How hard can it really be to identify the guy who slammed into Jamari? It's captured in the picture below pretty clearly.
bskeet
4171 posts
@HighEliteMajor Statistically, I agree 20-25 threes would give us a better chance to win.
So the big question is: Why aren't we scheming for 3s and taking more?
Some say that it's because Self is so stubborn.
I do think Self is a bit stubborn, but I think there's a method to his madness. As I've stated earlier, I think part of it is that he has seen enough to know that we are quite adept at hitting 3s. He wants the team to be equally adroit at the inside game so we are not just one-dimensional.
One other possible factor that plays into his thinking is that he's not at all comfortable with our rebounding. Long shots are usually lower percentage shots, and feel less risky when you have solid rebounding to give you second chances for those occasional misses. This team is average or maybe even a bit below average in rebounding, so that could be one of the things standing in the way of opening up the outside game.
Two things I would like to see the team take more pride in: Positions and Passing.
It's been clear the past two games that these have not been areas of focus.
Sharper positioning should lead to better rebounding [see WVU game] and sometimes that's as much about sealing off others so a teammate can get the rebound as it is about allowing a specific player to rebound. On offense, positioning can create lanes and pull the defense... which leads to #2...
Passing should be treated as a weapon. Great passing kills an opponent; poor passing gives life to the opponent. The 10 turnovers in the first half [TCU game] is just sloppy... some of those passes were almost disrespectful to the opponent. Perhaps part of the problem is that I can remember some former teams that really excelled in this area. It requires great awareness and sometimes this team just doesn't seem to have that sharp awareness.
That's my Sunday armchair analysis ;-) FWIW
Just to add another thing that I think gets overlooked by all the pessimism (which I certainly feel sometimes) from game to game - This team has at least 5 players that can take over a game and win it: Ellis, Oubre, Selden, Mason and Greene.
Alexander has had some great games as well, and we'd all like to see that game where he breaks out... Traylor has had phenomenal moments and terrific games (though it's been a while). Lucas is solid but not at that elite level - and he does just what we need him to do. And Graham is developing faster into a suitable relief for Mason faster than I expected.
In past years we have 2-3 all-everything guys surrounded by an awesome group of glue guys. Nothing wrong with that.
But to have 5 different players that can put the team on their back and win is a luxury and a good sign for March. Teams with that many threats tend to do well because they are so much harder to defend.
I have not given up on this season by a long shot.
Could they flame out early? Sure.
But I like my odds with this team because of its balance and the fact that, even ranked at 9 or 10 in the country, they are under the radar.
Enjoyed the game with all of you! Rock Chalk!
If I took a layup out there, it would have looked exactly like that.
Game not over. But Mason is trying to seal it.
@BeddieKU23 True-- didn't mean to imply that he had no responsibility for it. Much as I would like him to have looked better. However, he certainly does not get the opportunity to play through it.
Self keeping him on a very short leash.
@Hawk8086 Cliff had a chance and the officials took him out .. and Self never let him back in.
yeah.. and yet, not Tourney-bound.
Scary. Traylor is tough as nails.
Could use a little help from the crowd. Kind of quiet.
back to a 9 pt game. We just can't keep the foot on the throat of an opponent..
Green's defense.. or lack thereof.. is all too obvious.
that was sweet from every angle
WOWZA
@KansasComet Absolutely
Lucas sold that one.. but he was fouled in the previous play the same way... he just didn't fall, so there was no call.
If they don't want players to flop, they need to call it when someone is shoving the defender backwards from his position, even if he doesn't fall.
interesting lineup
@JayHawkFanToo Glad you said that!
Time to shoot 1000 FTs all week.
Jeeze.. Officials don't seem to think they have a responsibility to protect players.
@Hawk8086 Actually, just once. The first one was a phantom call.
@Crimsonorblue22 thank you. Credit where credit is due.
good defense.. finally, the right call
When we run plays like that we make it look so easy that it seems like we could do that EVERY time.. and I wonder why we aren't just doing it over and over.
Officials have been questionable lately
phantom foul.
@wissoxfan83 yes..impressive. Most impressive.
@Crimsonorblue22 exactly!
@wissoxfan83 Good point... but then the other aspect that isn't given enough credit is total luck: Landing in the right place/system at the right time.
@Hawk8086 True.. So much of the draft is based on potential rather than performance... Yet when they get to the league, they seem to focus on statistics... which is all about performance. Duplicitous? Paradox?
Traylor knew the higher percentage shot was 30 feet away from the basket. :-)
We need a new mascot: the Kansas Statistical Aberrations.
yes.. please: no more shots under the basket. We can't make them.
It's interesting how we worry about the freshmen leaving when the best player (Ellis) gets no attention or concern.. Weird world when the best player is not a threat to leave early.
money!
let's see if that kind of inspired play will get the rest of the team to play up a level... we need to have something to spur a run.
that's a sweet move
phantom fouls
what are we doing?!!
our starts seem to be ugly. I can't remember the last time we exploded out to a lead in the first half. Seems like this team chooses to play to the level --or just below -- of their opponent in the first half, and make it a 2nd half game.
Not a good strategy for March. probably not good for February.
Self also said something like "he's probably the best prospect we have... Just give him time." which I thought was the most complimentary and promising of all the comments.
@DCHawker So, I agree that Frank seems to get some key rebounds. I wonder if there's an advanced stat for rebounds when it's a 1 or 2 possession game.. Maybe it's silly to differentiate, because every rebound counts.. but it does seem like he and Oubre have a knack for rebounds when we need them most.
I figure that Bill Self is looking at the big picture.. He and the team have goals-- win the B12, get to the FF.. win the NC.. He is going to do what needs to be done to best achieve those goals.
Sometimes, I think he purposefully withholds greatness and embraces the challenge. I think he knows that learning is uncomfortable and it's not always pretty. And if you're doing something you are familiar and comfortable with, you aren't learning as much. We don't learn as much when we don't struggle.. and we don't learn as much when we are content.
Great video on this point called "Why you need to fail ↗"
The team needs to win games, yes.... But, even more importantly, it needs to learn certain lessons that lead to winning games. Self focuses on those lessons. On Monday, the main lesson was for Cliff Alexander (a lesson we've seen a couple times this season.) Self's apparent infatuation with the inside-out game is really about learning and improving that part of the game because he knows that team that is one-dimensional is easier to defeat than a multi-dimensional team (outside-in & inside-out).
I don't think he wants to lose games, but I think he's willing to sacrifice short-term gains for long-term goals.
It's frustrating for us fans because we see the product of this effort -- we see a team that should have beaten an inferior opponent and didn't appear to do some of the things that would put it in a position for more certain victory.
But that's our outside-in view. His view from the inside-out is probably a bit rosier knowing that -- the next few games -- he's going to get some different behaviors from his team.
Agree.. this was a fantastic analysis. The game within the game has never been as visible or accessible as it is within Jesse's dissections.
I never would have noticed Jamari getting pushed out of position over and over without the clips.
I suspect the reason for the full-court with 8.3 seconds is to try to use up several of those precious seconds trying to get to mid-court.
Unfortunately, the drive was mostly unimpeded from coast-to-coast and Staten scored in about 5 seconds. If we take three seconds off-- make him stop once and redirect in the backcourt -- he might not make it.
As it was, we let them score so quickly that we had plenty of time to score right back.
Perry was fouled on the layup.. Wayne was fouled on the rebound..
I didn't see much of the game, but the little I did see looked like the officials swallowed their whistles. Maybe they can use some of Huggins' proceeds to have the whistle surgically removed.
@wrwlumpy said:
https://sports.vice.com/article/the-plot-to-kill-the-slam-dunk ↗
(hashtag circa 1935) #KillTheDunk
Great article on Self's remarkable run:
Kansas coach Bill Self is in a league of his own ↗
Kansas coach Bill Self will be featured on "Northwestern Mutual Presents NCAA Men of March" airing Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.