@wrwlumpy "Father Dudenhoffer of Jayhawk Basketball..." Ah, nice. Many of us will not forget to refer back to that nomenclature!
REHawk
1583 posts
@jaybate-1.0 Man, did you ever capture the essence of what I was feebly trying to say in a nutshell!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for helping me to SEE what I have for a longtime FELT! For 3 years or so I have wrangled more than somewhat with HEM; although I certainly bow to his superior knowledge and understanding of this game. I admire his posts and cannot begin to approach or even fully comprehend the depth of his Xs/Os delineations. You two guys and a handful of other posters almost daily present some marvelous hoops posts. I am more of a FEEL guy, a RELATIONSHIPS type of poster. I do appreciate your steady feedback and acknowledgements, jb. All in all, isn't this a splendid season to follow Bill Self and current Jayhawk Basketball? The KU Hoops Universe seems occasionally to be spinning almost counter to anything we have witnessed in the past 12 years.
@JayHawkFanToo I happily concur with both you guys re the Collison thing. If the guy has the ability to recruit, what a CATCH that would be!
I know that I have often referred to the Big Tournament as a crapshoot; and am fairly certain that some of our best posters disagree with that simple estimate. Actually, I refer mostly to the Elite 8, Final 4, Title games. I, too, will be very unhappy to see us lose the opening round; even the second game. After that, I see it as a toss-up. Almost like flipping a coin...though not quite. I do hope (and somehow TRUST) that this squad and coaching staff will develop winning ways outside the customary Bill Self Parameters. Has already been a stretch, but slashing and outside shooting has paid heady dividends. I await Cliff Alexander's soon to be meteoric rise to 28 minute prominence!
@jaybate-1.0 I tend to frame most of my Jayhawk Hoops Thinking and Posting only along lines of Big 12 play. Especially at this stage of a Div. 1 hoops season, I wear blinders regarding post-league play. That was my approach to coaching, and that is the way I succeeded...and lost! I never lost a conference title, but, admittedly, ill-prepared my kids for state championship competition. My feeling was: Win the league; anything beyond is gravy. I still tend to feel that way, although I recognize that such thinking is diametrically opposed to that of most posters on this site, esp. High Elite Major. I do take pride and feel a sense of glory in post-season wins, but tend to see the big tournament as a crapshoot. I'd rather win the league title, then lose in 2nd round of the Tournament, than lose the Big 12 cup and advance to the Final Four. Heresy? HA!
I think you might have touched deep truth regarding Bill's thinking regarding the eventual outcomes for his current squad. I see him already thinking ahead. And, yeah, as much as I am opposed to the accumulation and loading of One-and Doners, he probably has decided to buy into the Kentucky/Duke flow. Sad, I feel. But must be done in order to compete successfully with such programs. Maybe a few Perry Ellises and Jeff Witheys can be offered and retained; but much more emphasis on fetching talent from among best 15 Rivals players to set foot on the planet annually. Kids already pencilled in to future lotteries. Stack em up at least five or six deep. But, Man O Man, how does Bill Self adjust his coaching to so many superathletes who will barely find time to read beyond page 10 of his playbook before they fly off and away? Can Bill adjust to frenetic life without a supporting bundle of third and fourth year knowledgeable and experienced players??????? Can he continue to win...at his current 83+% pace? Does the Jayhawk Nation really give much of a damn, so long as KU advances yearly to the Final Four?
Well, I ramble. Enough...for now.
Speaking of new nicknames, do we not recognize our truly and comically newest? MR. FLEX!
Well, imho, one thing is for certain. Jayhawk Nation is bound to see more of "inside-out" offense this season. It represents standard tried and true Bill Self Basketball, and as much as we think we would like to see it shelved until midApril, no way does it hit the basement storage bin. Bill is expanding his parameters, stretching principles, toying with different horizons. Beneath the veneer, he is dyed in the wool "feed the post" guru, sublimated mastery tucked away in the closet for the moment, but rip rarin' to spring free. I figure that he feels bound to show all of us how his system can function, even in a season with no footer, and harboring a dynamic but slowly developing future paint patroller now recognized as MR. FLEX. If Bill is reading the occasional obituaries to his inside-out game, he must be snickering from the corners of a cold merciless grin.
Yesterday I read a post in which someone quoted Travis Ford declaring that OSU was determined not to allow the Jayhawks to "run their stuff" against his Cowboys. HA! I wonder what "stuff" he refers to. Heck, Bill Self might not even know what stuff his squad will run Tuesday night! Jayhawk Nation awaits the continuing development of our offense with bated breath.
@Kip_McSmithers Thanks, Kip. That was fairly easy to do, even for an old fart.
@Kip_McSmithers Aw, jeez, does that mean I'd be forced to tweet and twiddle? If so, I will just await wrwlumpy's gracious copies and oftentimes colorful commentary. At one time I did learn to call up something called utube, but this facebook and tweet crap falls outside my aging inclinations.
@wrwlumpy Lumpy, I was absent on this board for several weeks this past summer, so might have missed an explanation of who you are...better yet, how in all holy hell you gain access to these terrific photos. Can you step forth now to satisfy my curiousity?
@jaybate-1.0 jb, I have nothing to add, other than to give a thumbs up to JayHawkFan and ictfan...who both posted some wise stuff. I'd say that Tarik's choosing to stay at home in Memphis might eventually have led to distractions from his optimal development; but that is just a wild assumption. Along the way he appeared to determine that Pastner's program was not going to get him where he hoped to go; so he was wise enough to work the 3-year grad rule, then choose between Coach K or Self for his last shot at prime development.
We owe Tarik a bundle...esp. does Embiid. If Black bombs and disappears from the League, Joel should probably buy him a topoftheline Mercedes as a thankful tribute to the 2013-14 help. As for all of us, I cannot recall any other KU one-and-doner who deserves more accolades than Tarik Black.
Even though this victory WAS against perhaps the weakest team in our league, the Jayhawk Nation celebrates joyfully at the manner in which Self allowed his squad to play. Rightly so, as this change-up has been a long time coming. Just imagine the relief and joy felt by the likes of Perry Ellis who has so often been throttled by opponents who have figured how to stop his post moves as the season progresses, a season deplete of a talented tall post player to work alongside him. The criticism heaped upon him recently should more justly be shared by the coaching staff. I figure that we might be premature in claiming that Self's customary "feed the post" approach is dead and buried. The Guy has built an amazing career and record, holding true and steadfast to what has worked so effectively well over 80% of gametimes while at KU. Man, is he ever pulling at his deeprooted molars this season!!! Looping them with 200 pound test monofilament tied to a Mac truck! Now it is obvious that he is capable of pitching some major change-ups depending upon time, place, action. Perhaps we will see a less predictable Bill Self when the mid-majors arrive to throw their practiced curve balls in late March. This was a fun win for most everyone concerned with Jayhawk Basketball. Here's hoping the Guy was able to sleep well....
@jaybate-1.0 I think I read that the Lakers on Wed. will decide whether to hang on to Tarik. Here's hoping he stays and flourishes.
The Tarik Black stats last night were terrific. Somewhere I read that his performance constituted "Black Magic!"
@Kip_McSmithers Here's another upvote for Firefox.
@REHawk Was that not the game where jaybate coined the phrase, "Butcher Barnes?"
@JayHawkFanToo As I recall, Longhorn Ridley got away with some of that same Rico Gathers stuff last year, esp. evidenced by his throwing Embiid to the floor.
@jaybate-1.0 My Man, are you ever ON tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!
@JayHawkFanToo By the way, thanks for your time and effort in researching and posting the Drew/Self comparative stats on another thread. Very enlightening...and entertaining.
@JayHawkFanToo I'd like to watch those Vegas odds by tip-off. Surely the Big Boys aren't serious about risking their dollars, Drew vs. Self at this juncture...with these two squads. If the Bears pull out a victory, then the Temple outcome will not have been an anomaly.
@HighEliteMajor Barnes might have made a key misjudgment, depending on Taylor to get back in the flow so quickly and dependably after the long recovery, esp. vs. one of top teams in the league. Might have been more stabilizing to start Felix before testing waters with Taylor. But that is hindsight. In comparison to top echelon of Div. 1 coaches, Barnes has always seemed to be a solid "B" rated contender. My big fear is an injury to Mason whom I am now viewing as "38 Minute Frank." Already coping with a sore shin, our point guard is cast into full stress parameters. If Frank goes down, Holy H. Moly! I do think Self is gradually bowing to flexibility. Will he out-think himself somewhere down the pike, reverting to his tried and true offense against a bottom feeder, then get whacked?
Hey, jaybate! Ol' "Butcher Barnes" got his butt paddled. Eh, what?
Man O Man, that drubbing of the Longhorns by the Sooners (and in Austin) last night serves to scream shrilly, THIS BIG 12 RACE IS IN FOR SOME TOPSY-TURVY OUTINGS! Not that the Sooners aren't a serious contender; but the final score should be a wake-up call to the five or six league schools who think they have a serious chance to win or tie for the championship. Hitch up yer belts, Folks. This league is in for some wild rides!
@Shanghai_RCJH Thanks for the counter-stats. Interesting to me that ISU so far down, both in KenPom and your stats. I figure Hoiberg to finish higher than so ranked in these figures.
@justanotherfan You hit the bullseye re injury factor. KU MUST keep Frank Mason rolling. 38 minutes for Frank scares the hell out of me.
@Shanghai_RCJH I read that Vaughn was recovering from flu. If his bout was anything like mine, he was bound not to bounce back well until more than 10 days after onset. Of course, I am like 50+ years his elder....
@drgnslayr The Frankamp loss now looms HUGE. With Graham sidelined, Frank is playing at least five too many minutes...and on a painful shank already. We are bound to see a Gimpy Sherron before long if Frank does not get rest. How far will this squad go with a sidelined Frank Mason? YIKES!
@KUSTEVE Optimus Prime...Frank. Nice.
@jaybate-1.0 ...love the Muse.
@jaybate-1.0 What other coach? Maybe Larry Brown, 1988. But then, he had Danny. We got 38 Minute Frank! WOW! And with a splintery shank....
@approxinfinity My take, at this juncture: If our league is won by 3 losses, Longhorns win it outright. But more likely 4 or 5 losses to win the title; with KU in the mix for a tie with Texas and maybe one other squad. If Self wins it outright, hand him another $5 million!
Man O Man, this thread has touched the very essence of 2014/15 Jayhawk Hoops dilemma. WHAT DOES BILL SELF DO WITH HIS SHOOTING GUARD WHOSE SHOTS AREN'T FALLING? I've thought for some time that the Selden free pass was wearing thin, if not ragged. But with Graham sidelined and Svi and Greene so mercurial, what the heck to do other than run Oubre out of his ascending position in order to bring Greene in at the 3 while Selden sits? Right now it is a tantalizing thought, playing Mason, Oubre and Greene in a jaybate scenario, raining 25+ threes per game. Self would laugh that off as Fools' Gold Indeed. But I look to see him give it a shot, briefly and intermittently. This upcoming UNLV contest just might be worth reviewing again and again, even if KU should suffer a Temple-like outcome. I look to see more pro-active decision making earlier in the second half if we revert to similar mayhem.
Speaking of league stats, has anyone clicked onto the Big 12 Hoops homepage recently to look at stats? Jayhawks have played excruciating competition; but...JEEZ!
Frank Mason leads Big 12 in minutes played: 32.92 average. Selden fifth. Scary stat for Frank, as he has done that in spite of a bad ankle twist.
@VailHawk I predict that Cliff will soon earn a bundle of minutes. Indications are that he is struggling with shin discomfort, and has not fully recovered from the ankle sprain. Then, first minute off the bench he did not run the floor and execute with energy, so got the quick hook. His TIME is coming...and soon. Gotta hope that Bill does not read your Svi over Selden suggestion. The Guy might drop into coronary mayhem! I think most of us are right there with you on the BG issue. What the hell to do with him? I suppose he will squeeze out fifteen minutes of fame now and then...interspersed with five minute stretches of YIKES! Anyway, there are so many bright possibilities lurking within this squad that we are in for lotsa sunny mornings after. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and all faithful Jayhawk buckets posters. ROCK CHALK!
@jaybate-1.0 The library is that dark flat edifice in the lower right hand corner of campus. 3-ring interior, and named after a pair of Rebel dropouts, Mr. B and Mr. B. Statue looms near the center ring, former dispossessed famous mentor, munching an old white towel.
@jaybate-1.0 Ode to William Self, Mercury Squeezer: "To thine own Self, BE TRUE!"
@globaljaybird HA! Your puppy allusion really brightened an otherwise drizzly day. Most of the posts on this thread (including my own) project impending doom. I agree that if we are 11-2 next Sunday eve, things will look cheery as we roar into league play. (I had best stop typing right now before I revert to something pessimistic or caustic.) HAPPY 2015 to ALL! What a dandy Jayhawk Hoops Site!
I would not get suckered into any reckless wagers, but if this squad wins more than one of the four games vs. Texas and Iowa State I will be simply amazed. It is absolutely crucial that Frank stays healthy if we have any hopes of sharing the league title.
For several weeks I have predicted a tie for the league title. I now predict a 3-way tie. After the Temple debacle, I hesitate to claim that we will be in that mix. However, Bill Self has established credentials as top dog among coaches in our league; and even without the rim protector Self is bound to get this squad in the title mix. Injury factors play a major role, but is difficult at this stage not to imagine the Longhorns in the catbird seat. We have learned that Hoiberg is growing as a perennial contender. Kruger and Huggy have put together solid crews. Heck, Dreadful Drew's Bears even show promise. From week to week, Big 12 wins and losses look to be mindblowing. Right now, we really need Cliff to get his wheels in dependable motion...and for Devonte' to blend back into action. Either Bill Self is holding cards close to his chest, or he is determined to play his customary inside/out offense, depending on defense to carry the flag.
Interesting chatter the past few days about Frank and Wayne sharing point guard duties, occasionally not on the floor together. That 40 minutes which Frank played vs. Temple does not bode well for his wheels if he is forced (or ALLOWED) to do much of that in the future.
Right now, we lose Frank Mason...Katie bar the door!
After reading the fine series of posts on this thread and cogitating about my intentions in the Mickelson/Traylor suggestion, I think my subconscious intent was to delve more into Bill Self's capacity to adjust than into any insinuation that Ellis and Cliff might not eventually be up to the task of stepping forth as Best Options at the 4 and 5 positions. The chemistry of this squad is undergoing a slow, seemingly stalled, progression. I suspect that the cause speaks more to the need for coaching adjustment than to the playing potential of the sundry pawns on the chessboard. Without the prowess of a 6'11" rim protector, this is a very different squad than in the past few seasons. Self and Associates must install major adjustments...and soon.
@wrwlumpy I'm with you re Devonte. He adds lots to the dynamic of this squad, moving into league play. And my post to kick off this thread certainly intended no disrespect to Perry. He has been my favorite Jayhawk the past two seasons. Obviously, he has not been at full energy recently. I hope he has regained his hops next week.
If Perry is not back to full energy during practice sessions this weekend, my starting five for the next game: Mason, Selden, Oubre, Traylor, Mickelson. Unless fouls dictate otherwise, Perry the first sub, then Alexander, then Svi. Keep Mason and Oubre on the floor as much as possible.
@KansasComet Actually, you might pitch Frank and Kelly in among your 3 pt. gunners.
@jaybate-1.0 This time last year, Bill Self had to be thinking ahead: Joel and Cliff...jeez, maybe I really can find ways of juggling Perry at the 3!
@jayhawk-007 I, for one, would wager on a pair of losses to the Horns if Self insists on customary inside-out offense. He is sitting atop a powderkeg of outside-in potential.
@jaybate-1.0 Is that LITTLE Big Shoe????
Regarding Hunter, Bill Self has shown a tendency to reward players who have stepped up significantly. The Temple game is such a quick turnabout on the schedule, I would expect Hunter to get at least 6-8 minutes to prove himself, several more minutes if he continues to shine. There exists not enough practice hours for him to miss timelines or practice himself out of playing opportunity! Concurrently, Landon's progress has fallen too flat to ensure Self's confidence in him at the moment. During practice hours at the extended Christmas break, this could change, of course. I will be more than somewhat surprised if Landon starts vs. Temple...or enters the game before Hunter's number is called.
I have not researched Landon's stats specifically, but his progress seems flat. Surprisingly, he has won lots of starting opportunities, esp. at this stage of season when most of us figured that Cliff would have stepped up. Will be interesting to watch that 5 position mix between now and league play. Hunter certainly adds new energy to the mix. Bill Self has juggled his lineup so often that it poses a serious quandary for any opponent, figuring how to defend and control the Jayhawks.