🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I think we need to be excited about Bragg. Kid can flat out shoot the ball and having a taller version of Perry Ellis won't hurt. We can use him in pick and pop and high/low. His motor will be an issue but if he gets here for summer ball and stays healthy I'm confident he can get 20+ minutes a night as a freshman. Now that depends if we sign anyone else.

Devonte, Lucas, and Svi should all take major steps forward in their development.

Svi has the most to gain from playing this summer in Korea but won't get that chance. Lucas has a chance to continue his progression. I'm really hoping Hudy continues to push him.

@benshawks08

I had forgotten as well until I went back and looked at the Top 100 and remembered we were after the 2 top fish and missed both. We might have gotten more production out of him you never know. I didn't see a consistent motor in him which I think hindered his overall production at Texas. I thought he settled too much for the pretty shot instead of trying to bang it inside with his size. But he's mimicked his game after Durant in some ways so a true b2b game is probably something he'll learn in the NBA.

I guess the silver lining is that Lucas got time to develop. If Self and assistants can work magic with his post game and get him stronger he can be a serviceable big. Unless Self gets a 5star big he's going to start Lucas he loves that kid.

Last 8 games for Lucas with 20+ minutes a game yielded 6.4 pt's 7.3 rb's 1.1 blk's per game. Another summer of development and with Hudy and your talking the possibility he could average around a double/double.

@ralster

I guess your right. It just seemed that the perfect storm of events has taken place in a years time that has left KU very thin in developed players at the 5 spot. I forgot the Myles Turner saga that would have softened the blow of Embiid. But I wasn't impressed with him, yeah he can block shots and make a turnaround jumper but he did little else IMO. And we were the runner-ups for Okafor & Jones package so I guess we did after all recruit for the event Embiid left I just forgot and so much has happened since that it slipped the ol mind.

I would have loved to have had Black 4 years. I think 4 years in the system would have advanced his skill further. He was an absolute brute even if he fouled every 4 seconds.

@ralster

Was their a backup plan to Embiid?

Was Self the only guy in the world that didn't know he was gone by January?
Our backup graduated.. Lucas was left... Cliff simply wasn't big enough or skilled enough to hold down the position. He didn't even make it through the entire year. Hunter not a true 5 either and could barely get minutes only after Cliffgate went on.

@HighEliteMajor

Your right, Self did try and make this a team that he just couldn't get to do what he wanted. Instead of molding with them, he molded them how he wanted it. That's the price we for him, he's an exceptional coach but never will be perfect. At some point he's got to have the players who can go out and do it regardless. A poor 2pt% team, the most blocked team in the country, average at best passing team they all are factors that this team couldn't do better.

The Temple game was plain scary. We didn't even compete. They were a good team though and should have made the tourney. Being from the east I saw a handful of their games to see if the KU game was a fluke. I thought they passed the eye test for making the field.

You could say that about the Kentucky game as well. Later on we find out that the early season trip for UK was probably a benefit to them in being more prepared. But to beat us by 30 on the national stage was just disgusting. We weren't the only blue-blood to feel their wrath (UCLA got it worse).

@HighEliteMajor

Great post as always, the passion I see in your writing is 2nd to none on here. You really push the envelope of thinking but right now all of us fans need something to grasp and understand what has happened yet again.

A few comments while I'm at it:

1. 3 tell-tale games.
   If you look at things from the beginning of the year 3 games told us everything you needed to know about how the season would end. The UK deflate game (no pun to the patriots fiasco), the almost blown Utah game, and the Temple debacle. I could include the near loss @ home to OU, or the OSU 2nd half retreat but I think those 3 games defined what was wrong with KU basketball. The reasons? Well who would have ever thought that KU would be blown out twice in one season. A fluke 20 point loss is bound to happen sometimes but 2 in one season alerted us in all the wrong ways. The Utah game showed the Jekyll & Hyde of the team to hold a lead. We would go on to do this in almost every single game. We just weren't built to win games like good teams were supposed to.

2. Off-court turmoil.
   You have to think that ever since Wiggins & Embiid went pro that things spiraled south. First Andrew White transferred for more playing time. The picture fiasco with Tharpe forces him to transfer either willingly or unwillingly. Now we are down 4 players. The plus side was getting Graham and Svi but still roster turnover was +3 counting Black.

Then the summer hits and Alexander gets hurt, Svi decides to play internationally so both were behind in individual skill development with the program.

The fall hits and bam Conner decides to transfer right before the season. At some point the attrition is going to affect the team. Self could have gotten other players had he known what would happen. A Buddy Hield or a Ron Baker wanted to play for KU but that didn't happen Self was busy recruiting others.

Then in-season we get slapped with the Cliff Alexander show. One we still have no answer(s) to and likely won't have for a while. Not having Cliff altered our post rotation and forced both Lucas & Mari into roles they just weren't comfortable with. They tried valiantly but at some point skill development and talent lost out.

Then our best player arguably sprains his knee conveniently right before tournament time. His mental barrier is forced to deal with an injury for the first time in his career. His game just never came around to 100% pre injury. 2nd year in a row our most important player jolted post-season success.

1. No backup plan for Embiid leaving.
   When Embiid went pro it wasn't as if that was some secret. He showed early in the season he had a chance to be 1 and done. Self and co should have started recruiting for safety. Black was a 1 year loner so you knew you were at least losing 1 big. Why didn't we get another big with Alexander? Self constantly said Hunter wasn't a true 5, Cliff wasn't a true 5, Mari certainly a borderline 4. We either really struck out hard in recruiting or we just plainly put all our eggs into Embiid returning for Sophomore year. In the end it wouldn't have mattered he got hurt in the summer and wouldn't have played regardless where he was NBA or College.

2. What off-season turmoil will we have this year?
   I'm praying that most of this team stays together because we can't afford another year with 3-4 players leaving the system. We can absorb Cliff leaving because we have Bragg. A slightly bigger and more offensively skilled Big who can play outside/inside. We cannot replace Oubre's skill, length, defense if he leaves unless we win the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes. A lot of people have said Greene could transfer but here's hoping he matures and sticks it out with KU. Selden and Ellis are 2nd round to undrafted players at this point so why leave now? Ellis can finish in the top 10 in KU scoring history and possibly lead this team to greater heights next year. Selden can work on everything and a 3 year starter would be better than nothing.

3. What recruits/transfers do we get?
   Do we get a Center? We are only after 1 at the moment. Do we hit the transfer market for a Senior like Black with 1 year left? Would we use Diallo at the 5?
   Can we land either Brown or Newman? Either would improve our offense tremendously.
   We should use all of our scholarships because we will lose Senior's next year regardless. Self needs to have a big Spring.

It's clear to me that a snowball effect of things happened which have now ended the KU season. It's amazing we were even able to win another conference championship with this much distraction.

@Lulufulu

I was under the impression that the Ellis elbow was a flagrant. Not because I thought VanVleet had any malicious intent but because the rule states it that way. Any elbow or blow to the head is supposed to be monitored, I didn't see them go to the monitor because usually that delays the game a few minutes.
This same play with slightly different context happened in the VCU/Ohio St game. And they gave the VCU player a flagrant even though his intent was to score the basket. Just goes to show you how 2 different officiating crews can screw up the same call in a game.

The ref's were certainly not the reason we lost but it did seem that WSU was allowed to get away with far more aggressive play than KU was. I hate when ref's call the game too tight but then forget to call the obvious ones as well.

It's kind of like West Virginia. You know they are going to foul you, they are basically told to foul. But in the course of fouling they may get 5 turnovers from aggressive play and over time that sticks with the refs. Now the snowball affect happens that they can get away with more because the ref's don't get to see them being unaggressive. KU wasn't the aggressor yesterday once they blew the lead. Wichita used their defense to get away with whatever they wanted.

@reader22

beat me to it by seconds I guess.

@drgnslayr

When does our contract with Addidas end? The reason I ask is I saw now its an open bidding war for the NBA jersey's. I wonder if they will pull away from the NCAA game as well.

@tis4tim

I have thought that about our schedule the last 2 years that its getting extremely too difficult. I understand why Self is scheduling like he is. When your in Kansas you don't have 10 in-state recruits to choose from so he's marketing KU by going to the different markets for games across the country.

But then you also read about how he could have had Ron Baker or Buddy Hield but instead whiffed on higher rated players. Recruiting is a fickle thing, finding the right balance and the right players is always a crapshoot.

As far as our schedule this year you could argue that the gauntlet of the non-con schedule set this team up to be a tired team in March. Next year the Big 12 will be just as difficult, maybe even harder depending on roster changes. Your looking at 5-6 teams who will all have veteran teams. I haven't seen our schedule yet but I imagine its not going to be much easier.

@joeloveshawks

Your right, I think the margin of talent in highly ranked players to unranked players has changed dramatically. But it also depends on the team, and the coaching, and the style of play that teams play. Kentucky might finish a perfect season with all Top 20 kids. We can hate them all we want but those are kids that have bought into a defensive approach and the kids believe in winning and being dominate.

How can Wessel outplay Ellis? Effort, urgency, aggressiveness, and a shear will. Perry is a great player but he's a softie, he doesn't show emotion, he's not vocal like we need upperclassmen to be. That's just not his personality, and in the games that matter a personality is needed that your team can rally together with.

What KU lacked was a leader yesterday. Mason early in the game looked like he was going to give VanVleet all he could handle. As soon as he got into foul trouble, the life came out of him. Going into next year we need someone to step up and be the leader we have lacked. Without it, it doesn't matter how many players we return the end result will be the same.

@joeloveshawks, @nuleafkhawk

great posts, I felt the same way.

2011 I felt like I was in a comma for weeks I was so upset. To know we absolutely had the best team in the nation and let VCU do exactly what WSU did to us yesterday.

2013 I was in a Casino with friends watching the game at various TV's. They played well and I thought the game was in the bag. When we blew the lead it's like the life came out of me. Lost money at the poker table and didn't even care. A guy at the table was talking about how KU just lost, I looked at him like I could choke the life out of him. I spent the next week trying to figure out how Elijah Johnson could have possibly blown that end of game so bad.

2014 I felt the game was over early and I was right. I went to the gym to vent my frustrations out only to find them try and come back. Another team that wanted it more than KU.

2015 I got the same feeling as last year right before halftime. I basically shut off all emotion and I said in the game thread that the game was over early in the 2nd half. When you get that feeling, it rarely ever turns around. Self is one of the best coaches but he can't make kids understand that your going home if you don't bring it. Not having Senior's will do that, the urgency is just not there.

Thanks Oubre for your one year. I hope your nba career makes us proud

Foul your way to the nba

Awesome kellly

@Crimsonorblue22 doesn't matter if you can't win in march it's irrelevant

Tourney experience shows for wsu

Mason bails out thanks Franky see you for your junior yr

Lol story of game with greene miss

@globaljaybird doubtful upside for nba he's loved by gm's

So is this as bad as the Stanford loss?

Kelly will bail on us just like every all American does at some point

Waste time weaving come on that's terrible coaching

27 win season with another champin ship but yet another year where self can't get his guys to play hard

@Crimsonorblue22 well I hear that Malik likes ku if selden goes

Watch a foul will b called

Refs bail out again

@brooksmd totally worthless today

Career day from 3 is hard to do anything about that

@Bwag prevent from stopping them

Glad wayne showed up

Great job graham way to keep hacking

Nice dunk

Mason hurt

It's over crimson I'm sorry you can't see that

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

@BeddieKU23 u choose

Newman would suffice

Nice pass

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

@BeddieKU23 ok go recruit for us?

Sure who ya want?

When can we start the recruiting thread? Y'all can be optimistif all ya want it's not gonna happen

Not having timeouts will haunt us

Story of everytime we exit the tournament just straight up outplayed energy aggressiveness

And that's how we lose

@cragarhawk they made 3s and we missed everything plus stopped trying to get to the basket

Mason and Oubre get 2 fouls and our aggressive play, team play went to crap

They ended on 13 2 run about as bad as it gets

How's that not a foul

We can't even get ft from our 2nd best

We stopped winning when mason got 2

Damn joke no aggressiveness just let them back like we always do

@FarSideHawk then we should switch everything