Kansas University's second season under head coach Bill Self started brilliantly. The Jayhawks traveled to Canada for a quartet of exhibition games, giving their five freshmen some much needed game experience. Two more preseason games in-state Division II opponents finished preparing Kansas for its tough regular-season schedule.

The end of the exhibition games didn't slow down KU, which won its first 14 games in the regular season, including victories over Georgia Tech, Kentucky (in Rupp Arena, without Wayne Simien), and six other NCAA Tournament teams.

A big nonconference road loss to Villanova stunned the team, but KU bounced back with six straight victories, including wins big wins over Texas, Missouri and Colorado.

In fact, the Jayhawks started the Big 12 Conference season a perfect 10-0, but stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their final six league games. Those losses include a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Texas Tech, a home loss to Iowa State and a defeat at Missouri that cost KU the outright Big 12 regular-season title.

Despite the struggles during that span, KU's two victories were important — a 30th straight victory over in-state rival Kansas State (on Senior Night and the 50th anniversary of Allen Fieldhouse), and a two-point home victory over Oklahoma State.

The Jayhawks pushed that streak over the Wildcats to 31 games in the Big 12 Tournament, defeating KSU, 80-67, in the quarterfinals. Oklahoma State gained revenge in the semifinals, though, topping KU, 78-75, when Alex Galindo's three-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim (much like a similar shot by John Lucas in KU's regular-season win over OSU).

The loss to the Cowboys likely cost the Jayhawks a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but KU still received a No. 3 seed and a first-round matchup against Bucknell in the Syracuse regional and the nearest tournament pod — Oklahoma City.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, No. 14-seeded Bucknell upset KU, 64-63, in the first round — the first time the Jayhawks had been knocked out in their opening game since 1978 — ending what was expected by many to be a magical year for the senior class and the rest of the team.