🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Since I have neither the basketball acumen nor the attention span to write a weighty analysis on KU's play in the tournament or tonite' game, I am left with random musings...

1) Frank , Devonte and Josh are never afraid to shoot no matter the situation - ever. Players like them with brass cahones are pure money in the tourney when the stakes get so high

2) swarming pestering help on D by our quick guards and josh neutralized purdues twin towers, even when it looked like they were going to take over. I am now not as afraid of whatever big men we now will face, because we seem to find a way.

3) josh does sooooo many things even when he is not shooting well and turning over the ball on offense. He is everywhere - I honestly don't remember Wiggins throwing himself around like this- he finds a way to be a net positive. He has one speed - 11

4) one minute Purdue was hanging tough, keeping the score close, playing confidently and stoutly, and then in the seeming blink of an eye they were down by 15 and the wind knocked completely out of them.
Commentators used the word "avalanche " to describe it - the Kansas Avalanche- I like it .

5) I'm a the-tournament-does-not-define-our-season guy. (I'm guessing I'm in the minority somewhat about this issue of how important the big dance is in defining success) 13 B12 titles in a row is a monumental Achievement, so I am already a happy camperino (Flanders )
But of course this team is certainly good enough to win a championship, (if only skill alone were the defining factor in winning the dance) so I stand by my statement a month ago that I of course would be disappointed by a first weekend loss, pretty disappointed by a 16 loss, and mildly disappointed by an 8 loss, and be happy for a final four. Anything past that is gravy for me, so let's keep the gravy flowing !

6) West Virginia shot like 26% against 40-plus % shooting of Gonzaga and the game still came down to one possession. Gonzagas coach said it was the toughest most physical opponent his team has has in SEVERAL YEARS. Yes, folks the B12 is tough, and the west coast conference is not. I am not afraid of gonzaga at this point.

7) is it me, or is our defense waaaaay better in the past 3 games?

8 keep shooting the three ball boys... no time to stop fools gold avalanche now ::laughing:

Re point three: Not only does Josh have much more desire and want to than Wiggs (something you can't teach and while I love Wiggs, this is just very apparent) he is also a smarter basketball player. The term student of the game comes to mind.

Re point 4 + 5 together: The conference this year was pretty much three deep at the top. Sorry ISU you don't count despite backing into a tie for 2nd. The tournament has bore this out and I hope Baylor wins tomorrow.

Re point 6: The intensity has been ramped up for sure. More + longer stoppages helps.

Do we always have to compare them?

Final four?! I'll be disappointed if we don't win the next 3 games by an average of 20!

Great win today but it doesnt mean anything if we dont win on Saturday evening against an athletic and tough Oregon team. Our guys need to play with great energy again and be disruptive on the defensive end.

This is the moment all of us have been waiting for since last years disappointing end. Frank said he thinks about it all the time and they dont want it to happen again. Our guys are ready and they have been waiting. It is not going to be a blowout - I fully anticipate a back and forth game that goes down to the end.

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

Do we always have to compare them?

I agree. Absolutely unfair. One thing Josh has that Wigs did not was the inherited sense of determination of so many upperclassmen surrounding him. Josh doesn't have to be the #1 guy all the time. He fits into a perfect role. Wiggins was thrust into the alpha role. JJ has BIFM and DG and LL to take charge, plus he can go all out knowing LV is an athletic sub able to step right in.

I have no idea how JJ would be on AW's team, but I am sure AW would be pretty damned spectacular on this team.

@mayjay speaking of Jayhawks, dg mentioned Sherron in the stands. Acknowledged him after a shot!

@mayjay Wigs didn't have the supporting cast that Josh has. We've never had a player that can do what Josh can do, so comparing Josh to anyone we've had is impossible, imo.

@KUSTEVE like Sherron and Mason, love em both!

I'm actually kind of hoping Oregon gives us a good game, a kind of grind it out slugfest. Overconfidence is something we're going to have to guard against, and to be honest, last nights butt whooping means nothing, just like 2003's butt whooping of Marquette in the final four, if we don't finish this deal with a NC. Of course it'd be fun if we kept winning by 30, but I don't think we will. There's too much good competition ahead of us.