🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Ran across an Article before today's game and Coach Self had this to say.

Coach brought up the fact saying, That this team lacks some personality. He said it's ok to show some emotion out there on the floor - -following this up by giving some examples. He referred to the game against Oklahoma, talking about with a couple of minutes left how Ochai throwing the perfect lob to be the icing on the cake and them bouncing back on the defense with a smile plastered on his face. He talked about Ochai last year when he started playing how he after every three pointer Agbaji celebrating with hand gestures and a big smile which in turn the bench would get in the act.

Coach says this year the team really doesn't react saying the players are kind of stone faced and he really don't like that a lot. Coach said he can go down the line of regular Contributors and point out how most of them rarely show much fire then saying Ochai is one that can and Self would like to see that return.

Coach said Ochai plays better when he is playing with more joy , Some guys can play with joy and not smile - - Some guys need to smile with joy and Coach thinks Ochai is a guy that needs to show some personality when out there on the floor playing.

Found these things interesting. Cause just the other day myself and another poster here can't remember who both agree with these things. They said it just looks like this team just is not having ANY fun. I responded and said I agreed they just almost look robotic/zombie like a lot of times. Like Coach said it's ok to show emotion let people know you got that fire in your gut. Show that other team when you dominate /make good plays hell let it out, let that Scream after you- - Doke you flush that ball, after one of your many power Dunks show some emotion Ochai after you take that lob flush let em know. Kind of like what chocolate Thunder( Daryl Dawkins ) used to say when he went up it was kind of like don't try and challenge me this is MY TIME - smile act like your having fun. On 3's pull let arrow back let it fly let the bench pull the arrow. Don't be afraid to do the chest bumpin. things like these adds a degree of intimidation to the other team when they see you like that they know your having a good time.

These guys most of the time are so listless. they make a huge play a BIG key play afterwards most the time they just kind of jog back to the other end .Hell Doke you don't have to stand over the guy BUT after you power flush on a guy it's OK to flex as your running back to the other end. After you swat a ball back, and it prints Spalding on the guys forehead it's ok to high five your team mate let out your yell. It sends a message like don't be bringing that trash in here. I couldn't agree more, like Coach said it's OK to show some personality let these other guys know, let them come to the realization of who they are playing. Umm your playing KU and not some St Mary's sister of the blind. Do these things hell it doesn't hurt to have fun just to mechanical I know of others that feel the same, was good to hear coach bring it up. Let's do this. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

I’ll take this every day over what has become the norm — pounding chests and screaming. I doubt this more reserved, respectful approach has cost us anything. The “look at me” athlete has nothing on Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, Dr. J, etc.

Joyful emotion is different. That has always been a positive part of sports.

But the look at me b.s, flexing, screaming, pounding the chest, bobbing the head, all that stupid gyrating cr*p, is the disgusting part of team sports.

Quite simply, a product of not being taught how to act like a man.

If Self is attempting to inspire this, he’s an idiot. But I’ve seen Self’s teams walk over opponents without a negative word from Self, and have seen us fail/refuse to offer help opponents up and just walk away as a regular course of conduct.

This season I’ve seen Agbaji offer to help opponents up. Garett too. Kids that were raised the right way. Hopefully Self doesn’t coach that out of them.

Self should focus on the Xs and Os. His scheming and prep. And focus on doing his job better.

I love watching guys play with more emotion. Let out a yell after a big rebound, clapping their hands and pumping up the crowd. This teams seldom even smiles on the court. @HighEliteMajor you can play with emotion and not be taunting buddy. You don’t have to stare down guys and flex in their face. I think you want some cockiness just not to much. We’ve had dozen of emotional players that weren’t classless.

kjayhawks said:

I love watching guys play with more emotion. Let out a yell after a big rebound, clapping their hands and pumping up the crowd. This teams seldom even smiles on the court. @HighEliteMajor you can play with emotion and not be taunting buddy. You don’t have to stare down guys and flex in their face. I think you want some cockiness just not to much. We’ve had dozen of emotional players that weren’t classless.

I'll agree with you 10000% kjayhawks. - - this walking around like zombies - like you say and never smiling - they act like they hate the game. - Let them show emotion. Agree you don't have to flex AT the guy , you can do it running down the court, you wanna yell at you slam it over somebody - then good GOD - YELL. - -a little cockiness never hurts anybody, right now you have to wonder sometimes if these guys are even alive. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

Just saw a perfect example of what we are talking about kjayhawks , watching the Oklahoma State Baylor game. -- Baylor breaking out on a three on one , Tristian Clark slams , nothing wrong with that what so eve -- I wanna see that, so some dam emotion, your having fun at what you do, BASKETBALL not the NY Stock market. Now if that would of been us, would of turned around jogged back and nothing

I like emotion when it's genuine. When a player who is usually pretty stoic gets pumped and excited, that's pretty special, and makes me laugh. Their happiness is infectious. But a player who screams and celebrates on every pedestrian play looks a little silly to me.

It just has to be natural, neither suppressed nor forced.

@kjayhawks There are different lines of acceptability for everyone. Of course you can play with emotion and not be taunting. That’s obvious. Again there seems to be a reasonable line.

Mitch would have added a dash of spice to the mix.

Seen all kinds of examples about what we have been talking about on this from different players , different teams. - - countless players on Dunks letting out that scream - -bump chest - -didn't see ANYTHING wrong with that at all

I agree with emotion without taunting. The problem is taunting has become normal in the NBA, which all college players watch and emulate.
NBA will have an all-out fight at some point soon due to the unnecessary staredown after dunks. The refs need to take care of it before it happens.

Got close to a fight here:
🐦 View Tweet?s=20

Oubere here:
🐦 View Tweet?s=20

I agree with Self on this one.

Part of coaching is helping players leave their best game on the court. Showing some emotion is part of the game. I've felt Doke's biggest problem this year is his inability to play with controlled emotion and needing to show more self-confidence. But I look at Devon and Ochai and they need to show a little life out there. We need a team synergy here and that comes through showing some emotions.

There is a balance out there and I like how Self is addressing the need for balance.

@drgnslayr From a coaching perspective, do you agree that you can't create emotions in guys that are more stoic, and naturally don't show the emotion? It's changing a guy's DNA. Personally, I think that's a recruiting item. I like guys that are intense. I don't understand guys that aren't. Dedric Lawson was a good example. Perry Ellis to a large extent. If we want a certain team personality it starts with the type of guys you bring in. Look at our main 8 guys in 2008. All played with emotion, but that wasn't contrived by the coach. I'd rather have intense guys you have to dial back. That said, calmer guys, more stoic guys, can fit. But if you have a team of them, it is a difficulty I think. But of course guys who are more intense may be "acting" more reserved, hesitant to show too much. That's a bit different. I just don't see Agbaji, Garrett, or Dotson as highly intense guys (appearances). Inside they may be, but the topic is showing it I think.

@HighEliteMajor Here's the thing with Kansas Basketball though, we have Allen Fieldhouse as our home court. It can be the loudest venue in the country when the crowd is into the game. Having a bunch of guys who don't outwardly show emotion can help deaden a crowd and there's been plenty of discussion on this site about AFH being a quieter venue recently. WEF reorganizing the student seating a little bit is part of of it, but another part is having a team of mostly stoic players on the floor. Those types of players don't naturally get the crowd into games the way more outwardly emotional players can.

Teams need a balance of both and Self has probably gone a little too far to the stoic side which is why the debate of players not looking like they care or have fun has popped up in the last few seasons. You need the stoic guys that can outwardly remain calm when a team gets down and can reign in more outwardly emotional players in that situation. You also need those outwardly emotional guys because they can bring out energy needed to make a run and get the crowd into the game in a big moment.

Magic Johnson was the ultimate example of leading his team by playing with joy and positive emotion. On the opposite end is Draymond Green, who shows aggressive emotion on the floor - damn annoying if you ask me.

I remember Julian Wright being emotional in a positive way. I still remember him doing that 360 dunk on a break away steal at Mizzou. That's probably on YouTube somewhere. His smile was infectious.

I think there are a lot of great points made in here by many. Shows how complex an issue emotions can be.

So many of the team spirit habits that exist in high school ball are gone from college basketball. That's a big mistake. I guess players and coaches feel like the players are all grown up now and don't need some of these things. Players should all come together on a timeout right before starting play and bring their hands together and chant something. Players should show enthusiasm to players at the FT line after a shot, either way on a make or a miss. Players should cheer players who make good plays. Players should cheer players when they need things turned up. Players should cheer players non-stop. Bench players need to be totally involved and cheering hugely. Set up these habits and it should make a difference. Coaches should cheer their players constantly and uplift them when they struggle.

Are we doing that?

We talk about having a team leader. Devon is it. It should be his team. And as team leader, he should be animated about it all the time. And he should be out there cheerleading and also orchestrating. We need more leadership out of Devon. Who thinks he is ready for the NBA?

I don't want to come down too hard on Devon because he's only a sophomore and he has been a great PG for us, but he isn't ready for the pros and he should be sticking it out here for all 4 years because he will need all 4 years to learn how to lead a team at a high enough level to bring it to the pros.

BigBad said:

I agree with emotion without taunting. The problem is taunting has become normal in the NBA, which all college players watch and emulate.
NBA will have an all-out fight at some point soon due to the unnecessary staredown after dunks. The refs need to take care of it before it happens.

Got close to a fight here:
🐦 View Tweet?s=20

Oubere here:
🐦 View Tweet?s=20

Damn I was right about a fight but I thought it be the NBA not US!!!