🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@wrwlumpy Texas papers reporting that the AD has given Barnes an ultimatum - fire his assistant coaches or be fired himself. Seems to be forcing the issue and quickly.

@ralster So, I was typing my other reply and missed this one. I hope you are right and I am wrong about Selden - nothing would make me happier. He seems like a good kid and great teammate. But he didn't just not progress this year, he actually regressed. His numbers were similar to last year's, but he had more TOs and was much more inconsistent. And, last year, he was clearly deferring to Wigs, Embid, and Ellis. He was expected to be the alpha this year, along with Perry. But, after watching him for a two years now, I'm not sure he has the full complement of skills sets to take it to the next level.

You are right, there were 7-8 games this year where he really stepped up and arguably carried us. But, there were 28-29 games where he was a non-factor or worse. You mentioned defense and I didn't in the above post. I don't think he is a good defender, but another poster on another thread dissected his issues on the defensive end much better than me.

Again, I hope he proves me wrong.

@BeddieKU23 and @ralster I don't think any of them were projected OADs coming in (Arthur maybe a TAD) and none were elite as freshman. They became "elite" college players and could execute the H/L only with experience. And, none are really elite talents, i.e., NBA all-star level, although Kief might end up making a couple of all-star teams. That's been my point about trying to go after the elite bigs out of HS - Cliff supposedly was one. How many of those guys can really contribute out of the box, esp. in Self's system - maybe 3-4 a year. And, if we get one, and they leave, can we replicate that the next year? Sure, I would love to get Diallo in addition to Bragg. But, does anyone believe they are going to have the back-to-the-basket skill set in year 1 to execute the high low???? So, Lucas at the 5 while they develop? I'm sorry, but while he battles and can give you some solid minutes, he really can't execute in the H/L - doesn't have much of an offensive game, has weak hands, has no hops and lacks quickness. He is a back-up.

The PGs weren't elite coming in, although Mario was fairly highly rated. Sheron was clearly the earliest to develop - was a significant rotation contributor from his first year.

I love Mason and what he brings to the table and I would give him a B+/A-, esp. relative to everyone else, but he is far from an elite PG at this point. Not saying he can't get there. But, he was scoring guard in HS and he just doesn't have PG instincts. While he can get by his man, score reasonably well off the glass, and with occasional floaters, he doesn't dish or distribute effectively when penetrating - he is on a mission. Simply put, he doesn't, at this point, make it easier for him teammates to score; make others around him better. You really see it on 2 or 3 on 1 breakaways - he usually just takes it all the way himself.

I'm really high on Devonte. I think he showed the most well-rounded game as a guard on both sides of the ball as anyone since Sheron. Yes, he made his share of freshman mistakes, but he's got some swagger and IMO the highest BBall IQ on the team (along with Svi). I think he will continue to get better. Selden is another matter. I'm afraid he has peaked - hope I'm wrong, but he is what he is. He has no handle at all, absolutely no left hand. Doesn't have much court awareness. As @beddieKU23 notes, just straight line drives in the paint. I would start both Mason and Graham in the backcourt (with DG as the 1) and have Selden split time at the 3 and 4 (depending on size and matches of other teams).

@Crimsonorblue22 I certainly think Embid would have made a difference in the Stanford game, but I'm not sure how much further we would have gone. The team didn't mesh well, and, as you note, we lacked good guard play, which is critical in the tournament.

But, your injuries point raises another issue - were we just a bit unlucky with injuries the past couple of years, or is something else at work? This year, at least, it seemed like all our guys were at least a bit nicked up, esp. at the end of the year. Certainly, no one seemed fresh. Part of it might be that we weren't using our pretty deep bench enough (IMHO, Hunter and Svi should have been getting consistent 8-12 minutes pg), but many teams have short rotations. Maybe it was the grind of the B12 season? Maybe the conditioning approach? Or, maybe just anomalous?

Injuries are a part of the game, and you have to learn to live with or work around them. Worth noting that Wisconsin was without their starting senior PG most of the year - including the last part of the season - but is still going to the E8.

@jaybate-1.0 Not trying to be argumentative either. And, I agree that an elite PG and/or big can yield a deep run. My question is this - what is more likely: Consistently being able to land prospectively elite OADs + who will actually turn out to live up to the hype + who can mesh with the rest of team + learn "our stuff" well enough to yield consistent deep run OR consistently landing 15-75 types guys who will probably give you 2-4 years and who earn their PT and form a solid core of veteran guys who know "our stuff"?

Self has had 2 of his best 3 recruiting classes the past 2 years, and we've had 2 of the more challenging seasons during the Self era. Given that there won't be more than a dozen or so truly elite prospects each year that UK, AZ, UNC, Duke and hometown schools will also go after (only half or so of whom will turn out to be truly elite), given the challenges of adapting to Self's system, and given the Petro Shoeco complex issues you've identified, I'm just highly skeptical that the former approach is consistently achievable.

Not saying that the latter approach is easy, but we did have a string of 30+ win seasons and 1 NC/2 FFs before Self seemingly fell into what I would characterize as the OAD tar sands. Maybe that's the real Fool's Gold?

Well, will see how OU and WVU do, but entirely possible that the ACC has 2-3 teams in the FF.

Not a fan of ND, but you have to admire they way they move the ball on offense - score every efficiently, and without any kind of a post game. High BBall IQ for most of their guys - not something I'm sure you can say about our guys.

@ralster Great post. A couple of minor observations. First, I don't think Traylor would get off the bench with Izzo - he doesn't defend or rebound well. While Self yanks guys for 3 pt shots early in the shot clock, Izzo yanks guys if they stand around and don't block out. Second, and this is simply conjecture/amateur psychologist on my part, but what changed with Self is the '12 loss to UK. He had a prototypical Self team - a veteran tough, hard-nosed bunch of guys with great motors who didn't quit. But, he lost to a team that simply had more talent - mostly, but not solely, Anthony Davis. My guess is that he decided he didn't want to be out-talented again....

@justanotherfan Agree 110% with your first sentence - but I don't come to the same conclusion that it has to be OAD like Newman and Brown. Great PGs are the key - they have to have the ability to create their own shot or create for others - and recognize when to pull up, when to take it to the hole, and when to distribute.

Frank can get by his man, but he hasn't learned how to distribute. In the first minutes of the WSU game, he demonstrated that he could blow by VanVleet and take it to the bucket. But, WSU adjusted, collapsed the defense into the paint and Mason kept dribbling into a clogged paint with predictable results. But, part of it is having teammates that recognize and get themselves into a position to receive a pass that will lead to a good shot. Mason has to evolve, but I think he can get there. I definitely think Graham can. Whether we have enough BBall IQ on the rest of the team to be in the right position is another matter. Russ Smith and Peyton Siva could penetrate and pull up - but they also made a hero out of Luke Hancock. Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier could create their own shots, but they were also very adept at penetrating and dishing to relatively no-name bigs (and not that big) for dunks and layups.

Fine, if we can get the elite wings who can score the ball themselves, but I think we have guys that can get the job done as they get more experience.

@BeddieKU23 I agree wholeheartedly. Everyone gets starstruck. Maybe Brown would produce for 1 year like Russell did for OSU this year - or maybe he ends up closer to what Oubre gave us. But, I'm actually excited by the prospect of 2 years of Mason and Graham playing together - and, that's what I would do. Selden isn't going anywhere - well, he has no shot at getting drafted at this point, but I would start Graham ahead of him in a heartbeat - much better ball handler, defender (esp. creating turnovers), and even shooter - plus, he's got some swagger and a better BBall IQ. I would see Mason and Graham as similar to Napier and Boatwright at UConn 2 years ago.

@jaybate-1.0 Apologies - poor choice of words - complex is much better and the MIC is probably a pretty apt analogy for the constellation of working relationships, as well as the seamier aspects of that network.

The point I was more focused on is that that, and I use the term loosely, allocation, of the OADs/TADs really comes into play with the top 10-15 ranked HS players. It may be the case that one or two of those will be the kinds of transcendent talents that you can ride to a championship - Anthony and Syracuse; although he needed McNamara draining 3s at the end? Maybe UK and Anthony Davis. Durant didn't make it happen. Rose almost did. Didn't happen with Griffin. You look at the UConn, Louisville and even Florida championship teams in recent years - I don't recall that any of them had OADs or even TADs that played any major role. In the case of the first two, freshmen rotation guys, but they were veteran teams.

In terms of going after 5s that can fit into the H/L, maybe a Turner would have, maybe a Bragg and Diallo, but it strikes me that Rico Gathers or Devin Williams type, not top ranked, but big body, high motor guys, who are around for 3-4 years could just as well enable deep runs with the rest of the talent we do and typically have. Perhaps you have a different view on that?

@jaybate-1.0 Provocative and entertaining, as always. And, usually educational and insightful. As you know, as I addressed it at some length in another thread, I agree with your premise that we had a (unexpected) talent deficit this year, which, with the benefit of hindsight, helped explain the struggles and inconsistencies and early exit. Yes, if Landon is your starting 5, a 100+ ranked player is your starting PG (and I love Frank too) and probably best player, then it is probably unrealistic to expect great things.

But I didn't go into the reasons for the talent deficit as you have. You have expounded often and at length about the Petro ShoeCo conspiracy. While I certainly think that is a major factor in the "allocation" of OADs, I also think that is overplayed and I respectfully disagree in part with your conclusion - that is, "nothing but a run of elite 5s and elite point guards" will lead to deep runs.

How many before the fact OADs are there each year 10-15? How many frosh are actually going to be first round draft picks this year? 9-10? And, we have one of them. Maybe 4 from UK, and 3 from Duke? Russell, Anderson and Oubre? Not much beyond that. So, it may well be that this year, the OADs carry the day - if UK and Duke, you might throw in a
Arizona into that mix, end up winning.

Sure, having elite PGs and elite 5s and 2-3 OAD/TAD types at 2.3 and 4 would probably lead to consistent deep runs. But, the history of the tournament over the past 15-20 years, including very recently, suggests that are other paths to success. 3 of the 4 past champs were not populated by OADs or TADs - UConn twice and Louisville. The common denominator was elite PG play, but they weren't close to be OAD elite - Kemba Walker with UConn (and frosh Lamb and Napier), Russ Smith and Peyton Siva with Louisville, and Napier and Ryan Boatright with UConn. Not all of them even NBA caliber talent. Louisville did have Dieng up front (and Harrell as a frosh), but the tournament MVP was Luke Hancock for heaven's sake. UConn had almost no real talent up front. Izzo has had 6 FFs since 1999 and I don't recall that he has had many, if any, OADs or even TADs.

So, I think there are other paths to sustained success and more than periodic deep runs. And, I think Self is a good enough recruiter and coach to make that happen. But i am also concerned that it is somewhat binary - you either have to decide that you are going to rely on the 15-75 guys who will be with you for 2/3/4 years who can ably execute "our stuff", or you go the multiple OAD/TAD route, in which case you better in fact get multiple ones, and make sure they aren't the "draft busts" - otherwise you are more likely looking at 9-10 loss seasons and first weekend exits.

@brooksmd I dunno, but it sure doesn't appear that Anderson at AZ, Williams at OSU, Okafor-Winslow-Jones at Duke, and Lyles and Downs at UK (among others) are just biding their time....

@drgnslayr Agree that a real rival game would be good - and I would be okay if it were a real rivalry, which means we wouldn't kick their behinds every year. KSU isn't a real rivalry, because we do dominate that series (cough, excepting a game this year). If WSU continues to play at a high level, admittedly a big if, like it has the past few years, then that is one game I would love to see each year. Good for both programs. Good for the state. CBS or ESPN would have it as a feature game. Not going to rival Duke - UNC or UK - Louisville, but it could be the next best thing out there.

@joeloveshawks And, ball handling and keeping his head on straight....;)

@tundrahok I agree, with the qualifier that there will be exceptions - the problem is that you really don't know who those exceptions will be in advance, and if you swing and miss, the costs can be very high in terms of building a strong veteran team, with emphasis on team...

@KUinLA What is objectively "true" is that the B12 was "expected" to get 10 wins in the tournament based on seeding. The conference has 5 so far - so one more win each (even two) by OU and WSU would still mean the conference underperformed it seedings. If both lose (and, as you note, neither is favored), one could subjectively characterize it as a beatdown.

What is objectively "true" is that other conferences have done much better this year absolutely and relative to seeding - esp. the ACC.

What is objectively "true" is that the B12 had the best conference RPI this year. There are, of course, objective analytics that underpin that calculation. But, as has been noted elsewhere, it is a product primarily of the best non-conference winning percentage overall, fewer than the usual number of patsies (+300 RPIs) on the schedule, and the avoidance of bad losses. So, all conference teams had solid RPIs coming into the conference season and thus didn't take a hit from playing one another - it was the gift that kept on giving.

More subjectively, the non-conference slate included a bunch of solid wins, but I don't recall anyone having gotten any top-tier non-conference victories - KU's over GU and Utah were probably the best.

Also more subjectively, a very compelling case could be made that the B12 was the "toughest' from top to bottom. Have to play everyone twice. A bunch of good teams that were fairly evenly matched. No easy wins, esp. on the road, including against TCU and Tech.

Also more subjectively, a compelling case can be made that the ACC (and I despise the ACC having to watch their games all the time) was much "stronger" at the top - with UVA, Duke, Louisville, and UNC - even though they clearly had some games where they could play poorly and still get wins. Perhaps there is some causation with tournament performance?

The bottom line is that the B12 has significantly underperformed in terms of overall wins and relative to seeds the past 3 years (even though it had the most entrants the past 2). Just cyclical or is there something else at work? Maybe it's beating each other up. Maybe the other teams to need to have KU like schedules in the non-conference. Maybe it's coaching, although I think we have very good coaches for the most part. My own view is that it's primarily a talent deficit relative to other schools/conferences. How many 1st rounders have there been coming out of the B12 the past few years, excepting KU? Not many.

I think back to the last stretch when the conference did very well in the tournament - 2002-04 - when KU, OSU, Texas, and OU all made the FF. A lot of NBA all-star talent at the time. Not so much more recently.

@joeloveshawks and @tundrahok We all put too much stock in the HS rankings. These are kids. Heck, there are NFL draft busts all the time and some overlooked 6th rounders turn out to be all-pro for years - and that's with 3-4 years of college tape, combines, Pro Days, Wonderlics and other analytics. So, shouldn't be a surprise that supposed OADs don't pan out quite as hoped.

I think the jury is still out on whether the quest for OADs is worth the costs/challenges - I know what my vote would be - unless you can cobble together overwhelming talent. How many of the Sweet 16 this year have multiple OADs - UK, Duke and maybe Arizona. Anyone else?

But, it is also a question of how best to take advantage of the talents and skill set they bring (or adjust for some clear deficiencies) and fit them into a "system" (every coach has one to some extent) and mesh with returning players. I don't think you can necessarily chalk it all up to "youth", however - that can be a bit of a cop-out. Putting aside the unique case of UK, Duke has done pretty well with 3 freshmen starters (they're 3 best players) and another frosh and sophomore who get regular rotation minutes.

Clearly, Self has embraced the view - an overreaction to '12 perhaps - that you have to have overwhelming talent, no matter how inexperienced, to get another ring. There certainly is evidence that superior talent wins - but there are just as many examples, including 3 of the past 4 years, that veteran, defense oriented teams with superior guard play (and no OADs and minimum of NBA caliber talent) can also get you to the mountaintop.

@BeddieKU23 I was struck, as well, by his comments. I would posit that they are consistent with the (too) lengthy post I had yesterday in the Deja Vu thread that Self was faced with a somewhat unexpected talent deficit (whether that is on Self, the players, or both, could be further parsed) that made it challenging to effectively run any offensive scheme (also impacting defense) - to wit, Alexander and Oubre (showed flashes) didn't live up to the hype (and particularly compared to some of their similarly ranked brethren - again, on them or Self?), Selden regressed, Greene didn't progress, Graham got a late start, and so on. I made the point that knowing what we know now, as contrasted with expectations coming in to the season, winning 27 games and scratching out #11 seems pretty remarkable.

@wissoxfan83 Agree - thought I had made that point, but obviously not clearly enough. It's just a statement of fact that we have underperformed seed expectations (alas, by a fairly wide margin). As I had indicated elsewhere, the high expectations are a product of regular season success, which is a good thing (too much of a good thing?), which is a high-class problem to have.

As much as anything else, I'm speculating whether the B12 title chase is becoming a bit of an albatross - Self seems to shorten his rotation regardless of actual depth capability and fairly early in the year. In past years, both in and out of conference, we've always had several blowouts which have allowed more minutes for the 9-12 guys and more rest for the starters. Not this year. Question is whether some of our guys were just too beat up and had tired legs to compete? On the other hand, a lot of other teams (including WSU) have pretty short rotations and they seem to have a lot of energy at the end of the year....

@justanotherfan Good points. Another aspect of Izzo's approach is that he appears more than willing to take losses during the year - testing depth and letting guys play through mistakes - in order to best position his team for year-end success. As per @wissoxfan83 post above, the FiveThirtyEight piece is an interesting angle on tournament success. Izzo does have just 1 NC, but 6 FFs. But, the reason that he comes out on top (by far) using their methodology is that his teams outperform their seeds. His teams rarely have the best regular season records, and often come in as 3/4/5 seeds - or 7 as this year. We typically have a great regular season record so almost always have a 1 or 2 seed - tough to live up to that consistently. Probably why Self isn't anywhere on that list - during his tenure, we have actually substantially underperformed seed expectations - 5 #1s and 3 #2s.

As you note, Izzo seems to have adapted to the changing game reasonably well - maintaining his general tough, hard-nosed style, while giving a bit more latitude to his better players - and doing it with relatively few McDs or NBA-caliber players.

I haven't seen the line, but I would guess that MSU is actually favored as a 7 seed over OU.

TRob had one of his best games last night - 16 puts (7-12) and 8 RBs in 21 minutes (believe his most with the Sixers. His per minutes slash line in March has been really strong. Not sure why he isn't starting - subs behind zero time all star Luc Mbah a Moute...

@jaybate-1.0 Well, I may have Pavlovian responses to some things, but being SCARED about whether Self can still coach isn't one of them. Having said that, I think the jury is still out whether "old school" coaches like both Self and K can fully accept and adapt to the realities of the OAD era. K infamously vented on the parents of one player who wanted to leave after two years. He's clearly gotten past that. But whether OADs fit well with their coaching styles is another matter.

Interestingly, Self's and K's tournament records (I think conference records are a bit apples to oranges) during the Self era at KU are fairly similar - 1 NC and another FF. But, your right, the fight goes to Self by close decision - one fewer first round knockouts and one more E8. Whether the results from here on in this year tips the balance remains to be seen.

What is interesting is that K seems, this year, at least, to have better succeeded with his OAD freshmen - Okafor, Jones, and Winslow looked really good against SDSU - a good defensive team and the type of L&As that we've tended to struggle against (well, actually losing to them at home).

@globaljaybird Much more detailed explanation of my superficial reference - and, spot on. I don't think any of our guys have especially good positioning and footwork on D - good balance, lower the center of gravity, slide instead of crossing over to chase, cutting off passing lanes. Selden, Traylor and Greene are the worst with basic positioning and footwork. Mason is okay and as you note, Graham is very solid. I actually liked what I saw of Svi - he just needs to get stronger. Wigs was really good at keeping guys in front of him - and, of course, could go high to block if someone did beat him, rather than swiping down as every one else does. And, I also don't understand why Self continues to give him 30 minutes a game - he sees something different than you and I do....

@nuleafjhawk And, it's not just yours or my expectations. In 8 of the past 9 years, we've been a 1 or 2 seed - 5 #1s. So, the expectation of the selection committee is that we would have had 5 FFs and 3 E8s in that during that period. Sure, #1 seeds get knocked out all the time ('08 being the exception), but the fact is that we've underperformed our seeding during that period. The only time we've really out-performed is the '12 runner-up team, which was a #2 seed. Most schools would kill to have 2 FFs (with a title and runner-up), plus 2 E8s during that time frame - but it still hasn't matched expectations. That is especially true the past 3 years. But high expectations are a high class problem to have.

@HighEliteMajor and @jaybate-1.0 have engendered an epic and fascinating discussion throughout the season and continuing into the post-mortem about offensive schemes and whether HCBS has taken full advantage of the strengths of the players on this particular edition of the Jayhawks. I would posit that whether it's the H/L or some variation of 4 out, 1 in - dribble drive - or Bad Ball, you have to have players that can execute the scheme.

Frankly, I go back and forth as to whether this is one of Self's best or worst coaching jobs. The reason I say that is based on what I thought we had in terms of talent coming in. I certainly expected a lot more - a real shot at a FF and even a NC. Based on what we (or at least I) observed throughout the year in terms of what players demonstrated in game situations, both individually and collectively, I'm not sure I understand how we managed to get #11, a #2 seed, and 27 wins against the schedule we played - seems like smoke and mirrors. I actually thought Self demonstrated more flexibility - that's not necessarily saying a whole lot - than in past years.

The preseason optimistic scenario was based on the the assumption that Ellis was going to be more of a go-to, consistent 18 ppg scorer, that Selden would significantly increase his production and become the second go-to guy, scoring in the 15 ppg territory, that Mason would improve over his 1st year and become more of a true PG (and, he would have a solid back-up in Graham), that Alexander and Oubre would live up to their OAD hype, that Svi would be a bit of an X-factor (based on the skills he showed in Europe), that Greene would step up and split the 3 with Oubre and be the designated sharpshooter, and that Hunter would be a Withey-lite providing some rim protection (based off Ark numbers), with he and Landon providing solid minutes while Alexander developed.

How many of those expectations were met? Ellis was matching his by the end of the season - but not consistently before that - until he tweaked his knee. Selden - um, no. Mason, absolutely, with a big caveat, which I will touch upon in a moment. Alexander - #2 big to Okafor coming in - night and day difference between the two in basic skill sets. Oubre showed flashes, but needs more experience (which he will probably have to get at the next level), and ultimately didn't produce at the level of other 2-3s coming in, e.g. Winslow, Booker, Williams. Greene turned out to be one-dimensional. Svi and Hunter? Speaking for myself, I liked what I saw of them when the were on the floor, obviously not often, and wish Self would have played them more, but we don't seem them in practice every day. Lucas was very solid; he's just limited. Graham, I think, met or exceeded expectations and I look for much more from him in the next couple of years.

It ultimately comes down to the players, and both individually and collectively, there are some real skill deficiencies that revealed themselves that I would argue made it challenging to find a scheme that could work consistently, esp. against a good defense/opposing coach. I really don't mean to come down on the kids - some of this is due to the AAU culture, who they played against in HS v. in D-1, etc. And, I think they are good kids, I'm glad they chose Kansas, and hopefully, those who will stick around will benefit from the summer tour and get better with more experience.

Having said that, collectively, we didn't have anyone who could finish at the rim, esp. against L&As, but really against any type of interior presence. No one. We are the most blocked team in the country. We don't have a very good passing team, which both H/L in terms of entry passes and dribble penetration and kick-out demand as @sfbahawk pointed out. Svi and Graham are probably the two best passers - but they weren't our starters. Are/were we a really good shooting team, esp. from 3pt range? Our numbers were really good early in the season, not so much as they year went on. Scheming? Fool's Gold? Tired legs? Defenses adjusting? Reversion to the mean? I don't really know. What I can say is that I'm personally comfortable with Greene taking any 3p shot when he is spotting up and wide open (and, when his head is in the game). I'm comfortable with Mason taking a wide open 3 when he is leaning into the shot. I'm generally comfortable with Graham taking an open three. Although he had a hot streak in the middle of the season, I don't think Selden is a shooter from range (3 for his last 26 by the way). Oubre - can make them, but I don't have a high degree of confidence. Unfortunately, I don't have a high degree of confidence in any of them shooting a deep 3 coming off a screen at the top of the key or on the wing a la a Ron Baker, or making a contested 3. Does anyone else?

That's on offense. On defense, collectively, we have some height, wingspan, speed but not great amounts of any of them. We don't block out well. Footwork across the board is generally poor - don't keep low center of gravity or slide well. We reach a lot, picking up cheap fouls. We too often get beat off the dribble. We don't generate many TOs, at least leading to easy buckets.

Breaking them down individually:

Ellis - he can shoot from 15-18ft and has superior post moves, but he really needs space and he just isn't particularly effective against L&As. He is most effective when he facing a 4 that he can take off the dribble from outside the lane, or can post against a not-too-big and the lane isn't clogged. To his credit, his defense has improved considerably, but that's going from poor to adequate.

Selden - an enigma. Numbers essentially the same as a year ago across the board, albeit with more volatility from game to game. He had a strong 5 game stretch in the middle of the season, 2 really good B12 tourney games, and was key in the FLA game - but was mostly a non-factor or worse in the other 28 games. Basically, he's giving you Morningstar/Reed types of numbers, albeit with more TOs and less consistency. But, they weren't McDs and projected lottery picks coming in. He can't dribble in traffic, he doesn't have any semblance of a left hand, and appears to be clueless when driving into the paint. Some have posted that he is great defender on the ball - he is not. When focused, his size can be a problem for other 2s or 3s and he can shut them down. But, quicker players blow by him and he too often gives up on those plays. And, he doesn't rebound.

Mason - love him. He's a bulldog and fighter and so on. He was our best/most consistent player during the year (that a 100+ ranked player was says volumes). He improved significantly from last year. BUT, he came in as scoring guard and has yet to fully develop as a PG. The hallmark of being a good PG is making your teammates better - distributing the ball effectively and finding the open guy. Those aren't his attributes, at least as yet. The WSU game was emblematic. Early on, he was able to blow by VanVleet and get some layups. WSU adjusted and collapsed back into the paint. Rather than penetrating and kicking to now open wings, he kept driving into the teeth of the defense with predictable results. He also doesn't run a break well - too often taking it all the way himself rather than dishing or laying off to a trailer. He is also has a bad tendency to pick up his dribble in bad spots, esp. a long way from the basket. He is a gamer, however, and hopefully will continue to improve. But, I think next year the better move would be make DG the PG, and shift Mason to the 2.

Oubre - our best two way player, but still very raw. Really quick hop allowing him to get a lot of put backs, including on his own missed shot. Hasn't really learned how to elevate or adjust when driving to the basket in traffic, however. Streaky outside shooter. Solid defender with long wingspan. With another year to two, he could be special player - but it seems likely that he has played his last game as a Jayhawk.

Alexander - what a disappointment, in so many ways. Feel bad for the kid how things have played out. But, he doesn't yet have a college game skill set, and certainly not NBA.

Greene - not withstanding the long dry spell, he clearly has a NBA caliber stroke from three. Of course, the problem is that he is one-dimensional - he can't dribble or create his own shot. And, you never know where his head is at. And, he is a liability on defense. Will he commit to getting better in all facets of the game; can he? Will he be around next year to find out?

Traylor - got to love Jamari and his passion, but it isn't always well directed. He can do some things effectively in stretches, but you don't want him handling the ball too much or shooting from outside 6ft. He really is a poor positional defender and doesn't rebound well. He should be the guy that comes in at the 4 to give you 8-12 minutes of high energy play - he should not be getting anything close to starter minutes.

Lucas - most fundamentally solid of the bigs and he really stepped up given the Alexander situation. But, let's be real - he is limited. He's undersized (definitely not 6'10'), not very quick, has no verticality, and has really weak hands. Can Hudy get him another inch of hop and stronger hands? But, if he's playing more than back-up minutes at the 5, we have bigger problems.

Hunter and Svi - who really knows?

Graham - was set back by the early injury, played like a freshman at times, and isn't going to be an elite guard like a Jones or Ulis, but by the end of the year, I think he was one of our three best players, and I have high hopes/expectations for the future. He can penetrate, he can shoot some, and he defends well - by far the best at creating TOs. I think our offense, whatever it was we were trying to run at the time, was more effective when he and Mason were in the game together.

So, I come back to my basic premise. You have to have the players to be able to execute a scheme - and to actually do so. Painfully obvious from the get go that we couldn't run H/L as in the past or score at the rim. Spread the floor and free the 3 or play Bad Ball. I don't think we had the right combination of players to do that effectively, either, at least on a consistent basis or when facing good defenses or coaches who are capable of scheming against us (which was clearly not the case with New Mexico State...).

So, I think Self was constantly adjusting throughout the year to find something that could work night in and night out. While I have my own frustrations with his style and tendencies - the quick yank, riding certain ponies way too long, not taking full advantage of depth - with the benefit of hindsight and given the issues noted above, I think a good case can be made that the did get about as much out of this team as he could.

We are spoiled, of course, and that's not good enough. Others have posted about recruiting to fit the system, the risks of going the OAD route, merits of certain assistant coaches, who we end up with next year, and so on. All good stuff, but beyond this post to discuss further (for now anyway).

RCJH!

Article in FiveThirtyEight on ESPN site showing that this year was fairly light on upsets as compared to most years - many fewer real upsets than the last two tournaments. Baylor and ISU were about it; well, along with SMU getting hosed. Chalk prevailed for the most part. So, let's hope Rock Chalk does, as well.

@JayHawkFanToo Alas, he didn't - he picked Ohio State over Arizona.

Love Frank, but he picks up his dribble in bad spots on the court way too often...

@Kip_McSmithers Haha - but I think our guys are a bit gassed and not really concentrating now.

23 point lead - why aren't Hunter and Svi in there??? We might need them at some point - be good to get some tournament work. NO reason for Perry to be in now.

If Perry tweaked it, Bill should sit him for the rest of the game. Will need him Sunday.

Okay - we haven't had a stop in a while - they are scoring WAY too easily.

@BeddieKU23 Poor guy - works hard, but has no hands and no elevation.

@Kip_McSmithers I'm not going to blame it on the refs. In the 1st half we're were doubling the bigs and not giving them a chance to back in or get close for RBs. We're not now and consequently getting the fouls called because our guys down low aren't big enough, strong enough, and don't have good enough footwork to keep them from the rim.

@Kip_McSmithers and, it just got called.

@Kip_McSmithers Touche

@Kip_McSmithers We should be up 20 with the dunks/bunnies we've missed.

We're in our typical lazy/sloppy second half phase

Frank has 4 RBs - Perry and Kelly 1 each

Really solid half - key was being strong on the boards - out rebounded them by 4 and held them to 4 ORs. Made some 3s and better than 50% overall. Missed some bunnies though - two clear breakaways. They only had 6 TOs, which is actually less than their average. Need to keep up the pressure.

Let's see if we can - for once - play two halves like we mean it. Don't let them get back in the game and get confidence. Keep up pressure on defense and keep attacking on offense.

@BeddieKU23 As I said, maybe a good thing Wayne got his 2nd. DG should be the starter at the 2. Offense flows much better.

They have the wrong score on TV!!!

Just corrected it

@Crimsonorblue22 Hope you are right - but it feels like we should be up 15

@BeddieKU23 Maybe thats a good thing...

@Crimsonorblue22 Knocked himself to the floor - hard to do...

@betterfireE 3 really, really bad ball handling plays by WS so far.

@Kip_McSmithers He's spastic going to the rim

You know, if we could get more than 2 of our guys to bring their A game in any one game, we could be pretty dangerous...

@betterfireE Let's hope it's a good Mari day! He tends to be bipolar...