🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Bragg is gone. No PT, much like Greene last season. Cannot imagine him returning. There seems to be other priorities in his life ...

And remember last spring when we signed Newman? I suggested that his dad's word was not something we should totally bank on. I got a very large dose of anger on that one. But it is still in flux. I heard from a friend who is semi-connected, and his view was that it is "in play" that Newman may look to play professionally. Just that it is not cemented that he'll be here. We'll see. The likelihood of course is that he stays.

@Fightsongwriter Frank did deserve better. My all-time favorite Jayhawk. What a terrifically talented and humble player. THE PERFECT JAYHAWK.

@Texas-Hawk-10 I do think you are way off here regarding last night. I think most would agree that I've been a pretty direct critic of Self, admittedly when I think he's wrong -- my view only. I think I have offered the puckering phrase you have relied upon here a few times. I just didn't see that. But I know you have your view. But I think this year we've seen a different coach Self.

Bill Self got a great deal out of this team. We lost Udoka, and Bragg was just flat MIA. Was Bragg's lack of progress Self's fault? I don't see it. If I would have known that before the season -- Udoka and Bragg basically out and useless -- I would have been skeptical of an Elite Eight, much less the solid regular season.

Bill Self was very relaxed last night, it appeared to me. And I just didn't see coaching as the turning point last night. Unlike a number of tournament failures, I can't really fault him for much of anything last night. We appeared to be in a very good position to succeed. Lots of great looks -- and that's what our scheme did for us. In fact, the players commented before the game how Self was much more relaxed, and that gave the "confidence" -- that's a quote from Mason.

Oregon had rim protection. I think you are missing that very clear fact from last night. We didn't have rim protection. This was really the key factor last night.

And bad bounces more than any I have ever seen. 66-60 and Dorsey shovels one to the rim from three, four guys in position around the rim, and we don't get the board. That told the story of the game. And Lucas was overmatched inside. Just playing to his ceiling. He can't go beyond that. Lots of stuff.

But do I know for sure that Self didn't create a crazily tense atmosphere before the game? I don't. This team, though, has come out flat over and over this season. It seems to be part of its DNA. The slow start was not surprising.

The macro here is very obvious, and that is much of your point. The record speaks for itself. When you look at the big picture, the number of losses we've had on the second game of the weekend -- 2nd round and Elite Eight says something.

The inescapable implication is that Self does not have the guys ready to win on a short turnaround.

There can be other answers, there can be other conclusions -- but the evidence says exactly that. It's hard to really argue against the evidence that we have.

Thankfully, he had KU ready to win for the 2nd game of the weekend of the Final Four in 2008.

I was very upset last year -- VERY UPSET. Bill Self was out coached against Villanova, plain a simple. But I just don't see that last night.

We got open look after open look. Our guys came out after halftime with their hair on fire but just could not convert. It was the classic comeback waiting to happen. It just didn't.

The ugly thing is that we have a likely UNC or UK title to look forward to. Another blue blood getting another title. Anyone but UK please. Anyone.

Another item -- Bragg is gone as gone can be. The guy didn't play last night. That is over. Reminds one of the Greene treatment vs. Nova. Just no excuse for why he didn't play.

For anyone that thinks this game was a Bill Self loss, you need to rethink it a bit.

This isn't Stanford or Villanova.

This loss was about a terrific turnaround after half time on the defensive end, but our inability to execute offensively.

I was continually amazed at the quality of shots and looks we had in the second half. The game was right there for the taking.

There were many times over the years when the "failure to execute" was incorrectly blamed. This isn't one of them.

Still Self's best coaching job.

@BigBad is right. Our thin post presence was the undoing tonight. We had no real option there.

Lots of things went wrong tonight. One of them was not Bill Self. He was calm and cool. And his team came out fired up after half, and everything went right except the ball going in the hoop.

Again, this is much, much different than some of the NCAA tourney losses we've seen.

Great season.

Perhaps they have reached the plateau … and maybe can play in that ballpark three more times. But they don't need a Purdue like performance to win two of the next three games. UNC or UK? Buckle up.

@Blown The exceptions are not the rule.

@Blown Come on, don't you know, players don't "develop" with game experience? Anyway ...

To your point -- Udoka, I think, would be a force. He could have made this team completely unstoppable. Having Lucas and Udoka would have make this team complete.

However, you never know what that does. It could have pushed us to a different scenario in this tournament, or Udoka being on the court could have changed our team's development, or worse, it's style of play -- the rule of unintended consequences.

A national title is now that light in the distance. Wouldn't change anything.

On Greene, completely opinion here, but I don't think he would have fit at all. He would have been a disrupter. He would have threatened the chemistry. I still think Self wisely helped facilitate the exit, whether it be directly or subtly. Of course, kids mature. But what does he offer that we don't have anyway -- and I would rather have Svi or Vick at the 3, not doubt.

@ParisHawk You are correct. And it's a good point to make. We were terrific defensively last night ... why? Coach Self.

Ok, I will agree. If this was a mean-spirited dig, then I see the point. Obviously most everyone saw it that way. I guess I didn't on its face. I must be missing tone as I didn't hear it. Or maybe there's some history with Self and Lutz. It just seemed very benign to me, albeit poorly worded.

Question .. was this F in some class NOT public knowledge? I think everyone is way off base here. His question was perfectly fine.

Help me .. what is so horrible here? He was joking .. kind of. But, reality -- if that teacher doesn't hold Mason accountable, and lets him slide by, Kansas never gets Frank Mason. That's exactly what he meant.

I obviously am not a fan of reporters, but this has a completely legitimate premise.

I would send a thank you card if I were coach Self. I, especially, would send a thank you card if I were Frank Mason

The KC Star ran this morning -- [Here is the LINK]. This exact topic. It's a great story.(http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article140202363.html) ↗

Here's a snippet from the story -- the "she" is Mason's teacher:

"She said she was “bullied” multiple times by people who wanted her to give Mason a passing grade. But she gave Mason several chances to make up the work, she said, and besides, two other kids in the class failed with a higher average than Mason. If she was going to make an exception for one, she’d have to do the same for two others. So, no. She would not pass Mason. She needed to apply the same standards to a rising basketball star that she would a student headed to the military, or college, or into the work force. Smith knew she was doing the right thing, but that doesn’t make it the easy thing, or what she wanted to do. There were days I had to sit at my desk and cry,” she said. “Because everybody wanted to tell me I was wrong.”

.

The way we stop Swanigan should involve multiple tactics -- 1) flash double teams at him randomly -- on the catch, then on the first bounce, then on the first step backward on back to the basket situations, on the turn, and then no double. Keep him thinking. 2) sag at angles on the entry pass to try to deflect and disrupt, and 3) work hard to force the entry to 7-8 feet (which can help the effectiveness of the doubles). The guy is a horse. I think Landen can be fairly effective and Coleby can offer some resistance. That might be all we need.

One other thing .. I might suggest NOT trying to block his shot on the ball. Straight up. Let the blocks come from the off ball defenders if there are any. Otherwise, fouls are a sure thing against this guy.

Any other thoughts challenging Swanigan?

I'm perhaps in the minority, but Sweet 16 nights -- Thursday/Friday -- seem to be the perfect evenings of basketball.

@JayHawkFanToo said:

I would respectfully suggest we keep the families out of our threads. Involving the family is what UK fans do and I would like to think we are better than that. Just my opinion.

Well said.

After a well played first weekend, we look forward to our second four team tourney - Marching to KC:

1. Self Over Izzo: A couple of reporters observed Self calmer than normal during the game. Here's a quote from Self, "It's a hard game to coach because nobody is listening to me. Shooting too fast. I was a fun, fast paced game." That's awesome. There is zero doubt that he is coaching differently, and that his change in approach is well calculated. Great coaches do that.

2. Scott Drew: Apparently Scott Drew (a regular punching bag here) visited KU locker room and wished the Hawks good luck. Thought that was pretty cool. Also cool was the UC Davis players after our first game, and the well wishes from the MSU team. Izzo is a great guy, great coach. There is also a neat story on Tom Crean that Jay Bilas posted, where he bought food for and gave a bible to a struggling couple. My guess is that with many of these guys, the view we have is far from the truth. But with some, they may be as bad or worse than some assume.

3. Dwight Coleby: Terrific decision by Self to use Coleby over Bragg. I entered the tourney hoping he'd channel his inner Jeff Graves. He's not at that level. But he could be exactly what we need. And critical to a title run. He seems to be exactly what Carlton Bragg is not. Coleby could be a much needed fouler Thursday vs. Purdue. Remember Justin Wesley? Enters, immediate foul. Just as if the refs knew they could even up the fouls and Self would be quiet about it. When Coleby came in today I was sure that his first defensive possession would be a foul. He held his ground, held his arms straight up -- no foul. A sign the refs see him as a real player. That's good. He does have fouls to give, though.

4. Purdue: Remember KU/MU, 2012? We could not play Withey and TRob together. Why? Because MU had Kim English at the 4. We could not guard him with Withey or TRob. It forced us to play small. Swanigan is a beast. But he's one guy. Purdue is pretty stout. But who isn't this time of the year? Odd I mentioned 2012 -- a key Teahan three helped us squeak past the Boilermakers that tourney. Purdue is a good team. We'll have to be on our game. But we'll march on.

5. Nova: All those Villanova faithful are just polishing their nice, shiny ring from last season. The early exit this season is meaningless. I'm sure they don't care. Much like we didn't care much that the Royals missed the playoffs last season. The luster is still there. Nova has immortality with the national title. It does mean that much -- and more.

6. Bad Officiating: No accountability is my biggest gripe. The ultimate old boys' network. Lots of back scratching going on. From an inexplicable no charge call in the UNC/Ark game that turned the tide, to the ridiculous no goal-tending call in the NW/Gonzaga game (followed by the technical), to latent inconsistency within the same half of the same game. It's not that they are bad, so much, it's that they don't pay for their incompetence like other professions. They just keep getting work.

7. Underwood: My first impression is that he's pretty ungrateful. Did he get rejected on a raise request? Is the AD hard to work with -- the same AD that game him a power 5 job? I don't know. All I know is that OSU is a better job than Illinois. That much I'm quite sure of.

8. Bill Self Leaving?: Hear me out here -- Tyler graduating, unprecedented turmoil with the press, etc., never know about the behind the scenes stuff with the administration, possible NBA jobs opening up come summer, no players that he has a major emotional attachment to (Graham would only have a year left), weak recruiting class -- and -- and -- a national title? I know it's not likely (Self leaving), but this could be a testy summer even if there is no national title. If there is another national title, Self will go down as KU's greatest coach. And if he left after a second title, I would not be shocked. And no one even mentions OSU anymore. Odd.

9. Oregon/Michigan: Who's worried? I'm not. Good programs. Good teams. No sleeping on those programs -- no UNI or VCU there. At AFH "EAST". Like our region now? We decide our fate. We're not going to get beat by a comparable team, like our loss to Villanova. But if we play Oregon, isn't that Nike vs. Adidas -- ugh. I'll leave that prognostication to @jaybate-1.0. Regardless, Oregon isn't as good as KU. And neither is Michigan. One will be our elite 8 victim.

10. Roy: Can't help but look ahead to Phoenix. Could the basketball gods so bless us with another Self vs. Roy match-up? Roy's a great guy. In the NCAA selection show, the team was at his house. There was a stained-glass window with a Jayhawk. He's still a Jayhawk. Wish we didn't have to eliminate him again, if it comes to that.

11. OAD: The OAD stench is sweet. The OAD distractions are minimal. And the concern about an OAD shutting it down late to protect against injury, and ensure millions? Not Josh Jackson. The best OAD there ever was. Reggie Miller, I think, uttered the daunting comparison Friday -- Dr. J. Dr. JJ? This is the kind of player that can lead us to a title.

12. Lucas' Baby Hook: The one move that every post player should practice and perfect -- check that -- every player. Never know when that baby hook will come in handy. It's been a long time comin' Landen, but it sure looks good. Left or right, the guy has a go to move. How many times does he score on Swanigan?

13. A Mission vs. Swanigan; Draw fouls. If I were drawing up the game plan, I'd look to create some circumstances to isolate Swanigan and draw a few fouls. Perhaps using that Lucas baby hook as bait. Or Coleby looking to get a shot into Swanigan's arm. Or see if you can bait Swanigan into a compromising position on the perimeter. You don't want such a mission to distract from winning and scoring, but is Purdue even a game without Swanigan? It is worth a possession or two to target Swanigan.

14. Big 12: Our best three teams are in the Sweet 16. To gain national respect, we need two FF teams and a national title. I know that's not fair, and I know all these metric and non-con games create discussion points, but we need to follow up OU's FF appearance with more. We've lacked in March accomplishments. The only way to shut people up is to win.

15. MVC: I've seen much discussion of the disrespect for mid-majors, the MVC, WSU, etc. I refer back to a common theme -- win. At some point, for mid-majors to have some credibility, they need to win a national title. Butler came close. The big schools win the titles, and it's a relatively small club. However, like most, I was a bit puzzled by the seeding. Is Gonzaga a mid-major, right? I'd say so (though they've been good for a long time). Not one final four.

A sweet 16 trip, landing in the Sprint Center. Couldn't have drawn it up better. I have never been more confident in coach Self. Beating Izzo, and permitting his team to step on MSU's throat the way his team is best suited and constructed to step on it? That continues to be a beautiful thing.

I went an entire post without mentioning Frank Mason. So there -- FRANK MASON. Best point guard in KU history.

@jaybate-1.0 I attacked two elbows in a two week period with my opposing cheekbones back in high school. Stiches came out, new ones went in. Sharp elbows.

@JayHawkFanToo .. or Altman to the Razorbacks.

@stoptheflop The matchup I am most worried about? Izzo vs. Self. History tells us we should be worried. We're better, we have more talent, we have more experience. What makes me most optimistic is Self's approach to offense this season. I haven't seen any "puckering" -- see Germany in the WBB finals after we had played much differently in the other games of the tourney. Self is much different now, he's embraced this style. Let's hope we don't see puckering.

I was not worried about UNI, I was not scared of playing Stanford, VCU was an afterthought, I was not really worried about Michigan, and I really thought we'd beat Villanova. I am worried about MSU because of Izzo and his ability to win games in the tourney. This a very dangerous game. I very much wanted Miami instead.

Operating on the information we have -- which is a very important premise for me -- am I reading this correctly? This is not a "big deal"?

Come on. Let's connect with reality.

As a starting point, let's assume this young lady is completely irrational. Given that, is it not a big deal that Jackson followed her out of the club, kicked her car three times, and told her to get out because he was going to beat her a**? Who here has ever done that to a woman in their entire life? What planet are we on?

No denials of the facts have ever been made.

Assuming that to be true -- what Jackson did -- give some conceivable circumstance at the Yacht club that would justify Jackson doing that? That's where the apologists are missing it. Again, operating on what we know.

Given the affidavit, if the prosecutor believed it to be true, Jackson could have been charged with assault under Kansas law -- placing one in fear of imminent bodily injury. Prosecutors probably didn't charge it because she was inside the car, but they certainly could have.

As I said when this came out, Jackson should have been suspended 2-3 games. That eliminates the edge on the story -- that the athlete was not punished for his actions.

That all said, I'd also mentioned a few weeks ago that Calvert should be charged with battery re: throwing the drink in Vick's face. Given the entirety of the incident, I think she should have been charged.

And some "wouldn't believe" Calvert. Ok, but have we heard anything that indicates anything she said is not truthful? From any source? There is a difference between her being troubled and the statement being untruthful.

Again, there has been no dispute on the facts. Meaning not even a denial.

I'm as anti-KC Star on this as anyone else, but because of the sensationalistic and biased nature of their reporting. Not because this isn't a "big deal." This is a big deal.

When I said 2-3 games when this story came out, I didn't know of the "get out and I'll beat your a**" comment. Easy 3 game suspension.

That all being said, IF the facts really are different, and Calvert and the witness are just dead flat lying about Jackson kicking the car and the beat your a** comment, I would change my position immediately. Operating on what we know.

@mayjay - I think you may have solved that one. That does make the most sense.

@mayjay I'm not biting …

And my post had nothing to do with @jaybate-1.0. That man wreaks of substance. One line sniping, with no substance, is peanut gallery stuff.

@BShark Gregg Marshall is 6'2". I'm not here to defend the guy. You have thrown all of these vile insults at the man in the last 30 minutes. Just doesn't make sense. Now we hear from the peanut gallery that he's "insane." Whatever.

@BShark "Sh** human being?"

Easy to spew.

What, did he say something you didn't like?

Another excellent coach (Marshall) that we seem to feel good about trashing.

Sure seemed to kick our a** in the NCAA tourney, I tend to recall. We had our excuses, ad nauseam.

Seems to be an excellent coach, has taken low to no ranked guys and has won, and certainly coaches with an edge.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Really? I did not know that. I thought UC Davis was in the Pac 12. Where have I been? I do appreciate the assistance.

That schedule is hilarious .. from Jan. 4 forward, they never left California, except for one trip to Hawaii.

I've learned to pick one bracket with KU winning, then another bracket with one of the other teams. That other team is UNC. I was really feeling the UCLA thing, but then those pesky defensive numbers I looked at took me off course there (though UNC is just adequate).

It's now down to this .. we've been here before. KU has a #1 seed and a reasonable path to the Final Four. But the last four times we've been in this position, our season has ended with painful losses. Logic says it will happen again. Champions, many times, defy logic.

1. Defense Wins Championships: The old adage is generally true. Rarely does a top defensive team win the title when it is poor defensively. We posted about this yesterday .. even UNC in 2005 and 2009 were in the top 40 in defensive efficiency. Roy's teams that won the title played pretty good defense. I do think an overwhelming offense can overcome, but we're talking six games, no margin of error, against top teams with great coaches. It's why Self loves to have some character tests during the season, some games where we persevere and win when the ball doesn't go in the hole. We have joked about how Self actually prefers low scoring games -- this is surely part of the reason.

2. Our Weakness: Defense has been our bugaboo all season. Someone aptly described the KU defense parting like the Red Sea when TCU attacked at times. We are lacking in that department. We have good perimeter defenders, but when the dike starts to leak, we have nothing to plug it with. We have zero rim protection from the post positions. JJ is an athletic guy, but nothing comparable to our ideal -- Aldrich, Embiid, Withey. Erasers that cover leakage.

3. Udoka: This was a huge loss. Udoka provided us a true rim protector. Coach Self inserted Udoka in the starting lineup, quite obviously, to prep him for this moment. To permit him to arc upward and gain experience. The wrist injury ended all that. And it sent our chances to play good team defense down the drain.

4. Defensive Efficiency: If there is a big negative for KU's chances of an NCAA title, it's defensive efficiency. Kansas sits at 99th in defensive efficiency. Since Self has been the coach at KU, no team that has won the NCAA title has been worse than 74th. So we're 25 spots away from that bottom-dweller position. Here is are the numbers for NCAA title winners for defensive efficiency, with Kansas shown for 2017.

-2004: UConn 6

-2005: UNC 19

-2006: Florida 19 (KU was 1)

-2007: Florida 16 (KU was 1)

-2008: Kansas 4

-2009: UNC 39

-2010: Duke 9

-2011: UConn 75

-2012: Kentucky 9

-2013: Louisville 3

-2014: UConn 19

-2015: Duke 63

-2016: Villanova 14

-2017: Kansas 99

5. KenPom Defensive Efficiency: Using a different metric, KenPom's efficiency ratings, the news doesn't get any better. No NCAA title winner since 2004 has been worse than 21 in at the KenPom ratings regarding defensive efficiency. KU is now at 30.

-2004: UConn 5

-2005: UNC 7

-2006: Florida 7

-2007: Florida 15

-2008: Kansas 1

-2009: UNC 21

-2010: Duke 5

-2011: UConn 15

-2012: Kentucky 8

-2013: Louisville 1

-2014: UConn 10

-2015: Duke 12

-2016: Villanova 5

-2017: Kansas 30

So what does this all mean? I think quite simply it seems to mean that we are living on borrowed time. It seems like harsh reality. It's why when you have a team constructed for March, like we have many times before, you have to cash it. It's why the possible titles in 2010, 2011, and 2015, where we could argue that we should have won, are so precious. We needed one of those. And a team like this just can't win a national title, can it? Well, it shouldn't.

We all know we should not win the title this season. We look like Duke in 2015 I heard someone say, comparing Winslow and Jackson at the four, but ignoring the guy named Okafer. This season and its success is a result of Bill Self, and taking a team, and its warts, and constructing a scheme and plan to put our guys in the best position to win. The best example I have seen from coach Self in this regard. But we are have weaknesses that tend to get exposed in March. That inability to stop other teams from scoring.

I have been content this season. A good word -- content. We look at 2008-09 many times as Self's best coaching job. This season, in my mind, is clearly the best. Landen Lucas and fumes in the post. Carlton Bragg, who's played like the bong was his brother. And Dwight Coleby, whose game has had more holes than a block of Swiss most of the season. The leader, Lucas, continually plays to his ceiling. An amazing story. But he has been it.

And the lack of inside presence has led to an inability to cover perimeter mistakes. It has led to perimeter issues, too, when our defenders have had to shade and protect against the drive, leaving open threes (ISU a great example). For those that shrug at the idea of rim protection, you might consider how valuable a Hunter Mickelson would be right now to this porous perimeter.

Can we remain optimistic? Sure. This season may be decided by something other than defense. But don't bet on it. And don't bet on KU this March. That's the ugly negative. The "we can't" stuff that is easy to spew.

This is Kansas, if I recall correctly. We can.

The good news is that there are no lock down defensive teams in our bracket, aside from possibly Louisville. Here are the teams we may face, with defensive efficiency/KenPom defensive efficiency - Louisville 22/6, Oregon 19/22, Purdue 23/16, ISU 96/43, Creighton 91/27. Our possible second round opponents come in as follows - Michigan St. 92/34 and Miami 92/20.

Has the NCAA selection committee done us a favor? A blessed favor? Maybe. Only one number from the two metrics in the top 10. The selection committee clearly gave us a favorable region. Who would have wanted Duke, or UCLA, or UK, or Arizona, over what we have? Would anyone have wanted defensive stalwarts UVA as our 5, or Wisconsin as our 8, or Florida as our 4? Maybe they all stink, but it seems that avoiding top defensive teams might be our best path.

In our region, in top half of the seeds, only Michigan is better than KU on the offensive end of it, under both metrics. The differences aren't substantial, but they are differences. And who scores better on under the basket in-bounds plays, anyway?

This team also has experience, and it has the biggest (figuratively), baddest (literally -- as in how Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington from Welcome Back Kotter might say it) player in the tournament -- Frank Mason. The single baddest player in CBB.

Guards win titles, and this may be the clash of metrics vs. simplicity. The best guards win. Lots of examples where guard play has propelled teams to the title. If that is really the case, start find room in the trophy case.

When I bet, I'll bet on the best point guard in Kansas history. I sure as heck am not betting against him.

I'm not betting against KU in the Sprint Center, either. AFH west has been gifted to Kansas, again by that evil NCAA. The gold brick path to the Final Four is there. It used to be Kemper, and Roy remembers UVA, and Jeff Jones. Bill Self has no such memory. This is our town.

This KU team also knows how to win. Bill Parcells said that good teams win close games. Some say that good teams blow out the opponent. True. But good teams know how to win close games. That's of great value. We've done it on the road, we've done it at home. We've done it. Just win, baby. Yea, I hated the Raiders. All Chiefs fans did. But over time, one respects the mantra and even the despicable QB (Kenny Stabler). This KU team just wins. It is all that matters.

Sometimes, in the most pressure packed moments, a player rises to the moment. Better than he ever was, better than he will ever be. We have candidates, and one that has overcome a devastating knee injury to rise again. We've seen glimpses. On that crucial night, we might only need 12 solid minutes. But titles are won on 12 solid minutes. Call it a hunch.

The optimist will say that we can overcome the history of the numbers defensively. Of course we can. We shall overcome. Someone always overcomes the numbers. Always. Standards and numbers change. Good grief, the Royals won the World Series again before I was dumped in a pine box. Would not have believed it possible. So odds have been destroyed before. Recently. Here.

As we know, KU has had the odds in its favor many times in this event, and failed. Again, the last four times we were a number one seed we went down in flames before the Final Four. It would seem apropos for Kansas to win the title when the numbers seemed quite ominous. That's how the world works. It's not like we have to win the popular vote, lots of useless votes on the left coast -- we just need the rest of the electoral college. Advanced metrics have been mocked by actual results quite recently, I tend to recall. Odds and probabilities be damned. That feeling is still in the air. .

Red state? Deep state? State of denial? No -- it's a belief. A collective belief in what's right.

We overcame odds before, I think … in 1988. With a POY. We now have the POY again. And the POY shall lead them. The stars, planets, and little black birds on the wire can line up. We aren't Villanova in '85, or the Wolpack of '83. We don't have to be either to win it all. We're above that.

I might also argue that KU deserves this title. That's right, we are the chosen ones. Given a life of KU basketball. We were born to this earth to don the crimson and blue, and to look down upon the world below us. This is of course a capitalistic system, one where the strong survive. The losers lose. We will not redistribute the wealth. We are aristocracy and we deserve another title -- with our wine, and selection of tasty cheeses. The goblet gets passed around amongst the blue bloods. We shall drink. It's been too long. We must drink.

And Self deserves it. Man, does he deserve it. Hugging his son, grasping the trophy, cementing his place as the greatest coach in KU history. Self deserves this.

This is a national title team until it isn't. Six games. Three, four team tournaments. Easy, right?

Maybe, just maybe, in a season of unprecedented off the court distractions, when the hits just keep on coming, the team with the supposed fatal flaw locks arms, with the chip squarely on their collective shoulder (see @drgnslayr), and that team drives powerfully to the title. Flipping the bird at that attack force media gathered outside the locker room. Saying screw the traitors, and the naysayers, and the enemies. We are 16,300 strong every freaking night, but that locker room and that coach has seen the knives come out from the treacherous, yet, predictable few. Waiting to pounce on perfection, and on a program and coach that do things the right way.

We'll pounce on this. There is no reason why this can't happen. No reason.

The best coach. The best player. And a team that has persevered all season, in dark situations, with an eye on the ultimate prize.

Write KU in as your national title team. Or don't. There is no ever present karma other than what runs through that locker room. This team has "it." And I want a ring.

We are Kansas. The greatest basketball school ever. Now on to the most amazing spectacle in sports.

Logic does not end in choosing KU to win this tournament. No team like KU has won this tournament since I can recall. The 2011 UConn team the closest I can come up with.

More than any year since 2003, an injury changes quite a bit (Simien) for KU. But that was quite a run (thanks Jeff Graves).

We might have the same record with Udoka on board, but I bet we would have won differently, and we'd be a more complete team going into the tourney.

EDIT: I edited "does" to "does not" -- pretty important typo.

@cragarhawk Right, UNC was #3 and #1 in those two title seasons offensively under the NCAA stats, and #2 and #1 with KenPom. Also, with KenPom, UNC was #7 and #21 defensively in their title years.

@dylans What's interesting is that Roy's title teams have not been too bad defensively, with one being top 20 in defensive efficiency.

In 2008-09, out of 343 NCAA division 1 teams, UNC ranked 39th in total defense.

In 2004-05, out of 330 NCAA division 1 teams, UNC ranked 19th in total defense.

At least Kietzman had a lawyer on his show to discuss that perspective. Remember, Kietzman isn't the enemy here. He's offering his opinion. He gets a little confused, worrying about whether he's perceived as biased. But his show is his show. It's his opinion. We know that.

The KC Star is the real enemy. The KC Star gives no consideration to narratives outside of its own. The KC Star's story on JJ and the "restitution" issue had no perspective from any attorney on what attorneys do, or why a discussion might have gotten to that point.

This isn't over. The KC Star views this as a battle. The KC Star is on the warpath.

The KC Star has the KING in its sights (Bill Self). They see a guy who runs KU, has done everything right, who is well respected -- a good man in a position of power. They thrive on trying to bring down people in power.

The edge on this story remains that JJ was not objectively punished. That he got away with it because he is a great player, and Bill Self runs the university. I wonder, just wonder, if Jackson would have been suspended 2-3 games, where would we be?

Who would want to play Duke now?

Anyone who gets Duke as a #2 or #3 should be concerned.

Does this by implication mean that the other seven no. 1 teams WON their conference tournaments?

And how many of them won the national title?

I don't know,.

@Bwag The "eternal sunshine crew" -- pretty funny.

@Blown Yes, a very sharp one. It's never easy.

Please someone remind me why we care? I know, we want to win. I did too. But ….

If we don't win the National Title, we won't worry about this.

If we do win the National Title, we won't worry about this.

And, now, we get rest, which eliminates at least one excuse (hopefully) if we lose short of the title.

And, the rest can help us win the title.

Everything that matters starts next week.

Do not fret, my friend. We ain't losin' next weekend.

Josh was driving a "friend's" car. You think one of those friends was a teammate? Just guessing.

Or maybe it was a "runner's" car -- maybe McLemore's "runner?"

The KC Star is plotting its next move.

@mayjay Very well said. Lots of moving parts.

@Kcmatt7 You said, "To be honest, not sure how interested I am in a 6’7 post player with no outside game ... "

Jamari Traylor will be waiting outside your door to discuss, and he ain't happy.

@DoubleDD Why has the KC Star declared war? Because coach Self is exactly what is good about college sports. Self is a throwback type coach. And he wins a lot. All it takes is a drip of blood in the water. One drip. And the sharks circle.

Certain folks in our society hate .. and I mean HATE .. anything that professes to be good, or positive, or moral. And any chance they get, they show their true colors. They want to attack and destroy because that justifies their pathetic existence. They have no regard for tradition, or culture, or our society. They will use every bone in the body to try to discredit and embarrass. In the media, they use their platform to spread disinformation. They twist a word or a phrase, they manipulate a headline without regard to the facts, and they choose the timing to try to inflict the most damage. It is ALL about promoting a point of view, or an agenda. It has nothing to do with journalism.

We want to play WSU, right? Anytime, anywhere. Please let it happen.

@jaybate-1.0 I remember .. fondly now .. the Florida game his freshman year. Some out of control drives into Florida's bigs down low. Looked too Tyshawn-esq for me. He soon figured it out.

Best KU point guard … ever?

Like back to those "national championships" in the 20s?

Better than JoJo, better than Pritchard, better than Jacque, Aaron and one of my personal favorites, Adonis? Better than the '08 boys, including the guy that Frank was the supposedly the "next" one -- Sherron.

Give me a team, and make Frank Mason my point guard. That's all that need to be said.

The best.

@JayHawkFanToo Who is the Shelby guy you speak of? Brother to Tayshawn or Aldridge? Maybe Seldon? Do .. not .. make .. a .. typo.

I love the title and the premise.

Let me suggest this .. and it's a theme I have pounded on for years: When you have the coach's support, it's amazing what can be accomplished. It's also amazing what can't be accomplished when a coach is not supportive.

Would Mason, Graham, et. al., be assassins if Self was pulling them for a three point shot attempt too early in the shot clock, or for not getting the ball to the third side, or for not pounding it into the post, or if Self was flopping and flailing around on the bench when the offense deviated a bit too much? Would they be assassins if Self was publicly discussing fool's gold, and devaluing the contributions of certain players?

Our assassins are as much about the assassins themselves as coach Self -- but regardless, it couldn't happen without coach Self buying in and inspiring.

This thread again .. the lack of suspension of Josh Jackson leads to a KC Star sports page headline, and furthering of an unnecessary controversy. Of course the KC Star was going to go down this road. We knew it, didn't we.

Easy solution, last Saturday, JJ sits. But no.

Here's the KC Star story ↗

Same hack "reporter", Laura Bauer. If you read the article, it is clearly an a attempt to create news, and create a controversy, a manipulate a situation into an issue.

But that is what happens when you don't suspend a player for damaging a woman's car in anger.

It is so silly that folks would suggest no suspension until Jackson gets through the legal process. If the facts are known, then the legal process is irrelevant. The criminal process finds someone guilty by the highest standard -- beyond a reasonable doubt. That, many times, has nothing to do with whether someone is guilty.

So, if a player confesses to a coach, and admits what he did, then the coach should act. If there is significant evidence, then the coach must consider acting depending on the issue.

This isn't like a bar fight where someone may be acting in self-defense where context is extremely important. This is easy - reasonable thing to do would have been to sit JJ. That may not end the controversy entirely -- I know that the KC Star will try to create more controversy, just in a different manner. But it eliminates a huge and obvious issue.

No suspension for a clear and unjustified criminal act against a woman is easy fodder. And here we are, front page of the sports section of the rag .. er, KC Star.

And it's not surprising.

Be ready. The KC Star will surely be drumming up some article or furtherance of this issue for the day of KU's Sweet 16 game in Kansas City. Timing is everything.

@mayjay The question was regarding UConn's tourney resume vs. KU's, to include the fact that UConn missed the tourney a few years; not just titles. You didn't confuse me at all. I do read what is written. Others find it very easy to honestly address the simple question. What is pretty obvious is that when things get a little uncomfortable, you start with insults, as opposed to the alternative choice of not responding. "Guiding star/rather be a Jayhawk fan", "Snide", "PTSD", and further insults regarding "alternative facts." But that's how the "offended" roll these days. So, according to you -- I'm not really a KU fan, I insulted you with an improper tone in my post, I have a mental disorder, and I lie. Nice look. You do not like to be challenged. Too bad.

@JayHawkFanToo I know you would rather have a tourney record that has one NCAA title instead of four, because it is KU's, and that you value the NCAA tourney consistency vs. the titles. I think you were one that answered the simple question when it came up in a past season, just as you did here. It is completely a value judgment, as you say.

But on a small point, an opinion is different than a preference. You could have the opinion that Bill Self is a bad coach. That would be incorrect. Facts can refute opinions. You could have a preference to Bruce Weber as a coach over Bill Self (or vice versa). That is the irrefutable thing I think you are referring to, much like the preference to KU's tourney resume over UConn's (or vice versa).

@mayjay I'm sorry, but your comment doesn't make sense to me. Are you suggesting that you can't answer the question?

You've said you are a lawyer. I 'm sure in the courtroom that you have insisted that a party just answer the question posed. Many times just a yes or no may be the instruction. That's easy here. The other attorney, then, can redirect and permit them to give their explanation.

That's all this is. Just wanting an honest answer the question. Your example of vampire or werewolf has no application, and you know that (being a lawyer). It is irrelevant.

The question is whether you would rather have UConn's NCAA tourney resume, or KU's ,from 1999 through the present? It requires nothing further.

Or, perhaps another way, to get around this manufactured impediment -- assuming you get everything that is KU -- the program, the coach, the arena, the historic significance, the fans, etc -- would you simply swap with UConn our NCAA tourney resume from 1999 - the present?

The question can be answered in a vacuum, or isolated from the program, as you mentioned.

In a trial, you might ask a witness, "Do you drop the anvil off the roof?" That's easy, answer it. It doesn't matter if you were on the roof, or not. Whether it was a nice house, or not. Or whether folks were watching. Or how long you'd been at your job. It's yes or no. The clarification and explanation can come later.

But you avoid the question because you know the answer, and it doesn't fit with you narrative. The question being irrelevant to the real world? It is a simple question that allows you to work backwards in your assessment of our programs achievements.

You say you want the good with the bad? So, with that logic, you would not change the VCU loss into a national title, because the VCU loss is now who we are? I doubt that.

Do you have an answer to the question?

@tis4tim I can accept your point of view. In my little tunnel vision of a world on this topic, I may view it as unreasonable. Meaning I can't fathom it. But we all value different things, which is very hard for me, again, to fathom when we're talking national titles. You really wouldn't sacrifice some NCAA tourney appearances for a nice shiny NCAA title ring? Or multiple title rings? Come on -- they're really shiny and look good in graphics on TV when comparing to other blue bloods. And as @HawkChamp mentioned, we have just one in nearly 30 years.

@StLJhawk - Great visual.

@DCHawker Great info.

Check and check mate.

@mayjay I don't use Duke and UConn as my "guiding stars." It's a discussion of tournament success. By your post, it is obvious that you wish to characterize the description of other programs somehow finding a way to win national titles as anti-KU, furthered by your concluding sentence that you "would still rather be a Jayhawk." Implying that I would not.

This is the classic misdirection I've seen in such discussions dating way back to kusports.com.

No one is saying they'd rather be anything but a Jayhawk. Again, its a discussion on the NCAA tournament success. That stuff turns a thoughtful discussion into one that degenerates. It's a purposeful comment, one intended to insult those that have the audacity to question our tournament failures at least somewhat objectively.

I've asked this question before. From 1999, would you rather have UConn's Tournament resume or KU's?

There is absolutely no reasonable person on the face of this planet that could say KU. None. No reasonable person would turn their nose at four NCAA Tournament Championships. None.

Again, the phrase is "NCAA Tournament Resume" from 1999 through now. Not "program", or "history", or "Conference titles", or whatever. NCAA Tournament Resume.

But I'm sure a few would say KU anyway. They have in the past. Valuing, for example, some consecutive tourney appearance streak over real results.

Last time I asked the question, I got some indignant KU responses that said something to the effect of "You keep urging UConn and Duke as your guiding stars. I would still rather be a Jayhawk."

Which, of course, missed the point then, as it does now.

@mayjay Of course, there's always a difference. The point is that now, kids live many times far away from their homes. Gone are days when the good NYC kids go to St. Johns. It's a different age, where an east coast kid may play HS ball in Vegas. And his mom (dad of course probably isn't around) stays back at home working, and the kid lives with another family.

By this theory, all of the colleges in big cities should dominate. But, of course, they don't.

If you get a top coach, you can get players. Doesn't much matter where he goes, within reason.

All of these excuses to explain the limited issue of why the Big 12 fails to achieve in March.

Referees, tourney fixing, geography, the grassy knoll.

Look at the draw KU got in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. ↗ or in the 2011 NCAA Tournament ↗. Could you ask for anything better?

Duke and UConn took care of business. We make excuses.

I am not convinced of a vast conspiracy to screw the Big 12. Seemed to me that we have had many well paved paths that we've managed to screw up.

I would also say, generally, that the best players do not come for the hard streets of the inner city. That is, most of these kids are at prep schools and have already ventured away from their home towns. Different age right now.

Really, though, any efforts to explain catastrophic failures, or to make excuses for a long term epidemic is a losing proposition.