Joel Embiid has been amongst the numerous best basketball gamers on the planet for pretty a whereas now. not too prolonged in the past, the LegionHoops account on Twitter, and completely different social media accounts, pulled a quote from Embiid’s 2018 entry from the gamers’ Tribune about his journey, all by means of which he advised a hilarious story about how a teammate at Kansas dunked on him. a quick Google search will remind you that the 2013-2014 Jayhawks additionally featured Andrew Wiggins, as a consequence of the two freshmen would go on to be the No. 1 and No. three general picks inside the 2014 NBA Draft. nonetheless, researching that crew will even remind you of how a lot expertise was wasted that season.
particulars and stats are nostalgia’s best enemy.
“My very first scrimmage at Kansas, I obtained dunked on so exhausting by Tarik Black that I virtually stop,” Embiid wrote. “Tarik dunked on me so exhausting that i used to be taking a look at plane tickets house. This man was a senior. He was a grown man. I didn’t know what was occurring. He obtained his personal rebound and dunked over me so exhausting that all the pieces went in gradual movement.
“He dunked the ball off my head, for exact. however I didn’t even inform you the worst half. The worst half was that every the Kansas women’s hoops crew was sitting inside the bleachers watching the scrimmage. all of the well being membership was laughing at me. It was loopy. severely, it was like a WORLDSTAR state of affairs.
“So I went straight to invoice Self’s office afterward and that i mentioned, “I can’t do this. you will should redshirt me. I can’t play with these guys.”
That Kansas crew was loaded, as six gamers would go on to make the NBA. outdoors of Embiid — who stays in MVP rivalry — and Wiggins — who was a starter inside the NBA All-Star sport final season — the roster additionally included a seldom-used freshman named Frank Mason III. He’d go on to be the nationwide participant of the yr by his senior season. The Jayhawks started 5-zero that season and even knocked off Duke and Jabari Parker early on in a sport that featured the three freshmen who would compose the major three picks inside the upcoming draft.
however then, issues obtained bizarre.
Kansas misplaced three (Villanova, Colorado, and Florida) of their subsequent 4 video games. And the crew that appeared like a squad destined for a closing 4 in opposition to Duke inside the Champions basic on the United coronary heart was by no means ready to stay as a lot as a consequence of the expectations.
invoice Self’s crew would go on to win the huge 12 common season title — which it appears like they do yearly — however misplaced inside the semifinals of their convention match and have been upset inside the Second spherical of the NCAA match by Stanford. The second-seeded Jayhawks misplaced to the tenth-seeded Cardinal who entered that sport with 12 losses. Kansas accomplished the yr with a 25-10 report, which was the major time Self had misplaced double-digit video games in a season all by means of his tenure in Lawrence — till it occurred as quickly as extra in 2018-2019.
as a outcomes of damage, Embiid solely performed in 28 video games that season — which suggests he didn’t go well with up in opposition to Stanford inside the season finale. Black — the teammate who dunked on Embiid — led the Jayhawks in scoring that sport with 18 factors. Wiggins, the eventual No. 1 decide, led the Jayhawks in minutes performed (34) however solely scored 4 factors, as he solely took six photographs in his final collegiate sport.
the major decide inside the UPCOMING NBA DRAFT THAT SEASON solely TOOK SIX MEASLY photographs inside the largest sport OF THE yr!
It’s a stat that every true basketball fan ought to have tattooed into their brains.
As we enter the month the place faculty basketball reigns supreme and the NCAA match will rule the sports activities world, let the 2013-2014 Kansas Jayhawks be a warning to you as you fill out your brackets.
March is a wild place the place unthinkable issues happen, and faculty basketball is on a daily basis drunk. Future NBA All-professionals can get dunked on in adjust to by gamers you’ve most likely by no means heard of earlier than, and No. 1 picks can play unenthused basketball video games all by means of which they solely shoot six occasions when 36 discipline aim makes an try would have been deemed acceptable.
Buckle up, madness is on the function of ensue. And, satirically ample, the Jayhawks are ranked third inside the nation, have been thought of one of the greater of the blue bloods all season, and are defending nationwide champions making an try to repeat.
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