Good win for a number of reasons

Agree with everything you said, NotO.

And it's interesting that the TT post-game tunnel photo stood out to you, because it really did for me too. So much so that I flagged it and posted it on Facebook with a simple comment (knowing that many on there don't follow hoops in detail but might appreciate the captured moment):

"The Coach and his court leader on their way to the locker room after securing the championship.

This simple photo speaks volumes. So much hard work. So much rapport and trust. So much love and respect."

I find your comments spot on, and smiled in knowing that you, too, zoned in on it out of the thousands of pictures taken in a given season. To me it's the definitive shot of the year, this team, and Devonte's entire, amazing run at KU.

Incidentally, I closed my FB post with the following:

"You could replicate this shot for 14 straight years around this time on the calendar, with the players changing but the Hall of Fame coach remaining the constant.

#RCJHKU14"

I couldn't agree more on Vick. It's truly baffling.

Sometimes the lack of simple court IQ is telling, and it can even affect the otherwise seemingly sound players. A case in point that I saw yesterday: Marcus Garrett was positioned between the right block and wing (if one is looking at the basket) on a KU offensive possession. Someone (probably Vick since it was a miss, lol) chucked up a three from the far left wing. The ball caromed off the right side toward the baseline corner. Garrett just stood in his spot and never made an effort to go for the rebound. But even worse was what I saw next. The ball literally bounced long and was rebounded in the extreme baseline corner by an OSU player, who wound up facing out of bounds for a second as he corralled the ball.

My question is this: What does Basketball 101 tell you you should do on a long shot like that and a ball that flies to the deep corner baseline in the hands of the defense (for a changeover in possession)? For me, it's a no-brainer. It's an obvious quick-trap situation, even if you're not in a press defense. It's on the rebound, so he should've been flying for it anyway. But then he compounded the mistake by not even making a hint of an effort (he literally didn't even move in the direction of the ball or the OSU player). That is the worst position on the court for a ball-handler, and the optimal position for a defender, because just going into defense there creates the equivalent of THREE defenders on one ball-handler (with the sideline and baseline creating two defenders - because paths are cut off and there is no place to go - and the player becoming the third). Garrett instead just let it go passively, without even thinking of the alternative (which was most disappointing for me), then simply turned around and ran up the court. He conceded a change of possession to OSU that could've easily been challenged to KU's favor.

Anyway, not to pick on Garrett, but sometimes you see things like this. And this is from someone who tends to *try* to look for positives instead of negatives in our players' performances.