🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I wasn't able to watch the whole game. Yet I had a sense of what the outcome would be. In the first half KU came firing on all cylinders. They looked like a team ready for a war. A team that had just won two games against top 5 teams. One in the cave of the UK and one at home against the only true challenger for the Big 12 conference title. Then it happened has it happens with most great teams. KU sensing their foe was no match put it into cruise control.

Now I know an argument can be made that KU isn't a great team. Yet when KU comes to play they are very hard to beat. No matter who the foe is. However this KU isn't good enough to just mail it in.

It blows that the KU home winning streak is over. Yet I can't be that upset with this KU team. Keep in mind they are still kids, and they just played two top 5 teams in back to back games. In some ways I guess it should be expected that a let down would happen. Especially when you consider how close this three game stretch really was.

Didn't get to watch either except last 5 minutes and overtime. Anytime a team can get off 34 3's and make 18 of them spells trouble.

still could have closed the deal with a couple free throws down the stretch but we knew that was bound to happen and will likely be the cause of the NCAA tournament exit as well.

I'm just curious who was guarding burton? He made 7-9 3pt

@Blown jj

@Blown Josh was I guess he was. - - ROCK CLAK ALL DAY LONG BABY

Well that would be too bad if a 6-8 L&A Wing with Lottery Pick Athleticism let a 6-5 barrel chest have a career day from 3 pt land on him. Maybe all of Burton's treys happened after a switch, I suppose--or playing zone.

@Blown no

Josh was playing off Burton, playing him for a drive moreso than a jumper. He is a 37% shooter from distance, so he can hit it, but I don't think anyone would have suspected a 7-9 rainmaker from him.

Not sure if that was the gameplan or not, especially because Burton is a very effective and efficient inside player that can sometimes get baited into taking too many jumpers. Unfortunately, Josh baited him and he hit most of those jumpers. Burton was 3 for his last 17 from three heading into this game. He had only hit nine total threes in calendar year 2017.

That said, once the guy hits four, you have to take that away. You can't let him burn the house down.

@justanotherfan Svi seems to come up on the short end of leaving his guy wide open for 3 more often than he should also.

@Blown

His closeouts are poor. I keep forgetting to watch his footwork in game to see what the issue is. I will try to pay attention to that tonight, because KSU has plenty of shooters to close out to.

@justanotherfan a lot of it appears to be his focus/attention and inability to watch the ball and his man simultaneously. I think his footwork is average for a college 6'8" player.

@Blown NO ONE

Yeah Svi is generally a defensive liability. Which means that he needs to really hit his outside shots. And he has been recently except for the occasional wide open misses.

Not closing out on threes is a sign of fatigue. You think "screw it, they probably won't make it." Then "screw it, probably not again." Eventually you wonder why a JJ doesn't find something deep within, but he's been busting it recently so I'm sure he's spent.

I think that's why Self is bringing Carlton to suckhattan. These dudes are worn.

@justanotherfan no, he over helps on drives. Apparently, Self teaches that you need two or three guys on one in the lane. So, instead of giving up a hard two we give up a wide open three. I just don't see the logic behind it.

@HawkChamp I doubt he teaches it, they just don't rotate right, or usually quick enough.

@Crimsonorblue22 it isn't a rotation - it is a matter of just not leaving shooters and it happens every game and they get burned because of it. I think he teaches it.

OK, I'm not chicken little and the sky isn't falling - but I find myself increasingly perturbed about the Josh Jackson accolades when he can't hit a free throw. He is a liability at the end of the game and even Bruce Weber is smart enough to figure that out.

Josh, if you want to make a bazillion dollars next year, just keep doing what you're doing. If you want to have the respect of me, and i'm sure a lot of other fans, stay after practice and shoot free throws for two hours.

@HawkChamp ya, might have something to do with trying to limit fouls on the bigs...if there are two helpers down there in the lane each time.

@Blown they have to learn to play without fouling. Arms straight up and move feet laterally. If anything, there is already help in the lane because of the bigs, so a wing leaving his man is illogical.

@HawkChamp

You are not taking into consideration the effect referees play and how poorly some games are called. With the NCAA new touchy feely approach that wants to see more scoring, good defense is now frowned upon and penalized.

Given the speed, quickness, and pure athleticism these players possess, there is no remote possibility of playing defense, especially, Man to Man defense, and not fouling. Giving up just a little bit of space can prove costly at the Division I level. As far as wings not helping; watch tonight's game and I'll bet you see wings/guards rotating to help on the majority of possessions that go inside. Evan Landen will draw a helper from the weak side, and he is a below average scorer.

@Blown shell drill

@Crimsonorblue22 my fifth grader is learning this on his traveling team. Pretty basic stuff.

@Blown you can teach so many variations of it. Kids hate it, I loved it!

@Blown watch the better defensive teams around the country. They do an excellent job of moving their feet and keeping their man in front of them. I don't believe that the refs are so picky that teams can't play decent defense. To me, that's just an excuse for guys being out of position or not moving their feet.

@HawkChamp Historically, Bill Self has had the Jayhawks in the top 10 defensively. He has a few bad years, such as this one, but I think most would agree he is one of the best defensive coaches in all of college basketball.

But, if you want to look at top defenses around the league: look at Virginia and Baylor who are in the top 10 in scoring defense and they are whistled for about 16-17 fouls per game. Kansas is whistled for 18.5 game, for perspective.

I think with regards to Baylor, I'm guessing they have fewer possessions per game due to their zone D. Conversely, KU plays a faster paced game, so they'll have more fouls.

@chriz Remember our last star who couldn't close out worth a darn for at least his soph and jr seasons? So frustrating! I think he got better senior year...hint, from Wichita....

@mayjay So talented that in his spare time, he designs clothing....

@HawkChamp

Self has not yet adjusted his defensive strategy for the new math of basketball. The contested two in the lane is a less valuable shot now, so KU should give that shot up rather than surrendering the open three. That's something you see across basketball right now.

Svi also closes out with high hips, which means he isn't down in a defensive stance as he closes out, making him susceptible to both the shot and the drive.

@justanotherfan

For the most part, I agree.

We've been playing a "sagging M2M." It's about 5% better than a sagging zone.

Our guards come closer to the paint, leaving the outside shooter WIDE OPEN!

This place where they go.... near the paint is truly "no man's land" (dead zone) because their only possible "help" here is to snag a defensive board.

I know most everyone in here is familiar with "musical chairs."

We had a guarding drill called "musical chairs."

Instead of being in the right spot when the music stops you had to be in the right spot when the shot went up. Anyone caught in "no man's land" better be able to substantiate their reasons for being there.

If a player is going to offer weak side help, then friggin' help! Don't go through the motions and be caught in a dead zone when the shot goes up.

All of our guards are guilty. None of our guards would make it through a practice drill of "musical chairs" without getting called out and forced to comply.

Here is another one of my peaves....

When a ball handler drives the baseline and you are on the other side of the goal... you just stand there while the player goes under the basket and out of bounds but right before that he passes to the corner for a WIDE OPEN trey.

The first thought that should be going on in the head of these players just being spectators instead of defenders is... "where is this player going to throw the ball?" We should have 3 or 4 steals per game just realizing this. But... chances are the player is standing in the dead zone, just watching the game played and then reacts late to the ball going out to the corner by making it look like he is defending the shot. Bull snit!

If you are a defender and not right at the basket preparing to defend the goal from a driver going through, you better be prepared for his outlet pass.

This is like stealing candy from a baby.