If Kansas’ historical streak of Big 12 Conference regular-season titles extends to 15, it will take an unprecedented event. The Jayhawks’ diminishing chances of staying atop the throne is a three-way share – something that’s never happened in conference history.
And if that occurs, TCU would play a major factor.
The prelude for the final four games and two weeks of the season occurred Saturday.
Kansas, the preseason No. 1 team, was overmatched and overwhelmed by Texas Tech. A year ago, in a similar situation, the Jayhawks visited Lubbock for a showdown game. All-American guard Devonte Graham made all the big plays down the stretch to lead KU to a victory that ended the Red Raiders’ title hopes.
This season’s version of Kansas basketball is lacking the kind of veteran leadership that makes it possible to win on the road. The Jayhawks’ five Big 12 losses have come on the road. They provided scant resistance to Texas Tech, which in its last five games has averaged a victory margin of 25 points. The Red Raiders made 16-of-26 from 3-point range in a 91-62 victory.
“I just think we played bad and I think they played great,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who absorbed his worst margin of defeat in Big 12 play. “They were terrific. They’d beat anybody in the country tonight. We just weren’t very good. They were better. They were great; we were awful.”
In 2008, a Kansas team that went on to win the national championship defeated Texas Tech, then coached by Pat Knight, by 58 points, the biggest blowout in league history. After the game, Knight famously said, “I feel like someone put a meat necklace around my neck and threw me into a lion’s den.”
The Jayhawks are now wearing a strand of sirloins. The math is simple. Kansas needs to win its last four games starting with its Big Monday match-up with league-leading Kansas State. The Wildcats haven’t swept KU in 36 years; if they win in Lawrence, The Streak is over.
Kansas has a two-fold problem in terms of snagging a share of the title and those folds are K-State and Texas Tech. Assuming the Jayhawks accomplish their must-win mission against the Wildcats, they would still need help. Here are the remaining games for the contenders:
Kansas
Monday vs. Kansas State
March 2 at Oklahoma State
March 5 at Oklahoma
March 9 vs. Baylor
Kansas State
Monday at Kansas
March 2 vs. Baylor
March 4 at TCU
March 9 vs. Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Wednesday vs. Oklahoma State
March 2 at TCU
March 4 vs. Texas
March 9 at Iowa State
Note that the most dangerous road game for Kansas will be at Oklahoma, a team that has become an enigma. Also, the Jayhawks have struggled facing Oklahoma State, Self’s alma mater, in Stillwater, losing four of the last five there. If Kansas can’t beat the depleted Cowboys, it doesn’t deserve a share of the championship.
Kansas State and Texas Tech each face an intriguing final four games. The combined won-loss record of the Wildcats’ remaining foes is 73-35 while for the Red Raiders that number is 62-46. K-State faces the daunting challenge of winning in Allen Fieldhouse Monday. Texas Tech could be playing for first place in its regular-season finale at Iowa State – the only Big 12 team to beat the Red Raiders in Lubbock this season. The Cyclones’ Hilton Magic has been diminished but Ames is arguably the Big 12’s second-toughest road trip.
Saturday’s other significant outcome was TCU’s had-to-have-it victory over Iowa State. The Frogs ended a three-game losing streak that had put its NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy. The season sweep of the Cyclones burnished TCU’s resume as it hopes to make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in over six decades.
A week from now and over a Saturday-Monday stretch that will close out the home schedule at Schollmaier Arena, the Frogs will host Texas Tech and Kansas State. TCU will be king makers while helping decide the fate of Kansas’ Big 12 title streak.
It’s not far fetched that K-State could loss to Kansas and to the Frogs while Texas Tech could lose either at TCU or at Iowa State. That could open the door for tri-champions and keep The Streak alive.
Fittingly, we’re just days away from the calendar flipping to the most marvelous, maddening month of all.