Huggins (and Mike Anderson/Arkansas) coach a style of college basketball that is rapidly becoming a dinosaur in an age of smaller lineups and fans who crave athleticism, style, and finesse plays/players. I wouldn't shed a tear for its demise.
CRH107
239 posts
Yikes! Good luck with that.
@drgnslayr ...and BMac was a young player who needed to go to the league when he did but (like Frank) really didn't want to leave KU. His is truly a remarkable story of overcoming adversity while turning his struggles into gratitude and service to others. Kudos also to Coach Self and company for their role mentoring BMac both on and off the court.
@Crimsonorblue22 @kjayhawks @JayHawkFanToo
One of my favorites because the three look angelic in this throw back (June 5, 2016):
🐦 View Tweet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I am 'all in' with holding referees accountable...whatever it takes to improve their judgment, consistency, and fairness. Poor officiating can become an unwelcome equalizer especially when talent levels on the floor are disparate. I would prefer that competitiveness, athleticism, and strategy determine outcomes instead of a whistle (or absence thereof) and will take KU's chances anytime a game is officiated appropriately. If Huggy's concerns are valid, then all should benefit from improvement.
Coach Self is looking pretty prophetic with his 13-5 will take the Big 12 outright but I would like to prove him wrong by 1 game!
I often wonder if the pain of his personal life in Lawrence is just too much of a reminder for TRob, despite the support and love he received during his down days there.
I have had neither success arguing with a man with a badge or a man with a whistle.
Likely, the last 8 minutes brought out the bear in Huggs and he was duly compensated.
Glad Coach Self takes the high road when asked any question (good or bad) about officiating...must not always be easy though.
“I was like, ‘Bill, you know you’re not going to let him play like that,’” Rayford (Trae's father) said, according to Jason King. “Eventually [Self] was like, ‘I guess you’re right, but promise me one thing: If he doesn’t come to Kansas, make sure he goes to OU. It will be good for the state. It will be good for the league.’”
@drgnslayr Excellent questions. My take is mutually exclusive propositions : Trae (and his father) wanted unconditional freedom to operate in a 'no holds barred' offense; Self coaches the exact opposite (offense should come in the flow of the game). I have no judgment regarding which is the correct approach with a talent like Young but since both sides had 'eyes wide open' and neither was likely to bend, then Trae to OU was the better decision for all.
Seems more complex a topic than the total number of fouls per game. For instance, I believe the early whistles against Josh (at 17:40 and 17:23 first half) of the Oregon game were a much greater game changer than total number of fouls called that game. A foul discrepancy alone doesn't guarantee an advantage...KU has won games this year shooting far fewer free throws than their opponents. With that said, by all means convene the 'referee gods', dissect every inch of the tape, and then move on. Agree this was certainly an anomaly but I have watched other games of more egregious refereeing than this one.
For me, officiating is too often the 'wild card' in sports (especially basketball) and I have often wondered if referees could be entirely replaced with technology. However, until then, my preference is for referees to call plays as they see them, in the moment, real time...and not add yet another dimension of human error to the equation by forcing them to consider and adjust to foul (or any other) inequality throughout the game. Most fans have witnessed "the make up call" but I find those distracting because like players, I think referees should be thinking "next play".
@jaybate-1-0 The system (i.e., building up to tear down) is not likely to change in our culture. However, I hold the adults feeding (and feeding off) these young talents entirely culpable. I watched Lon Kruger as a player and then as a coach and held him above many others but not any longer. I will forever consider his 'Poke-A-Doke' a cheap tactic (albeit a legal one) to win one battle but if Young's quote is truly accurate, my only response is "shame, shame on you, Coach Kruger".
I stand by my comment that, under Self, such a scenario is never going to happen. He may taunt, cajole, prod, etc. but his mission is clearly to make men out of boys...not destroy the psyche of a freshman phenom. I read once that Self's opening remark to every player is ... 'you will never be the best player to have played at KU so just put that aside, now'. Might cost him some recruits but he is team first, win first before all else.
On Young's recruitment, he was quoted as saying that Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger “said he’d turn over the keys to the program to me.” (Jason Jordan, USA Today)
Never. Going. To. Happen. (under Self)
Oh Forde is probably reminiscing about Billy's playing time in the KU/MU exhibition game and hoping that is enough to get us in trouble...
...and Silvio's emergence will force opposing teams to add another player to their scouting reports!
@BShark Mine too!
"Winning solves everything." ~Tiger Woods
If we all agreed, all of the time then we would only need a blog for one. How boring and uninspiring. I enjoy each and every post...some affirm my thoughts, others cause me to pause, and many push me to rethink my position.
A smart man (or woman) changes his mind...a darn fool never does.
It took Coach Self exactly two games to distance himself from his "long term" solution (of starting two bigs): Win. Win.: Malik and Vick get back to the starting rotation. Self gets to expect better effort.
Whatever the ailment this team is being treated...how fast and reliably they bounce back... only time will tell. Exciting times ahead!
Statistically (if you are not concerned with random error), three (3) data points are required to confirm a trend...so how about we revisit after we beat WVU and OU?!?
...and Cole will have his jersey retired on Saturday...hope it inspires our "bigs"!!
Thanks for providing the reason why!
Self commented after the game that he felt the team played some of their best ball with Garrett on the floor.
Hold on, KU
Welcome back, Vick!
He knows how to break 'em down before he builds them up. Starting line-up restored tonight.
Oh that's great! Wonder if it was an original thought or just parroting his coach.
“We were obviously better three weeks ago than we're playing right now." ~Coach Self
Three weeks corresponds to the departure of Preston. Could be coincidental or the team could be missing his contribution at practices.
In fairness, Coach Self started the chemistry discussion but we all know it would end in a nanosecond if this team could just string together some much needed wins.
On a totally unrelated note, does anyone know if Svi is a contact lens wearer (during warm-ups/games)?
Some millennials have a nose for inconsistency and are not afraid to call it out (e.g., who really cares if I start since you are going to play me 32 minutes anyway). Often, they do not respond to humiliation, being taunted, or having their manhood/womanhood challenged. A 'Baby Boomer' is let in only when the 'Baby Boomer' can prove his/her value to the millennial, not vice versa. Right now, neither side is seeing much value in the other and the dirty laundry is piling up. I suspect the team is divided because a faction would willingly give their 'first born' to Coach Self while others are staging a revolution.
Have you spent time or interacted with Doke? I have twice and would say both times that he could make Mother Teresa appear a tyrant (and I mean no disrespect to Mother Teresa). I often wonder if his seemingly ridiculous fouls are simply his way of getting back to the bench so that he can get out of the line of fire and placate his restless team mates.
In the absence of an effective formal leader (regardless of reason for the ineffectiveness) an informal leader will naturally emerge. I have wondered who the informal leader is this year because I definitely believe there is one. I think @HighEliteMajor makes convincing points to consider Malik that person. Prior to his post, I had pondered Vick -- quiet assassin type who somehow flies below the radar yet gets others to engage in malfeasance (e.g., Jackson beating up Vick's girlfriend's car).
This season would make one heck of a movie or better yet a book written from each stakeholder's perspective. Sadly though, we are dealing with real life and nothing about this feels good or exciting.
If fabricated, it seems that it would be easily refutable by eye witnesses (e.g., players, reporters, John Q. Public) and cameras as @JayHawkFanToo states.
A few have speculated other possible scenarios to further arguments of team discord. I was hoping one of our own could end the speculation with a first-hand account.
@Texas-Hawk-10 Did you happen to see the warm-ups and injury to Svi's eye?
For what it's worth:
Svi's eye "was hit when Garrett swung his hand back after missing a dunk during layup drills"...
Self may have to be keenly aware of 'friendly fire' -- not certain the team is buying into his new approach...probably thought they were doing just fine building their record with fool's gold while having tons more fun. But, I do believe it is Self's record to either maintain, lose or blow..he is the constant throughout it all.
Meanwhile, Joe Dooley has FGCU 10-0 in conference play (Atlantic Sun Conference). He is a basketball savant. Would love to see him make it to one of the power conferences in my lifetime!
No one channels "good cop/bad cop" better than Coach Self and he is pulling out all stops to motivate this team.
This "no fear" year (of KU by opposing teams) has been a blessing on the road and a curse in AFH.
Good teams win close games. Great teams win games by a comfortable margin.
Time to go from good to great!
I think holding TCU to 64 when they have been averaging 86 speaks to the defense.
Good rebounders and TCU leads the Big 12 in 3-Point FG PCT at .411
I think Devonte's message may have been more directed to the "sky is falling" segment of the fanbase.
Upper respiratory and GI flu has been making the rounds in this area. Probably a combo of factors: TCU defense but also Svi less than 100% which likely placed even more pressure on this group knowing it. No surprise that Self would not address...when does he ever, really?
@Crimsonorblue22 career in anything!
Yes! He was also accepted at Harvard but ultimately chose KU. So much potential.
I'll take our odds...this team seems to do its best when their backs are against the wall.
Jawing/whining like Trae's to the officials is generally and thankfully limited to the NBA. Perhaps he should suit up in a striped jersey next game so he can perform both roles (player and referee).
The pressure of the streak was at its peak last year, IMHO. Falling short by one conference title would have been the greatest abomination. I agree to living in the "now" and look very forward to seeing Coach Self and team work their magic to win games instead of trying not to lose games (credit @jaybate-1-0 for this thought)... hopefully this year but, if not, definitely next year when the pressure of the streak is finally put to bed.
Seems like years past we had depth but complained that Coach Self wasn't using it...seriously, I don't know how he keeps this team motivated. Certainly, there is no real threat of limiting any starter's playing time. Maybe just the option of a deep bench was enough. In the post interview today, he seemed frustrated with the effort of all but Devonte and Svi. No argument here.
Coach and Devonte publicly acknowledging Devonte's knee bone bruise is disquieting. Discussion of Injuries, regardless of severity, are typically taboo. Hope he is a fast healer.
Ahhh..Thank you @Crimsonorblue22
Graham said they didn't warm-up today. Is that typical??
I think we are witnessing a seismic paradigm shift! Every year we hear AFH 6th man; conference streak only because KU defends at home; conference streak only because other teams implode; blah, blah, blah...
Perhaps the basketball gods are tired of hearing the rationalizations for 13 straight too and are requiring this group to win on foreign soil to remove all doubt.
Or we could just win out :-)