2026 Post season - looking ahead... and back

Getting ready for the start of B12T play and ruminating over things that are purely coincidental, but still make me think "Hmmm, wouldn't it be nice?"

• All Time Wins. KU trails UK by 5 wins after gaining 3 wins on Rupp's legacy to date this AY. It is mathematically possible for KU to pass UK in the postseason if things go really well for KU and not so well for UK. SIMILAR SCENARIO to 2022 when UK faltered in the postseason, winning just 1 game in the SEC tournament and being a first round upset loser to St Peter's in the NCAA Tournament, while KU completed an AY2021-22 ending 11 game winning streak to win the Big 12 (ok, that did NOT happen this year, granted), the B12T (hope springs eternal for this AY, and I think KU can beat anyone in KC) *and* finish with winning the NCAA Tournament. The AY2021-22 KU squad finished 4 games ahead of UK in All Time Wins before the NCAA penalized KU in 2023, taking away 15 Silvio wins and dropping KU back into 2nd place again. KU has been climbing that hill again ever since.
Highly unlikely for a repeat of that winning scenario this postseason, but wouldn’t it be nice?

• Another similarity to AY2021-22: KU has once again spent a season with a new player who was expected to play a major role in the season being unavailable for much of the season. When Remy Martin finally got on the hardcourt in 2022 KU found it’s higher gear and made its run to the NCAA title. Can the same thing happen again this time now that Darryn Peterson finally seems to be healthy and seems to be learning every day how to play better with his teammates, and vice versa? Granted an NCAA title is unlikely in any season, but the guys are finally showing signs of learning how to play with Darryn in the lineup, so never say never. Or as the old saying goes, that’s why they actually play the games. And wouldn’t it be nice?

• Reach all the way back to 1988 and there are more similarities that keep post-season title aspirations afloat for our current Jayhawks. Like 1988, this year’s Jayhawks finished 3rd in conference and if they do not win the B12T will start the NCAA Tournament with double digit losses. Danny and the Miracles trailed both #1 OU and #2 Kansas State in the Big 8 that AY. They then ran off a 6 game winning streak, beating KState in the Midwest Regional Final, Duke in the Final Four and everybody’s #1 that year, Billy Tubbs’ Oklahoma squad, to win it all, finishing 27-11. This year’s Big 12 squad finished in a 3 way tie with Texas Tech and Iowa State behind #1 UA and #2 UH. If they can win the B12T and then the NCAAT they would finish 31-9 for the AY. They don’t *have* to win the B12T, but if they can just win it all like their 1988 predecessors did – which would be nice, eh? - wouldn’t it be that much nicer if they did?

• Finally, let’s just get it out there – we don’t need another Danny and The Miracles. In the very unlikely event (1% per CorpusJayhawk) that KU wins it all this year, the almost certain nickname for this squad will be
Darryn and The Dawgs.

Man, would that be nice!