MORGANTOWN — The men’s basketball coaches of the Big 12 Conference understand the doubt from those on the outside looking in.
They, too, marvel at the national record Kansas set last season by winning its 14th consecutive conference regular-season championship.
“It’s hard to put what they’ve done in perspective, because it’s kind of hard to believe,” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon said. “It’s an amazing accomplishment on their part, because it’s not like they played with the same players every year. They lost guys early to the NBA, like a lot of other schools out there. They just keep finding ways to come back and stay consistent.”
What the coaches can’t get on board with is Kansas’ run of success being a black mark on the rest of the conference.
“I know there are a lot of people out there who wonder just how good can this league be if Kansas keeps winning it year after year,” Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber said. “Those people don’t see just how difficult it is to be in this conference day in and day out.
“There really are no easy games in this league. It seems like each night, games are going down to the final possessions. Other teams make their way into the national rankings. Other teams are getting guys drafted into the NBA. It’s not all Kansas.”
Yet, as the 2018-’19 season gets underway, the Jayhawks are again the heavy favorite to repeat.
When it comes to national attention, Kansas is hogging it all at the moment, but for unfortunate reasons.
The Jayhawks, and their relationship with Adidas, were mentioned throughout the federal court case in New York that ended with three people found guilty on charges of fraud.
It was alleged that Adidas funneled money to recruits Billy Preston — he never played for the Jayhawks — and forward Silvio De Sousa, who is being held out this season until his eligibility can be determined.
Oh, and the Jayhawks, with star freshman Quentin Grimes and Memphis transfer Dedric Lawson in tow, begin this season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
“I never put much stock into what things look like in the preseason,” Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm said. “But certainly Kansas has a lot of momentum to start things off.”
It begs the question: Can anyone challenge the Jayhawks or will they make it 15 Big 12 titles in a row?
And what does it mean for the rest of the conference if Kansas keeps winning it?
“I don’t see Kansas’ streak as a negative. I see it as a challenge,” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. “To be the team that ends their streak is definitely something you want to build toward. You don’t want to build your program to be like Kansas. You build it to be better than Kansas.”
Kansas’ top challenge may come from within their own state, as Kansas State returns all five starters from a team that advanced to the Elite Eight last season.
West Virginia, which has finished as the Big 12 tournament’s runner-up the past three seasons, is also in the running.
“There are a number of different ways to look at it,” Weber said. “Certainly for us being in the same state, we deal with Kansas’ success almost on a daily basis.
“You just have to keep working and you keep building your own program, and then at the end of the day, you see where the cards are. I think coaches are worried about their own teams first. You can’t worry about what Kansas is doing or else your own program could slip.”
Twitter @bigjax3211
