🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@justanotherfan

Greene is a great spot-up shooter. No way I classify him as a good D1 player. Take away his spot shot and how many D1 teams will he start for? Maybe 50...

So... when we put him into the game, he has to make treys in order to stay in the game. It is doubtful we will run specific plays for BG... so he has to create his own scoring opportunities. But if he isn't in there scoring at a rapid clip, he needs to ride the bench.... OR develop the rest of his game! (light bulb thought)

This is where Self is at on BG (and any winning coach would be). This is the frustration Self has and why he made the comment that some guys (BG) just doesn't "get it."

@ralster

Excellent post that everyone should read.

Wayne is very unselfish... maybe sometimes too unselfish. He is a great teammate.

I hope BG develops a better perspective. He is starting to give the impression he may be a "bad apple"... and we all know what a bad apple can do to the rest of the apples....

I think between now and the end of the year, we are going to know where BG's head is at.

Stay and fight.

Turn and run.

@JRyman

I finally got my wife to hang my jersey yesterday for the first time.

Think it is probably dry now...

@jaybate-1.0

"Shoes"

!jeremy_scott_adidas_originals_js_wings_2-0_gold_black-206.jpg ↗

!8a75ac13da044121101c80beadd1e1df.jpg ↗

!crazy-shoes2.jpg ↗

Pretty obvious where he should go...

@Lulufulu

"Gathers might be the best post guy in the big 12 this year."

Should be very fun for us fans to watch Rico and Cheick mix it up in the paint!

I have to admit... the level of my man crush on Cheick is over the top.

Even my wife is rolling her eyes.

But... she said, "at least he will never play like a big p-word!"

@HighEliteMajor

"I love the Traylor defenses. He brings something “that cannot be quantified or characterized with number and/or statistics.” Can’t argue with that. But then you had to add the word “valuable.”"

Ha...

I'm thinking the main "non-quantifiable" asset Jamari brings is his hustle (that is usually wasted because of poor basketball IQ). His hustle perhaps helps other guys stay motivated.

How will that work out moving forward when Cheick brings triple the hustle Jamari brings and 10x the results?

Will the other players still even notice Jamari's effort?

@BeddieKU23

"Did anyone watch the game and think this is Joel 2.0?? I got that feeling watching his variety of highlights."

I'm thinking he is more like a TRob as a sophomore.

He is definitely more developed than a freshman TRob. But... those two seem to compare closer together. TRob had a great motor... but I think Cheick's motor is even revved higher!

Cheick is a bit raw, but he isn't as raw as many like to claim he is. He hit a baby jumper on the baseline. No one too raw can do that.

His potential window is limitless. With his work ethic and hustle I expect to see him become a totally different player by March.

"It is clear to see that he changes this team in so many positive ways"

Bingo! It isn't just his play. He is going to inspire the rest of our guys to hustle more. I was glad to read that Wayne is very connected to Cheick. Wayne is a guy that needs to focus in on something to keep him inspired. If Cheick and Wayne can feed energy off of each other all year long... we are in for a LONG RUN in March!

@DinarHawk

Exactly.

Always makes me wonder how much coaching these kids get on their individual development.

There are time limitations on how much they can be directly coached. But this is something that should run through their walk-ons. Our walk-ons should be helping the other guys work on their individual development in their off time.

@HighEliteMajor

"Perry just plays smaller than he his. He crouches down most times on his post moves, he doesn’t elevate, doesn’t shoot at the peak on his post moves, and he doesn’t use his body effectively to help create space."

I've said this for 4 years now... Perry needs to spend a summer on an asphalt playground court somewhere... somewhere where the games are tough (if it still exists).

He doesn't seem to have any understanding about using his body as a shield to create scoring space and also being more effective using the backboard to get his shot off safely.

However... kudos to Perry for using one of his first ever SHOT FAKES in our last game! He used a fake around the FT line, got his defender airborne, and then drove it to the hole for an easy finish.

Shot fakes are one more tool for Perry... he has nurtured the defense long enough by never using them so they can jump freely on all his moves. He should be using a few shot fakes in every game EARLY IN THE GAME so defenders have to second guess his shot. This one factor alone will knock his blocked shots down in half or maybe more.

It is a real pity it takes a guy 4-years of D1 at a blue blood to figure out how to use a shot fake.

@ralster

"Moral: not all Tourney bounces are the same."

Agree.

I don't have the stats on me right now... but I am willing to bet that Wayne had bad games in our March losses.

I still see this as "Wayne's team." Not because he is a definite leader... but we seem to sort of go however Wayne goes. For whatever reason, he seems to own the reins on this team.. at least when it comes to final score.

@Bwag

Sounds like the right way to do it. Mask your IP address so you avoid the ESPN3 blackout. Plus... helps keep marketeers from targeting extra info about you.

@ParisHawk

"In other words, those who don’t care about the past shouldn’t care about the present or the future either, since they are just waiting to be pasts."

Bravo.

I read this line, and the first thing that popped out at me was the last word; pasts. My font is too small sometimes and I read it as "pasta"... People waiting to be pasta! That hit home to me, even more than "pasts"... guess I'm just getting hungry.

@JayHawkFanToo

I wouldn't, but then, I wouldn't trade Wilt either! Wilt didn't bring us a title, but he brought us Wilt.

Pretty amazing to see the exhibit in AFH about Wilt.

I'm just measuring the crowd who seems to care a lot more about this coming March over anything from the past.

@lincase

Thanks for adding a wider perspective!

@JayHawkFanToo

I feel your pain. That totally sucks!

@ParisHawk

I hear you... But after reading so many willing to trade our conference streak for one national championship, I thought it was time to test the waters in other areas. I want to know, is it the conference streak that doesn't get enough praise, or is it the national champions that may get too much praise?

Here is another one:

Would you trade 2008 NC for 2016 NC?

Or how about '88 or '52?

Does "legacy" really mean anything anymore?

It seems to mean less and less with the younger crowd.

I think we can all learn something from this... especially getting a better understanding of how recruits think...

If NBA experience is required to be a great coach, we are screwed! Let's see... Self has ZERO NBA experience!

I think we all just keep a good perspective on Jamari.

He was never recruited as our savior. His game has improved over his time in Lawrence. I think we can question the amount of improvement over that time.

The negative views of his game, and frustration from it, shouldn't be directed towards Jamari. He isn't going to suddenly wake up and be a better player. I take it that he works hard on his game, and he must put the effort in during practice because of the PT he gets.

I'm not sure the frustration should even be leveled on our coaches. I doubt either Landen or Hunter produce a huge +points differential on their minutes. All 3 players have strengths and weaknesses.

I do think there was plenty to scream about last year, when Cliff was riding the bench and Jamari had his minutes. The statistical difference was substantial. Everything pointed to Cliff, but he sat.

@elpoyo

"He’s not going to be able to do for our guards what Danny did for our bigs."

I'm curious... but why wouldn't you think he could be that much help for our guards?

@Lulufulu

My thoughts are there could be a split, based on age.

Seems like us old f@rts would never abandon Wilt being a Jayhawk. We recall his game, and how dominant he was.

Younger Jayhawks might not relate as well to Wilt, and some aren't totally interested in the past and legacy. I can see why it would be a no-brainer for these people to pick the NC.

@JRyman

Not sure Simien wants to expand his role with Kansas basketball beyond being a spiritual leader. His desire is largely to be a spiritual mentor for young people.

@JayHawkFanToo

I would love to be "Small Man U."

The game is moving to the 3-pt line. Back to the basket scoring will almost vanish in coming years. Look now at big men coming up through HS. How many of these players have any back to the basket skills? But yet... most are improving their perimeter shot.

Having a guard with the skills Aaron has can also improve the skill set of our bigs. Looking forward to the NBA, no NBA team wants to sign players with bad handles.

@jaybate-1.0

Imagine how different the game would be if everyone stayed healthy?

Imagine what Danny Manning's NBA stats would have looked like if he wasn't hobbled his entire NBA career with knee problems? He suffered an ACL in his rookie year, and continued to have knee problems throughout his NBA career.

He may have gone on to rewrite the role of big men like Wilt did in his day.

@JRyman

I'm already thinking that if Wayne has his break-out year this year a big part of the credit also belongs to Aaron... helping him control his drives. Historically, Wayne has had issues with his handles. In the past, he was getting too anxious on his drives, and he wouldn't dribble under control. Lots of charges and losing the ball off the dribble.

He still has a ways to go on his dribbling, but he seems to be making better decisions on when to drive, and also maintaining more poise in doing so.

Wayne always looks like a guy that is one tweak away from figuring out how to totally exploit D1 defenses. He may have found his tweak!

@ralster

Gosh... you have a great memory!

@JRyman

To be honest... what excited me about Maui was not our fast-moving offense. Or even Cheick getting the nod to play.

What got me excited was seeing Aaron Miles on the bench. I have a feeling he is going to become our "Danny Manning of the guards." If we can hold onto him... and work him into an assistant coaching job we have yet another monstrous asset for our future!

Successful people surround themselves with successful people. I feel comfortable in stating how valuable Aaron will become.

These kids are used to being at the top. They want to win, and if there is any sign that winning isn't the most important focus for them, their NBA stock drops (as well it should).

@ralster

"The Jayhawks’ 123-points versus Chaminade were most points in a game by a KU team in the 13-year Bill Self era and sixth most points in school history.

In addition, KU’s two-game total of 215 points (123 vs. Chaminade; 92 vs. UCLA) were most points in consecutive games in the Self era. "

~ from KUSports.com

That sure doesn't sound like us at the end of last year.... I hope we can finally give BAD BALL a burial.... far, far away from Naismith's resting place.

"Noted coach Bill Self: “I think this is by far one of the better shooting teams we’ve had (51.3 percent overall through five games; 46.8 from three). That doesn’t mean we’re always going to make shots. I think we can score points in a hurry. I think we can run bad offense and come away with points. A lot of years we haven’t been able to do that.”"

~ from KUSports.com

I wonder what Bill would think if he was a NBA coach? 1/2 the offense comes from "bad offense" in his book... guys just taking it on their own and finishing, etc. And then doing it over and over again until the defense figures out how to stop it.

Winning is first... a beauty contest on offense... a distant second.

@RockkChalkk

Nice post.

I think there is some delusional kool-aid being consumed. These mid-major recruiters build these guys up with hot air... saying that if they come to their school they will be a Final Four team.

It just isn't realistic. Yes, it could happen. Once in a while a team like Indiana State (Larry Bird) makes it to the championship game. Steph Curry was great lifting Davidson to what... the Elite 8 before we edged them out.

I think many of these recruits are used to being the fig fish in a small pond, so picking a mid-major keeps them at the comfort level they are used to.

Hate to burst their bubble, but do they think they will be the big fish in the NBA when they enter the league? Even a talent like Wigs has had to take his lumps at the next level.

@Crimsonorblue22

"The question is whether or not it’s sustainable..."

@JayHawkFanToo

"We live in a time when the current younger generation only cares about what have you done for me lately and their concept of history extend only a few years back and most cannot name the last 3 presidents. To this generation KU is not as relevant as Duke and the East Coast hype or UK and all the celebrities and rap stars associated with the program."

Sad, but true.

And today UCLA sucks. It feels strange for us old timers to see a UCLA team stink this bad. For decades, UCLA held up the pants of west coast basketball. I guess today that team would be Arizona, which is hardly considered a blue blood program.

@sfbahawk

I might have misstated my point.

I like having a big pile of assists. But I also want to see guys AGGRESSIVELY fight on offense, and part of that is to take it to the hole. Once a player dribbles the ball before scoring, the assist is gone.

I believe 100% in team offense. But not to the point where players stop playing aggressive. Players should not DISAPPEAR!

The key to victory is points. More points come from shooting a higher percentage. Assists tell a story about team play where guys are feeding open shooters. That is great! But a healthy balance of driving the ball to get guys open is also great. And eventually, it should balance out with high assists.

I'm not sure we will ever satisfy the east coast media.

Just look how they have emaciated west coast basketball. There are a few teams west that do okay. Just a few.

I am amazed we have been able to compete at a high level... Most people back east think Kansas is in the far west.

@jaybate-1.0

"Svi is carrying to much weight to play point guard now..."

I've been holding off on saying this... but Svi looks to be slower than he was last year. Maybe he gained weight the wrong way. He seems to have put on too much weight too fast. I wonder what is body fat count is now versus last year?

We should never try to add weight to a player if it will slow him down.

That seems to be perhaps his biggest hurdle now. He needs to increase his foot speed.

!ian-flemings-bond-books-like-james-bond.jpg ↗

Dun-da-da-daa-da dun-dun-dun-dun-da-da-daa-da dun-dun-dun-dun-da-da-daa-da dun-dun-dun-dun-da-da-daa-da....

(supposed to be James Bond background music)

@jayhawk-007 where have you been hiding? In a Russian oil tanker in the Persian Gulf?

Out of the blue... James Bond has come up with the new tag descriptor for our offense.... gone is BAD BALL... and it's inverted step child GOOD BALL.

Dun-da-da-daa-da dun-dun-dun-dun-da-da-daa-da dun-dun-dun-dun-da-da-daa-da dun-dun-dun-dun-da-da-daa-da....

The proper term now is SMART BALL! And SMART BALL accounted for a 95-ppg average while on the island of Maui.

That is a lot of points. BAD BALL represented the concept of slowing down the point total so the game became a "grind game." We all know Self loves grind games. GOOD BALL... seemed to be more a dream concept for many in here to counter BAD BALL.

I don't think any of us saw this coming. This wasn't the offense we ran in Korea.

Self seems to have finally realized that he can't create an artificial definition for his team. This team is FIRST about offense! And there is nothing wrong with that, even for a coach that hangs his hat on defense. For our players, offense is dessert. Self has been the proverbial "father" enforcing strict eating rules for his boys. "Can't eat your pudding until you eat your meat!"

What Father Self may have discovered... what really matters is his boys must "clean their plates." And if that means wolfing down their pudding before their meat, so be it.

What Self realized is all 5 of his current starters can DRIVE THE BALL! He may never be like the Mayor, and be gifted at developing mismatches. Truth is... maybe he doesn't need to be gifted there. When we put all 5 of our guys out on the perimeter with eyes on driving (or popping the 3), mismatches will become quite apparent and will be seized upon!

Dribble-drive. That's what I saw. Our guys on the perimeter looking to drive first, pass second. Finish first, pass second.

We should become the toughest out in America. No other team in D1 has the defense to match up with us. If we play this right, we basically force all those zone teams into M2M defense. In those scenarios, you can just about say we have a sure win. Playing M2M on Kansas as a newbie will not yield good results, especially against this team! Or they can stay in a zone and have their seams ripped through like it's an eight-lane freeway!

SMART BALL, Self's version of dribble-drive, will impact this team even more than adding Cheick (and that says a lot!). This offense doesn't rely on 3-pt shots, but naturally, this is one of the most-effective methods for opening up shooters on the trey line. Penetrate and create. Penetrate and finish at the rim or a pull up. Penetrate and draw the foul. Penetrate and feed the perimeter for an open 3. Penetrate and feed the low post for an easy dunk.

This offense also feeds right into the stricter compliance with the rules. Let the refs call it tight. We will live at the FT line this year. And our opponents will be scrambling with foul trouble instead of focusing on their execution to victory.

Gosh... I'm glad Perry has become a solid threat from trey! Gosh... I'm glad Jamari has great foot speed and can drive the ball and score or feed! Gosh... I'm glad Wayne has really fixed his julie from trey!

@jaybate-1.0

Wow! Your fingertips are smokin'!

I may have to cancel going out to the movies tonight to read this. But it will be worth it!

I would love another NC trophy and ring....

But I could never stand to lose "The Big Dipper!"

One vote.... The Big Dipper!

@jaybate-1.0

Better put it in a Frank Capra scenario... perhaps the loss to UNC was the biggest point loss in NC history. Or perhaps not.

I think it will be interesting to read the responses.

I bet we can all think of other scenarios... trading this for that.

Perhaps this is a nice exercise for you...

@wissoxfan83

If we win the NC, no one will have ever heard of Wilt, except some of his 3rd grade students.

It's all like Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life."

@Lulufulu

Thanks for the thread!

BRush... Here is a guy who has endured plenty and still remains in the league. I hope he can stay healthy... if he can, he is very capable of showing the league what a talent he is.

That dunk was incredible, especially for a guy who liked to back down from contact, especially after all his injuries.

Perry should take a look at that. Actually... all our post players should. When a guy wants to challenge your throw down, just add more force, and if the guy doesn't pull his hand back, then let him get his hand smashed between the ball and rim. It doesn't take much of that before defenders scout it out and start backing off of those challenges.

Wilt Chamberlain never helped Kansas win a National Championship.

Yet, Wilt is definitely recognized as one of the greats to ever play at Kansas, and also one of the greats of the game of all time. Many see him as the greatest basketball player of all time.

So while we are on the topic of giving up things as a trade-off for another National Championship....

Pick between the two.. .no exceptions to these two choices:

1. History remains the same. Wilt remains a great Jayhawk. And this March we fizzle out in the Sweet 16

2. History is revised, and Wilt never played basketball for anyone. He ended up a school teacher in Philly. And this March, Kansas celebrates another National Championship.

I am very curious how fans in here respond to this question.

@JayHawkFanToo

Great perspective!

@ralster

"I agree with those saying the 5th or 7th conference title starts to be a ho-hum type affair, regardless the thanks we should show to the boys and coach for winning it. It is a feather in the cap…"

It may become ho-hum for some people... but even the media, as we added every year, has given more attention to it because it represents a moment to gibgab more hype.

I've enjoyed hearing media talk it up. It deserves the attention.

@ralster

First thing these boys need to learn -

"THERE ARE NO UPSETS IN MARCH!"

If they don't believe it... they are already beat. They won't prepare for St. Mary's Church of Castrated Clergy and lose by 15 and, once again, embarrass the Jayhawk Nation in March.

I thought in the Vandy game we were running what basically looked like a dribble-drive offense.

Notice how our assists percentages dropped.

This could be step 1 into building a new offense.

I know we have all been on Self and him sticking to his guns on the hi/lo... but can anyone really question his overall basketball intelligence? He may have been stubborn for change. But he does have a great mind for the game.

There were some things that happened in the Vandy game that made me think he used that game to study and further tweak and develop a new offense.

Part of this development is with the players themselves. Self can draw up a dribble drive offense... but it takes the guys actually being aggressive and driving the ball for it to work.

Another problem I had with the old hi/lo... it cut out offensive aggressiveness. It was all about quick passing to catch teams not responding quick enough. Our guys just stood in position, whipping the ball around. That not only has extreme limitations on the offensive side of the ball... it also gets the guys out of an aggressive mindset, including on defense.

We need to push aggressiveness on offense.... create scoring opportunities and get fouled 50 times a game and make a living on the line. Time to work on FT%!

@ralster

I think part of it is their bias.

I think another part is just their attention-getting formula to inspire people to watch (and listen) to them. They have taken a page out of "tv news" where it isn't about reporting news in an unbiased manner... they would rather call it "news" but turning it into bs commentary full of bias. They approach their program much like a web forum and they are the trolls... just trying to get a reaction out of people.

It is hard for people to click to another channel when controversial statements are being made... for or against their own opinions.

The almighty dollar rules their souls.

@HighEliteMajor

That is what it is... hope!

I am right with you on your frustrations with Jamari. He is just a slow learner.

When Self mentioned some players not "getting it" I thought of Jamari along with BG. He just doesn't seem to be able to lift his basketball IQ to a level where he can take advantage of his uber athleticism. I'm guessing that must be insanely frustrating for him... it should frustrate him even more than us!

I just keep my fingers crossed every second he is in the game. Once in a while, he will make a great play that earns us a possession and gets the team fired up. But he seems to have a lot more bad plays where he opens the door for our opponents to get fired up and come back (or pull away with their lead).

And then there are other times where he just goes invisible on the court. We have several guys on this team that somehow have mastered hiding on a court where bright lights shine on only 10 players. Sometimes it seems like some players put more energy into being invisible than just playing and actually participating in the game.

@nuleafjhawk

Definitely NO!

Blindfold a team and if they win, I will change to YES!

All the teams are full of athletes... some better, some worse. But I'd rather have a less-talented team that had all the right mental/spiritual things going for them, then a team full of uber talents that don't care enough to prepare themselves for the game. I think we have been that second description far too many times in March.

Okay... someone has to do the dirty work here and take the other side...

No one wants another National Championship more than me. It is personal for me on many levels. I have family and friends at Duke, UNC, Wisconsin... and several other big schools. I'm sick of being poked at for early losses in March. I could have said "upset losses" but something fans need to understand... THERE ARE NO UPSETS IN MARCH!

Yes... you heard me. THERE ARE NO UPSETS IN MARCH!

Of course, certain teams have more talent and experience.... more size.. more depth... and they match up better with all their opponents. Throw it all out the window. THERE ARE NO UPSETS IN MARCH!

What matters in March is energy... attitude... effort.... momentum... catching a few breaks, or being able to endure a spot of bad luck or a run from another team. It never hurts to get hot, especially from trey! Any group of guys can possess these attributes in March. They all have their own motivations for being there in the first place.

As bad as I want another National trophy back in Lawrence, I'm holding on tight to our conference streak. It isn't something that comes around every year like a chance at a NC does. This is rare... and I am doubtful most fans understand how this streak has helped lift Kansas basketball to new heights. I believe, more than a NC does.

Our conference continues to build better teams to challenge us. We can use every edge we can get, and one of those is our ability to recruit players that will be coming into our conference, either with us or with one of our opposing conference teams. It doesn't hurt to let all recruits know that if they want to win the conference, there is only one choice!

Further... I just can not stomach seeing a team like ISU, or UT (with their new, over-rated coach) winning our conference! Lon and OU are the only other team I would accept defeat from without puking all over the ceiling.

This question doesn't frame up right. It is like telling a parent to choose which of their kids they want to be successful and which one to fail.

It has taken 11 consecutive B12 titles just to get the media to start picking us every year to win it. They finally got sick of looking like dumb jack arses for hating on Kansas.