Kansas vs Cincinnati: Player Ratings to the Theme of Letdowns

A shorthanded Kansas got pummeled in the Big 12 Tournament.

Author:
Derek Noll
Publish date:
Mar 14, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

In this story:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Kansas was without their best two players in Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar, so can I really write an article about letdowns?

Sure can. The definition of letdown is a disappointment or a feeling of disappointment and I can’t think of a more apt feeling for the entire Kansas fanbase. How about making a three pointer once in a while? When Patrick Cassidy has a third of your three pointers, you’re doing something wrong. Terribly wrong. Anyway, let’s rate the players to letdowns, and as always feel free to skip over the parameters by using the table of contents.

5 Stars: Out of this world performance. This is a hard to achieve rating and is only reserved for the most impressive or impressionable performances.

4 Stars: A strong performance that falls just short of the standards above.

3.5 Stars: Above average performance, perhaps stands out in one category or one aspect of the game.

3 Stars: Average performance. Also could be a very strong game in one aspect but a very poor game in another such as 15 points but seven turnovers. Could also be that the player played, did their job, but didn't do much spectacularly.

2 Stars: Below average performance, or we simply have higher expectations for the player on this particular night.

1 Star: Rare, but if a player has a stinker in all aspects.

Memorial No Star: Named after former KU walk-on Chris Teahan and is awarded to the player(s) who didn't have enough playing time to contribute or whose performance isn't worthy of a rating for another reason.

5 Stars: Recruitment for the 2023-24 season

4 Stars: Letdown by Radiohead

Off its 1997 masterpiece OK Computer, this gem by Radiohead is always a crowd favorite when it breaks it out in a live setting. Despite its constant shape shifting, this song on this record remains a classic. I can listen to it over and over.

KJ Adams often looks like the only player who really cares out there. He scored 22 in a valiant effort but with no one else reaching double figures, KJ was going to have to score 50 to make this game competitive in the end. I feel sorry for him. With so much happening to him this season, he doesn’t deserve a team around him that doesn’t compete.

Patrick Cassidy. Good for you, man.

3.5 Stars: Let

Did you know that in Great Britain, they use the phrase “to let” over the American phrase “to lease” when talking about renting real estate. Not interesting, but I needed a 3.5 star.

Jamari McDowell is the other player on this roster that plays with passion. He made the first, and as it turned out, the only three that mattered for Kansas and shortly after, they got the game to within one basket. KU then squandered the momentum. Jamari had seven points but should’ve played more.

3 Stars: The Cleveland Browns

The Jayhawks are having a rough year and on form, look to be heading for an early exit from the Big Dance. It stinks, but Kansas will be back next year. But what if your favorite team was essentially never good? Enter the Cleveland Browns. Even when they are good, they aren’t good enough. Plus, the original team was snatched from the city and that new incarnation went on to win a Super Bowl. Ouch.

Elmarko Jackson has shown sparks recently and driving to the basket is something the freshman should be doing more often. He finished with five points.

You could tell that Dajuan Harris was having a hard time out there with the adjusted game plan and no McCullar or Dickinson. He had four turnovers but it seemed like more. Dajuan did, however, get many of the shots that he wanted, they just didn’t fall. He finished with eight points.

2 Stars: The Star Wars prequels

I remember how excited I was in 1999 when The Phantom Menace came out. Twenty-one-year-old me rushed to the theater with friends and then I saw it. Yawn. Apparently, there is new found love for the prequels, so maybe I’ll give them another try sometime.

Eight rebounds absolves Johnny Furphy from a one star because offensively, he was terrible. Call this a 1.1 star.

1 Star: Fast food

I really don’t eat fast food anymore, but the commercials always make that burger look perfect. How tasty that juicy bad boy must be, the toppings perfectly stacked and the sauce dripping perfectly from one side. The reality is that it is a smashed glop of a mess that you inhale and rarely enjoy.

Nick Timberlake made a consolation three, but I’m tired of making excuses. He’s not good, and he deserves a one star.