🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Nice solid win for KU last night. Forget the final score. KU played for a good solid 40 minutes. The competention may have not have been stellar but the KU effort was. Especially loved the effort and desire to get into the paint. Coach is going to have a hard time nitpicking this game.

The overall look of this KU team seems solid. Perimeter play is obviously a strong point this team. It's stacked with skill, athletic ability, and veteran play. That alloyop pass to Svi from the other end of the court is just something you don't see very often. With addition of Doka as a rim protector the defense on the perimeter has really picked up from the last couple of years. They can take more chances knowing Doka is down there to clean up the mess.

Where I draw a question at. Is down low. It's not the play or effort. Doka has shown he can score with the ball or without the ball. His court awareness is a thing of beauty. Very seldom is he out of place. A bonus he doesn't care about looking pretty. He just wants to tear down the rim. It's almost like he's mad it. LOL

Even the on and off again Mitch showed that he has some game. He has a desire to play bigger than he really is. I think this is why some KU fans refer to the claim, "He plays With the heart of a lion". If he can learn to play with in himself? He can be a solid minutes eater coming off the bench.

No Doka and MItch are doing a fine job. Yet that is the problem. After them? There is nobody else. There is no depth down low. Preston could help but how long before he gets to step on the court again. If he does get to play sometime down the road? How far behind will he be in his growing and learning on how to play at the college level. Is he still practicing with the team?

With the all the greatness that KU has on the perimeter, and Dunka roaming the point. At some point KU will have to face their greatest weakness. No depth in the paint.

It will happen. The pereimeter shots won't fall. An opposing coach will have the intellect to keep the KU guards out of the paint. The worst will be when that one referee blows his whistle everything he just looks at Dunka.

We only have to look back to the Kentucky game. When Doka was in the game KU seemed to hum. Even pulling away on the scoreboard at times. When Doka was riding the pine catching a breather, Kentucky was able to close the gap and even take the lead. KU gutted out that game. A tip of the cap. Showed real leadership. Yet in that same breath not so sure Kentucky doesn't win that game if they had some leadership coming down the stretch in that game.

What happens when Doka is riding the pine because of foul trouble?

A Proplexed KU team indeed....

The answer is we need Billy and Silvio.

Yep bodies help. What's the word on Silvio? His he going to be able to play second semester? Is it a done deal? Or is it still up in the air?

@DoubleDD Bill said last night he is pretty optimistic he will play this year.

@HawkChamp

Man I hope so. We need bodies.

It is good for Mitch to get this game experience now because even with Desousa and/or Preston, we will still probably need him at some juncture. He is really good in pick and roll situations because of his ability to shoot the three, and he demonstrated that last night. He reminds me a bit of a shorter Thomas Welch from UCLA.

@HawkChamp

I couldn't agree more. The thing about Mitch if I remember correctly is that he was indeed a scoring in high school. Now that may not translate to the college game. Yet those skills are still there. Sleep on him in a big game and he might turn the tide. Understand what I'm saying?

I know you mean perplexed .. but there for a minute I thought you were creating a word, like @jaybate-1-0, e.g. "debounding."

"Proplexed" -- A highly talented team that underachieves because players who will be turning pro are distracted, or play to not get hurt. Maybe? Actually seems like it would work pretty well.

@HighEliteMajor

I just looked "proplexed" up in the old "jaybate 1.0's Unabashed OnLine Basketball Dictionary" that Google has recently set up search filters specifically to prevent fans from finding and clicking as part of the new Net Anti-Neutrality.

(Note: just kidding.)

proplexed
adjective pro·plexed \ pro-ˈplekst \
Definition of proplexed

1 : filled with uncertainty because of distraction by professional basketball : puzzled

2 : full of difficulty playing college basketball, while thinking about pro basketball.
— proplexedly play \pro-ˈplek-səd-lē, -ˈplekst-lē\ adverb

etiology: first appeared on Kubuckets.com. Emerged from misreading and imputation.

@HighEliteMajor

"Proplexed" is the word used for players at the end of the season that are considering their options for bolting to the league.

We have to remember that one (in a few months).

Man..... JB... I missed your post! ha... I'm a big copy cat! I've been called worse. At least my fur isn't purple! lol

@drgnslayr

I do it often, too.

PROplexed? Those are the complex actions of a would-be pro. It could be said that Billy Preston is the current bearer of such recent popular Jayhawk tidings. A word which affects sleepless nights of an otherwise well programmed coaching staff.

Hahaha I love you cats. Uh I mean Hawks..

If our 7 guys maximize their potential as the season goes on I think we are the best team out there.

If 1 of the 3 additions could become a consistent rotation player the potential is scary. 8 guys who can impact the game is probably the best we can hope for. The 9th and 10th guys are not going to play enough consistently to expect a lot from them.

I would love to see us continue the 4-1, that way you have fresh big men for Doke and 2 perimeter options off the bench. I can't see us going away from what's working unless it starts unraveling

@BeddieKU23

Cunliffe has been in the system fior a year plus now and probably would contribute more initially, although he plays a position where depth is not an issue. Preston and DeSouza play positions where depth is sorely missing so they meet the more immediate need.

@JayHawkFanToo the Cunliffe lowballing is a thing before he has even played a game for us.

@JayHawkFanToo

Cunliffe is important because he's another perimeter body that can give the starters rest going forward. Imagine getting into January/February and guys are playing in end of game situations where KU has a big lead. Or imagine the Sat/Monday turnaround where guys legs will get tired. It's going to be nice having another perimeter body. If he can contribute on both ends its gravy.

If Preston does get to play he's the key to the post situation. If you can rotate at least 2 bigs behind Doke we have on paper the best of both worlds. We can continue to play 4-1, we can rotate bigs in case of foul trouble and potentially go big in situations where we face bigger teams (TCU, Baylor, A&M) going forward.

HawkChamp said:

@JayHawkFanToo the Cunliffe lowballing is a thing before he has even played a game for us.

I might just be the president of the anti-Cunliffe club I have to admit. Just based on what I've heard/read and my own observation from watching him play.

That said like @BeddieKU23 he will be good to have around just as another body. Honestly it would have been really nice to have him in these early games so as not to have to play starters in garbage time.