🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@JayHawkFanToo I can save you a lot of time. No, I am not basing my opinion on Wiggins on one game. Never said it. Never have said it. It was an example directed at @Crimsonorblue22 who said Wiggins was the "most".

The problem in the Stanford game was our game plan, and how we attacked the zone. It is easy to be blinded by the success of one post player -- perhaps the one they saw as the lowest threat. Of course, those "bunnies" you refer to were significantly challenged. There is a major difference between an unchallenged "bunny" and a challenged one, as we have seen with Ellis this season. Are you really arguing that "missed shots" thing again?

I always love that simplistic analysis. Stanford was 0-9 from three. If Stanford had just hit two of those threes, they would have really kicked our a**.

There's a clear connection to this season, and exactly what we've seen succeed ... and fail. Pound it inside. We we overmatched against Stanford inside. You note the mismatch. They were too big and active for us without Embiid. We used our normal post feed attack against a bad match up. It is really that simple. And your acknowledgment of the mismatch inside leads to the obvious conclusion that our post feed attack was misplaced. That loss lays squarely in coach Self's lap.

@icthawkfan316 Here's my issue with Wiggins vs. Stanford. And it's my biggest issue with Wiggins in general -- one assist. Stanford schemed to stop Wiggins, lots of attention. My position on the Stanford game was that our scheme failed us, not Wiggins. But what Wiggins didn't do, what he never did, was make anyone else better. Every game, over and over, he would drive and refuse to dish to open guys.

I do think we could have won a national title without Wiggins. But I agree with you .. I think to win the national title without Wiggins, we would have likely needed a healthy Embiid. But who knows. Greene/White could have been a deadly combo. But as posted prior to the tourney, I think we could have won the national title with Wiggins and without Embiid IF we would have adjusted our style of play. Faster, more possessions -- I spent too many paragraphs on it at the time.

And that hits on my opinion of Wiggins. I like Wiggins a lot as a player. Just not under coach Self. @Crimsonorblue22 said he's glad I'm not recruiting. If I was, I certainly would have recruited Wiggins. It's just that I wouldn't have used him in the same type of system. Tharpe's softness, Ellis' softness, Embiid's finesse game, all could have been exploited. We see this season how our time responds better to a certain type of game. It really is that simple. Our system was not what Wiggins was built for. I think we all can agree on that.

Here's another belief that I have, and I think others have expressed this, including @drgnslayr. The entire dynamic of the team changes without Wiggins. Wiggins was the anointed one. He was the guy that got to shoot whenever, wherever. It seemed clear that there were "Wiggins-rules." We can look no further than his refusal to dive on the floor. Greene got sat earlier this season when he lamely bent over for the basketball (someone pointed that out here). Wiggins didn't get put on the bench when he loafed back on defense, which happened frequently in the first half of the season. I think guys, many times, looked around waiting for Wiggins to do something.

It is subjective, but I feel strongly that we would have been a better, more cohesive "team" without Wiggins. And that would have created better results with White/Greene manning the three spot, or with Mason, Tharpe, Selden in from time to time.

And you're right, we might not get Oubre if we didn't have Wiggins. I may be the one in need of psychotropic medication, but if we still had Andrew White, I'd be completely fine with that (even though I really like Oubre). And I don't think our record is different right now. We see what Greene brings to the table. White just got caught in a bad set of circumstances. The anointed one arrived, Greene was a class behind him, and Oubre inked. White's numbers were pretty darn good when he got the bench. And he got the bench for the same reason Svi has -- circumstances. As we know, guys that sit can be just as good or better. Opportunity is a big deal.

But like you, I love the make-up of this team. Things do seem to fit real well.

@Crimsonorblue22 What? That's the TV view and it's as close as anyone got, unless you were at the game, near the basket.

@icthawkfan316 I grant you the defensive point. How about I qualify my selfish remarks to the offensive end? That may be a better statement of what I intend. Tyshawn worked hard defensively, too.

And I do think we would have been a better team last season without Wiggins. Thought it might be true before last season, and I believe it now. When you have a guy that is the presumed focus, it changes the team dynamic. I can't prove it, of course.

@Crimsonorblue22 Perhaps instead of making snide remarks, why not defend your position. Why was Wiggins "the most"?

For the most talented player ever at Kansas -- all others be damned, of course -- he sure as heck couldn't do much against the vaunted Stanford Cardinal. I recall you being of the position that coach Self's scheme was not the problem, so perhaps your boy Wiggins was? 1-6 shooting, four points, and of course, one assist. THE most talented player at Kansas. Ever. Wiggins checked out in the most important game.

And you don't even consider why I would not want him at Kansas. He doesn't play coach Self's brand of ball. He was the proverbial square peg in a round hole. He was not a fit at all. A high level of talent does not equate to a high level of team productivity. Self made much to do about losing two of the top three NBA picks, and how can you replace that? Quite easily, it appears. And I said that before the season started. Subtract soft, finesse guys. Add in guys that better fit the system. Perfect example -- Did you see Oubre at the start of the OU game? You never saw Wiggins give half that effort or sacrifice the entire season.

Maybe the softest player ever at Kansas (at least in recent years among high minutes guys) -- soft as a baby's bottom.

@Crimsonorblue22 The video clip at the top has the entire sequence including the block. Awesome sequence.

@Crimsonorblue22 Right, I'm noting my disagreement with your opinion. I assume that you are posting your opinion for a reason.

@Crimsonorblue22 - You said, "I thought wigs was the most talented, humble, unselfish player we've had."

The issue I have is with the term "the most" -- meaning in each category, you say Wiggins was better than any player ever at Kansas?

Really? Let's assume you may have meant under coach Self to limit the scope.

I don't know how you define selfishness, but Andrew Wiggins was plainly a selfish player on the court. He wouldn't dive on the floor (the first time was in early February), he was many times lazy getting up and down the court, and when he got the ball, he was a black hole. Wiggins had enumerable opportunities to pass and create scoring for other players. Instead, he flailed away at the hoop. And most of the time, taking bad or guarded shots. All the guy did on offense was hunt his shot. In my book, he was the second most selfish player in the Self era, behind the king of selfish, Tyshawn Taylor.

I'll grant you that he was humble. I'll grant you that he was talented. I challenge the "most" comment. Regardless, the Wiggins we saw last season is not a player that I want on a Kansas basketball team.

@jaybate-1.0 "Kentucky be forewarned .... you're next!!!!"

Damn right.

Coming into this game, I was a touch worried. Coach Self made comments leading up to the game that indicated it was going to be more feed the post. I posted the link this morning. Further, Texas played a 2-3 zone. Would our offense stagnate like it did against Baylor's zone?

The Jayhawks actually attacked the zone today. The color guy commented that KU shouldn't simply "pass the ball around the horn" when facing the zone. Good advice, We saw that against Baylor. There was some of that today, but it was the exception, rather than the rule. The offensive stagnation we saw against Baylor was replaced by an "attack the seams" mentality. Most entry passes were to the high post. We also significantly more screens against the zone today, where the same type of screening was nearly non-existent against Baylor. And we weren't afraid to attack early in the shot clock. Gone was the 52 possession drudgery we left in Waco.

Mason and other used those screens to get penetration. KU was able to use that penetration to create baskets both inside and out.

Of course, Brannen Greene was dynamic. His three point shooting and scoring were just what the Jayhawks needed.

But credit coach Self for the biggest move of the game. Self again went with Greene over Selden down the stretch. And it paid off again. This time, though, Devonte Graham played the late minutes and Oubre was on the bench. The lineup of Cliff, Ellis, Greene, Mason and Graham took this team to its biggest win of the Big 12 season. No free passes here. No relying upon the presumed best players.

There was a time of concern, though. KU was in the midst of a 9-0 run in the first half, powered greatly by Greene, who tossed in five during the run. Then, inexplicably, Self replaced Greene with Selden. But Self quickly went back to Greene after Selden missed a three. Greene, following up on a strong performance against OU, again went for double digits off the bench. And Self played him when it counted. Self also stuck with Cliff in the stretch minutes once again. All great signs for this team.

Play the best players. Play the players that will win you the game.

What is clear is that Cliff Alexander and Brannen Greene are two of our best players. What is also clear is that Coach Self is seeing that as well. Cliff led KU with 15 points, 9 boards -- nearly another double-double. And Greene, who is the best shooter on the team, added 14. For a team that appeared offensively challenged, Alexander and Greene change that perception. Both bring something to the table that no other player on the team offers.

I think Self is finding the right mix. More importantly, he's showing a willingness to deviate from what appeared to be the presumptive favored lineup. Moving out of his comfort zone, which we know is a big deal with coach Self.

Next game, Selden might have the hot hand. Or Oubre might be the best match-up. For my money, Greene creates issues for defenses -- an unabashed assassin from the three point line -- that is unmatched for this version of the Jayhawks. We had an efficient and crisp eight man rotation today. And so long as Self isn't bashful about using his options, the arrow is point up for this team.

Finally, what a play by Jamari Traylor. As impressive an effort as we'll see on the basketball court.

Greene is emerging as one of those players. Again, he brought more to the table than Selden. Selden scored eight, on 2-6 shooting. But again underperformed on the boards, with only one rebound.

After watching the end of the OU I was hopeful that maybe, possibly, coach Self would have learned something from how his team performs in certain sets -- how natural this team is playing a perimeter game. Or at least that he could acknowledge the identity of this team. I'm still stumped. Will coach Self let this team capitalize on its strengths?

Here's a link-- link text ↗ @Jesse-Newell's story from yesterday, and below is a quote from the story. Is Self serious? Or is he just pulling a feint? If he's serious, it will be a long day in Austin.

"Self has done a nice job recently of pulling post players Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor to the outside to play to their driving strengths, so I was curious what he was going to say when asked about how attacking UT's defense.

"I think we need to challenge them, but we don’t need to fade away from contact. We did that way too much the first time we played Kentucky. Sometimes, the best offense against shot-blockers is when they block your shot, then you go get it. A lot of times, defenses aren’t in position to react quickly in that situation. We didn’t do very well at all when we played Kentucky, and Temple’s length bothered us too. Even though they weren’t as tall, their length bothered us a lot. We’ve got to score inside, but on the flipside, we can play inside-out. We need to throw it in there and play behind after we throw it in there, as opposed to just settling for jumpers. So the key for us will be pace and getting the ball moving quick and basically open man taking the open shot as opposed to the ball sticking."

Huh. While there is a hint at the end of Self being receptive to "open man taking the open shot" 3-pointers, all that early shot-blocking talk has me thinking the Jayhawks still are going to take it right at Texas' greatest strength. It didn't work last year, and if KU tries it again, it's unlikely to lead to better results."

@drgnslayr As long as I'm breathing, I'll make sure we're reminded.

Now, you mention her burnt orange hair. I kind of envisioned a distinct lack of hair ....

@wrwlumpy Thank you .. the minute we play Texas, is the minute my mind jumps to ... well .. you know.

@icthawkfan316 - I understand the Graham argument. What is key here is that we're actually discussing whether Selden should start. How astonishing is that? The mere fact that it is a valid discussion point demonstrates where Selden is right now.

I don't dispute your logic on Graham.

Numbers:

Points per minute: Selden .295. Greene .396. Graham .379.

Rebounds per minute: Selden .097. Greene .135. Graham .111.

Three point %: Selden 34.8; Greene 44.4; Graham 46.2.

When you compare Graham to Greene, it's a discussion. And Graham is a better ball handler, and likely a better defender.

Again, Selden does not compare favorably in any category, except as a defender. His statistical shortcomings are quite amazing -- particularly the rebounding element.

But I guess my thought on this is more subjective. Here's why I go with Greene -- Greene more fits the offensive character of this team. In particular, I believe that he is our best three point shooter (yes, even though a couple are ahead of him in three percentage). I favor that with this team to start a game. More so, Greene is a bit streaky on the shooting. I like that to start a game.

I like Greene starting -- if we can get him open looks early, and he's on, then we can ride the wave. If he clanks a few, no big deal, flip in Selden at the 16:00 minute mark. There could be games where even if Greene starts, Selden and Graham get more minutes.

I just think that when Greene gets 5 minutes, like he did vs. ISU, we're leaving a potential hot streak on the bench -- see Georgetown. In a game like ISU, rolling out Greene seemed the perfect match for the type of game. Of course, that's not how Self played it. The biggest crime against humanity in that game was no going small earlier as others have mentioned, which would have been a great look for Greene.

My thought on Greene is not premised on just last game. He is arguably the best pure scorer on the team. With how we stagnate on offense .. largely because of our force-fed, misapplied "system" with this team .. Greene has to get opportunities.

But I like the discussion -- Graham vs. Greene. @KansasComet says "Wayne Selden, Jr. is a starter." I'm curious as to what Selden has done that warrants starting on this team, with the talent behind him -- focusing on Greene and Graham? It certainly appears that Selden has gotten a bit of a free pass (you've heard that before).

@REHawk I do appreciate your positivity regarding Selden.

But the issue is whether Selden makes Kansas a better team.

Through now, I have held pretty tight on this topic, I would start Brannen Greene and bring Wayne off the bench. Good time for the switch.

Why? First, this would be a change for Wayne. It might spark him. That's the biggest reason. Second, it would dispel any notion of entitlement. Guys on the team have to be wondering, as well. This may be a non-issue, but it's tough form me to imagine there aren't those thoughts. Third, it doesn't mean Wayne can't play 32 minutes. Just in a different way, and if he's on. It would essentially be trading places -- for Wayne to play, he has to be performing, which is the role Greene seems to have now. Fourth, this team needs offense. This is probably reason 1A. Greene is the best three point shooter on this team. He scored 12 points vs. Wayne's 5 points last night, in less than half the minutes. If Greene is hot, feed the monster and ride the wave. Fifth, Wayne's defense is overrated. He was horrible vs. ISU, and blew getting back multiple times in an important stretch, and failed to move and stop a drive to the hoop on the break when he was already down court -- but he gets a free pass. Made me wonder why he didn't get benched and Cliff did. If Cliff failing to give effort is "motor", Selden failed in the exact same manner. Selden is a better defender than Greene. No doubt. I'd choose the offense to start -- not meaning things can't change during the game.

I'd really like to see if Wayne off the bench could change things up for him, and perhaps spark him. And I'd like to see Greene get an opportunity to gun from the start. If he's off, in with Selden. Then go to Greene again later.

And on another topic -- Jamari Traylor. Did anyone notice, once again, he had zero rebounds and just four points in 23 minutes, over half the game? Self now says, oh, he's struggled with a hip flexor. That's cover. Traylor had some very good moments where he was moving fine, a couple on hedging on screens. I'm just puzzled as to why the guy is so ineffective on the boards.

@jaybate-1.0 -- Great post. Perfect. We watched tonight, and what did we see? We saw Utah. An amazing first half. A game premised on the perimeter game. Threes flying. KU logs 51 points and the game looked like a runaway. All orchestrated by coach Self. It is who we are.

But then Self happened. It's like he looked in the locker room mirror and screamed, "This is not who we are!" We have been witnesses to this before. We know the drill. Self put on the air brakes. Inside out. Pound it in. Post feed. We've heard it before, get it inside. Work the ball. No early shots. Kansas had the big lead so what better way to preserve that lead. Twice early in the second half we nearly ran the shot clock out. It was a clear change in focus and approach. With the change in focus, the air came out of this team. Our demeanor changed. The momentum shifted. We saw Ellis trying to post up. We saw Traylor standing in the lane clogging things up. We saw guys standing around.

In the first half, until Cliff checked in with appx. 14 left, we were playing 4 in, 1 out. Ellis was on the perimeter much of the time. The floor was spaced a bit differently. Ours was not a post feed game in the first half. We rained threes. 51 points and a big lead. We've been here before.

Out of the box in the second half, we missed some early threes. Threes that were taken after the post feed option failed. Don't let the threes fool you. We were playing inside out. Again, it was the focus of our offensive efforts. We ... were ... looking ... inside. We ........... slowed ........... down. A different feel, a different energy, a completely different dynamic, and a different pace. OU found it's way back in the game. Again, we've been here before.

But then, something magical happened. Self was not content to play that way the rest of the game and scrap it out.

It began with Cliff Alexander. The man got to play. 13 rebounds. The better player on the floor. Then, Self put Selden on the bench and a true offensive player found the floor - Brannen Greene. Self chose offense, and Greene promptly hit a jumper. And then followed with a three with 3:25 left. 12 points on the game in 15 minutes (Selden 5 points in 29 minutes).

But even bigger. Even more astonishing -- Self went four out, one in. That is, he put Ellis on the perimeter, Cliff as the only guy in paint. We played some ISU style offense. And it paid immediate dividends. This change came just after the timeout with 3:45 left. Go back and watch. It was truly amazing.

Down 71-69 after two free throws, Kansas now had a new energy. If you can look at the video, watch were Ellis goes on the first set -- to the high wing. Part of the weave. Cliff really low on the block. With the floor spread, Oubre attacks and gets to the line and makes one. Second shot misses and Greene drills the biggest shot of the game, a three from the right wing -- the power of three.

Next possession, same four out, one in set. Mason scores on the jumper. Ellis is no where near the block. Kansas leads 75-71. OU answers with a three. Then, back down -- four out, one in again. No weave this time. The floor is spaced beautifully. Mason does what he did with 2:20 left in the ISU game, same set. He gets an open drive to the hoop. This time, he doesn't score. Instead, he dishes to Cliff for the slam.

We hold OU. Then back down the floor, 1:28 left. Four out, one in. The floor is spread and Oubre takes his guy one on one to the hoop. 79-74, 1:15 left.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Kansas basketball. This is how we can win. Self benched Cliff against ISU and got what he wanted -- a energized Cliff Alexander. Self capitalized on Cliff's production. 13 points, 13 boards. Self placed Wayne Selden right where he needed to be -- on the bench. Self (for him) boldly chose offense over defense, playing Brannen Greene, and Greene responded. Finally, Self embraced the monster. He permitted his team to play the offensive game it is meant to play, and just in time. This game turned, the momentum turned, when we went four in, one out.

It is a magical thing when your scheme matches your personnel. The "post feed" may not be dead -- it may rear it's ugly head from time to time. But it is effectively dead. It is dead because we can't win that way. So it will either die a death assisted by Dr. Self, or it will die a long, agonizing death that we will all be a part of in March. I prefer Self-assisted suicide here. Kill it.

Self won this game by going with the right scheme. And it's a scheme that's right not just now, but always with this team.

@drgnslayr - I agree. We did get beat by an inferior team. We got beat by an inferior team in the NCAA tournament, too. But you know my perspective. I blame scheme more than anything else. For a number of our failures, just like I credit scheme for much of our success. I just want a wee bit of flexibility and adapting to the talent on hand. Or, if he can't be flexible, recruit strictly to his preferred scheme. Easy.

Whatever Joel weighs, I wish he was here this season. Of all of our OADs, this is the one that I wish more than any could have stayed for another season. By a long ways.

I really believe that Self gets KU ready to play tonight. I think tonight could be a big night, perhaps a double digit win. This is the kind of game Self is famous for having his troops ready for. I also think tonight will show how good our defense really is. It's better than advertised.

Tonight, Big Cliff breaks out. 18 points, 12 rebounds. You heard it here second. Just read where @Jesse-Newell picked Cliff as the hawk to rock. Agree completely. Self's benching of Cliff Saturday should let Cliff know that Self means business. If Cliff doesn't respond, we ain't there yet.

I saw Self's quote about ISU being one of the top two offensive teams in the conference.

I would ask myself the most important question in life -- why?

KU has more perimeter talent than ISU. ISU plays a perimeter scheme (inverted much of the time). Ellis can play the inverted game.

With more perimeter talent, could we not play a perimeter game perhaps better than ISU?

Damn right we could.

Wish I could have participated yesterday ... lots of family stuff.

I really like @lulufulu's observation -- he's not criticizing Self for sitting Alexander, if Self had a good reason; but he doesn't understand why we didn't go small earlier. Bingo. This was an obvious move, against a team where we lose nothing because they don't play feed the post.

Compare to last season where Embiid played great and we were able to attack inside because of our personnel. This season, we just don't have that personnel and that was made worse by Lucas/Traylor over Cliff. Sure then, bench Cliff if that's what has to be done. But at least give us a real chance to match up. Feed the post isn't a bad thing. It just doesn't work when you can't score at the rim at 65%, compared to shooting threes.

Look at 2:20 of the second half. We go small, spread the floor, Mason attacks and we score.

Also, there is no doubt that @JayHawkFanToo is correct. From a stats point of view, we lost the game in transition. It was the most critical stat -- together, in my book, with Lucas and Traylor's combined minutes.

If we stop transition, perhaps we win. And the biggest culprit there was Wayne Selden.

Great thread ... don't get this sort of post game discussion anywhere else. I enjoyed reading everyone's comments.

How many here believed that our game at ISU would be one of our conference losses? I did. I think most of us did. The fact is, we could have gone a long way toward winning conference with a win in Ames, but a loss in Ames isn't what will lose conference.

Leading off with the good -- First and foremost, Frank Mason. 21 points. Our best player. Great effort on the boards. Three months ago, the entire conversation was whether we'd have a point guard. Next, Perry Ellis. Sure, we saw the same ineffectiveness inside. But Ellis worked hard on the boards and scored 19 points. Being ineffective inside against ISU is nothing more than a validation of what we already know. It's not a negative. The other big positive I saw was how we fought back late from the double digit deficit. No quit tonight. Finally, Self went to a small lineup with 2:20 left. One can ask, why not earlier? Perfect option against ISU. More athletes on the court as opposed to pedestrian, unskilled back up big men. We almost pulled it out.

Now the bad -- I mentioned this on the cjonline live blog. There was a four or five possession stretch in the second half where Selden failed to get back on two run-outs, and then failed to stop penetration on the break from the weak side. A fatal stretch. Wayne was out rebounded again by Mason. When we could have cut it to a one possession game in the last 30 seconds, Selden got whistled for an obvious charge, instead of going with the jump stop and pass (as Bilas pointed out). Big mistake. Selden should be helping us win. He's not stepping it up. And he played an astonishingly high 32 minutes. Next, Self went with Lucas and Traylor for big minutes. Horrible decision. Just horrible. In 34 minutes of play, the two combined for 0 points, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers and 6 fouls. Heck, Mickelson had 4 rebounds in 3 minutes of play. We spent a lot of time looking inside to feed Lucas and Traylor. Why? A complete waste of time. Neither can score inside at all. And both played poor defense, mainly because they were stretched to the three point line. But neither are good in that phase in any case. Self rubbed salt in that wound by going small in the last 2:20, Why play two post guys just to play them? Play your best players. And we had another option beside playing small -- Cliff Alexander, on the other hand, had 6 points and 6 rebounds in 14 minutes. If Cliff can't guard their inverted offense, again, play your best players. Lucas and Traylor ain't that. With Traylor, does his supposed "energy" justify his complete lack of production and poor defense? We know that answer. The rules of basketball don't require two true post players in the game at the same time. We can play small. Finally, in a game where three point marksmanship would have been a big help, Brannen Greene was irrelevant again. The best three point shooter gets no attempts.

Now the positive -- We competed. No Temple or UK. We almost pulled it out. ISU is the most hostile environment we'll play in. This bodes well for Austin, and Norman, and Morgantown. This loss means nothing. But it is one further game where Self can assess this team and hopefully ... hopefully ... make the needed tweaks to get the most out of this team offensively. I think he's doing that defensively. We'll win Monday night. We'll beat OU. We're in charge. And we're the best team in the Big 12. Another big positive in my book is that we made the run without Mason on the floor. Graham was running the show. We have two excellent point guards, hopefully for the next two seasons. Finally, we have found our way to 14-3 without competent scoring inside. That is quite amazing to me, particularly for a team that puts a premium on that option. We have more time for the realization to strike coach Self that our offensive style of play can be adjusted. And we can be dominant. Old habits die hard. If we truly "trust in Self", we have to trust that he'll get this team to its peak. There is time.

Self is just being hopeful ... in a desperate optimism sort of way.

He has this team at 14-2 without Ellis being what we had hoped. That should tell him something.

@Jesse-Newell wrote a great article today providing the stats that support what we all have seen with our eyes -- Ellis is getting a much greater percentage of his shots blocked this season. Here is the link link text

What you'll see is that Ellis is getting 16.1 % of his shots blocked at the rim, vs. 9.3% last season. It's near double. It feels like double. Lots of players get shots blocked at the rim. But when your "go to" post scorer is struggling this mightily, the entire dynamic of your team changes.

Importantly, the eye test demonstrates that Ellis struggles against average opponents. Not only is he getting his shots blocked, he's less secure with the ball.

Jesse's article points out the absence of Wiggins and Embiid. I think it's only about Embiid. Opposition can collapse more and focus more on Ellis. Teams squeeze the spin move -- it's the lead item on their scouting report.

Regardless, something has changed of the reason. But it is that change that demonstrates the truth: Ellis cannot be our "go-to" guy.

Quite simply, if he could be, he would be. But he's not. The change in the dynamic has exposed Ellis' weaknesses. Still, can he execute in crunch time? Can he be a guy we get the ball to? Yes on both counts.

But only situationally, when a match-up permits. Self continues to utilize Ellis much of the time like he's TRob. He's not. He's not half of TRob in the post. But Ellis is twice TRob on the perimeter.

The only guy holding back Ellis is Self. Exploit him. If you want him as your go-to guy, then exploit his strengths. Then you might have your go-to guy. At present though, in large part, Self is trying to make his something he can't be on this team -- maybe if Embiid was still here, it would be different. Or if we had landed Okafor instead of Cliff. But neither are true.

Not surprisingly, Self just talked this week about Ellis being a "fraction" away from breaking out. I have no idea what game Self is watching -- if if he's even serious. Again, Ellis could break out -- but situationally. 30 points in Ames wouldn't mean anything. One game does not a break out make. And I'm sorry, Ellis isn't a fraction away from changing what we've seen in the post.

The problem here is not Ellis. The problem is a system that does not exploit and capitalize on the strengths of the players. The players must fit the system. The system does not mold to fit the players. Same story, 42nd verse. Without a competent compliment down low, Ellis will continue to struggle.

Self even alluded to this before the season -- he said Ellis needed a tough presence down low with him that could rebound and defend. He mentioned this when stating that Mickelson and Ellis would not play together, saying that Mickelson was a face up four. The was a foretelling of Ellis' weaknesses.

If Ellis were permitted to play on the perimeter as a four. Maybe even as a pick and pop four. You might see a break out. Ellis' best performances have been when he's in fool's gold territory, away from the basket.

Really, it is a Cliff "break out" that my lead to an Ellis break out in the post. Cliff's developmental curve is the key for Ellis down low. No one fears Traylor offensively. Or Lucas. What would you do defensively if Ellis got the ball on the block?

This continues to be our offensive dilemma. And Embiid isn't walking through the door. Cliff has to step it up. Or perhaps, just perhaps, Self can exploit the strengths of this team. The jury is still out on that.

@KUSTEVE Unfortunately, we'll be lucky to attempt 20 three pointers Saturday.

@jaybate-1.0 This last post of yours is a concerning perspective. I"ve thought about this since the game Tuesday. Why would a presumably smart, and logical man, continue to focus on a style of play that is so obviously doomed to ultimate failure with this team?

If what you say is true -- if Self is conceding, focusing on the conference title, knowing this team can't win in March -- then he should be fired. I don't want him as my coach. Period.

But I don't think I believe that he is conceding that yet.

But that goes to your point -- "If he really cared about March this season, as I said, he would be playing every game outside in against every conceivable kind of team in every conceivable kind of 2 games in three day situations, so that his team would be ready to play that way in March."

That's completely logical.

I have not heard one person argue that inside-out is a feasible way to play with this team. I've perused various sites, read articles from guys who post on KU basketball. I haven't seen one defense of this approach.

The evidence is overwhelming. Self just said the following after the OSU game regarding Perry Ellis: “I don’t know if I am going to say turnovers are the reason he’s laboring a little bit. I think he’s basically just laboring some. We played through him quite a bit. He wasn’t aggressive."

What fool plays through Perry Ellis with the evidence in front of you? I say that more big picture. I understood that perhaps against OSU it was reasonable to think that we might be able to score inside.

But we couldn't. We know that now. Self knows that now. Not even against OSU where Michael Cobbins is the rim protector. We couldn't.

@jaybate-1.0's point is very important. If we can agree that the inside-out approach is not going to take this team anywhere in March, why not perfect the "identity" that will have a better chance to carry you in March?

Self said that he felt it was important to have an "identity" -- my fear is that Self has blinders on and there is only one acceptable identity. Self single-handedly lost the Stanford game. I've had a lot of debates on KU basketball, but that's one I'm confident that I won by a knockout. Will his single-mindedness cost us another opportunity for a run at the final four?

I'm still optimistic. I really am. The Baylor offensive debacles was related to our zone offense. OSU might have been scheming for that game. In the interim, we had a beautiful offensive game against Texas Tech where we scored 86 points, yet had only one "feed the post" basket the entire game.

Self has to see that, right? ISU may tell us a lot.

@ParisHawk It depends on each team's rules. An example would be that the high man is primary. So the perimeter player nearest to the top of the key would have the primary responsibility. I never liked the PG being solely responsible, as that would necessitate him exiting regardless of position. But you make a good point. Perhaps Mason has more opportunities. I would also say that he has thus exploited those opportunities very well.

Who's complaining about our small point guard now?

Louisville didn't complain about theirs, and UConn didn't about theirs -- while hoisting the big prize.

Mason has gone from a question mark, to a main reason why we're NCAA title-relevant.

@Wigs2 Sure, I think Selden could play in the NBA.

I love the "is it Self's fault" question.

I have always felt that Self's system negatively affects some players, and positively affects others. But it's more complicated. I think the system puts a cap on what extremely talented perimeter players can do. It also helps guys not as talented on the perimeter. But I think his system helps post players and can really put a spotlight on what they can do.

The quote from the NBA scout last season I have posted a few times about Wiggins:

"In general, interesting kid. In fairness to him he played in a very restricted system at Kansas. All interchangeable parts with designated spots, a lot of structure. When he got the ball, there wasn’t a lot of room to create."

Now that doesn't mean that Self's system hurt him in the final analysis ... it may just mean it limited his production -- emphasis on "may." Maybe not. And obviously scouts are smart enough to figure that out.

Is Selden's lack of production Self's "fault"? I would say no. Selden's went 2-7 last night. Self didn't do anything to cause that in my opinion. Selden has had ample opportunities to hit threes. Selden gets many chances to drive and get lobs. Rarely does he finish the deal. Coaches need to put players in positions to succeed -- I don't see that Self isn't doing that with Selden right now. Self may scheme our defense where steals are less likely, based on overplays, but Selden gets nothing in that category. He doesn't rebound like you would expect. Others do find a way to rebound (Mason).

I do, however, think much of Ellis' failure is Self's fault. Not from the aspect of completing a play, but from a scheme that unreasonably continues to place Ellis in a position to fail, based on his skills and abilities. Coaches need to put players in positions to succeed. That isn't happening right now for Ellis.

@drgnslayr - Excellent topic, and optimistic take.

You said - "Our only hope in this game is that we get a solid performance from Perry and Wayne. Two guys that don't have a grip on their games yet."

You might be right. But if you are, we might be in for a long night.

I'm struggling with Selden's non-performances. Self praised his defense of Forte. That was nice of him to do that. But it wasn't that good. It would have been interesting to see Svi in the same role. But last night's dnp is not a good sign.

I'm not sure what the answer is there. Which player is better to have come March? Svi's already exceeded a bit what we thought he might do this season. Again, I don't know.

What I do think is that Self may roll with Graham a lot of the time. Last night, Selden played 26 minutes. He didn't play 34. Graham might be the one that pushes Selden.

As for Ellis, I do see that he could have big night from fool's gold territory Saturday.

But I'm all in on Mason and Oubre being our go to guys. For my money, I like hooking our trailer to them. If Ellis and Selden no show in Ames, much like they did offensively last night, it could be a long, cold night.

@jaybate-1.0 said:

Bill knows they wouldn't have a prayer playing inside out against a really good team with normal size for a D1 big. He has admitted it in his own indirect way.

So what we watched was another nostalgia game. It was one those games that Bill knows he has the talent and size to win playing it the old way--the inside out way.

And so he does it because he can, and because he thinks it looks smart, like his suits.

The only problem with this indulgence is that it offers the team fewer reps playing the way they will have to play against good teams--outside in.

I am a hand wringer by nature and so I worry about such things, but Bill clearly believes that you really don't have to practice outside in much to be good at doing it.

Brilliance.

I know it's fool's gold and all, but I guarantee you that Ellis could shoot 1-8 from half court. And we'd get one more point out of the deal, to boot.

Free the three.

@jaybate-1.0 It .. just .. won't .. die.

I know, if I wish hard enough, it will happen. I wish, I wish, I wish we could score inside. Are we scoring inside yet? I'll wish some more.

Watching us wash, rinse, repeat inside is difficult to comprehend. Kind our "thank you sir, may I have another moment" that keeps repeating itself.

[link text](

@jaybate-1.0 You are right on Jamari. @Crimsonorblue22 -- tell us what exactly he did? Traylor has the myth around him, that he is a good rebounder. Miles Simon mentioned that with Cliff and Traylor in we'd get more rim protection and rebounding. The former, sure. The latter, uh, no. Traylor's rebounds per minute have always been horrible. No escaping that fact. Traylor, though, is now better than Ellis on many nights. Tonight wasn't one of them.

But good gracious. If this effort, again, does not demonstrate to coach Self that we can't be at our best playing inside-out, I have no idea what will. If this continues, this season has no hope. We can't function this way. Blocked shot after blocked shot. Turnover after turnover. Missed shot after missed shot inside.

And get this. On a night where Self's game plan was to force feed the ball inside, and on a night where our team shot a whopping 46 free throws, guess how man free throw attempts came from our big men? An unreal 13. That 28% of the attempts. This is yet another indication of our interior incompetence.

This is getting monotonous, but Ellis was 1-8 from the field.

Self chose this game plan because, reasonably, one could think that we should be able to score on the interior against this team. I did. This was one night where I thought heading in that, hey, we can beat this team inside. Wrong. We got very little from our post game. We won it at the free throw line -- from our perimeter guys getting to the line. Not our post guys.

Tonight was yet further evidence of the "death of the post feed."

I really don't know what Self has to be thinking right now. I would be, and I am, absolutely flummoxed with the complete lack of ability to score inside. Traylor has no post game. Lucas tries -- and tries. Cliff is simply developing things he never had to do much before. And Ellis, is, well, Ellis. That's all, folks.

How long will Self keep banging his head against the wall?

We only shot 12 threes. I still feel that this is malpractice with this team. We were 3/12 from three. Some might think that is good cause not to shoot more threes. But remember last game? 3/11 at half time. We ended the game 11/22. Gotta shoot them. Gotta shoot them some more. And then keep shooting. Miles Simon mentioned early that this was an excellent shooting team, and that Self said this is one of the best shooting teams that Self has had since he's been here.

So what do we do? Pound it inside, of course. With guys that can't score inside.

Self played our best assassin just 3 minutes (Brannen Greene). As mentioned above, I do think this was a game plan thing for OSU. At least I hope it was. Still, it makes no sense to give Greene only three minutes. See if the guy can get hot. First three point attempt and he's out within seconds. Svi, of course, didn't even play. Selden though played 26 minutes. 6 points. 2/7 shooting. 0 assists. 0 steals. 3 rebounds -- which were 6 behind team leader Frank Mason. Now, Selden did guard Forte. But did little to stop him.

Selden gets the free pass from Self.

Thank the good Lord for Frank Mason. He is spectacular. We thought our one-two punch would be Ellis and Selden. But it's Mason and Oubre. Embrace it, coach.

On ball screens, play over, switch under? I don't like switching though when it can be avoided. I think we could switch with anyone, including Traylor and Ellis, but not Cliff.

Interesting on the blocked shot stat.

I'm quite sure Self wouldn't start with Oubre on him anyway -- only if damage has been done.

If Mason's on him, then good thing Graham is back. Mason will be working hard. Mason never gets tired, though -- the best conditioned Jayhawk I've seen, and the best dribbler I've seen here.

@Kip_McSmithers - Should put them in a room and let them fight it out .. kind of like the humidifier and dehumidifier (Stephen Wright).
link text ↗

@BeddieKU23 I would guard Forte with Mason over Selden. Maybe I'm crazy, but I prefer Mason's defense to Selden's at this point.

But here's actually what I'd try -- guard Forte with Oubre. Self routinely put Brandon Rush on point guards. I don't think Forte is quicker than Oubre, but Forte can get a step on most anyone. Oubre could cause him distress on his jumper, and could cause problems on Forte's drives from a chase position, if Forte gets by him, with his long arms.

@drgnslayr I would agree. I thought he could continue the momentum that preceded him, but he clearly is not up to that task. He has a program with some history and that doesn't seem to be an advantage to him.

@icthawkfan316 good take on the Pastner thing ... perhaps Pastner wanted his big men to dish out a few assists? I remember when Black signed, I discussed the crazy non-assist numbers from Black. I actually just noticed last week how many assists Black had all last season. Any guesses? Nine.

@Blown That is a great point about the team not letting up in the second half. I also think that Self permitting the guys to keep playing their game was big part of it, too. Players and coach get great credit. .

@globaljaybird The lob was a nice start. I also think it's really interesting to watch how good we are in out of bounds situations under the hoop. Self makes a point of trying to score in those situations, as opposed to just getting the ball in.

@brooksmd - Yes, that was for you.

@jaybate-1.0 - That is progress. But here's Self's quote from yesterday about Perry - “He can be more active. Making threes is good. It’s not what will win us games in tough games on the road. He will have to get a basket down tight. But we know he has the talent to do so. Today was a good step, the lid came off,”

Self wants it. He dreams about it. Throw it inside, get the easy bucket. I'm sure he waxes philosophical about the angles that TRob got back in the day. It may happen from time to time, and it may happen frequently against certain opponents, but getting that basket down tight is the path of most resistance this season.

Self's quote from yesterday, once again, incorrectly demeans or at least diminishes Ellis' contributions. He wants more from a guy that can't give it. I think it is completely unfair to Ellis. Accept the guy, exploit his positives.

I say that, but in reality, this is what has occurred recently (but for Baylor, related to our zone attack). Ellis has been able to exploit his advantages. .

But here's another thing. Self is dead wrong in his statement. Can Ellis making threes win us tough games on the road? Of course it can. It's as simple as math. A three from the top is worth more than the easy basket near the hoop. If Ellis is drilling threes, we're scoring. It stretches the defense, as well.

Self, though, was more likely referring to the reliability of that type of scoring. He's just saying "Fool's Gold", but in a different way. Is he right regarding the reliability that I am assuming? Perhaps. But he continues to reference and wish for something that just isn't there. When you have a team that makes 65% of its shots at the rim, the math makes sense. We just don't have that. And we can't wish it to be true.

Perhaps I should stop worrying so much about Self's words. Yesterday spoke volumes in my opinion. Self didn't force the inside-out dogma in the second half. But there is a chance of a reversion to prior form, much like the recurrence of cancer. There's never a good time for that type of news. That chance is always there.

The most likely timing of the reversion is after a loss or two, where our perimeter scoring slumps (which is certainly likely here and there). I can envision Self making it a big post game issue. How we aren't scoring inside, and we can't win the conference on the perimeter. And that the loss in question is the perfect example.

Here's hoping Self can realize that we will lose, and we will lose a few games because we don't shoot it well. But that's not different than prior seasons. The missed shots in question will simply be from a bit further distance than Self's used to, or comfortable with. Heck, we've lost games when Withey, or TRob, or Marcus, or Markieff, or Cole, couldn't get the ball in the hoop inside.

The reality is that Self has little choice but to play the game he's uncomfortable with. And Self wants to win. That comforts me that despite any talk, we are down a path of no return. .

My real concern lies now with our stagnant zone offense. Opposing coaches should be scheming to slow KU down like Baylor did.

@JayHawkFanToo So, if Turner would have come to Kansas, where would we be? Maybe not talking about outside-in.

I think you're correct. He had the stretch 4/5 on his mind. Dirk is a good example.

If he'd come to Kansas, he would have gotten major back to the basket work. I'm not really sure how that would have harmed his "stretch" game. Getting major back to the basket work would have only expanded his game and made him a better, more well rounded player. And he would have had many opportunities to "stretch."

And maybe we aren't changing our approach. Maybe all of this works out for the best. But I think Turner could have fit here very nicely, even if he apparently didn't.

Tarik was a terrific guy. Hope he has continued success. Would have been a great 4 year guy had we snagged him out of high school.

Kansas is now 15 games into the season, and perhaps we can officially declare the concept of "feed the post" dead and buried.

Upon first glance, a benign home game against Texas Tech might not be the best contest to draw any real conclusions from. But it might be a bit more indicative of the direction of this team than might appear so at first glance.

Texas Tech came into the game as a relatively stout squad inside, with a couple of shot blockers. As a team, TT ranked 45th in block percentage.

In past seasons, that stat would not cause coach Self the least amount of pause. As coach Self has said before, we will "run out stuff." After the UK game, Self said, “This game plan crap that everybody talks about; this isn’t football,” Self said. “We play to our strengths, and you don’t just change offenses because the other team is tall."

Well, as we've seen, Self has changed. And Self accepted our change even against Texas Tech. This game is perhaps the best evidence of our transformation.

Perry Ellis, who has been the focus of our post feeding efforts, scored no points in the post. After the Utah game, Self made reference to Ellis' outside scoring as "fool's gold." Now, it's the real deal. It may not be gold, but it's at least a secondary precious metal -- copper, perhaps. And you can make just as much money off of copper as you can gold. It's all how the market's moving. Right, now gold is on the decline and copper futures are on the rise. At least this season.

Ellis scored today on three, three point shots, a 17 foot jumper, a 14 foot jumper, and a pair of free throws. 15 points, all buckets from outside. Dave Armstrong referenced that Ellis was "settling" for outside shots. Armstrong doesn't know the 2014-15 Jayhawks. This is Perry Ellis. And we can win with this Perry Ellis. We -- you, me, the entire Jayhawk nation, and most importantly, coach Self -- must embrace this Perry Ellis. That appears to be happening across the board.

Another indication that "feed the post" is dead was Cliff's scoring today. Cliff had 3 lob dunks (two from Graham, one from Selden), hit an 18 foot jumper and 14 foot jumper, and scored our only true post feed basket of the day on a sweet little jump hook from eight feet midway through the second half.

None of our other post players scored on post feeds. So two points from the post feed -- that's it. And Kansas scored 86 points. Let me repeat that -- we scored two points from post feeds and scored 86 points.

Kansas accomplished this by attacking the rim off the dribble, and by hitting jump shots. Coach Self has wisely turned up the dial on the offense, looking to speed up the pace a bit, to "manufacture" more points. A little more pressure, loosening rules on the secondary break, get it and go. Getting to the hoop will be critical. In an even more critical area, the Jayhawks were a wonderful 11-22 from three point range (that includes one made in walk-on time -- see, I didn't say "scrub time" ). In the first half when Kansas blew the game open, excluding free throws, Kansas scored on two layups, five dunks (on the break, in-bounds plays, attacking the rim, and lobs), four three pointers, and four two point jumpers from 15 ft or further.

What we did not see today was Self forcing Kansas to feed the post. Not even in the second half. This is a huge change from what we saw against Utah. In the first half against Utah, we gunned our way from outside to a 20 pt lead in the first half. The second half was much different. We methodically tried to feed the post, the game slowed down, and Utah completely erased the deficit. Self was clearly irritated after the game.

But today, we saw none of what we saw in the second half against Utah. No attempts to create an identity inside. No force feeding an attack destined for failure. We played loose, we played our game -- the entire game.

If Self is willing to concede that Kansas has to play outside-in to beat Texas Tech, is there any turning back? If Self didn't force his squad to work on pounding the ball inside during the second half, when we had a cushy, comfortable lead, is there any turning back?

The death of "feed the post" is complete. Outside-in has taken hold. Outside-in is here to stay.

The question now is, can Self adapt his zone offense to this clear and obvious team identity?

@FarSideHawk - I agree completely on the perimeter players. If Oubre leaves, and everyone else stays, I prefer that over adding any perimeter player on the board.

Self of course is in a tough spot. He doesn't know who will be back.

@cragarhawk -- good to see you have made your way to kubuckets.com. And that you've got your avatar straightened out now.

I second the idea to not rush Devonte back. I think we rushed Embiid back last season from his knee injury, as I mentioned at the time. I firmly believe that rushing him back on the knee led to Embiid compensating for his knee in his running, jumping, and landing, which led to stress fracture in his back. I'd be patient with Devonte. Self might really be targeting ISU as the game where Devonte may really be needed. That makes sense.

@JayHawkFanToo Heck, I'd like to see a three point shooting contest between Greene and Mason for that matter ...

@Wigs2 Do you really think anything is broke with CBB? I don't. Just because the ball doesn't go in the hole isn't a big deal for me. However, My enjoyment of the game is decreased significantly by incessant whistles and inconsistent whistles. That gets my blood boiling more than anything. And that's how the powers that be would have to try and increase scoring. I want no part of that.

@drgnslayr - You said, "Last night's game illustrates how this entire conference season should go." ------ it will be a slugfest. But it looks like we have a team that wins those sort of games, to be sure.

I spoke with a physician this morning about Perry Ellis. It is agreed that he does have a medical condition as @wrwlumpy has speculated. The condition is defined as follows:

Shot Bockitis: Shät bläkītis - A hoops affliction wherein the brain reacts in a depressive state to continuous rejections. Sufferers can only find relief by a) moving to a different position, or b ) ensuring scheduling against opponents with Willems De vries syndrome. There is no known cure in adults, though children can grow out of the affliction as they become longer and more athletic.

Good timing for the thread. Don't know if anyone saw that QB Kenny Hill is transferring from Texas A&M. And if you guessed that David Beaty was his lead recruiter, you guessed right. We'll see. Kenny Hill - Rivals ↗

@icthawkfan316 We can keep this apocalypse thing alive. Of course, Bragg could always de-commit, right? I mean, there's no LOI until May. And perhaps there are different levels of "apocalypse."

But man, I can't be more pleased. Heck, I dedicated an entire topic to Bragg being the "perfect recruit." I'm a happy guy with this commitment.

I love your Ellis speculation -- a little food for thought. But I see Mickelson as gone, gone, and gone (assuming he graduates after his fourth college year). I don't see Lucas leaving. It would be pointless unless he graduates after three. He would lose a season as he burned his redshirt. Why not stay and be able to play, then do the graduate transfer thing too? Lucas won't be a PT factor. Traylor back. So one spot opens with Mickelson.

Zimmerman would be awesome, but it seems we're behind on him. Diallo seems like the better bet. But Traylor would still start --> I'm kidding. Kind of.

The question is, could Ellis hold his job? And that circles back to your wacko speculation that doesn't seem so wacko. Could Self have the same conversation? A weird coincidence, but Self's comments about Tharpe and Ellis, last year and this year, are kind of similar about their importance, and what we need from them. But I still don't see it.

What I do see as a possibility is what we saw last night -- Self preferring Traylor and Cliff. Heck, Self benched Ellis for stretches last season, in favor of Traylor. We discussed that in the off season. Could Ellis lose his starting job? Bragg, Diallo, and Cliff next season? Fun stuff.

The Svi thing does have me a little worried. I was of course the nattering nabob of negativism when he signed (worried about him displacing guys, then leaving). Now I'm completely on the guy's bandwagon, sure that he'll start next season. But the decrease in P.T. and the inferences that he's homesick, cause me some concern. I had penciled him in to take Selden's spot next season. But there's no real way Selden turns pro now.

Lots of drama upcoming, for sure.

I love the mention of Oubre's play ... did anyone notice that Self subbed him in right before that throw in? Specifically to guard the in-bounds. Great move.

Also, Brannen did do well last night defensively. I noticed one hiccup, but he sure seemed solid. Big minutes for the guy. He's battling hard for P.T. right now.

Greene's the best shooter we've had here in years. I can't think of a better one. Just hope he can hold the rest of his game together. I like a 7 man rotation better than a 6 man rotation.

@KUSTEVE Thanks ... I will be mindful of your advice there. Much appreciated. Apologies to @JayHawkFanToo. I won't prod.

@globaljaybird - Appreciated, as well -- I do wonder on the practice time thing and what the focus is many times. We did not have quick turnaround (Sat - Wed). I think Self is holding out hope that Ellis can be effective inside, or Cliff. We did not adjust preemptively to account for the interior ineffectiveness. I'm not sure why Self would think Ellis could score inside against that zone, when he struggles in man with weak side help. I will say that we did shoot a number of threes that did not fall. My critique of the zone offense considers that. If we would have hit three more threes in the first half, we have a nice half time lead. Add one more in the second half and, theoretically, we win comfortably. My comment on the zone O would be the same even if we had made three or four more threes. We wasted much of the shot clock looking for entry passes. Did we even get any post entry passes that resulted in a kick out for an open three? I'm going to watch the game again tonight. I'm curious about that.

A few things that really stood out to me -

1. Traylor - This was one of those peaks. Without Traylor, quite simply, we don't win.

2. Ellis - This sort of performance now is not surprising. It's actually expected. It extremely disappointing. As frustrating as anything is his lackadaisical and weak efforts going after the ball and rebounds. The color guy last night seemed astonished, as well.

3. Selden - Just when I was questioning his presence on the court, he came through in the end. Nice to see.

4. Self (Adjustments) - Self's halftime adjustment offensively turned the game. Traylor executed it nicely, but when something like that clicks, all the credit goes to the coach. Self saw a weakness, and we capitalized just enough to prevail.

5. Self II (Pace) - Of course, in a repeat of the TT game last season, an opposing coach completely controlled the pace of the game. We were more than willing to be the follower. I read where we only had 52 possessions in the entire game. Unreal.

6. Self III (Zone Offense) - And, of course, our zone offense was completely stagnant. It is an offense devoid of complexity, devoid of creativity, and devoid of basic concepts that can make zone offenses successful. We witnessed Kansas passing the ball around the perimeter like it was a cruel keep away game. The color guy mentioned how we were failing to even get it inside the three point circle. Anyone who thinks that coach Self is "brilliant", really needs to reconsider. That's a third grade offense you saw last night. Two things you simply don't see: A) Screening - It is puzzling. One of the best ways to attack a zone is effective use of screens. Rarely do you see a screen in Self's zone offense (many times I think when you do, it's just the players acting instinctively). We'll see it in set plays, of course, such as a back screen against the backline of the zone for a lob. But it's not part of our offense. I cannot emphasize enough how ridiculously negligent this is. They were playing a 1-1-3 zone, which flexes like all zones to a 2-3 look on the wing. As one example, as that top guy moves to the wing to guard with the wing defender, there is only one defender that can guard the point guard (the second "1" in the 1-1-3, which is the middle defender in a 1-3-1, which their zone looked like many times). If you set a basic back screen at the time of ball reversal from the wing, you create space for penetration. This is just one of many examples. We are content to pass it around the perimeter, looking to throw it inside. Another example is what we do in our set plays, the backline screens. Perry's trying to post up most of the time. No real reason to throw it to him. B ) Attacking Seams - How often do you see our perimeter guys attack seams in the zone? Rarely. And certainly not competently most of the time. Why? First, we aren't getting quick ball reversal. Second, we catch the ball and look inside, losing that precious instant when the seam is available, and, Third, as mentioned above, we aren't getting any screening action to provide more opportunities to drive and hit the seems.

7. Pace and Offense: 1+1 = 2. When your offense drains the shot clock by passing it around the perimeter, you play right into a slower paced game. Not difficult.

I really need someone to explain to me why coach Self's zone offense is a competent approach to attacking a zone. Now, I already know @JayHawkFanToo will cut and paste coach Self's record and accomplishments, but I'm looking for a more technical, basketball related discussion. Someone please tell me why anyone would think this approach would be successful.

Screw Kentucky. All this garbage about them being unbeatable is simply hype. With the right game plan, the odds can be narrowed sharply. No doubt, they are likely the best team in the country. But there have many teams occupying that perch, and they have fallen. UK is no different than prior top teams.

I think KU could beat UK. In fact, I think we have great personnel to do it. We are capable of a 12-22 night from three point range and we are playing faster. Would we be even money to win? No. But that doesn't matter.

Many, many supposed "best" teams don't win the tourney. Champions win the NCAA tourney. UK isn't a champion yet.

@JayHawkFanToo No, I don't think Drew is near the coach that Self is. But that's not the point I was making, of course.

I would ask you then, tell me about coach Self's failings. Where has he failed in his job? Macro or micro. Free your mind.