🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Man, that was a highly intense contest, easily the most intense for a exhibition. I'll be honest, I was fairly disappointed in certain parts of the game. I may have even been a little too harsh with comments(still ticked about FB) considering we aren't playing a D3 school to the year. I also think Fizzou played better than they are because it was us. They probably don't get over 20 second chance points again this year or go out and hit 14 3s like they did today. I'm concerned about our lack of rebounding, we only lost on the glass by 3 but let up 19 offensive rebounds which is one of the reasons it was even a contest. Also our defense looks to rival last years club, which was statically the worst in the Self era. I thought we shot the ball well for the most part, but think really play well about 10 minutes. DG was great and Doke finally showed up in the second half. We can't have guys disappearing for long stretches like Svi for the whole game and Newman and Vick in the first half. Svi had best wake up or he's in trouble with Sam coming and him already looking like the last player in the rotation. Lightfoot and Preston both showed some good and bad as expected for the youngsters. Just quick thoughts here. I think it was good to play to get us ready for Kentucky.

No one got hurt! Nice win over a good AAU team.

If Newman passed it to Devonte instead of Doke at the tail end of the second half run, it would have been a 20 pt. blowout.

@DanR Yes..........passing to the big guy on the break? You would think he would know better.

@Hawk8086 killed the major momentum we had

@DanR @Hawk8086 @HawkChamp Yes mind boggling to say the least.

One other question friends, how much money do you think Coach Cal and the rest of the coaches and staff of our opponents spend donating tonight to get a leg up on how we'd look this year. 😂😂

@kjayhawks

That is funny. Sounds like a lot? Lol

@DoubleDD Does anyone know how much money the KState-Missouri State game raised? Or how much interest there was in that game?

@Big-Clyde52

No I get you KU playing MU brings in the money. Something I said maybe I should focus in on. It was for a good cause. Yet read some of these posts? Now KU should play a top 25 team in the exhibition season every year? I wonder what the feeling would be if KU had lost today?

@Big-Clyde52 highlights on last night's KC news coverage showed maybe 2-3000 tops in the Octogon. And by 2, I mean 2.

@Big-Clyde52 I actually didn't even hear about it til after it happened. It was really a piss poor job of promoting it, but I highly doubt playing Missouri state raised a whole lotta of money. If I was KSU I would've asked WSU to play at intrust in Wichita. That would've raised a decent amount and took a shot at us but it's KSU they ain't smart enough, they just chant F bombs. Lol

@Big-Clyde52

I'm sorry you were asking a legitimate question. My bad. My guess they did alright. Any money for charitable cause is a good thing.

@DoubleDD No I am not saying we should play any game like this every year against anyone. I hope it was a one time deal. My biggest concern was having one of our players get injured. Thankfully that did not happen. I was just wondering how the K-State charity game came out. I do not know where it was even played. All I heard is that K-State won against a lesser opponent. Was just curious how their game compared to ours.

@DanR WOW!! Sounds like that was not worth the effort. Thanks for the info.

@kjayhawks Yes that was my case also. I did not know about it until I saw the score. Sad if it failed so badly.

@Big-Clyde52

Big Clyde You just brought another interesting point of view. What if a KU player got hurt in an exhibition game against a top foe? A game that doesn't count.

You nailed it.

Haven't seen any numbers but I imagine the almost two million KU and MU raised would be hard to beat.

@Big-Clyde52 Not trying to slam them. It was a totally different deal (K-State/Missouri State). Free admission. Donations encouraged.

Should've played the Shockers, maybe, but who knows what went on behind the scenes.

@DanR

I know you hate me bro, but you're right a Kstate verses the Shockers would have been a must watch game.

A true money raiser. Maybe you missed your calling?

@DoubleDD If KU lost, it's an ego check which isn't always a bad thing, especially when it's not a season ending lost.

How is getting game film against a top 25 caliber team in a game with no bearing on the standings or rankings a bad thing for KU? It shows the new players where they need to keep working to get better which speeds up the growing pains process and could better prepare the team for March and April.

@DanR I watched a very short video and there were a super load of empty seats. Cats won 78-62, but Weber was pissed that they got out rebounded 44-37.

@Big-Clyde52 Udoka's season ending injury last year occurred in practice, should KU quit practicing so players don't get hurt?

Injuries are a part of the game and today's game didn't increase the injury risk for anyone that couldn't have happened in a practice. Seems like most of the injuries KU players have sustained in recent years have mostly happened in practice and not during games.

@Texas-Hawk-10

No I get it, really get you. But @Big-Clyde52 brought up a good point what if a KU player got hurt in a top 25 showdown in a exhibition game?

KU won today, and it feels goods. Especially beating MU. Yet what if KU lost? What if KU lost Doka today to a MU team that had nothing to lose and was playing on 7 fouls before fouling out.

Look you and others make a great case I must admit. Just not sure I like it. MU had everything to gain in this game and KU had everything to lose in this game.

KU won this game and I'm happy but I'm thinking KU fans that live in the KC area are going to find out MU won the war. As there about to be bombarded with MU and their potential.

@DoubleDD Don't know you, bro, let alone hate you. You seem like a bad wanna-be talk radio guy wanting to repetitiously stir up something out of nothing for the sake of nothing to fill three hours of air time. Maybe you missed your calling.

@DoubleDD Yes sir. That was my biggest fear. I posted here earlier when this game was announced that very fear. I reminded everyone at that time about how thin we are this year. And I told all fans to hope and pray that no one blows an ACL or any other injury. We are 8 deep (9 at semester), and losing anyone would probably blow our season. Injury can happen at any time, but if in this game, this board would have exploded.

@DanR

So you don't think I bring up a great question? I'm just trying have a conversation. Yet every time I engage you I get this feeling like I'm wasteing your time.

Just going off what you post.

@DoubleDD Udoka's season ended in practice last year, not a game. Injuries are a part of the game. Using that as a reason to not play this game is a total cop out.

And how exactly did Missouri fans gain anything today other than knowing KU is still better than they are? There was already a buzz among their fanbase this year because of the class Cuonzo Martin brought in. They brought in a top 5 class with 3 top 50 recruits this year, that's a legitimate reason to get excited for a season for just about any team.

What did Missouri legitimately gain that Kansas didn't? Each team now has game film against a quality opponent without it impacting the standings. Neither teamed gained a recruiting edge with KC area players they didn't already have.

@DoubleDD what new question did you bring up?

@Texas-Hawk-10

Ok so in your mind who has the higher ceiling? Now be honest. You're folk lore when it comes to college football.

Who has the higher ceiling MU or KU? And who gained more from this matchup?

@Texas-Hawk-10 Headlines and buzz/ticket sales are what MU got out of this loss. Most of the state of Missouri forgot MU had a basketball team until this game.

@DanR

Really? Should KU be playing MU in an exhibition game? Playing a team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain. What does KU gain from this game? Other than experience? Just a few of the questions I've been spouting.

God I want to like you, but I feeling you just hate me.

@DoubleDD try harder

@DoubleDD Kansas has the higher ceiling this year. Both teams have a lot of young players who now have film of themselves against good competition that Self and Martin can use to build upon those weaknesses they showed today. I don't think either side gained more than the other today.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I hope your right. That MU team is awful young. But I'm trusting you to be right.

@DanR They really hadn't forgotten about basketball. There was plenty of buzz among the Missouri fan base for this year a long time before this game was announced because of the class Martin assembled.

@DanR

Nah I don't kiss anybodies arse. I think your a strong poster with goods points. But I'll fight you to the death before I kiss your arse.

@Texas-Hawk-10 We all know when UA's injury occurred. Yesterdays news. In my post from days ago, I stated the fact that injuries can happen at any time. (Practice or games). Our practice time and schedule was already set for this season. This game was a hurried up add on. That is why I was against it, even though it showed my selfish side. It was another chance for something bad to happen. Now that it is history and everything came out great, we can all be happy and thankful. We have experience against a quality opponent, game film to watch, bragging rights, etc. Hindsight and history is wonderful isn't it?

@DoubleDD I think you're getting too hung up on the fact that we played Missouri. Would your response and feelings be the same if we had played Duke, Michigan State or Florida? Today was great in terms of learning about the team and seeing what they can do. There seems to be more cohesion currently than there has been at the beginning of the last few seasons, such as when we lost to Michigan State a couple years ago. This year reminds me more of 08.

@HawkChamp

No because Duke, Spartans, Florida wouldn't play KU in a exhibition game they know better. Why risk it when it counts for nothing? KU was charitable all they way around in this game. All the way around.

Glad to see KU kick MU in the game and donations.

The defense is going to be worse then last season. We will have to continue to score at a high level consistently to have the season we want

kjayhawks said:

@Big-Clyde52 I actually didn't even hear about it til after it happened. It was really a piss poor job of promoting it, but I highly doubt playing Missouri state raised a whole lotta of money. If I was KSU I would've asked WSU to play at intrust in Wichita. That would've raised a decent amount and took a shot at us but it's KSU they ain't smart enough, they just chant F bombs. Lol

Weber probably wanted a game KSU would win. That ain't happening with WSU.

If anyone has located a box score of the game, could you post it here or post the link? I'm a box score guy.

BeddieKU23 said:

The defense is going to be worse then last season. We will have to continue to score at a high level consistently to have the season we want

A long ways to go but I feel it can be better than last year if only because of Udoka.

The pieces aren't there on this team to play elite defense though. Not enough depth or size. Plus there is Svi. The next couple seasons look like they have more potential defensively.

stoptheflop said:

If anyone has located a box score of the game, could you post it here or post the link? I'm a box score guy.

!alt text ↗

@DoubleDD you keep talking about risk - what risk is there playing a good team before the season starts?

@BeddieKU23 eh probably not worse. But it doesn't need to better than last year. Oregon only scored 74 points on us....

@HawkChamp Risk? OMG! We might lose! Someone else might make us look bad! Worst of all, someone might make a bragging comment!!! Oh, the shame of it all, oh, the sorrow...

@mayjay No worst of all would be similar to this:

@dylans That risk is the same regardless of who the opponent is, or even in practice (a la Doke). The alternative to risking injury is to schedule no exhibitions, no trips, and no practices or scrimmages--and no games. Let's just have bb decided by computer simulations.

@mayjay Duh, but you asked just two posts ago what’s the worst that could happen? I guess I could find something more gruesome for you, but this is bad enough for me.

glad we won that's all that matters, the disappointment that would have sunk in losing to a team that went 8-24, 10-21, 9-23 the past 3 seasons is something I'm glad I don't have to take as reality.

@dylans I was responding to a question about the risk of playing a "good team" before the season, and responded solely in terms of the humiliation, etc, answers that have been discussed in connex with the MU game. "Worst" was in that context only. My answer to you dealt purely with the injury risks raised by the video, which I do not see see as being any different from any other game--whether against a good or a bad team.

Uggggggggh. Even just the screencap there is awful and makes me sad that this site automatically embeds (or w/e it technically does) youtube links.

BShark said:

Uggggggggh. Even just the screencap there is awful and makes me sad that this site automatically embeds (or w/e it technically does) youtube links.

I can never get it to embed the video!

Great learning experience. Great environment to be in this early in the season. Especially before we go to Chicago in less than a month where it will be a very similar crowd environment. Glad nobody got hurt. Glad it raised over $1.75M. Glad to see that Doke very well may be impossible to stop for stretches of games. Glad to see Billy and Doke learn they need to rebound better. Pissed that we missed on Tilmon because he looks pretty dang good.

This was a win-win-win-win. We won the game. We got a practice game in that we now have good film to watch. And it raised a ton of money. It also inspired a ton of other charity basketball games to get played all over the country.

@Mayjay OK. I don’t see MU a worthy opponent. But I do see how I took your comment out of context and for that I apologize.

Oh and just remove the m. From after www.m.youtube.... to embed the video. Or you can just click edit on my post and see what I did.

@dylans they looked like a worthy opponent yesterday. Did you not watch the game?

@dylans hmmm...I will try that. It has been awhile since I saw one to post. Thx!

Most years MU is not. This year, they have a lot of talent.

@HawkChamp No. I wouldn’t support MU in any way. And I don’t pay for exhibition games or go to late night for that matter. I didn’t watch the Italy games either- Pre-season ball is trash comparable to pre-season football. It’s a facsimile of a game. I just hope it helped prepare the guys for real games.

And no as talented as MU is they are not worthy of KU playing them in basketball making them relevant again. MU isn’t worthy of lighterfluid much less piss if they are on fire. A slow burn is what they deserve.

dylans said:

@HawkChamp No. I wouldn’t support MU in any way. And I don’t pay for exhibition games or go to late night for that matter. I didn’t watch the Italy games either- Pre-season ball is trash comparable to pre-season football. It’s a facsimile of a game. I just hope it helped prepare the guys for real games.

And no MU is not worthy of KU playing them in basketball making them relevant again. MU isn’t worthy of lighterfluid much less piss if they are on fire. A slow burn is what they deserve.

This was close to a real game. Graham played 35 minutes. Key differences were 7 fouls and the gentlemen's agreement between the coaches to only play man d.

@BShark No gameplan, no game prep. I’m assuming very few set plays. I doubt very much that KU resembles what you saw yesterday in March.

dylans said:

@BShark No gameplan, no game prep. I’m assuming very few set plays. I doubt very much that KU resembles what you saw yesterday in March.

Agree. I'm not willing to call it a real game, because it's not, but it was closer than most. Certainly the intensity alone was much greater than a normal exhibition or the Italy games.

@stoptheflop

Will this work ?...or you can use this link ↗

!0_1508784151697_upload-cfdd100d-6f39-4065-a646-d38aabe42c6d ↗

@JayHawkFanToo Many thanks for the box score.

10 of 37 rebounds from our bigs in 44 minutes. That's horrid. Bill will be yelling at them for sure

@BeddieKU23 No excuse for Doke to not get 10+ rebounds every single game.

@dylans you are allowing your emotional bias to cloud your judgement. These types of big time games rarely happen before the season starts. Getting a head start on our early season competition (UK) is really important. I wouldn't have cared who we played as long as it was a good team. It just so happened to be Missouri, who has a lot of talent and height, which is a tough challenge for our small ball oriented team.

I know everyone is enthralled with the rivalry, but lets just focus on the actual basketball advantages that occurred yesterday. When looked at in that sense instead of an emotional standpoint, the benefits and potential payoffs become clear.

Doke with only 2 fouls and made it 27 minutes against some quality big men. That is great to see.

Now the other two bigs... Not so great. Bill said he would like to see us play big 70% of the time. I'm just not sure that is going to be possible if BP and ML can't guard without fouling. It makes me think we could be better off going 4-guards at least 50% of the time.

The reason I say that, if we go in with the game plan that we want to play big and then Doke or BP get in early foul trouble our game plan probably just went right out of the window. Where, if we start with 4 guards, we are so deep that even if someone were to get hurt or in foul trouble we have someone else who can come in and play. Then, those stretches where we are struggling to make shots, we can still always do the good ole Bill Self two-big high-low, feed the post non-stop as a backup plan. I mean that is in our guys DNA at this point right? We can always revert back to the normal High-Low offense. I think it is probably much harder to switch from a High-Low gameplan in the middle of a game to a 4 out drive and dish offense. Where, I feel the reverse is much easier to do when the High-Low has been pounded into everyone's heads for basically 2 seasons at the very least.

@Kcmatt7 I thought Billy looked great in the post.

@HawkChamp 5 fouls in 15 minutes of playing time. He looked very solid offensively. But you can't score from the bench.

@Kcmatt7 he'll get better at not fouling as the season goes on. Can't believe no one else noticed his back to the basket repertoire. That sort of thing was non existent last year and now we have two guys that can do it. Again, I would much rather have this learning experience to point out weaknesses than against Kentucky.

We need to improve rebounding. But part of it is it's tougher to get rebounds when the other team is jacking up 3s. That's the main reason they had the advantage.

SUMMARY: File under almost no GOOD deed goes unpunished. Self plays hated Fizzou to raise money for flood victims (Self could easily have written a personal check for what was raised) and do Okie Baller Cuonzo (Eddie-Keady-Weber line) a favor. KU almost beaten by program trying to get off a ventilator. Really bad performance that shows how shallow, weak and green KU is this year. But Self was apparently trying to turn Fizzou into an Okie Baller Mafia employment base, and solidify SPRINT CENTER finances, and pay off an IOU to Keady-Webber, so he probably thinks it’s worth it. He also gets a Brownie point from the Af-Am assistant coaches association with big recruiting influence by helping Cuonzo. And he paved way to a profit center on KUs non con schedule for years to come. Logic said do it, but sometimes logic should not be listened to. Go with your heart, Bill.

UPs:

Doke low fouls and blocks.

Devonte treys and assists

Vick kept playing on off shooting night

DOWNs:

Svi no show

Doke few boards

Billy Foul

Lightfoot = transfer out minutes

Malik TOs

Team rebounding

SIDEWAYs:

Marcus

I actually thought lightfoot improved.

Lightfoot looked solid.

@BShark 3 blocks in 12 minutes isn't bad.

@Kcmatt7 If Lightfoot can just rebound and bring energy I'm good with that. Give like 15 minutes a game and don't hemorrhage points when he is on the court.

@BShark he's pretty good at antagonizing other bigs!

No way Lightfoot transfers out or redshirts. People need to watch Lightfoot a little more closely--he's a better player and athlete than people seem to realize. He obviously learned a lot (from Lucas probably) about where to be on the floor. Self seems to be getting comfortable with him, so it would not surprise me if he starts some games in the next couple years while the one-and-dones learn the system. The horror.

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@BShark he's pretty good at antagonizing other bigs!

Probably learned that from Lucas too. LOL

DanR said:

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@BShark he's pretty good at antagonizing other bigs!

Probably learned that from Lucas too. LOL

Lucas was just the right amount of dirty. :100:

I did like the things Mitch did. He appears to have a knack for blocking shots. Last year when he came in it felt like he was a net negative, capable of making a play or two but gave up three or four baskets. I didn't notice that to the same degree on Sunday.

@chriz yeah, long shots equal long rebounds, which favors the offense. I mean, how many threes did Missouri shoot? 27? 30? It was a lot, for sure, and yet we were only outrebounded by four. Pretty amazing actually. We had the same problem against Oklahoma a couple years at Norman and all they did was shoot perimeter shots. If anything, it's the rebounding of our guards that needs to get better because those shots will land near the free throw line extended. It's tough for bigs to fight for position and rebound that far out.

Our guards did out board our bigs, didn't they?

@Crimsonorblue22 yes but Devonte is the only one who rebounded well (10 rebounds). All five need to be fully engaged for a rebound and not rely on just Dok to get them.

@HawkChamp DG 10, Malik 6, the 3 bigs 10

Long rebounds on long shots favor the guards. If that’s what they are taking and KU is being outrebounded then it’s likely the other team isn’t getting back on D. Time to outlet pass like Cole Aldrich and burn those suckers on easy run outs. That’ll force the d to get back and make rebounding easier for KU.