In early January, Hall of Fame coach Bill Self criticized this Jayhawk team. After the loss to Texas Tech, Self described the them emphatically as soft. The coach is a master motivator and was absolutely correct. The Jayhawks allowed Tech to absolutely dominate the glass 44-29 in that Allen Fieldhouse setback. They also scored 26 points on 15 Jayhawk turnovers.
On February 24, the Jayhawks turned the table on Tech to clinch another Big 12 title. This team stepped up when Udoka Azubuike hurt his knee and won the tournament title. They needed the same grit to earn a win Saturday against the Pirates and their monster rebounder.