Where were the KU fans?

I'm with you, Porthawk, on your comment that "it's just been a tad different this year" (and the overall sentiments expressed by Murph and the others).

Something has been off almost from the jump with this team, and (just as importantly) the team-fandom bond that we always come to expect, enjoy, and relish every year. Speaking just for me, but I'm hearing it too from others, that bond just did not seal this year the way it normally does.

I think that, for me, it started with the FBI trial. As dribs and drabs were first coming out of that, I vociferously defended Bill Self and the program, telling my fellow family members (nephews, others - all KU fans) not to worry, that Bill Self ran a very clean program, that he was ethically a very solid person, and that we'd be alright. That reaction on my part could've been any of us, based on our 2-decade-plus following of (and admiring virtual relationship with) Coach Self. But then the transcripts of the phone conversations started coming out. Cringe-worthy conversations. Then all the reporting. The Preston angle. The DeSousa angle. Just all of it. There's something very deep, personal, and subconscious that happened for me when, after investing so emotionally in Self's integrity and that of our program, and putting my own rep on the line to defend him so stridently, all of that stuff started coming out. Like an "innocence lost" kind of thing. (Not that I'm naive, but what dripped out there was very problematic)

And then later, the NCAA aspect, and the fact that we're now under the microscope - which brought even more complicated emotions, because of that heinous organization's double standard toward the other blue bloods versus how it treats us. (Not to mention the reality, which we all know, that if KU is up to shady shenanigans - which hasn't been proven, but could be thus - it's a certainty that so are all the other top programs).

Anyway, all of that left an incredibly dark cloud hanging over the bulk of the season. And then, on top of that, we had lost our upperclassmen that we all grew so attached to. We were down to a very young team, but I was still onboard and hopeful. (Albeit with the off-court cloud hanging over it) And yet, by December, speaking just for me, I could tell intuitively that this team would require some incredible luck and good fortune to win the league, much less advance past the Sweet 16 come tourney time. All the reasons for that have been covered on this board, but one I don't hear much is very simple. Self speaks often about basketball being a very simple game: you put the ball in the hoop, and you stop the other team from doing so. Well, we simply, frankly, don't have the talent to do the former consistently (and with diversified options) this year. We lack great shooters, which we had grown so accustomed to the past few years. Our perimeter simply isn't up to snuff when it comes to the pivotal 3-point aspect of our attack. Then when you throw in the loss of Dok, that was pretty much it. McCormack came on late, but didn't get enough PT early to be fully rounded out and consistent down the stretch. (Great upside going forward, but he isn't Dok in terms of where he is now and what we lost when Dok went out) But even with Dok in there, I still don't think this team would've been a threat to go farther than the Sweet 16, simply due to the lack of outside bombers (consistent outside bombers).

Another factor I've noticed (and it's hard to put my finger on it, but it's there) is that the players* and even Coach Self have seemingly come to "accept" - and settle for - being semi-good versus being great. I've never seen or heard so many post-game pressers this year where, after we laid an egg in a critical game, Self basically didn't show any negative concern but instead seemed to settle for the outcome. It was just odd, given the fiery competitive side of him. Yesterday's post-game thoughts were a marked case in point. It was (and is) just very strange to hear from him. And it just further underscores the "something is a tad off this year" notion.

(* Exception: Dotson. That kid despises losing, and is a winner to his core. With him back at the helm and leading our team next year, we can build around that)

The last thing is just a personal one, and that is that it's just a super busy time for me personally. That's resulted in many DVR'd game viewings, less interaction with the wonderful souls on this great board, and so forth. That also contributed to the year being very different in just my own personal corner. Bottom line: for on-court, off-court and personal reasons, this year was really different - and one of my least-favorite KU seasons that I can ever recall.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to put my finger on precisely why that is, beyond the above, but I do hope that it's a one-season occurrence, and things return to a bit more "normal" next year. In the meantime, I'll root for the crimson and blue with every fiber of my being in the forthcoming tourney, though my expectations are exceedingly low. (And I'm not at all looking forward to the reality that one of our 3 most competitive blue-blood rivals are well-positioned to cut down yet another net, thus furthering the championships distance between them and our beloved alma mater) Go Tennessee! Go Virginia! Go Gonzaga!

The above is a "downer" note, which I'm sorry for. But I'll end with a positive one: Our first coach invented the game, our second coach is the father of college basketball, we are and forever will be KANSAS (a monumentally historical and elite program), and we'll get through this phase. We might have to hit some more rock bottom before we do, but I remain hopeful that we'll get back to the exalted heights (and great team-fandom bond) we've all come to admire, respect, and cherish.

Warm Best to all of you and yours. Rock Chalk.

That's a great breakdown of the season phases, NotO. And you're right, the Vick situation was another key aspect of the season feeling "off." Not only him sliding into mediocrity after being so hot out of the gate, but then the sudden dismissal, and then after that the whole Senior Night issue, which felt a bit unfair to me. (No video tribute or anything, after 4 years of one's life being committed to the place? Imagine if that were the son of any of us - we'd likely feel that he wasted a pivotal part of his youth and might be scarred or tarnished from then on).

It was just a really odd year.

And yet the weird thing is if Dok doesn't get injured and Grimes or someone proved to be a consistent outside shooting and scoring threat, it might have been offset somewhat and we might've had much higher expectations (despite the off-court stuff) right now, at tourney time. Even if that had happened, though, the "cloud" of stuff hanging over permeated how I viewed the team and season in a way that no other season had. And on the court, I know that this team has serious flaws and limitations - most notably being our precipitous drop off the cliff from the past couple seasons when it comes to 3-point shooting (and diversified threats on that score). We almost certainly wouldn't have had a deep run given that, even with Dok. (Sad to say)

Onward and upward. And hoping for some "house money" surprises in the tourney. (But definitely not banking on them)