🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I'm glad i didn't put too much stock into OUs chances at a run.

I'm so pumped!! Let's go Jayhawks!!

These Jayhawks are road warriors. What a great game.

Hi Jayhawks! Long time no see friends!

@Statmachine while we get recruits like Josh Jackson BECAUSE Self recruits the way he does.

Comeon MOSS. Time to be the new hero of KC!

Salvy DONG!!

Wasn't EJ forced to play PG that year because Tharpe was the only other PG at the time?
I've never felt at any single time, that EJ was a leader, or even had the capacity to be a true leader.

DG on the other hand was tabbed by a Marine as a leader, his freshman year. I still think DG decided to take a back seat to FM, and JJ this past season knowing DG would return for a senior year. JJ's comments about DG having a shot at NPOY next season, and DG's moms tweet, tells me DG is more than likely coming back after testing the waters.

I get a feeling Svi is coming back, but thats all it is, a feeling. Wouldn't shock me to see him leave for NBA or Europe.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Wasn't that DG that had a LOI to App st.?

IIRC, didn't Frank Mason have to reclassify as well because of his grades?

If there is a potential top 5 draft pick player who decides on coming back another year, I like to believe that he is Josh Jackson.

OK IM AWAKE.

@wissox Too many slow white kids on that team for Frank to get his points.

BIFM sweep!?!?

When KU lost to Michigan and Trey Burke, I wanted KU to find a diamond in the rough so bad. I remember watching all the incoming recruits highlight videos that year and After Wiggins, I was most impressed with Frank Mason. I told myself Frank Mason has a chance to become the next Trey Burke. Little did I know, he would become the first Frank Mason. To see his progression over the years has been simply amazing.

Thank for Frank for choosing Kansas. It has been an honor.

Been thinking about this for a couple days now. Why Self gets stuck in the Elite 8.

Had it been a regular season game and JJ picks up 2 fouls before the 1st TV time out, would Self even bother bringing JJ back in the game? Especially when they were only down a point in the 1st half? I think we can all agree JJ was pretty ineffective the first half. Virtually losing a position player for a half. Maybe this could be 1 example of Self doing something different in the E8?

I read a quote from Vick saying he'll remember this Elite 8 all the way to next year. Is that really the smart thing to do? Automatically set yourself up for that pressure before next season begins?

I'm probably just overthinking this now.

See ya around in the Royals GDTs!

Is it me or is the local media making the KU loss to be way worse than it really was?

@FarNrthJHwk it is never on the players apparently when KU loses. It is always Self got out coached or failed to adjust. It can never be that the opponent played a better game that day.

Unfortunately this happens to every team that happens to be the favorite in said game.

@jayballer54 I fail to see where I've been bagging on Self. If anything I've been defending Coach Self since Saturday night.

@jaybate-1.0 Wasn't this team given that star player at the 5 in Udoka?

@Texas-Hawk-10 While you were watching the game, when that rebound got tipped to Oregon and Brooks hits that 3, did you really feel like KU still had a shot at a comeback? You're right a 3 possession game with 2 minutes left is far from over, but KU usually has all the momentum, or momentum swinging their way. Momentum and KU were not in the same universe last night at that moment.

1/15 in the 2nd half, but 5 of those attempted in the last 2 minutes when the game was pretty much out of reach. So 10 3 pt attempts in 18 minutes is too much for a team trying to make a double digit comeback?

We are sitting here arguing about why Self can't win in the Elite 8. #firstworldproblems.

At worst, Self is what the 4th best coach in CBB?

Things could be worse.

@HawkChamp Do you get rings for making the final four?

@jayballer54 Because doing a little research would break people's narratives. That's too much work to do.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Your whole argument has been that Self did not adjust, and he went away from what was working. You said KU kept taking contested 3s and it 3 ball was not working. KU shot 4/10 from 3 at the half. How is that obvious that the 3 was not working? That failed rebound was the game ender, so hard to fault anything KU did after that. And the deficit was 9 after that failed rebound, not 6.

So much for the Great Calipari. You guys still want Cal over Self?

@Texas-Hawk-10 Do you honestly believe that Self doesn't know the basic principles of beating a zone? Why would teams even bother playing zone if it is so easy to beat? Why did KU take so many "marginal" shots? Could it be because Oregon played great defense, and kept KU out of rhythm? Can't we just tip our hats and say they were the better team that day and call it a day?

I think the fact that KU got the lead down to 6 says they did make some adjustments. What are you gonna do when JJ misses 2 FTs, or DG airballs a bunny shot? That's 4 points there. If JJ doesn't tip the rebound to Oregon, and KU goes down and hits a 3, then the Brooks 3 after that tipped rebound never happens, 6 point swing right there and its only a 1 possession game with plenty of time left. How often do we get to see a perfect game plan, or a game with zero mistakes. We all knew there would be a game were KU's shots aren't falling. It happens to every team during a run. A couple of breaks go KU's way, and maybe were talking KU and Final 4.

@Texas-Hawk-10 who plays matchup zone in the big 12 that would have gotten KU prepped for it? I think the problem with the 3s were that a lot of them were early in the shotclock and/or out of rhythm. Why shoot 25? Because that was KUs identity this year. But you're right, it is on Self to have the team as best prepared as can be. I'm sure if Oregon was our S16 matchup and Self had a week to prepare, KU would come out on top.

@Texas-Hawk-10 KU took like 33 shots in the paint. Going 5-25 from 3 is biggest reason why KU lost.

@betterfireE Fair enough. If we are talking about hypotheticals, I should have just said Udoka is the perfect counter to Bell.

@Texas-Hawk-10 KU actually tried driving it, Bell was there to block most of them. You can't force fouls, and Bell played a great all around game.
As for pressing, you sorta have to make shots to set up the press, and KU couldn't so theres that. What exactly was Self being ultra rigid about last night? It isn't like Oregon shot well in the 2nd half.

@jayhawk-007 Great post but I wouldn't necessarily call Oregon a better team overall, but they won because they played better than KU yesterday, nothing wrong with that.
I'd say the fact that KU couldn't figure out the matchup zone for 25 minutes meant they were unprepared for it.
Was Oregon really that much bigger and more athletic than Kansas? Other than Bell over Lucas, which other position did Oregon have a clear matchup advantage? You could argue Brooks and I wouldn't debate that, but Prichard over Graham? Ennis over Mason?

Players feed off the energy of their coach. And the sample size is big enough now that you can argue there is something to Self and the Elite 8. It is the 2nd game of the weekend, where we usually see the classic tight Self team in the round of 32 or E8. Is it preparation? With time to prepare, Self is probably the best coach out there,

@DCHawker I'd say luck played a small factor at least in terms of injury and the starting 5 position.

2017 - KU loses Udoka who would have been the post anchor this team needed.
2016 - KU spends thousands on Diallo, just never panned out. You could argue Diallo never got the time to develop. But we can all agree at the end Diallo was not who we thought he would be.
2015 - Cliff Alexander indefinitely suspended for remainder of season due to eligibility concerns. I'm not convinced the results would have changed, but still sucks that had to happen.
2014 - Embiid goes down. No further comment.

A lot of what happened was outside of KU's control so I'd put that under the luck category.

@Blown Live by the 3, die by the 3.

@BigBad Frank got his, and the team got what they wanted from Frank this game.

@BShark That I agree with, hence the rest of my comment about Bragg not developing.

@betterfireE I was just talking about being able to match up in size. Bell 6-9 225 Bragg 6-9 240.

You know who would've been a perfect counter to Bell? Carlton Bragg. He had every opportunity to develop and elevate his game this season and just could not get it to click. He can't even claim having off the court issues as a reason because others on the team has had it much worse than Bragg.

I was actually shocked to see JJ come back in with 10 minutes left. I thought Vick played just fine up to that point. And because JJ had to be careful of picking up a 3rd, he started to think instead of reacting. In hindsight would have been better to just sit JJ to the half, let him gain composure, and refocus to begin the 2nd half.

@Crimsonorblue22 Losing JJ that early probably reminded the team of the TCU game and started panicking. As pressure started building, emotions started taking over.

It's all about the ride to the end, and no other school or team has a better ride during the season than KU does on a regular basis. It is just as important to enjoy the whole season as a fan, as opposed to the last 3 weeks of a single round elimination tournament, where the best team doesn't always win.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Yea Izzo had 4 more chances at the title, but does chances equal winning? He hasn't won a title in those 4 trips anyway, so does it really matter that Izzo made it to the Final 4?

@Texas-Hawk-10 Are we talking about the Izzo that hasn't won a title since 2000? 7 final fours in 18 years? Once again, Final Fours are great, if it leads to a National Championship. I'll take my chances with Self.

@BShark I will take back everything I said in this thread, if Cal ends up winning the big one this year.

@BShark That's where we will agree to disagree. I honestly don't care if KU gets bounced in the e8 or F4, if it means they didn't win the national championship.

@kjayhawks Well thats why you play the game is it not? Why play at all if the better team should always win.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Isn't every loss in the tourney an opportunity lost at winning the title? Does it REALLY matter if you lose in the E8 or F4?

@Blown I'm sure his record for the Final 4 is better than 1-6 but out of 6 Final 4 appearances, he only has 1 title does he not?

@dylans I laughed.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I'm not arguing that Self has an Elite8 monkey, but you still have to win in the Final 4, and you still have to win the National Championship. So Cal has been to the Final 4 what 6 times? And how many times has he won the Championship? Once? You really think 1-6 in the Final 4 is better than 2-7 in the E8?