Kansas Basketball 2011-12: How Much Worse Can Things Get in Lawrence?

Seven-foot high school center Kaleb Tarczewski, the sixth-rated player in the nation, announced yesterday that he has chosen Arizona over Kansas.

Head coach Bill Self seems to be an upbeat, optimistic individual able to withstand the ups and downs that come from being the head coach of a major college basketball program, but the last seven months have offered up enough mishaps and misfortune around KU basketball to make even a glass-half-full guy become just a tad pessimistic.

A modest time line depicts the unhappy events in Jayhawk Nation in recent months:

March 27: KU's season ends with a startling upset at the hands of Virginia Commonwealth. This was Tyrel Reed, Brady Morningstar and Mario Little's final game.

April 7: Marcus and Markieff Morris enter the NBA Draft.

April 14: Josh Selby enters the NBA Draft.

April 15: Royce Woolridge transfers from Kansas and ends up at Washington State.

July 8: Former KU Assistant Coach Neil Dougherty dies at age 50.

September 16: Incoming freshman Braeden Anderson will not attend KU after being declared an academic partial qualifier and lands at Fresno State.

October 14: Incoming freshmen Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor were declared as academic partial qualifiers and will not be eligible for the 2011-12 season.

October 27: Junior forward Thomas Robinson hyper-extended his left knee at practice, but is not projected to miss significant time. Robinson had surgery last season to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

October 30: Jayhawk guards Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson were suspended for two exhibition games for summer team rules violations.

By far, this will be the most challenging season for Self since he came to KU in 2003.

Fortunately for him, his 237-46 record as the Jayhawks' coach and the 2008 NCAA Championship should buy him ample time to get things back on track.