The Morning After Prom

I don't want to talk about it.

I didn't want to talk about it last night and, no, I don't want to talk about it this morning either.

I'm talking of course about performance issues. Embarrassing.

"I swear, this has never happened before—"

I mean, how in the world do you go 14 for 33 on layups and dunks?

I'm sitting here with the creeping realization that I may have lost all interest in sports until this August when the perpetually mediocre Chiefs head to River Falls. The tourney loses some of its allure when the Hawks aren't dancing.

One of the most exciting seasons of KU basketball has ended too quickly. It wasn't for lack of effort—the ball flat-out refused to roll in on some of the easiest shots for Kansas, while the Bruins routinely found the bottom of the basket on fadeaway threes with the clock running out. It was just one of those nights. I'm stubborn enough to believe that we were better defensively against UCLA than they were against us.

I'm also stubbornly optimistic in my belief that they'll all be back next year. B. Rush said he'd bolt if he's projected to go in the top 20, but I think the early tourney exit along with a "late first round" projection and the fact that he seems to be enjoying himself on the team all point to him sticking around for another year.

Though Wright is a top-5 pick, he's already said he's coming back. Before the loss, Arthur sounded like he was staying—and he should, because he's not ready for the league. Chalmers is the only other "risk" and his offensive performance against the Bruins (Seven turnovers? On 1 of 8 shooting? Really?) shows he can improve on a few things this offseason.

The tournament this year was a lot of fun, though, with some great finishes.

Duke Players, Doing What They Do Best
Photo: ESPN

VCU over Duke was fantastic. I hate Duke basketball with a passion. My earliest tournament memory was watching Greg Dreiling, Danny Manning, Calvin Thompson, Ron Kellogg and Cedric Hunter fall to an evil team from the East with a coach whose name needed a few more vowels. (Try explaining to a second grader why "Krz…" actually is pronounced "Scha")

I vividly remember sitting on my parent's front porch, slumped forward with my head between my knees, devastated after Laettner nailed that impossible turnaround J at the buzzer to beat Kentucky like they were predicted to. I loathe their collective smugness and detached arrogance.

So to see a bunch of scrappy kids from VCU outplay and outhustle the beast from the east…well, it doesn't get much better than that. And then CBS found the money shot: Christian Laettner, sitting alone in the stands. Shattered. Stunned. Speechless. I'm not one bit ashamed to say that I leapt out of my seat with an exuberant belly laugh upon seeing his broken expression. You can't spell "Schadenfreude" without "Krzyzewski."

March Madness is the most thrilling and unpredictable event in organized sports. If you happened to grow up in Lawrence as I did, it's easy to get spoiled. (Final Four in '86, Championship in '88, Final Four in '91, and again in '93). Every year, "Kansas" is still the last team standing in my bracket.

Right now I'm trying not to think about the "14 for 33" from last night. I'm trying to remember the defensive grit; the selfless, creative passing and explosive potential that made this team go 34-5 this season, and remain one of the most exciting teams I've ever witnessed firsthand.

I'm left with that, and the hope that the team had as much fun playing as I did watching, and that they will stick together and set the record straight next year.

It's the only way I can bring myself to turn on the TV to watch North Carolina and Georgetown tangle this afternoon.