Now in his 13th year here, Self has led KU to 11 consecutive league titles, one national title and one NCAA runner-up finish.

“This is a ridiculous run that deserves proper recognition. A 12th consecutive championship would be an appropriate time for college basketball fans, the casual and devoted, to acknowledge the challenges Self has overcome for more than a decade,” Medcalf wrote.

“Something or someone should have knocked Kansas from its (league) throne by now because that’s what usually happens in sports. An unexpected injury. The rise of another program. Suspensions in key stretches. Bad luck. A bad night, week or month. Something. Yet Kansas remained on top.

“The Big 12 has sent 23 non-Kansas players to the first round of the NBA draft since 2005, but LaMarcus Aldridge, Avery Bradley, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and others could not help their teams knock Kansas off its perch.

“A 12th consecutive Big 12 title would stamp Kansas’ standing as the most dominant team in college basketball and solidify Self’s position as one of the three best coaches, along with (Mike) Krzyzewski and (John) Calipari, in the game today.”

Medcalf added …

“You can point to magnificent postseason runs, outstanding winning streaks and rallies toward national titles. And they still won’t top the breadth of what Kansas has accomplished. Each year for the past 11 seasons, Kansas has chewed through a significant portion of the season against familiar opponents and coaches, in favorable Allen Fieldhouse and harsh venues on the road, and still managed to end each Big 12 campaign in first place.

“That’s not just impressive. It’s brilliant and unrivaled. And a 12th consecutive Big 12 title would confirm as much. At least it should,” Medcalf wrote at http://ljw.bz/1MWiHzj

Markieff calm at Media Day: Former KU forward Markieff Morris of the Phoenix Suns — who during the summer was fined $10,000 for a “public statement detrimental to the NBA,” regarding his wanting to be traded — didn’t risk losing any of his four-year, $32 million extension Monday at Phoenix Suns Media Day.

Instead of reiterating demands he be dealt following the offseason trade of his brother, Marcus, to Detroit, he told media: “I want to be here.

“I don’t really want to talk about what happened this summer,” he added as quoted by ESPN.com and Azcentral.com.

“I just really want to look forward to this up-and-coming season and am glad to be back with my teammates, glad to be back with my team.”

Marcus this year begins a contract extension that nets him $20 million over four years as part of an innovative deal that divided $52 million between the two.

The closest Markieff came to expressing displeasure at Media Day? While telling ESPN he was “super confident” in coach Jeff Hornacek, he wasn’t as kind to GM Ryan McDonough.

“He’s been here a couple of years and me and him have a great relationship,” Morris said of him and the coach. Asked of his relationship to the GM, he said: “You can ask him that, man.”

McDonough told ESPN: “He’s certainly not the first and probably won’t be the last player to be upset with the front office. It happens.”

Markieff, who averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds last season, said he can go on without his brother.

“I’ve gotten better every year I’ve been in the league,” he said, “and I’m going to continue to get better, with or without my brother.”

As far as a criminal-assault case the brothers are involved in, Markieff said he was “super confident” it will be resolved.

SMU verdict coming?: SMU coach Larry Brown will learn the results of an NCAA investigation into the eligibility of Keith Frazier today, ESPN.com’s Andy Katz reports. At issue is possible academic misconduct involving Frazier during his recruitment and after his joining the program. As Katz points out, the NCAA has come down hard on head coaches like Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, who has been handed a nine-game ACC regular-season suspension this season for lack of control of his program.