🏀 KuBuckets Archive

OSU played like they had something to prove.

Marcus Smart played like he had something to prove.

Travis Ford coached like he...never mind can't say it without laughing.

But the Cowboys knowingly played if they lost they were done for a tournament run unless they won the Big12 tournament. They played like a team on the ropes should play, like a scared animal in a corner.

KU played like a team that was scared of that cornered animal, and let the aggressiveness of OSU get to them. From turnovers, fouls, rebounds, speaking of rebounds, Smarts flying in the lane and kicking back out was a dagger to KU.

They wanted it more, and that's sad. It's sad for the coaches not having KU prepared for a battle. It's sad for the players that they couldn't be ready and play with pride. It's sad for the fans because we care, that and any time I have to hear Travis Ford talk after a big win it makes me appreciate the how Bill Self takes wins and losses with class. It's sad because the Big12 officials are into some home gym cooking this year. It has helped us at home, KState, ISU all home teams have got a lot more calls this year than normal.

Something to prove, thats what OSU played like last night. Now for the next 3 regular season games, the next three Big12 tournament games and the next 5 NCAA tournamnet games KU needs to play like. Like they have something to prove. That Adnrew Wiggins is as good as billed. That Joel Embid is as dominant in the paint on both ends of the floor that he has worked so hard on. For the whole team to stand up and prove to everyone that they at KU.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk

Agreed. For KU it all came down to defense and turnovers, the recurring theme of the season. And we now know from the Texas rematch game, that this team IS CAPABLE of stellar play defensively. They just cant find the intensity consistently (yet), and the turnovers makes you wonder about focus.

@ralster

" They just cant find the intensity consistently (yet), and the turnovers makes you wonder about focus."

When our junior PG leads the way in TOs, it is hard to point fingers at freshmen for following in his footsteps.

I've got the hammer down on Naadir... all the way until we are off for summer.

I hope he can stop at least with the unforced TOs!

@JRyman

... It's sad for the coaches not having KU prepared for a battle...

I respect your opinion buy I could not disagree with you more.

I cannot imagine Coach Self, arguably the best college coach in college (and staff), not having the team ready to play and with a good game plan in place. It is up to the players to follow instruction and execute the plan. Coach Self has not won more games than any other coach, in the last ten years, by not having his teams prepared for a battle.

KU is still a very young and inexperienced team and, at times, they will not follow the game plan. Teams as well as players have bad days, it happens, but it does not necessarily translate to the coaching staff not having prepared the team properly. Maybe knowing that they had already won the conference outright had something to do with their performance, wouldn't you agree?