When a program with brand-name recognition like Kansas loses a game, it registers throughout the college hoops landscape. When one of the blue bloods gets blown out, that attention reaches another level.
The Jayhawks (currently ranked No. 10) experienced an unbelievably bad night Monday in Philadelphia, where Temple looked the part of the powerhouse program [in a 77-52 drubbing][1].
Here is a look at some of the reactions to the surprising beatdown.
Score I cannot fathom even after watching from tip-off until the final buzzer: Temple 77, Kansas 52.
— Jeff Eisenberg (@JeffEisenberg) December 23, 2014
Bill Self might be bringing up the Topeka YMCA again in his postgame news conference.
— Jeff Eisenberg (@JeffEisenberg) December 23, 2014
Bill Self really still trying to figure out this group — and who he can rely on.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 23, 2014
Even if people weren’t watching the game, the score grabbed their attention.
When Jayhawks get beat-there is no doubt / Think KENTUCKY & now TEMPLE ! Owls have some new parts & r ripping Kansas! Blowout city @JL23TV
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 23, 2014
This was a spanking behind the woodshed as my buddy @cbfowler would say ! TEMPLE 77- KANSAS 52 http://t.co/URNyI5nAk6
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 23, 2014
The loss reminded Fran Fraschilla of another not-so-great KU trip to The City of Brotherly Love.
Last time KU got beat this bad in Philly, 14-0 Jayhawks lost to Jay Wright & “4 Guard” offense in blizzard in January, 2005.
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) December 23, 2014
What better place to get reaction to Monday’s game than RushTheCourt.net? The Temple fans, after all, did celebrate the win right there on the floor when the final buzzer sounded.
New from RTC: Three Thoughts on Kansas’ Second Obliteration of the Season http://t.co/Q4biatNGXv @bsgoodman on what ails the Jayhawks…
— Rush the Court (@rushthecourt) December 23, 2014
[RTC’s Brian Goodman had three thoughts on the shellacking][2]:
1. “When the Jayhawks get the bad Perry Ellis, the wheels come off quickly.”
2. “There was more to it than Temple just getting hot.”
3. “It’s taking longer than many thought it would for Bill Self to settle on a frontcourt rotation.”
While the lopsided score left some questioning the Jayhawks’ toughness…
http://twitter.com/olebillyv/status/547420600600653825
… others maintained KU is still a solid team which has played a serious non-conference schedule.
Current SOS by KPI: http://t.co/6ducfg8CyC.
1. Texas Southern
2. VCU
3. Long Beach State
4. Kansas
5. Niagara— KPI Sports (@KPIsports) December 23, 2014
Yes, that Kansas loss at Temple was bad. But keep this in mind: KU still has five top-50 KenPom wins. Nobody in the country has more.
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) December 23, 2014
@GaryParrishCBS Exactly. Kansas is a work in progress, but the Jayhawks played a good overall non-league slate — and won a bunch of games.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 23, 2014
@GoodmanESPN Kansas has five top-50 KenPom wins. Kentucky is the only other team in the country that also has five.
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) December 23, 2014
In fact, CBSsports.com’s Gary Parrish still thinks KU ranks among the nation’s top teams.
Know that nobody has more top-50 KenPom wins than Kansas before you say one word about the updated Top 25 (and one): http://t.co/247YPLiOUA
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) December 23, 2014
In Parrish’s rankings, which he updates daily, [he only moved Kansas down to No. 15][3] (the day before he had KU ninth). Right now, the national writer has two Big 12 teams ahead of the Jayhawks: Texas (ninth) and Oklahoma (14th).
What can be learned from such a game?
Bad night for Kansas but not sure it’s much more than that. Can’t learn a ton from blowout like this. Everything went wrong. Gotta move on.
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) December 23, 2014
Seth Davis, of SI.com and CBS, thought Temple looks vastly better with its new lineup. (Not that he thought KU looked remotely good.)
Wow Kansas. Just wow.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) December 23, 2014
Kansas was awful but Temple is exponentially better with two transfers who just became eligible. Owls can score now, which is scary.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) December 23, 2014
And ESPN.com’s Eamonn Brennan wonders if the Temple loss even means anything for Kansas in the grand scheme of the entire season.
Kansas’ loss meant nothing (for Kansas) http://t.co/tdzFeBY2uq
— Eamonn Brennan (@eamonnbrennan) December 23, 2014
Still, he couldn’t overlook some bad tendencies that showed up in Philadelphia.
Temple is super hot, sure, but Kansas’s first-shot defense is worse than it’s been all season (by, like, a lot).
— Eamonn Brennan (@eamonnbrennan) December 23, 2014
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/dec/22/jayhawks-exposed-miserable-loss-temple/
[2]: http://rushthecourt.net/2014/12/23/three-thoughts-on-kansas-second-obliteration-of-the-season/?utm_campaign=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter
[3]: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24912834/kansas-loses-at-temple-falls-to-15th-in-updated-top-25-and-one
