@BShark True enough - is there another conference that can come close to matching up with the mix of good to great proven and young gun coaches - top to bottom? The days of relatively easy conference Ws may have come to an end - but, will make our teams that much more prepared for March...
DCHawker
4842 posts
Heading into December, the B12 has done pretty well in the non-conference games to date - probably better than expected given the graduation losses from some of the top teams a year ago.
Indeed, the league as a whole has several quality Ws and really no bad Ls.
The quality wins include Duke, Oregon, VCU, Mich. St., Louisville, Washington, Miami, UConn, Georgetown, Clemson and Illinois. The "worst" losses are probably UNI (OU) and Northwestern (TX).
Baylor clearly has the best group of quality wins thus far. Texas is the only real underachiever - no quality Ws and losses to NW and Colorado. While KSU and TTU don't have any wins of note, they've each lost just one game to decent opponents - Maryland and Auburn, respectively (by 1 and 2 pts).
Several big games in December (and the UK in the B12-SEC Challenge), so we'll see if this pace can be maintained. But, if so, the B12 will again be at or near the top of the conference power rankings. And, the conference slate could turn out to be tougher than we might have expected....
Not sure the term "bigs" really applies to our frontcourt guys... An inexplicably atrocious collective performance (at Coleby put in some effort). 45 minutes court time for the not so bigs 4 yielded 5 points - 8 rebounds - and 15 fouls! And, it wasn't just the absence of any contribution on the offensive end - what was worse was the lack of effort on the defensive end. The Bulldogs one big (and not very, at 6-8 and 240) lit them up for 30 points and 13 rebounds.
Can we win a championship with just our perimeter guys contributing? UConn won 2 championships with perimeter oriented teams, great guard play and pedestrian bigs. But those guy were reasonably athletic, offered some rim protection, and could finish when the UConn guards dished on drives.
The other issue is that if we are essentially relying on the 5 perimeter guys, that will be a lot of wear and tear by seasons end. Mason and Graham averaging 35+mpg. Is that sustainable?
As an aside, hard to call Lightfoot a big - basically the same size as Svi and Jackson.
JJ and Vick = 18 RBS; 4 "bigs" = 7 RBs
@brooksmd Coleby = 4 RBs, 4 blocks, 2 pts - The other three no-shows = 3 RBs, 1 blocks, 0 points....
@jaybate-1.0 Clearly, all four bigs are suffering unreported hamstring pulls, leg contusions, and concussions.....
@BeddieKU23 Just tonight, right...:smile:
@wissox Might be unprecedented - worst slash line - in the history of "Big Man U"?//
4 bigs = 0 points, 3 RBs and 10 fouls!!!!!
IU down 1 with 20 secs...
@BShark Yeah, he softening up in his dotage - along with the beer belly... ;)
@BeddieKU23 Definitely not your father's typical Self team though....
Remarkable stat - ZERO front court points. DG, JJ and FM have 33 of our 35...
@Crimsonorblue22 Thanks, but I'll just watch the game from here on out. 19-7 run by them puts me in a bad mood. Reverting to early season form on 3s puts me in a worse mood...
Since he probably isn't going to see much floor time, see that Mitch is practicing his pine time facials for the camera...
We've been outscored in the last 30 seconds...
@Crimsonorblue22 I stand informed...
@Crimsonorblue22 Thought they had 4 starters back from a team that won 26 games last year?
@Crimsonorblue22 Already made more 3s than against IU...
@Crimsonorblue22 Or Frank showing up Fran...
@Crimsonorblue22 So, I'll talk to CB - we're pitching a shut out. Better than the Royals staff...
I'll talk to myself - nice start!!!
No thread for the game - or is this it????
@stoptheflop Second straight game we've stunk it up from FT and 3pt lines...
@Bwag As is the inability to stop penetration and protect the rim. They are getting a lot of shots close to the bucket.
@BeddieKU23
Well, in the glass a quarter full category, we were 1-11 from 3 and 2-9 on FTs, and we're down just 5...
@Blown If it's the one asking HCBS halftime questions, she can annoy me any time...
Can't make FTs, can't make 3 pt shots, massive foul trouble, but somehow we are still hanging in there...
Svi is going to be playing the 5 by the end of this game...
@BShark Duke is anything BUT an elite defensive team, but we are sure making them look that way...
This is ugly - like we aren't at all prepared to play them. And this is without their 3 bigs...
@DanR Replay of Indiana - matador defense. Not at all what I expected out of this group.
Duke is doing what we should be doing - drive and when D collapses, kick it out to wide open 3-ballers. Not drive into the teeth of the D and get called for obvious charges....
@jaybate-1.0 Tyler, of course...
Need Josh to show something now...
@jaybate-1.0 Leads team in scoring, assists and rebounds tonight. What a performance...
We need to take a 3 to win or lose this in regulation. Our entire team will foul out in OT.
@approxinfinity Gotta disagree - not smart by DG - brought his arms down - Blackmon was too deep and wasn't going to make anything.
Pretty good start to the college BBall season with these 2 games in the Aloha State...
@DanR Make up call...
Still not over - but giving up almost 90 points. Indiana is a good team, but really thought we were going to be much better defensively...
We've been out fought and out hustled, but this is still winnable...
We have only one FT attempt this half...
Self complained about our first half transition D, but it hasn't gotten any better this half...
Refs should have fouled out by now...
I thought we just had a 9 point lead a minute ago???
@approxinfinity Dunno what happened - didn't like smiley face
@approxinfinity How long have you been waiting on that one :) ?
Forget running a 4 out and 1 in - we should just go with 5 perimeter guys - getting nothing out of our post guys....
@kjayhawks Agreed - outshot them 52 to 39% - just way too many second chance points.