CRAP!!!
It seems like a knee
Bosthawk
729 posts
I'm not sure how to feel about the tourney.. I hate to see our guys lose of course, but really wonder about the whole value of it.. would we be better off with more rest? or is playing hard and really making a top effort to win it better for us going into the NCAA tourney?
love to hear board Denizen's various opinions....
It's quite hard not to look at this team, especially the way they hang tough and gut out games and find ways to hit big shots in crunch time, as a final four team. Stat comparisons aside with our past OADs, JJ is our best OAD simply because even when he is not hitting shots he still makes a difference in passing, rebounding, defense, and just plain serious hustle.
But the NCAA tourney Is a cruel mistress. And we have a huge target on our backs... crazy things happen
I've never put expectations on our team (and other teams) going into the big dance because of its crazy fun-house tilt-a-whirl nature, but This may be the first year I will truly disappointed if we're out before the final four.
A question- does our overall #1 seed give us any breaks? An easier bracket perhaps? Or just that we get the lowest seeded team in our first game?
Yep - strong enforcement of rules early in the season to cover their asses, and now with the tourney looming the d1 game is back to a slugfest.. wrestle mania 2017
Yes - we lost in overtime to Indiana in Honolulu nov 1 - our very first reg season game. We really should be penalized for that...
I'm a glass half full guy myself.
The season for me has 4 basic parts - pre conf games, conference games, B12 tourney, then the dance.
I love pre conf because A- the interminable 7 month wait for KU hoops to start again is finally over, and B- we get a mix of bunny games where my stress level is low, and we get to see our freshmen play and get a feel for things and C- some tough matchups with top flight teams so we can gauge how we are at this point..
And most of all I love conference play, because this really is the meat of the season, the "real" season for me, and where our team rotation gets set in stone, and oh by the way we have won 13 conf championships IN A ROW while still in a highly competing league. The two games that essentially sealed it this year, the just plain silly comeback vs WV and then at Baylor were magical, and I will never forget them - wow.
Plus senior night... god I love it.. the essence of what is great about college hoops right there (does Kentucky ever have any seniors ? Probably all bench players ... sad)
I don't know really how to feel about the conf tourney.... Its the cherry on top of the big fat B12 championship cake... yes I hate seeing the boys lose, but stats show that teams who make the final NCAA game almost never win their respective conf tourney... plus maybe our team needs some added rest ??? I don't know
The big dance I'm my humble opinion of watching it for 37 years, is a Weird mix of skill and crap shoot. Obviously the top level teams who have the skilled players are Usually the ones who get at least to the elite 8, but its a tough thing for college kids to sustain good to great play for 6 straight games. Even the best teams can have an off night, and a few missed shots here and there is all it takes to get ousted. Doesn't mean you are not a great team, just means it wasn't your night is all. It's the Hunger games :scream: the strong don't always win.
The fact that KU has come back so many times this year and clawed and scratched and hustled and fought their way to win games is a BIG PLUS I feel. Remember we got beat soundly only once this year, the other two losses were overtime. I usually don't have a set prediction for KU in the NCAA tourney because of the chaotic nature of how it unfolds, but this year I would be pretty disappointed if we didn't make the 8, mildly disappointed if we didn't make the 4.
Let's hope our boys can get keep a consistent fire In The belly straight thru the NCAA... they will have a big target on their backs because on their top ranking.
All great points here !
A) does all these come-from-Behind close game heroics make us tougher, battle tested and able to gut out close tourney games??
Or B) make us vulnerable to a hot team that out hustles us and keeps hitting shots to the bitter end ???
Let's hope it's more A ...
I actually do find him entertaining up to a point... how many sports commentators go to work apparently stoned??
it was the split screen that started to piss me off... one split screen is plenty during game time, but espn must have gone to 5 of them.
I agree with one comment Bong Bill made- when asked several times who he likes to win the tournament, he said he has no idea because basically "it depends on how you play that given day ". True true true.
Agreed. Coleby is tough and hard to move out of the box. He does have a tendency to foul, but also good rebounder and can box out.
We will need him in the tournament.
@ralster
Agreed - NC is getting it together, and UCLA last night looked very very tough
Anyone watch the Arizona ucla game?
Those bruins look very very good, tough big men, good guards,...
Let's hope they are nowhere near us in the tournament
@kjayhawks
No I believe Mr Lumpy did mean college D1 American players who play in that league...
Bit of a non-sequiter, but I'd love to Know what Jamari is currently making as an Oberwart Gunner in the Austrian Bundesliga ... looks like he is rockin it and his team is at or near the top of the league
@Crimsonorblue22
Yes, but he is not easily moved out of the box and seems to be a foul machine like Tarik was early on...
I love Mitch, but he is a featherweight right now
Yes - what's the story with Coleby ? Knee not 100% ??
In the few instances he has played, he looked pretty solid.. Tarik black comes to mind...
I'm glad a few people brought up that Self is not pulling guys who take quick shots and miss... he is evolving and letting his players gain some floor confidence and feel for the up-tempo style that is this years KU team.... I love this... although he really barked hard at Svi in Waco, as did veteran Landen. Speaking of svi, I would be shocked if he left.. but I am always shocked by the guys who leave and end up in the d-league.
And speaking of leaving, There was a big thread a few months back that devonte is defintely leaving and making it plain to those near him...
Also, looks like we finally have a OAD who should make a big contribution come tournament time... JJ comes to play hard every single time down the court. Our best OAD ever.
@Fightsongwriter
So much to say about Landen. To have him hit those free throws was
HUGE. He sealed the deal, and #13 is now almost a lock (almost). Love him.
A guy with limited skills, but a guy who worked so damn hard and listened to the coaches worked on boxing out, rebounding, switching on D, finishing at the rim (his biggest weakness), and knows his role and what he should do and shouldn't do.... he is the essence of what is great about college b-ball. He is a bright decent student athlete, and he is a Jayhawk for life.
Wow.
Wow.
This many close games HAS to be so good for these guys- to know they can find a way to win anywhere, anytime... trial by fire.. when the going gets tough... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger..
Ok I'm out of bromides
This is a big reason why all of us love sports is it not ?
Nights like last night.
There is the flip side of course (just ask Atlanta fans )
Pleasure, emotion, stress (lots of stress last night ) passion, total engagement, incredulous joy. Pride, endorphins released...
Yikes
My week is now so much better
A big big step towards #13
I'll say it again and again - when league play starts, A WIN IS A WIN. Period.
It is the nature of d1 b- ball. Don't overthink it
KU ranks last in B12, and 332nd in D1.
For those on this site who played in organized ball and/or college ball,
Is there a fix ? Bring in a free throw coach especially for our starters who are shooting low percentage FTs?
Does it really matter at this point in improving our tournament chances?
I live In MA
When espn launched Espn3 and I was able to see pretty much every KU game all season, and if I couldn't see them live, watch them as replays on their app, it was a life changing gift to me. And no extra season fee.
Priceless.
Are they changing for the worse? Probably... and yes I do agree that their flagship show -sports center, does seem to show less highlights and more talk between smug precious anchors.
Speaking of apps, I was a regular daily viewer to SI.com, (love their writers) then they changed their look and my iPad choked on it... wouldn't load, did strange things. I'm guessing a vast majority of Americans access SI on their mobile devices, and having a really good interface with them is the future, so WTF??
now I go to ESPN daily to get my sports info. It's not super viewer friendly but it loads quick and I can get info quickly.
,
well if Bragg had intentionally tripped players on the court 3 times, he would only of course miss one game...
but a bong in his room?? horrible!!!
@RockChalkinTexas
that photo of Landen flushing over the wincing K-state player is hands-down the BEST LANDEN PIC OF ALL TIME!!!!! Holy SHNIT!
(ok I'm going all caps like Jayballer... i'm going all caps the rest of the week in my life )
And the less than intense D must be a great help to Perry's game
@drgnslayr
But what I'm noticing is the heart and doggedness and competitive fire difference between the two.... not sure wigs ever had as much as JJ. even when I watch him now as a timberwolf, he comes across as somewhat lackadaisical at times. And yes, the 82 game schlepathon that is the Nation Boring Association does not lend itself to consistent effort.
@JayhawksandChill
Agreed on Josh - I was tempted to post a "who's your favorite KU OAD of all time?" Thread.. (don't everybody scream "Josh Shelby!!! All at once :grin: ) before these latest allegations surfaced.
No question in my mind JJ is hands down my favorite - his effort is amazing... and yes he makes typical frosh mistakes and does some stupid things, but he is seriously talented and CLEARLY NOT protecting the future NBA goods. At times he reminds me a bit of Jamari (effort not talent lol) passing, rebounding playing d, hustling up and down the court... our other OADS kinda disappeared for long stretches when league play started. and yes he is clearly earning playing time.
let us hope the car vandalizing investigation is just an unproven allegation.. I have no other detailed info that I can find on the net so far..
@jayballer54
Well you are currently leading in the KU Buckets "most enthusiastic poster " contest :smile: (I believe sir Jaybate won it 10 years in a row :wink:
Everybody here kinda forms a metal picture of the regular denizens...
your liberal use of CAPS and prose style makes me picture you as yelling as you type your posts :smile:
This site surely can handle a wide variety of opinions and takes on our beloved team. KU has had a good reputation overall, and a high athlete graduation rate, and yes no school is immune to scandal and bad behavior. Our coach seems to understand when to give players the benefit of the doubt and when to send them packing because he knows he's responsible for arguably the classiest and most storied program in all college sport. Not to worry I say.
We have juniors and seniors... guys who are now seasoned and mature.
Kentucky's model is to start OADS and TADS - both models have their merits, but I'll take the Self-KU model hands down.
As I've said before
At this point of the season forget about national rankings... they are essentially meaningless
@stoptheflop
Yes - rupp is supposed to be a cathedral of basketball with fanatic fan base-
And they were leaving ?? !! Does that happen at Allen field house when we are down ?
Hope this is a big teaching moment
Hanging tough on the road against a very good opponent
Boy I needed this !
Thank you boys !!!
@BShark
Belated thanks!
@ralster
Good week for Jamari - Dad commuted, and he scores 16 and 9 rbs for his
League-leading euro-league team
@Crimsonorblue22
Yes - thanks for asking - espn finally posted it 4 hours later
When league play starts, My 2 rules in 22 years of following KU B-ball:
1) forget about national rankings. Period. They are essentially meaningless.
2) any league win, no matter how ugly, is a win. This is the nature of high level college basketball. Don't assign too much emphasis on what your expectations and perceptions are of how "good" you are in relation to your league rivals.
AT any rate, yes it is going to be an interesting next few months. I wish our D was a lot better, and that's personally my biggest concern.
Let's hope we can continue to shoot our way out of trouble (gulp!)
I missed the game, and it is NOT showing up on espn 3 replay.. ???
Anyone know how I can see game ?
Thanks
So - concerning Mr Graham- I just want to make sure I have this right.
Rumors are strong that He is going to leave next year despite the fact that he should be nowhere near the top two NBA draft rounds ?? So he can play in the d- league ?? Instead of playing on national tv regularly for the Jayhawks for another year?
My god I just really don't get this at all ...
Some random un- leavened thoughts -
1) I wonder if Bragg is the new Seldon.
There was talk of him being a OAD or TAD, but I guess I'm not seeing it. Which is all the better if he sticks around for another season. Great effort to try and not get pushed around last nite.
2) there will be the usual hot and cold shooting nights for our smalls- thank the hoop gods we have 4 of them to spread the odds. We will need them in a big big way. And when cold Frank can drive and draw fouls 80% of the time.
3) JJ has a serious motor and relentless desire, and doesn't seem the be "protecting the NBA-bound goods" at all. He is fast becoming my favorite KU OAD of all time, but he will be harder pressed to make an impact as the D he will now face will be fierce going forward, and more bigs to stop his driving.
4) Landon. If he can come close to doing what he did last night in league play, we may be alright. Somehow I think he is going the be the key to our future success. If he could only learn to draw fouls underneath better!! - he is a good foul shooter. And weird not seeing coleby last nite...
5) a road win in league play is just plain always always good no matter how ugly ;) time of the year to forget what one's nation ranking is.. useless.
@DoubleDD
wow - miss Kitt was a total babe !!! Yowsah
Happy Festivus to all - may your stockings be full,
And may Santa bring you good tidings and cheer
And may our beloved team keep up their winning ways well into March
TRULY best wishes, and lots of good hopeful vibes,thoughts, and prayers from all of us in this site ...
And - like so many, I don't get CBS sports network on my Verizon package without bumping up to a higher more expensive one- other than reddit, any other thoughts on how to watch ?
Good point indeed ! Embiid would have been so sweet to still have.
(I'm a fan of jamTray and just happy to see he's earning nice money playing )
We could frankly use him now...
(Will be fun for some board denizens to find the player I am referring to in the pic)
I have to say I love this time of the season... it's fun to see the team let it rip against lesser foes, and less stressful for many fans (like me haha).
I can watch from start to finish without my heart rate going thru the roof. Yes the competition is not really representative of what our boys will face very soon.
Plus this is always when our OADS look great... league play is where they usually start to get lost and struggle more against superior teams (although JJ seems to have more fire in his belly than our previous OADS .. anyone else notice that ??)
We of course will have many nail biters and tough games coming up - gulp :grimacing:
(Complete useless baiting headline to flush out the missing-in-action HEM )
Maybe a headline- "NEVER EVER QUESTION BILL SELF " might have been better actually ....
Any other topic headline ideas that HEM just simply couldn't resist answering ?? :smile:
With all the things out there to potentially worry about, I personally would put KU's recruiting prowess with 5-stars pretty far down on the list...
To borrow from a 60's movie title " Dr Strangeself, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb" Er, stop worrying about who didn't sigh with us and love the guys that self and staff manage to sign. Trust in the system, because we have a hell of a system !!
And yes, perhaps the most often brought up topic on this site - would you rather win another conf championship or a national title-
I will give my stock answer - of course you have to have the right guys (usually a fair amount of guys ranked in the top 50 ) and the right program and coach, but it is still so much fortune and chance to win the NCAA - I absolutely Love the regular season and coming out on top in the conference - love it!! The NCAA tourney is icing on my big fat delicious cake.
@MoonwalkMafia
I have a serious suggestion for you .
This year for the first time ever, mostly in response to a lot of posters on the site for continually harping on this theme of not Playing Jamarii and Landon in favor of Diallo and Bragg due to some " statistics " and ( the most overused and meaningless word in sports -"potential ") I started re-playing all of ku's games and "close-watching" them. Now I do happen to have more time on my hands these days to do this which is nice. For many plays in the game I would re-wind over and over so I could see what every KU player was doing in that play both on offense or defense.
I have learned ten times more about basketball by doing This than by reading posts here for 3 years. It showed me what players were doing and more importantly, NOT doing, and I realized that there is far more to a good team and good team play that stats.
lucas and Jamari understand better how to play consistent d, box out, shift well off picks and reconize switches, and know better when to leave their man and help out right now than Bragg and Chieck. Those skills were more important in last night's game apparently according to Self (and i agree completely).
obviously HCBS felt Lucas's weight and strength were needed last night, and he must have seen something that made hivm keep Hunter on the bench. I've watched the game twice now and still not entirely sure why hunter was not used more.
But of course there are some on this site who feel that not playing Bragg and Cheick enough at this point in the season A) will come to theoretically hurt KU in march, and B) discourage Future OAD and TAD's from signing with kansas because of lack of freshman playing time.
I for one have no interest in OAD's wanting to come here unless they are a perfect fit for what we need and are so talented and mature enough to contribute big time towards a NC run. Let Roy and Cal have em all.
Also, we seem to be doing pretty well right now with our upperclassmen. And yes, winning games like this are what good coaches do. You find a way to win with your expereinced guys.
We just won perhaps the greatest regular season game at AFH. Awesome to behold!! (That would have been a good game to see live dontcha think? "Grandkids, gather round so i can you a story of a certain night i happend to part of... ")
Alas, it is the nature of sport sites like this to inevitably have posters who will ceaselessly find the negatives, or continue to hammer away at their percieved viewpoints. Whether they are right or wrong is ultimately besides the point . It's just in their nature. Actually I'm kinda starting to feel sorry for them ... Life is short.
" one day a scorpion was trying to get across a stream but knew we would drown because he could't swim. He spied a frog and asked if he could hitch a ride on the frog's back across the stream. The frog said, if i let you, you will sting me because you are a scorpion. The scorpion said, no, if i did that then you would die and i would drown, and i dont want to die, so i promise i wont. The frog considered this and agreed to let the scorpion climb on his back and started swimming to the other side. Halfway across, the scorpion stung the frog, and as they both sank beneath the surface the frog cried out "why did you do that???!"
"I cant hep it" the scorpion gurgled .." It's in my nature"
@justanotherfan
So if no 1 seeds win most if the time, should Kansas strive to be a no 1 seed? And isnt the way to a no 1 seed winning games? Playing the players who have the knowledge and expereince to win games now, not giving a ton of playing time to your raw freshman in order to more quickly develop them and risk losing games ?