🏀 KuBuckets Archive

HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHIT!!!

I lowered my expectations for these guys this season.
I straight up doubted they could do this.

I was wrong.

From the 6th row facing the team bench that was freakin awesome!!!

@Lulufulu LOL -- - ONE MORE holy shit please LOL

Jose and I have been having a good time in OKC

@cragarhawk

Wow you were there huh?
Good seats too

Awesome

The team played with heart. This was the most exciting game of the tournament. Lots of lead changes and neither team lead by more than 5 or 6 points. The game required overtime before the Big 12 champ won the mini ACC 2 game tournament.....

Lulufulu said:

HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHIT!!!

I lowered my expectations for these guys this season.
I straight up doubted they could do this.

I was wrong.

I think we will get a few more...

I always wonder what a recruit like Langford is thinking right now

@Gorilla tougher team w/better coach. Duke was soft, all that talent, waste

Did this team just show another level of play?

@Lulufulu Uh huh. Told you so.

@KUSTEVE - - OK my friend NOW it's time for Villanova - - - payback time

Whatever happens from here. This is absolutely Bill Self's best coaching job. And is Malik Newman Mr March or what?

@cragarhawk Excellent observation: Malik Newman is Mr. March

@cragarhawk I hope u r heading to San Antonio

Great team effort but Malik is the man. Signature win for Self and the program. Onward to another 2-game / 4-team tourney for another banner in the AFH rafters and immortality. Take care of Villanova first!

Coach Self...this is the best played game I have been a part of in the NCAA...

Malik, Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional.

JayHawkFanToo said:

Malik, Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional.

Think about the comparison of Malik to Trae Y. Self bent Malik to become a complete player and then this: MOP & going to Final 4.

Kruger sold his basketball coach soul to get Trae - whose dad apparently told Self he wouldnt let Trae play his game so he wasn't coming to Kansas - and look at where he's at, sitting at home after a total team meltdown.

@truehawk93 hopefully back to back.

@Bwag Thank God Bill would not cower to Trae's idiot dad and let him "play his game". Which is to dribble a lot, take horrible shots, and turn it over at alarming rates. Thank you Coach for sticking to your principles.

Not everybody going to the Alamode!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22916647/top-referee-john-higgins-work-final-four&ved=2ahUKEwj3zdvC94naAhVq04MKHWfbBLsQFjAAegQIABAB&usg=AOvVaw3CQWilWOfhOXbLXXzOzWyy ↗

@Fightsongwriter Worked out great for everyone. Un Young got to chuck and KU is in the FF.

If you didn't doubt this team you were not watching all season. There were some bad spots. Everyone here doubted them at some point.

@BShark Fine line for Trae between chucking it up, and up-chucking.

@mayjay Not a big fan of Lon Kreuger but I am happy for him that he doesn't have to put up with that arrogant little shit anymore

BigBad said:

If you didn't doubt this team you were not watching all season. There were some bad spots. Everyone here doubted them at some point.

Too much talent.Too much experience. Too good of a head coach. Never a doubt!

Two things happened to change the ceiling for this team.

1. The emergence of Silvio De Sousa as a legitimate backup big man. His athleticism, energy and talent allows KU to matchup with different big men. In some cases, because Silvio is more mobile, he's actually a better matchup for us than Doke. That's not a knock on Doke, but against a team like Villanova, Silvio and Mitch may play a huge role because Villanova goes 5 out at times.

2. Malik Newman becoming what I thought he would become at the beginning of the season. Dynamic scorer. Slasher. Creator. He makes this offense so much more dangerous. He has, over the last three weeks, looked like the guy he was coming out of high school. Malik Newman at times flat out could not be guarded out on the perimeter. We are back to that point, where it just doesn't look like people can keep Malik from getting where he wants to go.

When KU was Doke and an out of position Mitch inside, that made KU very vulnerable. Adding a third interior guy with a different skill set changes KU's depth.

Having Malik go from being the guy that scored just 7 in the regular season finale debacle at Oklahoma State to averaging nearly 23 per game in the postseason changes the offensive ceiling for a team that was already very good offensively. It allows Devonte to do his thing without having to score as much. It allows Svi more spot up chances. It creates more space for Doke and Co. inside. It frees up Garrett and Vick to be more flexible whether its attacking the glass or cutting.

Its like KU has added two completely different high level players.

Tournament Newman is what I hoped we were getting all along!

@Lulufulu

There is no shame in being wrong about this team.

This team has endured and triumphed over more hardship than any bunch since the Marines on Guadalcanal.

I have been optimistic about what they could accomplish since about three weeks before they won the conference title; that much I forecast correctly. But several others have seen this coming long before me.

And I believed they could get to the Final Four if they had an off shooting game in the second weekend and the other team had a worse one; that much I saw correctly.

But when @wissox put me on the spot and said, okay, batenac 1.0, tell me what's going to happen next, I just couldn't 't see it clearly beyond what I have so far stated above. These guys are just amazing human beings that I have nicknamed the "Find-a-Way Boys." They are finding doors now that I can't see.

Hell, most of the game yesterday I was ragging about how they weren't executing, or capitalizing on, the stuff Self was giving them that was obviously shaking them loose. I don't know how many times I jumped up off the sofa and started yelling at the big screen for Vick to shoot, or put it on the deck and drive and dish, when he would get the ball in the high post and kick it out, or just stand and look at an open man he could have bounce passed to, or driven to the post and dished off to!!!!!! Then for another stretch I was jumping off the sofa and screaming, throw the ball into Vick again; then I went through a patch where I was yelling go inside, go inside, go inside.

I still don't really know how they did it. @HighEliteMajor made some good points about KU 's defensive tactics that rang true with me. And its obvious that Malik supernovaed and that Duke tired some down the stretch and Silvio grabbed ten boards as a sub and Malik missed almost no free throws and KU shot 35% from trey and Duke shot 24% from trey, but as to exactly what Self and Devonte finally figured out that allowed Malik to just begin to run wild the last five of regulation and the five of over time, I really don't have a clue.

Several stages of the first 30 minutes it was obvious the changes Self was making, most of which either didn't work very well, or the players could not capitalize on because they were still too confused about reading the defenses well enough to take the open looks they were getting. This was the longest I have ever seen this team take to get off its heels and really attack an opponent. I can't say if it was a plan, or if they were just so baffled by the multiple defenses of Duke that it took them 35 minutes to find the way to attack Duke.

But whether I understand it or not, and whether we can forecast it or not, shoot! It was an incredibly beautiful thing to witness down the stretch!!!!

Talk about a gutsy performance!!!

Holy Cow!

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22918865/kansas-jayhawks-devonte-graham-led-team-final-four ↗

@justanotherfan

Excellent post btw.

This version of Malik has exceeded even my most optimistic thoughts of what he could be here. Its not just the scoring its everything he's doing on the other side as well.

He dropped a dime to Svi on a drive yesterday that was a great moment of the evolution of Malik with his teammates.

I loved the story about his road to get to this point with this team. He didn't quit on his team or his coach even as he struggled. His father didn't overstep his reach when times got tough. Both of them showed great trust in Self to get him here. It took longer then we thought but I can't imagine trading it for anything else now.

I keep checking Mock Drafts to see if Newman's name would start popping up. Haven't seen anything yet. But he has legitimately been the best player in the country for 3 consecutive weeks. Hard to think he wouldn't be a end of the 1st round pick at this point.

Nobody pinch me! Let the dream go on!

@Kcmatt7

I don't believe most mock drafts have been updated recently and likely do not reflect the last few weeks, at least they did not last time I checked....maybe they have been by now.

@justanotherfan I do not believe I have ever seen a KU player with a steeper learning curve than Silvio's this year. I'm sure there have been others, but to come in at semester and progress to where he is now? . . .Amazing. We are fast approaching the time when I would just as soon have him in as Doke.

@lincase

Against Villanova, Mitch and Silvio will probably be more important than Doke because Villanova will spread the floor with shooters and KU will have to match up against that. This is a huge learning curve, especially for a guy that just as likely should be practicing for the McD's AA game as playing in the Final Four this week. A guy that should be going to prom next month might be the X-Factor in a KU national championship bid. Silvio has stepped up. Mitch has stepped up. Now we need them both to step up at the same time, in quite possibly the biggest game of the year.

One way KU can potentially overcome Spellman's ability from the 3 point line is to guard him with Svi. Spellman is really just a big man with a shot, not a significant low-post scorer but if your looking for a way to take away that 3 point line you put Svi on him and make him give up the ball. Spellman has made 41% of his made shots on the year from 3. Villanova in general takes 40% of their shots from 3.

With Doke, Spellman is going to get open looks especially off pick and roll situations because Doke simply cannot move his legs quick enough. Doke on Paschall however is a much better matchup for Doke because Paschall shoots only 33% from 3. You can live with him making shots just like KU survived Duval having a great game. Spellman though has proven all season long to be a difference maker in their offense. Will be interesting to see what they gameplan for them

@BeddieKU23 can't wait!

KU shoots 47% from 3 and holds them to a season low 20% shooting! We win by 10!

@BeddieKU23 Thanks for the scout there .. Svi definitely showed his wares yesterday on the defensive end. I would think we'd trap Spellman here and there, but not always, and certainly not immediately. Might be good guy to catch sporadically on the first bounce.

@justanotherfan Solid post!

@HighEliteMajor

The experience he got playing in Europe against grown men probably helped.

@jaybate-1.0 Oh yah! I almost had a heart attack last night!!

@jaybate-1.0 Question. Where is KU on the trey % ebb/flow chart? Seems like the last couple games have been below average shooting nights as a whole for our trey gunners.

Villanova? Bring'em on! We have a debt to collect from them. We should bring plenty of chip into that game.

Time for Devonte to earn that Naismith Award.

Nova can be beat. They play good defense, but we have played against better defensive teams. And their offense is mostly about crossing their T's and dotting their I's.... meaning... they make the shots they are supposed to make. All we need to do is bring our A-game on defense. Overwhelm them with athleticism. Move the ball at our quicker pace. Disrupt, disrupt, disrupt!

Here is an interesting look at 3 of the major computer rankings after the weekend games.

Ken Pomeroy ↗ - Villanova #1, Michigan #7, KU #8 and Loyola #30. He still has teams like Virginia, Duke...yes, Duke at #3, Cincinnati, Purdue and Michigan State ahead of KU. Difficult to look at the rankings with straight face and say they are correct.

!0_1522097584840_upload-28ec5af5-c06c-4d36-ba44-876ab51df62e ↗

Jeff Sagarin ↗ - Villanova #1, Duke #2, Kansas # 3 and Loyola checks in at #56. Duke is still #2 which seems counter intuitive given KU's win yesterday.

!0_1522097830944_upload-88758ed1-c3e6-42bb-b277-4cd71c870889 ↗

Here are his predictions for the Final Four games:

!0_1522098501406_upload-e159cc18-7427-49dd-8722-c65fbf7cd169 ↗

Kenneth Massey ↗ - Definitely the more realistic with Villanova, Michigan and KU in the top 3 and Loyola checking in at #8.Duke dropped to #6

!0_1522098044399_upload-98cbee9b-87de-469a-bfaf-f5554796f654 ↗

These are his prediction for the Final Four games:

!0_1522098254863_upload-32db1d62-81c9-44bd-99a4-004162f54b12 ↗

If Ken Pom has a non tournament team Penn State ranked 26th there's obviously some flaws in the ratings.

So, they are saying KU can't win? Hmmm.

HighEliteMajor said:

So, they are saying KU can't win? Hmmm.

Can't or won't?

Remember the Alamo...just seemed like the thing to say against Nova

Bwag said:

HighEliteMajor said:

So, they are saying KU can't win? Hmmm.

Can't or won't?

Wahwahwahwah...We weren't supposed to win the B12.

We weren't supposed to win the B12 tourney.

We weren't supposed win the first game of the NCAAs

We weren't supposed to get passed the E8...oops...I think we've over achieved.

We were supposed to choke? I think was the term?

Rock Chalk

Did you guys see how emotional Self was in the locker room after the game? It really showed how much he wanted these guys to finally get over that hump to the final four.

is there a place
to watch the replay of this game

@kjayhawks i looked for that video. couldn’t find it

@Blown CBSSPORTS Network is showing replays of games. KU- Duke is on now (11:38 pm Monday). 45 secs before halftime. They are doing them throughout the week but they don't announce which games.

@truehawk93 - AlaMODE! AlaMODE! With sprinkles on top. Just ask Barkley..... 🙄

@Blown https://www.diehards.com/kansas/bill-self-locker-room-kansas-basketball-duke-final-four-elite-eight ↗

Most model's I've seen are giving KU less then 40% chance of winning. Big whoop Models. We got this

Until recently Villanova's defense really wasn't that good. I've seen a lot of commentators lately saying how good their defense has been the last month or so. They have been good no doubt but Self can absolutely game-plan to beat them.

It's the #1 O vs the #5 O. According to Kenpom this is the 2nd best offensive team in the last 15 years..We will have to have something for them

@Blown [

@BeddieKU23 Get Spellman or Paschall in foul trouble early, and I think this game changes.

@Kcmatt7 Paschall is pretty good. I remember KU was interested.

@BShark Just the perfect 5th guy to have on the floor. Unselfish. Does the dirty work. But also capable of scoring when he is open. I will be interested to see if Self puts Doke on Paschall an Svi on Spellman. We can double Spellman if we need to. He is not a great passer.

I would honestly feed Doke like every possession for the first 4 minutes and see if Spellman can keep from fouling. Or even just run pick and roll with Doke and see if you can get a blocking foul on him. Either way, my goal is to get him out of the game as fast as possible.

@Kcmatt7

very good point. I would try and get one of their guards as well. Either Brunson or Bridges would really change the way they play

Does this mean Malik is going to enter the draft for sure?

@BucknellJayhawk3 Malik isn't staying.

@BeddieKU23 Both have had issues several times this season. Whoever is guarding Newman may have a tough time staying out of trouble with the way he has been driving the ball. Maybe a couple of DG head flops lol.

@Kcmatt7

I'd imagine Jay Wright will be game planning for Newman. I hope Newman rises to the occasion once again. I read from some nova people they think Bridges might cover him with his length and 7'2 wingspan.

One thing we haven't mentioned yet is how will these teams shoot in the Dome? Both so dependent on 3 point shooting.. Whoever makes em likely going to win.

@BeddieKU23 I'd put Bridges on him if I were them, no doubt about it. Newman has been scoring at 3 levels though, so good luck to whoever is guarding him.

@BeddieKU23 Self has a WHOLE week to prepare his team. I like our chances!

If Nova keys on Malik then Devonte goes off.
I really think Lightfoot will have an impact on this game. His speed and recovery on D vs smaller guys is better than Silvio.

@Ziggyhawk Watching that does not get old!

Jayhawk-in-OKC said:

@BeddieKU23 Self has a WHOLE week to prepare his team. I like our chances!

Me too. A week to prepare against Nova this time around makes a big difference.

@BigBad I am with you, Final Four is Devontae time!

@Ziggyhawk Thanks for posting that recap Zig!! That was GREAT!!

Gorilla72 said:

@truehawk93 - AlaMODE! AlaMODE! With sprinkles on top. Just ask Barkley..... 🙄

...yeah, they really make an azz of him on those commercials, but it pays well. He doesn't give a ratz azz what people think either.

I was checking the draft board and Newman is no where to be found, at all. However, they have the Kentucky losers on there. They also touted a dook player scoring 20+ points a game. They even titled one of the draft boards: Watch a few in the F4...all Nova and Michigan. Damn the bias.

@BeddieKU23
Doke on Paschall however is a much better matchup for Doke because Paschall shoots only 33% from 3.

Paschall is trash, and he's lazy. I watched him foul TT in the 2d half because he can't play D. He starts grabbing and pushing to make up for his fat azz.

For a Lark, I googled "Villanova Fan Site" - People are the same all over,

https://247sports.com/college/villanova/Board/106104/Contents/So-many-haters-out-here-Everyone-picking-Kansas-116720620 ↗

So, Malik is going to the Final 4, and will play Saturday. Mississippi State, from whence he came, plays in a Final 4 tonight. NIT, of course, but gosh, I bet he regrets transfering since they are getting there first--sort of.

Meanwhile, Dwight and W Ky are in a tight (1 pt) game in the 4th quarter against Utah.

@wrwlumpy My favorite:
"Duke Fan here - you guys should win by 10-15. All you have to do is contain Graham and Newman and you win."
Response: " OK then. I see you guys were able to do that. Thanks for the tip. Seems Bill has K's number"
Or something like that. But it was funny.

WKU lost tonight, but Coleby had a double/double. Their coach (Stansbury) said, 'Sometimes when you shoot a lot of 3s and make some, it can be fool's gold a little bit. That's not our strength,'' Stansbury said.

Fool’s gold! Channeling HCBS!

truehawk93 said:

@BeddieKU23
Doke on Paschall however is a much better matchup for Doke because Paschall shoots only 33% from 3.

Paschall is trash, and he's lazy. I watched him foul TT in the 2d half because he can't play D. He starts grabbing and pushing to make up for his fat azz.

Yes I hope that's the matchup Doke on Paschall, Svi on Spellman. We'll see Villanova has gotten away with a lot of physical play in the tourney so far

@Gorilla72 I noticed in the 4th that a couple of their guards forgot about passing and patiently waiting for open shots, and forced "hero" 3 pt attempts. When they tried to get it inside they did pretty well.

How does Villanova stop Dok on offense? If Dok doesn't put himself on the bench, Dok is KU's most likely difference maker. Both Spellman and Paschall at 6'9'' give up heighth, but also close to 40 lbs. to the big guy.

Given the masterful defensive strategy employed by Coach Self to slow down Bagley, I can't wait to see how coach utilizes Dok's size advantage at our offensive end. Duke did a great job of defending the entry passes to the post, but Villy's front line doesn't have the same athleticism we saw with Duke. Saturday just can't get here soon enough for me. RCJH

@Ziggyhawk recap video made my day!

@stoptheflop "How does Villanova stop Dok on offense?"

There is an ironic hint at the end of your own user name.... Watch their skinnier guys sprawling all over.

We definitely need Doke to be disciplined out there on Saturday. He's been rather out of control this tournament with fouls.

If I was Jay Wright I would almost assume Doke is going to take himself out of the game without them having to do anything differently against him. If Doke somehow can stay in the game for long stretches without fouling then that's where Wright probably has to adjust. Doke I believe has only scored on 2-3 ISO plays this tournament between fouls and his knee. Spellman and Paschall are big dudes that can hold their own. They might not be able to stop Doke (but who can when he's on his game) so Nova will have to adjust to that if he's able to get inside position for easy baskets. I would imagine they will try and double him quickly on post entries or try and steal the ball when he backs his man down and goes for that right shoulder bunny. A very underrated aspect of Doke in the past month has been his passing and his awareness looking for cutters (most likely Vick or Garrett) when he receives the ball. That has been a positive addition to his game that really wasn't there earlier in the season. In High School I'm not even sure he knew how to pass the ball so he's made gigantic strides in that area.

One way KU can potentially use Doke's size advantage and keep Nova's defense from collapsing is having Svi or Newman always on the side Doke may post up on. That way Nova is unlikely to drop the guard down to double because you can't leave Svi or Newman open. This could give Doke room to operate 1 on 1 or if that guard collapses that leaves one of our deadly outside shooters open.

@stoptheflop Yeah, I know! I just posted again about the match up advantage we have with Doke vs 'Nova

Well going to go see the boys take off here in Topeka this afternoon from the Airport - - Hopefully give them ROCK CHALK LUCK - -they are leaving Lawrence around 2:30 I think and head to Topeka - -I'll be there - -ROCK CHALKALL DAY LONG BABY

Pretty cool that all 4 Final Four teams won their conference tournaments.

I thought you would enjoy it knowing how clueless the so called "experts" have been and still are...

!0_1522366134491_upload-4492356c-9000-468d-91ef-85d349e8d874 ↗

And here are some interesting Conference stats which will surprise many of you...

• Kansas has punched its ticket to the Final Four, marking the Big 12’s ninth appearance since inception. The Conference has played in 11 Final Four games (4-7) with a national championship by the Jayhawks in 2008.
• The Big 12 is the only conference in 2017-18 to place a team in the CFP national semifinals (Oklahoma) and the Final Four (Kansas).
• The 12 wins by the Big 12 in this year’s NCAA Championship are tied for the most of any conference (ACC).
• For the third season in Big 12 history and the first time with a 10-member league, three teams played in the Elite Eight with Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech. Other seasons with three Elite Eight teams include 2002 and 2003.
• The Big 12 has placed at least two teams in the regional fi
  nals in six of the past 1 NCAA Championships, including this season (2008, ‘09, ‘10, ‘12, ‘16, ‘18). Thirteen times in the last 16 years at least one conference squad has advanced to the Elite Eight.
• The Big 12 has had 25 regional finalists in the past 16 years - the most of any conference during that span.
• Big 12 men’s basketball led the nation with 40 percent of its teams advancing to the Regional semifinals. Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia danced to the Sweet 16 as the Big 12 made up one-fourth of the field.
• This season marked just the second time in Conference history for four teams to advance to the Sweet 16 with the first occurring in 2002 when the league had 12 teams.
• For the third-consecutive season and the eighth time overall, the Big 12 had at least three teams in the Regional semifinals. The Big 12 has had at least one Sweet 16 team in all but one year in Conference history, with multiple teams 15 times.
• The Big 12 has 10 appearances in the Regional semifinals since the 2016 tournament, one less than the top spot of 11. Seventy percent of Big 12 teams have advanced to a Sweet 16 within the last three seasons - Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
• For the first time in Conference history, the Big 12 sent 90 percent of its men’s basketball teams to postseason play with seven in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and two in the National Invitation Tournament.
• The Big 12 is the first league since at least 1996-97 to accomplish the feat of 90 percent of its teams in postseason.
• The Big 12 led the nation with 70 percent of teams in the NCAA Championship. It marked the fifth time (2010, 2014, 2015, 2016) in Conference history that the league had seven NCAA bids and the fourth since the Big 12 became a 10-member league in 2011-12.

Every bucket from the Duke game in 10 minutes....

@StLJhawk I made a similar collection of every bucket Danny scored in the 88 championship game When i worked for the cbs affiliate in Waco. Man i wish i still had that tape.

@BeddieKU23 I think Doke and lightfoot will be very important because I just don't see how Doke will be able to guard a man on the perimeter.

We have all week to prepare for Villanova. The best team advances.

Kansas 79

Villanova 72

Monday is coming.

@HighEliteMajor I love the idea of having more time to prepare. The 2016 game was on the short turn around and Nova's game plan was tough for us.

That said, KU made that game very very tough for Nova and we were in control in the 2nd half at times. Nova was averaging 80-90 points a game in the tournament and we held them far below that clip. Even with Perry Ellis having possibly his worst post season game of his career, Wayne chucking airballs and a few foul calls not going our way we were still up 6 late with a 3 that rimmed out by Wayne that could have put us up 9. I think it is easy for us to forget that Bill put together one hell of a gameplan against Nova as well. The momentum got away from us late and it just didn't work out and that Nova team went on to win the entire thing and sent numerous guys to the NBA. This is not a game that I look back on with the same sense of despair and anguish as the Michigan, VCU or Oregon losses. I expect a similarly great strategy from Bill tomorrow night as he had for Nova in 2016 and agree that we win by 5-7 points in a game that is in the 70's.

RCJH.

Was looking at the stats from the 2016 KU Nova game. I remember our 3pt was bad that game but didn’t realize it was that bad. Between the 3 guards, Selden, Mason, Graham shot 6/21 (1/12 between Selden and Mason). What was even worse was the production Off the bench. Bragg and Traylor combined 11 minutes 0 pts, 0 rb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 TO, 2 PF.

@Eric-san Yes, but remember, Nova's three point shooting was worse. We got beat because Nova had the better game plan, shutting down Ellis. We did not respond with a counter to get Ellis into the game. And the reason Nova's plan worked, a scab that gets picked every so often, is because Lucas was no real threat to score. That year, we could have had Diallo prepped and ready to play. But that's old news. This year, we DO have Doke and Silvio (who was made game ready in about 60 days -- another challenge to Diallo handling). Big, big difference this season. And that goes to @joeloveshawks' point. We have lots more time to prep. I think -- in fact I'm sure -- Jay Wright worked hard on a KU game plan well before the Sweet16/Elite 8 weekend in 2016.

@Buster-1926 I am very confident. I was very confident when Doke went down because Silvio is a stud and when there is adversity, guys like Silvio step up. Opportunity and need are very inspirational. He fits this team very nicely.

This is the moment we've discussed that changes everything as far as perception for coach Self. A great coach that we know only needs this simple verification of his place among the elite. A second national title is the end of any discussion.

We are ready to win the national title.

Lucas was the main reason for the two EE losses. It's pretty clear.

@Eric-san We were playing frozen. The only person who played with confidence was Devonte. To me, it's all about confidence, and playing within yourself. One thing I have noticed is that Malik doesn't seem to get nearly as rattled as he did earlier in the year. He is just oozing confidence, and I think that makes us a much tougher out. Vick looks more confident as well. Doke doesn't ever seem to panic no matter what. This team hasn't played tight this tournament, so i just hope we play with a free mind, and give it our best.

@KUSTEVE

We could say we pissed down our leg for a bit against Penn but that seems so far ago. I do think you hit the bigger point that guys have played with the confidence to get to this point. They are having fun and you can see it. What a job Self has done to flip the script getting here

@HighEliteMajor

Doke is a lot more of a scoring threat than LL. Also, Self has perhaps turned the corner on shooting 3s: going from "fool's gold" to "let it fly." My concern for Saturday is that if we are looking to capitalize on Doke's inside dominance, Jay Wright and Villanova may have a defensive counter and waiting for it. If a skinny Svi can effectively front-butt Bagley, how hard is it for a 245-pound Spellman to do the same thing? Also, If the pass is not at the rim for Doke to alley-oop, Doke needs a long time to gather himself for the 2nd leap during which he is prone to 2nd teaming and quick stripping hands of the guards.
Inside game becomes more open if we can shoot it from outside.
I believe Nova is looking for our guards to catch-and-look-for-a-passing-angle-to-feed-the-big-man-inside. Perhaps we can turn the table on them by adopting the catch-and-shoot mentality. We can out shoot them. 4 shooters with 1 beast down low is actaully harder (more multifacets) to guard than 5 shooters. Outside shooting success will force the defenders to commit on the perimeter from hedging inside. Lanes will be more open toward the rim.
Currently, both Malike and Devonte are willing to catch-n-shoot, but Svi tends to hesitate, and Vick is still catch-and-look-to-pass especially if the game is tight. Those two are the key: trust your shooting touch, don't think too much, let your muscle memory to take over, shoot in rythem, relax and "let if fly."

@LSH You know, the one thing about Doke that is really under appreciated is his ability to pass out of double teams, and just his passing ability in general. If I were coaching against Doke, I'd be very careful on guys sliding down the lanes. Back when SDSU beat us at home a few years ago, our lack of "attacking" those doubles with guys moving down the lane was pretty much the reason we lost (our inability to beat those traps). Some coaches talk about clustering or tightening on the trap, which would expose the three point line. If I'm Self, I'd anticipate that Wright might cluster the lane because Doke is a very good passer in that tight space, and work with Doke on perhaps hitting a guy that stays back near the line (something Doke rarely does). You can bait a guy to compress to the lane, and then kick back out or bait him with another cutter going across his face. That creates the chess game, and I'm sure Wright will be considering all of this too.

Great thing to watch for on Saturday.

@LSH

The challenge for Doke on Saturday will be defending without fouling. All of Villanova's big men can play away from the basket, so Doke is going to have to be disciplined, or he will pick up cheap fouls away from the basket. Villanova inverts their offense quite a bit, with their PG (Brunson) often posting up while their big guys shoot threes. Most college teams don't have an answer for that. That's a matchup that will be different for KU.

Doke really is the key because Villanova can't handle him physically on offense, but I am not sure who he can guard on defense because both Spellman and Paschall play on the perimeter offensively. Both are capable three point shooters - Paschall hits 33%, having made 31 on the year, while Spellman has hit nearly 45%, making 62 threes on the season. It's no fluke for either of those guys to take and make a three or two during a game. They also can put it on the floor, so Doke will have to slide with them when they drive and not just sell out on shot fakes, where he risks picking up bad fouls.

Whichever team can enforce their will in that matchup probably wins the game.

Well this ought to make us feel good: Myron Medcalf is picking 'Nova!

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22956703/espn-expert-predictions-2018-final-four-national-semifinals-loyola-chicago-ramblers-michigan-wolverines-villanova-wildcats-kansas-jayhawks ↗

Well he is just about like every one else. -Bilas - - - Biancadi - - Borzello - - -Dakich - - Dykes - - Gasaway -- -Metcalf - - John Thompson III - -Greensburg - -all picking Villanova. - -now most of them was predicting close like 3-4 point games but all Villanova

@HighEliteMajor 82-72 and Monday belongs to us.

I predict we beat Nova, and then Michigan. This is Bill's 3rd Final Four in 15 years; Roy had 4 in 15 years. Bill is ahead of Roy in national championships for KU 1-0, so I certainly hope he makes it 2-0 on Monday night.

Nova wins by 10 imo.

Lower scoring than expected 71 - 68 KU

KU 83-77.

96-94 KU in OT.

@KUSTEVE no I can’t handle that

KU 83

Nova 71

Spellman needs to learn immediately what its like to guard our high mobility attackers.

Once that mobility has put the fear in him, then come at him with some Doke AND Silvio. Let him face u against someone his own size for a change and see how he likes getting some shots crammed down his throats.

Spellman getting cuffed by Svi, then Mitch, then some Silvio, and he will feel the trauma of the drama!

Important point: Svi and Bagley are approximately the same weight. No one else matches with Doke tomorrow. That said, I'm wondering if Silvio out on the perimeter is the better option. He's great at collapsing. Nova is awful at defending the pick and roll. With an athletic big like that and solid passing, we could do some damage.

KUSTEVE said:

@BeddieKU23 I think Doke and lightfoot will be very important because I just don't see how Doke will be able to guard a man on the perimeter.

one word. Silvio

Thing is sports fans, KU has to make Nova panic. We have to get them rattled!! Have. To. That's the great equalizer. Which of the two best teams left will break?

Another thing, KU has had more close games, down to the wire games than Nova has this season by far. Its not even close. Our boys do not panic. They fight.

Lets see what happens when the score is tied with 30 ticks left. 'Nova doesn't have Coach Self.

In 16 they rattled us with their physicality/extreme fouling. This year is pyback time. Doke just has to be smart and avoid the silly fouls in open court. They have no match for him, he is too strong for the butt front. Plus momma will be in the building. Doke goes 22/10. Silvio 6/12

KU 82
Nova 74

Morning Bucketeers! Big Day for our boys. I hope to bring some of the love that is on this site and grateful to have had all of your insights. I've learned so much. My phone does not have much memory, just a simple android. If I get wifi I will do my best to take shots to show you all the action. I can twitter to @HighEliteMajor maybe. It may have to wait till I get back and can download from my camera. This is a Bucket List for sure and am thankful for all the support and love shown to me by you all over these past couple of years. Preston went to visit his brother yesterday so on the way to SA I am sure to get a lot of inner stuff and will pass on what I can. Getting to be around them in the hotel is going to be so much fun. We gotta win this. I just hope our boys play for their Mommas and Grandmas, their fans and themselves. Our brutal conf. schedule has prepared them for this. I was at the conf. opener here in Austin and having seen the growth and hard work put in by everyone, this is the top of the top. I look for a close game but think our having been in so many pressure games this season will be the deciding point.

76-71 KU

ROCK CHALK

@RockChalkinTexas have a great time , Rock Chalk!

I’d rather be worrying about how Dok will guard ‘Nova, than worrying about guarding Dok.

"Every time he hit me," Seton Hall's Angel Delgado told The Athletic, "I felt like my body was about to break."

@RockChalkinTexas enjoyed reliving this post of yours. All the optimism and potential. Looking forward to our boys' next brush with greatness.

Man,,, the Pac12 and Big10 canceling all sports until spring affects not only football, but looking ahead - if even possible, at this point - the NCAA Tournament. I have confidence that we'll have a vaccine this winter, just a feeling. So hypothetical (and I know, it's a huge stretch), if we were somehow able to cobble together a basketball regular season how could there even be an NCAA Tournament? And if not, that would obviously all but gut the need to hold a conference tournament.

@Marco said in Final Four bound!!!:

Man,,, the Pac12 and Big10 canceling all sports until spring affects not only football, but looking ahead - if even possible, at this point - the NCAA Tournament. I have confidence that we'll have a vaccine this winter, just a feeling. So hypothetical (and I know, it's a huge stretch), if we were somehow able to cobble together a basketball regular season how could there even be an NCAA Tournament? And if not, that would obviously all but gut the need to hold a conference tournament.

I think the only way to cobble together a season is to have conference play only - otherwise you have some teams that play 25+ games and others that play 16 or 18. Conference play, then conference tournaments. That backs everything up until January, which gives more time to have a plan for how to do all of this safely.

@Marco

I wish I had your optimism. I'm thinking we have a horrible winter when mixing Covid with influenza. Testing will go sky high and slowed way down, becoming completely useless unless we have a fast home test by then. If this is the case... everything will be shutdown. The time to bring the virus down is NOW and it isn't coming down fast enough. I don't think we will have sports this year in college.

Wow the optimism in this thread for that final four game! We've administered some epic FF beatdowns of UNC and Marquette, but that day we suffered the same.