@tis4tim And if you go over to the UK boards, the majority of their fans are defending the actions. You don't mess with a man's livelihood. Plain and simple. And especially if it could effect dozens of other employees. Just a plain shitty thing to do.
The death threats, that is beyond too far. The FB thing was embarrassing, but this is WAY too far. I hope they track whoever called down and give them what they deserve.
This might be worse. Idk if it was posted on here yet or not.
@wissox I don't know if we are or not. But it does give me butterflies when I think about it...
@globaljaybird Wade is hurt in Chicago right now too. So either way we would be in the exact same spot on opening day... If that makes anyone feel better.
edit: He is still playing but he is getting hit harder than Rocky boxing Apollo Creed. Most people think it is injury.
@wissox And then imagine adding a healthy Doke... Man o man what could have been.
@BigBad I thought about that a lot this season. We could have had a better defender and offensive player than Svi starting. And we could have given DG and Frank a little more rest during the season.
@BShark Doesn't sound like bad options for spots 12 and 13 on the bench... Either one could end up being a solid rotation player two years from now. Especially after meeting Hudy.
@jaybate-1.0 at least near is a relative term.
@BeddieKU23 Usually things get a little clearer after the Banquet right? Which should be here in just a couple of weeks.
I think this is what defines our season. Did Dayton do enough with our rotation to make the playoffs? And to be frank, it really comes down to how durable Vargas is and how effective Karns can be. Rolling out a guy who gives up 5 runs in 5 innings every 5th day isn't going to cut it. Karns has to be a guy. Because Wood is going to end up in the rotation at some point this year. We aren't getting 180 innings out of all 5 of those guys. And Karn's Spring Training has been awful. Right in line with his ERA his entire career. I do think he has a future in the bullpen if he can't hack it in the rotation. But he has to be a solid reliable guy this year.
With our current roster, I think we will score some runs and still play well above average defense while we are at it. We have GG level fielders at 6 positions still. So, it really comes down to this. Can Duffy repeat his efforts last year, can Kennedy or Hammel be around a 2.8 ERA as well, and most importantly, can Karns not suck? If those things happen, we give ourselves a chance to win every single day. And I don't see how we don't make the playoffs. But, if two of those things don't happen, it could make for some tough decisions in July.
Marcus Keene not transferring, going pro. Can't blame him. His stock is as high as it will ever get. I expect him to get a pretty good deal to play overseas.
Can someone put together a list of guys that we are actually actively recruiting? I'm out of the loop, but it doesn't seem like there is a lot going on with us and recruiting.
@BShark I don't think Garrett will get much time unless we don't pick up another guard or we don't land another PG. Although, if Garrett is an elite level defender, it wouldn't hurt my feelings to throw his 6'7 frame at opposing PGs and create some havoc.
@BShark Ayayi would be a great pickup. Reading his draft profile he would be great for us. Especially next year if we are running and gunning again which it looks like we would be.
@chriz Well essentially it just comes down to numbers and money. Nike sponsors more teams and has better connections to both Colleges, NBA Scouts and Agents. For every 1 Adidas AAU player there are 10 Nike AAU players. So, Nike is going to have more top line recruits just based on the odds.
There is a lot more to it, but that is the gist.
@chriz It is also a huge selling point for KU. It is why we land studs. If one of our players gets drafted it is almost a 100% guarantee that Adidas signs them to an endorsement deal. T-Rob is like the only exception. He signed with Nike.
@chriz Nike AAU rep "Hey stud 14 year old kid. Would you like to come to an awesome camp and play in front of college coaches? You get to leave with a cool new jersey and a pair of brand new shoes for participating. Also, we would like to sponsor your AAU team or put you on a new AAU team with other studs. You and your family will get to travel all over the country for free and have a new pair of Nike's every 3 months. Now, I'm not telling you that you have to go to a Nike school, but if you do and you make it pro it is much more likely that you will get a Nike endorsement deal because we like to take care of people loyal to us."
14 year old stud "I'm taking my talents to Insert Nike School."
@Crimsonorblue22 yea read the link @BShark posted. He can't keep up what he has done. But, if he can hit .250 with 10-12 HR and 30+ SB he would 100% be the best option at that spot.
Report is Mondesi won the job. Can't be mad. He has the higher upside. If he falls flat he has options and we can send him back down. Merrifield will star the season in AAA then I'm sure and Cuthbert and Colon will probably fill out the big league club.
@Texas-Hawk-10 Roy went his first 13 years without a 3rd FF at KU. In fact, he couldn't get passed the friggen sweet 16 basically from 94 to 01. But then he figured it out. He went to two back to back final fours and then has been on a tear at UNC. He figured it out at age 52. There is still time for Bill to figure it out. In fact, going to the elite 8 that many times is an accomplishment all on its own in my opinion. Not a lot of coaches have been able to even say that.
I'm not saying Bill does his best job in the elite 8, but I'm just saying there is time for him to figure it out. He is an elite coach and is bound to figure it out. He really just needs to get the monkey off his back one time.
This was a tough loss because we seemed so on a roll, but there were a lot of bad things that happened last night. Some the players fault. Some Self's fault, and some was just the CBB Gods not shining upon us.
The first was actually way way back in November/December when Doke got hurt. That piece hurts us big time if you ask me. He was what this team needed coming off of the bench. Doke could have at least checked Bell in the post and really changed the game at the rim on the defensive end.
Second, JJ picked up two quick fouls and that immediately made us pucker right up. The guys didn't know what to do. And they seemed tentative after that on defense which allowed both Brooks and Dorsey to get in a rhythm early.
Third, Bell intimidated us early on and we got scared of him for the rest of the game. Landen couldn't hang with him. It was the first time all year I felt like Landen was just outmatched by a guy that was both more athletic and strong enough to beat him. Just the way it is. Old Bill would have had a stable of Danny Manning coached big men to throw at Bell and get him in foul trouble and beat him up enough that we could have handled him. But this team didn't have the bodies or the talent down low to hang with Bell. Instead he had free roam on both sides of the floor and after a couple of blocked shots we really were scared. DG passed up 3 or 4 open threes he normally takes because Bell was the one closing out. Frank completely altered his shot in the lane when he drove missing several shots he would normally make. Bell dominated this game. He was the difference maker and there is no question about it.
And that leads me to my fourth point. Bill didn't game plan well enough to deal with Bell. Bell switches with everyone all the time. Instead of going directly at Bell the first 20 minutes of the game to ensure he got in foul trouble and had to walk on egg shells, we avoided him. And we watched enough Cole and Withey to know that shot blockers love to play help defense more than anything. We allowed Bell to do that. We should have attempted to switch JJ and Frank on him every possession. Get him on the bench or at least scared to foul. We didn't do this, at least from what I saw, and that is 100% on Bill. Hindsight is 20/20, but he gets paid the big bucks to be able to make these adjustments.
Fifth point, sometimes it isn't our destiny or the stars didn't align or Karma hits or whatever you believe. The back to back 3s to end the half were just a sign of "no matter what you do, this won't be your night." Dorsey hitting an NBA 3 with a hand in his face at the end of the shot clock is a sign. JJ picking up two fouls immediately is a sign. Going 0-12 or something like that to start the 2nd half is a sign. It just wasn't mean to be. And we have to see that.
Finally, what the hell is it about the Sprint Center? We suck there. I mean we are awful in that building. Purdue was an outlier if you ask me. I was at the Davidson game a few years back. We are only 5/9 in Big XII Tournament Championship IN KANSAS CITY. We even get practice games there early in the year. It is absurd. And I just can't figure out why the hell that is.
Anyhow, that's my perception on what happened.
@brooksmd well DG, Svi, Vick, Doke, and Newman will at least have done some time in the program. Preston or if we somehow land Duvall would be our only true OAD guys. To me, a team that loaded is exciting. Throw in Bragg if he can find his jumper and get his head screwed back on all the way.
@chriz did you hear the announcer say when the last time Oregon made a final four? Like 70 years ago. It could be much much worse. The sky isn't falling. The program is going to continue all of its streaks. And yea a championship would be nice.
But if that's all you watch basketball for and the only thing you consider to be greatness then why do we even play the games? I think you're missing out on the fun part of college sports. The rivalries, tradition and love for our players and school. Just because 3 or 4 other schools can make fun of us for not winning as many championships doesn't mean 150 other schools aren't envious of us.
Sorry to say so much. I just hate when our fans don't appreciate what we have accomplished. We can sometimes act like spoiled little kids and need to learn how to appreciate the small things.
@chriz yes you should. We made the elite 8 with 7 rotation players and our single rim protector hurt. We made the elite 8 with guys like Frank, DG and LL starting. Guys nobody could have imagined the type of careers they ended up having.
Take as much time to grieve as you need. We all hate this. It always stings and we want to point fingers. But to win 6 straight games with a short bench against good opponents is hard to do.
Finally, next years team will be every bit as good as this team. There will be a lot of new faces, but there is a potential for next seasons team to have 6 draft picks. 6. That is some serious talent. And that is something to be excited about!
Hold your head high. We support a rock solid program and something that we should be proud of. We are the gold standard year in and year out.
I haven't had the time I want to pay attention to the Royals at Spring training. What's it looking like for the 2nd base spot? What are we doing with Cutbbert? Need to keep him to replace Moose at 3B next season. Not saying we get rid of moose, but a transition to 1B seems like a realistic option for him.
@Texas-Hawk-10 I know we have better QBs. But that isn't saying much.
@BShark How often do we miss on a late Spring Signee like this though? Self must be feeling good.
@kjayhawks I expect a lot out of these two, but i am really trying to temper those expectations. Neither player matters if a QB can't get anyone the ball.
@JayHawkFanToo I believe the rule is that a parent can't work there within the two years like you said, unless the parent is hired on as an Assistant Coach. They thought that this would deter most coaches from hiring a parent because they can only have 3 assistants who can "officially recruit."
@JayHawkFanToo Oh I think they have a lot going against them to do it. I'm just saying that if they joined the AAC that they would probably be expected to get football started again. No matter the cost really.
What would be the cost to get a D1AA going? Could they do that? I'll read that link later, I just don't have time to do it right now. And I don't know all of the rules that go along with putting in a program. Could they limit themselves on scholarships and basically play with Walk-ons to start? That way they don't have to add a large 2nd program for women like rowing.
Also just looked up who is in the AAC really quick. Didn't realize Memphis left for the American... and that the AAC Conference will only get about $400k per year in TV revenue. Not good.
The likelihood of them getting football is probably less than 1%. But I also don't see the need for them to immediately jump to a 100 scholarship team with a multi-million dollar coaching staff and facilities. I'm not talking about them being competitive, just having a program. Build the foundation, keep pumping money into the basketball program and then when the time and finances are right, make the investment in football. Be the worst football team in the country for a little while, it pays well. KU paid URI $500k just to come get stomped. Do that 3 games a year and the program might actually pay for itself.... Just my thoughts, but I obviously am not the one who has to find or pony up any money to do this.
@JayHawkFanToo I think that the plan would be for WSU to develop a football program again down the road from their added TV revenue. WSU has essentially said they can't afford to start a football program in the MVC. But, 2 or 3 years in the AAC drawing TV revenue could get them there.
@BShark Tilmon better end up in Lawrence now. He should be priotity #1. And Waters #2. Then any of the other leftovers from IU and UW when Romar inevitably ends up at Mizzou. Did Crean land anyone at Indiana?
@JayHawkFanToo It was a hit and run for a hefty majority of people. If it was just that, a fender bender, than why did you even bring up the other examples?
You are trying to justify what he did. You can say all the little quips afterwards, "I don't condone", "I'm not saying that's what happened." But when you say the things you do before that, it nullifies that you actually believe it. You are saying it just so you don't get any backlash.
If you don't condone behavior, don't make excuses for it. Otherwise, you are actually condoning ↗ it.
@Crimsonorblue22 TFerg did get to make a lot of money this year though and he fell right about where he would have I think. Seems like he made the right choice for himself.
@JayHawkFanToo If it were "just a fender bender" he wouldn't be going to court... And trying to explain it away like he was being extorted is even funnier. He broke the law. Ran. And then made it worse.
The one good thing is that at least he has a conscience and somehow took care of 90% of the issue.
@dylans Hit and run is a little bit of a character issue... Let's not act like it isn't.
@BeddieKU23 Yea CBS isn't one of the better ones that I know of... Draftexpress and NBAdraft.net are typically the 2 best year in and year out and both have him in the mid to late 2nd round.
@kjayhawks Frank has been in the 2nd round of every draft board I've looked at lately. Seems his consistency this season has really helped him out. Made 3's in what like 28 straight games? At a 50% clip? Solid assist to turnover ratio. Great rebounder for a guard. Only thing not to like is size. But I am glad to see him start getting on draft boards. You could do worse for a backup PG.
He better hope his draft stock doesn't go down.... Moving down just 1 pick could cost him $1.2M. Going down 2 picks would cost him $2.1M. 3 picks would cost him $3.1M. Etc.
It is a lot of money to play basketball still, but also a lot of money to lose if something were to happen and he couldn't play past his rookie contract.
@BShark Can Frank tell coach he backed into a car too?
@HighEliteMajor Haha let's just say that there is only room in my heart for one 6'7 post with an ugly jumper.
On another note, the European game has been good to Jamari. Putting up good numbers and overwhelming people with athleticism it seems.
@Statmachine Whats that from?
This is his big chance...
And besides just rooting for him, this is big for KU if he can continue to get better and work his way to a starting role at some point. Big recruiting tool for us that we can spin from something I'm sure people have used as a negative we can turn it into a positive.
@BeddieKU23 I don't expect them to be any better next year... Let's be honest. Hoiberg is an elite level coach. I hope he ends up back in the college game. He is a class act and a great basketball mind. I have a feeling he will be back in the college game sooner than later. And I'll be glad to have him back.
@BeddieKU23 This cracks me up! Hilton magic my ass. 6th best home record in the conference the past 13 seasons... And that is excluding WVU.
@globaljaybird Personally, I think our pitching is underrated.
Duffy, Kennedy and Hammel can all be 180-200 innings. All between a 3 and 4 ERA.
Vargas should get us 120 innings or so with a 3-4 ERA.
And our 5, Karns, is a wildcard with potential to be a 3-4 ERA. Although he has not shown that at the big league level. Ultimately I hope a minor league guy can pitch his way to the 5th spot and Karns can go be our 8th inning guy.
But even as is, our bullpen is a top 5 in the league still. We have 7,8,9 guys still. Soria can't be as bad as last season.... Strahm is going to be just fine. Herrera could possibly be a better closer than WD. We will just have to wait and see. And we added Wood giving us a lefty-lefty weapon we haven't had since Tim Collins. This is a good pen. If we stay healthy, this is a playoff team no doubt about it.
@approxinfinity Thanks!
@BShark Yea he has Self written all over him... I just have to think a graduate transfer would be a better fit if we were just patient and waited out the rest of the season. He hasn't been offered yet has he?
@approxinfinity Not to be neeedy, but what are the chances we can get a picture for this topic? Maybe just a nice pic overlooking the K?
@Crimsonorblue22 He better be a 200 inning machine this season. We need him to be.