSU @ OSU) that won't change things much.

As I mentioned, ISU is officially eliminated, 6 games back with only 5 left. Texas and TCU each have 5 losses, so they're next up and on the ropes.

KU owns the best road record with 5 wins. Nobody else has more than 3 road wins, and half the league has sub .500 road records. KSU could go to 4-2 if they win tonight.

Tech is the only team with an undefeated home record. We play there on the 24th. OU is 5-1 at home, but should be 4-2 if it weren't for Hack-a-Dok.

Realistically it's a 3 horse race now that OU has lost its 7th game. Here's the next 3 games and my take on things (Corpus and Asteroid will give better predictions, of course):

>KU: WVU, OU, @Tech
>Tech: @Baylor, @OSU, KU
>WVU: @KU, @Baylor, ISU

Ok, so we're running the gauntlet. If we win these 3 games, we'll at the very least be tied for 1st and could hold it all alone. Of course, we're playing the #1, #3, and #4 teams in the league.

I'd say Tech has (slightly) the easiest road. @Baylor (4-2 at home) won't be a layup, but they should win. @OSU (3-3 at home) is the easiest game. I have a feeling that their fans will show up if we're playing them for the regular season league title.

WVU: middle schedule. @KU is tough, and @Baylor is the same opponent Tech plays on Saturday. If Tech wins Saturday, WVU will be their "bounceback" game. Hosting ISU...with ISU eliminated, ISU is basically either a.) done and throwing in the towel, or b.) hoping to somehow score some "signature wins" to get them back into the tourney. As much as I hope for "b" I think it's going to be "a".

Best case scenario: KU wins out (duh) but also gets some help from Baylor.

I think ISU will still play as well as they can but that does not mean they have enough to beat WVU.

I think that they'll think they're trying as hard as possible, but I also think that you need to be playing for "something" to dig deep and really grind in a lot of cases. It's the difference between sacrificing your body diving for a loose ball vs. reaching for it an missing. Floor burns vs. "I couldn't have gotten to it anyway." There's giving it 100% and then there's giving it 100%, AND clawing and scratching for survival which very occasionally results in winning the otherwise unwinnable game.

Being out of the race, that "something" needs to be redefined, which is difficult to do. Playing for Big 12 tourney seeding? Maybe. Playing for a spot in the NCAA? They're saying that ship has sailed (unless they win the conf tourney).

I guess the fact that I can't find anything other than "pride" as a motivator for a team in their shoes disqualifies me as a coach.

Goes without saying, last night was huge. Esp looking at Devonte's shooting (and FTs), that could have ended poorly and put us in a very bad spot in the race. Going into the game and seeing what ISU did to Tech, OU and WVU up there had me watching the game through my hands. But 2nd half it had that same feel when they took over the game late at WVU.

Malik's 3 was huge no doubt esp with the missing of the front-ends.

I'm resigned to the fact that this might be the year - happy though we keep the 20-wins and tourney streak alive.

Rock Chalk!

www2.kusports.com/news/2018/feb/14/tom-k...ce-heading-home-str/

Thanks Port - I think Keegan is foolhardy to omit the at OSU game for both TT & KU. Since 2012-13, even though KU has either won outright or tied (2012-13 with KSU) for Big 12 title, they have lost to OSU at least once every year except 2016-17. Of course both TT & OSU have beaten KU in Lawrence this year. IMHO, KU will need help from someone (both Baylor and WVU would be nice).