At least Dr. Naismith didn't live to see this ...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kansas thought it could flip a switch come tournament time. All the great ones do when injuries, meaningless conference tournaments and tedious regular seasons get in the way of what really counts.

Kansas' Michael Lee and Wayne Simien are in shock as Bucknell begins its celebration. (AP)

Something flipped all right -- maybe James Naismith in his grave.

Let's be clear about one of the most ignominious defeats in Kansas history: Not only did KU lose a first-round NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1978, it was upset by a Patriot League team with five scholarship players.

Bucknell, a name some Kansas players couldn't even pronounce properly earlier in the week, beat the mighty Jayhawks 64-63 late Friday in the biggest upset of this tournament. The first victory by a No. 14 over a No. 3 seed in six years was more than an upset.

It chipped away at one of the most glorious legacies in the sport.

Kansas was beaten by a coach, Pat Flannery, who twice left the bench at halftime this season and drove home because of stress and other medical reasons. That before taking a three-game leave of absence for the same reason.

It was beaten by a school that didn't award scholarships until two years ago. And the Patriot, which has the highest graduation rate in Division I, now has its first NCAA Tournament win in 14 tries.

"This is indicative of the quality of basketball that exists in the league," Patriot commissioner Carolyn Femovich said with a straight face.

Tell it to Kentucky, which is probably wondering how Kansas came into Rupp and won Jan. 9.

Lacking a pep band, a Bucknell assistant AD approached Northern Iowa's band and "rented" it for the Kansas game. The Panthers band received free T-shirts and $150 to spend on pizza. The Bison fight song was faxed in Friday morning.

Then sophomore center Chris McNaughton gave the kids from Iowa -- and the country -- something to cheer about. He banked in a 10-footer with 10.5 seconds left for the winner.

"What do you think (I was thinking), in that situation?" said McNaughton, a native of Nuremberg, Germany who came to Bucknell to study engineering. "Make the shot and you hope it goes in."

The Jayhawks world held its breath one last time when leading scorer Wayne Simien grabbed a court-length pass and went up for an open 15-footer as the buzzer sounded.