Despite a gut-wrenching 92-86 double-overtime loss to No. 7 Houston on Saturday, Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self is staying positive and sending a clear message to the doubters.

“If people think this is the frickin’ end of the season, it’s not at all,” Self said after the game. “We played right with maybe the best team in America tonight without one of our starters.”

At 14-5 on the season, the Jayhawks have shown flashes of brilliance but have also been plagued by inconsistency, leaving Self searching for answers.

With one of the best teams in the country, Houston, coming into Allen Fieldhouse and taking advantage of late-game mistakes, there’s some validity to the doubters who question Kansas’ ability to compete with the top-tier teams this season.

Losing a six-point lead with seconds left in overtime, followed by a lackluster performance in double-overtime, has left Self and the team disappointed.

This year’s struggles aren’t a death sentence for the Jayhawks, but they’re also not without their consequences.

Still, the Jayhawks showed resilience, pushing the Cougars to the limit even though they were missing key player KJ Adams.

The frustration is real, however, and there’s still a long way to go before Kansas can turn this season into what they envisioned.

The doubters are there for a reason, but how Kansas responds over the next few weeks will determine if they can quiet those voices and make a deep postseason run.

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