🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Leaders: Tharpe’s big night keeps KU unbeaten in Big 12 ↗

Ames, Iowa — He didn’t quite match Elijah Johnson’s 39-point outing of a year ago.

But Kansas University junior Naadir Tharpe continued a two-year tradition of scoring from the point guard position in Hilton Coliseum, exploding for a career-high 23 points in Monday’s 77-70 victory over Iowa State.

Column: Embiid shows Hilton crowd his version of magic ↗

Ames, Iowa — Ball on the baseline, nowhere to go and still he reached somewhere, taking a route not often chosen by 7-footers. Joel Embiid weaved through traffic on the edge of the court and seemingly found himself in a jam, buried under the hoop, surrounded by Iowa State’s biggest bodies.

Jayhawks spoil Big Monday for Kane, Cyclones ↗

Ames, Iowa — All of the talk heading into Monday's Big 12 Conference showdown at Hilton Coliseum centered around the injured left ankle of Iowa State senior DeAndre Kane.

Notebook: KU wears new uniforms for second straight game ↗

Ames, Iowa — Kansas University freshman guard Wayne Selden on Monday became the fourth Jayhawk newcomer to claim Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.

Selden, 6-5 from Roxbury, Mass., who was recognized by a media panel, joins teammates Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Tarik Black, who have also earned the league’s newcomer honor in 2013-14.

OUR DAILY THREADS:

• I wonder as I wander...
• Match-ups in an age of rising talent asymmetry
• Joel Embiid vs Karviar Shepherd - you choose
• Floor burn award for KU-ISU Jan 13
• Warm warm warm

WAY TO GO WIGGINS! I knew you had it in you. Thanks for the pep talk from Mr. Wiggins. Going aggressively to the paint, and even more impressive were the 19 rebounds. He sure looked like better than a 32% 3pt shooter last night. Just enough range to open up the lane. Now he should just throw it down when getting to the rack instead of the soft rolls.

@approxinfinity I said it before and I'll say it again. Great win for our Jayhawks!!!

I thought the officiating was horrendous last night...very one sided, and especially letting the Clones climb all over Embiid like a jungle gym. He must be incredibly confused considering the interior is allowed to use their arms to beat up on him, but he cannot use his arms in the same way.

@Blown

This seems to be a variation of the hack-a-Shaq strategy, except Joel is a much better free throw shooter so opposing coaches are sending attack dogs to "bait" him, and as we all know, the reacting player is the one that usually gets caught, and the refs are playing right along. Terribly unfair to the gentle giant from Cameroon.

I am not sure there is an easy solution. An off the record talk with League officials might help, but the best solution might that a variation of Officer Jim Malone in the Untouchables...

"You wanna protect Embiid? Here's how you do it. They pull a knife, you pull a gun. They send one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue! That's the KU way, and that's how you protect Embiid!."

"Jayhawks spoil Big Monday for Kane, Cyclones"

Awe, nowwww..... did we spoil Kane's injured ankle Big Monday?! Sure didn't notice a limp until his team was soundly beat and he was going for sympathy after he didn't get his phantom foul call on Embiid.

I'm starting to dislike that guy, and it shouldn't be that way. He has plenty of talent and should just play the game straight up.

That kind of phoney showmanship won't earn him brown points come draft day either!

@drgnslayr I think "brown points" are what you earn when you don't deserve "brownie points" ;)

Ha... good typo catch! "Brown points".... let's see... what else could it mean?

When I was a kid and heard "brownie points" I thought it meant points you could cash in with mom so she'd make brownies. I try to hold on to that thought every time I experience the term.

Maybe that is why I made a typo. Who is cooking brownies on draft day?

What a great game. So many options to choose from. This team is starting to develop chemistry. The cream always rises to the top.

@drgnslayr

Hoiberg's talent at ISU is limited and consists of rejects from other schools. He has done very well with the talent he has but ISU has no depth, at least not of the quality needed to play in the Big 12.

Like many other teams, ISU record has a few close calls against teams they should have dominated and now they have lost two in a row. Same think with Ohio State who rose to #2 by not laying anyone of consequence and the first time they play decent teams they lost both games.

@JayHawkFanToo - I totally agree. Neither of those teams had played anyone tough yet so they had gone unscathed early on.

Deep down I respect Fred's competitiveness. He has a tough job trying to recruit at ISU and will always be swimming upstream against us. But let's face it... if Fred hadn't come along then ISU would be a cake walk for us. It is good for the league (and good for us) to have all teams in the B12 competitive.

But I'm going to dish on Fred sometimes for trying a little too hard to win. I think their strategy for this game backfired. He has a better team than what we played... definitely better from behind the arc. He had them working on flops right before we played instead of staying in rhythm on their 3-pt shooting. And when teams go for flopping and trying to win by fouling out their opponents, they get away from the game and games can get ugly. I'm glad we kept our cool. Embiid kept his cool (though few may challenge me on that). They were baiting him all game. I'm so glad he made them pay for that!

JoJo just has to remember... when teams are pulling his chain... the way to get back at them is to play determined, by the rules, and knock'em the he11 out!

@JayHawkFanToo Well, I get a little nervous thinking that way. Their problem is a lack of size. When they hit their shots....they can play with a lot of teams. The problem is, as the saying goes.....live with the 3, die with the 3.

@drgnslayr , great post. I agree. While its no secret that last year's stupidity by IowaState fans has totally soured me on them, I also was watching IowaState last night shoot themselves out of their own gym, just like KU did in AFH against SDSU, going 7 for 33 and 8-for-38 at one point vs. SDSU. Sometimes a team is its own worst enemy. Hopefully IowaSt doesnt get hot in AFH for the return match.