🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Cars from the 50s could probably win the Daytona 500. And Babe Ruth would have hit 10,000 HRs. Ricardo Zamora would have never given up a goal to today's sorry flopping soccer players. Bart Starr would have never lost a game. Satchel Paige would have never given up a hit. 88 year old Gordie Howe (RIP) would have dominated today's helmet wearing wussy NHL players. Hurricane Hank would've literally killed Mayweather with one single punch. Tiger Woods wouldn't have won a single PGA event had he had to go up against Jackie, Arny and Gary.

Things just ain't as good as they used to be...

dylans said:

Small market clubs (i.e. Royals) can not afford 4-5 good starters. I think a great strategy to counter the payroll deficit would be to run 5-9 1-2 inning guys up there every night. They could just straight deal knowing they are just pitching to a few batters and not have to conserve. As a fan it would suck waiting on all those pitchers to warm up.

I think you’d see a rule change to limit the number of mid-inning subs. But I’ve thought this for a long time. There are a dozen affordable guys the Royals could find who would be decent pitchers if they only had to go 2-3 innings.

I thought all of the Black History Month uniforms were bad ass.!alt text ↗

kjayhawks said:

It's very interesting that he is still coaching and the NCAA has pretty much said wait til April. I hope Zion and Dook cruise to the NC as it look like they will and it get vacated for him. Very wishful thinking tho lol

NCAA apparently already opened up how imvrstigation. No penalties until April, but he might be screwed regardless

I was still in school when Vick was a freshman. I was at a party and he was hitting on one of my friends. She asked who he was, and this was his response:

"You don't know me? What do you mean, you don't know me? I'm on the basketball team. Legarald Vick. Look it up."

And then he legit got so worked up and pissed off that she didn't know who he was that he left the entire party. He is, and always has been, an asshole who felt like he was better than he really was. He shouldn't have been brought back this offseason, that was a mistake from the beginning.

Self should have talked Newman into staying.

We'll see what comes out in April. I think his ass is grass.

Of course, someone will pick him up. Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson both are proof of that.

Hell, just keepin on keepin on isn't working. Something needs to change offensively. Worth a shot.

Grimes reminds me so much of Newman last year it's crazy. He's so close to turning the corner and being "a guy." Newman literally sucked for like 95% of the season, but he finally got there. We had threads about how awful he was and how he "seemed" like a cancer.

I think Grimes will get better. He's already shown his shot is starting to fall. Next step is being able to defend for 35 minutes a game and literally turn the corner on the drive. It's coming.

So, seriously, time to start thinking about pulling Elliot's redshirt?

I just keep laughing at myself for thinking this team would be a legit NC contender at the beginning of the season. Half the team was like "hold my beer" lol.

Self needs to do some serious reflection after this season. It all finally caught up to him in one giant shit storm. You just can't take risky kids with character issues. And those that have them when they get here need to get gone immediately.

Time to start a new recruiting approach and at least give the program a facelift. This was the straw that broke the camels back for me. I always thought he basically had everything under control. This season is proof that he has just been putting bandaids on the leak. Recruit high character kids, and the results will be the results. I can live with that.

This season is just a nightmare you can't wake up from.

Philly could have put Fultz in the trade for Leonard and would have gotten him AND still been able to trade for Butler... Instead they wait and get essentially jack crap for him. At least they added depth I suppose...

NBA trade deadline was weird and horrible. GMs are routinely some of the biggest idiots in sports.

FarmerJayhawk said:

I'll also say I don't anticipate most of this class to contribute right away. I think we'll try to RS as many as possible, especially the guys that haven't played much and/or are switching positions. Need to start building long-term ASAP. The JuCo guys and Parker will play right away, but RS'ing almost everyone else is possible.

I will absolutely be patient. But I have some expectations that Les turns this ship around pretty quickly. I agree basically that whole class should redshirt. But I'm also not so sure Les can't win 4-5 games this year with the roster we have. He definitely seems to have a plan and is sticking to that plan.

Up to 65 nationally with only 17 committs and in only like 2 months time basically lol. Absurd.

The national people laughed when Les said he'd recruit well. He's proving them wrong.

@KUSTEVE Idk, he was on the final year of a significantly undervalued contract. Likely he wouldn't have been a Piston at year end. Of course, I do wonder what another team in the West would have given up just to keep him off the Lakers.

On the other hand, maybe nobody really thinks the Lakers are even the least bit of a threat. Which I don't unless they magically land AD before the deadline.

@Texas-Hawk-10 It can't be done. They screwed themselves by letting outside money in. Shoe companies and TV run the NCAA and it's institutions. Not the other way around. It's a complete farce. A facade.

The only way to enforce it now is to strip TV rights from schools/conferences. And develop a generic apparel brand that provides all gear for the schools. If that happened, the NCAA wouldn't exist because they couldn't justify giving more money to one school over another. And therefore the P5 would leave. And the P5 and their fanbases are the sole reason they have a $1B a year TV deal for the NCAA tournament.

The NCAA doesn't care about amateur athletics. And there is nothing amateur about D1 sports anymore at all. Even the Olympics recognized it was an issue once too much money came in and sponsors all wanted a piece. So they adjusted their rules to encourage compliance.

Just hope it means Svi gets more minutes.

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@Kcmatt7 Yes, enforcement is a problem because the NCAA has a history of not enforcing their own rules equally across the board. That's an issue.

Because it’s almost impossible to do. I mean there is no benefit for schools or players to cooperate and they have no ability to get the info they need in order to enforce the rules.

Texas Hawk 10 said:

Kcmatt7 said:

dylans said:

@Kcmatt7 How about just enforcing the rules on the books? Seems like that would make for an even playing field. I’m not of the opinion enough people committing a crime should make it legal.

And here begins the slippery slope of your core beliefs vs mine and I don’t want to go down that road. It likely doesn’t end cordially or belong here so that’s where I’ll leave it.

Cheers

Do you not think laws should ever change?

Legalizing something because you suck at enforcing it is a bad reason to legalize something.

Is enforcement really the problem? They are an organization with no subpeona power

UK is good

dylans said:

@Kcmatt7 How about just enforcing the rules on the books? Seems like that would make for an even playing field. I’m not of the opinion enough people committing a crime should make it legal.

And here begins the slippery slope of your core beliefs vs mine and I don’t want to go down that road. It likely doesn’t end cordially or belong here so that’s where I’ll leave it.

Cheers

Do you not think laws should ever change?

This game is a big prove it. And by that, is Garrett actually a negative due to how poor he is at shooting? Does the offense show up again with the added spacing? This is a big question that needs answered going forward

And even when Wooden was doing his thing, that wasn’t enough to keep money out.

That or changing the rules to accept what is currently “cheating”.

dylans said:

I’m actually ok with every coach found to be in the least bit implicit in breaking the fundamental rules of amateurism/NCAA being banned for life. Especially if it’s going on here with MY team! Kick all the cheaters out, but don’t miss a single one.

Would require a fundamental change in the NCAA, and then becoming willing to completely take all money out of college athletics.

dylans said:

Kcmatt7 said:

Winning is the most important thing. Period.

I wholeheartedly disagree. That’s why I’m still hopeful Bill Self comes out looking better at the end than he does now.

I genuinely thought he was above reproach and a winner. Now he’s just a winner. I want that good feeling back. I don’t know if it’ll happen or not.

As for Bennet, KU could do much worse, but I’d prefer someone else at this point.

Well if that’s your criteria, being “clean”, there aren’t many options.

@jayballer73 I'd rather watch that than watch us lose. Bill Self didn't have a FF before KU. Roy Williams didn't have one either. Bill Self played a boring style of basketball when he got here. Sometimes he still does.

Winning is the most important thing. Period.

BeddieKU23 said:

@Kcmatt7

FYI,

Current 2019 commits

Shedrick- #56, Morsell #58

2016 class

Kyle Guy- #37

Ty Jerome- #44

Jay Huff- #57

Deandre Hunter- #91

Braxton- Key #59 (transferred from Alabama)

2015 Class

Diakite- #32 (enrolled half a semester early)

2014 Class

Salt #356

Everyone but 2018 recruit Clark and Salt ranked outside the Top 100. It does seem like he's done more with less but overall everyone in his rotation besides those two were highly regarded HS prospects

Fair enough. They still don't finish absurdly high in any team rankings nationally when recruiting. But most likely that's because they keep 4 year players and only need to replace roughly 3 guys a season.

HighEliteMajor said:

@Kcmatt7 So do you then think he's a better coach than Self? That would be a good selling point. He's had success in a better league.

It is a tough question to answer. I think he COULD be. But he might also be worse.

However, his floor is by far the highest of any other hypothetical candidate out there at the moment. And, his ceiling is definitely high enough to win a NC. Which, to me, makes him a safe hire that would certainly protect the legacy of KU basketball.

I just don't want to be the new UCLA. Or Indiana. A has been program holding on to decades old accolades and finishing in the middle of the pack.

Sacrificing a little bit of ceiling height to ensure the floor doesn't give out is important to me.

@DCHawker His ability to turn guys into NBA players is amazing to me. He has an eye for talent and is able to develop players.

@HighEliteMajor Thing is, Bennett is doing what he is doing with mostly 3 star recruits or guys in the back half of the top 100.

Imagine what he could do with the major bump in recruiting he would get at KU?

Self was always a good recruiter. Bennett has done what he's done with far worse players than Self did on his climb. I'd expect Bennett to absolutely dominate with better players.

@FarmerJayhawk Really sucks that we could have easily filled this class with 25 players had we not hired a guy who had no business ever getting hired in the first place.

If Bennett make the FF this year, does anyone's tune change on him?

It isn't like Self's offense, until recently, was anything exciting. Swing swing swing swing lob.

@HighEliteMajor Beard is a UT alum and it was where he got his start coaching. I also think, and this could be wrong, but he left the UNLV job for the Tech job to be closer to his daughter.

So, I could see why this would make sense in his case. Otherwise, I'd agree with you.

colohawks said:

@Kcmatt7 If Beard had his choice, would it be KU or Texas?!

I would guess Texas.

BeddieKU23 said:

@Kcmatt7

Nike has some real dark ops work to do now

I think Arizona ends up being the sacrificial lamb... Seems like too much to overcome.

BeddieKU23 said:

@Kcmatt7

Next yr will be the test without all those seniors but he is an exciting coach. I dont see the flags but its remarkable what he has done. I still prefer Jay Wright but I think Musselman would be a logical contender unlike Wright. I just fail to see a real successor at the moment. We are all looking for the perfect guy but in reality HOF types like Self are just irreplaceable

We are lucky.

Which is why I think it’s funny that people shoot down someone like Bennett so fast. He’s the type of guy that would at least keep us on a path of success.

Look at UCLA, Syracuse, and Indiana. It doesn’t last for forever.... It’s not a guarantee that KU can hire a guy that keeps the train moving.

Even UK struggled under Tubby. Duke could struggle under whoever is next. UNC was fortunate they had a HOF coach they could poach.

NCAA officially investigating Sean Miller and Arizona. Apparently very likely that Miller ends up getting Subpeonaed in April for the FBI case too.

No on a guy who can consistently put together a top 15 team at a second rate ACC school?

Because he plays at a slow pace? I think I’ll take the defensive guru and known commodity in Bennett any day if the week.

Beard is basically the same guy with less of a track record lol.

BeddieKU23 said:

Forgetting maybe the best option, Nevada's Musselman. What he has done there is truly remarkable in a short time. Modern offense and can recruit.

Something seems off about him. I’m going to play wait an see first.

At this point, your first offer has to be Tony Bennett. But I think he stays on the East Coast and holds out for UNC or Duke.

Your second has to be Chris Beard. But he has UT's next HC written all over him.

3rd, Will Wade. A legit candidate imo. Probably a lot depends on who leaves first, Cal or Self.

Nobody else jumps off the page. Hoiberg may be a decent consolation prize.

Mick Cronin I could probably live with.

Chris Mack would be fine, but probably not leaving.

Steve Wojciechowski could be a candidate by the time Self is done, but he's a Dukie.

Mitch Henderson is interesting.

Nate Oats is interesting.

Craig Smith is intriguing.

Justin Hutson is a guy to keep an eye on.

Mike Hopkins is already doing good things at Washington. But not sure he's a blue blood fit.

Andy Enfield kind of is ok, maybe. I can't tell.

Mike White would be good. But he's from Florida so I doubt he'd leave.

Wes Miller would seem like a good hire if he maybe bumped up a level and still had success.

Kyle Smith is on a decent trajectory, but doesn't seem to have "it"

Chris Jans is probably a stud coach. Like has all the makings of one. But he has Greg Marshall ties, so puke... But also, he's coached in Kansas multiple times now so he probably wouldn't turn down the job because of the location or anything..

That's my list, thank you.

BOOM.

https://247sports.com/player/steven-parker-46041207/ ↗

That puts us in the top 100 recruiting classes finally lol.

The outlook is bleak. We may legitimately be looking at a 6 seed (or worse) in the tournament.

!0_1549067997993_226631C3-13BF-494D-BD70-ECBD23A8DBC4.jpeg ↗

HighEliteMajor said:

You all realize that the NCAA statement said that a Kansas booster was involved? Not just an Adidas guy?

This is really concerning.

And if we absolve a player that involves a third party in his recruitment -- that third party then taking money -- then there are no rules, right?

All that said, why isn't his guardian targeted by the FBI? Or the booster?

And even bigger to me -- if we know Zion, or someone else took money, why are we quiet? Burn it down.

I don't mind rules. I don't mind a reasonable suspension. What I mind is when it is not applied across the board, or when prosecution/investigation targets only a select few.

The obvious better penalty would have been to suspend him this year only.

We should hold our breath ... Here's betting we get a postseason ban in 2019-20, and maybe even forfeiting the final four last season.

And this is part of the reason why I said a while back that there is a reasonable chance that Bill Self is not here next season. This can lead to a coach leaving, for sure. Or, if it's found that Self knew in some way, being forced out.

The NBA is waiting.

But why do we want to punish 17 year old kids for the decisions of adults? That’s my issue. I understand no punishment doesn’t work. It’s why the NCAA needs to address the real issue at hand. A 3rd party is willing to pay athletes at this level. Enough to corrupt a majority of the top 150 recruits each season. They need to come up with a way for them to earn some semblance of what they’re worth from their likeness.

The system is broken.

I guess the last two days should be a wake up call though. Harsh penalties for Midwest schools.

Kids life being ruined by decisions made by adults. Always a damn shame.

Clearly there is more to the story than what we know if he's ruled ineligible. Of course, it should come out in the findings report so we will actually know the truth for once.

Without a big leap from one of the freshman, who show no signs of making one, it'll be tough.

On the bright side, a down year at KU typically does mean we are just young and inexperienced. We should (providing no one leaves unexpectedly) have a very deep stable of guards the next two seasons. So Bill can at least breath easy there. Just need to land some post depth from somewhere. Of course, I have no idea where that comes from unless De Sousa gets ruled eligible sometime soon.

Theoretically, if Grimes has a Selden-like trajectory, we could have a very, very loaded team in two years. But that is with everything going perfectly.