Thanks, Crimson! You are FIRST CLASS all the way!
drgnslayr
11251 posts
I've always been concerned with us overplaying his minutes.
I feel just a bit better because I think Frank has gotten smarter on when and where to be aggressive. He doesn't seem to go down on the hardwoods quite as often as in the past. I worry most about his elbows.
We really need players like Svi to step up. He did play a solid game yesterday. We know Vick will get plenty of minutes, but we need one more guard to capture a lot of minutes. We do feel the loss of BGreene. I don't think we miss his attitude, but we miss having another guard.
I appreciated your post.
Let's add "Kansas Jayhawk fans" as an American "WE the People" group. And we are of all races, genders, religions, and whatever other title people want to throw out there.
I don't know what I would do without my Kansas fix... from following our teams to enjoying our fans.
I like this thread. It is a great thing when us members seek out our lost brothers and sisters. Several from this site came to my rescue early in this calendar year when I was battling an illness. I can't express how much that helped me fight back to good health again! I can't express enough thanks to everyone in here for showing concern.
I can see where this is going.... the serenity dogs don't work so they try to vote in more lax pot laws in Lawrence... essentially decriminalizing small quantities in and around Lawrence.
Shout out to SVI!
Did anyone else notice Svi in part of the game where he really lifted his defense? I believe it was in the second half, and the camera was isolated on him. That was some tremendous defensive footwork from Svi. Really... hats off for his effort!
I hope he keeps that up. We really need him to play solid defense.
I guarantee you that Self wants Landen to score with his back to the basket. He just needs to be more selective and also learn that he needs to draw multiple defenders in then kick it out for a wide open trey.
Don't ever expect a Self team to not focus on low post scoring, and some of that has to come from back to the basket moves.
I can be hard on Landen... but I agree.... he is going to be fine. I finally saw some fire in his play last night. I think he needs some of these easier games to build his confidence again. And maybe he's been playing on a bad wheel that is healing up.
The 5 blocks was important. Showed he was focused on the game. He still had some issues rebounding. I kind of wonder if he has small hands for a big man? He seems to have trouble sometimes clamping down on those rebounds and loose balls.
I do see signs of him "coming to."
I know we have Doke now competing for minutes. But Landen needs to realize that he is absolutely VITAL to the success of this team! We won't be going anywhere without Landen.
As he gets back into form, I think a big part of what he will improve on is less fouling. We have to have less fouling in the post. This could really become our weakness and then teams will attack us there.
I think you are right... and Frank made that decision last spring, so he spent his summer totally killing it in the gym.
Frank has never been in this good of shape his entire life. When you put his extra conditioning in with his drive... this is what we get!
Welcome to Kansas, Billy Preston!
I'm happy we signed the "Fifth Beatle!"
He is a rock-solid player well-skilled all over the court. He is a match-up nightmare for opposing teams!
And I doubt he is done growing.
This is awesome news!
ENTER: Pumpkin chili
It has been an amazing beginning of our Jayhawk season.
We battled an Indiana team down to the wire, when they were scorching the nets from trey. We never were able to close them out on the long ball, or compete on transitional defense, but we battled them down to overtime., and we take it as a loss, but you could see the potential from that game.
Next was Duke, and we performed considerably better on defense, including closing out the long ball. We took care of the basketball just enough so Duke couldn't impact the game with transitional offense, in fact, we were able to score on several open court opportunities because of our defense. Our defense and rebounding helped us with our offense, no question about it.
So here we are, approaching the holidays with so many areas to discuss. We really have a basketball cornucopia on our hands.
LANDEN VS THE DOKE
Two big games where Landen didn't look like our savior from last year. Foul trouble, little rebounding.... is he hurt, or is he becoming unmotivated as he watches Doke progress? Or both? I know it is early with only two real games in the book... but this wasn't what I was expecting from Landen.
I also wasn't expecting Doke to get 12 rebounds in 15 minutes in the second game of our season. He had a block, though actually, I think he had two. He also changed a few shots.
So do we invest in potential now for March? Or do we polish a team around a 5-yr senior?
FRANK THE TANK
In case you didn't know... Frank Mason is a man. He has made that clear immediately in this season. That is two big games now where he has carried the point load... and also the load of the team. I don't know what has clicked inside Frank, but I do know he is in the best conditioning of his life. He is unstoppable. He is capable to go up in the air and fix whatever situation is in front of him to get the ball around a defender or two and kiss it off the glass... creating space between the ball and the defender(s).
HELLO DEVONTE
I feel like the Duke game was really his first game this year. Even though he scored more points in the Indiana game, it felt like he made a bigger impact versus Duke.
THE JOSH LIGHT WENT ON
Josh is a player. He made that known against Duke. Had the refs not been on some kind of education mission, He would have made an even bigger impact. He needs to keep his emotions under control, but not too much. Most of his visible emotions are a huge benefit to the team.
CARLTON NEEDS TIME
Will Carlton ever be a big rebound guy? I'm not sure. I have my doubts. But does he have to be? Okay... when he is on the floor with Landen, yes he does need to rebound aggressively. Carlton with Landen are worth about 10 rebounds a game. Not really dominated the boards. Doke changes all the numbers. Running Doke and Carlton changes everything. We are heavy on the boards while Carlton is more free to play a finesse game. Those two really make a lovely couple. Doke dominant in the low paint, Carlton extremely skilled in mid range. All we need to do is give him time and hope he doesn't get too frustrated in the meantime.
SLICK VICK
Wow! Even though I expected Lagerald to be a key component this year, I wasn't expecting to see some of these incredibly brilliant flashes from him. How can we tap into that consistently? Run clear-outs for him? I want to see Lagerald driving the ball on an open side of the court.
SVI - BREAK OUT OR FAKE OUT
I don't know what to think of Svi. Up to this point, I like giving him wide open trey shots, but I really feel his potential is driving the ball.
I'm starting to wonder if this year's championship will carry an asterisk... the year the officials decided to reteach a new game.
I've been harping about this for several years now. Glad you mentioned Bilas. This is where I rub horns with Jay, who failed beyond his years at Duke strictly because he wasn't a physical enough player to make it in the league.
Listen to Jay's coded messaging. The guy should be a politician. On a few calls he sort of stuck up for Kansas, like on Josh's half court BS call. On Josh's 5th foul, he didn't really stick up for the fact that the Duke player sold it to the refs on a night that you could have sold those Eskimo refs a block of ice.
And Jay's general messaging... that all contact is a foul, and should be called in order to "open up the game" is so much bull snit I can hardly stand to watch the game, even if one of the teams is Kansas. Yes.... call the games this tight and eventually the game will open up. Why do we want that? Marketing wonks have determined that more people will watch if the scores are higher. The idea is that viewers want to see offense, not defense. Just ask the NBA how that is working out. So this game would be better if the final score had been 128 to 126? I don't think so. For me... I would much rather see a tremendous defensive play over a tremendous offensive play any day of the week. The windmill dunks from the free throw line are awesome but not nearly as impressive as the defensive stop where I guy catches up to a break away dunk and disturbs it by just getting there in time.
It was a typical night of having to beat Duke refs along with their team, too. I believe all refs need to watch an educational video just about the nonsense of Duke players faking fouls and whining about every call. It is friggin' pathetic, and they are cr@pping all over the game just to win, just like Cal does with his recruitment of 12 McDs AAs. BTW: I believe Duke has 8 or 9 McDs AAs on this team, 3 who are injured.
At least I get to enjoy my Christmas this year... meeting with part of my family who graduated from Duke.
I don't want this to turn to trashing Landen. About two months ago I gave him a huge positive thread on here that was well received.
Having said that... Landen is a 5th-yr senior. He now has no one in front of him. He will have to be held 100% accountable.
Call it what you want... I call it "tough love."
I watched the game again yesterday and noticed another play where we fed Landen in the post and he didn't bring the ball down... he just laid the ball in the basket quickly.... scoring easily.
I think there are probably a dozen little tweaks we need to make this year that will mean the difference of possibly winning everything in March, or coming up short. This is definitely one of those necessary tweaks. We have all been on Landen for 4+ years now about bringing the ball down and combining it with a big gathering moment. That all has to stop. It's embarrassing to watch and 99% of the time leads to a negative outcome.
This is important to Landen. I'm sure he would like a shot at pro ball after this year, whether it be NBA or abroad. I can tell you with certainty that this one issue is outlined in RED by every scout who has watched him. There is rarely a game where he doesn't do it at least once or twice... sometimes more.
I feel a need to stay on him about this... taking a proactive attitude.
Landen... Dear Landen...
Wow! This is your potential career. Basketball.
You only have 30 or so games left in D1. D1 is your marketing tool for a future in basketball.
I can't say this often enough... STOP BRINGING THE BALL DOWN IN YOUR "GATHERING" PROCESS!
Landen suffered the consequences last night in Hawaii. He received the ball under the basket, all alone, and he brought the ball from his chest to his knees, while bending his knees to gather for the stuff. That extra time to gather, along with bringing the ball down, created the opportunity for Indiana to punch the ball away, off of Landen's body, turning the ball over to Indiana.
How many points are we going to lose this year, just on Landen's struggle under the goal? 50? 100? How many games will it cost us? Maybe already 1?
I'm done pussyfooting around. I'm tired of watching these young men work their rears off and make monumental mistakes.
We have got to find a practice drill for Landen. Something he can rep, over and over again. Something that will re-train his mind/body/muscles to never bring that ball down again.
We have a great year ahead of us... but we will have some losses. How many of these losses will be by just a few points? All of them? This one factor, getting Landen to listen and change, may be just enough to help tilt several of these games over to the winning bracket. Perhaps even a game or two in March!
Can I get support on this? Can I get others to come on here, stay on just this one topic, and voice some support for this change.
I hope we aren't looking past IU tonight. Who scheduled these games? I like playing big games but this is a tough situation and how will we be rested for Duke?
Have we had any prep for Duke yet? Pretty hard to do when IU is in front of us.
Guess we will see how tough our guys are. I think it will be pretty impressive if we can pull off two victories.
We know what it is like to have some big weapons but no floor general.
And are they hungry to win? How long ago was it when they won a NC? Uh... they didn't win last year.
There should be around 400 other D1 schools carrying a bigger chip.
It will take a monumental job by K to pull this off.
Incredible job on this thread!
This game will give us an early indication of where are experienced guards are so far this year.
They should control this game. No excuses.
Keep a lid on the pace. Whatever pace we need to play at to dominate. It's called "basketball IQ" and that is what we need in this game. Control.
"We are making a lot of assumptions without having actual facts."
Thanks for the reality check.
I think I'm guilty of having conspiracy withdrawals since the election is over.
When you see a big man in a boot, most likely we are talking about a situation that is not temporary. Perhaps he can go without the boot later on, etc., but the mechanics of his leg/foot situation remain the same indefinitely.
Problem is... Landen, like every KU player, wants a career playing ball in another year. If he keeps the boot, or even if he doesn't but has his minutes limited... it is probable that his injury or injury prevention ends up on the warning sign of every pro scout.
Most likely, Landen's career will be happening abroad, but how well he does here trying to make the NBA will impact his value abroad.
I am not surprised that Duke gets the top line. Not because I think they will win it all or even make it into the Final Four.... But the media is always glued on K and his troops.
I would be totally shocked if Duke won it all this year. They have so many newbies in key roles.
I agree with all you guys on resting Landen.
My concern is that this issue will not be going away for Landen... ever.
How do we get the most out of Landen without risking a stress fracture?
I'm not sure about this... but he must be playing with some pain. If there isn't a stress fracture, what is causing the pain? What happened that triggered wearing the boot?
Gosh... Landen is on his 5th year of working his butt off to get into this position. Tough break.
I believe he should be pulled out of all extra floor time this year. Anytime we have a blow away win.... pull him.
This needs to stay important all year. We need ALL our guys for a March run! And we need solid backup to Landen. So Udoka has to get lots of PT all year to be as ready as possible.
I was amazed in our last game. It seems like Udoka dropped another 10 lbs in just one week!
I don't want to be a conspiracy nut... but I wonder if Landen has been having issues for a while. He hasn't really performed like we expected and this may be part of the reason for all the talk about a 4-guard offense.
Welcome to the Jayhawk Nation, Marcus!
I'm not worried. Bill finds ways to land talent.
We continue to increase our overall recruiting prestige (school, coach, training, lifestyle)....
Ah.... I didn't know that!
Thanks for the valuable info!
Yes... I never doubted Wilt's outrageous athleticism. I can hardly imagine what it must have been like to be on the same court with him. You needed two eyes... one on what you are doing and one to know where Wilt was.
Except that misses the stretch, from the feet and of the body. That difference can be 5 or 6 inches of distortion.
We are talking about the same device.
It measures total jumping height.
Look at your own photo posted. Look at his extension. You can't reproduce that extension with him standing on the ground and you need that to determine his vertical leap.
His vertical leap is the actual inches he can lift his body off the ground. At least, that is how I define it.
The device you are talking about is the total jump height. Two very different numbers.
The reason your device can't give me an accurate measurement for vertical leap (my definition) is that players vary how much they stretch out and reach during their jumps. We need a way to account for that, and the discrepancies can be quite large when considering someone like 7'1" Wilt.
Yep... I've seen that measuring equipment. It measures total height of a jump. That can closely determine vertical but players extend further during a jump and in mid-air as they stretch their bodies between their mid-section and their finger tips. I know I am talking about tiny increments, but if we want to be as exact as possible, everything should be considered. Plus there is, at least, one more factor I mention below.
For me, two things stand out as important to capture this magic number. First, measuring the jump distance from a player's mid-section from on the ground to at the peak of the jump. Second, to extend their feet on tiptoes while getting that base measurement because I don't count the inches from just stretching the feet. And with big guys, this is several inches.
My ultimate goal is to measure how high an athlete can take his body off the ground, and when I say body, I mean mid-section. The only reason why I'm a stickler with this is because we are comparing and competing with other jumpers. For example, Wilt was 7'1". If we want to compare his jump with Spud Webb at 5'7" then Wilt will get at least a couple of inches advantage just from extending his feet.
I'm just not sold by stories. So many players boasted about these things, especially with leaping high. I'm pretty certain that if any of these super stories were true, there would be photo or video evidence left behind to document it.
Some of the best evidence around concerning vertical leaping relates to high jumping, probably because of it being an Olympic medal event. I read that using his (Wilt's) style of jump and reaching 6'6" would require a minimum of a 39" vertical jump. The techniques today require less vertical to go higher. I'm pretty sure if these "freak jumpers" (guys going 50"+) are out there one or more of them would be recruited into high jumping.
I'm open to thinking different about this, but I need solid evidence.
I like your build-up of support for Wilt jumping 50 inches. I'm just skeptical because those last inches become harder and harder, just like in other records, like track times in the 100 meters.
The rare video you are talking about is in the video above. Wilt goes high... but he still looks to be about 4 inches short of the top of the backboard.
Thanks for the mention of Griffith reaching 48". The second I read that, I recalled it, too.
I'm forgetting someone from today. I believe he is a NFL player with a freakish vertical. Anyone know?
In another thread on here the discussion turned to Wilt. The idea came up that Wilt may have enjoyed a 50" vertical jump.
I don't know about Wilt's 50 inch vertical. Wilt was the subject of numerous urban myths. One thing is for sure... Wilt was an athlete and deserved that title as much as being titled a basketball player.
"Instead, he was an avid track and field athlete: as a youth, he high jumped 6 feet, 6 inches, ran the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and the 880 yards in 1:58.3, put the shot 53 feet, 4 inches, and broad jumped 22 feet."
One urban legend (or myth) is that Wilt would often take a quarter off the top of the backboard. This story grew largely because Wilt made it a claim. But if it was true, why didn't Will prove it on camera? He was constantly attacked and discredited by racist people and groups finding him to be a real threat to a white world.
But, for argument's sake, let's say Wilt DID remove a quarter from the backboard. How high would he have to jump to do that?
Wilt's standing reach in high school was 9' 3" and some change. The top of the backboard at that time was 13'. Round Wilt's reach down to 9'3". The difference is 3'9", or 45". Then decide how many extra inches he would need to corral a quarter off the top. Let's say, 3". That gets him to 48". Then consider that his standing reach was on the ground, not in floating water. He must have given up a couple of inches in his feet planted on the ground (when measuring his standing reach). That knocks him down to 46".
So even considering the urban myth as true, he didn't make it to 50".
Here is an excellent video on Wilt and his athleticism -
[link text](
After giving this more thought, I felt like I needed some kind of comparison to put Wilt's jumping ability into perspective. I then visited Guinness Book of World Records -
I knew there had to be a recording of this to hold up to the scrutiny of Guinness... and sure enough, there is (along with other high leaper info) -
Highest Vertical Jump Ever Recorded – With Video! ↗
Evan Ungar 63.5″ Box Jump World Record (May 13, 2016)
Now I'm thinking... Wilt probably did jump 50" or more!
But wait...
Watch the Evan Ungar jump again. Note that they call it a "box jump." In reality, we should call it what it is, a vertical jump measured from the bottom. His clearance of 63.5" is measured from below. Then I'm wondering... why don't we just count the record high jump?
2.45 m (8 ft 0.45 in) Javier Sotomayor (Cuba) Salamanca, Spain 27 July 1993
96.45"..... WOW!
Okay... a standing jump is not the same as a running jump. a 33" difference clearly illustrates this.
This fact alone, that standing jumps differ from running jumps, made me question other factors that must make a huge difference in results.
COMPARING "MEASURED FROM THE TOP" VERSUS "MEASURED FROM THE BOTTOM"
There is a huge difference between these two techniques. Measuring from the bottom is completely inaccurate and gives jumpers all those extra inches by just bending their knees and waist. Let's say Evan Ungar is 6' tall and his standing reach 7'6". Does anyone in here really think Evan could leap up and touch something 153.5" above the earth? That is 12'9.5"... almost able to remove a quarter off the backboard and only being 6' tall!
There are also distortions with measuring leaps from the top. Jumpers are able to add just a bit of extra reach on their extensions when in motion (versus reaching while standing on the ground). However... measuring from the top is the closest current measuring method to what is accurate when using the generic term "highest jump" or "highest standing jump" (if done from the standing position).
I believe the only method to accurately measure jumping height is to use my very own "3-point system." Have your jumper stand upright and place 3 measuring points from the top of his/her chest, in the mid section, and then down just above the pelvic bone. Use sensors and computers to calculate the position on jumps, and use mathematical formulas to slightly tweak the results, based on the jumpers body angle at the highest point of the jump.
Using my technique... go back and watch the Evan Ungar jump again. Realistically, he can jump perhaps around 45" vertically. Maybe a bit higher. When you standardize and legitimize the technique used I think you will find that most super leapers "peak out" around 45". Yes... there are some that go higher. I tend to recall seeing someone go 48" on a "measuring from the top" leap.
Now loaded with this information, I don't believe Wilt reached the 50" vertical leap. At best, I see him around 45", which is still an outrageous athletic feat by anyone, and especially for a man standing 7'1"!
I'm thinking no future NCAA winners will visit the Whitehouse because (regardless who wins) it will put every attending student-athletes' eligibility at risk.
Syphilis and incest. Wow! Perhaps I was thinking too highly of the Romans! LOL
I should have known. I visited Pompeii and one of the lasting memories entrenched in my conscience was the frescoes illustrating all the sexual activity.
And through all Rome's tribulations, they consumed their wine in pewter cups, right?
Weren't they all suffering from some level of lead poisoning?
Or is this all just a myth?
I couldn't say it better.
We need to embrace our identity while also building upon it. This is where many people make a mistake... wanting to dilute or change our historic identity thinking this is the path for advancement.
Instead, we should honor and embrace what has got us here, and use our rich traditions as an anchor position for which to move forward and ADVANCE. Nothing wrong with change... either we do it or we die! But change doesn't have to mean ABANDONING known winning attributes!
Bill has sometimes been called "hard-headed" for taking this approach. But he is spot on! Yes, he could add in changes quicker...however, I think he moves slow because he knows changes can impact other areas, so he moves with caution. I don't think he gets the credit for the changes he does make EVERY SINGLE YEAR! He is adapting our offense towards the uniqueness of each team. And he sticks to his fundamentals on defense, which is still his main calling card.
I look at our nation and our basketball program in that same light. I don't think it matters, Republican or Democrat or Independent. They all have different ideas but if we maintain this overall ideal, we will be in good shape moving forward!
Enjoyed the read... but didn't like "Allen-Self Fieldhouse" mention. I'd rather see us pay tribute to Bill in another way... perhaps labeling the museum in AFH after Bill? I'm sure we will find something... and he DOES DESERVE IT!
Changing landmark names, even though well-intended, is the beginning phase of going way off target. So in 2036 AFH will be called, "The Doritos Picante Chip Bowl Arena." Why? Because sponsorship will be allowed and we already changed the name to Allen-Self not long ago...
We need to BUILD UPON our heritage, not dilute it by mixing labels in a blender.
I feel very strongly about this!
Very touching post. Thank you... for serving... for being a class act... for sharing yourself with us!
Howland had some good success at UCLA... then he went off the deep end. He said crazy stuff, and he looked the other way while one of his players basically rednecked on other team members. That caused HS coaches and AAU coaches to pull their support and direct players to other schools.
Howland is unique and unpredictable. I try to keep following him sometimes just to see what happens.
Alford is the direct opposite of Howland. UCLA big dogs like him a lot. He's kind of a rock star after they dealt with Howland.
I'm sure the honeymoon may end someday. The fans and alums have good basketball knowledge and are also aware of the problems being so far west.
At this time of year, we better just be working on the basics. We definitely showed a lack of being able to perform basic anything. We have Indiana and Duke coming around the corner. I don't think we are ready to learn gimmicks. But... maybe I'm wrong.
I am thumbs up for building this kind of team, but we don't have the guard depth to do it this year. We only have 5 guys to run at 4 slots. That means very little rest for them and if anyone gets in foul trouble, or gets hurt...
Yes.... Carlton will be a great pick and roll/pop player!
I'm a proponent of small ball, but just find it curious why we are getting around to it now, with this team.
We have several bigs of a decent quality, but we are only going to run one big in a game? Meanwhile, we have 5 quality perimeter guys to fill 4 spots?
The math doesn't add up. I think the 4-guard rotation is Bill's "toughening box" to get his bigs playing more aggressive.
After reading Bill's comments, I discovered at least part of the reason why he is pushing small ball... to motivate Carlton at the 4. He will lose out when we go to small ball.
Players need to play in games, against other players. It is easy for big guys to grow stagnant from just practicing with each other. This game will be a great tool to help show Carlton how he needs to bring a lot more toughness to the game. Same with Landen. Both were soft as butter in this game.
Playing short, quality teams like Washburn now is just what we need.
Short teams rebound with their feet. They are all about court position for rebounds.
Tall teams, like Kansas, try to jump over everyone and put less focus on court position. Washburn completely burned us and showed us how slow we were on our feet.
This game will be a great learning tool as we move forward. It clearly showed how they smoked us on the boards. Our guys tried to leap over them for rebounds, often drawing over the back fouls, etc.
Bill has lots of ammunition now to chew some backside and he will get their attention quickly. I'm glad we looked bad now, because we will make big improvements quickly now.
Lagerald... Wow! I love his athleticism!
Mitch... going to be a player, big time. Think we might have him for 4 productive years! He had 7 rebounds in 9 PT minutes. And he was on the FT line 9 times... Think about that, he averaged a FT for every minute he played. The guy has his head in the game!
Udoka will improve quickly. He has decent foot speed but just needs to play more to learn the speed of D1.
The only thing different I wanted to see is Frank playing the 2 more. He is a volume scorer and it will be hard for him to score from the PG slot in comparison to playing the 2.
This is a quality Washburn team. They were definitely more prepared than us, but we will get there soon enough!
Have you seen him practice or play? Does he have good handles? Midrange shooter?
So.... someone in here must have the inside track on Mitch. Anyone?
I'm catching little bits from sparrows outside my window. I'm starting to believe he will earn some PT minutes this year... more than just mop up minutes.
Any truth to that?
Taylor Publishing is huge. They used to be the largest independent publisher of books in America. I've been in their main facility in Dallas... I think you could fly F16s in that building! They also have a school yearbook division. Think Balfour (class rings) acquired that part.
Cheick looks like he has put on some muscle... the right kind, too.
He is a guy that just needs to stay in the league, however possible. Every year he stays gives him a year to improve his game. It is amazing he has made it this far without much game. He truly has made it off his scrappy play. Imagine him with game?
I don't really even see him as a gamble for GMs. With his very small toolbox, he still impacts a game. His upside is huge. He doesn't have major injuries in his past. I view his as a minimum risk grab with huge upside!
I think you hit on one area that many (including myself) would overlook if Wilt was playing today... his assist numbers!
Wilt had an amazing gift for passing. He held the ball in one hand and tossed it like a baseball. With his height, he had a unique perspective on the game and often found passing lanes that other players couldn't find or see.
The game has changed a lot since the days of Wilt. His passing would help prevent the double-teams. Wilt INVITED double-teams in his day and would THRIVE on being double-teamed today.
I'm extremely curious if Wilt was around today if shooting coaches could help him over his FT and midrange shooting woes. That help would propel him to outrageous point totals!
I think we are all in for a surprise on how well Josh's overall game is. And his long ball is decent. Sure, he's not Brannen Greene (yet). But I think his long ball is better than people give him credit for.
Yes... there were times last year when our defense went south.
Just a few things that are on my Christmas Wish List to Santa this year (concerning defense):
-
Consistency - I'd like to see more consistency. Translating that... I want to see all our guys stay focused for 40 minutes and throughout every possession.
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Low Post Defense - I'd like to see us control the paint this year. We gave up quite a bit to dominant post players last year.
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Overdrive - I'd like to see our defense develop an "overdrive." I'd like to see them step up when we need defense to really dominate, and dominate. This is the way to eliminate most (if not all) losses from occurring.
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Steals & Run Outs - We have GOT TO steal the ball more and those steals need to end in run outs!
Otherwise, the other areas I expect them to be good like they were last year. I could make a long list of what they need on defense, but most of those things they did a pretty good job on last year!