If you are out there.... my boy is asking when he is going to meet his future coach!
Your sharp basketball mind is needed in here, too. You help balance things out.
drgnslayr
11251 posts
I only watched bits of this game.
But I think a game like this shows us that the only way we are going to win-out in March is by having excellent defense. We aren't going to win a game against a team like Kentucky or UCLA by just trying to outscore them. Not going to happen.
We have a big advantage against most of the top teams this year... experience. And we should expect our experience to show itself in March this year. That doesn't necessarily mean we will be more composed in high pressure games. But it should show up in areas like weak side help. Our guys should have better defensive flow on switches. We should be able to dial in our hedges better, too.
Last night was a great sign for much of this (in the second half). We now have experienced this team operating at a higher level than in all previous games. I wasn't expecting this until after Christmas. If we can now jump up to another level after Christmas.... like... how about we increase the minutes where we play at this level!
I thought this was an outstanding game for us.
We do often decide to take these games off right before Christmas... or at least, we don't come with any intensity and we hand a Christmas gift off to our opponents who come hungry with hopes of going into Christmas on a positive note.
I like the pattern of coming out big in the second half to really challenge teams. There are only a couple of elite teams in the country that have the athletic conditioning we have. That takes a toll on our opponents, and just when they are feeling tired, we are going into overdrive.
For a big chunk of the second half, that was easily the best we've played all year on the defensive end. Davidson is no slouch. Full of talented foreign players.... I would say the highest basketball IQ team we've played this year. We always have a hard time beating high IQ teams.
Our perimeter defense in the second half was amazing. Davidson knows how to set good picks, and we chewed right through them like they weren't even there.
Davidson didn't have a strong post presence, so instead of our post just trying to match Davidson's our post guys took advantage of the situation, especially on the offensive boards. We still have a long ways to go in post development, but we really needed to see positive results out of our post, and we got that yesterday.
Landen is starting to settle down in the post, and we are starting to formalize our offense, which is a big help for him because his game is based on fundamentals and that is starting to show now. Doke is improving quickly but the key is staying out of foul trouble and he is now a target for all our opponents to challenge him early to make him a non-factor. I do like the idea of having him come off the bench because it is harder to get him in foul trouble when he starts the game watching it first.
I'm really impressed with Svi. He is starting to play now like we always thought he was capable of. He is a solid trey threat, but his drives really set him apart. He is also a pretty good rebounder and we really need all the rebounding we can get.
Josh is exciting to watch, and he has nowhere to go but UP from here on out. No one can stop him and he has a big toolbox... it is all about getting him to think a little more like a volume scorer. When the defense gives it, he needs to take it. We can also run a bit more offense that clears out a side for him. When he drives to the basket, we almost always come away with something good.
When studying the pace of this game I realized how effective we were at transition offense, scoring off of what is called the "secondary break" but it was actually even beyond that. The key was for us to go right for the score before the defense fully set itself. This is the bread-and-butter especially for Josh and will feed him all year. There is really nothing our opponents can do to stop this except try to get their defense set quicker. We should really take advantage of this in the second half of all games moving forward because it is damn near impossible for tiring teams to set their defense quickly. Josh is seeing this, and he'll get even more of this as the rest of our team realizes it and at least clears out for him or for Frank (or really any of our guards) during the first few seconds of our offense when started quickly.
I want to see us push the pace up the court every position, even after an opposing team score with the goal being to score quickly on a drive or wide open trey via the "secondary break." And, of course, we will be happy to score on the primary break, too. This will help us in so many areas because it forces our opponents to think about their defense while they are on offense. This is the easiest way to help shut down offensive rebounds from our opponents and to make it harder for them to hit the long ball.
Imagine what Minnesota Gopher fans are going through?
Gophers football sexual assault claim, suspensions, boycott: What we know ↗
Interesting post. Never heard that concept before.
So using your "80" as a minimum... where does this Kansas team come in at?
And... could Josh be that special player you mention? Or someone else on this team?
He should think that..... he's just in HS and he is a God in HS.
He had a teaspoon of reality last night. And when he comes to Kansas, he will be mixed in with guys of a similar talent level. Reality will come soon enough, but the question is if he is willing to accept a different message than he has faced his entire life.
Bagley is a freak. Wow. And only a junior?
But I like Billy's game. Very talented but I don't see him as an OAD. Incredible commitment for us!
I'm asking questions because I really don't know. From my historic perspective it seems like a mistake to sign an OAD for PG. But looking at today's game, maybe not.
Ah yes, Tyus Jones. Good response. So we have at least 2 freshmen PGs bringing home the gold in the past few years. That definitely makes me think harder about my "historic perspective."
Gosh... just look at Josh. Does he really play like a freshman? And by the end of this year, he may be playing like a senior. It isn't just the fact that he is athletic and has a treasure chest full of moves. Sometimes you see him assess the situation and take advantage of his man out of position, or he bluffs like he is lagging on defense when he is preparing for another steal.
Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong. Maybe I value the experience factor too much.
I hope he realizes life isn't a game, but the game is life.
Couldn't have said it better. The harsh reality of the world we live in today.
It might have been cool and glamorous to have fame 50 years ago. Today it is a headache, and even players for KU need to think like presidents of countries when it comes to safety.
Funny you mentioned Whitlock....
He's been promoted to Fox Sports 1 TV and co-anchors "Speak For Yourself" with Colin Cowherd.
Fox claims, "Jason Whitlock, one of the nation's most prominent sports journalists..." Amazing they can make those claims...
Many people in here complain about Kansas not winning more NCs.
I wonder how many championship teams are led by a freshman PG?
I know one team. Kentucky... 2012... against us... Marquis Teague.
But other years? I have to put an asterisk beside that Kentucky team because Calipari was already used to making all-star freshmen produce in a starting role. Anthony Davis dominated that game with 6 blocks and probably more than 10 shots he changed. And he pulled down 16 rebounds.
If we go for OAD PGs... aren't we also sacrificing the next year's chances as a national contender? So, essentially, we eliminate 2 years in contention?
Really enjoyed your long post comparing Young and Duval.
You convinced me, but it is rare for me to pick an OAD PG over a multi-year PG because we need experience at that position (for many reasons).
What I want to see on these videos of tall guys is footage of them running down court. No... it is not a highlight, but gives us an idea if they can keep up with the pace at KU.
Here is a recent video of Fitzmorris -
[link text](
Thanks! I just set my DVR.
"I am going to guess KU personnel was on top the entire time and knew it would not take long to get unraveled and wisely stayed out of it, lest be accused of interfering, and let the process take its course."
You guessed right. One very solid area for KU is their legal structure. A model for other universities.
I will be concerned if only 4 teams make it to the dance. But we have a lot of basketball to play still and the advantage the Big 12 has going into conference play is a good performance with non-conference opponents.
I am definitely opposed to adding teams like Cinci and BYU, which would destroy what little identity our conference has left. The last thing we want to do is become reactionary to the move by other conferences and become an inferior version of what they are doing. I'm not against adding a couple of teams to our conference, but I think it has to be done carefully with long-term goals in mind, and a big part of that would relate to conference identity.
Eventually, the Big 12 will have to finally tackle the issues we have with killing rivalries.
I don't want to be the "Negative Ned" but this situation isn't completely over yet.
First -
"The Journal-World has submitted a request for Bragg’s arrest affidavit, which is a document filed by police explaining the grounds for an arrest."
There is a good chance this has some character-damaging information in it, and attempts have been made to block it by Carlton's attorney. So if JW releases that information, Carlton may become embarrassed and possibly ashamed.
Second -
Hopefully, this just goes away. However, sometimes one side will feel the need to address this in civil court... even when they really have no case. Sometimes it is done to create more hardship and used as an attempt to save face, or to reach a settlement agreement.
Most likely, this story will just go away. But it is a good idea to know what is still possible.
I wonder if our guys have the "golden rule" used by so many teams in just about all sports -
"Never go out by yourself, and always have at least one teammate with you."
Without hesitation.. I have my pick for the NBA player that was completely underappreciated. This is a different category than "underrated."
Ray Allen was given his proper accolades:
2× NBA champion (2008, 2013)
10× NBA All-Star (2000–2002, 2004–2009, 2011)
All-NBA Second Team (2005)
All-NBA Third Team (2001)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
NBA Sportsmanship Award (2003)
NBA Three-Point Shootout champion (2001)
NBA all-time 3-point leading scorer
Consensus first-team All-American (1996)
UPI Player of the Year (1996)
Big East Player of the Year (1996)
2× First-team All-Big East (1995, 1996)
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1995)
But I do not believe he was appreciated enough for his completeness as a player and how he was able to create success. He was (and still is) an incredible athlete. But it was his FOCUS on the game, his shot, his lifestyle and training, that separated Ray from the field. He even admits to being OCD, and that it helped him with his success.
If I could get one message to Perry Ellis, that message would be for Perry to track down Ray Allen and approach him with humility and an open mind. Ray Allen made basketball his religion. No one player has ever worked as hard to find his success in the game. No one. I can say that with authority after watching live play with many of the greats, including several times being courtside to watch Allen. For any basketball fan, watching Allen live should have been on their bucket list. His shot was unreal, and I've seen many of the great shooters up close, from Larry Bird to Steve Nash... none had the mechanics down like Ray.
Look at what Ray Allen has accomplished. NBA Championships and piles of trophies for both team play and individual play. But consider his current age, 41, and he can still play for just about any NBA team today. His healthy lifestyle, his understanding how to take care of himself (both on and off the court). and his knowledge of the game, human nature, and the overall view of life, makes Ray a great player to have on your roster if for no other reason than help coach young players.
Check out some links and learn about Ray and his life. It is worthwhile reading and you will come to understand why his shot took a career for him to take.
THE SHOT RAY ALLEN TOOK A CAREER TO TAKE ↗
The Shot Ray Allen Took A Career To Take ↗
Routine excellence is Allen's secret ↗
Erik Spoelstra: No one like Ray Allen ↗
Watch the video in the last link. Eventually, it will get to Ray's college days, when he took down Iverson with a crazy shot in the Big East Tournament, UCONN vs Georgetown.
"You need your best guys on the floor in March. How do you get into shape to pace/play 35+ minutes, in quick turn around March games, if you don’t do it during the season? You’ve gotta tear yourself down to build yourself up better. The trick is to stay healthy - stop hitting the floor on every layup attemp Frank!!! KU NEEDS YOU!!!"
That is worth repeating!
I think we have all experienced how Frank is more selective on his finishes starting with last year. I believe last year he actually played less aggressive because he was trying to prevent injury or help protect an injury he was dealing with. It seems his biggest weak area is his elbows... and elbow injuries relate to going down hard on the court.
Frank definitely knows more on how to land safely.
However... with this being his senior year, I expect Frank to push his aggression harder than last year. He needs to finish well to help his potential draft position. And... we need Frank's potential "volume scoring" approach this year as we recover from the loss of Perry's consistent points.
Playing too many minutes puts players in a higher risk bracket for injuries because of several reasons. Just adding more minutes increase risk by exposure. But also, late game injuries may be more likely because when players get tired, they often put themselves in riskier situations.
One way to help Frank stay healthy is for Bill to watch Frank closely late in games. When he sees Frank make riskier decisions or shows signs of being tired, that is the time to pull Frank (when the game is in the bag). Even if games are not totally decided yet, it is good for us to see a Frank-less lineup deal with challenging situations.
I didn't know that. Interesting..
How about "drumstick?"
"Countries have gone to war over guano so it is big time s##t. LOL"
Not sure about countries, but weed growers have definitely gone to battle over bat guano.... it turns out to be the very best fertilizer for pot.
I heard a rumor once that a guy found a big cave full of bat guano and he made a fortune selling it to weed growers.
Sorry... not meaning to hang out there on Conner. I'm cool with him gone. Just wish we had another guard. Not sure what to think of BG and whether or not he would still be good for us when considering his baggage. Probably not.
But imagine him hanging out on the perimeter now? I'm not certain it would work out like what we have now. BG couldn't drive and score. All of our guards now have the drive as a threat. I know I definitely prefer Svi to BG. He may not be quite the shooter from outside, but he does have a threat of driving. And he doesn't run an attitude undercurrent with the team.
I expect we will have Carlton back in January. The sabbatical should do him good. He will have a little fresher body, and more than a month being just "near" the team so he will have developed a better psyche for what he needs to do and what he can contribute to this team.
By that time, Doke will be well-entrenched with Landen to cover the 5. Carlton will have to win minutes back at the 4 and he will have to have quite the compelling display to make Bill want him on the court for more than relieving some guard minutes.
Carlton is about to hit the wall. He will have to find a way to lift his game big time. This is the perfect scenario for a young player with lots of potential but wasn't digging deep in his soul to reach for the highest.
There are a few uber talents out there that never have to dig that deep. Carlton is not one of those so gifted. He has the framework to be very successful, but so does several hundreds of guys in D1. A big light bulb is starting to light up in his head now.
It is time for him to marry basketball. Basketball needs to be his girlfriend... uh... friend. He needs to put those extra hours in at night, working on his moves, his shot, his handles... Greatness is there for him, but he will have to become the practice warrior Perry was.
Looks painful.
I'm too hyped up. The season has barely begun and I'm ready to fill out a bracket.
I'm trying to slow my mind down and enjoy every game this year. I don't want to be too focused on March just yet. Every game now, even if it is against Nobody State, is still a game where we experience elements of greatness while hoping our guys can sew together longer stretches of greatness in games ahead.
In the coming months there will be some of these teams pulling ahead of others. All we have to do is stay focused on our game and how we can continue to improve. If we do that, we will put ourselves in great position for March.
I realize CF can't compete with our guards, but we could sure use one more guard to help knock down all those minutes Frank is on the floor. What did he play... 38 against NU?
He keeps going like that then it will be hard for him to peak in March, when we need him at his best.
I still pull for Conner. Once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk.
The sad thing for Conner... he would probably average near 20 mpg this year with us. And with our offense, he would be more open from trey, no doubt increasing his percentage.
A lot would depend on whether or not we start getting more production from our post and run two post players most of the time.
True... and what is really nice is any of these players may step into a game and have a monster game!
Great read!
I feel like we have the more athletic team, but Duke is always good at basketball IQ.
Enter Josh Jackson! He is starting to show just how high his basketball IQ is and when you put that with his skill set and athleticism, he definitely should be our difference-maker come March.
He still has another gear... we haven't seen the best of Josh yet.
Then look at the potential for us to solve our post situation and we have plenty of room for improvement between now and March.
Other factors will count, too... like Svi. He is starting to figure out how to be effective on offense, and he has improved his defense considerably this year.
"Good thing we are familiar with Duke already."
I find that to be a bad thing because if we meet Duke in March they will be a completely different team... even without the additions of their 3 AAs.
Just look at Kennard. He isn't supposed to be their big star but look at how he has been playing lately.
Luke Kennard Is Playing Like A Star, And Duke Is Suddenly Terrifying ↗
The title to this story is right on.
Our only hope in March against a healthy Duke team is for us to uplift our defense completely. And I mean a monster improvement!
The way to shut down Duke is to shut down their offense. This Duke team will never lead the country with defense. It is their offense that makes them deadly and they get a favorable whistle from the refs, putting their opponents in plenty of foul trouble.
If we defend them properly, we pull them out of their easy offense and make them scrap for every point, while not fouling them or giving refs the ability to call total BS calls.
Then we get some easy run out points because of our defense.
This is the way to beat Duke in March.
We are going to have to keep improving at a rapid pace this year if we hope to compete with a few of these other teams in March.... notable DUKE!
"Am I the only one that disagree’s with this statement " need Bragg to go deep in the NCAA tourney"?"
I disagree, too. Let's not forget how early it is in the basketball year. We have almost the entire season to work around having Carlton. And to be honest, it looks like we are a better team running the 4-guard lineup.
I am yet to see us play better with two post players on the floor this year.
I do want Carlton back in the rotation asap! But it would hurt us more later in the year (to lose him) and if Carlton received big PT minutes. Then we would have to make bigger adjustments and work it out right at the time of March Madness. A difference scenario...
I'm not impressed with UNC. Too thin. Not in positions, but their players are just too thin. Maybe it works out by the end of the season if the refs convert D1 to completely without contact. (yes, I'm complaining)
Kentucky has some sweet talent, but I'm doubtful they have the right combination of players to make a real team.
I hate to say it, but a team to watch is Duke. They are getting better every game and still hope to add in more pieces down the road.
Villanova is looking pretty good. UCLA is looking pretty good. Even Baylor is looking pretty good.
But there is a lot of basketball to be played and injuries will play a big part of how things turn out. Players either getting hurt enough to be in street clothes on the sidelines, or players playing while injured and their effectiveness drops down.
We will have our shot in March like we always have. We could go home the first weekend, or maybe the last weekend after winning our last game!
Very good post!
Think about it... our post play SHOULD be in disarray!
When we added Doke on this team we all knew it would become a battle for minutes, mostly at the 5.
So 5th-year senior, Landen, who earned the 5-spot last year and was THE DIFFERENCE down the stretch, leading us to yet another conference championship now has to suddenly prove himself all over again, almost like last year didn't even happen.
Perhaps Landen feels a bit jolted. Maybe he should feel that. But in reality, he better get used to having the biggest competition coming from his own team... pro ball is all about competing against your own team.
Bill has played this well. He is pushing his bigs to make a big leap in their development this year, and in order to do this it is important that all our bigs are not settled into an easy comfort zone. They all need to be challenged, and that needs to happen all through our year.
I see nothing but good coming our way in the post. Landen is a huge "positive character" individual. He isn't going to let his team down no matter what happens with his feelings or his stumbles while learning to get to the next level. I have total faith in Landen. And Doke, Carlton, Dwight and Mitch are all going to make steady gains this year.
Landen is our leader in the post. All our guys look up to him. That is also part of the problem because suddenly Landen is carrying a lot more pressure than he has in past years. We talk about what it is like to lose Perry and how that impacts Landen. A lot of the impact relates to adding pressure on Landen to become accountable as the leader of our post.
I don't think I could write a more-perfect scenario than what we have going on right now. We may even gain from Carlton's situation... maybe...
Thanks for posting that.
I'm curious how Perry is being utilized. He is such a polished scorer... seems he should be averaging more points.
At only 20 minutes a game, he must not be one of their main go-to guys.
Shooting a higher percentage from trey over 2... isn't that a case of whether the glass is half empty or half full?
I'm pretty sure that most of the treys we have been hitting are shots our guys would take even if there wasn't a trey line. The truth is that the spacing is right for how they are playing. We finally found the right mix of motion to create a very good spacing for trey shots. Seems odd that we are actually thinking of punishing our shot selection because 3 points are given instead of 2. Would we even be having this conversation if those shots were for 2 points? I don't think so.
I can't rave enough about Josh's play. He is showing by example how easy it is to score in mid range. He isn't afraid to take it to the rack (and he does with authority), but also he is smart enough to take what the defense gives and pretty much all D1 defense gives up the easy mid range.
It is important that we take what the defenses give. This is something that should be written in stone for all basketball teams. Once you exploit what the defense gives and you find success, the defense has to adjust to stop it. When they do that, they leave open something else. Why swim up stream with such a heavy undertow in place?
Right now... defenses are giving us the trey line and a lot of soft mid range edges, too. It looks like we are forcing defenses into a mushy, sagging zone. Even when they throw M2M at us, the weak-side help pushes into the paint, creating perfect spacing for our trey shooters.
It would be great to get more production from our bigs, and Landen is starting to settle down and find his mojo. But just having Josh on this team gives us a very solid threat in the low post for scoring. He is pretty tough to stop and can draw fouls easily.
Question. So do you see the focus on pressing styles by more teams in the Big 12 helping to push Coach Self into more of a heavy guard system than in the past?
No question that we have been migrating to heavier recruiting of guards. Did Bill see the light and realize how valuable guard play is to winning it all in March? Or is he focusing more on the Big 12 and is tired of going to Morgantown for a thumping?
Or is this just the final impact of losing Danny Manning off the staff?
I'm curious what you think goes on in Bill's mind.
Your description of capitalism is the description I like. But I've learned that to be the beginning and middle of capitalism. The end is when it is monopolized into the hands of just a few. Regulations are needed to keep it from falling into just a few hands. Keep it at the level you describe. Opportunities for all, including the little guy.
I don't know... yes, Kansas is sitting at the table, but what happens if the legs of the table turn to straw? I think we have to fight for the little guy. When it is no longer really possible for the little guy to win, we all lose. And how boring will it get, if it just becomes a sport for Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and one or two other teams?
I know I'm cheering for teams like UCLA. Get something from the west coast on the radar screen again. Make all those east coast sports media wonks stay up late to watch basketball. In this case, variety is the spice of life.
Look at how a team like Alabama football is so dominant that they are quickly turning the electric game of college football into a one-dimensional game; Alabama, permanent National Champions. Okay. It hasn't come to that yet, but how far away is it from becoming that? At what point does every single top player just want to play at Alabama? I think if Alabama won 5 NCs in a row, the game would lose a ton of viewership.
I am totally on board with your post.
Unfortunately, it is hard to address this without looking at the broader picture of capitalism.
I love capitalism, especially when comparing it to communism. But capitalism leads to a very ugly ending if it goes without substantial regulation. This is where I get into those sideways arguments with many friends. If anyone wants to see non-tethered capitalism, just study old, feudal Europe. What will be our "renaissance" once the reins of our lives are completely controlled by just a few? We aren't far from it now.
Even though I constantly bark at the NCAA for screwing up just about everything... without a governing body, D1 would vanish immediately into something much worse. Imagine Lebron James deciding to take a class in basket-weaving at Kentucky and becoming eligible for the next decade because Calipari gives him more money than the Cavs will?
The days of college rivalries are quickly coming to an end. I'm surprised we are even left with the Army/Navy game today.
What I can't believe is the shortsightedness by so many. Schools like Mizzou... thinking like corporate execs trying to appease stockholders for the next week by cutting their own throats in the long run. No wait... I forgot I was talking about Mizzou. A more realistic comparison is they thought like meth heads in need of a dime to score a hit.
How much money was that Kansas-Missouri rivalry worth? Let me put it to you this way... priceless. Too bad bean counters don't know how to feed "priceless" into their calculations. That IS the real problem here. These rivalries are priceless, and are both tangible and intangible. Accountants are left-brain thinkers. In order to assess intangible properties one needs to be a big right-brain thinker. It takes creativity to realize the real potential of these rivalries. And not everything can be pointed down to exact dollars within a program or school.
Missing Mizzou is like missing the stomach flu. Antlers are a plague on humanity. They are a scourge on the universe. And I am the last man on earth that ever wants to see another Tig anywhere. However... I have come to realize just how much we lose by not having a real rivalry any longer. KSU doesn't count.
Look at OU. Everyone in the Big 12 is worried we are going to lose OU. Would these fears exist if Nebraska was still in our conference? Doubtful.
True... maybe this is that magic moment for Carlton to step into manhood.
Might be one of those times when he realizes... "I thought I was on the right track, but then the right track exposed itself and I realized I wasn't on it."
He's a good, quality guy. He is going to bounce back big! He is up to this Pepsi challenge...
Where is all that "Shaka magic?"
Where is the big "underdog chip" Shaka teams are known for?
Ha...
I heard Seth Greenberg mention that Texas needs to commit big time bucks to the basketball program in order to compete with schools like Kentucky. Gheez... they have everything else down there and Austin is nested in one of the best (or the best) states for recruiting in almost every sport.
Eventually, they will just have to grind it out and start fighting to win games. Unless the goal is to just recruit the cream off the top and throw them a basketball and the keys to the gym and see if that wins games.
That is actually "normal" on cases similar to this. It often ends in a case of "he said, she said" or "he said, he said." Unless there is a "smoking gun" these situations usually vanish because the prosecutor doesn't have enough real evidence to bring the case into a courtroom.
I'm more concerned about how this case is treated within the legal jurisdiction of KU.
Carlton... Is That You?
Read some negative comments on various sites from KU fans blasting Carlton.
Disturbing to say the least. Carlton has been thrown under the bus, I hope he can hide under there until this is resolved after he gets to defend himself.
There used to be a valid statement "innocent until proven guilty"... but that appears irrelevant today with public opinion.
I just want Carlton to know that there are many of us who haven't convicted him yet and believe he is innocent until proven guilty.