This was supposed to be a great year. Just two seasons removed from an Orange Bowl Championship, the football team was a popular pick to win the Big 12 North. Bill Self’s Jayhawks were the No. 1 team in the country almost all season long, and the women’s basketball team hoped to break through and make the NCAA Tournament.

But things did not go according to plans. After getting off to a 5-0 start, the football team lost its last seven games. A mid-season fi ght with members of the basketball team did nothing to help the squad, and coach Mark Mangino resigned under pressure after the final game.

The men’s basketball team was the biggest disappointment of this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks lost in the second round to Northern Iowa after being the heavy favorite to win the national title, and Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich ended their careers on a bad note.

The women’s basketball team also hoped to have a big year, but injuries got in the way of more success. Angel Goodrich’s and Danielle McCray’s seasons ended with torn ACLs and Kansas missed some chances for upsets down the stretch.

This school year was clearly disappointing in a lot of ways for all three teams, but Kansas fans should realize just how much they have to look forward to next year.

New head football coach Turner Gill has brought great class to the Kansas football program since his arrival in Lawrence. Gill has emphasized that he is there to not only teach the players about football, but also to teach them about life.

He has also adopted a policy that prohibits bad language at football practices, which would be a great rule for people outside of football to adopt when working with people as well. Gill has recognized that more good will come from building up his players than will come from tearing them down. I am confident that he will see great success during his tenure.

When November rolls around and basketball season gets ready to start, Kansas fans should not be too concerned about the loss of Collins, Aldrich and Henry. After the successful recruitment of point guard Josh Selby and the return of several key players from this year’s team, the Jayhawks should have a great shot at winning the Big 12 for a seventh straight season and making a deep run in March.

The women’s basketball team will really miss the play and leadership of senior Danielle McCray, but fans should be confident in the team’s chances. Coach Bonnie Henrickson still has a lot of talent to work with, and the return of point guard Angel Goodrich from her season-ending injury should provide a big boost to the Jayhawks’ hopes.

All things considered, next year is looking pretty good. The football team and the women’s basketball team should be competitive against anyone they play, and the basketball team could make a big run if young players develop quickly.

This year might have been a disappointment in some ways, but we should remember just how high we set the standards for our teams heading into this year.

It really is a compliment to our teams that we had such great expectations, and we should keep expecting good things.

Next year could be a great year for the Jayhawks.