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@REHawk Or maybe Barnes is let out to pasture at TX Tech; Tubby goes to Wichita....

Texas probably deserves a coaching change, maybe to a Greg Marshall or that shifty Shaka guy, VCU. If Barnes' days aren't seriously numbered, then TX is completely bailing on the sport of basketball, saving dollars on custodial help not needed to sweep empty aisles after home contests...but for occasions when Jayhawks swoop into Austin. Barnes is likely one of the good guys, maybe too good to be super competitive like his iron-willed peer who rules the roost in Lawrence. Marshall comes to UT, Barnes goes to Wichita State: a decent flip-flop.

Does Turner regret choosing TX over KU? Personally, I am content that he did migrate to Austin. Has been a splendid Jayhawk experience, to date, watching our coaching staff adjust to a squad w/o a steady tall go-to player. We might have won as many games with Turner in Lawrence; but probably we would not have gotten the chance to watch Bill Self pilot this spiffy new car by the seat of his pants.

IMHO, we go 1-1 with WVU, we win league title outright, no ties.

@globaljaybird IMHO, keeping Frank on his wheels is essential to Jayhawk Wins. Bill Self the Gambler is most evident in close review of the minutes he leans on his starters and stars. I will beat this dead horse one more time: Miles and Lankford were SPENT, and at a time when Russ Rob wasted away in the fridge. This season, Bill seems to be relying more on his 6/7/8 players, at least recently...and #9 (Lucas) occasionally earns premium time. But Frank still averages a bundle of minutes in league play, with wrapped legs and a bulldog determination not to back off from discomforts (or anything/anyone else). This squad will advance just as far as Frank can play with at least 90% physicality. Vegas odds on KU will tumble if word gets out that Frank is seriously hurting, esp. if he is forced to ride the pine. If offered the choice, I would, right now, take 2 more league losses rather than lose a healthy Frank Mason. Even tho he is nearing max condition, I grind molars when he plays more than 31 minutes.

Kruger did a masterful job of beating that WVU press. A couple of years ago I posted an article about the strength of Big 12 coaching, experienced winners from top to bottom. On any given occasion, each of these guys is capable of designing splendid game plans. Bill Self's record speaks for itself, his tenacity for the league win title rarely blemished en route. But weekly he foxes with peers who possess the wind of Blue Collar Hounds.

There looms another serious factor in the Svi Saga. Military turmoil at home. His family might be comfortable with his staying in the USA for an extended spell, perhaps even a 3rd year in Lawrence if his stardom is late arriving and NBA draft boards appear not to guarantee early professional security with First Round selection. As previously posted on this thread, he is currently caught in a numbers game with more experienced players who have proved more advanced mastery at various skillsets important to Bill Self Hoops. Obviously, Svi is a powderkeg awaiting the sizzling fuse. I hope he stays with the program. However, like Wiggins, his talent and potential might be better designed to fit NBA Basketball.

@wrwlumpy Speaking of playing with pace, doesn't West Virginia lead the nation in forced turnovers? Self ought to see some dandy "pace" in that contest.

Bill Self's Game Plan was of World Series caliber. What a string of change-ups! Man O Man, posters on this board have lived like terriers churning at a mole hill, dead certain of rewards for such sustained attack. Yee-haw!

@wrwlumpy Your recent string of photos has been absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!! Please keep up the good work.

@jaybate-1.0 That business about Zimmerman or no other big signing with the Jayhawks, I find it difficult to analyze or explain. I suppose it is just too early; big kids in such demand that they are waiting to see how lineups shake out, come spring. But, hey, with Jayhawks to represent USA in summertime World University Games? Just imagine the exposure. What's the holdup for the likes of Zimmerman et. al.?

@KJD You struck soundly the key chord from that TCU concert: saving bodies by inserting so many subs. But for Mason, our starters should be rested and raring to go at 1 pm Saturday. Mason's wheels represent a huge concern. That kid drew upon maximum energy Wed. night, and, again, was forced to play at least 5 too many minutes. How long can his body hold up to those demands? Is certainly time for teammates to dig a little deeper in order to lessen the load being toted by their point guard. And coaching staff has to find ways and means to rest him. Frank is a relentless warrior. Those two missed freethrows toward the close? Before he shot them, I told the wife that he would be lucky to get the ball to the rim! His legs had to be spent.

@jaybate-1.0 A very serious concern, the spread of that flu bug. Man O Man, I came down with a serious bout of the worst of that stuff early Dec., and am still coughing up phlegm. My aging system certainly could not have engaged in strenuous physical activity for a week and a half from the outset. Difficult to imagine Oubre's getting back to full strength by Monday. Also, difficult to imagine remainder of squad not being affected by spread of that bug. 23 of our family members dined together Thanksgiving Day. 17 came down with the flu within the next week. Of 6 who did not, five had gotten earlier flu shots; none of the 17 had received shots.

"Keep it simple, Fellas. Big Dog whining about practicetime elbow to his sternum. He's slowly learning to MAN UP!" Wm. Self

I'm striving to envision precisely how BIll Self might respond to this particular thread. In all due respect to the spectacular depth of hypotheses presented by very serious thoughtprovoking fans, I hear him declaring, "Bullcrap! Situation: 6 days, 3 games. First game, TCU, one of 2 current Big 12 bottomfeeders. Send my 'hawks out to play, no specific hype, just a stern warning regarding huge upset loss in Fort Worth a couple of years ago. Gotta start a freshman with the flu, baby another freshman with a throbbing sternum, cope with a junior starter who can't get away with early multiple fouling, then manage apoplexy over a harum-scarum sophomore gunner who can't find a means to get himself open. Toss into that mix another cold shooting night from my 2 guard, and HELL, what can people expect, at least on the offensive side of the charts? Call a few timely time-outs and DEMAND that remaining active troops at least play standard 21st century Jayhawk Defense. Bite down the bile over having to ride the dominance of my starting point guard for another 35 minutes, then pray for the best. We limp from the court with a win, carve another notch, then rev the engines for Saturday invasion of that gapingmouth undertaker at AFH! Ya SATISFIED??????????"

I assume that Bill Self did not amp his squad for this contest. Would envision the Big Amp coming Saturday vs. Purple Pride. Self's ego at stake vs. Weber and in-state rival. If I were grading this TCU contest I would award Frank an "A," Self a "C+," Selden and Alexander "Ds." Maybe Cliff's sore sternum explains his play. We really missed Oubre, and Perry's early fouls changed the dynamic. In big picture, a league win is a league win. Onward and Upward!

No game this season could better illustrate the importance of Frank Mason to the winning percentage of this team. Without that kid we would be a mediocre squad, no better than tied for the conference lead, more likely sitting alongside Texas or Okie State in the loss column. How many minutes did Frank have to play tonight, valiantly surging toward the basket for scores while his more heralded teammate Wayne Selden kept firing blanks at the rim? If Oubre was really sick, I suppose it is understandable that Selden played much of the final 3 1/2 minutes; but I shuddered that Bill Self felt it necessary to break the bubble of his closing formula in the previous two games. Other than the win, the biggest positive tonight, imho, was the fact that bench players logged lotsa minutes, not overtaxing legs for the wicked Saturday/Monday turnabout. But for Frank. Can Frank Mason hold out w/o injury for two more strenuous contests in the next five days?

@drgnslayr End of tunnel optimism...how bright the light? I am beginning to envision our Jayhawks as a Final Four Contender. Jaybate questions strength of current Big 12. Has the league been over-hyped? As we measure our strength, that is indeed a concern; although the squad has played a very tough nonconference schedule and survived exceedingly well, even at a juncture when the freshmen were deep into adjustment to the speed of the game. Self will be wary of his squad's winning out and growing overconfident. He sacrificed the game at Iowa State to garner the attention not only of Alexander, but his entire squad. I would imagine that deep down within his experience and savvy lurks the coiled cobra, waiting for an optimal moment to strike once more, guaranteeing future strength via calamity of an earlier loss. I don't see that happening in the next 6-day/3-game schedule, however. Not acceptable, a strategic loss at AFH. And tonight his kids play on fresh legs. Speaking of which, it would be dandy if He could work 10 players onto the board in these next two contests, maybe even an 11th (Manning) for brief relief of the 8 annointed chessmen. None of the current 8 key players utilized for more than a combined 56 minutes before Hoiberg's crew comes to town. Can we eventually defeat the current undefeated? I have not followed Virginia, but have kept an eye on Kentucky and their braying mentor. I really hope that Kentucky wins out, prior to the NCAA Tournament. That would be the best possible formula for them to collapse at the crapshoot. I don't know if we could hit enough threes to do the deed; but if the Wildcats roar into the Tournament with overconfidence, some team will bring them down. Write it now on your April calendar. As for the Jayhawks, I think a Final Four is not only believable but also perhaps the limit for our squad. At this juncture, I cannot yet see a National Title game in the cards.

@jaybate-1.0 "...help my dad embalm Alf Landon."????????????? You gotta be crappin' us!

@jaybate-1.0 Sometimes there are said to be SPLINTERS in that grass.

3 more wins by late next Monday and Bejeweled Bill swings aboard a camel named Clyde.

@jaybate-1.0 Uh, uh! Ah, ah! You are slipsliding again!!!!!! MAN UP! None of this "one loss" bullhockey!

@jaybate-1.0 Now, jb, don't be a'backin' up on your recent prediction, even before the Austin trip, that our Jayhawks are destined to win out! HA! Surely, that assessment was posted tongue-in-cheek. That said, here's my take on the upcoming 6-day/3-game schedule.
We win at TCU because of talent mismatch, and because of two giant warnings: the huge upset down there a couple of years ago and TCU taking WVU to overtime Saturday. Self can squeeze by w/o the big amp Wed. night. The BIG AMP comes Saturday vs. Purple Invaders at AFH. Self himself is worth a couple of points, the field house is worth a couple, and the AMP seals the advantage. Weber crawls home to Manhattan dragging drooping dobber. Greatest threat is the quick turnabout game Monday night vs. ISU. Jayhawks dig deep into cache of PRIDE to pull out that victory. 10:45 p.m. Monday night, KU 8-1 in the league. Your earlier prognostication right on target! Ammo exhausted, but guns and manpower intact.

@wrwlumpy Man, if this Oubre kid does not become lock-in lottery, I hope he stays another year. Bill Self is working with a group of very special individuals this season.

Fantastic series of hustle plays by Traylor. And coming off a week or so with hip flexor! Talk about heart...WOW!

@jaybate-1.0 Man, I am puzzled about the Svi Factor, too. Is the Sviatislov Camp regretting entrance to Bill Self Jayhawk Basketball?
Something is screwy with Svi's hitting the wall. Gotta be some mystery factors at play somewhere behind this scene. If it is merely a matter of numbers (vying for playing time) then I'd recommend practicing him at point guard...as insurance against injury to Frank or Devonte. Selden might be able to cover, in a pinch; but why not prepare one of quickest thinkers, crispest passers on the team?

Whether Cliff has been cooped in the proverbial doghouse or no, he had sure as heck better lunge from the bench, even if it means snapping Self's brass chain, for this upcoming Longhorn challenge. Without a solid 20+ minutes from Cliff Alexander, Jayhawks are in trouble...unless, of course, we keep it close in the closing minutes, when Self will once again outcoach or prove to have outrecruited Barnes for the win.

@jayhawk-007 BEST bet to save our fannies in a clutch situation, key contest: OUBRE!

@JayHawkFanToo Gotta admit that I kinda feel for Beasley, even tho he represented the Octagon. Just a mention of that kid usually draws my smiles. Other than Durant, in the Bill Self ascendancy, he is just about the only outlying Big 12 player whose career I follow. Might be wrong, but I envisioned Beasley as something of a young latchkey lad who was fortunate enough to discover his calling at an early age; but then the fast easy money derailed him from stability as a drugfree contributor to the game which had fostered his success and childhood promise. The American Dream gone awry. I hope he gets it together, eventually returns to the League. I would imagine that he has become a popular player for Chinese Hoops. He is certainly blessed with a load of personality and talent. Still clocking sizable dollars.

@jaybate-1.0 Here's hoping that someone offered a recording of the Jayhawk Chant, so as to invigorate the Prez on occasions when he slinks to the latenight gym in his #1 KU singlet.

@REHawk ...and I would have written in the same vein even if Shotgun Dick Cheney or his Pup would have visited and paid us a similar tribute.

@HighEliteMajor I'll tell you what, HEM, "TX Girl" represents one issue on which you and I will never differ! A spectacular find.

Regardless of political affiliation or passionate dogma, this visit was an honor to our hoops program, a chance meeting which fired up our student-athletes. What better site for the most prominent leader in the world to make a public show than the University of Kansas, which represents a big chunk of the origin of the game we so well cherish? Bill Self and minions were very appreciative and energized.
A dandy tribute to Jayhawk Basketball. Rock Chalk!

Rick Barnes might just be chewing on a Tarkanian towel today. Jayhawk players are really fired up. Hope the President's message reverberates into April. Strive not just to be good; be GREAT!

At this juncture, I think that if our freshmen remain on the upswing, and if Self continues to tighten the reins on Selden, and if we suffer no extended injuries to our curent starters (also Cliff, Brannen, Devonte), we win the league outright at 15-3; or perhaps a tie at 14-4. That thinking involves a trio of significant IFs...but would seem reasonable, based on the strength of the league and Bill Self's credentials. We lose Frank, Kelly or Cliff to injury for 3 games: YIKES!

@icthawkfan316 Your post represents very much the essence of this entire site. We debate, argue, swing to and fro on the Selden/Greene pluses and minuses, then KABOOM!, a thoughtful commentator breaks in with GRAHAM! Lawrence Journal World Sports lost a veritable goldmine of daily attention when it blew off the folk who have moved along to this and other significant sites.
I'd much rather read the daily Buckets entries than stay tuned in to LJW and KC Star professional sports reports.

Just as we have seen Frank Mason rise to the fore as Team Bulldog, we must not disregard the fact that Wayne Selden, also, fits that description, but cut in a somewhat different mold. Selden is a bold warrior who would not have backed away from taking shots in the closing minutes of last night's tight contest. Amazing, the feel that Bill Self had for the overall rhythm of the game in the last 6 minutes, spreading the offense, trusting in his best shooters, depending on Greene and eventually pulling the plug on Selden, flushing him to the bench. Wayne's shots are not falling dependably in most games this season. Gotta hope that he comes out of that slump. But even more so, gotta trust that he fully comprehends and is copacetic with the moves of his coach last night. He has to stay upbeat and willing to sacrifice sometimes for the greater good. No doubt in my mind that he WILL and SHOULD remain an essential starting pawn on Self's chessboard.

@jaybate-1.0 Your astute assessment that Self was willing to absorb the loss at Ames when he sat Cliff to get his team's attention: RIGHT ON TARGET! I was pissed beyond belief Sat. night that Self let that win escape. But now I can envision the true genius of his determined stance. Big 12 dominance? Most probably, from here on out. I still predict some losses; however, now a very sound chance of winning the title outright. For the first time this season I can see our Jayhawks standing all alone with 3 losses or fewer. And I am usually one of the most pessimistic of fans. Yee-haw!

Latest AP poll shows no K State in top 40 ranked teams.

@Crimsonorblue22 And here's the thing: I crossed the Rio Grande at noon, drank and kicked up my heels until 5 p.m. I still feel a glow!
Should have reached the tiptop of positivity by this hour. I certainly hope that by 9:30 I won't be inclined to pitch a shoe through the TV screen....

I felt more confident going into Ames than I feel tonight. I really had determined that our squad was coming together. Now I am not so certain, not so confident. Very hard to imagine Bill Self losing consecutive league games with the talent he has available, esp. with the Fieldhouse to lend advantage. I suppose I would wager a ten spot on the Jayhawks, $20.00 if I could get 2/1 odds. But I would not wager my best shirt on the outcome tonight...not even a seamless pair of comfy boot socks. For 4th day of posts, I still think that Selden and Alexander must better fit in order for current squad to soar. One, SHOULD be playing more efficiently; the other, hopefully prepared to take a belated giant step upward. I don't envision Bill Self reverting to jaybate's proverbial cryogenic box with any essential player again tonight. If so, he will have reached such a level of frustration that the Vegas bookies will shudder every time called upon to post Kansas odds.

@Lulufulu You know, I thought he threw a couple of errant passes which would have tallied turnovers when he first entered the game last night. But the Big 12 site showed him with no turnovers for the game...and none for league play.

@icthawkfan316 No, no, no suggesting a changing of the guard! Merely pointing out a surprising stat I had just read on the Big 12 League Stat sheet. Graham leads the league in assist to turnover. I have been very pleased with Frank's efforts and productions. I do wish that Graham had gotten a few of Selden's minutes last night (but that is in retrospect, and I'm really not sniping, tho I wish that Self would offer Wayne less of a free pass). It startles me more than somewhat that Graham is playing so efficiently after rejoining the team after his injured toe layoff. Oubre and Alexander arrived in Lawrence with much more fanfare; but Graham appears to be the steadiest of the group, at least for first 50+ minutes of Jayhawk playing time. A freshman with immediate game.

In current stats, league play only, Graham: 13 assists, 0 turnovers! Mason: 16/8.

After-the-fact reflections: Subtract 15 from the combined minutes of Selden, Lucas, Traylor. Add those 15 to combined minutes of Graham and Alexander. SHAZAM!

Selden and Alexander: missing more than somewhat above the neckline. Lucas and Traylor: missing more than somewhat below the neckline. Greene and Self: who the hell knows? Not the most harmful loss on KU league schedule; but I came away feeling that this game could have been won.

@HighEliteMajor After a sound night's sleep I just re-read all the posts on this thread. I think that this is one of your most comprehensive posts, to date. I concur regarding Cliff. If Ellis is to succeed in Self's traditional system, Cliff has to see the light and respond accordingly.
I've the feeling that Self will actually swing 30% toward adjusting his offense to meet his current squad's strengths. If so, Perry's numbers will ascend. Self has commented on Embiid's intelligence. All of us were startled last season at the rapid pace of his development, how he so quickly supplanted the much more experienced Tarik Black and captured not only the stat sheet but the imagination of NBA scouts. Cliff's ascent has been slower, and he does not have the mentorship or back of Black to lean upon. The loss of Embiid's length and fantastic progress has, in some ways, shattered Bill Self's scheming for this current squad. Just imagine how our post would look with the pair of Embiid/Alexander! But as you succinctly stated, Embiid is not going to walk back in the door. Self is adjusting somewhat on the fly. The "go to" guy of preseason planning is hobbled while Cliff gradually makes progress. Self has shown signs of allowing Ellis to step outside his box to produce points. To have survived this far against such heady competition, and with only 2 losses, Jayhawk Nation has already watched one of the mightiest coaching efforts in Bill Self's KU tenure, probably his entire career. I really find it fascinating, watching how he seems to be driving by the seat of his pants, steering this machinery down the pike.
At this juncture, it seems to me that Perry is not nearly the problem as are Cliff and Wayne. When those two players settle into steady beat, the motor will run much more smoothly. Everyone will forget that Perry's production has been thwarted by so many other engine malfunctions, the entire machinery not yet quite in sync. Yet, still winning! This game today in Ames is bound to tell us a lot about how far along the team has come, and how well the coaching staff can continue to adjust...on the fly, so to speak. We don't absolutely have to earn this win in order to see where we are and where we are going. Iowa State will be playing balls-out in order to avoid consecutive losses. If Self and Co. can pull out a victory, posters will earn a reprieve to relax somewhat, even though this league warfare will keep Jayhawks in the trenches through late March. This is a fantastic season for Big 12 Basketball.

Usually, this time of night, I can produce a tiny touch of offense; some nights, even some defense. However, somewhere along this thread I got stranded on an icy bluff among the mountain lions. As I posted somewhere earlier today, or perhaps it was late yesterday, I'm patiently but earnestly waiting for Mr. Flex to shine. Sooner or later he will...probably later. When he does, this team will catch fire.

@jaybate-1.0 Yeah, yeah.... You are a bullshitter deluxe!

@JayHawkFanToo If we eventually should read very clearly and revealingly the deeply buried substance of such a yes/no answer, the NCAA might implode and completely collapse.