🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Some will say hey it's Texas they always fold like a cheap suit. Rick Barnes couldn't coach his way out of a wet paper bag. Yet Texas has something that KU doesn't ""size"".

I'm not trying to predict bad things for our beloved Jayhawks. I'm just saying this years team has a Achilles heel and it's size. I know some will say we need to do this or do that and we will win. However I think it goes much deeper than that. I'm not sure HCBS can scheme or craft a game plan that brings a victory.

Many times in my life as well as most of you. A barrier was before my journey. I couldn't out smart the barrier. I couldn't run around it, go under it, or go over it. I had to man up and go through it.

If KU is to reach greatness this year they have to go through Texas's size. They have to be like if you try to block my stuff, then I will dunk it. If you pack the middle with your size then I will rain bombs from three land. In what ever you do I will make you pay. I'll make you pay when thought it wasn't possible. I will get every loose ball because I want it more. When you knock me to the ground I will get up and knock down my free throws. When you least expect it I will take the ball from you. When ball clanks of he rim I will have that rebound because your size means nothing to me.

Ok I'm done. :) Rock Chalk

@DoubleDD

Agreed! This team has started to show DESIRE unlike anything last years team portrayed. Getting on the floor and winning 50/50 balls will win games and championships.

As for strategy, outside in is a MUST. I watched some Indiana-Maryland tonite and IU spread the floor w/ 5 out and Turg's guys couldn't stop em.

@VailHawk Crean just got lucky with a strategy. He's the one who really can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag.

@wissoxfan83

I've heard IU folks really don't like him much. He looked like a coaching genius last nite, tho!

Regular season games on CBS scare me.

I think we have to realize that Texas has lost to both Oklahoma schools... and they were smashed at home against OU. Neither school has size.

Pull up the stats from the OU game. They had balanced scoring, a good sign showing Texas can be beat all over the floor. OU beat UT in every category except blocks. What sticks out big is the Longhorn's bad FG% from 2 and 3... and also that OU had 8 steals, and I'm guessing a lot of those turned into run outs.

It sounds like OU used high ball pressure to disrupt the Texas flow. It created steals and kept Texas from running good offense by speeding them up.

I didn't see this game, but the stats do tell a story. It would be helpful to hear from those who saw the game.

Now is the time to beat Texas, because they are a team that is bound to improve over the next month (if they stay healthy).

If we can beat them in Austin and in AFH we now have a friend for helping us with #11 because they are going to take down some other top teams in our league before it is over.

I hope Self isn't still thinking of beating his hi/lo strategy into this game. Perry/Cliff/BamBam/Landen won't be effective with their backs to the basket. We need to focus on motion, creating gaps in the Texas zone, or if they want to go M2M than we need to run effective screens.

Let's all hope we have the hot hand from 3! Maybe we try some small ball with heavy high ball pressure and Perry in the post. Perry will force Ridley out high or Perry knocks down 3s from the top of the key. Make Texas play to a plan we brought instead of us always being predictable and letting Texas do as they will.

This is a game we can really use Kelly's talents... if he is ready to export his game on the road!

@VailHawk Can you imagine how lethal we would have been last year if we had the desire that we do this year? Even with JoJo injured if Wiggs wasn't protecting the brand and the rest of the team flat out had desire we'd have been damn scary last year.

@drgnslayr It would be huge for us to take both games! I really hope they do well tomorrow otherwise I'm going to have a long irritable drive back home. I think our guys will be turned up for the game tomorrow , they gotta be on top of the world after meeting the president yesterday, and I think they will show up and take care of business.

Simply the biggest factor why we could lose is that we are on the road. Last year was a debacle, 2 years ago we had to use a 2nd half comeback if I recall to win against a terrible UT team. 3 years ago they weren't that good and played us to the end. The point is they play above their usual level when KU comes to town no matter how good they are. We are used to it, we've earned that type of reputation.

We can't control what's going to happen in the paint. Many of us can predict that we will struggle and they are probably right. We know we have a huge disadvantage down low but we can make up for it with aggressive and smart play.

We can control our shooting %, our rebounding, and turnovers. We do all those well and we stand a good chance of getting a gigantic road victory. Last week we didn't play well under the pressure of the road, this week could be totally different after a big home win and meeting Obama. A lot changes in one week, we know Texas can struggle and hopefully our guys will play good enough to get a W.

@BeddieKU23

I think we can analyze every aspect of the game and tear it apart and think of whys and make predictions.

I'm only looking about ONE thing we need to beat Texas.... ENERGY!

We hit lots of shots in that first half against OU. It wasn't just that we were hot... we brought ENERGY to that half! And look what happened the second half. The flow was gone (along with most of our energy until late).

When we bring ENERGY we are almost impossible to beat!

If I knew we would bring ENERGY (for 40 minutes) to a rematch with Kentucky... I'd put my money on Kansas!

@drgnslayr

That's what I'm talking about. If KU plays with energy and desire then they are crazy good. If they can learn to play that way for 40 mins every game. The sky is the limit for this team, and I too would welcome a rematch with UK. ;)

@drgnslayr

I agree that Energy is a huge factor. Have we played with great energy on the road yet? I don't think we can say we have. Monday we showed a whole new level of Energy when things are going good and we have that crowd in Allen Fieldhouse rockin. Can we create our own Energy, because the good teams can and we will have to either play with great energy for an entire game or win certain statistical battles to win. That's why I pointed out our FG%, rebounds and Turnovers because all 3 of those can make or break the game. If we don't bring the Energy consistently but we shoot well, rebound well and turn the ball over less I think everything else will lead to a W. That's how I'm viewing this game, a game we must win to really show everyone we mean business.