We could hear the sound all the way up here in Leavenworth, the sound of Kansas University’s ego taking a big hit Sunday afternoon when the occasionally pompous Jayhawks lost to the Wichita State Shockers in the NCAA basketball tournament.

As I understand it, Coach Self and the KU athletic department maintain that the Jayhawks have nothing to gain by playing the mid-major Shockers on a regular basis during the non-conference portion of their schedule. Well, it would appear that the Jayhawks have plenty to gain by playing the Shockers since the Shockers have won the only two meaningful games between the two teams in what amounts at this point to a non-rivalry. If nothing else, maybe the crimson and blue can figure out a way to beat the black and gold and some of the other mid-majors they have struggled with when everything is on the line.

Truth be told, there’s no reason why both the Jayhawks and the K-State Wildcats shouldn’t be playing the Shockers every year in non-conference play, with one of them traveling to Wichita for the game and the other staying at home. If you ask me, KU’s blue bloods can learn a lot by playing some other school’s blue-collar guys every now and then.