College Basketball 2011-2012

[XZero771679666304]

I still am having a hard time seeing Iowa beating Illinois at Illinois. I've never actually seen it happen and until it does I won't believe it ever will.

 

I think the team will summon whatever it has left for that game, so I tend to agree.

 

But losing to the Hawkeyes at home would definitely be the cherry on the [expletive] sundae.

[illiniguy]

I still am having a hard time seeing Iowa beating Illinois at Illinois. I've never actually seen it happen and until it does I won't believe it ever will.

 

I think the team will summon whatever it has left for that game, so I tend to agree.

 

But losing to the Hawkeyes at home would definitely be the cherry on the [expletive] sundae.

It's gonna happen.

[abuck1220]

OMG isu almost totally effed this up by losing to texas teach at home.

[gocubs2118]

I figured that game would be frustrating. It's only natural to look past a 1-13 opponent when you have your toughest 3 game stretch coming up.

[Formerly Snayke]

If it was the Post-Dispatch's intent to get Bill Self to look like a petulant child, I'd say it was a resounding success.

 

Link

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

They almost ended up in the Mountain West because of Mizzou's actions. Rivalries are for fans, not for schools. It's unfortunate, but it's business. Self is perfectly justified in what he is doing, and forgetting the dregs Kansas almost fell to is taking the entire situation out of context.

[SouthSideRyan]

They almost ended up in the Mountain West because of Mizzou's actions. Rivalries are for fans, not for schools. It's unfortunate, but it's business. Self is perfectly justified in what he is doing, and forgetting the dregs Kansas almost fell to is taking the entire situation out of context.

 

I'm still holding out hope. God, that'd be so great. Best thing Missouri's ever done.

[abuck1220]

yeah, i have a real hard time feeling sorry for missouri. i hope ku beats them by 1,000.

[Guest]

Self is pandering to his constituency, which is fine. Time will show how hilariously petty he and Zenger have come off when addressing that issue.

[abuck1220]

it's not petty. mizzou's actions nearly completely devastated ku. now mizzou wants a favor from ku? get real.

 

the reason the teams aren't playing each other is because mizzou left the conference. if the rivalry was so precious to them, they should have stayed.

[SouthSideRyan]

I think the fan of the team that was almost forced to the Sun Belt may be a bit biased in this argument.

[Guest]

Well no, neither of those things are accurate. Mizzou voted with the ISU/KU/KSU/Baylor block on every conference issue right up until they stopped voting because they were leaving the conference this fall. The only school(s) that had the ability to put a group of schools in a lesser conference is OU and Texas for their Pac-12 flirtations. But whatever, these arguments have been hashed over a million times, and if you’ve bought the “Mizzou destabilized the conference” nonsense then I can’t do anything to convince you otherwise.

 

As for continuing the rivalry, I don’t think anyone has the impression that KU should be obligated to play Mizzou in all sports or anything like that. I certainly don’t think it’s fair for Kansas to be forced to play Mizzou in football when they need wins and they’ll only have 3 non-con games. Basketball on the other hand shouldn’t be a problem. Well, it shouldn’t be, but everything coming from KU’s brass about the rivalry continuing has been variations of “they’re leaving the conference so nuh-uh”. You’d hope they’d at least try to move the narrative to it not making business sense instead of sounding like spurned lovers, but I guess not.

[abuck1220]

yes, they could play them in basketball, but they don't want to. i'm sure coppin state would like kansas to come play them at their place every other year too, but get in line, i guess.

 

if you want a guaranteed game every year against kansas, don't leave the conference.

[snoodmonger]

It doesn't benefit KU at all to play Missouri in either sport.

 

Football is obvious. We suck and only have 3 non cons. No sense in scheduling an uphill battle in any of those.

 

Basketball--

 

We're on national TV almost every time we play. We don't need to schedule Missouri to get on TV. (But Missouri usually does need us to be a national story.)

 

We use non-cons as a recruiting opportunity. Would rather play in areas where we're trying to maintain a recruiting footprint then play a regional game.

 

We don't need Missouri to sell out AFH. We do it against everyone. Missouri generally does need us.

 

Playing Missouri keeps them more in the conversation locally. Clearly, KU is trying to use this whole thing as an opportunity to marginalize MU in KC. Keeping the rivalry going makes no sense if that's the goal.

 

And why reward a team that bailed on the conference? Sorry, that is a legit reason. UT isn't playing aTm either.

[Guest]

yes, they could play them in basketball, but they don't want to. i'm sure coppin state would like kansas to come play them at their place every other year too, but get in line, i guess.

 

if you want a guaranteed game every year against kansas, don't leave the conference.

 

That goes both ways of course, it's a 150 year old rivalry(even when they weren't in the same conference, who knew you could do that?) that is incredibly popular for both fanbases. There's certainly something in it for Kansas. If they want to make a power play out of it because they're upset Mizzou is leaving the conference, that's certainly their prerogative. Just like it's my prerogative to call it hilariously petty.

[abuck1220]

yes, they could play them in basketball, but they don't want to. i'm sure coppin state would like kansas to come play them at their place every other year too, but get in line, i guess.

 

if you want a guaranteed game every year against kansas, don't leave the conference.

 

That goes both ways of course, it's a 150 year old rivalry(even when they weren't in the same conference, who knew you could do that?) that is incredibly popular for both fanbases. There's certainly something in it for Kansas. If they want to make a power play out of it because they're upset Mizzou is leaving the conference, that's certainly their prerogative. Just like it's my prerogative to call it hilariously petty.

 

there's nothing in it for kansas. kansas fans, maybe, but not the university.

 

hard for you to knock ku for making a "power play," when that's kinda what mizzou did by leaving the conference, no?

[Guest]

Personally, I think there's a slight difference in scale between changing conferences(a decision that impacts hundreds of millions of dollars) because you haven't been able to get through to the power brokers of the conference in 15 years, and not playing a rivalry basketball game(a decision that impacts hundreds of...dollars) because you're upset the other school left the conference.

[abuck1220]

agreed. but it comes down to both schools doing what's best for them.

[Old Style]

Both schools will be fine without playing each other, but it is stupid not to continue the rivalry. It doesn't help KU to not play Mizzou.

[illiniguy]

Kansas should keep playing Missouri. Had they had the chance to do what Missouri is doing they would have jumped as well. It's just no one wants them and now they are all butt hurt.

[Formerly Snayke]

We don't need Missouri to sell out AFH. We do it against everyone. Missouri generally does need us.

 

I disagree, but OK.

 

Playing Missouri keeps them more in the conversation locally. Clearly, KU is trying to use this whole thing as an opportunity to marginalize MU in KC. Keeping the rivalry going makes no sense if that's the goal.

 

That sounds like a pretty lame goal. Good luck to the programs on convincing some Blue Springs kid that KU is better because they didn't leave a sinking ship.

 

And why reward a team that bailed on the conference? Sorry, that is a legit reason. UT isn't playing aTm either.

 

Fair enough, but the allegiance thing is flimsy when it's been apparent for two years that you better find a stable home before Division I blows up. I'm not sure why any team should have felt obligated to stick around for the other schools in the conference.

[abuck1220]

I'm not sure why any team should have felt obligated to stick around for the other schools in the conference.

 

they shouldn't. just like no team should feel obligated to play a non-conference game against another team.

[abuck1220]

Kansas should keep playing Missouri. Had they had the chance to do what Missouri is doing they would have jumped as well. It's just no one wants them and now they are all butt hurt.

 

yeah, look at kansas, their program is in shambles.

[abuck1220]

by the way, i'm completely disgusted with having to stick up for kansas in this debate.

[Formerly Snayke]

I'm not sure why any team should have felt obligated to stick around for the other schools in the conference.

 

they shouldn't. just like no team should feel obligated to play a non-conference game against another team.

 

I've never said they should. My point is that if KU would just say "it's no longer in our best interests to continue this rivalry" it would be a whole lot better than Self constantly launching into a rant about how Missouri jilted the Big 12.