@HighEliteMajor I told you, you are always right!!image.jpg ↗
Crimsonorblue22
42577 posts
@DoubleDD I think it says a lot about that young man and his parents. Hopefully others can start seeing past the hype!
@globaljaybird I am stoked! Thanks for info! I get late pm at 11:00, but can watch it on my iPad on espn3. during royals.
@HighEliteMajor well I disagree and it really doesn't matter what I say, you are always right! Right? I will always be thrilled that wigs was a Jayhawk.
@drgnslayr and having them just stand out there. Isn't that what he said a couple of weeks ago?
@drgnslayr I don't agree w/you on this. Jmo
@KUSTEVE Travis and Withey! Bm, puke!
@JayHawkFanToo very smart kid- development!!!
Fill it in w/this!
@drgnslayr I feel like I need to give you an amen. Those planted feet better be able to slide! I hope he does learn all those things you have faith in.
@drgnslayr I don't think we have a lack of focus in con. Tourney. This year was odd, weird, because we played a much better team, osu, than their seed-due to smarts suspension. We barely lost to a really good ISU, who I believe would have gone pretty far if not for the injury.
@Statmachine maybe he does?
@HighEliteMajor Wiggins was just a good player in the wrong system. He was soft, he was finesse, he did not create any shots or opportunities for others -- he made no one on the team better
Not a slam??? Ok, you are entitled to your opinion, which many on here agree. You think Coach regrets having him?
Greene plays D and becomes a leader? Not having wiggins would have kept him out of the doghouse? Or, Conner would have played better D? Embiid would have to bail out almost every teammate. Far fetched! Throw in Ellis plays better D not having wigs too?
Less talented players w/experience-like Releford are hard to beat, but they also played great D. Jmo!
Seriously! I'm really sad to hear that we- KU fans think that way about wiggins. Number 1 college recruit, number 1 draft pick, great rep for us in a bunch of different ways! Always put the team first, played the best defense-not even close, and is still backing us. Hate to hear it!
@VailHawk match up advantage, I had to look it up again😟. They use it a lot. I like your last one better!
Had to add, I'll stop!
@Twolves_PR: Wiggins on his defense: "I always like playing defense. It’s something that I enjoy and take pride in."
@drgnslayr couldn't you say that about any team that has some super stars? Plenty of players had chances to step up, most didn't.
Anyone interested
: Andrew Wiggins ends his debut with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 assists in a loss.
@HighEliteMajor maybe if Conner could play D or rebound or get to the free throw line.....
Thought this was interesting!
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk adjusts to life in Kansas with the help of his teammates
By: Blair Sheade | @realblairsheady | Updated just now
Ukrainian 17-year-old Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk was so excited to play basketball at Kansas that he forgot to pack a basic necessity: pants.
When the 6-foot-8 guard, who likes to be called Svi, arrived in Lawrence, he needed to go shopping. Svi’s roommate, junior Evan Manning, said sophomore Wayne Selden and himself took Svi shopping at Urban Outfitters.
“We had to get him some pants,” Manning said. “He didn’t have many dress clothes or anything like that. So he had to get all hooked up with that. He doesn’t have much clothes to go out and eat with or hang out in at night, so we had to get him caught up.”
Svi said he showed up in Lawrence with only athletic gear to play basketball with because that’s all he cares about. Everyone on the team said Svi is really dedicated to playing basketball, and a lot them have funny stories of his love for the sport. For instance, junior Perry Ellis said Svi injured his leg on his recruiting trip on May 16, but still went to the gym everyday to shoot around.
Over the course of two years, the University men’s basketball team has recruited international athletes such as Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, but both Wiggins and Embiid played high school basketball in the United States. This season, coach Bill Self recruited Svi, who hadn’t been to the United States before his recruiting visit in May.
Grasping the Language
Manning has helped Svi acclimate to his new lifestyle as any good roommate would. Besides helping Svi get a new wardrobe, Manning said Svi asks a lot of questions about living in Lawrence and speaking the English language. Svi knows Ukrainian, Russian and French, as well, but he said French was the hardest language to learn.
“For me it was French because for me it’s more hard,” Svi said. “English was also hard, but I’m studying it for 11 years.”
Even though Svi studied English for the past 11 years in Ukraine, he said he needs to improve by taking three basic English classes at the University. Manning tries to help him with his English homework, and Svi tries to teach him Russian.
“He came up to me with some homework, and it’s actually really tough for me for a person that speaks English,” Manning said. “He’s taught me a little bite of Russian, but I’ve forgot it all.”
Svi’s Eastern European accent has caught the attention of the team. Junior Jamari Traylor and Selden said Svi’s accent makes them laugh.
Self said Svi doesn’t speak or understand English as well as Embiid did, but the difference between Embiid and Svi is Embiid acted like he didn’t understand English, and Svi acts like he does understand.
“Joel [Embiid] understood [English] perfectly, but he always acted like he didn't,” Self said. “He was a master of that.
“Svi isn't as bright as Joel in that regard, as far as being a con. Joel was great at it. You know, when things are going good, Joel understood every word. When things were going bad, ‘Oh, Coach, I don't understand at all.’ But Svi isn’t like that. I think Svi gets it and he understands.”
Away from the Court
Svi might not know English very well, but he likes the American culture. Manning said Svi fits in perfectly with the team because he loves playing video games.
“Since he’s been here, he’s already beat Grand Theft Auto,” Manning said. “[Svi’s] pretty good at video games.”
He also enjoys another form of popular American entertainment. Svi said he likes old-school rappers like Tupac and Notorious B.I.G, but he likes the current rap stars, as well.
“I like Kendrick Lamar, Drake and The Game,” Svi said.
Bonding over Basketball
Freshman Kelly Oubre said Svi and him connected instantly because they are both dedicated and love basketball.
“We go at it everyday in pick-up and practice, and I can tell he’s a young guy, but I can definitely tell we’re going to gel as teammates and brothers,” Oubre said.
Oubre and Svi are known as the two best shooters on the team. Everyday in practice, Oubre and Svi compete against each other in shooting drills to see who’s the better shooter.
“We aren’t tied,” Oubre said. “I think I’m up one. So I’m going to give myself the benefit of the doubt of course.”
Oubre said Svi is very talented shooter, and will be a major part of this Kansas team. Svi says his best skill is his shooting.
Welcome to Boot Camp
Svi didn’t know anything about Lawrence other than basketball, and that’s why he showed up without pants, but Selden said Svi has adjusted well to the Kansas basketball lifestyle. The first task Svi had to overcome was boot camp.
“Walking straight into boot camp had to tough for him, but he’s adjusted perfect,” Selden said.
This season’s men’s basketball boot camp was two weeks long and included a Marine officer, who put the team through military drills to whip the team into shape.
Svi said he’s never been through anything like boot camp before, and it was really hard.
Despite overcoming jet lag, Svi said other changes came easily because of his maturity. At the age of 17, Svi becomes the youngest player to ever play in the Big 12 conference. Despite still being a teenager, Manning said Svi is really mature.
“If I were to meet him and not know anything about him, I would think he’s a lot older than he is,” Manning said. “Physically, he’s a pretty strong dude, but the way he acts around people, he’s a really classy guy.”
Translating his Game
Svi has to adjust to the American style of basketball, he said.
“For me it’s like the first days are very hard because [his teammates] are more physical than me and stronger than me, but I keep working hard, and I think we are a good team and we will be good,” Svi said.
The difference between the European and American style of basketball could benefit Svi, as well. Manning said Svi’s ability to play in the 2014 FIBA World Cup for the Ukrainian national team gives Svi a leg up because he played again grown men including the U.S. men’s national team. Svi scored three points in 11 minutes against the U.S.
“Over here, you don’t see many guys with his height and that young don’t have that great of ball handling,” Manning said. “He can handle the ball really well and has great passing ability.”
Self said Svi will be a big part of this Kansas team no matter how well he can communicate, and Oubre said Svi’s English won’t matter come game time.
“He doesn’t have to speak the best English because his game speaks for itself,” Oubre said.
— Edited by Brian Hillix
@drgnslayr do we get rings for big 12 tourney? ISU did!
@brooksmd ha ha sorry!!!! No can do!
@globaljaybird and they should!🔨🔨🔨🔨
@drgnslayr did you know the mole has an extra thumb?
Kansas was selected to represent the United States in the 2015 World University Games, the school announced during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Wonder why we were picked?
@brooksmd awesome!
@globaljaybird late pm might be different!
@globaljaybird do we play during late night?
@brooksmd 👏👏👏👏👏
@brooksmd she's singing!!!
@brooksmd yanked him to soon last time!
@globaljaybird I hear ya!!! So lonely w/out one!
@brooksmd defense wins games! And speed! Fun! This is fun baseball! What a team effort!
@brooksmd these guys are having fun! Just crazy! It would be so fun to be there!
@brooksmd go royals!!!! Chiefs and Jhawks let us down!
Touchdown!
@nuleafjhawk well I'm watching! Royals, chiefs, and KU bb keep me going!
On another note, listened to ljw guys on the road. They ask nick Krug which jhawk stood out on the bb media day shoot, and he said Kelly and devonte. Great kids and were engaging, not just get it done attitudes.
http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/heard_hill/2014/oct/2/ku-sports-pyschology-expert-sees-lessons/ ↗
Did u read this, a great example for other teams to follow!
@JayHawkFanToo and gore, they're magic! Dyson stealing 3rd and the his throw to 3rd, awesome plays. Not a baseball fan, but a royals fan, a fun version of the sometime boring game!
@JayHawkFanToo I like dyson too!
@JayHawkFanToo "that's what speed do" love the kind of ball the royals play!
We have a team/group that believes that we can do it . We don't listen to anyone. & honestly it doesn't matter to us what they are saying.
From Hosmer
@Statmachine if he's the man, I'd be thrilled! I'd rather go small and have Mari and Cliff in there, BUT thankfully I'm not the coach!
@HighEliteMajor hem, if you had to pick a starting 5 defensive team, who'd you pick? I'm guessing, Mason, Selden, oubre, Svi and Mari? Pressing 5, maybe?
@Statmachine didn't Self say something to the effect that Hunter needs to improve in a lot of areas if he wants minutes? As far as comparing blocks, Embiid didn't have many games or minutes last year.
@HighEliteMajor and if Selden disappears, we have guys to replace him too.
@globaljaybird just keep me up longer!! Thanks! Good night!
@drgnslayr dang slayer, you have to be cf's dad! Jk
@globaljaybird I am, now I'm to hyped to sleep!