🏀 KuBuckets Archive

OU shooting Stats confirm KU guarded 4 guys better than I thought?

The player that guarded their guy that went off will, or will not, be selected defensive player of the week?

Embiid quoted that he cannot remember the play in which he was hit in the eye by Michelson. Concussion? Brain "nicked up?" Socket crack? Vision problem? Weak line suggests something.

White got zip PT after ambiguous answer to transfer rumor. Linkage?

Conner quoted saying Self said matchups dictated Conner would see some PT. Match ups post ambiguous transfer answer by White?

Self coyly having it both ways with refs on T call? It would not play well with refs I knew? Will it play well with the refs vs. KSU?

When was the last time KU ALLOWED A LOSING TEAM 83 points in a conference opener?

How does a team hold an opponent to 37% FG, yet allow 83 points?!!!!!!!!!!!!

@jaybate 1.0 In regards to your last question, Oklahoma shot 45% from the field. They also got to the free throw line 36 times and made 29 of them.

@jaybate Is white transferring? Are you Sheahon Zenger by chance? If yes, don't reply or reply by denial. How do you put in the emoticon winking guy?

@VailHawk ;-) semi-colon, hyphen and end paren

@KirkIsMyHinrich , thanks for that assist. I thought I was perhaps caught in a basketball episode of the BBC situation drama "black mirror." :-)

@VailHawk, in the Venn diagram of aliases, I am all not Sheahon's Zenger. ;-)

@RockChalkinTexas THX!

@jaybate ;,). I'm tracking w you! But really struggling w the emoticon!

@VailHawk, please note that I only flatly denied being Zenger in the Venn diagram of aliases, thus it is not a categorical denial, but rather an ambiguous, limited denial expressed in order to meet the complex standards you set. ;-)

;-) got it!

@jaybate Lou Perkins?

@VailHawk, I have Perkins envy, but, no, I am ambiguously not Sweet Lew. :-)

@jaybate 1.0 No problem, it happens to the best of us. 83 points is still too many.

"How does a team hold an opponent to 37% FG, yet allow 83 points?!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Of course, scoring 29 pts from the line helped. That not only gave them easy points, but also stopped the clock to allow more possessions. What helped the most was the amount of possessions Oklahoma had in the game. We had 14 TOs, which helped give them more possessions... but more than anything, both teams didn't burn up much of the shot clock.

We can limit points by slowing down our offense and using the clock, but that has never been a strategy in our offense. We can play better defense and lower opponents' FG%... that would help the most because they'd make a lower % and probably burn more of the shot clock in the process.

We burned OU for 90 pts, and shot over 50% from the floor. When you figure that in to the fact that we didn't use much of the clock either, it all plays a part in giving both teams more possessions.

OU put up 72 shots in this game! And they only snagged 6 offensive rebounds. So what we are looking at here is a spun up game. You can even contribute some of their point totals to the fact that OU's defense totally stunk. We were able to score quickly, and in doing so we quickly give the ball back to OU.

I think I would credit OU's lousy defense second for helping them tally 83, first I'd go with all our fouls.

This was an ol' western shoot out!

@drgnslayr, thank you, sir, for clearing out my cobwebs this fine day.

Conner hit the wide open 3, but my hope for the future was his shot fake and stepping to the top of the key for the in-rhythm 2.
He will get his minutes this year against guards 6'3" and shorter. This doesn't solve the problem of who will come in the game against guards like Thames from SDSU. Selden did a dive and time out that Haase would have been proud of. The T.O. was one thing for the refs, but watch the fire in the huddle on DVR as Coach does what he does best, he got his player's attention.

@wrwlumpy, I missed that dive while looking away from the action due to my dog chewing up a pen and getting black ink on the rug. Your retelling of the event does it more justice and gives it more meaning than the references I read written by the pro journos. Thanks.

I'm pleased with the victory. Especially the effort from several of the guys, including Selden and Frankamp who had that breakout game they sorely needed.

I'm still concerned about our ball handling down the stretch, our defense and blocking out (allowed 7 off rebounds.) My biggest concern after last night? What is wrong with Andrew Wiggins? Others have mentioned it. He seems off. Disengaged. Is he lazy? Overwhelmed? At this point it's clear: even those of us that started the year with tempered expectations may have been expecting too much. This isn't that Alpha Dog we were promised. He's stepping out of bounds, bumbling and fumbling the ball and turning it over - seemingly even more so with the game in the balance.

He's continues to make questionable decisions. Case in point: With a little more than 2 minutes left in the game and KU up 2 possessions, he drives the lane with 30 seconds left on the shot clock and turns it over. Just not high IQ basketball. That same play also showed another of his deficiencies: he doesn't finish strong. He's always trying some off balance spin move or scoop shot. Jay Bilas touched on this. Andrew. Dude. You're 6'8 and can jump out of the gym. Just once try to posterize somebody. I don't care if it goes in or not. Lay off of the 3's. Drive the lane. And finish. Strong.

I'm still rooting for the kid and I know we can't accomplish our goals this year without him. I just want to see some heart. Some passion. Shoot, I'll take a Beta Dog at this point.

@JayDocMD I agree, he can dunk everything, so, dunk everything. That's what they told the twins when they were Freshmen.

"What is wrong with Andrew Wiggins?"

@JayDocMD - That question entered my mind, too.

Is he over-thinking the game so he's slowing down and the game (opponents) are able to react quick on him and take advantage?

Or is he under-thinking the game and not seeming to focus enough on our games because he is getting absorbed in all the media chaos around him?

I don't know. When I scouted all his online clips before he came to Kansas I thought he would be a loose player and always having fun. He has a tremendous smile and seemed to have an outgoing personality. That isn't really what he has been projecting recently in games. Maybe he reads too much sports media being critical of his play and instead of taking it as a personal challenge, he takes it in a way that makes him unresponsive.

I was surprised with the way the game was called, OU was in the double bonus with more than 10 minute left on each half; not that they need it because they were great from the charity stripe. Even in the second half when I though OU had more fouls, suddenly they are in the double bonus and KU is not even in the bonus. Weird.

I kept thinking that if this crew would have called the KU-Georgetown game the game would have been stopped at half time because every eligible player would have fouled out; Tarik certainly would have been done with 18 minutes left n the first half. What is it about Tarik? It seem that the refs look at him and automatically call a foul.

Embiid's left eye looked quite swollen and it was obvious that he was not comfortable with the goggles. When he pulled them up to take free throws, he made them both.

@JayHawkFanToo - I think Tarik is a victim to inconsistent referees. He is the perfect example of what is wrong with college-quality officiating and then mixing in these new rule interpretations.

It is clear that the new rule interpretations just broaden the window for inconsistency in refereeing. In the old days, calling games "tight" was never like this. Players can get whistled now for having bad body odor.

Tarik has it all going wrong for him. First.. any player that size appears guilty of fouling... so if there is even the slightest contact, he gets whistled for the foul. The chances of him ever getting a "benefit of the doubt" call is about the same odds as getting struck by lightning while on your way to collect your winnings for hitting the lottery.

Tarik will be our barometer player for understanding how games are going to be called. It would be a good idea to put him back in the starting lineup, and every game where he gets 2 quick fouls in the first couple of minutes, we put in Embiid with instructions to stay miles away from opponents with the ball. Might be best if he stayed another state away. Guard from Utah... he'll still get a few blocks!

Isn't it amazing.. the level of inconsistency with calls this year? We could have used a shank in the Georgetown game!

@jaybate 1.0 Awww man, the less than average line from Embiid suggests he has an eye injury hindering his sight and he didn't like wearing the goggles. Eye injuries heal faster than pretty much anything else. He'll be fine by the Kstate game.

@drgnslayr We shoulda used a shank in the Gtown game. Those a-holes almost permanently injured Perry. Dirty players the lot of em.

Prediction of K-State game:

Wiggins explodes for 25pts, 12 rebounds, 2 blks, 3 assists, 2 steals

Says after the game: "The coach talked to me before the game and told me to just go and play and stop thinking."

Seriously though, I think he has been going aggressively to the basket, but it's just not falling for him, which is probably what's frustrating him and making him appear disengaged.

The good news is that he is really attacking and making some insane moves to the basket. Remember last year, when Perry would make moves to the basket, but the ball always seemed to rattle out. Eventually it started falling for him.

It will for Wiggins also. He is not going to live up to the hype, as that is just not possible. But I think he will become that differentiating factor for us in March that we have been hoping for.

The issue I take with Wiggins is that the ONLY time he is aggressive is when he is driving to the rack.

Seriously, the "most athletic" player in the league, being labeled as a great defender is averaging less than one strip per game? Compare that to the 2.5 or 2.0 from the less wiry Chalmers & Robinson, or even the 1.1 from 5'10 Collins.

What I see from Wiggins is that he is focused on all of the hype he has received over the past 2-3 years and the June Draft. I really don't like being the debbie downer on Wiggins, but that's my take, and I"m a realist to a fault.

@FarSideHawk If this whole team would just go and play and stop thinking we would shock the whole country. There's SO dang much talent on this team and it's going to be unleashed one of these days. Hopefully, sooner than later.

First off, I have to give it up for Wayne Selden. Have not seen several of our games, but admittedly I've not seen him play at anything close to this level vs OU. Just finally watched it last night late. Second, my take is that most of these freshman have not competed against consistently disciplined defenses in HS and they're "not getting it" mentally yet. Remember when Perry's bulb finally came on about March last year? Even Wayne says he finally just played without thinking. These "superstars of their teams" are now in a system where everyone is accountable & they're out of their comfort zones. How quickly they respond mentally will determine our fate for another repeat, but all of the pieces of the puzzle are certainly there.

The issue I take with Wiggins is that the ONLY time he is aggressive is when he is driving to the rack.

I mostly agree with you @Blown - but I would say even when he drives he's not finishing aggressively. Off-balanced circus shots where he tries to finish with his opposite hand.... yada, yada, yada.

Dunk. The. Ball. Or at least try to. You're more likely to see a dodo bird than a charge call this year, so even if he misses he'll be shooting FT's.

@JayDocMD I will soon start to believe he is playing not to get injured.

@Blown ahhh... he's going Zahveeay on us? Maybe so.