Kansas Jayhawks Basketball

The NCAA announced Friday that Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa will be eligible to play in 2019-20 after sitting out all of 2018-19 due to NCAA rules violations.

Kansas men’s basketball student-athlete Silvio De Sousa is eligible to play the upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/hIjzSIRpn6

— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) May 24, 2019

De Sousa posted the following video on Twitter to thank those who supported him during the appeals process:

Jayhawk Nation, can’t thank you all enough for the unconditional support & for sticking around throughout this 💯♥️💙 pic.twitter.com/999mAoXbP8

— Silvio De Sousa ™ (@SilvioDeSousa5) May 24, 2019

In February, the NCAA released a statement saying that De Sousa would have to sit both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons after it was determined his guardian accepted a $2,500 payment from an agent and Kansas booster. 

Additionally, De Sousa's guardian allegedly accepted a future payment of $20,000 from an Adidas employee in exchange for De Sousa committing to Kansas.

De Sousa and Kansas University went on to appeal the decision, which resulted in his punishment getting limited to a one-season ban.

While the NCAA found no evidence that De Sousa had any knowledge of his guardian receiving payment, NCAA rules state that student-athletes are responsible for the actions of any representatives included in the recruiting process regardless of whether they are aware of improper conduct.

After the NCAA announced that De Sousa would be ineligible for two seasons, Kansas head coach Bill Self spoke out against the ruling, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports:

"In my 30-plus years of coaching college basketball, I have never witnessed such a mean-spirited and vindictive punishment against a young man who did nothing wrong. To take away his opportunity to play college basketball is shameful and a failure of the NCAA. Silvio is a tremendous young man who absolutely deserves to be on the court with his teammates in a Jayhawk uniform. This process took way too long to address these issues. We will support Silvio as he considers his options."

As a freshman in 2017-18, De Sousa appeared in 20 games and averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 68.1 percent from the field.

Although he played just 8.8 minutes per game, he was a major factor in the Jayhawks' Big 12 tournament final win over West Virginia, as he finished with a career-high 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

With De Sousa ineligible and center Udoka Azubuike missing most of the season due to injury, Kansas lacked quality depth inside last season, and it only managed to reach the second round of the NCAA tournament after failing to win the Big 12 regular-season or conference tournament titles.

Azubuike will be back in the fold next season, but with Dedric Lawson making the leap to the NBA, De Sousa figures to be a key part of Kansas' inside rotation during the 2019-20 campaign.

Kansas center Udoka Azubuike will return to school for his senior season instead of testing the waters of the 2019 NBA draft.

He's BACK.

Udoka Azubuike to return to #KUbball for his senior season.
➡️ https://t.co/QIYM8BDorl pic.twitter.com/oJeUDDX5Qq

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) April 22, 2019

Head coach Bill Self announced the decision Monday, via the team's official site:

"We're all very excited about Udoka making the decision not to enter the (NBA) draft. Unfortunately for him, injury is the reason as he still cannot participate what would be the NBA combine or workouts for the NBA teams. We really anticipated that this would be the year he would enter the draft but that was also based on him having an injury-free year."

Azubuike only appeared in nine games in 2018-19 before a wrist injury ended his season.

The 7-footer has been a difference-maker when on the court, averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in just 20.4 minutes per game last season. His 26.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per 40 minutes led the Jayhawks.

Unfortunately, the team struggled without him as depth became an issue outside of Dedric Lawson. Kansas finished 26-10 but failed to win a share of the Big 12 regular-season title for the first time since 2004.

A run of three straight Sweet 16 appearances also ended this year.

The return of Azubuike could help provide some stability after a lot of expected changes going into next season, especially if Dedric Lawson, Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes remain in the NBA draft after declaring this month.

His injury likely hurt his draft buzz as he isn't ranked among the top 101 players in the class by Jonathan Givony of ESPN. However, his size and shot-blocking ability could allow him to raise his profile for the 2020 draft if he can stay healthy.

Kansas Jayhawks sophomore Silvio De Sousa is waiting for the NCAA to decide on his appeal against his suspension.

In the meantime, the 6'9", 245-pound forward has made a decision of his own.

The Kansas City Star's Sam Mellinger and Jesse Newell reported Friday evening that De Sousa will declare for the 2019 NBA draft.

"De Sousa, speaking with his lawyer Friday at a Lawrence hotel, said he would return to Kansas if his appeal is granted and pursue a professional career if the appeal is rejected," the reporters relayed.

De Sousa was suspended through the 2019-2020 season in February after the NCAA found his guardian to have received payments from a university booster and agent.

He has not appeared in a game for Kansas since the 2017-18 Final Four, when the Jayhawks fell to eventual champion Villanova on March 31, 2018.

In 2017-18, De Sousa's freshman year and lone season playing for KU, the Angola native averaged four points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 0.2 blocks across 20 games.

At the time of De Sousa's suspension, Jayhawks head coach Bill Self condemned the NCAA (h/t Kyle Boone of CBS Sports):

"In my 30-plus years of coaching college basketball, I have never witnessed such a mean-spirited and vindictive punishment against a young man who did nothing wrong. To take away his opportunity to play college basketball is shameful and a failure of the NCAA. 

"Silvio is a tremendous young man who absolutely deserves to be on the court with his teammates in a Jayhawk uniform. This process took way too long to address these issues. We will support Silvio as he considers his options."

On Tuesday, Self told the Kansas City Star that it may be in De Sousa's best interest to declare for the NBA. However, Self admitted the 20-year-old "needs another year of college to definitely create the most earning power he could possibly have. Right now he doesn't have that much. Nobody's seen him play."

The appeal was filed on De Sousa's behalf through the university Thursday and can be viewed here in full. De Sousa's lawyer, Scott Tompsett, asserts that De Sousa "was not involved in or aware of whatever the adults did or may have done in violation of NCAA rules."

Tompsett added, "Your Committee has an opportunity in this case to make a decision that will be life-altering for Silvio."

All players declaring for the NBA draft have until May 29 to withdraw and maintain NCAA eligibility. In De Sousa's case, if the NCAA doesn't rule on his appeal before May 29 or denies it at any time beforehand, he will be forced to test his chances prematurely in the draft.

The Kansas Jayhawks have filed an appeal to the NCAA regarding suspended forward Silvio De Sousa, per Matt Tait of KUsports.com. 

Kansas Athletics issued a statement on the matter, via Tait: "The University of Kansas today submitted its formal appeal on behalf of men's basketball student-athlete Silvio De Sousa, challenging the two-season penalty De Sousa received from the NCAA for alleged violations that he was unaware of and from which he did not benefit."

Kansas held De Sousa out at the beginning of the 2018-19 season after former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola testified that he paid $2,500 to De Sousa's guardian, Fenny Falmagne. The NCAA followed that up by ruling the sophomore ineligible through the 2019-20 season in February.

That ban came less than one month after De Sousa's attorney, Scott Tompsett, demanded the NCAA reinstate his client as the player had cooperated with the investigation and did not commit any wrongdoing himself.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self criticized the lengthy suspension in a statement back in February, per ESPN:

"In my 30-plus years of coaching college basketball, I have never witnessed such a mean-spirited and vindictive punishment against a young man who did nothing wrong. To take away his opportunity to play college basketball is shameful and a failure of the NCAA.

"Silvio is a tremendous young man who absolutely deserves to be on the court with his teammates in a Jayhawk uniform. This process took way too long to address these issues. We will support Silvio as he considers his options."

The NCAA defended the punishment, saying that student-athletes are held responsible for any improper benefits received during the recruiting process whether they are aware of the violations or not, per ESPN: "Membership guidelines state the starting point for these violations is permanent ineligibility, but the NCAA staff recognized mitigation based on the specific circumstances of this case when making its decision."

De Sousa did not play in any games this past season, which saw Kansas go 26-10 and make it to the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament.

According to Tait, Self said on Tuesday night that he is "still holding out for hope" that De Sousa will ultimately be cleared to play for the Jayhawks again at some point.

A 4-star recruit in the class of 2017, De Sousa averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game as a freshman in 2017-18. He was not able to debut until January 2018 as he waited for the NCAA to certify his amateur status. He played in 20 games in his first season on campus.

Self let it be known in a recent interview with Tait that he would encourage De Sousa to consider entering the 2019 NBA draft rather than wait for a ruling from the NCAA. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is April 22.

Kansas power forward Dedric Lawson is reportedly planning to hire an agent with the intent of forgoing his senior season with the Jayhawks to enter the 2019 NBA draft.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported the update on Saturday.

Lawson spent the first two years of his collegiate career with the Memphis Tigers before transferring to Kansas in April 2017. He sat out the 2017-18 season because of the NCAA's transfer policy.

The 21-year-old Tennessee native's first campaign with the Jayhawks was a rousing success. He averaged 19.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 49 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three, across 36 appearances.

His decision comes after his older brother, Jayhawks guard K.J. Lawson, entered the NCAA transfer portal to explore his options as a graduate transfer.

Although Dedric wasn't prepared to discuss his future after KU was eliminated from the NCAA tournament by Auburn in the second round, Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl offered high praise of the forward.

"Oh, I love Dedric," Pearl told reporters. "He's a pro. He's got an old-school game, scores inside and out. He's got to work a little bit defensively, get a little stronger, move a little bit better, but he's got a great future. I'm happy for him."

He's listed as the No. 66 overall prospect in the projected 2019 draft class by NBAdraft.net.

Lawson would benefit from adding a little more power to his 6'9'', 235-pound frame, but his well-rounded skill set and strong production at Kansas suggests he'll be ready to make a quick impact as a reserve in the NBA.

In turn, it wouldn't be a surprise to see his stock improve throughout the draft process.

Kansas Jayhawks redshirt sophomore K.J. Lawson will transfer after two years with the program, according to Stadium's Jeff Goodman. 

K.J. transferred to Kansas in April 2017 along with his brother Dedric after spending two years with the Memphis Tigers. The Lawson brothers had to sit out the 2017-18 campaign upon their arrival to Lawrence.

He earned a medical redshirt in his first year at Memphis after playing in just 10 games due to an Achilles injury. He was named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year as a redshirt freshman in 2016-17 after averaging 12.3 points per game for the Tigers.

In his first year on the court for the Jayhawks, Lawson averaged 3.1 points and 2.0 rebounds while playing just 9.9 minutes per game. He shot 45.3 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three-point range.

"I mean, how can you judge someone off 4 or 7 minutes a game?" Lawson told Jack Johnson of the University Daily Kansan back in February. "You have to judge them [with] the measurements you're judging other players."

He added, per Johnson: "I am a confident guy. When I get the confidence going, I am a much better player."

Lawson had more opportunities to show what he could do over the course of the second half of the season and averaged 18.5 minutes per game in the 2019 NCAA tournament. He recorded 13 points and three rebounds while logging 23 minutes in a first-round victory over the 13th-seeded Northeastern Huskies.

No. 5 Auburn is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003 after an 89-75 upset win over No. 4 Kansas in Round 2 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The Tigers (28-9) put on a show offensively in Saturday's win in Salt Lake City, shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 13-of-30 from three-point range. Bryce Brown was a big part of the success with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc.

The outside shooting once again helped Auburn get into the win column, extending their winning streak to 10 games. 

Since Auburn got throttled by Kentucky on Feb. 23, the Tigers have won 10 games in a row. During that stretch, they've scored 1.18 points per possession and hit 12.2 3s per game. Both of those would rank in the top-three nationally over the course of a full season.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 24, 2019

Dedric Lawson helped Kansas (26-10) stay competitive with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to extend the Jayhawks' unlucky season. Although another win could have made the squad effectively a home team in Kansas City next weekend; it simply wasn't in the cards for the Big 12 squad. 

 

Auburn was nearly flawless offensively, taking control early with an incredible performance out of the gate.

The team dictated the tempo and knocked down most of its three-pointers, going 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in the first half alone to go up 51-25 at intermission.

Auburn is off to a 🔥 start! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/s6C0se6P9k

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2019

Auburn came READY! 🔥

15-5 lead in the first 5 mins of play!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/yzB7hX8eHR

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2019

The Tigers were also able to do damage inside the arc when the opportunity presented itself.

Auburn with one-handed highlights on BOTH ends of the floor. pic.twitter.com/aLYPKN4PDC

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2019

Tear droppin'. Buzzer beatin'. pic.twitter.com/Mrp1wvqnZW

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2019

Kansas coach Bill Self was forced to call three timeouts in the first 11:03 of the game.

Auburn continued to pour it on while putting the Jayhawks in an unfamiliar position:

Kansas' largest-ever halftime deficit in the NCAAT was 15 (Nova last year), per the broadcast.

Auburn is beating Kansas by TWENTY-SIX.

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) March 24, 2019

Considering Kansas has played 155 tournament games, this is no small feat.

The Jayhawks were much better offensively in the second half, making their first seven shots after halftime while needing only eight minutes to double their scoring. They finished the half shooting 61.3 percent from the field while scoring 50 points.

Unfortunately, they just couldn't keep Auburn off the scoreboard.

The Tigers continued to knock down three-pointers while also keeping the energy level high with some big dunks:

Kansas was never able to cut the score to single digits in the entire second half with the game never really being in doubt. The Jayhawks were extremely thin toward the end of the season and it finally caught up to them while being eliminated in the second round.

Meanwhile, four players finished in double figures for Auburn, which showed just how dangerous it can be when the shots are falling.

     

What's Next?

Things will only get tougher for Auburn, which could face North Carolina in the next round if the No. 1 seed gets by No. 9 Washington on Sunday.

Dedric Lawson says he feels good, but his voice betrays him. His normally smooth Southern accent has vanished in this phone call, and instead he sounds like Patrick Mahomes shouting into a fast food speaker box. Then he clears his throat and admits in a softer voice: "Well, I do have a little cold, but my body feels good."

That Lawson can still stand is something of a miracle for Kansas. Perhaps no player in the Big 12 has carried a larger load for his team than the 6'9", 235-pound forward has for the Jayhawks. When Lawson and I first met in October, Kansas was the preseason No. 1 team in the nation. Lawson hoped and expected that the offense would flow through him, but he was thrilled to be playing for such a deep squad. The roster was jam-packed with returning contributors, high-major transfers and 4- or 5-star freshmen. In fact, in crowning Kansas No. 1, the AP wrote that there "might not be enough minutes to go around."

As the NCAA tournament approaches, that line looks closer to a curse than a prophecy. Kansas has tumbled to No. 17 in the AP poll and fell short of its 15th-straight Big 12 regular-season championship in part because it has been plagued by roster problems. Silvio De Sousa hasn't seen the floor due to an ongoing NCAA inquiry into impermissible benefits. Udoka Azubuike was lost for the season after sustaining a hand injury in a January practice. Lagerald Vick will not return to the team after leaving to deal with a personal matter in February. And the top-30 freshmen—Quentin Grimes, David McCormack and Devon Dotson—have endured so many growing pains that coach Bill Self burned 4-star freshman wing Ochai Agbaji's redshirt to give his team a lift he never thought it would need.

Through it all, Lawson has been Kansas' constant. He transferred to one of the country's premier programs with a purpose: He wanted to show that he could post the same numbers in the Power 5 that he was able to in the AAC. And he wanted to prove that his poor performance at the NBA Draft Combine in 2016 didn't matter compared to what he could do on the court. The results? Lawson has played 32.7 minutes per night and averaged a double-double. According to kenpom.com, he's among the top 15 players in the Big 12 in percentage of minutes played, usage rate, true-shooting percentage, offensive and defensive rebounding rate, block percentage, fouls drawn per 40 minutes and free-throw shooting percentage.

"Whenever we need a basket or a rebound," assistant coach Jerrance Howard said, "we lean on him. Every time his number is called, he produces. He's kept us all together. He's been our backbone."

---

Dedric Lawson's first college choice was clear from the start. He is the second born in the first family of Memphis basketball. His father and mother, Keelon and Dedra, played collegiately and coached in the city. His older brother, K.J., was a consensus top-50 recruit. Dedric was top 40. Younger brothers Chandler, a senior in high school and future Oregon Duck, and Johnathan, a freshman, are 4-star prospects. And their cousin, D.J. Jeffries, is a 4-star Memphis signee.

Back in the fall of 2013, when K.J. was a junior in high school, he committed to Josh Pastner at Memphis. The following July, in a controversial move that has become almost commonplace in college basketball, Pastner hired Keelon as an assistant coach. A couple months later, Dedric, then a junior, decided to reclassify and join his brother and father on the Tigers a year early. "There really wasn't that much to it," Dedric said. "When he committed and then my dad became a coach, I just thought, 'Well, I might as well commit, too.'"

K.J.'s freshman season was cut short by an Achilles injury, but Dedric was dominant. He averaged 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds in 32.4 minutes a night and entered the NBA draft in April. But the combine did not go according to plan. DraftExpress dubbed him "the worst athlete" at the event. His lane agility, three-quarter court sprint and shuttle run were among the slowest recorded that year, and he failed to make a single three-pointer in Chicago.

"We knew the things they were going to say," K.J. said. "We never lifted weights until the 12th grade. Things like that don't matter, but it matters to them [NBA teams]. Dedric has always been motivated, and he's always been a great talent with a great work ethic, but what happened at the combine definitely added fuel to the fire."

Dedric hadn't hired an agent, so he was free to return to school. He did so with a new level of determination. But the school had changed that summer, too. Gone was Pastner, who fled to Georgia Tech before potentially being fired. In was Tubby Smith, the old-school coach who took Keelon off the bench and relegated him to Director of Player Development. Dedric increased his output to 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per game, and K.J. won the AAC Newcomer of the Year Award. Even though he improved in efficiency and output, Dedric still felt the same doubts about his game. He's only putting up numbers because he's playing in the American, his critics would say. And after missing the NCAA tournament for another season, he and his brother chose to transfer.

That summer, a Snapchat video circulated showing K.J. shouting, "Fuck Tubby!" For his part, Dedric said the decision to leave wasn't easy but also that it wasn't personal. "It was fun playing at Memphis," he said. "My dad was on staff and my brother was on the team, and my mom always came to games with my little brothers. ... But there was a coaching change, and it was different. I wanted to make the tournament and try to win a national championship."

The brothers had no shortage of suitors on the transfer market, but they eventually chose between playing for Pastner again at Georgia Tech and trying something new with Bill Self at Kansas. "It really wasn't a hard pitch with them," Self said. "When you think of Dedric, you throw K.J. in there, too, because they weren't entertaining options where they both couldn't come. We weren't in on their first recruitment (in high school), and there were a lot of rumors about the mom and the dad, and questions about: 'Does the dad want a job?' There was none of that. None. They were probably—I don't want to use the word easy, but they were low-maintenance to convince them this was the best spot."

In his transfer year, Dedric transformed his body. He'd weighed as much as 248 pounds at Memphis, but he trimmed down to 230 by cutting fried foods and sugary drinks (Chick-fil-A and lemonade were the hardest to quit) and committing to a rigorous training program. He battled against big men Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot in practice all year, but he also stayed behind in the gym to steady his three-point stroke.

And when March arrived, Lawson got a taste of what he'd come to Kansas for—the NCAA tournament. When the Jayhawks landed in San Antonio for the Final Four and were greeted by the band playing the team's fight song on the runway, Lawson vowed that he'd guide them back this season—only this time, it would be his team. "It was bittersweet going to the Final Four," he said. "Against Villanova [which beat the Jayhawks 95-79 in the national semifinals], I think I could have helped out a little bit and given us a better chance to win. This year I want to say that I did help us win. I want to help us get back to the Final Four."

---

There has been only one challenge this year that Lawson didn't feel he was fit to face—contrast bath therapy. After games, Lawson plunges into an ice bath for five minutes. Then he shivers out and dives into a hot tub for another five minutes. He repeats the brutal baptism twice more before he hops out and starts the long process toward feeling his limbs again. "Let's just say," he said, "it stings."

In the preseason, no one could have predicted that Lawson would have to withstand the kind of workload he carries now. Self's main preseason problem was figuring out how to "play small when we play big," as he described it. "And it's Dedric who allows you to do that. When you play two guys close to the basket, it can make for a crowded house with not enough driving lanes. But Dedric is bright enough and understands the game well enough that you can plug him in as your 1, 2, 3 or 4 on the perimeter, and still give Udoka space underneath."

The early results were promising. Kansas knocked off top-10 teams Michigan State and Tennessee on the road, and beat defending national champion Villanova at home. But absent Azubuike, the Jayhawks fell at Arizona State and then embarked on the always-brutal Big 12 slate. "Every team's game plan became: How do we stop Dedric," Howard said. "They wanted to be physical with him, and they wanted to push him. But mentally and physically he measured up. ... I think he means more to us than any other player means to any other team."

As injuries, inquiries and inexperience eroded the Jayhawks rotation, the coaches began pushing Lawson out to the perimeter. The move helped stop defenses from trapping him in the post, and it allowed Lawson to show off his downhill driving ability, ball-handling skills and point-guard-esque vision. "Passing may be the best thing he does," Howard said. "He's got the vision of a point guard. When you talk about him in the NBA, I think he'll have a chance to make it and play for a long time because of his skill level. He's showing that now."

Lawson will still face plenty of traps on the path to the NBA. There's no question he is an elite college player, but he lacks game-changing athleticism and a natural position at the next level. Scouts don't think he'll be quick enough to defend NBA wings, and they wonder if he'll be able to battle with 4s in the paint. Still, he'll almost certainly get a shot to prove he can produce in the NBA Summer League. When asked about his individual achievements, the normally loquacious Lawson went quiet. He did admit he was happy to remind everyone about the kind of basketball player he was this year. And he believes his seamless transition from Memphis to Kansas is further proof that he'll be able to make it as a pro, too.

"There's no doubt I proved the doubters wrong," he said. "A lot of people said that playing at Memphis is not the same as playing at a Power 5 conference. I came to a Power 5 conference and did the same thing I've always done. I'm proud of myself, and the way I played individually, but we fell short of the team goals. Now what I want most is to win out."

Kansas was statistically eliminated from the Big 12 regular-season championship chase in a loss at Oklahoma in early March. Lawson took out his frustration on the Baylor Bears in Kansas' regular-season finale, scoring 23 points on 14 shots and picking up 14 rebounds. But rather than congratulate Lawson on another stellar performance, Self told his star that he could have scored 30. Lawson looked his coach back in the eye and accepted the challenge. Even after a season of doing everything for the Jayhawks, Dedric Lawson still wants more.

The NCAA is currently investigating the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball and football programs, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd.

Dodd noted an NCAA enforcement official has made a trip to the Lawrence, Kansas, campus while looking into the basketball program, though head coach Bill Self has not been interviewed.

Dan Wetzel, Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported in November 2018 that the federal government has given the NCAA clearance to investigate individual schools for potential violations.

Dodd reported last month Kansas officials were growing worried a formal infractions case was in the works after the NCAA ruled sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa must sit out the remainder of the 2018-19 basketball season as well as next season after his guardian received payments from a university booster and agent.

The NCAA found De Sousa's guardian had received $2,500 from an agent and booster and had agreed to accept an additional $20,000 from the same person and an Adidas employee for leading the player to Kansas during the recruiting process.

Kansas assistant basketball coach Kurtis Townsend was also caught on a wiretap recording discussing payment for prized recruit Zion Williamson, who ultimately committed to Duke.

The Jayhawks also have been linked to an FBI investigation into college athletics via Brian Bowen Sr., the father of former recruit Brian Bowen. Bowen testified, according to Wetzel, that the University of Louisville offered him $100,000 for his son to play for the Cardinals because that's what Kansas paid to land Billy Preston.

Preston never appeared in a regular-season game for the Jayhawks due to an eligibility issue.

Dodd noted that former Kansas football coach David Beaty was interviewed by the NCAA in late February as part of an investigation in regards to possible wrongdoing by an assistant coach. Beaty filed a $3 million lawsuit against the university earlier this week, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, for allegedly being fired without cause last November.

It's over.

Though the Kansas Jayhawks will still make the NCAA tournament, they will not finish the regular season atop the Big 12 standings for the first time since 2004.

An 81-68 loss to the unranked Oklahoma Sooners ensured the fate of Bill Self's club, which began the year as the league favorite for the eighth consecutive season but couldn't overcome a series of injuries and absences.

Any claims about disinterest in the streak are disingenuous. If the Jayhawks had won at least a share of the Big 12 crown for the 15th straight year, the achievement would be celebrated. And that's great! It's the sort of bravado few fanbases ever enjoy.

But the discontent and frustration―reflected in a tweet from former Kansas player Jamari Traylor―is allowed to sting.

That’s how we goin out? That hurt

— Jamari Traylor (@MagnaMari_) March 6, 2019

While it's not a "good" thing the Jayhawks didn't win the Big 12, one clear positive accompanies the streak's end: No longer will Kansas players and coaches feel pressure to extend a regular-season trend. No longer will their supporters feel empowered to withdraw to a conference-specific brag if the team underperforms on the tournament stage.

A national championship remains college basketball's ultimate prize, but the program hasn't celebrated an NCAA title in 11 years.

Since Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and the rest of the 2007-08 squad hoisted that trophy, Self has guided Kansas to a top-three NCAA seed in each subsequent season. However, five Elite Eight appearances over the last eight years have only resulted in two Final Four berths and one runner-up finish.

"But hey, we never had a bad campaign! At least the streak stayed alive!" fans have been compelled to claim when remembering previous seasons.

That was partly true but partly a fallback response.

Kansas, from those on the court to those in the bleachers, can now redirect its focus toward winning a national title. The players have already done so:

Dedric Lawson and David McCormack say they're not even thinking about losing the Big 12 streak right now. The postgame message was about getting better before the postseason.

— Matt Galloway (@themattgalloway) March 6, 2019

Conference championships are valuable, but the streak―while a spectacular feat―became a way to soften the disappointment of losing in March. (It also didn't help the Big 12's reputation, but that's more a supplemental detail.)

After the loss to Oklahoma, Self mentioned how the Jayhawks have consistently dealt with "everybody else's best shot every game." That comes with the territory when you're a conference's dominant force, and every program aims for that label.

It's also unlikely to change.

Kansas will still be Kansas. When the Jayhawks appear on the schedule, they will remain a circle-the-date opponent.

Nevertheless, "stop another streak from starting" isn't as psychologically compelling as "end the streak." That minor change in an opponent's mindset can aid―even if only slightly―future Kansas teams against Big 12 competition.

Plus, if the current squad is unable to navigate through March Madness, the 2019-20 Kansas roster can embark on a redemption tour. It doesn't matter if it's true, either; even the most established clubs can convince themselves of their underdog status (cough, cough, New England Patriots).

The Jayhawks can unapologetically aim higher.

Don't just reclaim the Big 12. Forget that goal. If it happens along the way, neat. Should they start slowly, constant reminders of what previous teams did before losing on the biggest stage won't accompany them.

Instead, they can focus on becoming the Jayhawks team that leaps atop the podium to celebrate the end of a different streak.

             

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter, @Kenyon19_BR.