“We just aren’t good enough to play against NCAA tournament teams. Teams of that calibur are just too talented. Cole, Sherron, Xavier, they just looked overwhelmed. This was something that I was afraid of going into the season. We would play well against the lesser teams that we scheduled, but we just could not get around playing a team like Tennessee. And now, to expect us to play a full Big XII schedule; I just don’t think we could handle that. I mean, have you seen Mizzou?? They beat K-State for crying out loud!”

Aldrich was unavailable for comment. He left Allen Field House early on Monday morning, and boarded a bus back to Minnesota to prepare for the NIT, and get some ice fishing in.

Collins was more vocal while cleaning out his locker. “I don’t know what we were thinking. All those heroics over the last three years, it was all luck. Plain and simple. That’s why I didn’t enter the draft. I wasn’t actiually going to be drafted. This was just a distraction.”

This is a huge blow to Kansas Basketball. A season that started out with so much promise, has come crashing down. It wasn’t just the loss on the road to a nationally ranked Tennessee team. This collapse was epic, beginning all the way back with a 57-55 squeaker-win at the hands of Memphis in November. You could tell then that this team just didn’t have what was necessary to make a run.

The slide continued with a 73-61 win at UCLA. Sure they won, but they were never really in that game. Plus, UCLA had no fans show up, and only two players who had ever heard of basketball before. The rest of their team had been fielded only moments before gametime from homeless people outside the stadium.

“We couldn’t believe that we walked out of there with a victory.” said Self, “I was sure that we would take an aboslute beating there. I mean, I know they had the homeless guys, but a couple of them were pretty tall.”

But I think we all knew this was going poorly when KU was only able to edge out nationally ranked Temple by 32. How can you not go on the road into a hostile environment and win by at least 50?? The simple truth is, this KU team just doesn’t have the talent.

So, it’s easy to understand why Lew Perkins has made this decision. He’s already had to dismiss a football coach for mistreating fried chicken wings. He couldn’t afford another black eye on this already down-trodden university…

Wait…Bellwether has just handed this to me. Let me see if I can get through this…

Kcsportspodcast.com has just learned that Kansas has decided to go ahead and play on Wednesday at Nebraska. No official statements have been made as to why the change of heart. The athletic department has only announced that they plan to be in Lincoln on Wednesday, and they will field a team to play against the Huskers.

I don’t know that this is the best idea. I mean, Nebraska is no slouch. It’s not like KU is ranked #1 anymore. You don’t have the “invincibility” that comes with that ranking to protect you anymore. I will see what I can find out from my inside sources, and I will let you know. Stay tuned to this blog for further updates. Rock Chalk.

Well, I’ll be goll-darned!!  We got ourselves a good ole’ fashioned dustup in Larry-Town, and it ain’t even Ju-ly yet!!  And who bunched up the KU faithful’s panties this time??  None other than J. Brady McCollough of the KC Star via his Sunday expose of Carl Henry’s handling of his meal tickets sons Xavier and CJ.

So what’s the big deal??  Well, it turns our Carl has a few opinions of his own in regards to many things including: the talent level of his two sons compared to KU’s default ’09-’10 starters, Bill Self, cell phone etiquette, and the deliciousness of Oklahoma Chinese buffet (spoiler: it is delicious).

Not wanting the fire to die down on this off-season, mid-summer, time-filling, Royals-suck-and-are-unfortunately-the-only-team-in-town-actually-playing-games-this-week-so-we-have-to-find-something-to-get-excited-about story, the local media and blogosphere has been drumming up reaction to the story any way they can.  Most notably, Carl’s rebuttal on ESPN’s theshiver.com, then McCullough’s rebuttal rebuttal on 610’s Chris and Cowboy show.

So what’s everybody yelling at everybody about??  KU fans feel slighted, McCullough feels the need to defend his reporting, and Carl Henry is attempting damage control.

KU fans are pissed because of what they perceive as a slap in the face to the Jayhawk tradition and name; an idea that Carl Henry is indoctrinating in his kids the selfishness of NBA-ready high-schoolers, flaunting the system, and a lack of respect for the team game that has proven its worth in the form of a National Championship.  First off, this is not the first time a player has announced his one-and-done aspirations prior to his foot falling in Lawrence, and second, there is nothing in Bill Self’s past that would lead anybody to believe that he would play favorites, especially with two newcomers on a Sweet 16 team ranked preseason #1.

J. Brady McCullough has been playing the “What’s the big deal!! I really reported exactly what was going on…no bias…honest!!” card.  There is scant evidence of JBM being guilty of sensationalism in the past, but there’s also no reason to think he can’t be held responsible for painting a less than flattering portrait of the crown-jewels of Self’s 2010 recruiting class.  While it’s hard to ignore what seems to be Carl Henry’s blow-harded-ness, there seemed to be something missing from JBM’s story.  Namely CJ and Xavier Henry.  The last line of the story is: “For the moment, the Henrys want Kansas.”  Really?  The why not make the story about that??  The story is really more about the father than the sons, and that’s a shame.

The story should have been about how, while KU was not the boy’s first choice, and while there are good reasons (tooth reasons, people) why they aren’t going to be in Lawrence until the first semester commences, they are committed to playing at Kansas. Sure, their dream is to do well enough to be able to jump to the NBA next year, but no matter what happens, they are nothing but dedicated to a 4th banner. Thing is, I’m sure they are. In fact, I wish more players had the work ethic they seem to be exhibiting. I don’t’ think JBM had a secret agenda when writing the piece, but he definitely painted a sub-par character portrait of the Henrys. I personally think he got so much mileage from Carl Henry’s gums that the angle presented itself, and the article followed.

Which brings us to Mr. Carl Henry himself. You never want to rip on somebody for speaking their mind, but perhaps he was mis-represented by JBM a little bit. I tend to think that what actually happened was somewhere between the Star story and the Shiver report. That’s really beside the point. This is the first time that I was introduced to the Henry family, and to tell you the truth, whether Carl was mis-quoted or not, he still came off as pompous and ostentatious. The fact that the boys are living it up in luxury* is (wait…channeling my inner-Whitlock here…) fuel for the haters.

* The worst part of the “controversy” are those upset at the fact that they are living in CJ’s paid-for-in-cash pad, and rolling around in Hummers. They have every right to do so. CJ earned that money with the bonus he got when signing with the Yankees…get over it.

Carl didn’t help his cause by snubbing Chris and Cowboy later that week, but that aside, what more could he really say? Hasn’t he already said enough??

Really, this whole hullabaloo is much overblown. Xavier and CJ will be in Lawrence by August, and if the need to be put in their place, then Self will put them there. I have no doubt that this will blow over by then. Everybody needs to shut up and realize that this is KU is lucky to have both brothers on their squad.

1.) The Chiefs surprisingly testicle-less draft plan

2.) Herm Edward’s best Emmit Smith impression

3.) The Royals un-surprisingly testicle-less offense

4.) Carl Edwards best Ricky Bobby impression*

5.) Ben Gordon’s testicles

Nope, we go with none of the above.

* Immediately following Edwards’s spectacular crash at the final turn at Talledega yesterday, I knew every single announcer would immediately start talking about how he exited the car and crossed the finish line just like Ricky Bobby. I was already sick of this before even a single one did. (Yes. Just like Ricky Bobby…hilarious. And yes, Stuart, that was re-donkulous.) As remarkable as NASCAR’s ascendance into mainstream America has been over the past few years, this just goes to show that instead of any driver, the average sports fan identifies more with a movie co-starring Dr. Steve Brule.

This post will center around the second most remarkable thing I figured out this weekend. Lost in all of the hullabaloo surrounding the NFL Draft, the NBA playoffs, and the Yanks v Red Sox was the news that X is heading to Larry-town.

To be honest, I’m a little nervous about this. There is an inordinate amount of talent on this team, and while I will usually defer to having more talent on the team, it’ll be tough to see how everyone is going to get their touches. Is it really beneficial to limit Mario Little and Travis Releford to mop-up duty?

So, my answer to this conundrum is this: we take one of the teams in the SEC, and replace all of their players with the players projected to come off the Jayhawk bench. Now I’m sure, if this little exercise were reversed, Nick Saban’s 2nd stringers could be easily win the Big XII North Football title, but I think it’s fair to say that the following lineup would more than likely take the regular-season and tournament crown for the cagers in the Dixieland Conference:

G Brady Morningstar

G Tyrel Reed

F Mario Little

F Travis Releford

F Markeiff Morris

Now, wouldn’t that be fun?? Yes. You know what would be more fun?? Trying to figure out what we could get in return:

Alabama: A buddy of mine’s wife is a huge ‘Bama fan. He jokes that the people in Alabama deify Nick Saban so much that they should call him “Coach God.” Well, good…maybe he can resurrect Derrick Thomas from the dead so that he can play for the Chiefs again.

Auburn: Judging from his time at Iowa State, new head football coach Gene Chizik is no God…maybe we can get Tommy Tubberville to resurrect Bo Jackson’s hip.

Florida: They should send us all of the women in the state of Florida who want to sleep with Tim Tebow, but who can’t because his Christianity prohibits him from premarital sex. Of course, this would make the population of Lawrence roughly that of Mexico City.

Georgia: Uga. I don’t know, though…too Jowly?

Kentucky:  John Callipari’s most prized recruit…oh, wait…we already got that.

LSU:  Any defensive linemen left that haven’t been drafted by the Chiefs.

Ole’ Miss: Andy Kennedy and an Indian cabbie to be named later.

Mississippi State: They play in the Egg Bowl vs. Ole’ Miss every year.  Insert your own testicle joke here.

Tennessee: Do I even have to say it??

Vanderbilt: Will Perdue’s jock strap, from which to hang Nick Collison’s retired jersey

Arkansas: Forget sending us anything…we’ll just throw in Mike Anderson for free.

South Carolina: Mascot name. Tell me you wouldn’t love hearing Bob Davis scream, “GOOOOOOD!!! That’s a three pointer, and the Cockhawks take the lead!”

Seems like a good place to end this post…on “Cockhawks.”

ESPN’s Michael Smith is reporting that the greatest tight end of all time has been shipped to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2010 second round draft pick, which has been confirmed by the Kansas City Star.

If KU completes the deal in aquiring both Henry and Stephenson, you can find me in Vegas betting on the Hawks with 25/1 odds. “I liiiiiiiike”.