🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@Crimsonorblue22 Can they even name ONE player on the lady hawks team?

@BeddieKU23 I leave work at 3:45. I'm going to be forced to listen to the end of the game on Sirius Radio and have people in cars next to me looking at me as I am either screaming with joy or screaming with frustration or both as I drive down I-35.

I hope I'm screaming with JOY and then celebrating with a (beer) when I get home.

@Crimsonorblue22 You could teach him a few things I'm sure.

@Crimsonorblue22 If I knew how to add pictures, I would send the one he signed for me when we were together after the UT game here and I have video of me with him.

@Crimsonorblue22 You can have SVI. He needs some lovin'.

;-)

@Crimsonorblue22 No question HE'S MINE. Look how long I've had my "signature"

LOVE THE LEFTY KELLY OUBRE!

AND my avatar is a picture of my boyfriend.

Good way to end the 1/2.

@Crimsonorblue22 I had him 1st.

MY BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anderson with 3 fouls now.

Frank missing 2 FTs.

$()#$() WTF? Are we that rusty?

@Crimsonorblue22 Kinda sounds like it. NCAA must be looking for anything like a written "agreement" that wasn't recorded but was the basis for the loan.

Dana O'Neil retweeted

Pat Forde ‏@YahooForde · 12m12 minutes ago

Statement from atty Paul Stafford, counsel for Cliff Alexander: says Cliff is ready, willing and able to be interviewed by NCAA and has ...

KUHawkZone retweeted

Brian Hamilton ‏@BrianHamiltonSI · 1m1 minute ago

Cliff Alexander attorney: NCAA says it won't interview #Kansas forward 'til they receive “additional documents” that Alexander doesn’t have.

@Crimsonorblue22 I was right wasn't I? (clap)

I have on 2 necklaces, my long dangly earrings and KU socks today. My boss is out till Mon. so my new shirt just may stay on the rest of the afternoon. I'm way back hidden in the corner of the floor. Plus everyone knows I am a big KU homer.

@Crimsonorblue22 Have the ESPN3 link on my computer at work. Going to take my lunch today at 1:30 :-)

Putting my new shirt on and going for a walk around the block b/4 game starts to calm the nerves.

Rock Chalk.

@Crimsonorblue22 We probably get Miles Simon and Dave Fleming (who did the first game last night - KSUcks vs TCU). I hope they alternate because I hate listening to Mushberger/Fraschilla. Simon/Fleming don't have a sideline reporter. They are more X's O's.

KU's Traylor has no hard feelings toward K-State -- or really, any feelings at all

Sean Keeler - FOX Sports KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No hard feelings, at least where Jamari Traylor is concerned.

Actually, no darn feelings at all.

"I was just like, 'Damn, we lost,' and I was walking to the bench," Traylor, junior power forward at Kansas, recalled Wednesday after the No. 9 Jayhawks finished their shoot-around at Sprint Center in advance of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament. "And (suddenly) just felt a bump."

The "bump" in question happened at Kansas State's Bramlage Coliseum back on Feb. 23, "Stormy Monday," when a Wildcat fan in jeans and a purple top -- now identified as Nathan Power -- was captured in a now-infamous picture throwing an elbow into Traylor as the former stormed the court following K-State's 70-63 victory over KU.

Power was one of thousands of Wildcat faithful who rushed down from their seats after the emotional win, overwhelming what security was assembled, pinning coaches Bruce Weber and Bill Self against the scorer's table and interacting -- in some cases, violently -- with Jayhawk players, coaches and staff.

With Kansas State possibly on the docket for a rubber match Thursday afternoon in the Big 12 quarterfinals -- the two rivals split their matchups during league play, each winning on their home court -- Traylor was asked to reflect on the incident.

"And I just looked and he was just (brushing past me)," the 6-foot-8 Chicago native said. "And he just ran off. And I was like, 'Hmm,' and that's it."

Traylor didn't swing back, much to the relief of Self -- who praised his big man for keeping a cool head while getting bum-rushed by a wave of purple -- and Kansas, Kansas State and Big 12 administrators. K-State officials dropped the ball as far as getting the visiting team off the court safely, becoming a national talking point the next day across the 24-hour sports news cycle. But if a Jayhawk player had been seen retaliating, the fallout would've extended beyond the wagging finger of talking heads and former coaches and players among the punditry.

And the Jayhawks might not have gotten what they've gotten from Traylor, who's averaged 13 points, 5.5 rebounds and 28 minutes per game over the past two contests, his role expanded because of the suspension of freshman power forward Cliff Alexander (NCAA investigation) and the health of junior power forward Perry Ellis (knee).

"That's just what we do," Traylor said. "When guys go down, other guys got to step up. That's just our mindset."

Meanwhile, Kansas State officers posted the picture of the student bumping Ellis on social media, crowd-sourcing the locals for information. Power came forward the next day, writing a letter of apology to the Kansas State Collegian student newspaper and being issued a notice for disorderly conduct by campus police.

"I kind of was (surprised)," Traylor said. "I was surprised people cared so much about me getting bumped.

"But it's all right -- I mean, I take, on average, probably a fall worse than that in a game anyways. So it's all right."

More or less, anyway. Point guard Frank Mason III intimated before Wednesday evening's Wildcats-Frogs game -- the winner gets top-seeded Kansas in the second quarterfinal Thursday afternoon -- that he'd like another crack at K-State, given a choice.

Self was more, um, diplomatic.

"Well, you know the thing about (us), we're competitors," the coach offered, grinning mischievously. "And they beat us at their place last time. So whomever we play, it's going be a tough game, because TCU gave us all we wanted. And of course, K-State gave us more than we wanted the last time we played them.

"To me, really, I really don't have a preference -- at least publicly.

"I do think that whoever we play is (probably) a team that will certainly give us everything we want and more, even if we play well. Because both of those teams are very capable."

KU proved at Oklahoma last Saturday that it's more than capable without Ellis, who sat out the contest with the Big 12 regular-season crown already clinched. But Jayhawk fans would feel better with the junior post standout in the fold, considering he averaged 17.8 points and 8.25 boards in four matchups with K-State and TCU.

Extending the Sunflower Series another afternoon would be special for Ellis, a Wichita native. As to whether it also means a little something extra for Traylor, well ....

"Naw," Traylor replied. "I'm looking past that. So, naw. I just want to win if we go out there and play."

A pause.

"If the guy (who bumped me) was suiting up for (K-State), maybe I would."

MARIO (L)

BRush

Shady

Tarik

Philadelphia 76ers ‏@Sixers · 9h9 hours ago

@Trobinson0 is just the 2nd player since '85-'86 to notch at least 15 rebounds in 18 or fewer minutes of play.

@brooksmd Got mine today too. Just in time to wear Thursday.

UT gear is HUGE and they protect their brand, even in court. They went to court against a car wash here that had their front entrance similar to the UT Tower design and have made b-b-que joints that had "Longhorn" in their name and even moving companies remove it.

From SI.com
by Brian Hamilton March 9, 2015

LAWRENCE, Kan.—The Marines came to Kansas on a Thursday. Invited by the Jayhawks’ men’s basketball staff, the ex-military officers were on campus in late September to put the team through Judgment Day, a program aimed at fostering trust and honing communication for one of the country’s greenest rosters. Through the first afternoon and evening of work that lasted until after dark, players carried teammates on their backs and did push-ups in unison, starting anew if someone so much as flinched out of rhythm. By 5 a.m. the next day, the Jayhawks were in the Robinson Center pool, wearing their hoodies.

For Kelly Oubre, one of Kansas’ two All-America recruits, this was only a minor problem. As swimmers go, the 6’7” Houston native was in no danger of earning a spot on an Olympic medal stand. But he could stay afloat so long as he didn’t panic, so that is what he focused on: Remaining calm, trying to offer what help he could to others like fellow freshman Cliff Alexander, who needed teammates to act as life preservers. It did not help, though, when the Marines instructed everyone to remove their sweatshirts—while in the water. “A lot of people thought they almost died that day,” Oubre says months later in the refuge of Allen Fieldhouse, only half-kidding.

By now, Kansas is accustomed to pursuing success with gifted freshmen that must dive in but not go under. So it was last year with Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, who respectively became the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in the NBA draft. So it was supposed to be with Oubre and Alexander this season. Their assimilation has been more complicated, though, especially with Alexander now sidelined indefinitely during an NCAA eligibility probe. Oubre, meanwhile, battled through limited minutes early to become a reliable cog on offense, defense and on the glass, critical contributions with Alexander idled.

The Jayhawks are 24-7 and have clinched an 11th straight Big 12 title, despite having the nation’s 16th-least experienced team, according to StatSheet.com. They have a high ceiling and Final Four aspirations. To facilitate that, Oubre must continue his steep ascent on the court. “We need it bad,” Kansas coach Bill Self says. “When things go bad, sometimes nobody steps up and tries to rally the troops. We’ve got guys that try but it’s not in their personality to actually do so. He’s the one guy that doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter who he gets on or who he praises—it doesn’t make a difference. He’s comfortable in his own skin to be a leader.”

Oubre was not so at ease during the Orlando Classic tournament in November. There, he got the dose of high-level college competition he anticipated. His vantage point—the bench—was less expected. In the first nine games of his college career, Oubre would amass 91 total minutes on the floor.

“I was like, ‘Yo, is this really happening to me?’” he says.

It was stunning for a McDonald’s All-American who averaged 23 points per game after transferring to powerhouse Findlay College Prep in Las Vegas, which followed three standout years at Bush High in Richmond, Texas. Though, in truth, he had endured worse.

Nine years earlier, Oubre, his father and then stepmother packed into a 2001 Toyota Sequoia to leave their New Orleans home for the Houston area. Kelly Oubre Sr. was already disenfranchised with what he saw as bad schools and decaying infrastructure in Louisiana. With Hurricane Katrina bearing down on the city, he had no intention of returning.

The storm hit the day after the Oubres left. Thus the family began a new life at a Motel 6 in Texas. “It was interesting to say the least,” Kelly Sr. says. “One bed. First-floor deal, wide-open parking lot, typical fleabag inn.”

The younger Oubre watched television reports about the storm, asking after friends he wouldn’t see again. (His mother, Tonya, stayed in New Orleans and still lives there, but they’ve maintained a relationship since the move.) He was enrolled in a new school, Stafford Elementary, despite initially living out of the motel. He stayed quiet among all the new faces that, even at that age, had established their own friend groups. “I was like an outsider,” Oubre says. That sense of not belonging forged an edge he carried for years. And he certainly had help sharpening it over time.

His father put him in karate at age 6 as part of a plan “to season my son and get him ready for whatever.” Kelly Jr. earned a black belt two years later. When Rivals.com at one point ranked him the No. 56 prospect in the Class of 2014, Oubre took it as an affront; he wrote “56” on a dry erase board that he hung from his bedroom door. Every time he moved up in the ratings, he replaced the number on the board. At Findlay Prep, he used a similar method to motivate his team: He wrote their ranking on a locker room board, or how much the team had lost by, or just a single word like “Underdogs,” to remind his teammates to show everyone how good they could be.

Something, though, softened upon his arrival in Lawrence. “People always say I play with a chip on my shoulder and I lost that chip coming into college,” Oubre says. “I got a lot of notoriety coming in. It humbled me, brought me back to earth, like I’m not really anything.” Self, his coach, diagnosed it as a confident player suddenly thinking too much: Am I in the right spot? Does coach want me to shoot this? Do I front the cutter here? “Sometimes the harder he worked, the less he got done,” the Jayhawks coach says. “He was a thinker, because he wanted to please, and not a reactor, so he looked slow.”

Early in the season, Oubre saw that a friend and former AAU comrade, Arizona freshman Stanley Johnson, hadn’t elevated into the starting lineup for the Wildcats. When Oubre reached out on FaceTime and asked what was going on, Johnson lamented that he just couldn’t get it in practice, that the coaches saw him doing his own thing instead of doing what they wanted. Oubre almost had to laugh: That’s exactly what I’m going through, he told Johnson. So the scuffling Kansas freshman resolved not to think at all. He’d simply absorb every coaching point, apply it and strive to get the details right. I’m going to practice like a pro, Oubre told his father.

A breakthrough—23 points and 10 rebounds in a Dec. 20 win over Lafayette—followed. It was Oubre’s first double-figure scoring effort. “It was going to be hard as hell to contain him based on the little crumb you gave him,” Kelly Sr. says. “Because he’s been eating crumbs his whole life.” From that night forward, Kelly Jr. averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while amassing 32 steals in 22 games. He also established more night-to-night consistency by the end of the regular season, posting 12 points or more in six of his last seven outings and capping the year with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double at Oklahoma on Saturday.

He has become the player he and Self had envisioned—not necessarily a scorer like Ben McLemore, who averaged 15.9 points in his lone season at Kansas, nor as otherworldly as Wiggins, who averaged 17.1 points for the Jayhawks last season. Instead, Oubre is a versatile wing who can find his own shot when required or clear the glass or mark the opposition’s best player. Or all of the above.

“We’re going to run plays for Ben,” Self says. “He’s going to score more points, because that’s what he was. Kelly was a little bit of everything. That does excite me, because I think he can do a little bit of everything, and I think he’s improving on all those things.”

Or, as junior forward Perry Ellis puts it: “He’s all over the place on the floor.”

What Kansas requires most of all in March, though, is Oubre’s assertiveness, which is lacking elsewhere on the roster. Ellis may well wind up as the Big 12 Player of the Year, and players like point guard Frank Mason have elevated their game in order to keep the Jayhawks humming. Still, Self says visitors have mentioned how generally quiet his practices are. Oubre, meanwhile, is the talker whose voice cuts through any silence.

The Marines indeed cited the freshman as one of the group’s emerging leaders in September. Oubre also got ticked off any time the former soldiers labeled anyone else as a “lion,” a primary leader, in any of the exercises. “I was like, that’s kind of BS,” Oubre says. "I don’t like when people underrate things I can do. I tried to work to be more of (a leader). Not a lot of people listen to the freshmen, but I had to make them listen.”

He’ll pull his teammates to the side now, telling them to keep it going, to get done what needs to get done. It was probably only a matter of time before he seized that role—time for Oubre to adjust to what was asked of him, time to gain the staff’s trust, and time on the floor to use that edge like he always had.

“I expected it to click for me from the beginning, but apparently it didn’t work that way,” he says. “Everybody follows the process differently. I’m just glad the process hit me like it did.”

In Embiid and Wiggins, Self knew he had potential No. 1 picks on hand, whether it took one year or two years to reach that level. This is why the Jayhawks coach believes comparing two classes of stud Jayhawks freshmen is a bit superficial.

“Kelly has been awesome, he’s been terrific,” Self says. “He has played his way into being a high draft pick. I think Cliff will be a pretty high draft pick, too. But the whole thing is, neither one has probably produced how you would anticipate a top 5 pick to produce. But: neither one were probably going to be that. I do think both of them will have an opportunity very, very soon, and probably after this year, to be in that category. But it hasn’t been an automatic for them.”

For what it’s worth, Oubre says he purposefully avoids viewing mock drafts. Any time the NBA arises, his father says, Kelly Jr. changes the subject. There are more pressing concerns.

Of course, Oubre can’t replace the paint-patrolling presence that Alexander can provide when the 6’8”, 240-pound Chicago native isn’t tormented by his own inconsistencies or sidelined by the eligibility questions. He can simply fill in as he always has, offering a little bit of everything and offering his team with a quiet self-assurance that speaks volumes.

“We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs,” Oubre says. “I feel like that’s helped mold us to be great.”

The next month will judge how right he is.

@wissoxfan83 Maybe this - the Video URL

If we are placed in the East Region as a #2, Maryland is likely the #3 with Virginia being #1. Wowzer!

@DoubleDD Don't you think that UNC and Roy are wondering if and when the hammer is going to fall on them and if it is as hard or even harder?

@drgnslayr I did. Listening and not seeing him, I got the impression he was gritting his teeth and really struggling to find the right words but not come off as po'd. He is imploring all parties to get it over so everyone can move one.

D-League - D-Block played here in Austin last week and he is with Westchester Knicks:

Had 23 points. Has a shaved head!

http://dleague.nba.com/games/20150301/WESAUS/ ↗

I could tell you how pi**ed off I really am about the Cliff situation.

@Crimsonorblue22 I listened to Coach at press conference today and he said they would evaluate him Wed., but regardless he is going to be wearing a brace the rest of the season. HCBS thought he would be ready to play. BG has righted his ship. Hadn't talked to Wayne since the game Sat. night.

Coach Self was also chosen as Big 12 COY by Bleacher Report (Jason King & C.J. Moore).

Most Improved = Frank Mason

First Team = Perry Ellis

Second Team = Frank Mason

Can't take anyone for granted but the 4 teams that have to play in will be playing gassed and going on no rest. Could there be an upset in either game? TCU and Tech have nothing to lose that first game and expect them to go full steam while UT and KSUcks may be looking past them.

At least Drew and Hoiberg didn't get CoY.

@Crimsonorblue22 Kelly NOT freshman of the year is highway robbery :-(

@wrwlumpy He at least got the floor length pass right to give us a chance.

@Crimsonorblue22 Couple of missed bunnies by Lucas and Kelly and Kelly missed 3 free throws. I liked the grittiness and fight shown. Should have had someone back in the lane on that last possession by OU. Cannot knock the way they all played -- except Wayne should never have been given so many minutes in the first half.

5 losses in a reay tough conference ths year, probably less than 5 points in each loss.

Have a good night.

A+++++++++++ on effort by the team.

Sure was a much better outcome than any of us imagined. Glad we won Tuesday and this was not as big of game in the conference race.

Rest up for KC!

No expectations for the win and definitely not now after just reading this. Discouraging for the mindset of BG right now. I hope we are competitive at least.

@konkeyDong I took from a legitimate twitter post but should have done the due diligence you did. Can't believe that it would get as far as it did if it wasn't legit. Did you use the link I provided at the top and go to it?

Lengthy article just out.

http://www.thepasadenapost.com/post/112768850743/former-william-wesley-acquaintance-calipari ↗

The Pasadena Post

5 Mar

Former William Wesley Acquaintance: Calipari, Kentucky, Cheated in 2014 NCAA Tournament

By Michael Miller

University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari allegedly cheated his way through the 2014 NCAA tournament – and is prepared to do it again this year, according to an individual who claims to be a former associate of power broker and super agent William Wesley.

Calipari and Wesley have been closely connected for many years. In 2012, The Oregonian’s John Canzano wrote about Wesley’s presence in New Orleans for the 2012 NCAA Championship game. After Kentucky claimed the title over Kansas, Canzano wrote, “Wildcats star Anthony Davis climbed into the stands and shared a celebratory hug with Wesley, who was sitting in the Kentucky family section inside the Superdome.”

The aforementioned whistleblower-acquaintance of Wesley, who presently wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons, says he has in his possession a number of emails and texts that were exchanged between Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne, Calipari, Wesley, and numerous college basketball officials over the past several college basketball seasons. John Doe did not want to elaborate on how he came upon the emails and texts, or whether he was privy to the exchanged messages.

The Pasadena Post conducted a telephone interview with John Doe, whereupon he shared the following information, which John Doe says was not derived from the emails and texts in his possession, but gathered firsthand from his previous personal dealings and encounters with Wesley:

– “[Retired NBA player] Damon Stoudamire was on record a few years back stating [that] Wes is running the NBA. There’re journalists in-the-know who think he’s running all of basketball. That’s an understatement. He’s the most powerful man in sports.”

– Numerous college basketball officials are handsomely paid by Wesley to officiate Kentucky games. Calipari and Payne inform Wesley which games they requests referees for, and Wesley is the linchpin. “All of Kentucky’s NCAA tournament games last year, Wes had at least one of his guys there. Everyone of ’em. The Wichita State game was laughable. Cal was calling out plays to the officials from the sideline. It was blatant cheating down the stretch of that game, and Cal’s giving the go-ahead. His fist in the air. Holding up five fingers. Who was he calling plays to? His players weren’t even looking at him. He was signaling [referee] Mike Reed. Go back and watch it yourself.”

– John Doe says Calipari has two objectives as head basketball coach: to win games in the NCAA tournament with Kentucky, and to prevent Louisville head coach Rick Pitino from winning basketball games at Louisville. “Cal’s obsessed with Pitino. Always has been. The two had a falling out somewhere in the late 1990s or early 2000s, after they both had rough stints in the NBA and returned to college, and it’s been ugly ever since. Pitino’s indifferent. He doesn’t care about Cal one way or the other. But Cal, his stated mission when he took over at Kentucky was to run Pitino out of the state. That’s a fact. [WDRB.com and former Louisville Courier-Journal columnist] Rick Bozich even said as much in one of his columns a few years back. So what Cal and Wes do, they’ll have their refs at non-Kentucky games that Louisville is playing for three primary reasons: to hopefully cause a Louisville loss, to scout Louisville’s team for when Cal has to play them, to know which players to call fouls on, and to keep Wes’ crew working. The more games they work for Wes, the more they get paid. It happened tonight in the Notre Dame (versus Louisville) game. I haven’t watched many Louisville games this season, but I caught tonight’s game and one of Wes’ guys was there, [Michael Stephens]. Mike called phantom fouls on Louisville’s centers, took them out of the game. Louisville’s players got mugged, he didn’t call anything. It was blatant, and it usually is, if you know who’s working for Wes and Cal. And Kenny, he doesn’t like Pitino, either. He’s an old-school, [former Louisville coach] Denny Crum guy, and he’s never been OK with how Pitino took over the helm after his guy.

    “No (laughs), I’m not a Louisville fan. I’m not a fan of any team in particular. I’m drawn to players. Patrick Ewing was one of the best collegiate players I ever saw. Anthony Davis was a once-in-a-lifetime-talent, he was a joy to watch. There’s been a lot of players over the years I’ve enjoyed watching. But with Louisville, I’m just telling you what I know. And Cal, he doesn’t give a (expletive) about Louisville – it’s Pitino. It’s personal. And it’s smart. He knows, as the coach of Kentucky, that Kentucky fans want three things: NCAA titles, Final Fours, and to beat Louisville. He’s no dummy. He’d want to beat Louisville if Pitino wasn’t there; but the fact that he is there, it takes it to another level. He’ll stop at nothing to make sure Louisville loses at every corner. And the fact of the matter is, pretty much every year Cal’s been at Kentucky – other than Cal’s first year at Kentucky – Cal’s biggest threat has been Louisville. You take Cal’s clandestine activities out of the equation since he’s been in Lexington, and Louisville easily has two NCAA titles. [Louisville] would have won it all last season, if Cal and Wes hadn’t intervened. [Louisville] swept [2014 NCAA title winners] UConn, beat ’em three times [in the 2013-14 basketball season], easily. [Calipari’s] very good at [preventing Louisville from winning]. [Calipari] had no business defeating Louisville last season. Both games were cheating on level I didn’t think he’d get to. But he got there.”

– “I told a friend about how I think Wes set up the Midwest region last year – and my friend, he laughed, because he doesn’t follow the sport that closely and doesn’t know Wes like I do – but I think Wes helped set up the Midwest region last year. I really do. I can’t prove it, but I’ve heard things. He was involved. Look, the other stuff is fact. The refs, the play-calling from the sideline. [Calipari] has been pulling that stuff for years. Is Wes capable of getting to the NCAA selection committee? I wouldn’t put it past him. He was a regular with the [Chicago] Bulls in the 1990s, probably the greatest dynasty in modern basketball, at any level. [Retired NBA and former Bulls player] Scottie Pippen says Wes knows everyone. When you’re joined at hip with Nike, anything’s possible. We’re talking about a multibillion-dollar business, college basketball. Money talks. Power talks. Wes has both.

    “My B.S. detector went off when I saw the seedings revealed last year. According to its RPI, Kentucky should’ve been no worse than a four [seed]. They were given an eight [seed]. How did that happen? Every other team was seeded in accordance to their RPIs. So Kentucky’s paired up with Kansas State. Remember that game? One of the refs gave a technical to K-State before the game even started. First time in NCAA tournament history, a team was on the scoreboard before tipoff.

    “It was a favorable draw. Cal got K-State and Wichita in St. Louis, two home games. He got Louisville in [Indianapolis] – another home game. How many eight seeds get to stay that close to home in the Big Dance? I think Cal knew the two biggest threats in last year’s tournaments were Louisville and Wichita [State]. He wanted to eliminate both. His regular season had been a disaster, and what better saving grace than to be able to take out the first undefeated team since 1976 Indiana? And then your in-state rival? Funny how that worked out. And he had two of his refs working both of those games – that part I can verify. I know those guys. They do well for themselves. The regional setup, that’s my own speculation…it’s just never added up.”

– Wesley is a “charming guy, a nice guy. I don’t want to elaborate on the details of our [association]. I don’t feel I need to. He’s elusive, enigmatic – so am I; I’m a private individual. We don’t speak anymore, I’ll say that much. It happens in life all the time. People go their separate ways.”

– John Doe felt compelled to share his story because he “didn’t want to see another program get shammed again this year” like in 2014. “Last year, it was hard to watch. I’ve never had a problem with Wes, Kenny or Cal having the best team that money can buy. That stuff goes on almost everywhere. It’s gone on for decades. If it’s not the coach, it’s a booster the coach may or may not know about. Sam Gilbert built the UCLA dynasty. That’s no secret. College basketball has always been a functioning underground economy. You don’t have to see ‘Blue Chips’ to know that much. It’s gotten worse in the past decade or so. Again, we’re talking about a multibillion-dollar industry. Name me one [multibillion-dollar industry] that’s above corruption. Cal just takes it to another level at Kentucky, because he has Wes. Kentucky never got close to putting together a team of eight or nine McDonald’s All-Americans in the past. Never. [Former Kentucky coach] Pitino signed less than a dozen – five, actually, if I recall – McDonald’s All-Americans in eight seasons at Kentucky, and that was a golden age of Kentucky basketball. Heck, [Pitino] only had two [McDonald’s All-Americans] that played significant minutes on his 1996 title team (Tony Delk, Antoine Walker). One of them didn’t even play, or barely played and was a freshman (Wayne Turner). The other was a freshman, too (Ron Mercer) and was a reserve. And Memphis never got that kind of talent until Wes showed up. Look at Cal’s record at Memphis from 2000 to 2005. It was average. Double-digit losses. His 2005 Memphis team was pretty bad. I think that’s when Cal said [screw] it: ‘They couldn’t touch me at UMass, if they want to try to get me here, I’ll get the hell out of dodge.’ Wes gets involved after the 2005 season and it’s 30 wins, 30 wins, Derrick Rose, more wins.

      “But hiring officials and calling out plays from the sidelines, that’s where I gotta draw the line. That’s Lance Armstrong-level-cheating. Kentucky was an average team last year. They weren’t a very good team. They didn’t deserve to win a game in that tournament, and they advanced to the title game because Cal was calling out plays and the refs were doing their thing.”

– John Doe says Wesley’s predetermined-officials primarily alter games for Calipari by using several tactics. “Well, last year, for example, and even in regular season games this year, Cal will get the ball in the hands of his best free-throw shooters, set the play up with the official, and that player will get fouled. It happened at [Texas] A&M this year. Wes’ guys won that one for Cal. It happened like clockwork in the tournament last year. Whenever Kentucky needed a bucket in the Wichita game, [Kentucky point guard] Andrew Harrison had the ball in his hands and Wichita got rung up for a phantom foul, and it sent one of his best free-throw shooters to the line for a couple easy ones. There’s a reason Cal loves those twins – they’re the perfect players for his ruse. Give them the ball, send them to the line, get easy points.”

     Another tactic Wesley’s officials will use, according to John Doe, is to call nonexistent or “phantom fouls” on Kentucky’s opponents. “The phantom foul is Cal’s best friend. He pretty much disqualified every big Louisville had on its team in the Sweet 16 last year. He got [former Louisville player] Luke Hancock on the bench for most of the first half in that one. [Former Kentucky player] James Young couldn’t check [Hancock]. He was a threat. Cal knew that. What do you do with a threat? You eliminate it. Get him out of the game. Go back and look at the tape. One foul on [Hancock], if I recall, was a clean block. Cleanest block I ever saw. Unfortunately, [referee] Joe [DeRosa] was on it. And he’s been working for Wes for the past several years.

  “Phantom fouls work on a number of levels. You can send a guy to the bench for an entire half, or you can call timely fouls, when your team really needs a bucket, or you can get a guy in foul trouble and make him unable to defend as he normally would. Or you can just foul him out of the game. Wes’ guys do all of the above. Whatever it takes. It’s their job, and they’re good at it.”

    John Doe says Wes’ referees often won’t call fouls on the teams they want to win when players on the opposing teams actually draw legitimate contact. “It’s smart. Everybody wants to complain about phantom fouls. But what about all of the times a player legitimately gets raked, and there’s no whistle? Fans aren’t so bullish about those, because fans like to see the refs let ’em play – but it’s a great way to hose a team.”

Editor’s note: I went back and viewed the play (involving Hancock) mentioned above, and included a photo of it below. “Had it been a foul,” John Doe said, “Young would have been able to continue his shooting motion, which he didn’t do. At worst, it should have been a jump ball, because Young was stuffed. But even a jump ball would have been a bad call, because it was a clean rejection by Hancock.”

It’s worth noting that Hancock was having his way with Young, and after each time Hancock scored, he was quickly rung-up for a personal foul shortly thereafter. After Hancock splashed a 3-pointer, basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb tweeted the following:

– John Doe said he’d gladly speak to any major media outlet. “I emailed ESPN, I emailed some editors at Grantland. Didn’t hear back from them. No surprise. [Retired NBA player] Jalen Rose works for ESPN and Grantland. He gave Wes his name, Worldwide Wes. You think they’re going to blow the whistle on [Wesley] (laughs)? Maybe Yahoo! will speak to me. I thought when [sportswriter] Pat Forde left ESPN for Yahoo! he was going to pursue some more investigative journalism. He wrote some telling articles about Wesley when he was with ESPN. He’s seemingly backed off of him since he’s been at Yahoo!. Maybe Wes has gotten to [Forde] too (laughs). Nothing surprises me anymore.”

– In regard to Forde, John Doe also said, “I like [Forde]. I’ve never met him, but I think he’s a good writer and he knows his stuff. He knows college sports. But he wrote something last year, I couldn’t disagree more with it, and made me wonder what his agenda was. He said something along the lines, if you complain about officiating, you’re a loser. OK, I get it, [Forde’s] probably just trying to protect the game. I understand. He makes his living covering it. Thou shalt not criticize referees if you’re a college basketball beat writer. But why are referees off the table? No, seriously, why? You’re living in Fantasyland if you think the stripes don’t greatly or largely affect the outcome of a college basketball game. This much I know: referees can manipulate the game as much as any coach or player – even more so, I’d say. And all it takes is one. One referee can completely alter the outcome of a game. They can call anything they want, and no one can question it. It’s like, who’s policing the police? You’ve got your head in the sand if you think [college basketball officials] are all principled. [Tim] Donaghy spent almost a year in prison for doing it in the NBA. It happens. There’s about a dozen of them working for Wes. Try Googling some of these guys, college basketball refs. You won’t find much. They’re as mysterious as Wes. They’re not all malefactors, but it’s like anything things else. There’s corrupt policemen – you’re telling me a bunch of nomadic refs are all going to be holier than thou? Please. I can name you a dozen of them that aren’t.”

– When asked about rumors that have floated around the Internet for years about Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s ties to Wesley, John Doe wasn’t as unforthcoming. “[Krzyzewski] has been associated with Wes, that’s no secret. Wes actually tried getting into Lucas Oil [Stadium] a couple years ago when Duke was in the regional there, and security wouldn’t let him in. He had a flyer out with his photo on it. That was a first (laughs). I don’t know how they kept him out of Lucas Oil. Maybe Coach K didn’t want that association. He’s never been banned before or after that, from a college basketball event. But one of his [referees] was there for the regional – Tony Greene. Tony’s been working for Wes, Kenny, Cal for years. They love Tony.
“Like I said before, programs have been paying to get players for decades – coaches or boosters or friends of the program. It goes on at most of the big programs, and I don’t have a problem with it, because it is what it is. You can’t stop it. It’s always gone on. It’s like trying to stop the war on drugs. You’re never going to stop it, so don’t even try to, it’s a waste of time. With college hoops, there’s too much money to keep it from getting to the players.
“I don’t know the depth of Coach K and Wes’ relationship, because in the time I’ve known Wes, he’s spent most of his time, collegiately, dealing with Cal. I’ve seen Wes’ officials show up at Duke games, but it’s probably more of a coincidence. [Krzyzewski] isn’t calling out plays from the sideline like Cal, I can tell you that. I’m OK with Krzyzewski. I don’t think he’s doing what Cal does, with the refs. Maybe he looks the other way when it comes to landing recruits like [John] Wooden did with Sam Gilbert, who knows. I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Coach K’s humble. He’s a humble winner and a gracious loser. He’s a class act – at least when it comes to how he reacts before and after the game…the way he treats opposing teams. That’s what he’s classy about. I respect how he handles losing and how he handles winning. Cal’s different, to me. It’s one thing to cheat. It’s another thing to cheat and come across as arrogant. That’s how Cal comes across, to me anyway.”

– John Doe said he “admires Calipari’s abilities.” John Doe said, “He’s good at what he does. He’s good at cheating. I admire that, in an objective sort of way. I don’t condone it, but I stand back and tip my hat to the guy. He knows how to beat the system. He knows how to win. I recently watched a documentary about Lance Armstrong on Showtime. I didn’t follow that story as it happened, and the documentary just blew me away. He fooled so many people. I felt awful for the lives that he ruined, the careers that he ruined, but there was a moment when I stopped and said, ‘Wow, he was exceptional at what he did – cheating.’ Cal’s the Lance Armstrong of college basketball. He keeps getting away with it. Will he ever get caught? I’m not sure. The [game tapes] aren’t slam dunks, at least to an outsider. Although I think any unbiased person can walk away from the games I mention, the plays I mention, and feel it’s pretty conclusive that [Calipari] called out plays, that he signaled Wes’ [officials]. And look at the same refs that repeatedly show up for the same big, important Kentucky games. It’s not a coincidence. No other school gets that treatment. No other school has Cal and Wes.”

– Asked if he feared for his safety, John Doe laughed. “Wes is harmless. He’s not running organized crime, he’s not Tony Soprano. He’s a fixer. That’s Wes. Cal’s harmless, at least outside the line (laughs). I wouldn’t want to face him on the court, though. You’re playing five-on-six or five-on-seven or eight.”
John Doe said he wished to remain anonymous because of fans. “There’s a reason they’re called fans. There’s a portion of them that are a little cuckoo. I don’t need anyone harassing me. I’m doing this for the schools that do it right. These other programs, they work too hard, practice too much to get bamboozled in a college basketball game. I used to play, so it hits close to home. It’s an ethical thing. I can draw lines here and there, there’s always shades of gray in life and business, but when it comes to basketball, it stops at cheating in the game; during the game. You don’t cheat the game. It’s like if we’re playing a round of golf, and you whip out the foot wedge behind my back, and later your caddy tells me about it, well, there’s going to be a problem. I’m going to call you out on it.”

– John Doe said he would never disclose the emails and texts in his possession that include exchanges between Calipari, Payne, Wesley and numerous officials. “I’d never want that to happen to me, to have my personal emails or texts shared without my consent, so I wouldn’t do it to anyone else. All of the other information I’ve shared, it’s a result of what I’ve heard firsthand as a result of knowing Wes for years. It’s stuff plenty of others have heard about, too, I’m sure.”

– John Doe said the only reason he’s sharing the information about Wesley and Calipari is “’cause I’m a fan of the game. It was almost heartbreaking to see the uneven playing field last year in the tournament, and I didn’t want to see it again this season. You seemed like a genuine reporter when we met, so I don’t mind sharing this with you. I don’t need the money, and I don’t need the notoriety. Like I said, I’m doing this for the kids and coaches of the other programs out there. Hopefully the message will get across. That’s all I care about.”

– John Doe is impressed with this year’s Kentucky team. “They’re really good. They’re long, they’re tall. Do I think they can be beat? Sure, if Wes’ [referees] aren’t there. They’ve nearly been beaten a few times this season with Wes’ [referees] pulling all the stops. They should’ve lost a couple this year, just from the ones I watched. At Georgia, at LSU, I think it was, at A&M for sure – I watched that one, shaking my head. Wes’ guys bailed them out. Maybe my interview or your article can at least serve as a warning to opposing coaches, to let them know what they’re up against. But if a couple of unranked teams from the SEC can take them to the wire with Wes’ crew there, sure, they can be beat [in the NCAA tournament]. I’ve seen some great college basketball teams in my day, and they’ve all been beatable, and they’ve all taken a loss here or there, at least since the [NCAA] tournament field expanded. Of course, they weren’t playing eight-on-five (laughs).
“I like Kentucky. I don’t have any problem with Kentucky. Again, I don’t have a horse in the race. I’m usually drawn to teams if they have a player I like to watch. I like Kentucky’s kids. And despite what some of their detractors say, they’ve got the best fans in college basketball, hands down. Now, there’s a portion of them that might come across as annoying or obnoxious our what have you, but that’s true for any fanbase, especially in this age of social media. Fans never want to admit it, but they’re all the same. They all want to win, they all hate to lose, it’s always what have you done for me lately? But Kentucky, no one travels like Kentucky fans. You put together a good team at Kentucky, you’re going to have unmatched fan support in the NCAA tournament, no matter who’s coaching its team, no matter how good that team is, and that helps. But when you mix in the hookwinking referees, it’s very tough to beat.
“It bothered me last year, because I thought that team was so-so, it struggled all season, and then it got the perfect draw, and it was cheating at its best in the tournament. It was criminal what happened in the tournament last year, especially to Wichita and Louisville. This year, if Wes’ guys are there, it’s good night, Irene. I shouldn’t say that, but let’s just say it will take a creative effort from an opposing team to overcome [Kentucky’s] size and the [officiating]. They’re probably almost good enough to do it on their own, but Cal will have his [officiating] crew there, and there’s definitely some teams out there that can beat them, but [those teams] will have to get incredibly lucky, ’cause Cal and Kenny and Wes, they’ll have their crew there.”

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Editor’s note: My next article will be a running diary of the
2014 NCAA Sweet 16 game, featuring John Doe’s comments – Calipari’s Wildcats defeated Pitino’s Cardinals by five in that one, and John Doe said it was the greatest gyp in the history of NCAA college basketball.
The following article will take an in-depth look at Kentucky’s first two NCAA tournament games from 2014 – its wins over Kansas State and Wichita State. John Doe’s revelations and the accompanying videos and text in the upcoming article will be quite revealing, to say the least. Stay tuned.
– Michael Miller

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Michael O'Brien ‏@michaelsobrien · 6m6 minutes ago

Hearing it is possible Cliff Alexander may be cleared to play for Kansas this weekend. Also, expect him to stay at KU for another year.

Great news IF true.

@wrwlumpy And Bill Self got twice the amount for winning the League ;-)

@brooksmd No need for any because AFH FANS are the best in the LAND.

I sent the picture of all 10 championship trophies with #11 sitting there to the sports talk radio guys this morning (104.9 The Horn)

with the caption:

How KU Storms The Court!

and they talked about the photo and said it was sent by me on the air. Several guy friends of mine emailed and called me to tell me they knew it was "me" they were talking about.

Both of the guys also said HCBS SHOULD BE COY and not Scott Drew based on what Coach did with such little talent and marveled at what that streak/record means in today's era.

@wrwlumpy Where do you suppose @Crimsonorblue22 is?

@DoubleDD Can't ever give up.

Wish we could see the presentation.

Lot was riding on this one but none better than miszery.

G_ _ D _ _ _ _. My heart can't take another one like that.

RCJGKU

11 is heaven.

@wrwlumpy That one was a little too busy for me. Got one that has Big 12 Champions on the front with a basketball net and Jayhawk
and then on the back lists the
BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK years.

@Crimsonorblue22 Wear the 11. I got one from kustore.com site.

Here's a great article about our streak!

http://throughthephog.com/2015/03/03/kansas-jayhawks-absolute-ridiculousness-streak ↗

@Crimsonorblue22 I ordered mine this morning first thing when I got to work. (clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)

Got a blue one to match my 7th, 8th, 9th and 1oth ones. I'll have it in time to wear for the championship tourney next week.