Philly is making the right move here. I believe they are on a maximum 5-yr schedule to win a title. It better be quick because they don't know how long they will have JoJo.
Next year should be the "turn around" year where they post a decent record and may even make the playoffs.
"Ya' dang tootin'!"
Been wanting to use that one for a while now... and your post was so nails on I couldn't resist!
Concerning the weave...
Looking back at our last game. Perhaps it is an indication of what is to come, watching Udunka pick and roll. The pick and roll and pick and pop is something we really need to capitalize on this year. It creates possibly the best scoring opportunity for our bigs since really none of our bigs are traditional back-to-the-basket types. Udunka and Carlton are two perfect candidates for this.
It is easy to run pick and roll/pops out of the weave. Even though our opposition knows we will run it, we can still have plenty of success. And we don't strictly run the weave... just one more gimmick from Bill's bag of tricks.
What I am seeing is 4 guards (and sometimes 5, including Svi) that can take it to the rack at ease. I see this team PASSING our '08 team at the guard position by March. That says a lot. I am just talking about offense here.
So..... what is possible...
Josh > BRush
Devonte > RRob
Frank > Mario
Lagerald > Sherron
I know many think I'm crazy for stating this. My biggest question mark is Lagerald passing Sherron's offense.
The other 3 guys... heck yes, I see them as becoming more of an offensive threat than their counterparts in '08!
I'm not talking about defense or overall impact on the team. I'm strictly talking about offensive potential.
As bad as it sounds for Landen right now.... there is an excellent chance he lifts his game by January to an all new high! I have lots of experience playing with players put in tough spots like this. Most of the time, they really improve way beyond what any of the other players could imagine.
Landen feels like he is letting down his team. He is beginning to focus much harder than he ever knew he could. I can see it in him.
Think about it this way...
Landen has had 4 previous years to stop his bad habit of low post gathering and bringing the ball down. We are starting to see him catch the ball and follow through with a shot... keeping the ball high. This is what he has needed to do the past 4 years, but didn't. Let that be a sign of how much better he is starting to focus.
I still have high hopes in Landen jumping to another level this year. It is a tough road ahead because he doesn't have crazy athleticism to help him advance quicker. He is doing this the old-fashioned way... nose to the grindstone and grinding this out.
If he does come through and elevates his game higher, I think I will have him at the very top of my favorite Jayhawks list, up there with Sherron! I know how tough this is for him and he is ALL HEART for trying to not disappoint his teammates and coaches! And he will have to do this while many fans are calling for Bill to set him on the bench.
This team is insane. We have 4 guards that can drive on anyone in college basketball. And they can drive with ease.
Maybe Bill needs to forget the 4-guard offense.... and consider a 5-guard offense. Especially against teams that don't have a dominant post player.
Imagine not having a player in the post and having 5 guards keeping the lane cleared out and all taking stabs at it?
Well.... I don't feel like Landen deserves minutes only because he is a 5th-year senior. Everyone on this team has to earn their minutes, and the underclassmen can bolt for the league or a transfer if they aren't happy with their PT, so everyone deserves a fair shot at PT.
Landen doesn't have a dominant part of his game, but is reasonably well-rounded. We will see what plays out, but I'm not ready to dismiss anyone on this team yet. Landen is crucial in many ways, including being a role model for young Udoka. And we still haven't proven our post can stay out of foul trouble against real opponents.
In essence, what I am saying is that we need Landen in order to have a successful year this year, at least, the kind of success where we have a long run in March (and hopefully April). Look, none of us our happy with Landen's results so far, and the least happy is Landen himself. That frustration you see on his face isn't aimed at anyone but himself.
I feel confident he will regain his health along with his game and become a big help to us. That doesn't mean I don't want Udoka to capture plenty of minutes now and help however he can later, too. I'm also enjoying seeing Dwight get out there for some minutes.
Hard to say but it is possible we will need productive minutes from all our post players during this year.
Lucas is limping a bit. I think his bad wheel has slowed him down some, and our team is moving at a quicker pace this year. Combining those two factors makes Lucas look slow. He is going to need to heal and also pick up the speed of his game.
I've noticed he is starting to take quick shots from the post... less gathering and dropping the ball down. He must be listening to someone because he is starting to improve. He will come around, as will Bragg.
I like spicy sauce, too. A bit of heat, and lots of punch. I think that is what made Bryant's a hit and why all the presidents go there.
Is rain in the forecast?
This is it!
This is the "stir up" I've been waiting for, and I even feel like we got a bonus!
So... what am I talking about? Udunka stuffing at ease? Earning a starting spot to help lift his game? 4-guard x-axis basketball starting the game?
All good... but what I am talking about is the roles of Frank and Devonte. I have been pushing for Devonte as our PG for more than a year now. Technically speaking... hard to say if he was a PG last night or our SG. Turns out not to matter. Frank is probably our best ball handler to be responsible for getting the ball to half court. But once he crosses half court and is positioned in the middle atop the key, that is where traditional concepts are thrown out the window and the chemistry of Frank and Devonte take over.
Look at the stat book. Frank, our PG by name, scores 21 pts and had 5 assists. Devonte, our SG by name, scores 6 pts and had 11 assists. Who ran the show? Who was our real PG? I guess we will say BOTH just to avoid a senseless argument. Months ago, it was difficult for me to convince fans just how incredible Frank is at scoring... a true volume scorer. He has the aggression of a driving volume scorer and has a dead-on shot from trey when it is wide open.
I don't think fans have thought much about how hard it is to score 21 points in a game while being the floor general. Frank can't take full credit for this because he does have the help of Devonte. Devonte is growing as the team "play maker"... a role he needs to take and conquer. Devonte exploited the over-match last night by continuing to pound the ball to Udunka for slam after slam. That is what play makers do... something works, they keep going to it.
Now I will discuss the "bonus" I mentioned above. Coach Self is truly the "Riverboat Gambler." In my past vision, I thought we should move Devonte into the traditional role of PG. But the guy with the cards has decided to not show his hand anytime soon. Perhaps Bill will keep it a shared role. How will teams prepare for that? Who do they put their best guard defender on? Coach's "ace in the hole" turns out to be Devonte's ability to step up for big offensive games. We can flip the roles and succeed, too... especially on those rare nights that we face a team with a gifted guard defender.
We are just at the beginning with this team. They are just now coming around to executing a few plays and twists, and perhaps more importantly, they are filling in their roles and starting to be held accountable. The removal of Landen and Carlton from the starting lineup was more about a message to the team. Everyone will be held accountable, even 5th-year seniors.
Udunka is now plugged in! He still has a long ways to go... but it was amazing to see him take advantage of his size, and largely do it without fouling. You can see the game is starting to slow down for him and he is just beginning to execute. Bravo! He certainly has picked up the pick and roll! Amazing how just one weapon can be utilized over and over! Imagine when he has several big weapons?!
There is always some drama on teams. And our current drama is about Landen and Carlton. Teams actually need a bit of drama. This drama should be a good thing as both players adjust to step up their games, and Christmas break is right around the corner. I expect both of these guys to really put their hard hats on during that developmental period.
Last. We have to realize who we played. It isn't going to go this easy moving forward but at least we got a little taste of what these guys are capable of. And they got it, too! This should help them focus on a goal to play at such a dominant level on all our opponents and also away from home. We got a long ways to go, but one step at a time, and last night was a great step in our desire to climb to the top.
Not sure that ISU has the refs in their pockets as much as MoValley teams get ZERO respect from refs (perhaps with the exception of WSU).
" Coach saw this coming. This is what is behind his comments about playing 4 guards."
Did he see it coming... or did he help lay the groundwork to put in question our post right from the getgo in order to challenge our bigs to make bigger leaps forward?
It was clear that we would get quality play from our guards this year, but an unknown from our bigs. Did Coach plot to challenge our bigs from Day 1 in order to push them right into the toughening box so he could push them into advancing their game quicker?
Isn't our official Jayhawk food Kimchi? Works for me...
Guess I'm a day late.... I was too busy stuffing my gut with turkey and apple pie!
Thanks go to everyone in here and all our Jayhawk Nation!
My question is... how did our bigs get more gassed playing 15 mpg versus our guards playing 35 mpg?
I think the game has changed a bit for them over last year and our bigs got out of the blocks slow. That has impacted their self-confidence (you can clearly see that) and so they need to get some confidence back.
The world isn't falling. We will actually get a lot better from all the struggle. I have more optimism now about our future post play than I had coming into this season because I know our bigs are going to focus hard to get better.
Really enjoyed your read, and your take on it all.
Just look how fast college has been scrambled with conference moving. What a nightmare. And look at all those magical rivalries, pissed down the drain like a cheap beer.
Problem is... they are willing to throw it all away at the chance of making a bit more cash now. In the long run, most of these moves will devastate college sports.
There are only so many sports dollars out there. Humans can only watch so much... no more than 24 hours in one day. We have reached a saturation point because almost all sports continues to extend seasons longer. They find ways to throw in a few extra games... preseason... tournaments... etc etc etc.
And we have "filler sports" like arena football... extreme sports... It is just never going to stop. It reminds me of how TV has exploded. Thousands of cable channels and a market diced into dust. Market share? What the heck is that nowadays?
TV even threatens our democracy. 24-hour news channels, specified by party affiliation. Between that and internet news, the old-school newspaper is almost extinct. And with the division of news being diced into dust it has pretty much ended investigative journalism. And without "real news" our way of life is at risk.
"Too much of a good thing..."
I don't know... but I never got the opinion that Carlton was desperate to make money immediately. Always had the feeling like he would be realistic about when to move. I think when he was in HS he saw himself as a 4-year college player.
Bravo! Bravo! Really nice to read your posts again. Hope you keep posting often.
"How about more hope and fewer expectations?"
That is really what needs to happen. I think the Indiana loss helped people realize this team is a "project in progress."
Gosh... reading through your expectation list regarding our players, I think most of it is true, still from just experiencing our games so far.
The only question mark (really) is Landen. He will adjust and come on before you know it. We also have to realize that we are running NO OFFENSE at this moment. On a time out Bill might run a play. Besides that, we just have our guys in position free lancing. After our offense settles down, that will help Landen out considerably. Also... he has to adjust to the refs changing the way they call games.
It should be obvious to everyone how much Frank has stepped up this year. And Devonte has been coming on bigger each game.
Vick has clearly made a monster leap, and Svi is definitely improved, too... especially on defense.
I think Josh is much better than Wigs was at this time in college. Without question. Wigs was a one trick pony with his pivot drive. He stacked his stat sheet because we basically shut down on our offense and just turned it over to Wigs.
Until we get our game sorted out in many areas, it will expose weaknesses in depth.
Let's see....
We have Udoka coming back.
We signed Billy.
More than likely Carlton will be back. I don't know anyone that thinks he is ready for the league. Someday, though... possibly next year.
Dwight will be back.
Mitch will be back.
And Evan will be back.
Am I missing something? Aren't we just losing Landen for sure? (I'm just talking about front line players)
BTW: Billy is the new prototypical front line player... he is what we should be looking for in the future. Ball handling big men who can pop the outside shot. I'd like to see Coach change it around and recruit big men as utility players and become talent-specific for guards.
I have studied this some... and it is marketing people pulling the trigger. The idea is to actually speed up the game with more scoring by reducing the contact (code for reducing the guarding space between defender and offender).
They aren't going to stop until they make D1 look like all those stupid all star games where no one plays defense. And notice how the crowds flock to those ridiculous concepts.... (sarcasm)
That is the surface of Austin. But the MONEY that fuels the Longhorn bank comes from the same source 20 years ago. Ranchers and oil men.
I'd like to see the money trail switch to something more progressive. Texas has potential that few (if any) other universities in America has! The potential to draw from big tech firms and community surrounding Austin could push UT into a university leadership role for the 21st century. Parts of their academics are already benefiting... why not athletics, too?
This is the move that needs to happen in Austin... more than just hiring new coaches. The coaching issues reflect the bigger problem. Time to move forward and away from the Mercedes 450SL crowd who still lives in the show "Dallas."
This is the only "Jayhawk Post Fiasco" I see in our future....
I know... I know... our current post play is pretty much giving us ZILCH!
Every player we have over 6'8" is in Self's doghouse. Boo-hoo!
Do they belong there? Yes... they do. They do because this is one of those excellent situations where players battle through struggle. And when good players battle through struggle, they improve at a high rate. What is happening now isn't going to hurt us later, it is going to help us.
Stop listening to people like Fran Fraschilla, who secretly has a problem with Kansas basketball anyways. He is basically declaring us now DEAD in March, our season results are already decided.
Thanks, Fran, for adding fuel to an arsonist's fire. Keep piling on the firewood... you are helping build our chip.
For once... KU Basketball needs to take a page from KU Football; "Through the struggle, stay poised!"
There is a lot going on relating to this subject that needs to be brought to light.
Coach Self isn't making life easy for our big men. Why should he accommodate mediocrity? That isn't why he earns a 7-figure salary every year. Coach has all his bigs in his "toughening box" because he is doing everything in his power to turn our post play into one of our strengths by March. Believe it or not, and feel free to quote me on this 3 months from now... Coach is preparing for March RIGHT NOW, and a big part of our upcoming March success (hopefully) will be from the quality play of our post guys. Yes... they are going from ZERO to 200 mph between now and March. Wait and see.
This all starts with Landen Lucas. Our post play psyche is all on his shoulders. Our younger players look to Landen for guidance. And though it looks like Landen is preparing to give up, quite the opposite will be his reality. What is coming for Landen is RAZOR-SHARP FOCUS! That is all he needs. He needs to be in the game, and not overthink it while knowing what to do, when and where.
This has already started as a strange season. It feels like the "asterisk season" we all talked about a couple of years ago when refs blew their whistles (usually just for the heck of it) to establish the "Jay Bilas Game of ZERO Contact." We know what happened that year. The NCAA came under fan pressure to let the game take place and be decided by the players, not the refs. We are back to square one again. This time, the marketing money wonks will not be denied their wishes. The game is going to be called "tighter" whether we like it or not, even if it means the NCAA Championship Game in April has 62 fouls called in it.
Landen, and all our bigs, are struggling to succeed against conflicting currents. On one side is Coach Self... the motivator pushing our guys to lose some skin in every game and on every loose ball. On the other side is the officiating, which has been given an agenda this year to call the game "tighter"... and from that we see outrageous contradictions and inconsistencies playing out in every game. All of those calls are tampering down our big men from hustling. Every time they move a finger, the whistle blasts them as guilty.
You can bet the ranch that over our big developmental period around Christmas, our bigs will be focusing on how to play full speed against a whistle that isn't about fairness, but about an agenda to "improve the game" for marketing purposes.
I bet Landen feels like dog poop right now. He is in the doghouse at the start of his glory senior campaign. Not exactly what he was expecting a few months ago. Coach saw this coming. This is what is behind his comments about playing 4 guards.
I wonder just how many reps Landen has put in with Andrea Hudy throughout his 5 years at Kansas? Thousands? More like tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. He has gone from being a twinkie in the post to a man who can fight for position. He got punished for that last night on that ridiculous call where he was establishing position in the paint. If the game was under my control, I would FIRE that ref for making such a ridiculous "statement call." So Landen worked his butt off for 5 years to build strength, and now has strength and he is being punished for it.
There is only ONE MESSAGE going forward. And that message comes from KU Football:
"Hang in there, guys! Put your nose to the grindstone and continue the hard work and be unphased by the negative frenzy circus around you now. This will pass, along with the poor game results. Everything is looking up, STAY FOCUSED AND CONQUER!"
That's right... Barnes had 17 years to hang out and be a nice guy. There is no way Shaka is getting 17 years to shake hands and be one of the "good ol' boys."
What condiments would you like on your bird sandwich?
But seriously... I'm with many on here that see Shaka as unproven. And I think because he is unproven he also doesn't have the leverage he needs at Texas. Texas is football (or at least, WAS football).
The heat is turning up in the kitchen down in Austin... big time. For once, I am vibing off the symbolism. And the symbolism surrounding Texas football now are the players that were crying after losing to KU.
For as big as that win was for us, it was at least equally big in a negative way for Texas. I can't write the proper words to express just how pissed off many of their fans and big donors are.
I don't think I would be surprised at any news coming out of Austin right now.
Meanwhile... Shaka is buried in the middle of a turd pie. I'm not a Shaka fan, but I'm starting to feel like he won't get a fair shake down there. I believe his leash is short and the consequences around failing will be tragic for him.
My post is based on very little info besides what I read and a few words from some diehard Longhorn fans so take my post with a grain of salt.
"I don’t get it either why we haven’t landed more “elite” guards. Reputation maybe for how we use our bigs"
Think about it... if I am recruiting a guard and competing with Kansas... isn't the first thing I say to a guard recruit is... "So I see you have Big-Man-U on your list."
Good overall view of the bigger problem.
However.... Baylor has had problems in several sports, showing themselves to have systemic problems all through their AD.
Right away that makes me think of academics. I'm not making a claim here... but I bet they could easily have a situation like UNC has with academic cheating. That isn't good for students (for sure).... but you have to consider the future, and if they are failing then all future students will be screwed, too.
I think you hit the nail on the head... they need to rebuild from the ground up. Just hard to know where the ground is. Football program? Athletic Department? University administration? Even perhaps Board of Regents?
"BTW, I really don’t know why we aren’t doing more to get Carlton involved in pick and pops. Perry thrived off of that last year."
I hear you on that! Carlton could become the best pick and pop/roll guy we've ever had!
It just takes time to get more things installed in the offense. I expect to see many changes during Christmas.
I think we took a good first step in improving our post scoring last night.
How?
By the fact that we finally shot a respectable % from trey.
The way to help our bigs score is to push the defense out to guard the trey line.
Look at Landen. He has had more trouble scoring this year over last year. And he has worked on his post scoring. But... he is being double and triple teamed... something he didn't have to face last year. Part of that is because Perry is gone, so the defensive focus is spread to other players.
But a big part of our issues have come by not forcing teams to guard the trey line.
We will never score well in the post if we can't also be a threat from the perimeter. It just isn't going to happen with these guys. We don't have a polished Olajuwon in the post. At least... not yet! (hint)
But my hat is off to Landen last night. Did you see the move where he was fed in the post and he had ZERO DELAY and just made it a continuation on his shot? We need more of that! Bravo, Landen!
I think our biggest post issue is rebounding.
The most alarming stat from last night's game was that we tied them on the boards... actually... they outperformed us by getting more offensive rebounds than we had.
I've been looking at our rebounding issue more closely.
There are a few issues that really pop out.
First... I think our entire team needs to be coached on post play. When I was a young player, I was big for my age and always played in the post. I was taught one thing that helped me play well in the post -
"Once you step your foot into the paint, it becomes a game of positioning. You are either positioning to rebound, or you are positioning to score, or you are positioning to screen for another player."
Doesn't matter if you are a perimeter player or a post player, the rule applies to everyone. If you are going to stand in the post, you better be focused on positioning and I see most of our guys not thinking about that.
Second... I don't think we are using many set plays. If we were running set plays, those plays should focus on having a couple of guys in position to rebound when the ball hits the hands of the shooter.
When watching our games, notice where all our guys are positioned when the ball leaves the shooter's hands. Rarely are we set up to rebound... then we have to be reactive and fight for position at the last second. That often creates over the back fouls, etc.
Last... our guys all need to fight harder for that ball. We are NOT getting our share of 50/50 balls. I think most of our guys are guilty in this area, not just our bigs.
Was it Fran that said Kansas can't compete for a National Championship without strong post play? He made it a general statement, like it can't be done by anyone.
As I recall... UCONN's last trophy was won by a guard-heavy team that didn't have much of a post presence.
I'm not saying we shouldn't focus on improving our post play... that is one area where we can make huge improvements. I just didn't like how Fran framed it.
"At this point the Big-12 is responsible for everything Baylor does now. "
At this point, aren't we ALL responsible for everything Baylor does now?
Our conference is completely reactive. And we are part of our conference. What is it going to take to create real change? Our conference is proof that they aren't going to impose real change just from the constant bad events happening at Baylor.
This is OUR conference. I think we need a movement to kick Baylor out of our conference. This could be started through social media and grow rapidly. Our conference heads wouldn't know what hit them. The pressure would overwhelm them and finally force them to do their jobs.
These early season games help set the tone for our season. Self just commented about us needing to find our identity.
We know the focus is on becoming a great defensive team. A huge chunk of that has to be about shutting down the trey ball. And if we can't become one of the best teams in the country at shutting down the trey, what are our chances in March? Sounds like we could develop into being another broken record team. A team with all the potential in the world, but gets upset in March from a team that gets hot from the perimeter. Sound familiar?
I'm not pretending to know what goes on inside the Baylor program. But i do heavily suspect that the culture surrounding their program is corrupt beyond repair.
I've felt for years now that Baylor is a SMU on nitro!
I thought Svi was one of our brighter stars last night.
He seems to be doing a better job of setting up for his shot and then being more selective on when to take his shot. He has outstanding potential on the offensive side of the ball... and he has worked hard to become a total player by improving his defense considerably.
Look at his stat line from last night: 15 pts, 5 rebs, 1 assist. Pretty good for 23 minutes of play. He stayed involved in the game when he was on the court. He also is starting to block out better on the boards, something we need desperately from more of our players.
Last night was definitely one of his better games.... let's see if he can maintain that level of play now. We haven't really experienced Svi bumping up his play in noticeable amounts until now. Maybe he is enjoying a "growth spurt (execution)?"
When is "Enough is Enough?"
At some point the Big 12 is going to have to stand up to Baylor. I have to admit I don't follow the Baylor situation with the Big 12 closely.
How about Baylor be put on Big 12 probation? The conference could really level Baylor if they wanted to. I realize the punishment also brings some risk to the Big 12.... but Baylor is doing an excellent job of destroying the reputation of the Big 12, all by themselves.
Baylor associate athletic director Heath Nielsen charged with assaulting reporter ↗
Maybe it is time for the fans from around our league to stand up and be counted. What if all the fans from the Big 12 stood up and formalized a protest to kick these scumbags out of our league?
Just from what we know now it is clear that Baylor has systemic control issues and challenges to meet high moral ground in many areas. Might we now just be in the valley of their corruption, still awaiting to expose far worse problems?
I don't know about any of you, but I don't feel comfortable with being reactive to Baylor any longer. It is time to be proactive. And the discipline needs to come from our conference office.
Sad to say... but I think I may have more connections in the Duke program than in my own Kansas program... thanks to family members.
I will say this... Duke is really EXPECTING to win another National Championship this year, perhaps more than in any previous year.
Anything less than a National Championship will spell disaster for the Blue Devils (or should I say Demons).
I believe the hype is every bit the hype we got when we had Wigs and JoJo. I am pleased that we are not getting too over-hyped so far. The Indiana loss seemed to help us from that.
We should take all that Duke hype and pile it on our chip. It is OUR TURN to take home the trophy.
Thanks, Frank, Landen, Tyler, Mitch, Dwight and Matt, for consolidating the love!
KU men's basketball players send support toward fellow Jayhawks ↗
That was my thought, too.... however... it seems most of the time refs will call those incomplete even though the player controls the ball first.
My... my... my...
My hat is off to David Beaty and his troops for sticking it to Texas yesterday. This win is huge... not only for our program, but hopefully, for the Big 12.
I know our forum is about basketball. But we all know that in D1, football is relative to basketball. It is extremely important for us to get off the bottom of college football. Before we can even think about a winning football program, we have to start by becoming respectable.
Our win yesterday earned us a big chunk of respect in the college football world. All teams facing us will have to circle the importance of our game, just as they do with other opponents they face. And if they don't... look at what they face -
No doubt about the final outcome now: Charlie Strong is done at Texas ↗
I don't really keep tabs on the football program at Texas. But I do know we are all impacted by their success (or failure). The Big 12 MUST have a nationally competitive football conference if our conference is going to survive.
I feel like we all must stand behind David and what he is doing with our football program. He has been climbing a mountain for a long time now, and we are starting to edge out of the valley for higher ground. There is no doubt that he has raised the level of play tremendously this year, and finally we have a taste of success from all the hard work these guys have put in.
Here is a huge ROCK CHALK for Kansas football! Bravo, guys!
This may be a tough year for Virginia. But these are the years when coaches truly earn their reputations. Bennett has been building quite the reputation in college basketball with his tough defenses.
I don't think I'm ready to fall asleep on Virginia... not just yet.
I have to admit, that thought had never entered my mind. But now you bring it up... I wonder what races through Svi's mind about a lot of things. He has a very interesting life when considering where he is from and where he is today. I'm very curious where he will land AFTER his years in Lawrence.
Solid post!
Yes... Doke has to receive a lot of minutes this year. He really needs to see a lot of minutes in about every game. That is the only way to season him. He needs to be put in the most challenging situations, including games and situations where he may not always be our best option. Give him plenty of those minutes, and he soon will become our best option for ALL situations!
It is pretty hard to keep a guy like him on the bench, especially when we are proven to have rebounding issues with this team.
I agree... that Landen misses having Perry to draw attention away from him. But I see what everyone else is seeing... that Landen is SLOW in the post on his moves (so is Doke). Our guys are bringing the ball down and gathering for an eternity. Hopefully, that is being addressed and worked on. Much of that is about confidence. Some of it is about building more scoring moves and practicing them enough to where there is no long gather in practice.
You mentioned that Landen is having to deal with having 3 players swarm him. Great! I would be more concerned if he didn't even draw in a double-team and still couldn't score. If there are 3 guys on Landen, we have 2 of our players wide open. Or, at least, they should be wide open.
So far, in this young season, I see something else as causing the problems for Landen more than missing Perry.... WHERE HAS OUR TREY BALL GONE? I think this is the biggest reason for the swarm on Landen. Teams are baiting us into taking treys because so far, we haven't proven we can hit them.
I think a big part of this is just getting our guys to polish their offense. I'm not too worried yet. It's a young season and even though most of our guys were here last year, every year is a new challenge. They are still developing an effective pace. They still need to polish their spacing. They aren't yet seeing where there opportunities really are. And after all of that which they still must learn, they then have to take their education and apply it. This is often the toughest thing to accomplish... the execution. Especially with young players caught up in the moment, but even a challenge for the veteran guys, too.
I think this is part of the "Perry effect." Perry is gone, so all eyes are focusing responsibilities elsewhere and Frank has picked up the slack.
I don't know if we are realizing Frank enough for his level of commitment. By starting this season by carrying a bulk of the load, Frank is accepting that he will be "the man" who will have heavy expectations put on him in every game moving forward.
I expect players like Josh will become more dominant as the season progresses. But as of today, this is "Frank's team."
And I think we have had an issue in recent years trying to give players a leadership role and have them run with it. Perry led through his consistency (for example). I think I have to go back to Sherron Collins being the last guy that really stood up and allowed a target to be put on him. That guy would take a bullet for any of the guys on his teams.
This team needs leadership. I praise Frank for stepping up and having NO FEAR about being that man!
Frank will be our leader on all things nuts and bolts.
Josh, on the other hand.... I see him as our Pastor. He's our man that brings another level to games and is animated and driven enough to be able to express it to his teammates and raise them to the promised land where he lives.
Another outstanding job!
Ah-hah!
@Red.Rooster is with us! I know where to look.... in the "Likes."
I hope you are well and happy, our friend!
What? There is another KU site?
All puns aside... good post, and we can never repeat that enough on here.
Proper etiquette is a discipline requiring constant effort.
I am doubtful Frank will ever be rested enough.
Bill and Frank have a very special relationship.... they are brothers in many ways. Frank is insanely competitive. Very hard to keep him on the bench, especially when the head coach admires and respects that level of competitive commitment. Frank NEVER wants to come out of a game... NEVER!
I think even Bill's brain knows Frank needs to rest more. But I also think Bill's soul wants to give Frank as many minutes as Frank wants. Frank wants 40 minutes a game.
Maybe we should be thankful he gets at least one or two quick blows every game!
Here is a nice read from our old friend, Jesse Newell
What to expect from KU commit Billy Preston ↗
Is he writing for the Wichita Eagle, or did they just pick up his story, perhaps on the AP?