🏀 KuBuckets Archive

My headline was just clickbait, but now that you're here.....

It's been an interesting week and a half. We've gone from the depths like I haven't seen since the Michigan game to the relative heights of blowing out one of college hoops most storied programs. So what does KU have to do tonight to cool the heat that is building? Is this a 'must win' for the future of the coach? The Michigan St. game drew national attention to the complaints some here have had against him.

What's your prediction for tonight? I heard the other night someone mention Vandy as playing as well as anyone in the country so far. I'm not surprised as Kevin Stallings has had them ready to play during his tenure there. But I know nothing about them.

@wissoxfan83 I'm just happy - ecstatic - that we got a big lead TWO GAMES IN A ROW and didn't blow it.

Austin Knox ‏@A_dot_Knox · 9h9 hours ago
If we can play like we did tonight every night and add Cheick Diallo and Brannen Greene. Watch out. #FreeDiallo #freebrannengreene

My feelings exactly!

If we don't win tonight, I believe we'll playing the following movie again until the next game.

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@wissoxfan83 Clickbait huh? I fell for it too...

@globaljaybird As usual, I really had nothing to say!

Svi saved his job!

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@wissoxfan83 We're going to be laughing at the prospect that during our Final Four run, that some were calling for Self to be fired....

Well, JUST in CASE we do happen to lose tonight, since it'll be late in the evening, why don't we just get a jump on posting and save some time?

Bill self must go.

He clearly can't understand the strength of his players and is playing the wrong style and the wrong people always.

Jamari shouldn't be playing at all. Bragg should have everyone of his minutes .

Our players aren't leaders, they have no fighting team spirit, and it is self's coaching style that is to blame.

Since we aren't able to recruit at the level of Duke and Kentucky, it serves us right to lose with a bunch of lower ranked players.

Brannen Green would've won the game for us, but since Bill self refuses to play him, Brandon had no choice but to mouth off and now he is sitting at home.

Since we are an Adidas school, it will get much worse before anything changes.

( let me know if I've missed anything )

:)

Vandy is a very big team and has a lot of people that can shoot. They are the kind of team that can make life miserable for KU around the rim.

Numbers that matter:

VS. Michigan State 3-15 from 3pt

VS UCLA 10-23 from 3pt

And that's with no Brannen Greene and Svi not shooting the ball well from distance (2-9 from beyond the arc). This KU team should just anticipate shooting 20+ threes every night.

KU had 12 assists against Michigan State.

KU had 19 assists last night.

Almost all three point baskets come from assists, as most players not named Steph Curry are decidedly worse shooters off the dribble than when set from three. This KU team will be defined by the ability to drive and kick to open shooters, or the ability to throw into the post and make the extra pass on the rotation to get the ball in the hands of an open shooter. Five different players hit from three last night.

The only thing we must do now is get Carlton Bragg more minutes. We cannot continue to have such a talented guy getting just 10 minutes of run a night.

@Bosthawk said:

( let me know if I've missed anything )

Well you missed the NCAA holding out Diallo.

No mention of Hunter's ability to grab every rebound known to man.

I mean just to pile on.

@justanotherfan

that's not going to change and while Bragg looks great in the time out there he's not changing the game enough to play over the veterans.

@justanotherfan
Right on every count

@nuleafjhawk

" I’m just happy - ecstatic - that we got a big lead TWO GAMES IN A ROW and didn’t blow it."

According to Self, we did blow it. The second half we played them even.... and we all now know how bad UCLA is. They are in desperate need of more talent. I guess it isn't easy recruiting out west...

@Crimsonorblue22

Svi is starting to produce and that is great to experience from a fan's perspective!

Once again... I just don't buy that he is ready for the league, like the hype is selling. He should stick around for 4 years, finish his education, and advance his game to the highest level before he pimps himself out to pro ball.

His ceiling is high, but he still has a long ways to go. A big part of it is just him aging into manhood and "ripening" his body.

@drgnslayr that's the problem with the league. They base everything on a players ceiling/potential.

They don't care what they are as a player now. The sooner they can get them away from a college team and I to the L they can make money off of them.

In my opinion of kids played longer in college two things would be seen. 1) the product in then a would be better as a whole. 2) greater fan bases. The fans would be more connected to a guy who played at their college for two or three years instead of just one.

I'd like Svi to be around for another year, let his game really shine and I believe he would graduate with a degree in his three years plus summer school at KU.

@justanotherfan

"This KU team will be defined by the ability to drive and kick to open shooters, or the ability to throw into the post and make the extra pass on the rotation to get the ball in the hands of an open shooter. "

That is what we need, no doubt!

We try a bit too much to just position players right and pass around the horn to develop a good shot. That works to some degree, but it is also a "lazy man's" version. Guys need to set screens and stay in motion. They should be running schemes to free up shooters.

Another thing, as you said, is to see more guys driving the ball and kicking out to open shooters.

We have put so much energy into proper spacing for an offense to just make fast, sharp passes around and catch the defense not sliding quick enough and someone being open. But yet, we don't put the energy into proper spacing off of running offense in motion. That should be the next step... work on proper spacing so a driving player DOES create a wide open shot for someone on the perimeter.

@drgnslayr That's why we'll be so good next year - Frank, Devonte, Svi, and Bragg along with whoever is the 5.

@justanotherfan
"Numbers that matter:

VS. Michigan State 3-15 from 3pt

VS UCLA 10-23 from 3pt"

Michigan state played very good 3 point D against us

UCLA did not- lotta open 3 looks

@JRyman

I'm not sure this is good or bad, but one phenomenon that is happening in the league is they are expanding the d-league.

On one hand that is great because it gives more opportunities for players to make it to the league.

On another hand... players make the same pay as a McDonald's employees flipping burgers, and for many it just prolongs the agony of not facing the reality music. It is getting tougher for guys to make it overseas, too.

I'm concerned it just encourages more guys to leave early, thinking they have more of a cushion to fall back on.

@JRyman I do think Svi is having the time of his life, the chemistry is super great w/this group. Don't see Bragg moping, I think he understands his place and will get more time as he gets better.

@Texas-Hawk-10 think we can out run them?

@Crimsonorblue22 3rd game in 3 days so I don't know. It helps that KU has had 2 blow outs to not rack up the minutes, but Vandy has had 2 blow outs as well so they should be pretty rested. On paper, Vandy is a team that can give KU all kinds of trouble inside because of their size. If this isn't a match up that suits Hunter over Lucas, then there isn't one on KU's schedule.

KU has to draw their bigs away from the basket to keep the paint from getting packed in. Ellis hitting an early 3 from the top of the key would go a long way in doing that.

Lets not forget Bragg is a frosh, learning Self's halfcourt offense still, which really limits his usefulness at this point in time.

All those great ku highlight plays like lob dunks off backdoor cuts, etc..are usually set up away from the ball by trapdoor screens, picks, etc, to free a guy up, who is next seen receiving a lob pass for a dunk or uncontested layup. That's hi% ball at its best, set up by Self's system...but gotta know the plays and be in the right place. And with all that going on in a kids head, we then see him getting beat on the D end. Ive seen Bragg get yanked for this exact reason a few times already. But he seems to be a high-IQ kid, plays with fire...lets see if he's a quick study. Raw athleticism + McDAA talent can make some plays, but extended mpg require system-level execution.

Its a process, varies for each frosh. Graham was a dream-find frosh. Bragg could be similarly quick study, I hope. We'll need more of him in March...