🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@AsadZ KU will be playing a lot more zone going forward to protect Landen and keep him out of foul trouble and to keep everyone's legs as fresh as possible. KU is basically a 6 man rotation with only Vick off the bench. Any production KU gets out of Lightfoot or Coleby is a bonus because Landen is going to start playing 38 mpg when fouls don't get in the way.

We are getting ready to see Bill Self run more zone than we have ever seen him run in the past because KU's current depth situation necessitates that KU will have to play zone to have any hope of getting to Phoenix.

We still have between 11 and 13 games left before the NCAA tournament, that's a lot of games left. KU has nothing locked up yet in regards to playing in KC. There's 4 west coast teams along with Baylor still in the mix for a 1 seed. 2 of UCLA, Arizona, and Oregon will most likely get shipped out of the west so they become competition for KU and KC is the next closest region for each of those teams.

KU needs to handle their business in the second half of league play and probably get to 29-30 win before the NCAA tournament to lock up a spot in the KC regional.

I will also say that it's looking more likely that the Big 12 only gets 5 in the tournament this year. Tech and TCU have to get to 9 Big 12 wins to have any chance and both are sitting at 3-5 right now which puts each on pace for between 6 and 8 Big 12 wins. They have work to do and I don't think either team gets to 9-9 this year. Tech hasn't won a road conference game yeat and still have 5 road games left. TCU has 5 road games left as well, but they do have a road win over Texas, but are also only 2-2 at home this year.

There are currently only 3 locks in the Big 12 to make the dance. ISU and KSU have good shots at making it. ISU should get to 10-12 Big 12 wins which will get them in even if they go 0-6 against KU, Baylor, and WVU, 11-7 or 10-8 with a Big 12 tournament win gets them in.

KSU has a win over WVU which is big for their chances as long as they get to 9-9 or better and win a Big 12 tournament game.

We're about half way through conference play now. The rankings at this point do give a faiy accurate view of where teams are at now.

@stoptheflop Keeping Kentucky out of their transition offense was much more important because they struggled with their half court offense all night long. KU was not going to win a game against Kentucky in the 80's or 90's. Keeping the score in the 70's and lower was what KU had to do to win. Self sacrificed offensive rebounding all night to get his team back to prevent Kentucky from getting their transition offense going.

We're going to see a lot more of the zone this year as a tactic to keep Landen out of foul trouble. It's also going to save Frank, Devonte, and JJ's legs throughout the season. Self might even be forced to practice his zone a little but so he can add some wrinkles to it considering how much we're likely to see the zone the rest of the way.

@Blown As far as Big 12 goes and getting to 13, no this game isn't important, but this is a huge resume game to keep KU in line for a 1 seed and to have potential Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games at Sprint Center instead of Memphis or wherever the West regional is this year.

@RockChalkinTexas Baylor game is in Lawrence. Waco game is Feb. 18.

@BShark Hope her son gets through Clearinghouse next year.

Didn't think KU would get it done tonight before the game started. Figured Bam would destroy our interior like most bigs have done this year.

Losing LL isn't an issue. Just puts a better FT shooter on the floor.

@Texas-Hawk-10 No we can't other Texas Hawk 10, no we can't.

Can we just have this game end 75-68 for old times sake against Cal?

This is why JJ is the best OAD KU has had.

Lucas has gotten so much better at finishing this year.

@HawkChamp Yes because this isn't a Kentucky style game. They like high scoring games and I doubt either team reaches 80, possibly even 75 tonight

@globaljaybird Again, nothing new. We've seen it for for 3-4 years with most of these guys now.

@globaljaybird We know this group struggle with focus at times so it's not a revelation.

@DCHawker Nothing we don't already know

@HawkChamp FT's are mental more than anything else.

A low scoring game like this favors KU.

I'll take this deficit every time given the circumstances.

@DCHawker Coleby isn't all that skilled and he's still trying to fully recover from a torn ACL he suffered before the start of last season

Was that lob actually intended for Vick or did he steal it from Jackson?

I'd be happy if KU cuts the lead to 5 by halftime at this point.

KU's had plenty of good looks, just haven't gotten them to fall tonight. KU isn't playing as bad the score indicates.

Hope Graham comes back in. We have no room for injuries or @jaybate-1.0 may get his wish of seeing Tyler Self play relevant minutes tonight.

@DCHawker The turnovers are more concerning at this point. UK should naturally win the rebounding battle tonight.

KU's best chance tonight is to play slow with a low number of possessions to minimize Kentucky's depth advantage.

Big 12 wins 6 or 7 if we beat Kentucky. As much as I hate typing this, I think Kentucky wins tonight.

WVU over A&M looks like it'll happen (1-0 Big 12)

Florida over OU (1-1)

Texas Tech over LSU (2-1 Big 12)

Kansas State over Tennessee (3-1 Big 12)

Arkansas over Oklahoma State (3-2 Big 12)

Georgia over Texas (3-3)

Iowa State over Vanderbilt (4-3 Big 12)

TCU over Auburn (5-3 Big 12)

Baylor over Ole Miss (6-3 Big 12)

KU women beat Texas Tech 66-60 for their 1st Big 12 win of the season and end a 9 game losing streak. The women led Tech throughout the entire game.

If you'd rather watch KU basketball, the women are FSN and are up 9 on Texas Tech with about 2 minutes left before halftime.

@jaybate-1.0 How many times did Greene get suspended his final year. JR Giddens or CJ Giles may also be candidates.

@wrwlumpy Big 12 gets 5 at best. The RPI's in the league this year aren't great which means conference play won't help boost RPI's much. You gotta get to 10-8 in Big 12 play this year I believe to get an at large with the RPI's the teams have.

I'm glad KUSports disabled the comments on that article. That would have been an s-storm with some of those idiots there

Damn

Lucas looked like he was about to murder somebody.

@wissox This is just crappy officiating killing any momentum KU builds and not really KU playing bad basketball for the most part.

@HawkChamp A 28-3 KU is a one seed

@wissox Higgins is reffing, typical calls when he refs KU on the road.

Typical Higgins officiated KU game.

That was not on LL

Finally Svi

Finally Svi

Bragg had a right to go after that ball as well.

@chriz Graham extending the arm is why he got called. Refs at every level wills always make that call when the arm gets extended. Just ike pass interference in football

@wissox Didn't look like it.

@wissox Graham did extend his arm there, can't do that.

Little bit of acting on both sides there

Would not have guessed Dirk was Mason's favorite player.