🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Looking at the fascinating NCAA stats page

http://stats.ncaa.org/rankings?sport_code=MBB&division=1 ↗

I see this. KU is 3rd in the country in shooting the 3. 45.7 percent. I know this will come down as the competition heats up, but I doubt we've ever had a 3rd ranked 3 point shooting team.

I see this. Wayne is 8th in the nation with his three point percentage. Most top of the chart 3 ballers are usually small conference players so he's in good company here.

I see this. Scoring offense, 5th in the country at 93.5 points. Our scoring defense however, not surprisingly is not so hot, 153rd at 70 points per.

I see this. Our worst ranked category is our FT percentage, which is 69% and 152nd. This is a much more alarming trend than giving up 70 points a game because we are scoring so much. I figure Cheick will be getting fouled frequently and will need to improve here.

The most important ranking however is our 4th in the latest poll, which considering we have a loss to MSU, is pretty darn good.

@wissoxfan83 I'm seeing signs of an elite team being born. It's all there ...just some fine tuning, and repetitions. I think we have a great chance at having dominant teams the next two years with this crew.

@wissoxfan83 Agreed about the FT%. It has to over 75% as a team. Would be awesome to be at 80%.

Low FT% will cost us a game down the road. Especially a close game on the road.

Our bigs really need to work on this all of them Perry was terrible from the line in the first half.

But it's the team % so everyone contributes.

@JRyman 14-32 FT's ring a bell?

@wissoxfan83 said:

@JRyman 14-32 FT's ring a bell?

Without looking it up I'll go '03 NC game vs Syracuse

I'm not usually a huge advanced stats guy but the one that makes the most since to me is tempo (number of possessions per game) and right now according to kenpom.com KU is 16th in adj Tempo (whatever that means).

I take that to mean KU is playing fast! This team is showing the ability to run overmatched teams out of the gym. We haven't always seen that here. It will be interesting to see how much these stats change as we get into the conference. But it seems to me Self is using his speed and depth to his advantage this year.

@JRyman Bingo, totally depressing stat.

@benshawks08 Thanks for those cyber-metrics. I don't understand those very well but when you see us ranked 16th in anything, that's good too.

@wissoxfan83 Unfortunately I remember that game all to well due to those missed FTs over Lee's shot getting tapped away.

@JRyman Lee's shot was a desperation shot that had little chance to go in I remember thinking at the time. I wish I could just forget the whole thing!

@wissoxfan83 he really had no choice. He had the shot lined up shoulders square. Good lift.

By no choice meaning that Hinrik passed as a senior of taking a shot. Maybe the play was designed to go to Lee but he was never known as a great three point shooter.

That's what I never understood.

@benshawks08 wish Self would have tried to run Northern Iowa and Stanford out of the gym. Hopefully we never have a repeat of those games again.

@JRyman

Not quite correct. The game was April 7, 2003; that season (2002-2003) Lee shot 21-42 (o,500) from the 3.

@JayHawkFanToo my mistake. He was just a very quiet three point shooter.

I apologize

@wissoxfan83 BUT...we aren't Roy...and Roy's teams always are terrible at free throws. I was watching UNC clunk free throws last night...lol.

@DinarHawk Stanford was a frosh team with Mason, Selden, and a gameplanned-deftly-by-Stanford Wiggins. UNI was not the KU roster to run, as you had 80% Sherron with his pulled groin--no way he gets bumped by that 6'6 tub-o-lard O'Rear on the way to the rim if he was 100%. We know when healthy, Sherron was unstoppable. This explains maybe his 0-6 from trey in that UNI game also--he always had big answers for opponents 3balls, with his own. Farokhmanesh hit some 3s, Sherron tried to answer...I have no problem with that. Sherron was simply our wounded warrior, nothing will diminish his memory of giving 110% to KU. And who would he "run" fast ball with, when he himself was hobbled up. "Bronchitis" Cole? "Protect-the-goods" Xavier? Tyshawn? Well Tyshawn would be so far ahead of everybody that it wouldn't be a cohesive transition break. And Tyshawn was not the finisher at the rim he blossomed into his senior season.

Another lesson from the 08 Champs about team focus and team unity: They made a pact after their "team mtg" after getting beat in Stillwater by a drowning Sean Sutton, to improve their FT% as a team...and they absolutely did, moving the team FT% up by 5-7%. They were maybe 69-70%, and moved it into the mid-70s%, which is exactly where it needed to be.

And on a POSITIVE note regarding KU FTs: Brandon Rush missed the game's very first FT attempt vs Memphis...but then KU hit every damn FT for the entire game and OT after that. 14 for 15, if I recall correctly. Again, got emotional just thinking about it...

@wissoxfan83 Agreed. FT percentage is a big issue. I have been shocked at how many FT's Perry and Wayne have missed. I expect this from Diallo and Lucas but Perry should live at the line and should be hitting easily 75-80%.

Which brings me to this. I love Perry but is he somehow allergic to dunking? Last night there was not one guy on Loyola who could stop Perry. Perry mad multiple opportunities in the lane where he went up soft and did a layup or tear drop or finger roll. Whatever you want to call it. I'd love to see Perry go up strong. He is a total stud and could be one of the best players in the country but if he plays soft against Loyola I get worried about Texas, OU, Kentucky, etc.

@joeloveshawks It's not just Perry, Hunter, Landon and Jamari have all tried to finess the ball in the hole instead of slamming it home. That's why inthe MSU game they missed so many bunnies.

Soft finishes don't draw fouls. If anything they get blocked or altered. Go hard to the rim. If you get fouled you get a chance at the line plus a short breather plus you get their guys in foul trouble. Especially the way they are calling the game this year.

Heck just like last night when Wayne got the alley-opp dunk or Jamari had his out back dunk in the first half it got the crowd into the game.

All of CDs dunks got the crowd on their feet.

@KUSTEVE Very true about Roy's team. I think he just figured he'd outscore everybody.

@wissoxfan83 and he DID outscore a lot of them!

@nuleafjhawk but almost every Roy season there seemed to be 2-3 games where KU had a blowout loss by 20pts. Cant win every track meet. On days you aren't hitting shots, you need your D to slow down the other guy. Give yourself a chance. I'll take Self's philosophy, but then maybe I'm splitting hairs, as Roy's W/L % was really good at KU also. 2nd place, in fact...

@ralster I have to disagree with you on this one. Go back and watch their games versus K State that year and at Texas. They laid a big fat egg against UNI. Had nothing to do with injuries, they just weren't ready to go.

@DinarHawk Maybe my post's point was off subject slightly, but it came out after Sherron left in May, that he'd pulled his groin in February, and tried to play thru it. When your main engine is limping, it can deflate the team. But I totally agree with your point--> KU as a team didn't have it, just like vs VCU. Multiple fails in the same game. Failed 3pt D. Failed own 3pt %. Failed dribble-drive. Failed rebounding margin.

"Not being ready to play" can happen to the best. It happened to Roy's overall 1-seed UNC in the 2008 Final 4, he admitted it. It happened to the overall 1-seed MorrisHawks vs VCU, for sure.

Laid an egg is exactly right...in several aspects of 1 game, making any team easy to beat.

@ralster I'm a terrible hypocrite - when Self loses really stupid games (you know the ones I'm talking about) I think Roy was the better coach. Most of the time though, I'm very, very happy with Self, although besides the obvious 2008 season, I still like Roy in the NCAA's.

Actually, until last night w hd been shooting FT'S pretty well, BUT when you shoot what we shot last night this early in the season, that will knock your pct down a lot pretty fast

@joeloveshawks I don't understand that weak finish crap either...maybe the DNA's off or something if ya get the drift...JMO

@KUSTEVE Me too Jethro, but we may also one key injury or suspension away from another mediocre 2nd round loss...

@nuleafjhawk Just not Arizona or Syracuse ..... damnit !

@globaljaybird Right. But what's worse - Arizona/Syracuse or , oh let's say Bucknell and UNI ? Or about 5 other teams that I could mention! Lol

@nuleafjhawk isn't everyone though?

I like beating Roy in the ncaa's!💙❤️