Kansas University basketball fans moaned, groaned, rolled their eyes and shook their heads Saturday afternoon in downtown Lawrence after watching their undefeated men’s team get smashed by unranked Villanova in Philadelphia.

“KU did not show up today,” said John Holman, 23, a KU graduate student from Texarkana, Texas. “Getting beat by five or six points is one thing, but getting beat like this — they got smoked. I was very, very upset.”

The 83-62 loss was KU’s first of the season and its worst under coach Bill Self.

Holman sat with friends at Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 1012 Mass., nursing a beer and trying to calm down after the shocker.

Sitting with Holman was Liam McNamara, who identified with Self’s frustrated reactions to his players’ inept play as the Wildcats sank three-pointer after three-pointer.

“I can only imagine what he said to them,” said McNamara, a 21-year-old KU senior from Manhattan. “He was so crushed he just walked away after it was over.”

Both Holman and McNamara said they thought the Jayhawks went into the game cocky and overconfident. “Better for them to lose now than later,” McNamara said.

Buffalo Wild Wings manager Jeff Chipps was just glad his customers didn’t throw anything at the TV screens as the second half progressed.

“They were, well, I’d say ‘stunned’ is the right word,” he said of his customers during the game. “During the second half you could just hear people groaning. A little at a time they started getting up and leaving.”

6Sports video: Villanova KO’s KU Hear Bill: Villanova postgame comments Photo Gallery: KU vs. Villanova Scorecard: Grade KU’s performance against Villanova Notebook Sign up for cell phone updates Sign up for e-mail updates

‘Stunned’ was also a good way to describe employees at Jayhawk Spirit, 935 Mass., as they listened to the game on the radio.

“I think our defense was pretty bad,” said Willie Wilkerson, who works at the sports apparel shop. “Right now we’re kind of like (NBA star) Shaquille O’Neal when it comes to shooting free throws. He can’t make them and neither can we.”

Wilkerson noted that many Jayhawk players are injured or ill right now and expressed confidence they will get their act together.

“We have to lose sometime,” he said. “I think Bill Self is a great coach, and he’s going to get them going again.”