Kansas looking to go 12-for-12
Rarely can Kansas play the Rodney Dangerfield card.
After all, this is the program founded by the game’s inventor, and that has Dr. James Naismith’s name on its floor. It’s the one that counts Phog Allen, Larry Brown and Roy Williams among its former coaches and has five national title banners in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. No respect? No chance. Except perhaps in this respect: On Saturday, the second-ranked Jayhawks begin pursuit of a 12th straight conference championship, a feat matched only by the UCLA teams of the 1960s and ’70s.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that people take the streak for granted,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I think our fans do. I think nationally, it has not got the respect in a lot of ways it deserves. But I also understand that what gets most of the attention now is what you do in the postseason, as opposed to the regular season. I understand that.”
Still, the remarkable string of Big 12 titles means something at Kansas.
“What these players have done over time, and with so many different combinations and all those things in what is arguably as good a league as there is in the country, it’s pretty remarkable,” Self said. “I’m real proud of it.”
It is difficult to put “the Streak” into proper perspective.
When it began in 2005 with a shared title in Self’s second season on the sideline, current Kansas freshman Carlton Bragg was 9 years old. The team was led by a senior guard, Aaron Miles, who these days looks resplendent in a suit as part of the Jayhawks’ staff.
“Faces have changed, but expectations and results haven’t,” Self said. “That’s one thing that I probably take the most pride in is that the kids, regardless of who you lost, it’s kind of the next man up, and that mantra — they’ve delivered. I take great pride in the consistency.”
Three times, the Jayhawks have kept their streak going with five new starters.
“Nobody wants to be the team that doesn’t win the 12th year in a row,” junior guard Frank Mason III said. “That’s something we take a lot of pride in.” AP