Saturday, January 14, 2006
Home court advantage has not given Kansas as much an advantage this season as it has in the past.
Several other historic programs around the country have faced simillar problems.
After just the second conference game on Saturday, the Jayhawks have dropped more home games this season than they had all of last season.
Kansas wasn’t the only school that didn’t benefit from its home game on Saturday though. Kentucky and North Carolina also lost on their home courts.
Jan. 14, 2006, marked the first time in the recorded history of college basketball that the three all-time winningest programs in NCAA division-I history lost at home on the same day. They also all lost to unranked opponents: Kansas to Kansas State, Kentucky to Alabama and North Carolina to Miami (Fla.).
These teams are not used to losing at home. The Jayhawks dropped one game, to Iowa State, last season at Allen Fieldhouse. Kentucky only lost one game -- to Kansas -- at Rupp Arena last year. North Carolina went undefeated at the Dean Smith Dome last season.
We’re talking about programs with 5,642 combined victories as of Saturday: 1,914 for Kentucky, 1,870 for North Carolina and 1,858 for Kansas.
This season has been a different story historically, especially for the Wildcats, who have lost three games inside Rupp Arena.
There were victorious K-S-U chants that broke out from the Sunflower Showdown in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time in 31 games.
So what happened?
Rebuilding.
North Carolina started three freshmen on Saturday. Kansas started two freshmen and two sophomores.
It has been difficult for Kansas to replace the likes of Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and Mike Lee. The same could be said for North Carolina. It won the national title last season, but lost Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Jawad Williams and Marvin Williams to the NBA.
Kentucky didn’t lose as many players, but had off-the-court difficulties when center Randolph Morris attempted to enter the NBA draft, this year, while still in school. The NCAA suspended Morris for 14 games.
For the last three years, Kansas has lost one home game each season. Temper your expectations this season and don’t be surprised if Kansas creeps up on Kentucky and its three home losses.
There is hope, though.
Kansas has one of the premier freshman classes in the nation. Just picture if Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright and Micah Downs decide to stay with the Jayhawks for a couple of years.
The core of this team could stay together for another two seasons. Kansas also features sophomores C.J. Giles, Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson and Jeremy Case, all of whom played on Saturday.
Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina have made a lot of history together. They made another piece of it Saturday, though it's quite likely no one affiliated with any of the programs was awaiting this milestone.
The Jayhawks have only lost 10 home games since the 1994-1995 season. It's scary to think they’re a fifth of the way there this season -- and the season is only halfway to crunch time.
Sorrentino is a Plano, Texas, senior in journalism. He is Kansan sports editor.
A three-horse race
The Jayhawks have a chance to be just the second team to ...
Jayhawks maintain consistent top seed over the ...
Kansas basketball has dealt with upsets, but only because they have been ...
The Hog vs. The Phog
Clark Goble answers the question: Which team has the better advantage at ...
Top 10 players in Kansas basketball history
Find out who the top 10 players in Kansas basketball history are.
Dent: Self brings East Coast flavor
Kansas coach Bill Self recruits players from the east when Roy Williams ...
Fieldhouse streak extends to 50
Winning out would put the winning streak at 59 games, still three ...
Football schools improve basketball programs
Athletics Department hopes to follow the lead of other schools and make ...
Jorgensen: History permeates Kansas Basketball
The feeling after Kansas’s 50th championship wasn’t success or the notion that ...
Jayhawks determined to continue home streak
Kansas could match the longest home victory streak in program history with ...
Kansas has the Big 12 title, has ...
With the outright Big 12 Conference title in their hands, the Jayhawks ...
Coaches in Kansas' basketball history
The coaches in 111 years of Kansas basketball.
Twenty years of heartbreak
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Kansas' last championship. Here's a ...
Tigers searching for life after Quin
Morning Brew: 2000 and glory on the ...
For the Jayhawks and the Tarheels, March 6 could be more than ...
Morning Brew: Guide to the Sweet Sixteen
Learn all you need to know about the next round of the ...
A glance at the week in college ...
Tennessee at California is the only top 25 match-up this weekend. Other ...
The changing face of KU’s home-court
Playing at home has always been an advantage for KU, even before ...
Morning Brew: Naismith links KU basketball to ...
The “Naismith Bowl” takes place tomorrow in Canada. FIU tries to change ...
Dufek: The upsets are coming
In terms of upsets, 2008 has been a pretty mild season. But ...
Beecher: Coach Self’s first strike in recruiting
Two five-star recruits remain after top recruit Brandon Knight decided to sign ...
Blog: Bold predictions for college basketball
Will Kansas win the Big 12 again? Who will make it to ...
National college football preview
Staff writer Case Keefer previews the nation's college football action. There are ...
Kansas makes history against Texas Tech
The Jayhawks record the program’s 2,000 victory in an 80-68 victory.
The past and present of 'The Phog'
Constructing Jayhawk history and tradition since 1955.
Morning Brew: A look at what makes ...
Octagon of Doom doesn't make the cut.
Dodd: Big 12 North teams have a ...
Kansas and Missouri were supposed to reign in the Big 12 this ...
Wheeler: Saturday’s game has high stakes
Jayhawks lead Big 12 North, but Texas Tech and its powerful offense ...
Rothman: Self is history in the making
Kansas’ win against Iowa State marked coach Bill Self’s 400th career victory.
Softball team could regain rankings
If the Jayhawks plays well this weekend, they could move back into ...
Raise the roof
Allen Fieldhouse is named the loudest college arena in the country.
Kansas baseball falls short in Regionals
The Jayhawks lost to North Carolina in the Regional finals.
Kansas fends off North Dakota State
Bison guard Ben Woodside scored 37 points, but the Jayhawks held on ...
Saturday won’t be San Antonio’s first NCAA ...
San Antonio has a bit of history when it comes to NCAA ...
Beecher: Hawks’ home win streak impresses
Kansas’ schedule could help team maintain nation’s longest current home winning streak
Wildcats’ guard Jacob Pullen pulls no punches
Pullen scores 38 points in the win against Kansas.
Blog: The three point play
A March Madness Preview
Vosburgh: Saturday win within reach
Recent Border Showdown history shows that anything can happen at Arrowhead Stadium.
What three men can do
How Johnson, Brown and Manning rejuvenated Kansas basketball.
Kansas tennis shuts out UMKC, sets eyes ...
The team travels east, seeking Wildcat and Colonel dominance.
Wiebe: Big 12 women's basketball rankings
Andrew Wiebe looks at the women's basketball teams of the Big 12.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID