🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Quick hits from the Texas win -

1. Sam Cunliffe - The "DNP" gives us insight into what coach Self thinks of Cunliffe at the moment. Depth. I know that's disappointing to some. But our guard play is fine. We just need another skilled big.

2. Garrett over Newman - I liked the move, of course. Garrett is obviously a better defender, did much better down low in the zone. It's pretty clear that Newman is having some issues with doing things Self's way. Newman off the bench is a nice thing to have. He shot an ill advised three late. Not the guy to take that shot. Good guy to have on the court late because he is a good free throw shooter. And he is a bit indispensable as our second ball handler. Something's going on. Prima Donna alert? Just guessing.

3. Press break - Ugh. Just ugly. Slow. Plodding. Defensive. Weak. Help me. Practice this -- the closest guy to the basketball get it in quickly, and bust a** down the floor and make the opponent pay. Until you do that, opponents can press with impunity. There is no risk in pressing. I've complained about this for years. With our speed, with four guards on the floor, and Self's desire to play faster, we should flat scorch teams that try to press us. That phase is just horrible .. but it always has been.

4. Udoka is really skilled - I know it's easy to say Udoka is just big, but the guy is very skilled. He has a terrific set of post moves. Can go left or right. And has a very nice touch.

5. Live and Die - We truly will live and die by the three until we get another low post scorer. Fine. We've died many deaths. This one will be no different. Either way you're dead. Maybe we survive.

6. Zone - Great, great move by Self. We set up nicely for the 2-3. We need to play it a lot. Self is really moderating in his old(er) age. This won us the game.

7. Mitch Slapped - Block early in the game, turned into a break and points the other way ... who told me that (@approxinfinity)???

8. 5-0 Headed to Morgantown - Book it.

9. Svi - Vinnie Johnson was the original "microwave" -- could heat up at any moment. Then was cold. That's Svi. The "microwave" II. But those cold stretches really stink.

10. Frank Mason - I know, the Texas game is what I'm talking about. But he got his second start tonight. Best PG in KU history. Hang his jersey in the rafters now.

@Jayballer54 We now have an idea of what coach Self thinks of Sam Cunliffe at the moment. That's all. "Coach's decision."

@BShark With Dotson's shooting issues, it's a good thing we'll be playing big/conventional next season. We may slide back to the days of low three point rates. But I think Self will incorporate his more tolerant approach, with (hopefully) a large helping of high/low.

@drgnslayr You had correctly pointed that out regarding boxing out in prior seasons. The little things win games. Interestingly, I noticed how Newman was really boxing out vs. Stanford. Was lazy on boxing out earlier. Sometimes just standing around. Magically, 7 boards. I think someone got on his tail.

@drgnslayr And it would seem to me that playing small ball the last two seasons, with quicker players on the court, that our steal rate would increase.

@Texashawk Those are some pretty strong allegations against Keegan. I have zero insight as I have stayed away from it. If you ever have the inclination, in the KU FB area, perhaps you could expand. I'd be very interested.

@wrwlumpy Thank you. Texas shirt, Soviet Union shirt, "I root for the devil" shirt … heck, even an MU shirt. It all works for me. I'm easy.

@drgnslayr You got me thinking. You said, "We should be getting 2 to 3 times the amount of steals with all of these uber-athletic guards." I know you were exaggerating a bit to make the point. We seem like we should get more forced turnovers.

Odd, though, we get 8 steals per game. The last time we averaged 8 per game was 2010-11. In all other years since then, it was 7 steals per game except in 2012-13, it was 6. Back in 2007-08, it was 9. It does seem like we should get more.

But what those stats don't tell us is that we've been playing easier teams than we'll see regularly the rest of the season. We'll see where we sit.

@JayHawkFanToo I didn't watch, but saw the highlights this morning. Harden seemed to want the second one.

Archie Miller? I didn't consider that one.

@JayHawkFanToo I'd rather have Dixon than Huggins or Kruger right now, moving forward. But analyzing career accomplishments, I'd agree with you. It would not bother me much if KU hired Dixon if Self left. That would be better than trying too hard to hire a legacy (like Manning or Haase). Not sure what would be a better hire that Dixon. Brad Stevens? Bill Donovan? If either would exit the NBA, which I doubt.

@dylans Seems like you've got the right read. The expecting thing with the recruits is one thing -- but when a guy pops up at #8 in a mock, that sucks (selfishly). I guess I was a little clueless that Grimes was in the presumed OAD category. Hope he's a world beater.

@jaybate-1-0 Short odds are many times more depressing -

Odds Bill Self says, "I think we're getting close" in the next three days - 1:10

Odds that Marcus Peters has a meltdown when the Chiefs need it least - 1:1

Odds that Preston is a OAD no matter what - 1:2

Odds that the Royals won't see the World Series for another decade or two - 1:15

Odds that DeSousa getting "clearance" is similar to others before him - 2:1

Odds I think I have my golf swing exactly where I want it - 1:5

Odds that my golf swing actually is exactly where I want it - 20:1 (a deviation from the short odds theme for illustrative purposes only)

Odds that I eat two pop-tarts instead of one, despite knowing better - 1:25 (My wife knows better than to buy them, but God bless her, every so often they show up in the pantry and she says, "well, I know you like the smores ones." Yes .. yes I do).

But alas, short odds have always served us well -

Odds KU wins the Big 12 even when all seems against us - 1:3

Odds KU wins 25 games - 1:10

It's game day.

Now, where the he** is that Texas redhead that so graciously appeared in AFH many moons ago? I bet she has aged softly.

Odds that she is making some young man very happy - 1:100

@dylans Well that Grimes thing didn't start my day off well. I looked at 2019 mocks, didn't see him, but got to the ESPN mock and sure enough, they have him #8. Langford is there too, at #9.

https://247sports.com/Gallery/ESPN-releases-first-2019-NBA-Mock-Draft-108163016/GallerySlides/704606 ↗

I did see Vick in the first round in one NBA mock ...
http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft ↗

The main thing I've been tired of is all of the "we're getting close" stuff, now for how many weeks?

When I've talked about drama in the past, this is drama. This is the kind of distracting drama that impacts a team. It's nothing but a negative. We know it can't be a positive. Anything that doesn't help, really hurts.

I don't know the answer. But I agree that Self did not want, and would not want, someone to just practice and not play like this. But maybe, even if he has little impact this season, Preston may be here for next season if this is resolved.

But I get Self's dilemma, and perhaps we just need to accept it -- but it's hard to accept. If Billy Preston becomes eligible and is a full contributor by the NCAA tourney, he could be the difference between winning a national championship, and not winning one.

So maybe like it or not, we all just need to take it. Because the possible reward might be worth it. I hate drama in a team environment.

@JayHawkFanToo Ok, attacking it a different way. Silvio's birthday is Oct. 7. He turned 19 on October 7. He had not graduated from high school on October 7. The NBA season started on Oct. 17. That means, per the rule (arguably) that he would have been eligible for the NBA draft once the NBA season concluded. It could be argued that his normal class was when he was 18 (graduating in May of 2017). Of course, this a prospective eligibility argument. But that's how it happens anyway because folks apply for the draft before the NBA season concludes anyway. I get that he has actually now graduated. But that's what legal arguments are about. And I know it says "one season." I do see that. But, again, that's what legal arguments are about. I checked. Some NBA teams have played less than 40% of the season so far. The rule doesn't say one "FULL" NBA season.

My point is until we here something definitive, I'd say there's wiggle room there.

@JayHawkFanToo @BShark Here’s the rule. The question is whether graduating during the middle of an nba season counts.

(i) The player (A) is or will be at least nineteen (19) years of age during the calendar year in which the Draft is held, and (B) with respect to a player who is not an international player (defined below), at least one (1) NBA Season has elapsed since the player’s graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high school)

@Lulufulu All KU has to do is win four games in a row, and most times the first game is relative gimme. There is nothing incredibly difficult that prevents a blue blood from getting to the final four regularly. We've had good draws, and bad draws. We blow opportunities in KC, or to get to KC. We've had perfect paths to get there. We've done everything at Kansas except win national titles more regularly. When you have everything, except one thing, doesn't that one thing become even more precious?

As for the Big 12, it's embarrassing how bad we are in the tourney. Flat embarrassing. No one remembers November or December.

Final Four. There's a measuring stick.

@dylans The PER info is excellent .. but it is important for all of us to remember that Mitch is a good college player, as you mention (average is pretty good). But he's not necessarily "good" or average at KU, meaning relatively speaking. The point I've tried to emphasize is "at KU", vs. some other lesser school (like a New Mexico St.). To be a blue blood and compete for a national title, his role right now is not preferred. It is very interesting that Mitch has pushed himself into that 15 range. It's not so good that a starter is in that range.

And I love Mitch Slapped. That is awesome.

Just because Young ran his mouth about ending the streak, perhaps we invoke the opposite strategy. Stop Young, and make the supporting case beat us. In fact, sometimes, depending on the athlete and cast, it might be the better option. Here, though, he's a very effective passer. I'd be most interested in disrupting the passing lanes first and foremost.

@JayHawkFanToo Since I'm an ignoramus when comes to the NBA, who are the better centers in the NBA compared to Embiid? Anthony Davis and who else?

@approxinfinity I'll keep more of an eye out for that. I know I have a few games (too many) on the DVR. When I can (when the old guy wakes up at 4:30 in the morning), I'll make a point of looking at some of the blocks. For those that DVR and like to look at particular items, the ESPN play by play is an easy way to find what you're looking for.

Good discussion, along with @jaybate-1-0's reference to attrition.

If Mitch redshirts, he pretty much eliminates the transfer option later, unless he graduates. So it's a big career decision.

What I keep coming back to is that anyone with any intelligence and perspective (relying on his parents) would have foreseen this exact situation at Kansas. Maybe not at New Mexico St. So I say he stays here and is a four or five year player, depending upon whether he redshirts. This assumes his parents have one collective brain that functions.

If I'm Mitch's parents, and we knew this coming in (meaning, we aren't surprised by the possible logjam), I would 100% encourage a redshirt. You get 5 years of free education, and you increase your chances of playing professionally somewhere.

As to @dylans' point, yes, I would. I think you can hold a scholarship like this for a program player. Maybe two. In fact, I think it's very beneficial. But it does burn a scholarship if there is not production, and how do you cast aside a program player after a redshirt?

But @justanotherfan is probably right. We're looking at this in the moment of today. Things work out. Players coming in that aren't as good as expected. Broken ankles. Sick grandmas. Bongs. Nudges out the door.

Assuming no Doke and no Preston (hologram or not), we still have DeSousa, McCormack, and Lawson down low. An experienced guy in that mix seems like something Self would want.

It would not surprise me if Mitch is the #3 big next season, and it would not surprise me if he redshirts. It will surprise me if he's a starter, or if he transfers (assuming his parents were wise enough anticipate this). If Doke stays as @BeddieKU23 mentions, or if Preston materializes and stays, Mitch just won't be in the mix next season.

@Kcmatt7 The answer is of course the depth issue. Self did not have to play Diallo. So he took the easier path. Playing the comfortable sweater, the one that keeps you warm, but the one you know will end in an uncomfortable rash before the end of the day.

How in the world can Self justify playing DeSousa when he refused to play Diallo? DeSousa in three days (or in three weeks) can't be up to speed on what we do, compared to Diallo. Or maybe, perhaps, possibly, the chatter about Diallo was baloney. Or maybe DeSousa is a genius and we didn't know it.

Or, maybe, when you don't have an undertalented security blanket your hand is forced.

I think Mitch will end up being a better player at KU than Traylor. I think he's already a better overall player than Traylor ever was. Traylor was an incredibly athlete, but had a very low skill ceiling. And basketball is first and foremost a game of skill. When you see Mitch shoot, he's already light years ahead of Traylor. Traylor, after his time here, still couldn't score in the post and had a well below average outside shot.

Similarly, both he and Traylor get/got almost all of their blocks off of the ball, coming in as a second defender. Not classic rim protection in the Withey mode.

Mitch's ability to block shots is real. He averages 4.6 per 40 minutes played (4.3 last season). Traylor was 2.4 for his career and we all thought he was pretty good swooping in and giving us some blocks.

Mitch just requires patience. Skills appear to be there, ready to develop. But his playing time at KU will always be at risk, year to year, depending on the next "big thing" we recruit.

**When I suggest "classic rim protection", I mean face up to the ball, back to the basket. This type of rim protection usually results in a change of possession. The secondary blocks (the kind Mitch and Traylor did best) usually get swatted out of bounds. But the secondary blocks are essential and important part of team defense.

I am the Aflac duck.

@jayballer54 You do realize that Self signs players as development/depth players? Not everyone he signs is assumed to be an immediate rotation player.

So who is the attrition (transfers)? Not many options other than Mitch and Garrett. 4 current transfers aren’t leaving. 4 recruits. Doke, Vick, Newman, Preston may leave to the NBA. Svi and DG gone as seniors. Garrett’s going to play a lot. Hopefully Mitch will redshirt and not leave. Am I missing any other possible transfer?

Has the movie Terminator not taught us anything?

I’m still into this season, but next season’s roster is pretty interesting. Somehow, someway, we need to make sure Doke is back.

Who's really bashing the kid? All I see are folks commenting on the level of his play, which seems to be what this site is about. But I also see folks appreciating that he's doing the best he can do. I don't think it's "bashing" or attacking someone to say they played horribly, or bad, or not so good, when that's how they played. We're not making it personal .. we could call Mitch "player X."

This is D-1 college basketball at Kansas. It's exactly what Mitch signed up for. He could have been the star at the University of Phoenix. He chose a blue blood. So while I'm sure he doesn't like to read that folks aren't happy with his performance, thousands of 19 year olds are wildy jealous.

To the first sentence of you reply, if I had said I didn't think Mitch could develop, would that be bashing? I remember back in the day one player I really didn't care for was Quintrell Thomas. I felt he'd never be much of a player. Harsh, but not bashing.

My point is we should not confuse the simple act of commenting or analyzing performance, discussing how KU can get better, and what needs to be done, with bashing. It seems apparent when someone is irrationally attacking a player. I just don't see much of that. When it comes to Mitch, I think it's more the concern with the situation we're in roster-wise.

Just as importantly, though, I think it's admirable that you're defending Mitch. He busts his a**, works hard, is doing everything he can to help this team. And I think that's really the point of your post. No one should attack him for doing his best. But if Mitch lolly gags down the court, doesn't block out, etc., then all that's fair game. He's given full effort in my eyes.

Always appreciate your passion, my friend. You're a true Jayhawks fan. Merry Christmas!

Just a red herring. Not one person has blamed Mitch. No one has said they don’t like him. Quite the contrary. And no, he’s not good enough to be the 2nd big. Just the fact. No one can make a basketball related argument to the contrary. So I’m not sure the point of this lecture.

Yes, Merry Christmas to all the great people here.

I can't believe that no one would select Ed Hightower --- seriously, though, how anyone could put folks in a hall of fame that inflict carnage on the game is beyond me.

In my book, one name stands above all others on the list of possible players -- Mark Aquirre.

@JayHawkFanToo You think he just declares for the draft then? He can do that it seems given age and when his normal class would have graduated.

@Ralster I think if Lightfoot matures, adds a little man strength, hones some skills, there's no reason why he couldn't be a significant player. The skills ceiling is something that's very hard to read. I just don't know where that sits.

@BShark I did not know that. Everything I've seen and read says Charlie Moore is a point guard. I just thought he wasn't a very good one -- mainly the very poor assist/turnover ratio. So you've got me reconsidering the dynamic for next season. You believe he's going to be best served playing off the ball?

At 6'0", or really below that, it is difficult for me to see him having that as his primary role when Self has much longer guys available to man the 2-3 spots, like Grimes, Garrett, and Cunliffe (or Newman if he'd possibly return). I had envisioned Moore being insurance if we didn't get a top PG. Now that we have Dotson, I assumed he'd be the back PG and likely not in the game when Dotson was.

Your comment got me thinking, though, about Self and his preference of having two primary ball handlers in the game together. Assuming Vick is gone, do you see Moore and Dotson starting together?

@Texas-Hawk-10 @BShark Did you know that a high school can submit a six-semester transcript? Thus the issues that may arise with prior places of education (such as overseas) can be addressed before the final year's transcript is submitted. That is what I was referring to. If there are "issues", this stuff should have already been submitted. I recall reviewing that when the Diallo deal was full tilt.

One note on Lightfoot, his blocked shots are much like Traylor's. Most are when he would come in as a second defender. I know no one has called him a rim protector or anything like that, just point out the difference in the blocks -- compared to Mickelson, or Withey, etc.

And really, we don't know what his three point ability might develop to be. He could end up being an excellent three point shooter on high attempts. Most stretch 4s get squared up looks (much like Ellis got). I have just thought his best opportunity to be a major contributor was years 4 and 5. Good guy to have on the roster long term, and obviously a necessity this season.

So, is it unreasonable to think that before DeSousa officially got his grades and test score, the "eligibility" stuff should have been fully readied and addressed? Maybe it was. But as I recall Self's quotes, I never recall him mentioning this issue before, or alluding to it, until his mention of a possible "appeal" a few days ago. We should all just assume we're dealing with a plunge into the abyss of NCAA eligibility until we actually see him playing. It's easier that way.

@Texas-Hawk-10 @BShark Put Mitch back at his natural position and he still shouldn't be playing this season (assuming we're playing to win a national title). That's really the larger point. Self, at the very best, had him slotted in as the 4th big behind Doke, Preston, and Whitman, and possibly the 5th with Coleby still in the mix.

I know we like to talk about him being out of position, but when you're in the true 4 spot, you are called upon to score in the post -- see all the 4s that came before him. In fact, that has been the primary role of 4s in Self's offense. Can we agree that Mitch's post-scoring game is pretty much nothing? Further, in the current offense, nothing stops the 5 from stepping away from the basket, either. Mitch is just not ready to be an offensive player with any depth or consistency.

Mitch has been fine on defense, given his lack of size. He has done an admirable job being forced into action before he's really ready. Where would we be without his play this season? We just need better play there.

The best we can hope for is that Mitch becomes more irrelevant this season, that he is permitted to red-shirt next season, and perhaps we have a better player by his final two seasons.

Sherron injured? I"m betting he ain't 205.

@BeddieKU23 I just looked, Newman has only shot 11 free throws all season, and he is shooting 100% (11 for 11). Mason shot more than 11 free throws in a game at least 7 times last season.

Initially, I think Garrett is really deferring on offense. He's a freshman, he's not shooting well from 3, and we have other scorers. So he should. His defense last night was really good. In the first half, he was on the floor for our run when we stretched the lead. I saw someone comment something to the effect of, what use is it to have a good defender when your team isn't good one defense -- meaning, why have Garrett on the floor. The defense part is critical. What I didn't see from Garrett last night was aggressive rebounding. There were a couple of times he kind of stood there without attacking the glass.

I will say that I thought Cunliffe looked pretty good defensively last night, as well. I would be interested if anyone else thought that.

I noticed Newman really blocking out; maybe a coaching point heading in.

What almost puzzles me most about Newman is that the guy does not attack the rim. He rarely shoots free throws. He's got a quick first step. Seems like he should look to attack the rim much more than he does.

We only shot 18 three pointers last night. Makes me wonder.

The Self-speak on Preston continues to be entertaining. He finds new ways to say the same thing, which is really nothing.

Then on Silvio SammyDeSosa (per @wissox), Self injects the word "appeal" in the equation last night, saying the plan would be he could be here on the 26th, and then references and "appeal."

Here's what was stated at kusports.com - Self said he continued to believe the final word about De Sousa's eligibility at Kansas would come Friday — “We think by tomorrow,” he said — before adding, “Unless there's some hiccup and then we may have to appeal something, but we feel by tomorrow.”

@JayHawkFanToo I disagree just a bit with your analysis of playing "big." You could claim to be playing big with Preston and Lightfoot, but you really aren't. Big is Withey/TRob. Big is Aldrich/Morris. Big is Collison/Gooden. Big is Jackson/Arthur. Big is Embiid/Ellis. Big is Black/Ellis.

You are correct. You do not have to have a true center. But you have to have players that have post skills and can score down low, and players that can defend the post. Lightfoot isn't that guy. And of course, Preston is just a hologram at this point.

But you seem to suggest that if we had Preston, then this wouldn't be an issue.

I would suggest that your response about Self preferring an 8-9 man rotation is irrelevant when it comes to being thin up front. Even with Preston, we have only Doke and Preston. Lightfoot is not a competent 3rd big, when we compare to Self's tenure. He is only playing because Self has no choice. How nice would it be to have a Hunter Mickelson right now? But my point is Doke, Preston, Lightfoot -- that's way thin. Thinnest ever. No doubt. Sosinski at least gives us a body. The next thinnest is 2011-12, when we had Withey, TRob, KY, and Wesley. And that collection of 4 is better by a long shot than what we have now (including Preston). We've had times when we have 6 true bigs on our roster.

Under Self, that 8-9 man rotation consisted of 5 perimeter players and 4 bigs. We would see the 5th perimeter player and 4th post guy get limited minutes, but that would depend on the game. We don't even have a third big right now, and even if Preston was here, that 3rd big would be an Lightfoot.

Preston and DeSousa (assuming DeSousa is as good as expected), that fits what you're suggesting.

@REHawk Me thinks the hi/low will make its return ... hopefully with a higher rate of threes than before. Or at least not an "either/or" approach by Self.

@JayHawkFanToo Even if we had Preston, this is the thinnest collection of post players ever under Self.

Not to be a dreaded Debbie downer, but wasn't Wiggins supposed to be a transformative star? He's shooting just over 42% and below 30% from three. Sure, he helps his team, and is a good player, but that wasn't really the bar, was it?

@jaybate-1.0 Yes, but once March comes, won't every KU player have bruises, strains, or some malady? Quilted knee wraps? All putting KU at a disadvantage against seemingly every possible opponent? Jabbing you a bit.

@dylans Apparently enough.

@KUSTEVE Best comment yet .. I'll take Frank period.

@justanotherfan I was initially going to disagree with you on Greene -- but I get your "useable athleticism" . Greene was stiff, couldn't dribble much laterally, he was slow laterally, and he was not the least bit explosive. He didn't have a quick first step either. However, he did have a couple cool dunks. He was of course a good athlete by the simple fact he was a D-I player. But relatively speaking, he didn't have high on-court athleticism.

Cunliffe did seem a bit stiff, maybe that was hesitancy. He did seem athletic though.

The whole Billy Preston thing .. he's kind of like Yoda communicating from the nether world. Just kind of a hologram. Is he a hologram on the bench? Has anyone really touched him to make sure?