Why 8 is so gr8

Last night the University of Kansas men’s basketball team clinched their eighth consecutive Big 12 regular season conference title.  I mean sure we’ve come to expect a certain level of excellence from places like Kansas, but this is still a streak for the ages.  There are many highly skilled players, which attend several different universities; it is difficult to stay on top of any sport for so long.  During this historic run Kansas has shared the title only 3 times (once with the University of Oklahoma, and twice with the University of Texas), and as this Big 12 season came to a close it was almost certain they would share another.  However, in the final year of the conference as we know it, Kansas had a run to remember.  After losing to Missouri in Columbia, the Jayhawks ran off seven straight wins.  The most notable win came in the second meeting with Missouri (and possibly the last meeting in the border war showdown), where the Jayhawks constructed a 19 point comeback to avenge the loss earlier in the season.  I watched this game from Chicago, and I can honestly say I wished I was in Lawrence for this one.  Of all the games I have experienced in Allen Field House, this had to be the most emotional.  The win against Oklahoma State last night, Bill Self’s alum, ensured they would hold the title alone. In my opinion, this is why the eighth title should hold a little bit more value than the other seven.  At the start of the season, expectations for this Kansas teams were low.  The Jayhawks were not loaded with their usual NBA caliber starting 5, and even started a former walk-on.  Their border rivals Missouri, or Baylor, were expected to take home the title.  Many agreed the title did not run through Lawrence anymore, and this was going to be a ‘down year’ for the team.  This does nothing but speak to the resilience of coach Self and his players.  This year shows that the dominance of the conference can be accredited to not only the blue chip athletes Kansas lures, but also the system Self has installed.  My hat goes off to the entire basketball program for a job well done, and as a fan I consider this season a success already.  Now go win a championship…!