@JayHawkFanToo @Crimsonorblue22
Both true.
And I think it is worse when the Big 12 is built up so high by media (and then proceeds to collapse). You can only scream "fire" a few times before people stop believing.
Gosh... maybe the Big 12 should drop football. For the most part, we were skinned alive in bowls. I recall hearing one sports barker say, "the Big 12 may not be known for football, but their basketball is really coming on!"
"ISU and OU are going to have very tired teams at the end of the season"
I totally agree.
Spot on!
So much so that I was finding I was agreeing with the guy that steals credit cards... Doug Gottlieb.
If Oklahoma comes in here and burns the nets... we could be in for a real fight.
Any other situation, and Oklahoma gets exposed. They resemble their football team. Big time offense, and forget the stats on their defense. Mediocre at best. Doesn't mean they won't get it together this year. There is a lot of basketball to be played and OU has some great players/athletes.
What they really lack, and what we have, is team chemistry.
I look at OU and I see "fool's gold."
They barely held on at home against ISU. From what I've seen this year, ISU looks like more of a threat. For several years now they have been able to develop good team chemistry. From top to bottom in their roster, they may not quite have the athletes we have, but that hasn't stopped them from beating us several times the past few years.
And Perry didn't have one of his better games. Just shows how his focus is on team, not personal accolades.
I'm starting to feel like this is the best team chemistry we've had during the Bill Self era. 2012 was big, and our guys got there through the struggles faced by Thomas Robinson (which the team, coaches and fans struggled through, too).
This is different. The struggle these guys have faced over their KU years is substantial... but nothing compares to 2012. This is something different. We are seeing these guys really mature into men before our eyes. It was mentioned in the article on KUSports about Wayne growing up and also taking on the responsibility and accountability of this team.
I do believe Wayne reaching manhood has also helped bring along the rest of the team, even impacting Perry. When Wayne makes a big play you can see the whites of all our guys' eyes. They all become motivated. I believe they are thinking... "if Wayne can step up, I can step up." This is Wayne's team. And I think Perry is starting to embrace his ownership, too... as well as Frank, Devonte, and the rest of the crew... and a very special "shout out" to Brannen Greene.
The light has come on in Brannen. He is starting to show even more intensity on defense than he has on offense. He is starting to make defensive plays that gain us possessions. Notice his reactions... becoming even more animated on a great defensive play than when he knocks down a 3.
These guys are truly unselfish as a team. These guys are all starting to realize that they succeed and fail as a team. These guys are starting to take individual accountability for team success.
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(Courtesy of KUSports.com)
We can examine shot forms, offensive sets and defensive toughness. But this is the engine that drives the train.
I've never seen Perry Ellis' back molars before... until now.
As of Monday, Kansas will be uplifted in the National polls to #1. Usually, that is a curse. Players get over-confident, media chaos infects the focus of our team like a flu virus.
But this team is different. It has worked hard, including battling abroad in Korea, to find a true team identity.
What will carry this team forward has yet to be covered by sports media. Their focus is the allure of our perimeter shooting.
The secret sauce for Kansas in 2015-2016 is their "team focus" and to find "team happiness."
Now that is something substantial, sustainable, and a REAL FORMULA for a destiny taking us all the way into April! (hint)
Who will draw this assignment?
I'm sure we will be throwing everything at Rico.
But who do you think will match up best against Rico?
Jamari seems to have the most-similar body. But Hunter and Landen appear to be starting to separate themselves at the top.
It would be great to give both Carlton and Cheick some minutes against Rico, just for the developmental experience.
What are your thoughts?
I think you already know this... but I am a Badger fan, too. Tough to watch this year.
"I"ve never been overwhelmed by our streak."
The second we LOSE the streak, those who didn't care much for it will suddenly care. Watching a team like ISU collect the glory with us lowered below them is something Jayhawk fans SHOULD care about and never want to happen.
I know I care immensely about every game we play in.
I'm out of touch on sports shoes... haven't dribbled a ball since my knee surgery back in the mid-90s.
But I will give you one piece of advice. Stay off of concrete. Asphalt, too. Save your joints. The cumulative impact over time just isn't worth it later.
Guess what I'm saying is to avoid playground ball.... the game I really loved and lived on during my youth. You are creeping up on 50 so it is time to put your health at the top of the list!
"I’ll have a chat with the big Guy upstairs and we’ll see what He says."
You have verbal communication with Dr. Naismith?
Great job, @HighEliteMajor !
I've been waiting for someone to post some numbers to substantiate minutes.
Looking at your PER numbers... it looks like Jamari may be the guy collecting splinters on the bench. Hey... I'm not trying to support any one player getting minutes. I want us to win, tomorrow, all the way through March. If players aren't producing NOW they need to sit. Jamari... if he isn't producing as well as our freshmen, I'm for making the move now. I know, like everyone else knows, game experience is an important part of development. I didn't speak up earlier for more minutes until I could see that are freshmen are actually producing. As of right now, Carlton and Cheick can start taking more of Jamari's minutes NOT just because of potential. They deserve his minutes because they outproduce him. That is a valid reason and no unselfish player will feel offended by losing minutes to someone who is outproducing them.
I can still see certain situations where Jamari should get some minutes... if the match ups work in his advantage. Sometimes.. we are just able to run different things with Jamari we can't run with other bigs, like darting through the paint to receive a pass and finish on a drive or an assist. Sometimes... he may want to focus on his idea of being the "energy guy" and coming in for minutes when the entire team is playing like they are about to die of the black plague.
Hunter and Landen have proven their value and should still get quality minutes. Even though Cheick has a good PER, he still needs some polish before taking on the big minutes. Seriously, today, he couldn't stay in a game more than 20 minutes without fouling out. I know I am not willing to take on a loss to Baylor or Oklahoma because Cheick is busy putting both of these teams in the double bonus. Another thing... he just hasn't meshed in with the team concept on either side of the ball.
Cheick now shows enough stats to start winning practice minutes with the starting group. This is the step he needs to take before absorbing big minutes in games. He has to mesh with the team concept. To some degree, Carlton is in the same boat, just much further along.
Like I said in an earlier post.... keeping a "team concept" will be the key to our success this year... far more than having a better post presence in March. Our real strength this year is our ability to play "team ball" not just having more talent than everyone else.
Excited for another year of B12 play!
Hope we get out of the blocks quick and set the rest of the league back on their heels.
Let's start by being 2-0 after Monday night...
Happy New Years, KUBuckets contributors!
My resolution for 2016 = more pixels... zooming in on 4k!
So it won't be a slip if one of us calls you "coach" sometime!
I know I am prying here... but can you tell us when you attended KU? It is great when we get alumni members to share stories from their days on campus. Please feel free to share any of those experiences.
Good post!
This is why I argue that we are not the same team we were last year.
All our veteran players are a year older. They have bonded much better than last year, too.
I'm not always going to pick experience over talent. I wouldn't stick Anthony Davis on the bench, because even an unpolished Davis was better than the alternatives. Cheick is just too rough and doesn't have what it takes yet to win more minutes. But he will soon enough. He hasn't put up enough stats to pose the same argument that was here last year when Cliff wasn't getting minutes when he probably should have.
Now B12 starts... If I was a gambling man I would bet that Cheick starts receiving more minutes sometime around our home game with TCU. I'm just guessing that to be around the time the "light bulb" goes off with Cheick. The first thing he has to learn is how to guard without hacking. Carlton has a ways to go on his defense, too. Improving his D is his road to more minutes. Cheick needs everything... offensive moves, personal defensive knowledge, knowing our offense and defense from a team perspective (plays and chemistry). The NCAA really did hold him back and hurt him substantially.
Some of our guys don't defend the baseline correctly. Over the years, refs just made it a well-accepted practice to not call certain fouls along the baseline. Most defenders know that... so when someone drives the baseline, defenders use their feet to force them out of bounds, pretty much eliminating real baseline offense.
This has been one of my pet peeves for more than a decade. I'm one of those fans that absolutely LOVED baseline offense. It was a huge part of my own game and I used my physicality to avoid getting pushed (fouled) out of bounds.
I've always wondered if this was a ploy by refs to reduce their work load along the baseline. Baseline offense has largely died out because of refs allowing defensive contact (fouling).
At least we still use the backdoor alley-oop. But that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about hard-nosed offense run down the line by players like Charles Barkley and Kelly Tripucka. These guys were tough and couldn't be stopped on the baseline. Tripucka's dad was NFL Pro-Bowler, Frank Tripucka, and sometimes Kelly mistook the NBA for the NFL. I remember him wearing a mouth guard at Notre Dame and the announcers were talking about how rough Notre Dame played, when I was snickering... knowing it was because it was Kelly. Back then, guys typically didn't wear mouth guards.
It would be great if you could tell us more about yourself. What made you a Kansas fan? Alumni? Experiences?
Okay.... thanks for clarifying your position.
I see your point. I think this gets into that one area where many of us (including myself) have questioned Self in the past for letting his bench rot by reducing the minutes to just a few.
I'm thinking outside the box with you on this.
First... what will be most-important as we move forward is match-ups. By keeping our Inglorious Bastards intact we have many options for match-ups with our opposition. Just look at the game with UCI. Hunter and Landen were are best options on the 7'6" guy. Hunter is currently our best shot blocker (when also including fundamentals, when comparing to Cheick). And Landen has the best fundamentals in the low post. Those guys did a reasonable job against what has to be one of the toughest assignments in college basketball.
Against other opponents, we may be better off with Jamari and giving more minutes to Carlton and Cheick.
I know Self thinks a lot about team chemistry and guys playing well together. He likes to reduce the rotation so guys get a chance to mesh together. There is a lot to that. When thinking of keeping the Inglorious Bastards together as a group, that is where the challenge comes in. Can all of these guys keep the chemistry at a high level? Currently, Cheick can not. He is behind. But I, like everyone else, think he will start to figure it out soon. He is a real hustler, and guys like that tend to work hard to fix areas of their game. He is already starting to show some offensive signs.
We need to get out of the blocks fast in B12 play. Ultimately, I'd like to see us at 7-0 going into Ames to face ISU. So we need to be careful how we sub in at the 5 during that stretch. I suspect Self will go pretty conservative during this stretch, but it is anyone's guess. And he will be reactive to how our 5s will be responding.
Let me play "devil's advocate" for a second.
We've only lost one game this year, to the #1 team in the country on a nail-biter.
Self decides to just play for potential. Cheick and Carlton both start and we move Perry to the 3. Then we start losing games... but hey... it is the price we pay to be good in March, right?
Then, we lose the B12 crown and we make it to the Elite 8 in March.
How many people will be in Self's corner then? (that he did the right thing)
I'll tell you now... almost no one. Fans will support high-risk moves from coaches, but when those moves don't work out, those fans go silent and they sit back and watch the coach get barbecued.
Self didn't just arrive in Lawrence on a gypsy wagon. He knows fans are going to criticize him regardless of what he does. He knows what his job is. He is going to gamble some... but he knows how valuable "team concept" is. Surely he learned a lot from having Wiggins.
"Do you think KU can win the Big 12 Conference championship with Traylor and Lucas manning the paint?"
Definitely. What premiere big in our league will beat them? There are no elite 5s in our league.
I am every bit as hopeful as everyone else in here that Cheick and Carlton will improve enough to earn more minutes. But what will make the winning difference for us this year won't be post play or guard play... it will be "team play." And the consistency we bring will come mostly from veteran players. WUG wasn't just about getting out guys more court time. It was largely about bonding our guys, and I think it was very successful! I put a huge value on our "team" mentality. I think we have an edge over foes like OU because of the bond we have.
Us fans have been conditioned into "OAD consciousness." We are focusing too much on potential because we see teams like Duke win it all with freshmen. How many McDs AAs were on their winning team? That is just a sign, then look at REAL potential/talent. Cliff and Jahlil were considered by many to be right at the top together after HS. Seriously? Even if Cliff had no personal issues, he was a million miles away from being the talent of Okafor. Duke wouldn't have won it with Cliff instead of Jahlil. If we want to maintain an "OAD consciousness" then we better have Nike dump trucks backed up to AFH with 8 or 9 of the REAL top players every year.
Think back to Self's tenure at Kansas. Which teams did he take to the FF? Veteran teams or OAD teams? 2012... we didn't have a single OAD... nor in 2008.
I don't want us to become another "Wiggins' team." That team was not a close bond of guys. Signing Wiggins was huge, because he will be a great representative for future Kansas basketball... but we paid a price for that. There were different rules for Andrew. No way to develop "team chemistry" when there are different sets of rules applied to different players. All our veteran post players now had to earn their minutes. Hunter, Landen and Jamari... none are elite post players. But we won't win anything this year without them. These guys not only offer experience ini real game situations, but these are the guys that are developing Cheick and Carlton. These are the guys they face in every practice. If we disrespect them by having other rules for Cheick and Carlton, benching them based strictly on "potential" we will harm our team
If we want to lodge complaints we shouldn't be lodging them at Self. Not this time. We should push on our freshmen to up their games enough to separate themselves from the crowd. I'm sure Self wants to win. These guys need to show execution, not potential.
I'm just as guilty of using my "OAD brain" as anyone else. I see a big time move by Cheick or Carlton and I want to see more. But examine their total minutes played. Someone should post their net contribution numbers on minutes played. We should do that on all our post players to get one more tool to examine who should be getting minutes.
Our big runs in the UCI game came with veteran players on the floor.
I put most of the blame on the hi/lo. That just isn't in sync with todays' game and the next step: NBA.
If you are a star PG what are you looking for in a school? You want to go where your talents will be showcased and where you will continue to refine your game. Not a lot of PGs are OADs, so star PGs want to know that they will develop right for the NBA if they need to stay multiple years in D1.
This is changing. We are focusing away from the hi/lo, and just use it as an option when facing certain teams and situations. We are seeing more of a motion offense using several strategies, including the dribble-drive.
Question is: Is Self changing because he simply doesn't have any back-to-the-basket scorers? Or is he starting to realize his recruiting efforts are drying up because recruits aren't interested in the hi/lo?
As far as 5s go.... most 5s want to be the next Kevin Durant. Even if there is no way they could ever develop into being another Kevin Durant, they still have that ambition. And if they are a star 5 recruit, then chances are it isn't because of their back-to-the-basket moves. Who the heck in HS has those moves? Right... VERY FEW OR NONE! The fact that they don't bring those skills with them to college should be all the indication we need to not use an offense heavily focused on back-to-the-basket scoring.
Just watch some NBA. The game is hardly played in the paint now. Back-to-the-basket is being replaced with "finishing at the rim"... more like how we sometimes use Jamari Traylor. That guy couldn't make 20% of his attempts with back-to-the-basket moves, but get him facing the basket with space to drive, and he can use his quickness in the post to sometimes finish a drive off the glass.
This is just one more reason why I want to sign Udoka. Here is a guy that better be looking REALISTICALLY at his NBA potential. Big, wide bodies like his hardly exist any longer and there is a reason for that. His game is in the post and he could really develop his offensive post presence at Kansas.
But all the other D1 schools hard after him are probably trying to convince him he is the next Kevin Durant... feeding the ego while they offer him a very inferior opportunity.
Welcome aboard! Always great to hear from another Jayhawk perspective!
Personally... I think our coaching has been spot on this year, and I am one to usually question our coaching.
"I wouldn’t be driving a Honda with 170,000 miles on it."
No reason to sell the Honda. It may go for 300k or so... enjoy the ride!
"I’d ask Bobby Knight how he won three rings with only 1 player who’s made it big."
Knight required the same intensity to the game from his players as he projected on them. Sometimes he may have gone over the top, but you will never read about a player who wanted to play for Knight to experience a "chill" situation.
Knight understood ALL aspects of the game, from scrappy defense to the nuances involved on offense. I'm sure the first thing he would do at Kansas is teach our guys what a shot fake is. Actually... it seems like some of our guys are FINALLY starting to use fakes.
Sure looks like Drew is getting ready to drop the "f-word" bomb...
Ted didn't earn the nickname "Motor City Madman" for nothing. He was born in Redford, Michigan and grew up in the Detroit metro area.
It says a lot that we can win these games only shooting 29% from trey. This is the real solution to convincing Self that our perimeter shooting isn't "fool's gold." Our trey shooting is nothing more than another tool in our deep tool chest that is quite capable of helping us beat any team in the nation. So if we don't hit our treys... we have other ways to win!
I always enjoy taking the journey through our opposition's world.
Thanks for making this happen every single game!
I am probably like a lot of others in here concerning last night's game. The first half gave me a stomach ache... thinking back to the last few years. Our guys not prepared for a dogfight, more like a cat grooming.
But I did feel better for part of the second half, mostly in the first minutes. Perry and Wayne took over. It was great to see both of these guys awaken from their first half naps. They really need to stop napping during games. Though they did wake up in the second half for a few minutes... enough for us to create the winning gap in the score.
I am amazed at Perry's offensive tool set. I am amazed at the positive impact Wayne can have on our guys. One or two steals, assists or baskets from Wayne seems to liven up our entire team! This is his team!
I recall many times over the past couple of years where we came out flat and we stayed flat. I'm not saying that won't happen again, but it is encouraging to see our veteran players step up and right a wrong, all within the 40 minutes of game time.
In as much as the first half gave us a "bad sign" for things to come, the inspired bursts in the second half gave us a "good sign" for possible great things to come in the season ahead!
Perry still hasn't figured out enough to take it to bigger defenders... but he did show basketball IQ last night by taking what the defense gave him. He is as much a threat from the outside as any of our guys because he can hit that shot consistently and is often given the gift from defenses not wise enough to guard him out there.
Regardless what happens at the C5 this year... this is NOT the same team we had last year! For many, many reasons.
I'm very hopeful that Cheick and Carlton, both, make major contributions to our team this season, especially helping us with another B12 crown as well as help us advance in March.
I think that scenario is best achieved by making them earn their minutes... the same path our veteran players took.
Both of these guys should find more minutes at some point.
I agree with Tom's comment:
"Playing time doesn’t determine when the light comes on. The light coming on determines playing time."
Thanks! I thought the one on Iowa was gone. I know they were caught several times serving minors, but don't know if that is the reason this location closed.
For lush effect... we always went to El Mezcal on Iowa. Big, cheap pitchers of margheritas and mexican food.
I'm not sure they are still open.
Anyone know?
Used to like the Yacht Club, even though the service was horrible. Often ran into players there.
But I heard it closed.
Yes he did. Does Grayson's results last year determine who Self plays?
Do you get what I am explaining about "team chemistry" and keeping guys motivated?
We have had issues with hustle in other years. I remember when we had Wigs and every one else just stood there like one of the fans in the crowd when he got the ball. No one was motivated on that team.
If freshmen are given FREE MINUTES (without outplaying upperclassmen) based on possible future potential on a team full of veteran players that have contributed over their time in uniform I 100% guarantee you can throw this year away.
" I also like the idea of our veteran players “possessing” the team, but I would simply observe that freshmen “possessed” last year’s national championship team"
We aren't Duke. We don't run a puppy mill.
We do have some outstanding freshmen... but imagine our new identity is our freshmen. Do you think we stand even a tiny chance of winning our conference and a NC starting and running Vick, Bragg and Diallo?
Duke had a team full of McDs AAs. This was their identity because they didn't count on veteran players for anything and they had Nike dump trucks full of top players.
Yes, it is possible to win with freshmen and/or veteran players.
"Do you really think that Traylor gives a better chance to win now, than say Bragg?"
Yes. Most definitely. Traylor knows the system and has been hustling. He was a definite difference-maker at SDSU. I don't think Bragg is ready to be a "difference-maker." I do think he is showing he can make a contribution. The team was interviewed and they seem to still think Traylor is the better choice, too.
If the young guys want more PT then they simply have to show a compelling positive right NOW that they are the best players and need to be on the floor. Self would be happy to start and give major minutes to Cheick and Carlton. They'll have to earn those minutes.
I think you need to realize how important "team dynamics" are. Just throwing our veteran players to the side because young bucks have potential is very disrespectful to the players that have been sacrificing for the team for years. That could easily cause waves.. and how could it not? So right now, because Self has the attitude to play the guys that will help win games RIGHT NOW, the fight for minutes is fair and very very competitive. All our post players are improving from the big time competition they have in practice. But just proclaim our freshmen ahead of everyone but Perry (without earning it) and I think you are asking for all kinds of trouble, including the veteran players playing soft, including practices. How can they stay motivated if they just give up their minutes to "potential?"
From what I have seen out of our freshmen, I like how Self has been using them. I find it highly likely that both Carlton and Cheick will soon start earning more minutes. They both have better upside than our other bigs fighting for those minutes. But right now, Cheick can't stay on the floor anyways because he can't guard without fouling. Carlton is scrappy, but his defense is rough.
The door is wide open for all our bigs. Play well, earn minutes. This is the way it should be. There is a lot of season left for the young guys to earn plenty of PT. Giving it to them now (without them earning it) lets them know they can coast. It also deflates the ambitions of our experienced post guys. So then we have Perry on his own and NONE of our other post players properly motivated to play well.
I like how Self blends in most of our bigs in the first half, and then plays what he thinks is the best chance to win in the second half. That not only gives us the best chance to win this single game, it also sends a message to these guys that Self rewards PRODUCTION not just POTENTIAL.
I know you and I come from a different generation. I think you and I are similar. I didn't need to be pushed to hustle. I would dive for balls even if I was just playing lunch ball at the YMCA. I had a single button: ON/OFF. These kids today are different. Guys with ON/OFF buttons are extremely rare. It has taken me a while to understand this. It all impacts the game and coaching. If a player didn't hustle back in my day there was a good chance the coach would just kick him hard in his rear side.
You could visit the grave of Dr. Naismith... but I'm guessing it will be covered with snow.
Don't forget the Wheel and the Hawk... two drinking establishments with a huge history and within stumbling distance from each other.
You will want to visit AFH early... spend time in the museum section.
Mass Street is always a nice walk. Visit shops and restaurants.
I know most Kansas fans don't have a lot of love for Cam... but I certainly respect him and like him as a player and person. He went through a lot to get to where he is today and that is a tough loss for him and Texas.
Speedy recover.... Cam!
I agree that rebounds will be a big key. And transition defense is a gimme. We have no excuse for letting up in the open court.
For me... it is one thing above everything else:
Win the last 5 minutes of the game.
I don't care if OU is up by 10 at the 5-minute mark. We win the last 5 minutes we win the game.
Make Buddy, and all the 3 amigos, fight for their points and run them hard and lets see them win the last 5 minutes of the game. It won't happen. They showed that weakness in Hawaii. Fortunate for them, so did their opponents. Granted, they had quick turnaround games, but they weren't playing Kansas either.
For me, it was a big time drinking Christmas.... I had TWO hard liquor drinks. Ha...
All the socializing... everyone insisted I have a drink. Perhaps to make their stories more interesting.
Also tried Agavero for the first time.
It is a tequila-derived "licor" from Mexico. Very smooth straight on ice. A bit sweet.
Something I liked because I used to be a tequila drinker. Still the taste, but very easy to stomach.
I consider myself an expert ONLY on knowing myself.
My wife has challenged that and claims to know me better than I know myself.
So....
Hmmmmm... one of those apple drinks sounds pretty good right about now!
Great read!
"If I was a drinker, I’d ask @brooksmd for advice on what to have on a wintry day with nothing to do."
I'm not a big drinker. Used to hold my own quite well in my youth. This holiday season was extremely "social" for me... attending more gatherings than the past. In my little world, Crown Royal Regal Apple really exploded onto the scene this year. So Saturday night I tried a mixer of sprite and Crown Apple. Quite tasty. A great drink for those who really don't like the taste of traditional booze.
And you get a green cloth baggy with it instead of purple.
Yippee!
Wouldn't it be great if this is the game Perry uses to learn to score on bigger post players!
Perry has maybe practiced too many reps on his moves. I know that sounds wrong... but hear me out.
When Perry has the ball in the low post he is like a robot... finishing out one of his patented moves. He is so mentally entrenched in successfully pulling off the move, he doesn't focus on what he needs to focus on.... the defender!
Perry doesn't understand scoring space well enough. If he had a few more moves that really create definite scoring space, he could sort of stay in his "own world" when shooting the ball.
If he has to really TAKE IT TO the defender, he needs to pay close attention to the defender and score at the right opportunity. Like... have a shot fake, get the defender up the air, then go into the defender to draw contact to at least get FTs out of the deal. Or look at the defender's feet to see where Perry can easily gain scoring space, even when directly taking it to the defender.
In some ways, it seems like Perry has advanced his game further this year and the game is coming to him slower. This is what it takes to EXECUTE good offense.
I like the idea of having our veteran players POSSESS this team, instead of our freshmen talented players.
For example, had we thrown Cheick into the starting lineup and kept him there, how soon would the media proclaim this as "Cheick's team" instead of Perry, Wayne and Frank's team?
Think about it... this is the first year for these three guys to take real ownership. Last year, the talk was Kelly and Cliff. We see where that got us.
Perry, Wayne and Frank have EARNED their OWNERSHIP of this team.
I am excited to see where this leads us... in conference play and in March. I don't think this is basically the same team we had last year. The dynamics have changed.... for the better. Add in the improvements Self has made in his own coaching philosophy, and we really have completely different potential.
And.... might we be relieving some of the potential stress on Cheick and Carlton if we frame them up as just being SUPPLEMENTS to this team instead of counted on to produce?
That is a touchy subject... because some guys need to feel the heavy pressure and be counted on to really produce. This is an area where Self needs to play psychologist and know what to apply to these young guys' brains.
We all know that Cheick and Carlton need some minutes. But we can't say we know better than Self on this one. We don't sit in on practices and know the entire story here.
We really won't know how these guys react in March until we get there. Some guys just disappear, especially when they are young.
We don't want to put too many eggs in an unknown basket. Why should we? We have a very solid core of talented, experienced players that surely must be carrying a little chip after losing to WSU last year.
I don't know... I do know that I am heavily influenced STILL by the Royals and how they used last year's runner up year to fuel this year. I hope we have guys that will react in a similar fashion. Guys like Perry, Wayne and Frank.... they should be carrying a chip and I think to some degree they are.
I am optimistic about facing OU this year... but I know we could lose to a hot OU team.
I think the best way to "limit" Buddy is to tire him out. We used this strategy last year against Forte with OSU. Not many people know this, but Forte is like a turbocharged Tyrel Reed. I say that because both were (are) fitness freaks. We wore out Forte. Buddy is obviously a lot more athletic than Phil Forte... but Forte is the conditioning freak.
Very few players on this planet have been able to maintain a high trey percentage when exhausted. Lon is a great coach, but he knows how slim his margin for victory is against Kansas. He is going to keep Buddy on the floor for a ton of minutes.
Yeah... Buddy may go off for 25 or so points on us... how many of those points will come in the final 5 minutes of play? When it really counts... That is how we "limit" Buddy Hield.
Don't you see that Self is making Bragg and Diallo earn more minutes by lifting their games?
Typically, players develop most for the season over the Christmas holidays. They are out of classes and focus 100% on basketball. The important step right now is to PUSH our freshmen into higher plateaus of development right now. And though game minutes are an important step in that process... the players must first learn to play competitive D1 basketball.
By playing them too many minutes too soon, they may lose confidence because they simply don't know enough to play well enough.
Both Bragg and Diallo are still very rough. They both have made big mistakes on defensive switches and help.
We need to put our best chance of winning right now on the court. Our experienced guys give us our best chance TODAY.
Bill Self's secret sauce for 11 straight titles is to come out of the blocks fast in B12 play. Immediately create a gap with the other teams and that puts the pressure on them.
Self is not going to throw away the B12 race just to hope it pays off in March because our freshmen may be a tad bit further along.
Our biggest assets as a team are with our veteran players. They've been there before. And now the expectations are on them to execute winning games. That is our team identity. Experienced, quality players.
Freshmen potential may end up helpful, but the focus has to be on our biggest asset... experienced, quality players. I'm not specifically identifying Jamari or Landen as quality bigs. But they are experienced and there is a current higher ceiling for playing good team ball by using our experienced players.
Look at how many variants we are running now! BG and Svi... those guys have great potential, but they aren't meshed within our offense yet. If we just run a platoon type strategy, we may never create a team identity. Using young, talented players has to be done with care. We want them to CONTRIBUTE to our current identity, not CREATE CHAOS by stripping away our identity.
I think Self is having one of his best coaching years since coming to Kansas.
How do you think Kansas matches up with Oklahoma?
I think our depth is a huge advantage.
I see our games as a points race. Fast pace... we like it and OU likes it.
What I see different this year is we are finally starting to realize how important it is to push the pace. Hopefully, Self is starting to realize the harm in playing guys like Frank for 36-38 minutes a game. I think he played 30 at SDSU.
Tired players don't seem to do so well from treysville. OU seems to count on treys more than us. While we have more depth at shooting treys. If we limit Buddy from trey, OU is toast. Their margin for error or injuries is ZERO. And they not only need Buddy healthy, but also Woodard and Cousins. It is the triad that makes these guys dangerous. They spread the floor and all 3 are dangerous from the perimeter. Remove one of these guys and they lose their ability to create easy scoring space.
I think we have so many bodies at all positions, that we should be heavily favored against OU this year. I can see games going back and forth... but in the end, we should have the fresher legs if Self properly coaches the game to rest all our guys when needed. OU has less margin for victory so their main guys will have to play more minutes in our games. Buddy has to be on fire for them to win. It is that simple. He's by far their leading scorer. Anything but a stellar game from Buddy, and OU gets smoked. We can have any of our guys be off and have the team carry the load.
Plus... with our bench, we have guys capable of making big positive impacts. A guy like BG might come in and nail 4 or 5 treys.
Hopefully, Cheick starts coming on. I think he could be a big difference maker if he can stay in games without fouling out and start contributing on both sides of the ball.
Heck... I think Hunter can be a big help with his shot blocking ability. Yes, we had him last year... rotting away on the bench.
I don't think OU has a real answer for Perry Ellis... and also possibly Wayne Selden.
I think we have several players that can limit Buddy Hield. I'd probably start with Devonte Graham. I've been liking what I see out of most of his defense. He should be good at ball denial. And he isn't too shabby at fighting through ball screens.
When considering match ups... I like how we match up.
If I was coaching Kansas against Oklahoma I would want aggressive defense on Buddy. Make him earn his points. Glue someone on him at all times to create ball denial. We still may not stop Buddy, but slowing him down means he is worn out at the end of the game, when OU will need his offense desperately.
Then I would pump up Perry big time and have him attack the low post. If Perry FINALLY starts using a few effective fakes, Ryan Spangler will quickly get in foul trouble. Talk about reducing the margin for victory with OU. Spangler is their solid post player, responsible for a majority of their rebounds.
Tire Buddy out and attack Ryan in the low post to draw fouls. Accomplishing either one of these tasks is enough to thwart OU.
My personal taste is for OU. I grew up being an OU football fan and attended many games in Norman. I want OU to beat ISU.
And I dislike many of the ISU fans. Very nasty people who are fanatic enough and hateful enough to be destructive and dangerous.
I said this earlier... I don't feel good about sending our guys into Ames this year. I fear violent repercussions if we win in Ames. This is the same crowd that screamed the "n" word at EJ... and others and had the nut fan breaching Self's personal space.
I think ISU and OU are very talented and very fun teams to watch play.
Historically, these teams have choked enough to take the back seat, even when we haven't played near our best in B12 play.
I think I would give the edge to OU over ISU. I think they just have better horses in the race. I've never thought ISU as having enough top notch players and they relied a great deal on the Mayor scheming their victories. Not sure they still have that advantage, but we will learn soon enough.
Until both of these teams PROVE they can win the B12, I'm not convinced. We've been down this "hype road" before. It seems like every year the B12 is supposed to be the top conference and in great shape to go far in March, and then it doesn't happen.
I've now seen two games of OU... and their offense can be very impressive, but I still don't see enough defense to consider them a contender. Maybe they will buckle down in January. Maybe they won't. Lon is a great coach. I never underestimate his ability to put a team together.
Perry is going to grind up the B12 this year. When looking ahead at games, consider the match ups. Who is going to stop Perry?
What team has the most upside? I know I wear crimson/blue glasses... but who the heck has as much upside as us?
Carlton and Cheick are playing better each game and both should improve vastly over this season. BG and Svi are just starting to come on and contribute big time. Devonte has quietly shown big time improvement this year, including muscling up and playing with strength and he still can polish up his game quite a bit.
From what I have seen, we have the best team chemistry in our league. Maybe the Korean trip helped. These guys actually like each other, and they stick up for each other. There is a great bond, one we haven't seen since 2012. So they, as a team, have plenty of upside left.
Heck.... even Frank still has a lot he can polish up on. He is just starting to figure it out that a big part of his job is to personally create offense... primarily by feeding the assist from his drives.