🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I am curious about the insurance factors surrounding NCAA allowances for sure-fire lottery picks who choose to remain in college. Does the NCAA itself pay the premiums, or would Kansas foot the bill? What is the max amount allowable? Is such insurance only for career-ending injury, or for lesser injurious setbacks which might delay or devalue projected pro earnings?

I think we are a month (at least) premature in debating this question. Among our five current starters, Joel appears to be the least mature in thought and action. He DOES progress quickly in his specific physical adjustment to the game of basketball; and I foresee his freshman year at KU leading to accelerated growth in other areas. I would imagine that his ejection from the K State contest cast him into swirls of mixed emotions and self analysis. Evidently, he has played enough competitive action in other sporting endeavors to have given him a decent handle on the give and take necessary to rough play; however, the specificity of inneractions in the game of basketball is still very new to him. He is cast into the swirl of consequential phenomena, assessing reactions of coaches, officials, teammates, professional evaluators, fans, media and opposing players. Then there lies the process of Hudyization to consider, whether to step away from offerings of Jayhawk training (and coaching) expertise in midstream, before approaching anything near maximum or even superior growth and development....

My take on the AW3 situation: I thought it might be in his best interest to take a red shirt this season, and said so last spring or summer. Depending on what happens with Brannen Greene and Selden (in the way of late spring departure) it still might be in White's best interest to consider a red shirt (a la Releford and Little). Like HEM, I have always maintained a belief that AW3 will eventually evolve into a major contributor in Winning Jayhawk Hoops. A fifth year player, he stands a much better shot at serious minutes as a 22/23 year old player, the savvy kid whom Self relies on. The flaw in my thesis lies within the realm of Bill Self's future recruiting, to wit, just how many one-and-done projects he brings aboard...recruits who are "almost" guaranteed playing time. I see our coaching staff standing at the brink of bigtime decision making regarding recruiting philosophy. Can KU continue to bench outstanding potential talent without disrupting team unity with a growing array of disgruntled attitudes?

@HighEliteMajor Here we are, a dozen games into the season, and Bill Self is till swept up as much as any of his players in what bskeet so properly labeled CHAOS! Perhaps he has just recruited himself into a torrential sandstorm.

@jaybate 1.0 jb, you hit the nail squarely re Black. That guy is a real puzzle. I wonder why Lucas stayed on the pine last night....

Man O Man, some of those posters on the LJW lead article today really sent the brown juice swirling down their thighs! So, we are likely to lose 4 of the next five??? I'd like a piece of that betting action.

@nuleafjhawk leaf, I've a big 50" screen, and am seeing much the same performances as you.
I sense that we are on the cusp of happier viewing. I like HEM's rubix cube analogy. Any game, now, the colors and designs will swing into alignment. Gotta hope SOONER than LATER!!

@REHawk That said, the Brannen Greene saga leaves me perplexed. Long, athletic, aggressive, and a 3 pt. threat...what gives? Either the kid is a stubborn and incorrigible hardhead who refuses to meld into Self's demands, or there exist some untowards offcourt issues of which we are unaware. Brannen possesses the hoops talent to help this team to dominance. It's a damn shame that it is not working out for the betterment of Jayhawk Basketball.

Fisher coached a brilliant game yesterday with a well-prepared mature squad. Our shooting percentage, esp. the first half, was perhaps as bad as it has been in my 72 year lifespan. Yet, if our power forward backs up Embiid in blocking out SDSU's continuous offensive rebounders from slamming home second shots, we win. As sound as SDSU played on both ends of the court, and as horribly as we played offense, we were within 3 defensive stops of winning that contest. Certainly not time for anyone's resignation....

@jaybate 1.0 Great stuff today, jb, esp. the Greene analysis. Man O Man, I hope that kid sticks with the program and continues to develop positively. He is a super talent, but a very gradual work in progress.

Speaking of market potential, Yahoo Sports just posted an interesting take on Julius Randle's biggest NBA limitation: his comparatively short wingspan.

Specifically, I am more concerned with the turnovers than the defensive lapses, at this stage. Bill Self will patch the defense, sooner or later. Puke buckets will overflow until this young group attains defensive supremacy. The turnovers go deeper into the realm of personal responsibility...a ho-hum carelessness which stems from the roots of psychological imprint. What this squad might need most is a pair of really solid bench contributors who can be counted on to respond carefully and dependably when Coach institutes the quick yank for starters who display carelessness with the ball.

@jaybate 1.0 Has this or any board ever missed your brand of verbiage??? HOLY SCREECHIN' CATSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hike on up in June for an 11 month bed and board in Larrieville, Miles Turner.
From Commitment Day thru perpetuity you will have access to the most gifted boardrats in all of Hoopsworld focusing on your game.

@jaybate 1.0 There you go, jb, hurdling out of the BOX again!

@HighEliteMajor HEM, you have made a super presentation with these 3 pt. stats. Gonna be interesting to see if the rule changes warp customary 3 pt. trends nationally. Already looks that way, but I have not studied much further than Jayhawk statistics. At this juncture, we do not stack up well with other Big 12 schools in respect to outside shooting, pre-conference. But then, we are playing more quality competition than most of our league cohorts. I am amped to watch our "league ONLY stats" develop, now that our newcomers (esp. JoJo) are soaring.

As an afterthought regarding Greene's adaptation to "Self-ball," this has been a stressful and sometimes confusing early season for all of our players and coaches, what with so many new faces on the practice courts. Sef-ball, 2013-14 style, is gradually developing and mutating. The New Mexico and Georgetown contests would seem to indicate that Self and his minions are beginning to figure it all out, with pieces of the puzzle falling into place. If Black and Embiid can avoid early fouling, then O MY! With those two rocks on the court, the Perry switch might occasionally work dynamically.

@jaybate 1.0 jb, it frightens me more than somewhat to think of Perry or any of our guys playing more than 35 minutes. I think that Self has too much talent on the bench to gamble on exhaustion-type injuries to our top players, game in and out. For some time now I have hoped to see Greene settle in to determined and focused play within the framework of Self-ball. The guy is a raging stallion who just hasn't yet settled in to manageable competitive minutes. A huge IF, I know, but IF Brannen comes around sooner than later, the Perry shift is probably not to be, but for, perhaps, late minutes in each half, as someone suggested. I enjoyed your posting, and think the occasional switch would be in Perry's best interest, if not the squad's. Would indeed pose a challenging change-up in certain matchups....

@REHawk Hey, Oakville! You are wondering about the absence of Olivia Wilde at AFH this season? Word is that she might be protecting the hearing of an unborn infant.

Black and Embiid go for a combined 9 of 9 from the field vs. Georgetown. Wow! Multiple blows to the face notwithstanding....

@drgnslayr Slayr, I felt from the getgo that our 3 pt. shooting would save the flag on more than a few campaigns this season. The percentages have been alarming, to date; but I still feel certain that we will see this squad reap the benefit of points aplenty from beyond the arc sooner or later. Your discussion here sounds encouraging: outside shooters beginning to receive more passes, straight on from the post, so that their motion is more dead-on, esp. at this stage when they are struggling to settle into proven form. The General and his troops are now beginning to find unison in adherence to very basic and productive Self-ball. I feel confident that other skills will soon fall into place. One thing now appears very certain: considering that 7 Big 12 teams this week are rated among the Top 28 Division 1 squads, Bill Self's entire array of young talent will be challenged weekly to step up to the plate with lively bats. Our longrange hitters had best prepare the pine tar in royal George Brett style! And soon....

@jaybate 1.0 Well, well, well...and ahHA! An early Christmas gift unpackaged for all of us here at this best new alternate LJW site. Welcome back, jb! I had lost interest in posting, primarily due to your absence, I now think. Perhaps I can re-energize. Best of all good health to you this Holiday Season and beyond. Please keep the words flowing. You da king!

One confusing factor for Marcus: He speaks to the Wiggins mania, but has not yet mentioned or perhaps fully considered the oncoming Selden matchup. In no way do I take him lightly, as I recognize him as our most imposing league foe, proven already to be one of the top 3 players returning to Div. 1 Hoops. But I am certain that he will not bull his way through our defenses this season as he did last year at Allen Fieldhouse.
By January, the Jayhawks will have too much unified experience, bulk and athleticism to bend to his wrecking ball maneuverings. If the Cowboys defeat us, it will be because Brown or Nash join with Smart for a high percentage outside shooting occasion. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION....

slayr, I was very unhappy with the sudden peremptory manner in which LJW changed posting policy. Bush league business practice from a site which I had come to respect during my couple of years of posting. My children have long attempted to lure me to facebook, but I have never been comfortable with such public internet exposure. I am a private person who chooses to reside in a very secluded private homesite. My 67 year old baby sis tweets or texts daily; hoots at my intransigence regarding such social media participation. I was not about to be railroaded by LJW or anyone to be squeezed into the facebook box. I dearly miss the virtual community at LJW postings, but am done with that site. I really hope that this buckets site, or perhaps the lounge site catches on and draws daily posts from most of the former LJW crowd. jaybate, especially, I miss daily.

I called up the Wichita Eagle and found a Rustin Dodd twitter pic of Wiggins, Black, Tharpe and Ellis at the press table yesterday. Perry, of course, looking a bit more "grounded" than the other 3; but quite a merry photo. KC Star now beginning to block access to articles w/o paid membership.

HA! My wife has long insisted that jaybate might actually be Jason Whitlock or some such professional writer in disguise.

At this early stage of the season it sounds as tho Bill Self will be pleased with Andrew if he will just consistently run the floor to stretch defenses, whether he scores 12 points or 24. Sounds as if we will get to view a player who can perform such a variety of skills other than scoring and rebounding. I look forward to Marcus Smart's focus on Andrew...while Wayne Selden is hawking Smart's every move.

I would really have enjoyed standing at the back of those reporters at the Big 12 Media Day press conference. What a couple of merry moments, Black being confused as Wiggins and Andrew being asked if Wilt had offered advice! In the LJW photo, Black, Tharpe and Wiggins look a bit akin to writer Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, filled to the brim with grins and orneriness. I wish I could have viewed Perry sitting at the table with them. Maybe I should return to the photo to click on, see if it will expand. At this stage of the season this team seems to be a tightknit unit. I hope team unity will not collapse once Self settles upon his 8 man lineup, and some terrific potential talent gets pared from playing minutes.

jaybate either in deep mourning or perhaps with broken hands from pounding a brick wall. I hope to see him alive and well, popping onto this fine new site most any minute. Jayhawk hoops would never be the same without him.

Answering a portion of my question: I called Dish Network and found that Kansas is still listed on their FullCourt package. So, the cable deal has not wrecked other means of access.

Here's hoping that posters with LJW facebook accounts will continue to mention the Buckets site on LJW postings. We really need to fetch all former posters HOME to this new residence!

What with the new cable agreement, will the exhibition basketball games be available on other KC area sites, as in the past? Also, will those of us on Dish Network still be able to fetch KU games on the ESPN FullCourt package?

Self's post-scrimmage comments worth a second or third listen. Sounds as tho AW3 will be on the court this season. At this juncture, Coach says Greene is struggling more than other newcomers at practices, but that he is beginning to "get it."

Yep, Keegs offered very little by way of anything new today. What really looms big is the red shirt question...or, perhaps, the transfer question, if more toprated recruits should come aboard.
For instance, if Tyus Jones should sign, someone looks to give up a 2014-15 dream slot....