110 YEARS OF KANSAS BASKETBALL
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Mario Chalmers dunks and helped dissapoint many Colorado fans in 2008, as the Jayhawks went on to beat Colorado 72-59.
rankings. Many believed a perfect regular season was possible if the Jayhawks defeated Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum.
It wasn't meant to be. K-State defeated Kansas for the first time in 25 years in Manhattan. Although the loss was crushing, the Jayhawks can still reach plenty of their goals such as a Big 12 championship and top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Jackson and four other seniors, Sasha Kaun, Russell Robinson, Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case, are determined to make it happen. They've won three straight Big 12 titles and want to make it a fourth.
"Sasha, he'll say something," Jackson said. "Jeremy, he'll say something. I'll say something. We all talk to each other.
Everybody steps up to the stage and speaks. Nobody holds their tongue for anything. If somebody is slacking, Russ will get on them. If I did something wrong, Sasha will tell me I did something wrong. We all help each other out."
But the Big 12 title isn't all they are hoping for. They want something bigger. They want to give Kansas its first national championship since 1988.
"They know at Kansas, we're measured at a high level, and they want to go out as being recognized as one of the winningest classes," Self said. "It's hard to do that if you win Big 12 titles and don't go to a Final Four. I'm not saying that it's Final Four or bust, but in their minds, that's what we're striving for."
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Brandon Rush was one of the stars of the Jayhawk team throughout the 2007 season,starting at guard.
Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson, Russell Robinson and the Kansas bench cheer on their teammates close in on yet another victory as they watch from the sidelines.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
2005-2006: Not again. The attack of the "Killer Bs" continued this season as the Jayhawks lost to Bradley in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Although that game stood out, this year was all about progress. Kansas, with a talented but inexperienced freshman class, rebounded from a 3-4 start to win the regular season Big 12 Championship and tournament championship.
2006-2007: All the kids grew up. Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and Julian Wright matured into premier players as sophomores, and Kansas benefited. The Jayhawks won another regular season Big 12 Championship and tournament championship. Their quest for the Final Four ended one game short with a loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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