🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@approxinfinity
Btw thanks for making this site happen !

Wow - no transfers out! Other than Philon de-committing.. what a difference from last year..

A question… what are the main drivers for Furphy and his family at this point? Hard to believe that a 19 yr old is that overly concerned about money and a burning desire to enter into a full time job. Is it lack of NIL $? Does he not like having to take classes?

@wissox
You are also a Wisconsin fan, right? So Obviously, you’ve seen this kid a lot…

@BShark
Yes- arguably the most under-utilized shot in college- the open space pull up jumper. I saw Elmarko do a couple of those successfully this year.

@BeddieKU23
Thanks - I hope Elmarko stays- I thank he’s going to be a stud starting next year…
… what’s the consensus on Hunter leaving or staying?

So- with the two recent transfers, and KJ staying, what does this mean for elmarko and Jamari?

I was at the game today - surprised at how many Texas fans were there, probably because they wanted to experience Allen fieldhouse before their SEC exodus. Great to see bench players get so much time! When Timberlake hit that alley-oop slam, the place went absolutely bat-shite crazy, even the 70- 80 something fans were jumping for joy. Great overall energy today. God that place gets bowel-shakingly loud.

So, a question … what's the likelihood that Furph sticks around next year? The love for that kid in the arena today was total and overwhelming.

Weren’t we supposed to replace Morris by now? We need more help … maybe Furphy will step up and mature quickly….?
Not sure about marko at this point.. he distresses me a lot more than Timberlake. Nick can score.. he’s still adjusting to D1.
Good to see Kevin being JWill. He will try and drive and shoot any place any time. And I agree.. Hunter looked sick or something.
This team always looks on the edge of losing. Not a lot of wiggle room with this group.

@mayjay
Good point.. the electricity was obvious for sure.. I think I’m going to rewatch the game for a third time :)

Obviously, HCBS stressed defense in the past couple of practices. The team responded… That was one of the more maniacal defensive efforts I have seen from KU in a good while. Makes you think… Can they do this all the time? Maybe the fact that it was a huge home game amped them up so that they were able to sustain that high intensity effort for a long stretch of the game. It takes an enormous amount of energy to do that, so it might not be feasible to ask this team to come up with that kind of defensive effort every game.

The game would have been a lot less close if not for Newton. Bilas was right… He hit at least 3 end-of-the-shot-clock crazy threes that would have been career college highlights Had he done that just once or twice per season.

Both Timberlake and Braun I think got pulled because they both were slow on a defensive switch. The Nick situation reminds me a bit of Remy Martin. Bill wasn’t too high on Remy for a lot of the season that he was here, but we have a NC banner in the rafters and we don’t have that without Remy Martin, So let’s hope Nick works hard on his defensive effort, which, as we know, will earn him playing time. I still foresee a critical game in which Nick is the difference.

Love it that Juando was trying to drive and score… he did everything right except for adjusting his touch at the very end to lay that ball softly in the hoop. We all know that looking to score is just not in his comfort zone, but of course he does everything else so well that we don’t get very far of course, without him. He should throw up shots each and every time teams back off him at the three-point line, and hopefully over time he will just become more comfortable with doing it and not worry so much about missing.

I’m surprised the commentators did not talk more about what a magical environment that was at Allen Fieldhouse last night. Easily the best home arena in sports in my opinion. Two years ago, I went to my first home KU game (senior night) and I was blown away… The volume is absolutely indescribable. You intuitively realize that something very special is happening all around you, and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. And last night was probably 50% louder! WOW

Kevin is apparently trying to be the new alpha dog Jalen Wilson. I imagine Coach self has told him essentially that. “You go be the guy when we need it the most.” Those three treys he hit in the second half were beyond massive- he won us the game. It takes large stones to step up and hit those., especially after the last game where he flailed offensively.

And I will take KJ doing those running floater shots in open space all day. It seems to be the most comfortable shot for him, other than layups and dunks.

Juan of course needs to drive and dish (which is what he always does) but he also needs to SHOOT - it can’t all be Hunter and Kevin tonite trying to create offense.

So - not entirely sure why some on this site are trashing Nick so much compared to the other bench players… when Elmarko or Jamari or Johnny misses open shots, no one here seems to jump on them like they do Nick. I understand that their upsides are potentially huge, and am glad the Self is giving them good minutes- the faster they develop, the better for us down the road. When I watch Nick, I see good defense, hustle, moving away from the ball, passing, and he boxes out well. He is not as athletic and the aforementioned 3 guys, but in my opinion he can be a good addition to this team, because he can shoot the three consistently when given minutes, and when he starts to acclimate to this level.

Here’s an excerpt from the game recap from LJW:

“ After a lethargic stretch for the next 10 minutes, Nicolas Timberlake, who had been struggling in his reserve role to begin the year, helped Kansas create some separation late in the first half. Timberlake drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing on an assist by Jackson, only to follow that up with a better play on the next possession. Timberlake faked out a defender on the perimeter before drilling a pull-up jumper from mid-range.

Moments later, Timberlake dished a quick entry pass to Hunter Dickinson for the turnaround jumper to stretch KU’s lead to double-digits.”

That’s certainly what I saw… and he tried a block on 2-on 1 breakaway due to a horrendous pass by KJ, fouled the guy who made the layup, and then was pulled. What am I missing?

Lay off Timberlake guys… Yeesh - give him a chance for god sakes. There will be games where he will pour in 3’s, hit clutch shots, make big time pressure free throws.. you wait and see.

..just read this old string today about Nick T , in anticipation for game 2 in Puerto Rico today.

Nick, in my humble opinion, is EXACTLY who we want as a transfer. He grew up in Braintree Ma, a few towns away for where I’ve lived for 30 years. His father Jeff is a huge basketball junkie, and played for BU and he got to play in the first round of the NCAA tourney in 1988 ( they lost to Duke). Nick was a standout hard working player at Braintree high school but when it came time for college, not a single D1 or D2 school was interested. Zero. He and his family knew he was D1 capable, certainly a D2 level player, So he went to Kimball Union Academy in NH for a year, and worked incredibly hard to improve every part of his game, especially his shooting, taking between 300 and 500 shots before games.

After that year, Towson was interested, and his hard work paid off. He got better every year, averaged 17.7 a game there, and because of Covid he had one extra year of eligibility. Rather that go overseas to make some money, he wanted to know what it was like to play for a higher ranked D1 program. The memory of no one wanting him out of high school still stung, and he felt he had something to prove. He knew he would draw some interest in the transfer portal, hoping for around 15 schools to contact him but was shocked when over 70 schools reached out, including some blue bloods. Self didn’t meet him face to face, just over zoom. He picked KU essentially because of a chance to play under HOF Coach Self. When he visited the campus he and his family knew instantly they had made the right choice. Obviously, NIL $ is a good incentive, but he most definitely is not here for the Money (Hunter is here for the $). He is here to play for Kansas.

This is the kind of grown-ass kid I will root hard for.

So - what’s the conference part of KU’s schedule now gonna look like? No more home and away games for each team obviously.

Good highlight dunk reel.. includes some of the aforementioned dunks and a few I forgot .. McLemore ! Jamari!
Lots of Agbaji dunks too ..

There are lots to choose from..
this is one of my favs of all time- Wayne Seldon

Love to hear about or see your favorites

I wish some poster here who are connected and in the know would please enlighten us as to what the hell is going on ..
This is the weirdest year for KU B-ball ever.

@Crimsonorblue22
Oh yes that’s right… thanks for reminding me !

Best of luck Wissox!

My best game.. haven’t been to too many ( I married a KU grad and got sucked in big time to KU basketball over the past 30 years ) was two years ago.. senior day against Texas - they won in overtime and then went on to win the NC. Allen Fieldhouse… NEVER been in a louder arena in my life. The volume was was almost lifting me out of my seat to the rafters.. Plus senior day/night games are very emotional. Awesome experience ! I was proudly wearing my Marcus Garrett jersey

Wouldn’t Hunter be one of those big bench bodies in the nba? Guys that come in the game so the starters can rest?

Ernie wanted more what? Money?
What happened last season?
Why the secrecy?

Please fill me in on Higgins… I’m assuming he made some atrocious calls against Kansas?

He should be, with Juan, a good team leader and a guy who understands Kansas culture and understands Bill self - I know lots of people here said he was 99% gone. Love it !
How many KU guys did senior night and then came back ?

Bill Self absolutely loves KJ. That’s the number one consideration here. We all know that when Self loves a guy, he will be in the floor and In The rotation consistently…. KJ will do whatever he is asked, including sitting a lot more if that’s what’s needed.

So - Udeh’s decision to leave right before the deadline ….is it because we’re getting Mgbako on Friday?

Yes- looks like the new normal is that top programs like KU can cherry pick seasoned and more or less proven guys from other programs, by odds mostly lesser ones, who want to play for a blue blood and want to cash in on a lucrative NIL deal that we can easily afford. The rich get richer as always, But now quicker.

So, the big question I have is, is recruiting now much less critical? This really changes the whole process. We all loved the guys who played 4 years and grew with the program into very good players. I love senior nights… now most seniors are gonna be 1 or 2 year transfers who don’t have as much of a connection to the school as we used to have. Bummer.
If we recruit really good players, and as freshman they understandably don’t get a lot of playing time because we always have a fresh crop of experienced transfers, they will leave. One and done in a different way

I don’t have time to search thru some of these long string posts, but curious if anybody touched on the rumors of Hunter’s supposed desire to get some up-front NIL money that the other schools in play for him weren’t prepared to give, and that his NIL offer from KU was massive. The theory being that he knows his chance of being an NBA player is iffy, so he wants to cash in now.

I’ve been to DC three times in the past year and a half… Daughter goes to Maryland which is 20 minutes away. the metro is awesome ( WAY better than my current hometown Boston).. You can get anywhere quickly. Great restaurants literally everywhere, of course great museums as well. I did not notice any hookers, but like every single big city I’ve been to they’re is a fair amount of homeless (San Francisco is unfortunately inundated with thousands of homeless)

First time in NCAA history that not a single 1 seed in elite 8 or final four.

Whomever ends up in the championship game next week, I’d Love to see if anyone anywhere picked the two teams…

March Crap shoot madness

@BShark
So - Harrison Ingram is rumored to be considering Kansas apparently …
Who else?

So… who are the transfers we may be getting? Anyone care to share the rumors/skuttlebutt?

Tick tick tick…
Thats the sound of the clock, ticking down till the fall of 2023 when a new season starts… sigh
Such a long wait.

Almost every announcer this season has make the observation that Harris is the most underrated PG in D1. He does exactly what a good PG needs to do in all aspects of the game, And yes if he can hit somewhere around 40 % of his threes he will really help this team. There will be many time coming up in the crucible of league play and tourneys that we will need him to hit open looks.

Also, who’s most likely gonna transfer next year? udeh? rice?

The biggest call-non-call was McCullar’s block. But it was the right thing for him to do, completely stop the bucket and make Bryce go to the line to tie for overtime. From what I saw, Kevin got all ball, but the follow thru had lots of contact involved. Could easily have been called a foul, in fact that play would be a called a foul at least 80 percent of the time. If it had gone to overtime, I think we win anyway, we had the mojo at that point.
And yes, as beddieKU said, Wilson got hammered a lot with no calls.

Kj Adams is fast becoming a really favorite KU player at least with me - team guy 100 percent- self clearly loves him and for good reason.

Can Grady find his spots now that every team will put their best defender on him? It feels to me he needs to up his movement away from the ball, because welcome to the crucible of division play - expect this now every game GD!

Yes I love to plan my week around KU games… and yes it’s tough when there’s a full week in between games.
I’m on the east coast so usually a late start … and often I have to Tape them because my heart rate jumps up so much that I can’t get to sleep until hours after the game…

I was a sixers fan, mostly during the doc J era, and I remember how Barkley came in as a rookie and was a complete utter beast !. He didn’t seem to care who was on the other team, he just muscled his way into the trees, and I remember many dunks …

So… we won a tough physical game against a quality albeit young team… and we played like a team. Without coach Self as well !
Me likey this current Jayhawk roster a lot. ! Should be a fun season indeed

Yes, as mentioned in this thread, Jay Bilas has been the spokesperson for how the game is gotten extremely physical to the detriment of the game, and yet this was about a physical early season game as I’ve seen in a while… And Bilas did not seem to make any comment at all… ?

Now is GD gong to be a OAD? I wonder if he will get feedback at the combine and elect to come back another year …

Yes - this time of year I love… games are fairly low pressure, the kids look like they are having fun, usually lots of playing time for everyone, and we usually win big… and a long ways away from the high pressure meat grinder of division play.
Wheeee!

Yep
Best player in a finals game last night. D in the nba !! (Playoffs and finals is when the guys play hard D, not so much during the interminable schlepathon of the 82 game regular season) He’s going to get a championship ring this year. I have to imagine that he is thinking about Coach self a lot when he’s out there.

Also interesting to reflect on whichever team wins the National Boring Association title this year adding up all the losses just in the playoffs.. Celtics have lost NINE GAMES so far, golden state EIGHT.

The team that wins the NCAA tourney Has to win SIX IN A ROW, no losses allowed. Hell, most teams who win the dance don’t lose eight or nine games all season long. Such a completely different game and league.

I was on a soapbox, writing here frequently, and willing to bet a large sum that Grimes was going to bomb in Houston like his freshman year here. Wrong. Still not sure exactly why Grimes didn’t play better here.

There is a Crypto ad currently running during the NBA playoffs, featuring Joel Embiid- I could swear the narrator is Bill Self

I certainly don’t have time to check out other “fan sites” ( what is a site like this officially called anyway? ), but I doubt nowhere else had a poster like Jaybate. The guy was almost from another planet.. maybe part Vulcan? His intelligence, extensive and eclectic knowledge, imagination, inquisitiveness, passion, and the way he combined all these things was ming-boggling at times.. so many examples, like writing an novella-length essay/post on subjects like comparing Self and the team to the legendary Merrill’s Marauder from WW2 for example… I used to think “what does this guy do every day? Is he a wealthy recluse with a lot of time on his hands? A frequent LSD user? A patient in a psych hospital? Dr. Emmett Brown from back to the future?”
I tried to keep up with his more involved posts, but one had to be in the right frame of mind to tackle them, like studying for an exam. He was truly Unique, an odd duck but a highly likable one at least to me, and he clearly loved the program.. and when the Adidas scandal broke, I remember he posted something about how let-down and saddened he was, and then he was gone.

I can credit HEM for one thing- my expanded knowledge of team basketball.
there were KU players that apparently on his shit-list, and he would use a lot of stats and basketball data to doggedly bolster his lengthy analyses for why they shouldn’t be playing or even be on the team. He was persistent and never seemed to back down. Another very bright guy, albeit overly leftbrained perhaps.

Well, like many KU fans, I find that I would come to like certain players over other players throughout the years, no rational reason really, I just would begin to become a fan. I always was drawn to the role-player types, and Jamari Traylor was a prime example of a guy I really took a shine to. HEM REALLY disliked JT, and went after him a lot as I remember. So I re-watched a lot of games, but kept my eyes glued to JT every time he was in the game. That’s when I started to see the little things that he did… hustling to be in position, setting picks, working hard to run whatever offensive set that was called, keeping the ball moving with passes, working hard to hustle back on D, fighting thru screens, boxing out, rebounding…It was obvious to me why Self played him and liked him despite that fact that was was never going be a scorer or anything other than a role-player. I learned to watch games more carefully and better understand good team basketball.

@nuleafjhawk
Yes hubie did

Who recruited the main NC players? hubie?

Whoops ! Guess I should have hunted for it

Roy Williams, mike K, now Jay wright … these were college HOF level guys who competed with HCBS for top recruits. Now they are gone and frankly Roy’s and Mike replacements haven’t proven themselves and could very likely not live up to the lofty expectations at those schools. hell Jay W MADE the Villanova program what it was, and won two titles. I believe his first two or three years were nit invites. The dude was a monster at building a top ten program.

This has got to be really good for Kansas. Who is better than Self now? Calamari? Boeheim? Yes there are the young new coaches that are turning programs around, the guys that will someday be potential HOF coaches, but we have arguably the BEST coach as of now in D1

This never gets old …. I’m wallowing in it all

Love the yellow shirt !

I’ve watchedthe Miami game twice, Villanova game twice and final game three times