🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@HighEliteMajor There is so much more to it than just Coach Self. Your end result appears to be winning a six game tournament that often includes teams with losing records. Coach Self is not at fault for that. He puts together a winning team year in and year out. I am amazed by the run of success that we have had. The only thing I would change is the format of the tournament. I don't believe teams should be rewarded with a tournament invite, based on winning a conference tournament. Strategically no, however I do firmly believe that the best players should play. Case in point, if Frankamp was killing Tharpe in practice (which I don't know if it's true or not) then he should have gotten playing time over him.

Kansas Jayhawks Basketball will be just fine. I will not make myself crazy over things I cannot change. Coach Self will continue to do what he sees fit. I am good with that. I am looking forward to next years team and I could care less what other teams are doing. I am with Kansas Basketball win or lose. Another case of indirect fire.

Frankamp was more than capable of playing as a Freshman. He just did not get the opportunity. There is no breakout, when the young man can already play. He gives up size on defense. He is a decent defender. His offensive game has always been on point. We need offense, and this young man can deliver. He just needs the opportunity. I wonder if Conner was killing Tharpe in practice and maybe that's where Tharpe lost his confidence. Not saying that this is what happened, but it could have.

@JayHawkFanToo 1992 loss to UTEP was pretty painful as well. We were a 1 seed. A win would have put us in Kansas City with a great chance to make the Final Four. Tough loss.

@JayhawkRock78 We were loaded that year. 35-4. The last year of Pierce and LaFrentz. Lost in the 2nd Round to Rhode Island. Very disappointing.

I do not have a post season loss that stings the most. I try to get over tournament losses in less than two weeks. I usually travel in the summer, reflect and enjoy life, it's too short. I have taken much more positives out of Kansas Basketball than negatives over the past 30 years. I enjoy the ride, each and every year. I could never be a "if you don't win it all, then I am I disappointed" type person. Kansas Basketball is not just about me or my opinions. It is much bigger than that. I am sure these kids are trying as hard as they can. I root for them as I would my own children. When the Jayhawks lose, I say to myself, "It's okay, I am glad you are a part of my favorite school, and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything". I get ready for the next season, because I don't ever see myself not being a supporter of Kansas Jayhawk Basketball. I certainly understand everyone's right to be upset when we lose, but I have to draw the line somewhere. There is not a person on this website that is qualified to coach the Kansas Jayhawks, nor handle the day to day pressures that come with the job. Bill Self is an outstanding coach and should be praised for putting an excellent competitive team on the court each and every season. Everyone can be an armchair quarterback. Not everyone can coach and maintain an elite team at the University of Kansas. Sometimes we as fans get it twisted.

@JayhawkRock78 don't forget Rhode Island. Pretty good team that year too!

@jaybate 1.0 Devotion to duty! Gotta love it!

Happy Easter to everyone on KUBUCKETS! I enjoy reading and responding to different opinions, perspectives, and thoughts on the state of KU Basketball with everyone of you. It does not matter whether we agree/disagree or agree to disagree as long as we share in our love and support of Kansas Basketball.

How about Coach Self? Easter Sunday with Myles Turner! Now that's commitment! Way to keep KU in the conversation coach!

I would welcome Turner. It would be great to see a big man come down the court and splash some 3's like the Morris Twins were known for.

@jaybate 1.0 "Life Force Reboot". Awesome! That's exactly what it is. Will definitely give updates. Thanks!

@jaybate 1.0 Thanks for another enjoyable read! Looking forward to more of them, when I travel overseas this summer. Again, thanks.

@ParisHawk That was a great post! Thanks, I really enjoyed reading it.

Let's just say Frankamp's last second 3 against Stanford goes in, Wiggins comes alive in overtime, and inspired by the return of Joel Embiid, Kansas wins the National Championship. It very well could have happened, but it didn't. Winning a six game tournament at the end of the season does not mean that team was the best. It means they won a tournament where 1/4 of the teams, based on their regular season performance, don't deserve to be in anyway. In its current format, the NCAA Tournament is designed to generate revenue and interest for the public.

Coach Self has done an amazing job at Kansas. Winning 10 straight Conference Titles is quite impressive. There is nothing wrong with recruiting the best players. Coach Self did not create One and Done, but he has to deal with it everyday.

Here are my thoughts on Kansas Basketball. Our starting point guard disappeared. Rarely gave the appearance that it was his show. I truly hope he watched Napier and Boatright. That is how to get it done. Would have loved to seen AW3, Frankamp, and Greene get more meaningful minutes in the regular season. We are loaded with 3 point assassins, we just did not use them. Landon Lucas can play D-1 ball, just needs more opportunities.

Finally, I like winning as much as anyone else. I love watching Kansas Jayhawk Basketball. One and Done or not, we are not going to win the National Championship every year. For the past 30 years, we have been in the conversation. The system is designed to eliminate dynasty's and it's working. I am looking forward to another year of watching my favorite team, the Kansas Jayhawks. I hope we win every year, but I let it go when we lose.

@drgnslayr Lucas didn't play much, but I thought he did okay. Tarik Black had an exceptional game, but is there any penalty for fouling out with around 5 minutes left in the game? As far as Wiggins, he did try to get going he had 3 or 4 traveling violations called on him (he did a head fake before he dribbled the ball). He scored on one of those moves, however the basket was waved off. I think that had more to do with output than anything. He was really trying to get himself going in my opinion.

@drgnslayr was at the Stanford game. Lots of missed layups that game. Team got behind early and tensed up. Frankamp looked as if he had been playing all season. Had Black not fouled out, we may have won the game. Cannot say too much for the rest of the team. Lucas had a nice alley-lop jam, and did not see him much after that. Oh well, I am looking forward to next season. I think we are in real good shape.

@drgnslayr you kinda threw me off with the whole basketball IQ thing, that's all. I'm cool with you saying he is green. I don't know what better options we have?

@HighEliteMajor Are we in good hands with Mason at the point, and Conner Frankamp at the 2. I think so, if Self lets Frankamp shoot the ball. We could also go large from time to time with Selden and Green/White if need be.

@drgnslayr You are not sure of Frank Mason's leadership skills or basketball IQ? The young man is a Freshman, and he chose KU. He's off to a good start. He got meaningful minutes. That's enough for me. Are you questioning his intelligence on the court as a Freshman playing D-1 ball. I recall a young man on a pretty big stage against the Duke Blue Devils early in the season attacking the rim at will and getting to the free throw line. I also remember the end of the Villanova game, when the team stood flat footed as he raced down the court to make a spinning layup to put us right back in the game. He may have not played great the entire season, but for an undersized guard in his first year in a Bill Self program, I think he did great, and can only get better. Please explain your thoughts? Thanks.

@wissoxfan83 Thanks. I like that you said "true" champion. That's what the NCAA Tournament should be about. The Cinderella stories would make for an awesome NIT!

@nuleafjhawk great post! We can only hope that fan support would be one of the deciding factors.

@HighEliteMajor VCU/UNI games, we fell behind early and tightened up. The same could be said for the Stanford game. My opinion is when teams fall behind early, if a coach tenses up, players tense up, turnovers increase, shooting becomes difficult, free throws are missed, and bench's tighten up, as coaches shorten benches, leading to tension on the bench.

@jaybate 1.0 A very enjoyable read! Thanks!

My feelings on the NCAA tournament. This is in no way because of our record in the tournament. These have been my thoughts on the tournament for several years. The NCAA Tournament makes no sense. It is watered down, and teams are not rewarded for having a good season. This format is designed to create interest and generate revenue. There is no way in the world that teams with a 15-17 record should ever be allowed in the NCAA Tournament. Period. I do not care if a team wins their Conference Tournament. What was the point of the regular season? The regular season should be designed to "weed out" the least deserving teams and reward the most deserving teams. How many teams should be in the NCAA Tournament. In my opinion 48 teams seems fair. Award Major Conferences. Award deserving Mid Major Conferences. Treat the NIT like a tournament and not a consolation prize.

When I look at a team like Kansas, I see a team with 10 consecutive Big XII Titles that is constantly forced to get fired up for inferior competition. To me this a no win situation. The NCAA Tournament should be about the best teams in the country playing one another. I think no more that two teams from each Conference should be allowed. This would make the NIT a tournament and not the consolation prize that it has turned into. Finishing 3rd or 4th in a Conference is nothing to feel bad about, it would make for much better competition in another tournament. How many great teams would be in the NIT?

I would love to get your thoughts on the subject. I know some would say that not qualifying for the 48 NCAA Tournament would feel like a consolation for those that don't make it. I say it would increase the value of regular season play and create interest in the NIT.

I believe teams should be rewarded for having a great regular season. If it were school we were talking about, would it be fair to not do anything the entire semester, and then get an A for scoring high on the Final Exam?

@MoonwalkMafia That's your right. The year with a 1st round NIT loss is a stain that is difficult to remove. No thank you.

Wow, I wonder what those who were praising Coach Calipari on this board for winning 2 Championships in 3 years are saying? Those that would gladly trade a trip to the NIT sandwiched between two championships? Those with the there is 1st and everybody else is last attitude? Winning a Championship is not easy. Having a great program that earns the right to compete for a championship year after year....yeah, that's what's up! Go KU. Thanks for another Big XII Championship, and good luck to next years team! Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU!!!!!

@nuleafjhawk I can appreciate every one of your comments. Thanks!

@ralster Thank you. That was very uplifting. For most teams this would be that NIT season. Losing 5 starters and still finding a way to win a 10th consecutive Big XII Championship, while earning a number 2 seed in the tournament. What an excellent basketball program. Hopefully we get back to our defensive/rebounding ways next season.

@drgnslayr Wooden coached during a different tournament format. Hard to say.

@Hawk8086 Well said. Thanks!

I vote take a chill pill! We lost. I am most happy that we have Coach Self. I love the players that he recruits. We continue to be a solid program, with an excellent chance to win a tournament. That's all the NCAA Tournament is. It's a tournament. The winner of the tournament is named National Champion. It's the rules of the game, designed to generate billions of dollars, and it is working quite well.

If it were a 30 team tournament with only the regular season champions participating in it, then how many championships would KU have? Probably more than what they currently have. Who really knows, and who really cares. All the whining because we lose a game and this indirect fire against the University of Kansas Mens Basketball team by HEM when we lose is ridiculous. I appreciate every game we win. I don't like the losses, but oh well. 25 times I celebrated victory this year and 10 times I endured losses. We have won 10 straight Big XII Titles, that means something. That's a lot better than a 10-25 record. We have been there before, even though a lot of fans have never witnessed what it was like when we were pretty rotten.

I am not saying that everything that Coach Bill Self does is perfect. No one is. I don't expect him to be. What I do love and respect about Coach Self is that he is always giving us a winner, and the chance to compete for a National Championship every year he has been here. Yes there are teams with 3 and 4 Championships. That does not make them great, in my opinion. In the last 20 years, how many NIT Bids have the Kansas Jayhawks received? Zero! They are probably the only team that has not been to the NIT in the past 20 years. That, along with multiple Elite 8, Final Four, Title Game appearances, opponents storming the court each time we lose, and being the home of college basketball makes us an elite program in my book.

I am not the coach of the Jayhawks, no one on this board is. I would not trade Coach Self for any other coach in college basketball. Thanks again Coach Self for keeping us out the NIT. Some on this board have a hard time with only winning year after year. Hard to imagine what a trip to the real world and a spot in the NIT would do for them?

10 without a doubt!

@HighEliteMajor How can you not enjoy the ride? Because you didn't get your way? Because these young men did not win the National Championship? Shame on them and their coach. What is their problem? If the coaching staff would just listen to the fan forums, we could fix this current mess, right? It does not work that way. We do not always get our way. I cheer for the Jayhawks to win every game, and each year I wish we would go undefeated, but that probably will not happen and I accept that.

Coach Self has put together a consistent winner. For that I am extremely grateful. Many factors go into winning National Championship. Health, Chemistry, Skill, and luck to name a few. Winning the Championship does not necessarily mean you are the hands down best. It means you won a two-week tournament at that time. If you played the same tournament again, with the same seedings, at the same locations, you would more than likely get a different champion each time. Not to beat a dead horse, but no way UNI, VCU, Michigan or Stanford beats us two out of three. In a win or go home scenario, anything can happen. That's what makes it so exciting.

I enjoy the ride every single. I am a KU Diehard. I am going down with the ship. Each year that we don't win it stings, it hurts, and I don't like it. Then I think how much I love the Kansas Jayhawks and my pain goes away as I look forward to another season of watching these young Student-Athletes develop into young men and take their experience from their time at the University of Kansas with them for the rest of their lives.

All of the other teams in the tournament are given their best efforts as well. That is what makes March Madness so special. The tournament is anything but pathetic. The world is not just about me or my favorite team. If it was, we could just host the Jayhawk Invitatiional every year against a bunch of cupcakes, and all would be alright with the world. However, I like competition, and I want to see our team compete against the best. That is one of the reasons this year was enjoyable for me. I got to see where we stacked up against other great programs. We were not that far off. Next year, should be an improvement.

10 Straight Big XII Titles is great in my opinion. That means you have gone up against your Conference opponents time and time again, and finished first. That says a lot. Totally different conversation than winning a National Championship.

In the current format which is still at 64 teams once the tournament starts. (I know about the play in games) Since 1985 Duke has 4 Championships, UCONN, UK, and UNC 3. Kansas and Florida 2. We are right there in the mix. We lost 3 title games during that timeframe, and have also made the Final Four quite a few times as well. We are a special group and I am proud!

Once again this group of Kansas Jayhawks were in the conversation for a National Championship. If you can't enjoy the ride, who(m) would you rather ride with?

This team did not struggle against zone defenses. This team never attempted to bust a zone open. There are several zone busters on this team. They spent the majority of the season neatly tucked away on the bench. That is not a criticism, that is a fact. Greene, White III, and Frankamp, are all capable zone busters. They did not see meaningful minutes against zone defenses.

Why did we lose the game? Nerves. Young team. Scouting reports. We are not that hard to figure out. There are rarely open shots taken early in the sot clock. The ball is going side to side, and then look for an inside shot. Most of the quick shots happen in transition.

Unfortunately, this years team may have peaked the second game of the season. Bottom line, this was an extremely young team that gave the media and fans great expectations after the second game of the season. The team they beat, turned out to not be as good as advertised.

Losing sucks and really stings. We have a great basketball program. Next year should be an even better year. We did replace 5 starters after all. I like our chances. Go Jayhawks!

Tough loss. The better team did not win. Wait until next year.

That was a real nice read. I never thought you would admit it. I think that's great. For me, Andrew Wiggins had me at hello. There is nothing selfish about this young man. How could you not like him? He made a well informed decision to attend KU and appears to have enjoyed every moment! He is the type of player we need. He must be game planned for, and even then, he is hard to stop. You can't tell if he has scored 14 or 40. He is a special young man.

It's the Big Dance. This is basketball on another level. I am excited! I have enough butterflies in the pit of my stomach for everyone. Let's go Jayhawks!!

@Crimsonorblue22 Very nice, thanks!

Excellent article!

@Crimsonorblue22 It's official. Danny Manning and Tulsa are on their way to the Big Dance!

Perry Ellis 30 points. Great job! The main problem I see with this team, besides defense is when they bring the ball up court and throw it back out to a big, most of the time it was Traylor. He is wide open, but not a threat to shoot from 3. That needs to be tweaked. I am not trying to coach the team, but this gives the defense a chance to relax, with zero chance for an outside shot. We need a threat from the outside. Not disappointed about the game. ISU shot lights out. Just one of those things. We will overcome this loss. I love my Jayhawks more than ever! Time for the madness to begin. Let's get to the Sweet 16 and see what happens from there.

Lock down defense is the key to today's game. That and young men named Wiggins, Tharpe, Ellis, Black, Selden, Mason, Traylor, Lucas, Greene, AW3 and Frankamp. Let's go Jayhawks!!!!!!

@approxinfinity To quote the Late Great Rick James: "Cocaine is a powerful drug".

@Crimsonorblue22 I agree. Cleanup the turnovers and we may be on to something. Thanks!

Congratulations Jayhawks. I always try to be a good sport, especially after a win, but somewhere deep inside me as Andrew Wiggins was giving his post-game interview with Holly Rowe, I wanted him to go Richard Sherman after the game. "That's what you get for putting a mediocre player on me, he wants to talk trash about me?" I know it's wrong, but I had that thought for a second. Happy for the win. Oklahomo State will be a tough out for anyone in the Big Dance. Big XII, the best conference in College Basketball.

If they play their hearts out for Joel Embiid, there is the potential to go on a long run in the dance. Time to step up.

How manyJayhawks make the Big XII All Tournament Team? I say two.

Tonto, Cato, Robin, even Ed McMahon and Barney Fife were all sidekicks. None were in the lead role. Naadir Tharpe needs to decide if he is going to lead or follow. I know he is a much better player than what he demonstrated today. Hopefully, he will pick it up come Thursday.

@Hawk8086 We are on the same page and on the same mission!

@nuleafjhawk That's one way to look at it.