Getty Head coach Bill Self talks with Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks.
The Kansas Jayhawks are not mathematically eliminated from the Big XII title. They dropped a 81-68 decision at Oklahoma Tuesday night, falling 2 games back of first-place Texas Tech with just a game left. The last time that happened was in head coach Bill Self’s first season in Lawrence all the way back in 2004.
That year, Oklahoma State finished with a 31-4 record, including a 14-2 mark in conference. That was 2 games in front of Kansas (as well as Texas). The 2 highest-usage offensive players were juniors Wayne Simien (17.8 points per game) and Keith Langford (15.4 ppg).
The Jayhawks earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They also managed to reach the Elite 8, eventually losing 79-71 in overtime to Jarret Jack and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Here’s what the world, both in sports and elsewhere, was like back then.
Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor led UConn to the NCAA Championship
The Connecticut Huskies won their second national championship, as they topped Georgia Tech 82-73 in San Antonio. While 6 players eventually played in the NBA, the Huskies were led by former Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon and Charlotte Hornets forward Emeka Okafor.
Nick Saban won the BCS National Championship…with LSU
After the 2003 season, Nick Saban led Louisiana State to the 2004 BCS National Championship with a 21-14 victory over Oklahoma in the 2004 Sugar Bowl. Eventual Raiders No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell was a backup quarterback for the Tigers.
The Red Sox Finally Broke the Curse of the Bambino
The Boston Red Sox used to be a cursed team in the long, long ago. Before possessing the second-highest payroll in baseball and winning 2 World Series in the last decade, the last time they were champions was 1918.
They needed to comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS against the rival New York Yankees, and swept the St. Lous Cardinals to take the title.
The No. 1 Movie at the Box Office was “The Passion of the Christ”
Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” was dominating the international box office. The story about the final days of Jesus Christ was seen by millions of people across the world. The film was released for the Easter season, also around the time Kansas would be transitioning to the NCAA Tournament.
The film finished with over $370 million.
Usher and Lil’ Jon Had the No. 1 Song in the Country
From late February to early May, Usher and Lil’ Jon stayed atop the Billboard Top-100 with their hit song “Yeah.” It’s the second song of the year that dominated the airwaves with “Yeah” in the title, as Outkast’s “Hey Ya” led for the first two months.
Fantasia Barrino Won American Idol Season 3
Remember her?
Comments