🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@dylans yeah, their shooting was absolute trash all night. Looked like us last weekend.

Wow - Oregon doesnt rebound a free throw twice in a row. Oregon did a terrible job of that all night.

This is what we should have done to Oregon instead of playing like crap. Our guys made them look like world beaters

Amazing how Oregon does not block out Meeks. Making him look like Shaq.

@truehawk93 there was a video of Devonte throwing a lob to Doke and him dunking.

@Crimsonorblue22 true, but he has been at practices and has seen the system. I would imagine the staff and Landen still talked with him about it.

Oregon cant buy a three.

@Crimsonorblue22 everyone. It all starts with each player realizing how important it is.

@Crimsonorblue22 It all starts with defense. Hopefully we wont see any of the loafing on defense crap and the "we'll outscore them" crap. This year's team had no defensive mentality and just looked slow.

I wish Oregon would have had this type of shooting night last weekend. Figures, of course.

@truehawk93 yeah they were making these shots last weekend. The announcers keep saying tough shot but Oregon made those against us. Looks like their little hot streak is gone.

@truehawk93 no one blocking him out.

North Carolina's length giving Oregon problems. Gonzagas length is similar and makes it hard to score against. That's why I have been advocating for more height and length rather than small guards.

@Crimsonorblue22 I would rather have a two or three seed though - less pressure for coach to have

@Crimsonorblue22 what is lacking with that roster? Shot making, experience, depth, size, inside presence - where is the weakness?

@Crimsonorblue22 an improved Bragg, mitch, doke, coleby, Vick, cunliffe and Newman + another recruit. That's a final four caliber team that will have the inside outside balance we need.

@BigBad next year we will have better size.

@Lulufulu I think a third straight elite eight is a real possibility if Devonte and Svi come back.

I think we will be in good shape next season. And you never know, we could wind up getting Duval or Juiston, or even the decommit from UConn that is a top 100 player. Hopefully Bragg can get back in the groove during the summer trip.

@jaybate-1.0 I also expect to Cunliffe to contribute as well. He has almost a full year of D1 experience and will have spent a bit of time under Self when he is eligible in January.

@jayballer54 no because Cal gets final fours and has a ring.

@Bosthawk or play really good defense.

@Texas-Hawk-10 but, but but - it's the players shooting! Every time! (Sarcasm of course)

@approxinfinity I had a problem with the driving and no dish all night. We made Bell look like Kareem last night and there was no adjustment.

@BeddieKU23 After a certain amount of times, you have to accept the similarities. The problem is Self and his preparation. He has a tough time being a one seed and winning. Maybe next year we should aim for a two or three seed. Less pressure.

@approxinfinity K has five titles. COMPLETELY different scenario. How many does Self have? 1

@betterfireE thats why I'm saying we need long, athletic guards so that we can disrupt other teams like Oregon did.

@BeddieKU23 You miss the point. You obviously think it is some odd coincidence that Bill's teams play poorly or shoot poorly in the elite eight. Year. After year. After year. It is all about a free mindset my friend. From the beginning, Oregon looked like they desparately wanted a final four after last year - our guys were not nearly as aggressive.

Same thing with the Northern Iowa and VCU games. It is not a coincidence that whenever they come out with no energy they dont shoot well, while the other team has energy and they shoot well. You dont see the trend?

@BeddieKU23 No - he needs to own up to it and improve. Six out of nine times in the elite eight Bill's teams have had their lowest scoring output of the year. That is no coincidence. He needs to do some reflection and think about how he can improve this.

@BeddieKU23 just like Northern Iowa, VCU, Michigan, Nova, and UCLA right? They just made plays right? Different players, same result.

@Texas-Hawk-10 yeah, what adjustments did he make last night? What was his plan to attack the zone? Why did our guys come out so tentative and no energy? Oregon was the aggressor.

@Crimsonorblue22 if you dont care about post season success or seeing our guys jubilant about going to the final four, then that is your choice.

@brooksmd language please.

Unfortunately, Bill has a reputation of choking in the tourney, and that is a reputation he has earned.

I agree with you - I could care less about some rather meaningless conference title win streak. Which do you all get more excited about - winning the conference or the thrill and jubilation of our players and fans after a big elite eight win? I know what I prefer.

The thing is, Bill gets tight from the pressure and his players follow suit. All there is to it. The rim gets smaller when the pressure grows.

There is no evidence next year, the year after, or any coming season will see KU in the final four. You would think Bill would have a better idea of 1. how to prepare his team for the opponent and 2. how to mentally prepare himself and the team for an elite eight game.

Fans here and other places can settle for lower goals. That is their choice. But if you dont aim and strongly desire any higher goals, you will never achieve them. I think too many are starting to believe that conference streaks are good enough and getting a couple of nice non con wins is good enough. Not for me. I love the final four. I love watching teams play in the final four. Getting there is the goal and Self has woefully underachieved compared to other coaches.

This is not "being spoiled". This is wanting achievement and accomplishment when you have all the tools you need. 04, 07, 10, 11, 13, 16 and 17 were all really, really good teams. Expecting those teams to perform to their seedline is not being a spoiled kid kcmatt. Is Coach mentally settling for smaller goals, thinking that the tourney is a crap shoot like our fan base?

@kjayhawks thanks for the analysis. I agree with everything you said. If Self keeps this up, people will be talking and there will be pressure on him. I honestly wonder how much he analyses tournament losses and thinks about what he needs to do better, like recruit different players, strategy, defensive tactics, etc. He has, for a lack of a better term, "wasted" too many top teams without getting a final four. 07, 10, 11, 13, 16 and now this year. Oregon was not tight - they were the aggressor and played to win. Our guys did not. Self needs to figure this out.

@BShark doesnt surprise me. Kind of a soft player.

@BShark I dont think so either, but lets be honest - Self, in proportion to the amount of one seeds/top ranked teams he has had, has been terrible in the tourney. To put in perspective, if Roy wins tomorrow, that will be his fifth final four in 15 years. Self just has two. As I have said for years, if you want regular season success, Self is better than anyone. If you want tourney success, he is probably fifth or sixth on the list.

@BShark It could be. But how many times have we thought that and been disappointed by a complete let down in the tourney? I think the pressure got to our shooters and Oregon played to win the game and avenge last years loss to OU. Big difference in mentality between the two teams. One played with a purpose and free mind, the other was tight and buckled under the pressure.

@Blown thats not a model defensive team - not even close.

@Bwag thats why I want to see long, athletic players and mix up defenses - zone press/matchup zone/press, etc.

@BShark Yep. Most here dont see it but the 08 team was just as athletic as Memphis and UNC that year. We need more of that.

@DoubleDD Dont get me wrong - I love Frank and Devonte but added length would really help them. Think about how difficult Kentucky in 2015 was. That is what I want to see.

@BigBad Thats why I want Bill to have long, defensive teams and mix it up. Its worked well for Jay Wright and Dana Altman.

@BShark the thing people dont understand is we never made Oregon uncomfortable. The only stopped scoring when they ran clock. Its all about defense, like I said in the pregame.

@DoubleDD I like playing but maybe Ill get into coaching.

@DoubleDD if they were special, they would be going to Pheonix but they arent. Really tough defensive teams make our guys uncomfortable and have for years. We need to get guys of that caliber defensively and toughness wise to match up better and make other teams uncomfortable.

@DoubleDD I know about Frank - please. We could have used more length against Oregon.

Defense is king in the tournament, IMO, which is part of a larger category of energy. Bell had it. Dorsey had it. Brooks had it. Couple that with their length and defensive mindset and they couldnt be stopped.

I want a long, defensive team like Syracuse in 2013 or Kentucky in 2014/2015.

@brooksmd it all goes back to preparation during the season. As you recall, I said that this team is soft and did not have a defensive mentality like what we saw against Nova and Oregon. Dont recruit small guards but get bigger ones that have girth. I love Frank and Devonte, but it made it tougher. Mario Chalmers/Russell Robinson types.

@KUSTEVE this was a repeat of last year. We lost the same way. Did Bill watch the tape?

@Bwag why can't we emulate that? Or figure out how to score effectively against it? Instead we shrivel up