@JRyman Would you have gone there given all the parameters?
RockChalkinTexas
6832 posts
Fan Takeaways:
Anybody see what Iowa State fans did when they introduced Smart? The whole student section did a mass flop! It was priceless :-)
Classless WVU fans chanting USA and booing Wiggins every time he had the ball. What was that?
Oh and Joel is going to see a back specialist in California today and tomorrow.
I really like Seth Davis!
Big 12 awards:
POY: Melvin Ejim, Iowa State -- It's a close call between Ejim and his teammate, DeAndre Kane, but Ejim was the more dominant performer. Besides leading the league in points (18.4), Ejim ranks fourth in rebounds (8.3), second in field goal percentage (52.4) and sixth in free throw percentage (79.0).
• COY: Bill Self, Kansas -- How about coach of the decade? Self's 10 straight league titles, three of which came after he replaced his entire starting lineup, is one of the more remarkable achievements in all of sports.
• FOY: Andrew Wiggins, Kansas -- No, he can't walk on water, but he did get increasingly confident and aggressive as the season went on.
@Crimsonorblue22 While home yesterday after the "ice storm" hit here and I was unable to get to work :-), my girls and I re-watched the last 1/4 of and OT of our 08 championship game vs. Memphis. I must have counted 30 times where either Rio, BRush or RussRob would have been called for a "reach" nowadays. Yes, things have really changed.
Seth Davis Hoop Thoughts from SI:
"I still really like Kansas, but my goodness, these guys have got to stop turning the ball over. Also, be prepared for daily -- strike that, hourly updates on Joel Embiid's back. Good times."
"Kansas' streak of 10 straight Big 12 titles is a truly great achievement, but I do think there is something to the criticism that this is also an indictment on the rest of the league. At some point, one of these other schools has to step up and break this string, especially considering this is the third time Bill Self has won a title at Kansas after having to replace his entire starting five."
This Week's AP Ballot (Seth's)
*(Last week's rank on my ballot in parentheses)
- Florida (1)
- Wichita State (2)
- Arizona (4)
- Kansas (3)
- Creighton (8)
- Villanova (13)
- Virginia (16)
- Wisconsin (14)
- Syracuse (6)
- Louisville (7)
- San Diego State (10)
- Michigan (15)
- North Carolina (17)
- Cincinnati (9)
- SMU (20)
- UConn (21)
- Iowa State (22)
- Memphis (23)
- New Mexico (25)
- St. Louis (11)
- Kansas State (NR)
- Oklahoma (NR)
- Stephen F. Austin (NR)
- Harvard (NR)
Dropped out: Kentucky (12), Michigan State (18), Iowa (19), Ohio State (24)
We dropped to 8 in AP Poll but are a #1 seed on Lunardi's bracketology. Texas out of AP.
Another take on Nick and Andrew from Campus Insiders:
Wiggins brothers ready to put stamp on March
By Dave Skretta Sunday, March 2, 2014, 2:37 PM EST
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Nick Wiggins stood on the court at Koch Arena with one arm around mom, the other around dad, his second-ranked Shockers having just finished a 31-0 regular season.
For once, it was the older brother of Kansas star Andrew Wiggins getting all the attention.
Now, with the NCAA tournament right around the corner, the two brothers - and their teams - are ready to become the story of March.
Wichita State heads into the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this week riding the best start since UNLV in 1991, while the fifth-ranked Jayhawks have wrapped up the outright Big 12 title - the 10th straight championship for the storied program.
If things transpire as most bracketologists believe, Wichita State will be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and Kansas a No. 2 seed, quite possibly in the same region.
And if everything went according to script, they would meet for a spot in the Final Four.
”Believe me, they'd want to face each other,” said their father, former NBA first-round draft pick Mitchell Wiggins, ”but I think they'd rather play each other in the final. And Nick would probably be Andrew's matchup, so I don't know who would come out on top.”
”Don't ask me,” chirped their mother, Marita Payne-Wiggins, wearing a broad smile.
The brothers are about as close as could be, constantly texting each other about everything from video games to school to social life. Nick and several of his Wichita State teammates made the 2-hour trip north earlier this season to watch Andrew lead the Jayhawks against Baylor, and more than once, Andrew has made the trip back south to hang out with his biggest fan.
It's gotten harder as the spotlight has intensified.
he Shockers are the biggest thing going in Wichita these days, which means Nick and his teammates are besieged by well-wishers hoping for a photo and a handshake. Andrew is a sure-fire lottery pick who hasn't been able to step outside his dorm room since arriving at Kansas without autograph hounds tracking him down.
They have relied on each other, along with their parents, to stay grounded during this memorable season. Not even the pressure of the NCAA tournament can tear apart those family bonds.
”We were always together,” Andrew Wiggins told The Associated Press earlier this season. ”We'd always watch TV together. We were always together at dinner times. That's what made us so close.”
In fact, one of the reasons Andrew chose Kansas over just about every other major program in the country was that Nick was just down the road at Wichita State.
”I feel like that was the best decision for him,” Nick said.
It turned out to be good for their parents. Mitchell and Marita were able to watch Nick and the Shockers dispatch Missouri State on Saturday to finish off a perfect regular season, a victory capped by a senior day ceremony in which Nick received a framed version of his No. 15 jersey.
The Shockers' sixth man even gave them a memorable highlight, throwing down a dunk off an alley-oop pass in transition that left another sellout crowd roaring in approval.
On Wednesday night, they will continue their trip by visiting senior day in Lawrence, where the Jayhawks will face Texas Tech. Even though Andrew is only a freshman, he's already made clear his intention of heading to the NBA, so it will be his last chance to play in Allen Fieldhouse.
”Nick has done so much for Andrew. He's Andrew's hero,” Mitchell said. ”He really helped Andrew's game when he was younger, just talking to him, talking about basketball, different things. They like each other almost too much, and they're very proud of each other.”
Their parents are proud of them, too, and intend to follow the brothers throughout the NCAA tournament. It would be easier if they were paired in the same region, but that's no guarantee, so Mitchell and Marita are anxiously awaiting Selection Sunday.
Of course, if that happens, there's always the possibility they'd face each other, too.
”It would be tough,” Mitchell said with a shake of his head. ”If it happens, we'd have to do the parent cheer, no celebrating, just” - with that, he does a modest little clap, barely audible.
Marita chimes in one more time, just to clarify her husband.
”They're where they want to be,” she said, ”so it's not tough. It's just happiness.”
@drgnslayr I can't show that to my husband. He could build it! Did you see how high the corn was? Must be an engineer.
@Crimsonorblue22 NOT!
@drgnslayr If I was 82 and still planting a garden I think I must have been a pioneer woman in a past life! Yes 82 degrees and in shorts.
@Crimsonorblue22 When did coach say that? I only heard talk of the trophy being there and hats & shirts ready. Showed what an ass Smart is!
@drgnslayr We have the seeds already sprouting in the greenhouse. Usually plant the 3rd week of March. We are at 32 degrees today and supposed to get down in the 20s tonight. Our beans and cucumbers came up in the garden last week and we've had to cover them. Was 82 yesterday. Know you have it worse so hang in there.
@DinarHawk Do you think the Big 12 tournament will be a motivator?
@drgnslayr We plant 70 per year in the heat here in Texas and each plant has its own mister at the base set with timers. Afternoon shade is essential. Raked leaves piled down each row and around each plant help keep the soil from drying out. Haul them to town in coke flats by the ton and sell them at work. Nothing better than vine ripened sun kissed 'maters.
As far as the game goes, the outcome from last night has to be something they all learn from. I did not think the cards were aligned on our side because OSU had to get the win to even get in the tourney. But our TOs gave OSU the ability to stay within striking distance and they did not squander that chance.
@Crimsonorblue22 No sarcasm alert by him. I missed the first half is why I had to ask.
@Bwag Did they both play in the first half? Greene and Lucas?
I missed the entire first half. Glad I did. Knew it would be tough game but the turnovers and all our fouls helped OSU stay in the game. Worry about the lackadaisical handling of the ball by every one of them.
In summary, play like we did the first half at home vs. Texas. Not many "talking heads" are picking us to win as this is desperation game for OSU. Keep the crowd out of it -- swinging momentum our way is key. And NEVER leave Forte open.
February 27, 2014
Self meets the press on Thursday
Shay Wildeboor
JayhawkSlant.com Senior Writer
On Thursday afternoon, Bill Self conducted his weekly press conference in Lawrence. Jayhawk Slant is here to provide you with a complete recap.
Is it motivating that you could win the undisputed title this week?
COACH SELF: You know, I think that may be a small part of it. I think the motivation is it's Oklahoma State and we've kind of developed a pretty good rivalry with them in recent memory. (The) Last three games have been really close, last possession type games. Certainly, the opportunity to win a game away from home, in front of a national audience on (ESPN College) GameDay, is plenty of motivation in itself.
Does Oklahoma State look like a different team so far with Marcus Smart coming back from that suspension?
COACH SELF: Yeah, they're different. I know that I was a guy that probably sang his praises as much as anybody since he's been at OSU because I got to know him through the recruiting process. He's good. He can impact the game and not score. He's one of the few guys out there that can control it. His defensive anticipation is probably as good as anybody that we'll ever play against, not just this year. He's a good player, and obviously, he and the OSU team have been through a lot here as of late. He's spinning it into a positive; they seem to be playing very, very well, and he's played very well since he's been back, totally dominated the games.
If Phil Forte is starting, what challenge does he present?
COACH SELF: To me, one reason why they're playing better is because he's played well, and he plays better whenever Marcus (Smart) is in the game with him because he does as good a job of finding he's like of like the twins, Marcus and Markieff (Morris), looking for each other. I think that he is certainly as good of a sixth man as there is in the country coming off the bench, giving energy and making shots. Whether or not he starts, I don't know what Travis will do. He hasn't phoned me and told me exactly how he's going to play everything out.
I do think that he's (Forte) tough to guard. He stretches the defense and really allows driving opportunities for some of the other guys because you can't leave him.
When the schedule came out and you saw Oklahoma State on Saturday night, on ESPN GameDay, did you think 'That's a big one. That could be for the league that night?'
COACH SELF: Yeah, the only thing negative I thought of is 10 p.m. (when the game is approximately over), that means it will be late we won't get back until about 4 a.m. in the morning. When the game starts at 8 p.m., it's going to be a long day.
But certainly we thought that this game or I did, I can't speak for others -- would have conference implications as far as who would have the best shot to win it.
You know, it's nice being able to go down there knowing that we've clinched a tie, but still, a tie doesn't really mean anything. We've got to go finish the job and we've got some opportunities to do that. But why wait? Let's go ahead and take care of business and put ourselves in a favorable position with the committee moving forward into the tournament.
Tarik Black and Jamari Traylor, they're not twins, but what they provide for you, it's hard to say one without the other. Could you talk about them?
COACH SELF: Well, there are not too many programs in the country that have as many big guys coming off the bench as we do. Then, in addition to that, have guys that are productive coming off the bench. You could even throw Landen Lucas in there. In his limited minutes he's done very well for us, too.
I really think Tarik (Black) and Jamari (Traylor) have been a big reason why we've been better. They're giving us energy; they're playing at a high level; they're efficient, as you pointed out. They don't take a lot of hard shots. Most of their shots are in tight, but yet, they still do what they do and certainly give us a physical presence and an energy presence, and that's needed with Joel Embiid and with Perry Ellis, too.
It's nice to have somebody a little bit different coming in off the bench that can kind of have a different type of impact on the game based on their own skill set. Both of those guys are able to do it.
You mentioned putting yourself in a favorable position. A lot of the talk from the talking heads assume it's going to be you and Wichita State for that final No. 1 spot. How do you see that?
COACH SELF: Well, first of all, we're not in competition with Wichita State. They've had an unbelievable year. We'll be in competition with them if we play them, but they've had an unbelievable year, and I personally think they deserve the No. 1 line if they're able to go ahead and take care of business. You hear the so called pundits say, 'Well, their schedule this or that.' Well, it's hard to win on the road, especially when you're everybody's Super Bowl game, and they've been able to do that. You have to respect that.
All I want is for us to get better and put us in a more favorable position. People around here will make a big deal about that potentially, and I guess it did happen in 1980 or '81 where it came down to a one possession deal and Wichita State beat Kansas in that one game if I'm not mistaken. So it has happened before where they've met in the tournament.
But I would say this: If that were to happen and both teams meet in the tournament, that means that both teams have probably done quite well in the tournament to get to that game. If it happens, it happens, but I'm not the least bit concerned or consumed with, 'Hey, I hope this or I want this' or we're in competition with them. All we're in competition with is ourselves and the teams that are lined up to play in front of us, no one else.
We're a long ways away from being a serious contender for the No. 1 line. I mean, right now we may be, but we're still potentially five or six games away, which is a lot of time that you can move a lot of lines in the selection committee's mind. Yeah, we could be a No. 1, could be a No. 4. A lot of things just depend on how we finish the season.
Since you've been at KU, the two highly-ranked teams in the state of Kansas have been KU and K State. What's it mean for the state when Wichita State is the other team highly ranked and highly profiled?
COACH SELF: Well, I think it's great for our state, a state populated as we are and considered so many to be a flyover type state from a media standpoint. I come from Illinois where I don't know how many, 11 million people or whatever it is live in the state, and you come here, and what is it, just under two [2.9 million]? I don't know exactly how many live in the state, and to have three programs that have done as consistently well as they have I think speaks volumes to the ball in our area. People will try to pit things against others, but I've said all along, iron sharpens iron, and when others are good in your area, that kind of raises your own level, too. It's been good for us to have K State and Wichita State so competitive.
When you go back to Stillwater, do you allow yourself just a little bit of time to walk down memory lane, or do you not?
COACH SELF: I've forgotten most of my memories back from age 18 to 22. Probably not. You know, the first time I went back I made a mistake I can't remember if it was Big Monday or if it was an (ESPN College) GameDay or whatever when we went back the first time or whatever when I came here, but it was a big game and they were loaded. That was the year they went to the Final Four. We ended up losing in the Elite Eight, but they rocked us good. I think I called three timeouts in the first four minutes of the game and got a technical just so that we could stop play a little bit to catch our breath, and they rocked us pretty good.
I kind of did that, I toured every place and went to lunch with old friends and all that, and I realized after that, we're not going to go down that path again. So this is strictly a business trip, and if I'm able to see some of my buddies, it'll be after the game in the hallway as we leave, but that'll be about it.
At what point of the season do you actually look at other teams across the country and where you guys may be seeding wise?
COACH SELF: I think it's still a little premature -- close to the last week of the regular season, but for sure going into the NCAA Tournament. I think curiosity, obviously, is pretty high at that point in time, so you start thinking about it. But I don't look at it like who we'll be seeded with 1 and 2 and that stuff as much, or 1 and 4, 2 and 3. I look at it as, 'Okay, if we're a 1 (seed), who's the 8 and 9s and who's the 16s? I'll look at it from the standpoint of just looking at it one week in advance as opposed to looking all the way through it.
Throughout the years, when Kentucky and North Carolina have been to the national championship game, they lose a lot of personnel, then the following year they've played in the NIT. Why do you think KU has been able to rebuild what it's lost and still get into the NCAA Tournament?
COACH SELF: Well, I told Bob (Davis, Jayhawk Radio Network) this the other day; the thing that kind of gets lost in the situation (is that) the players are good, but the assistant coaches are really good. When you think about the players that we've had and the turnover we've had, those guys (assistant coaches) continue to bring in guys (players) that fit who we are and what we're trying to get accomplished. It's been pretty remarkable by that staff. And of course the staff changes, whether it's Jank (Tim Jankovich) or Danny (Manning) or Joe (Dooley) or whoever, we've had turnover.
But there's been some constants in the job those guys have done. When you recruit well, obviously you lack experience a lot of times. Still, you want experience, but yet talent will win more games than experience will, and hopefully by the end of the season we'll have both.
I was wondering about the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year race. Obviously you have a couple guys who have been considered; Iowa State's got a couple. When is the last year, if you've thought about it at all, when it was so open with three games still left before the tournament?
COACH SELF: I know Wayne (Simien) won it, I know Marcus (Morris) won it and T Rob (Thomas Robinson) won it, if I'm not mistaken. Have we had any more than that win Player of the Year in the league? I think that may be it.
This year, I'd like to say Joel (Embiid) is a candidate. I don't know if that's as realistic for Joel -- just being honest -- because numbers are usually what a lot of people vote on, and his numbers aren't such that that could be the case, even though he can impact the game as much as anybody in our league. I think Wiggs (Andrew Wiggins) is definitely in contention to be our conference Player of the Year, but I think there are guys from other programs that are in serious contention, too. (There) may even be some guys that right now would be a leg up on some others, including Andrew.
I still think with three games left, it's starting to get down to it. But I do think everybody should refrain from drawing any conclusions on what they think until the season is over because there are still a lot of things that can happen between now and then that would definitely tip the scale one way or another.
Back to your staff, you've had some turnover just in the last year, with Norm Roberts coming back and Jerrance Howard joining in. What have they brought? Also Fred Quartlebaum, what's he brought to your staff?
COACH SELF: I thought Barry Hinson was positive. He (Quartlebaum) makes Barry Hinson look like the sky is falling and the sun will never come up. He is the most positive guy ever. He never has a bad day. I think that's been good for our players, and I think our staff energy is good. When I was a young guy, my staff was pretty young, and I didn't ever think about needing any energy on our staff. As we get a little bit older, I think hiring a young guy that's a little bit different, and Jerrance is that. He brings something totally different from an energy standpoint, from a fun standpoint, that I think is really important because none of us are getting any younger. Although Norm (Roberts) is young, Kurtis (Townsend) and I, we're on the down side of everything.
So I really believe that he (Howard) brings energy. The one thing that you can't undersell -- Doc (Sadler) did it for us and Barry (Hinson) did it for us - is having somebody that's been in the fire like Norm (Roberts) has. We talk about being the fire; Norm was in New York City as a first time coach for six years or whatnot. So he's been there, and to have somebody that can see it through a little bit different eyes from a head coaching perspective has been real good for me, as well.
We've got a really nice blend, and we have for a while, from Danny (Manning) the ex player, to Jank (Tim Jankovich), the intellectual. With Jank the sky was always falling with him, too. But then you have different guys that are so upbeat and positive and we kind of offset each other. I think that's been really positive.
When you're putting together a roster, people just look at bringing in the top players, but is it underrated to bring in those guys that are kind of in the 20 to 50 or 20 to 70 range?
COACH SELF: First of all, I don't know if we understand this, but I want you to think, if you say 20 to 50 range, bring in those guys, those guys are studs. Thomas Robinson couldn't crack that group; Marcus and Markieff Morris couldn't crack that group in so called high school recruiting services experts. Tyshawn Taylor wasn't in that group, Elijah Johnson wasn't in that group, neither was Travis (Releford) or (Jeff) Withey. But they were all good players. The key with our guys, and they've done a good job, you not only recruit kids but you have to evaluate and then be able to project. Jank was very good at that, projecting, and Norm is very good at it.
So I really feel like that those guys I don't look you can look at guys No. 1 through 5 or No. 1 through 7 that are rated that way yearly, maybe even No. 1 through 10, and you know they're going to have a huge impact. You know. But there's not that much difference between No. 11 and 50 maybe what days they played well and who was watching and stuff like that. I think those recruiting services, although I appreciate them and I know they work hard, I think they're so overrated in a lot of ways because it's up to a school to determine who can play and how they fit to make you better. There's a lot of guys out there that could pick a school that are so, so talented on paper, but they can't play the way that that system is designed to play with, or play for, and it just never works out. Our guys have done a good job of plugging them into who we are.
Do you feel like in the last couple weeks Wayne Selden, Jr., has started to figure it out?
COACH SELF: Yeah, Wayne is getting it. Whether or not he's making shots or not, he's figuring out a way to impact the game. He's figuring out his role and the impact he can have. Certainly, (he's) taking a lot of pride on the defensive end. He's played well.
Joel (Embiid) and Andrew Wiggins deserve the majority of the attention; I get that. But it shouldn't be lost, if we didn't have those two, then there would be Wayne Selden, Jr., who obviously would be used in a way where he could be strongly considered for Freshman of the Year in our league.
There's been a lot of years that there's been a Freshman of the Year in our league that, from a talent standpoint, probably wasn't superior to what we feel Wayne Selden, Jr., is.
How has Naadir Tharpe matured over the year?
COACH SELF: Well, he's done great. We've done fairly well in the league, and in large part because of our point guard play. He's responsible. If you go back and think about it, he kind of put us on his back at Iowa State, and he's put us on his back in some different games that you look up and say we wouldn't have won that game without him. He's played well. And the same thing with Oklahoma the other night; when we were kind of puttering around a little bit, he made every play down the stretch, so he's gotten better. The one area I think that he can continue to get better at is on the defensive end, but I think he's really trying. I'm really pleased with him. I think he's one of the most improved players around.
Talking about progression, can you discuss what you've seen from Andrew (Wiggins) from the attention coming in and actually putting him in position to be considered for Player of the Year in the conference?
COACH SELF: Well, I think that he's learned how to impact the game more from an athletic ability. (It's) Still not enough to our liking, but he's getting better at that, and he's learned that when he plays, he's going to get other people's best shot. People are going to line up to want to get a piece of him; that's the way it is. That was pretty evident, even in the preseason stuff, because he got a lot of attention and hadn't really made a basket yet. That's the case.
I think he respects that and understands that better. But he's had the best year on our team, and I would say that to this point. That doesn't mean other guys can't surpass him or whatnot, but to this point, he's been the most consistent and the best performer that we've had on our team. That's pretty good when you really don't have upperclassmen to really teach you how to do it, and you have all this expectation and hype. At least from the outside looking in, to me, it looks like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders to start. Looking back now, he's handled it exactly the way that he should have handled it based on who he is. He's been really, really good. He's been himself. He hasn't tried to be something he's not, and he's not bought into what everybody else is saying about him.
I think considering all the things that go along with it, it's a lot easier no disrespect to Joel -- when there's less pressure. Now Joel feels the pressure that Andrew has been feeling the whole time, and I think Andrew has done really well.
Were you concerned that Andrew (Wiggins) might go another way, in particular with Marcus Smart, at Big 12 media day?
COACH SELF: I would say I had my concerns. My concern with him is the fact that sometimes not sometimes, every day, he may be the most polite kid we've ever had here. He is so nice. And he's nice to everybody, and sometimes you question whether or not we want him to be nice. I mean, nice is okay except for two and a half hours a day. But that's not it.
I think sometimes the way that we see him in certain situations, it looks like he's disinterested at times or maybe he's coasting or what somebody else says should fire him up verbally when he talks to the media, but none of that stuff affects him, none at all.
Looking back over time, he couldn't have handled it better with all the hype coming in. He just plays. He doesn't worry about defending himself, he doesn't worry about talking about anybody else, he doesn't do anything except just go play. But I know it registers, and I know those things are used to motivate him.
What do you think about Oklahoma State? They're like seventh or eighth in the conference right now, but are they talent wise the second-best team in the league?
COACH SELF: Oh, I think they're good. When (Michael) Cobbins went down, that was obviously a big blow. It would be the equivalent of one of our key players going down, so that was a loss. But they're capable of beating anybody, and they're certainly capable of beating anybody at home.
Whether or not their talent level -- if you're going to rate them and I have a hard time doing that because I could look at different teams in our league, and based on how we play, who's the hardest to guard, this or that -- but I do think Oklahoma State is right at the top when talking about raw talent in our league.
With Wichita State, there's a lot of chatter out there, whether it's on ESPN, fans on social media or anybody else. Some of that you're probably not in tune with, but some of it maybe you are. Are you surprised by the level of comparisons? Does it almost make it a rivalry without playing?
COACH SELF: You know what, I don't know because I don't follow it. I've seen certain things I saw something this morning. It had the top line, and of course Wichita State was a part of that, and then it had Kansas as a team that could potentially get to a top line, along with teams that I'm sure can, too. Yeah, those are all realistic. But I'm not hung up on it and I am certainly not looking into what other people are saying or comparing things. The scheduling deals come up way too much. There may be an opportunity for us to play them (the Wichita State Shockers) very soon, sooner than what even a regular-season scheduled game would be played. But who knows if that's the case? I'm certainly not going to spend any time worrying about that.
As long as you brought it up, is there a chance you'll change your outlook on scheduling games against Wichita State?
COACH SELF: I don't want to say never, but we're pretty locked in on what we're trying to do from a scheduling standpoint. That's not a knock on anybody. But without getting into it, I would say that's probably not on the immediate horizon.
Wouldn't that be a huge TV game at this point?
COACH SELF: (It) Could be. Who knows who it'll be four years from now? Who knows? Scheduling is it could be next year, it could be whatever, but we're going to schedule strictly based on what we feel is best for us. But you know, you bring up a good point. Yeah, it could be a huge TV game, and it could help us recruiting in that area. Could it help as much as if we played in LA or New York or Philly? There's a lot of things that go into scheduling other than what is the immediate thought amongst fans. I'm going to do what's best for Kansas; I'm not concerned with what's best for anybody else or doing something because it would be nice. Who cares about that? You want to do what's best for your program, and that's what we'll always do.
When you schedule Philadelphia or something, what's the best thing about that recruiting, so the players can come in here
COACH SELF: Possibly, and the other thing is the attention you get in that area. When you recruit like for instance, when we schedule in the Big Ten, we had a presence in Indianapolis, we had a presence in Chicago, we had a presence in Ohio, we had a presence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and we had a presence in Minneapolis. We had a lot of presence in a lot of metropolitan, highly-populated places because we were in the league. Those things help.
When you schedule and play a Georgetown and teams like that, trust me, it does not hurt at all for us to be able to go in and dabble in those areas knowing that we can sell that. That's something that I think all coaches across America look at.
I've heard coaches a lot of places say, 'Well, I only want to play at places that we are going to recruit.' Well, if that's true, the only reason they say that is because it helps them recruit. But every coach is different, and I certainly feel what we've done here has been fairly beneficial for our program.
Defensively how far off is your team from being a "Bill Self in March" defensive team?
COACH SELF: I thought against Texas we were. I thought against Oklahoma we weren't. So I think we're probably consistency away (from becoming that). I still think we struggle with making other teams play bad, and that's something we've always done. If you go back and think about when we had our run a couple years ago and go to the championship game, Purdue had us dead to rights, and we made them play bad the second half. We make two shots or three shots outside of two feet against NC State and we win.
You know, the (North) Carolina game, Ohio State game and you're down 13, you're not going to outplay them. You've just got to make sure they kind of drop their level a little bit. So there are a lot of things that I think that we can do to get to the point where that's the case, like getting consecutive stops which lead to an 8 0 run and basically the game can be turned in that two minutes. We don't do that consistently enough.
After you clinched the share of the Big 12 Conference title, I believe you said it was kind of anti climactic. How do you regroup your guys and get focused on the next one?
COACH SELF: Well, we talked about that yesterday. The thing, regardless of what happens from this point forward, although we'll be evaluated on what happens postseason, you can't say the kids haven't done well. You can't say they haven't had a good year. Whenever you win your respective league, it's a good year; I don't care whether it be the Patriots or the Dodgers or the Cardinals. Over a period of time, when you win your league, that's a good year, but good years aren't good enough.
So the whole focus now of course. We want to win it outright -- the whole focus is what do we want to give to make this good become great, and what are we going to give to try to make great become special, if we can get to the point where we are really good.
We've got a long way to go on that. As you guys know, the difference between being average and good, or average and pretty good, it's not nearly as hard to get there. It's really hard to get from good to great and it's really hard to get from great to special. If we're not still motivated by that, then we're not going to motivate our guys.
tatistical information ©2014 STATS LLC All Rights Reserved.
Drew Gooden signs 10-day contract with Wizards
AP 1:38 p.m. EST February 26, 2014
Drew Gooden signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards
The Wizards will be the 10th team that Gooden has played for in his career
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drew Gooden has signed his 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards.
The veteran forward joined the Wizards at Wednesday's practice and will be available for Thursday's game against the Toronto Raptors.
Gooden agreed to the deal Tuesday. The Wizards were in need of frontcourt depth after losing forward Nene to a sprained left MCL.
@Saguaro_Jayhawk Thanks for letting me and others know. I just saw it but did find it and am listening now.
:-)
Coach was on the Tim Brando show yesterday. I listened to this on College Sports Nation channel 91 on Sirius rebroadcast this morning on my way into work. Classic HCBS! Also, on the Mark Packer show yesterday afternoon he had Clark Kellogg on and they both spent a good deal of time talking about our streak and said it was just unfathomable in this day and age that Coach had put this together and that it just hadn't gotten that much airtime. Clark said "Well we just did and a lot of people listen to your show so hopefully they appreciate him now."
@approxinfinity THANKS for using my Message of the Day Quote!
For all those in other conferences who think our streak is nothing to write home about. They would be slobbering all over themselves if they had our stats, wouldn't they?
Most major-conference titles in the last 10 years
Conference titles
-
Kansas == 10
-
North Carolina == 6
-
Ohio State == 5
-
UCLA == 4
-
Kentucky == 3*
-
Florida == 3*
-
Michigan State == 3
-
Georgetown == 3
*Both Florida and Kentucky are in contention for the 2013-14 SEC title.
"It's a direct reflection of Coach," former KU point guard Elijah Johnson said before last season's title No. 9 and might as well have spoken for all 10. "The people who were doing it eight years ago are not doing it now. He's still there. I feel like that has to mean something. He's doing something right. I just appreciate the fact that he tries to shed the light on us and make it look like it's us who's doing it. When all of us know who it really is, the head honcho."
Well said EJ!
@Kip_McSmithers And Muffberger too! Did you hear him say something along the lines of..... "My My look what 8:50 has got us? Tied game. (and rather sarcastically) The Jayhawk crowd is quiet." I wanted to (punch) them.
I'm surprised we didn't hear every scenario as to how Iowa State or Texas was going to tie us. They sure didn't talk about OSU impoding. Just talked about how good Smart is NOW.
This is from the Sporting News article that JNewell had quotes from.
By Mike DeCourcySporting News
How good is Self? This is his 13th year as a high-major coach, starting in 2000-01 at Illinois. In the previous 12 years — since the NCAA selection committee shafted his last, brilliant Tulsa team with a No. 7 seed — he never has coached a team that earned an NCAA seed lower than No. 4. There have been five No. 1s, a No. 2, two No. 3s and four No. 4s. That’s ridiculous.
We expect performances such as this from Self and Kansas, though because it’s what they deliver, every year. That does not mean it is not extraordinary.
From The Wichita Eagle
Posted on Mon, Feb. 24, 2014
Jayhawks win share of 10th straight Big 12 title
By RUSTIN DODD
The Wichita Eagle
The ball swung to the wing and Andrew Wiggins set his feet. It was in the final minutes at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday night, and No. 5 Kansas was minutes away from clinching a share of its 10th straight Big 12 Championship.
Ten straight. It’s a dizzying feat in the modern era of college basketball. But in this moment, as the Jayhawks led by just five points and the anxiety began to grow, nobody was really thinking about the streak. Well, that’s not quite right. It’s safe to say probably everybody inside Allen Fieldhouse was thinking about the number 10.
In one sense, this was what this whole Andrew Wiggins-led experiment was all about. The Jayhawks had lost all five starters off last year’s team — four seniors and lottery pick. Kansas coach Bill Self had lost his five leading scorers for the first time. It was time for another turnover. So Self simply added the most heralded recruiting class in school history, and now his Jayhawks were going to win another conference title.
“I’m happy a bunch of young kids are growing up,” Self would say.
So here was Wiggins, lining up his feet, stepping into a three-pointer that could give the Jayhawks an eight-point lead and ice the victory with more than two minutes left. The shot went down, of course. Inside Allen Fieldhouse, they usually do.
No. 5 Kansas 83, Oklahoma 75.
"Just winning this whole championship," Wiggins said. "It was just a great feeling on the court.
The Jayhawks, 22-6 and 13-2 in the Big 12, can clinch the Big 12 Championship outright with a victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday. That would be sweeter than sharing, of course. And the Jayhawks have larger goals on the horizon.
“When you win the league, it’s a good year,” Self said. “Now we need to make it a great or special year.”
But for a moment, this was history. Kansas became just the fifth program to win at least 10 straight conference championships. And just the second from a power conference since UCLA won 13 straight Pac-8 and Pac-10 titles in the 1960s and 1970.s
Nearly nine years ago, on March 2, 2005, the streak began in earnest in a senior-night victory over K-State. Self clinched his first title at Kansas. Senior forward Wayne Simien savored senior night by speaking for more than 30 minutes after the game. And a core of freshmen that would grow to be seniors on Self’s 2008 NCAA championship team barely played.
“We like to be known as winners,” then-senior guard Aaron Miles said after the game.
On Saturday night, it was the latest generation of Jayhawks leading the way. Wiggins would finish with 15 points, including 10 during the second half. Junior guard Naadir Tharpe closed out Oklahoma (20-8, 9-6) in the final minutes while finishing with 19 points and five assists.
The lane kept opening up, so Tharpe kept driving.
“The last 10 minutes,” Self said. “I think that’s as good as Naadir has played since he’s been here.”
In the moments after the game, Tharpe stood near half-court, waving his arms as the Kansas crowd began to chant. “10 straight! 10 straight!” The crowd stuck around for a party, and Self exited into the Allen Fieldhouse tunnel, flashing all 10 fingers.
"It's just a beautiful feeling," Tharpe said.
Just two days earlier, Kansas had flashed its A-game in an 85-54 rout of second-place Texas. The Jayhawks had pieced together their most complete performance of the season, a blend of highlight-driven offense and lockdown defense, and it was easy to imagine Kansas using Monday night as another Big 12 coronation. The Jayhawks, of course, could only win a share of the title with a victory. But with another home game against Texas Tech coming next week, the Jayhawks didn’t seem to be into the sharing stuff.
Late on Saturday night, Self wasn’t so sure. He didn’t want to concede that Kansas was rolling — not yet, anyway. Just two weeks ago, the Jayhawks couldn’t escape K-State with a victory. And this was still the same team that needed a last-second bucket to win at Texas Tech.
“There’s a lot that needs to happen for us to go on a roll,” Self said.
Fast forward to Monday night. Midway through the second half, and Kansas trailed Oklahoma 58-54. The Jayhawks had led 42-33 at halftime after a late run in the opening 20 minutes. But now that lead was gone.
Maybe this is what Self meant. For a moment, the Big 12 title streak was on the back-burner. Boos were echoing through Allen Fieldhouse. And the Jayhawks were just looking for a run.
It came in bits and pieces: a bucket from Jamari Traylor, an off-balance jumper from Tharpe. And then Wiggins capped an 11-3 run with an old-fashioned three-point play with 7:12 left.
Once again, Kansas' freshmen were rising to the moment.
Kansas had opened Big 12 Conference play with a gritty 90-83 victory at Oklahoma on Jan. 8. The performance had been a turning point, a sign that the growing pains were close to over. Maybe the young Jayhawks could grow up and win another Big 12 Championship. On Monday night, Wiggins' shot went down, and the Jayhawks pushed the tradition into the future. .
“We’ve had so many good players,” Self said. “It’s been a great run. You don’t win unless you have better guys than the other guys and we’ve had better guys.”
KU:
Percentages: FG .446, FT .867. 3-Point Goals: 7-16, .438 (Selden, Jr. 3-5, Tharpe 1-1, Ellis 1-1, Wiggins 1-3, Mason 1-4, Greene 0-1, Frankamp 0-1). Team Rebounds: 3. Blocked Shots: 5 (Embiid 3, Ellis, Wiggins). Turnovers: 11 (Embiid 4, Traylor 2, Mason, Selden, Jr., Tharpe, Black, Wiggins). Steals: 6 (Embiid 4, Tharpe 2). Technical Fouls: None.
OU:
Percentages: FG .443, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 6-14, .429 (Hield 3-6, Clark 1-2, Woodard 1-2, Neal 1-2, Hornbeak 0-1, Booker 0-1). Team Rebounds: 2. Blocked Shots: 1 (Cousins). Turnovers: 11 (Neal 2, Cousins 2, Booker 2, Woodard, Hield, Hornbeak, Bennett, Spangler). Steals: 5 (Booker 2, Bennett, Clark, Spangler). Technical Fouls: None.
A—16,300. Officials—Mike Stuart, Tom O’Neill, Duke Edsall.
Reach Rustin Dodd at rdodd@wichitaeagle.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rustindodd.
Behind Bill Self, Kansas Clinches 10th Consecutive Big 12 Title in Win Over Oklahoma
By TJFsports@TJFsports on Feb 25 2014, 1:12a
The Big 12 Streak and Bill Self
Before we get into the specifics of the 83-75 victory by Kansas over Oklahoma on Monday night, let's establish this: Bill Self is a coaching legend.
Not a pretty good coach, not a great coach. A legend.
Kansas defeated Oklahoma on Monday night by the score of 83-75, making Bill Self the head coach of a team that has at least tied for the best record in a major basketball conference for ten consecutive seasons. Every single year that Self has coached at KU, the Jayhawks have been a force to be reckoned with. What he is doing in this modern age of increased parity in college basketball is astounding.
Never, during Self's tenure, has Kansas had a bad season, or even an average season. Forget about ever missing the NCAA Tournament, something that occasionally happens to even the most prestigious of basketball programs. Every season under Self, Kansas has had a great year. Kansas has yet to have a season under Self where they have been worse than a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and, barring some major surprises, they're going to have either a 1 or 2 seed again this season. The only year Kansas didn't win the Big 12 under Self was in his very first year with the school, and the team they lost it to was the 2004 Oklahoma State team led by Tony Allen, Joey Graham and John Lucas that went on to go to the Final Four.
Yes, it's easy to recruit to Kansas, and many have had success here before. But it's also easy to recruit to North Carolina, Kentucky, and Indiana. Those teams have all had down years the past decade, and it's completely understandable and not a knock on their coaches at all. It just makes what Self has done even more ridiculous.
Let's put this in perspective:
Jim Boeheim had 9 Big East titles for Syracuse in his 37 years coaching in it. Pretty fantastic run.
Tom Izzo has 7 Big Ten titles for Michigan State the last 18 years. Fairly dominant.
Mike Krzyzewski has 12 ACC titles for Duke the last 28 years. Unbelievable, sustained dominance.
... and Bill Self has 10 Big 12 titles the last 10 years.
There really isn't much else to say. What Self has accomplished this past decade is one of the most remarkable streaks in sports history.
Quick Recap
As far as the game itself, the Sooners gave KU a scare for quite a while. While I wondered if the dominant performance by the defense Saturday vs. Texas was sustainable, I certainly was hoping for more than what KU showed. Oklahoma finished with 75 points and shot 44.3% from the field, the second highest by an opposing team in Allen Fieldhouse this season. Then again, Oklahoma is a pretty great offensive team, ranking 12th in Kenpom's adjusted offensive efficiency.
On offense, Kansas was led by Naadir Tharpe, who was incredibly efficient. Tharpe finished with 19 points, shooting 5 of 6 from two, 1 of 1 from three, and 6 of 6 from the line. Tharpe also threw in 5 assists with just 1 turnover. It's becoming increasingly difficult to predict what sort of performance Tharpe will give each game.
Wayne Selden also had an impressive game. He finished with 15 points, and though he shot just 1 of 4 from two, he drained 3 of his 5 threes, and 4 of 4 on free throws. Selden also had a vital drive and kick (something he is by far the best on the team at) to Andrew Wiggins for three with just under three minutes to go. Before the benefit of a re-watch, this was the second game in a row that I thought Selden did not stand out on defense in a bad way.
As for the two super freshmen, Joel Embiid had a very solid game, finishing with 12 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Embiid did have 4 turnovers, and remains not that great at taking care of the ball. Andrew Wiggins had an tough time getting his shots to fall, but he was fine other than that.
Going Forward
As Self usually says and did again around this time of year, the Big 12 title unquestionably solidifies that Kansas has had a great year. But if they want to make it a special year, one that really will be remembered, the ultimate test is still ahead. Kansas fans likely feel a lot better that it's Bill Self tasked with leading this squad of youngsters to greatness.
We will have more in-depth analysis both on the Oklahoma game and leading up to the game in Stillwater against Oklahoma State on Saturday, but for now, let's just reflect on how fortunate Kansas is to have Bill Self as its coach.
Until then, hit us up in the comments with your best "The last time Kansas didn't win the Big 12..."
A few to start you off:
The last time Kansas didn't win the Big 12, YouTube wasn't invented yet.
The last time Kansas didn't win the Big 12, Shaq was a Laker.
The last time Kansas didn't win the Big 12, LeBron James was a 19-year-old rookie in Cleveland.
Have at it.
As always, follow me on Twitter @TJFsports, and enjoy the week, Jayhawk fans.
@eastcoasthawk Like the MasterCard ads.
PRICELESS!
Another great highlight reel is at All Access Jayhawks on YouTube.
@approxinfinity in the clip I just pasted, plus Bob Davis reaction!
@approxinfinity This one even better from KU Athletics. Hard for me to do on my little Nook.
http://www.kuathletics.com/news/2014/2/22/MBB_0222141534.aspx?path=mbball ↗
http://college-basketball.si.com/2014/02/22/kansas-routs-texas-andrew-wiggins-bill-self/ ↗
↗
Good one from SI.com
So who is "overrated" now UT? Sure does make it easier for me to go to work tomorrow after this beatdown. ;-). Loved the fact that we did not slow down in the first half and kept the pedal to the floor.
@truehawk93 Exactly. Like he was after the Cyclones beat down. Watching him on the news the last couple of nights here in Austin has been rather sickening, listening to all the excuses he has about losing. NONE of the local sports talking heads have picked UT to win tomorrow, especially after they were beaten by ISU. Oh it may be close, they say, but they said we will pull away late in the 2nd half and never look back. Plus they have talked about the "magic" of AFH and that it is THE loudest in the country. One even said Hilton Magic was NOTHING compared to AFH.
Rock Chalk!!!!
@Blown Have been looking for a post from you about your ISU v UT experiences. Anything you can post would be appreciated!
And besides, Tyler hasn't graduated yet. ;-)
On the Conference Race - From SI.com Fanside Talking12
By Chip Rouse - Feb 16th, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Three weeks to go in the regular season, and Kansas and Texas have added another game of separation between them and the rest of the Big 12 teams, as everyone but cellar-dwelling TCU continues to beat up on each other. There is a good reason why the Big 12 continues to be the top conference in college basketball this season. When your eight and ninth place teams in a 10-team league were once ranked in the top-10 nationally in the same season, it easily underscores the parity and power level of the teams within the conference.
The degree of separation between the best team and the worst team in the Big 12 this season is razor thin. Consider that Kansas lost to Texas, which lost to Oklahoma State, which lost twice to Oklahoma, which lost to Texas Tech, which lost to West Virginia, which lost to Oklahoma State, which lost to Iowa State, which lost to West Virginia, which beat Kansas State, which beat Kansas. It’s been crazy and confusing like that practically every week since the conference season began in early January.
Kansas has been No. 1 in our weekly power rankings since supplanting Iowa State, when the once 14-0 Cyclones fell into a swoon in which they lost four of five games in mid-to-late January. The only other spot that hasn’t changed in the Big 12 power rankings is TCU which has held down the bottom spot since the beginning of the New Year.
Week 16 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Power Rankings
(Last week's ranking in parentheses)
1.Kansas Jayhawks (1) – Texas is the only conference team with a chance of resting the championship from the Jayhawks; after Saturday when one and two meet in Lawrence, it could be all over.
2.Texas Longhorns (4) - The comeback team of the year after losing its first two conference games this season. Since then, the Lonhgorns have won nine of 10.
3.Oklahoma Sooners (3) - Sooners are off until Saturday before hosting Kansas State and a chance to avenge an earlier loss at Manhattan.
4.Iowa State Cyclones (2) - Iowa State is 5-1 at home this season in Big 12 play, but just 2-4 on the road. They have Texas in Ames on Tuesday.
5.Kansas State Wildcats (6) - TCU is next up at home before the Wildcats head to Norman, Okla., on Saturday, with a 1-5 roach record in the Big 12.
6.West Virginia Mountaineers (5) - The Mountaineers play well at home (beating Oklahoma and Iowa State in their last two home games). They don’t have to go back out on the road until a week from Wednesday, when then face another tough road test at Iowa State.
7.Oklahoma State Cowboys (7) - The Cowboys are rudderless without floor leader and best player Marcus Smart. Problen is: They weren’t doing all that good with him. Enough said.
8.Texas Tech Red Raiders (9) - The Red Raiders are playing as well as anybody in the Big 12 right now. Since beginning conference play at 1-3, Texas Tech has gone 4-3, including a road win at Oklahoma.
9.Baylor Bears (8) - Two of the Bad News Bears’ four conference wins are over TCU. The only two teams they have beaten ahead of them in the standings are Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
10.TCU Horned Frogs (10) - Likely not to change position this year, but a league win is still very doable.
P.S. re: Chip Rouse Chip Rouse has spent over 40 years working in and with the news media. A journalist by training and a graduate of the University of Kansas.
It worked!
@dylans Thanks for the work around.
Way to go Team USA beating the Russians in hockey!
I would love to read Jesse's article but I am denied access having reached my max on free looks. Can someone cut and paste it in its entirety here? Thanks much.
TCU Horned Frogs take on their game vs. KU
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU will hit the road Saturday to face No. 7 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. The Horned Frogs' contest against the Jayhawks will tip at 3:00 p.m. CT and be shown live on the Big 12 Network with Dave Armstrong (Play-By-Play) and Chris Piper (Color) calling the action live.
Fans not able to attend the contest against Kansas can follow it live on FrogVision. The radio broadcast is available by going to the men's basketball schedule and clicking on the listen live icon located on the right side of the page. Brian Estridge (Play-By-Play) and John Denton (Color) will be on the airwaves.
The Opponent
No. 7 Kansas comes into this weekend fresh off an 85-82 overtime loss to Kansas State Monday. Against the Wildcats, the Jayhawks, who are 18-6 overall and 9-2 in the Big 12, used a 10-1 run in the final 1:53 to force overtime, but couldn't complete the comeback. Individually, guard Andrew Wiggins and center Joel Embiid have been named to the list of top 30 candidates for the 2014 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year award. Wiggins is averaging 16.0 points per game, while Embiid is also in double-figures with 10.7 points a contest and 7.8 boards a game.
The Series
The two conference foes will battle for the eighth time in program history Saturday. Kansas currently leads the all-time series, 6-1, but the Horned Frogs claimed a 62-55 victory over KU at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in 2013.
Johnson's Number
Going into Saturday, TCU head coach Trent Johnson is 2-2 in his head-coaching career against Kansas. Prior to last season's home victory, his only other win over the Jayhawks came with Nevada on Dec. 21, 2003, which ended in a 75-61 home Wolf Pack decision.
The Dynamic Duo
Heading into Saturday, junior's Kyan Anderson and Amric Fields have formed quite the tandem during conference play on the offensive end. The duo have scored 326 of TCU's 650 points, which is 50 percent of the Purple and White's scoring in league play. Anderson and Fields have also dished out 55 percent (68-of-124) of TCU's assists in conference action.
Staggering Numbers
Of the 16 players listed on the 2013-14 roster, only four in Kyan Anderson, Jarvis Ray, Brandon Parrish and Christian Gore have played in every game this season. Nationally, TCU's depletion is not like any seen as only Georgia Tech, Loyola Marymount and UC Santa Barbara have had four or more student-athletes questionable for games the last couple of weeks.
TCU Headlines
• TCU is 15-4 when leading at the half under head coach Trent Johnson.
• TCU is 7-3 this season when leading at the half.
• TCU is 4-1 this season when Karviar Shepherd grabs double-digit rebounds.
• TCU has led at the half in two out of its last four conference games.
• TCU has now held 11 opponents to 65 points or less this season.
• TCU has now held 14 of its 23 opponents to under 70 points.
• TCU has now held six out of the last 15 opponents to 39 percent or below.
• TCU will face its eighth ranked opponent in 11 games Saturday.
• Kyan Anderson posted a season-high with 29 points Wednesday versus Baylor.
• By scoring 27 points at Iowa State, Anderson became only the 32nd TCU player all-time to score 1,000 points for his career.
• Anderson now has eight 20-point games this season. He now has 14 20-point games in his three-year career.
• Amric Fields led TCU in rebounding for a fifth-straight contest Wednesday.
• Fields scored in double-figures for a 13th time in 16 games this season against Baylor.
Making It Count
In the four games this month, junior Kyan Anderson is averaging 22.5 points per game, which is over six more points a contest than what he has done for the season. The junior, who has also dished out 5.5 assists per game during the month, has only missed one free throw the entire month, going 24-of-25 (.960). He has posted back-to-back games of 27 and 29 points against Iowa State and Baylor, respectively, while scoring 20 or more points in three out of the four contests.
Anderson's Production Broken Down
Kyan Anderson leads TCU this season, averaging a team-best 16.3 points per game. When breaking it down even further though, Anderson is averaging over a point per possession. Possessions are figured by field goals attempted, free throws attempted and total number of turnovers. The Fort Worth native has also dished out a total of 44 assists in the last nine games.
Playing The Best
TCU has faced eight ranked opponents in the last 11 games, which includes three games against an opponent ranked in the top-10 in one of the national polls.
Joining The Club
Junior Kyan Anderson became only the 32nd TCU player all-time to score 1,000 points in his career this season. The Fort Worth native, who has tallied 1,001 points during his three-year career, scored 27 points at Iowa State to hit the 1,000-point club. In recent years, only former Frog Ronnie Moss has scored more points after 80-plus games then Anderson. Moss totaled 1,095 in 82 games between 2008-2011.
Common Trends
During the last 21 games, the Frogs have posted 10 or more assists in 15 of the 21 games. The only six games in which the Purple and White haven't shared the rock over 10 times came in their losses to Harvard (8), Oklahoma State (5), Texas Tech (4), Oklahoma (8), Texas Tech (9) and in a victory at Mississippi State (7).
TCU has held all but nine opponents to 71 points or less, including 11 foes to 65 points or fewer. The Horned Frogs have also allowed only Longwood, K-State, Kansas, Iowa State and Baylor to shoot over 50 percent, holding six out of the last 15 opponents to below or at 39 percent.
Self says Jamari Traylor will play Saturday
By LJW Staff Reports
Kansas University red-shirt sophomore forward Jamari Traylor will play in Saturday’s KU-TCU game, coach Bill Self said on Thursday night.
Traylor, 6-8, 220 from Chicago, was held out of Monday’s loss at Kansas State because of disciplinary reasons.
Self, who met with Traylor before practice on Thursday, had no comment on the matter Thursday night except to say Traylor would play.
Game time for Saturday’s KU-TCU game is 3 p.m.
THIS AND THAT
Midseason list: Embiid and Wiggins have been named to the list of 30 candidates for the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. Other Big 12 players on list: Melvin Ejim, DeAndre Kane, Marcus Smart.
Tyler has surgery: KU sophomore Tyler Self had foot surgery Wednesday and will be sidelined four to six months, Bill Self said, noting the surgery was to fuse bones in his son’s foot. Tyler tore ligaments in the top of his foot in October. He will red-shirt this season.
Recruiting: JaQuan Lyle, a 6-5 combo guard from Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, will attend the Feb. 24 KU-Oklahoma game as part of an official recruiting visit, Zagsblog.com reports. He’s considering KU, Providence, Oregon, Oklahoma State, UConn and Memphis. He’s ranked No. 22 in the Class of 2014 by Rivals.com.
NBA players in house: Self said he wasn’t sure which of KU’s players in the NBA would attend the TCU game. It’s believed Nick Collison of the OKC Thunder will be in the stands.
Self on former KU coach Larry Brown’s SMU team being ranked: “I think it’s awesome to see where they’ve been and to see the interest level and the new arena and bringing college basketball excitement back to the metroplex I think is really cool. And to be ranked and everything, that’s quite an accomplishment in a short amount of time. Of course, everybody that knows him knows that it would happen.”
Get Well Tyler.
From Sports Illustrated article Tuesday that confirms some of what you've gone over above.
Posted February 11, 2014
Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins can thrive if he stays aggressive
By Brian Hamilton
Andrew Wiggins seems to be at his best when playing aggressively, and the Jayhawks will need him at his best with Joel Embiid out.
The ball flipped into his palms Monday night, Andrew Wiggins put his head down and set course for the rim. There appeared to be no consideration of another option. He may be the most scrutinized freshman in the nation, but there was no over-analyzing this. Kansas needed a game-tying basket, and Wiggins would try to provide it.
His first attempt to do so rimmed out. So Wiggins landed, hit reverse and in a bolt of athleticism used spring-loaded legs to get a hand on the miss and tip it back in. The Jayhawks had their tie game and a chance to win in overtime, which they ultimately let slip in an 85-82 loss before a relieved Kansas State crowd. But Kansas had a chance because Andrew Wiggins decided to give his team one, and it’s clear by now there’s no harm in the Jayhawks demanding more of that.
Though there are exceptions, Wiggins appears at his most efficient when he revs up the aggressiveness, even by a small amount. Given the revelation that fellow freshman Joel Embiid has succumbed to a bit of wear and tear and may be the Big 12’s most valued spectator for a stretch, an assertive Wiggins might keep the Jayhawks humming in the stretch run to a league title.
Wiggins has been consistently involved on offense, but he hasn’t been consistently productive. His willingness to command shots hasn’t wavered much since the start of Big 12 play, with a shot percentage that ranged between 20 and 30 percent in nine of 11 league games so far.
Meanwhile, his effective field goal percentage, a measure that takes into account success (or failure) from three-point range, has been up and down. That figure has soared as high as 75 percent against Iowa State on Jan. 29 before plunging to 20.8 percent in the next game, at Texas on Feb. 1. But a correlation between Wiggins’ willingness to be even slightly more selfish, and the offensive efficacy that follows, has become clear.
On Jan. 25 against TCU, Wiggins posted a shot percentage of 30.0 and an effective field goal percentage of 69.2. Next came that Jan. 29 Iowa State game and a shot percentage of 30.3 to go with that blistering shooting performance, both bests in Big 12 play thus far.
Conversely, there was the league opener in which Wiggins’ shot percentage was 23.4 and his effective shooting rate just 22.2. The cellar floor was the Jan. 18 Oklahoma State game in which he had a shot percentage of 16.5 and an effective field goal rate of 30. There are of course exceptions – on Jan. 20, Wiggins had a shot rate of just 18.3 but 50 percent effectiveness from the floor – and this could be simply explained as Wiggins appraising how he feels and shooting more when he feels good.
But then there was the Jan. 13 game at Iowa State, when the Cyclones were running at full gale force. Before it, Wiggins’ father challenged him to attack the glass. Gauging Wiggins’ body language and approach courtside, the result seemed to be a loose and assertive player from the start, no feeling-out period needed or wanted. And the result of that: 17 points and 19 rebounds and a propulsive Kansas win.
Even his last two games should underscore for Wiggins what makes him most lethal: He’s 10-of-19 on two-point shots and 0-for-7 from long range while attempting double-digit free throws in each.
No one should lambaste Wiggins for working within the flow of the team, which he appears to do predominantly, given his consistent share of shots taken game to game. But he looks better, or at least more efficient, when he’s on the attack, and Kansas certainly would benefit from that if Embiid’s injuries last until March at one level or another. Wiggins’ track record in Big 12 play and the last two games suggest he’s up for it. If Bill Self isn’t prodding his prized freshman forward for a little more yet, it might be time to consider it.
From Gary Parrish Top 25 (and one) at CBS Sports. I think he is someone who thinks he knows a lot and a real homer for Duke & UK. He did not drop us from #7 even after the KSU loss and this explains why:
7 Kansas
Overall: 18-6
Conference: 9-2
Previous: 7
**The Jayhawks have six top-30 RPI wins, eight top-50 wins and zero losses outside of the top 30 even after Monday's OT loss at Kansas State. **
He did drop SDSU from 3 to 6 after their loss to Wyoming. He updates his rankings daily based on each night's games.
@jaybate 1.0 If I recall correctly, TT was suspended the first two games of the season. Thing is the "length" question was asked and answered in each instance before by Coach but not sure that question has even been asked on Jamari. Would Jesse N. know? He has to have done something against team standards to warrant it tho.
@nuleafjhawk When they did chant that (more than once) I was amazed that ESPN did nothing and allowed it to be aired. I asked myself "Is that what I think they are saying?" Way to keep it classy KSU.
Last night during the UT v OSU game, UT fans began chanting "Where is Marcus" with a little over 3 mins. left in the game. Believe it or not, it would not have mattered if he had played last night - OSU would still have lost.
While this loss was disappointing given that they fought back to tie it, there were many times in the first half that missed opportunities gave way to easy baskets for KSU. Our missed FT's (23-34) again come back to bite us in the end. We really never rebounded and don't know how many points they ended up with in the paint.
Even though we only had 11 total TO's, most of them were ones that gave KSU momentum and the game turned in their favor each time. Not singling out Brannen because he did get 3 steals and hustle to help get us back in it, but his TO was a big turnaround for them. Frank's 6 minutes, no points, no rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls (one a technical) and 1 TO was the most glaring to me in the box score.
Never heard what it was that Jamari did but his not being in the game really hurt his team and I hope that he and the others have learned whatever lesson Coach was sending about his "inappropriate behavior" (as was mentioned by Muffberger). Lucky that Tarik did not reinjure his ankle to the point where he couldn't come back in to contribute because Jojo certainly needs time to get himself healthy.
And again we ask, where the he doublehockeysticks was AWIII?
@globaljaybird You're in our thoughts man.
My brittany spaniel has been gone for 21 years and not a day goes by that I don't miss him.