!The 1988 NCAA National-Champion Jayhawks ↗

Young KU basketball team learns about ‘The Miracles’ ↗

Kansas University’s basketball players — who according to coach Bill Self, “went really hard,” in the practice gym Thursday morning — were brought back for what figured to be a strenuous two-a-day session a few hours later.

Instead ...

“We surprised them. We gathered our team together and watched the documentary, ‘Miracles,’” Self said.

Perfect for them to see. The 88 team had to overcome so many obstacles. Don't think any team could play w/more heart than Danny and the miracles! Special team!

@bskeet Some interesting comments about Joel Embiid leaving for NBA from Bill Self. After reading these comments I feel that Embiid might return for his 2nd year. I have also felt all along that Ellis is at least a 3 year player at KU.

In that case KU would be a loaded upfront and there will be some serious competition on PT amongst the Bigs. I would imagine Ellis and Embiid to be the starters and Alexander to come off the bench while Traylor, Lucas and Mickelson would be battling hard for the few remaining minutes.

There has been a discussion here regarding moving Perry to the 3 spot but I see two issues with this move - 1. We will be loaded at the 2/3 spot as well with AW3, Greene, Oubre and there is a possibility that Selden might decide to stay one more year. Could AW3, Greene or CF redshirt considering the depth. 2. Perry will have to change his game over the summer especially on D to suit the 3 spot.

Anyone know where this documentary can be viewed? 88 was my senior year and obviously it holds many great memories for me.

Joel is fast becoming one of the most quotable Jayhawks of all time. His "don't you think I should learn to drive first" is another memorable one. @Approxinfinity, I nominate it for a top of the page quote. I do like that the article hints that Joel may be open to another year at KU. I'm selfish, I want these guys staying here instead of losing a bunch of games in the NBA like Ben is doing now.

As for Johnny Orr, he was a very good coach. I believe he coached Michigan to the title game in '76 against Indiana. He had some tough teams at ISU during my KU years. Jeff Grayer, Jeff Hornacek, and Ron Virgil were talented players who if memory serves correctly didn't lose to KU at ISU.

@wissoxfan83-It's entirely possible you may be able to get to a free trial on Hulu to view the cbssports network & archive "The Miracles" by following this link. Once there you may have to do a search for another link to Hulu plus, but you should be able to at least get a free trial.

http://www.cbssports.com/cbssports ↗ ↗

I've kept "The Miracles" on one of my dvr's since it was first aired. It definitely drove the boys & me down memory lane, as they are in their mid & late 30's now. I even still have the final whopa$$ we put on misery the last match up at AFH. Let me know if this works & maybe I can get the archive of 08' NC game vs Memphis. I know that is available for purchase from cbs. Had that one for several years till I upgraded to HD boxes a while back & lost everything on file. Was not possible to transfer or save according to the tech that came out.

Hope this works for you so again let me know if it's successful. Good luck & enjoy.

@AsadZ - First, I would say that there is zero chance that Ellis moves to the 3. If there was less of a chance than zero, I'd say that. Of course, Self could play big for stretches in certain games. But as for a move to the 3, no way.

On redshirts, it is pretty apparent that CF should have redshirted this season (unless part of the plan was to consider a redshirt next season). Redshirting next season, if he is the 6th perimeter guy or worse, is the best move for CF. He could then have three very productive seasons here.

Tharpe, Mason, Selden, Greene, Oubre -- that's five perimeter players. Heck, Self hasn't played more than four (consistently) for a number of seasons. The fifth guy gets scraps most of the time.

And we haven't even included White or CF in that discussion.

I really don't like the idea of any of our perimeter guys transferring. But the numbers don't lie.

If you're Andrew White (a top 50 player) even assuming Selden leaves, and at the end of the season you are below Brannen Greene in the pecking order, do you stay? Sure, you could redshirt. But if coach Self has regularly moved new recruits ahead of you (Wiggins, Greene, Selden), don't you think it would happen again? Oubre is a top 10 guy, many see as a OAD. And you only have two seasons of college basketball left.

From the evidence we have so far, it would appear that AW3 isn't the guy Self is looking for. The rest of this season could change that impression. But if it doesn't change, I think a White transfer is all but guaranteed.

@HighEliteMajor-Is looking more & more like that every day to me too. White can be lethal for a team like Richmond or VCU & Shaka Smart recruited him quite vigorously, as I believe he played hs ball in Richmond. Also ACC schools NCState & UVA offered him-maybe Hamilton at FSU as well.

I hate to say it but I agree on AW3 being a probable transfer. It honestly seems like it is between the ears when he gets in a game. He presses. According to stories we all read he is a lights out shooter in practice, is a gym rat and put on like 20 pounds of muscle in the off season so he is certainly preparing for the big time the right way and has the talent. We just have not seen it consistently in games.

It is especially tough to think he will stay if Selden stays for next year. That will leave him pretty far down the order if things stay how they are. I have watched quite a few Oubre highlights and he looks pretty incredible. That said, I thought the same thing about Greene, White, CF, etc. I know he is a top 10 guy and not a top 50 guy so he should be closer to "as advertised" but I think it would do us all some good to taper our expectations for any and all recruits. When we signed Wiggins I assumed he would be putting up 25 a game and as we have all seen that has not been the case.

@wissoxfan83-Orr was fun to observe coaching, an excellent X & O guy that really knew how to game manage late in the contest. He was always great at getting his guys in a position to win when the clock was winding down. We took some tough losses from him at Hilton, & Floyd did a helluva job following Orr too. Eustacy wasn't nearly as consistent but Hoiberg is masterful as a recruiter to get the guys playing the style he likes. The Hilton magic is definitely on the upswing under Fred, but IMO he may have his sights set on the L again.

Self was talking last night about the coaches in the Big 8.The ones who were politically incorrect - Norm, Johnny and of course, Billy Tubbs. All three were great coaches and great showmen. Every time Orr walked on the court, the Tonight Show theme was played. I always wondered if royalties were paid to NBC? I also know KU fans respected those coaches, especially Eddie Sutton walking over and hugging Nick and Kirk during the game when they were taken out for the last time against OSU.

"The Miracles" were all about developing a chip on their shoulders and they were not to be denied.... especially Manning.

I remember watching that championship game in the middle of the night, in Wiesbaden, Germany, on the AAFES military network. I kept a family up all night with my screaming "HE WILL NOT BE DENIED!" every time Manning scored.

He had 31 points and 18 rebounds in that final against a tough team with great post players and they knew Manning's game already. Knowing all that puts it into perspective of just how Manning was not going to be denied.

Where is that fire today? On this team?

Out of everyone on this team I like Embiid's passion most. If we can just build a chip on him to be the next Danny Manning in March... posting big stats... who knows? At least Embiid is so new to the game that he has no baggage to work through... he's a blank slate ready to be filled.

No way I give Manning all the credit for that NC... it took a team. But Manning was the guy who would not be denied, and when he wouldn't be denied, the rest jumped on board. It always takes one guy who decides he can't stand to lose another game. Who will it be on this team?

Before the rubber match at Kemper, Brown emphatically told them "do not run" with these guys-play half court & wear em down...yeah, right. The played run & gun for a couple of minutes & Milt or Danny in the huddle said "eff that, we can beat these guys at their own game." At the half when tied 50-50, Brown finally convinced them to slow down just a little because they were dead tired & then history was composed as the Miracles took it to them right through Danny. Pritch, Barry, Milt, Chris, Scooter, Clint, to the man, played the game of their lives. I'll never forget HOFer Rick Barry acting so tickled folding & rubbing his hands together as Scooter kept calmly knocking down his shots & FT's. And no mistake, they played damn angry too. OU had cut down the nets after the game they won at Allen, which IMO was one of the most bush league moves Tubbs ever came up with & he had accomplished many that season, by continually outscoring opponents by 30, 40, & 50 pts again & again, & playing his starters almost constantly, intentionally embarrassing every team they defeated. He had the better talented team maybe, but when a stud like Danny said no mas, it made no diff at all-he was going to hoghead that cavalcade & everyone else grabbed the grip & hopped right on the NC Pullman. Tubbs looked like he could cry when the caboose finally sped by. Heaven knows he really had it coming too.

@globaljaybird - good post!

Yeah... Tubbs didn't understand karma. Turning AFH into a celebration for OU basketball wasn't a good idea. I'll never forget their little dance and how they rubbed it in on teams. Not exactly respectful basketball etiquette.

Funny how some can't even wait to win the big prize before they start acting the fool! So many people just aren't cut out for greatness. Tubbs and Stewart were a couple from the Big 8 that had "L" stamped on their heads. Just a few mods to their behavior and I have little doubt both would have more to show for all the effort they put into basketball. But... that ain't my problem!

SB Nation: Documentary Celebrates 25th Anniversery ↗

@wrwlumpy : Made that a link for everyone. And a big THANK YOU for that link.

And I'm sure some of you have already watched SportsCenter today but former Jayhawk Royce Woolridge and WSU had a rough night.

zona vs WSU ↗

SB Nation: Documentary Celebrates 25th Anniversery

@wrwlumpy Unfortunately, you need a DVR with a space-time warp chip to set it for 2013.

If it comes on in 2014, please let me know. I would love to record it on my 21st century Tivo.

@bskeet : Unfortunately, you need a DVR with a space-time warp chip to set it for 2013.

Isn't that what the "Hopper" is??

Was evident Tubbs had never been there before, nor was not destined to ever be.But it also made me happy as a puppy with two -eckers to watch Norm pi$$ & moan, then ultimately lose. I could go on & on about him also but no one here is interested in most of that krap, including me! But I will add that a friend's son was heavily recruited by him & when he "chauffeured" them around campus in his scroungy Caprice, they said it appeared as if he had recently hauled hay bales & chickens in the back seat! That's about as purely classless as Billy ever was also.

@bskeet Too funny!

You can tell I'm bored at work. I should probably go home... Here's something to make you laugh. I'm guessing she is feeling like crap today.

Drunk woman vs OU fan ↗

I'm bored at work today listening to the brilliant callers that Finebaum gets every day. Lots of lost little Bam'ers out there. Here's a video from some woman that is probably nursing a headache today.

[link text](

Lots of lost little Bam'ers out there.

That leap she does is ESPN top-play-worthy.

@Kip_McSmithers On a related subject I really hope that Mizzou loses tonight.

Love it! Hopefully we see a Missouri fan doing the same thing tonight!

Headline at NBC College Basketball Talk

Weekend Preview: Sunday’s big, and not just on gridiron

Rob Dauster

Jan 3, 2014, 9:00 AM EST

GAME OF THE WEEKEND: No. 21 San Diego State at No. 16 Kansas, Sun. 4:30 p.m.

This is a huge game not only for San Diego State, but for the Mountain West as well. The Aztecs have been one of the more surprising teams in the country this season, but they don’t exactly have a ton of great wins. They beat Creighton and Marquette, who both could end up in the tournament, and knocked off Washington as well, but that’s it. But here’s the thing: even that mediocre non-conference schedule places SDSU near the top of the MWC in terms of performance outside the league. The Mountain West as a whole needs this win.

Can they get it? Well, it’s not going to be easy. Andrew Wiggins was the talk of Lawrence entering the season, but over the course of the last month, the Jayhawks have become a team that pounds the ball into the paint. Joel Embiid, Perry Ellis, Tarik Black. Those are the guys that have shined for Kansas in recent games, and I’m not sure the Aztecs have the front court to deal with them. It will be interesting to see what happens when Wiggins guards Winston Shepard as well. Shepard has been sensational the last three games.

@wrwlumpy I wouldn't lump those three coaches together. Tubbs was a classless moron who after we beat them was quoted in the paper saying he knew his team was better. I was pretty new to KU back then so I hadn't developed the anti-Missouri venom that I soon would, and it was Billy Tubbs and OU that I hated. I still do in fact.

@KirkIsMyHinrich & @Crimsonorblue22 : If I could I'd give you both 1,000 favourites.

@Kip_McSmithers - Man.. I'd give YOU a 1,000 favs for posting that 'bama clip!

To think... Bama with TWO losses this year? What's next... ending apartheid in the South?

; )

@RockChalkinTexas .... I agree.. the MWC does need this win! It's tough as it is being a team in the Midwest, just imagine being West?! They are at such a disadvantage with TV scheduling, and so so far away from East coast sports media... since we are considered West by East coasters... imagine what West is? China?

@Kip_McSmithers opps

I wr

oops. I wrote 2013 on a check today.

@wrwlumpy my kids make fun of me for using checks! After watching the Miracles, I had forgotten how much I hated Tubbs. So my question is, after Tubbs left did our hate grow for Missouri and soften for Oklahoma?

@wrwlumpy

Do you still write checks? I don't believe I have written one in a couple of years; all electronic transfers, credit cards or PayPal.

@Crimsonorblue22 The hate for Missouri is/was/will be eternal. The feelings toward OU were linked to Tubbs.

@Crimsonorblue22 - My kids are so ashamed of me. I write checks AND I don't have a debit card, I won't order anything online unless that's the only way in the universe that I can get what I want and .............. wait for it ............. I don't own a cell phone.

@nuleafjhawk Same here with me on all those. And I'll add I have no cable/dish/satellite TV.

@RockChalkinTexas do you have bunny ears on a black and white? Jk! I do hope you get our games, by radio?

@Crimsonorblue22 I do have the internet so I have access to ESPN but that is it.

@RockChalkinTexas I'm not making fun of you by any means!