Pride goeth before the fall: Why KU lost

I wish I could remember where I read this, but someone on the KU staff was talking with Sherron Collins after an early season game in which KU had soundly defeated its foe. 

This person mentioned to Collins that, despite the lop-sided win, the Jayhawks looked sluggish and out-of-sync.  Collins acknowledged that this was true, but said that they felt that they could go on a run at any time and blow the opposition away.

This is almost exactly what Senior Guard Keith Langford said after KU got bounced by Bucknell in the first round in 2005.  We felt like we could put them away at any time, he said.  Except they didn't.

The gap between the major conferences and the mid-majors is huge in terms of "bling," but very narrow in terms of basketball talent.  Lots of these mid-major teams are excellent, and they are quite capable of knocking off big-name teams. 

The big-name schools play NBA-style basketball.  Indeed, these are the NBA minor leagues.  The mid-majors are more likely to play more fundamental basketball--more defense, less razzle-dazzle.  It takes a really good defense to shut down good offense, but it can be done.  As Bill Self himself said of Northern Iowa, "They're always where they need to be."

If you play for KU, you're the toast of Lawrence.  Allen Fieldhouse roars with your praises.  National media want to talk to you.  Your slam dunk gets played and re-played on ESPN.  Your picture is on the cover of magazines.  The New York Times covers your games.  

This is seductive.  You come to believe your own propaganda.  You start to strut.  That's when they get you.

Why KU in particular seems so vulnerable to a mid-major upset is a real question mark.  The monkey named Arizona-Rhode Island-Virginia-Bucknell-Bradley should have been off our back after 2008, but it isn't.  How long must it take--and how many embarrassing losses--before one learns the oldest lesson of all:  Pride goeth before the fall.

Comments

[Rich M]

John, Hubris, my man, hubris. I know how painful all of this must be for you but with your ties to the northern part of Iowa perhaps there is some consolation. I continue to appreciate your contributions on this blog. Keep up the good works!

[John Petty]

Hi Rich, My thoughts last Saturday were along the same lines as those expressed by Eugene McCarthy upon the election of Richard Nixon--to wit: "It's a day for visiting the sick and the dead."