By Greg Echlin
Two years ago, Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self talked about a defining moment during yet another win in the fifth of what would be eight straight against Kansas State. Their latest in-state rivalry game on Feb. 5 featured another moment the Jayhawks could cite as a signature to this season, but not one that Self will like.
You couldn’t argue with Self two years ago when his heart-and-soul point guard Frank Mason, before commanding top post-season national honors after his senior year, went flying out-of-bounds without any regard to potential bodily harm and saved the ball. Coming off an overtime loss at home at Iowa State, behind Mason’s inspired play, the Jayhawks willed their way to a hard-fought 74-71 win over the Wildcats.
For the rest of the 2016-17 regular season, the Jayhawks didn’t lose another game en route to their 13th straight Big 12 championship.
This year’s signature moment came at KU’s expense after the final buzzer. When the rim was still practically shaking after Cartier Diarra’s steal and dipsy-doodle slam dunk in the final minute, Wildcat teammate Barry Brown slammed home a dunk that didn’t count on the scoreboard, but sent a message. Not just for what’s ahead, but a payback to long-departed KU guard Brannen Greene. His buzzer-beating slam in 2015 turned a nine-point game into a final margin of 11 if anyone but Brown and his senior teammates recall.
“I just wanted to return a favor. Honestly, that’s the only thing going through my head,” said Brown after the game. “A shout-out: Brannen Greene!”
In the big picture, the exclamation point at the end serves as the marking point to a likely end for KU’s domination atop the Big 12 standings—a record-setting run of championships that stands at 14 straight.
What’s missing is what Bill Self saw before his very eyes two years ago when Mason took charge. On this team, there is no one to do that. Or so far hasn’t.
“Are we in a great position to win the league? No. Do we deserve to be in a great position? Absolutely not,” Bill Self said after the game. “Can we flip the switch? Remains to be seen.”