🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@BeddieKU23

Reads well to me!

I just vented my own personal feelings based on my experience with attorneys concerning my civil issues relating to business.

I'm sure there are good attorneys out there, and I do actually have one now that seems to be fair and proper.

I hope this guy is good and truly represents Cheick.

We all look at this through our biased eyes. Maybe the NCAA is going back to 6th grade math (or whatever) looking for anything to support accepting Cheick when his HS algebra is proven to be inferior and not qualified?

Unless the NCAA is just downright corrupt and trying to impose unfair rules against certain schools... it doesn't seem to make sense that they would target someone like Cheick. It seems like it is in their own best interest to let him play, and not draw all the negative attention that is coming their way.

Clearly, in the past, the NCAA used to make some unfair moves just to show their strength. Kind of like a mob might beat someone down just to show the rest of the people "don't mess with us!" Because of recent court cases, the NCAA has been reduced as far as having complete fascist rule.

I say that... but in the meantime, certain corporate players (like BigShoe) have grown in strength and is using their growing power to take control of many areas in sports, from sports media to the NCAA itself.

A big part of the problem is our media. All they want to do is make money. They make money by getting more viewers. We don't have actual news these days... just complete utter nonsense trying to grab attention away from other "news" sources.

We'll never make a dent in any of these social issues with our current media. They want to stir up people so their reporting story escalates along with the protesters.

I think this entire "black lives matter" movement is creating more hatred than it is resolving issues and helping spread the word that black lives DO matter. I wouldn't be surprised if some marketing wonk is behind this all.

There are definite situations that need to be investigated concerning how some black people were treated by law enforcement. There are also plenty of situations that need to be investigated concerning how some white people were treated by law enforcement. Not all of the black situations related to being racial issues. A lot of time it is just police being non-professional. But the media is on the hype wagon and the end result is added tension between police and some groups. I'm not saying it is media's job to make the world a happy place... but they are instigating a big chunk of this. They bait viewers into coming to the conclusion, "oh my... that is injustice!" When people see something they think is injustice the last thing they want to do is change the channel.

Media is also at the heart of all of this "PC" uber sensitivity. BTW: the "Black Lives Matter" group is racist against African Americans because they use the word "black" as part of their identity and label for certain people when it was decided a while back that using the word "black" as a descriptor to a group of people is racist! Dang racists!

Here you go people... no more using the words... "inner-city", "ghetto", "thug", "Oreo", "uppity", "you people", "shady", "sketchy".

7 Phrases Everyone Needs to Stop Using to Describe Black People ↗

In essence... if you put any descriptor in your comments about an African American that isn't super positive... you are a RACIST! We all know that there isn't a single African American that is sketchy, or shady. Someone is going to have to sue Oreo cookies and make them change their name! Even though they started their business and using that name back in 1912... they should have known!

The more I rave on... the more it makes me want to turn off mankind, period. The nonsense is making me nauseated. I'm afraid that I have to stop buying chocolate cookies because it will look like I support racist ideals.

Oh oh... I used the word "chocolate!" And I am sure I will be damned to hell for all the times I praised my big guy "Chocolate Thunder!" He must have been racist to himself because I remember when he called himself that name.

@Crimsonorblue22

I'm sure you are right.

!MTE5NDg0MDU0OTMwNjg3NTAz.jpg ↗

Confucius say: "In order to find happiness in life, first find a good and trustworthy accountant, dentist and attorney."

@BeddieKU23

"If they had not found any justifiable basis in keeping the young man off the floor, they should leave him alone. "

Actually... that is what they are doing... leaving him alone. What he needs is clearance. He needs to NOT be left alone. They need to focus in on his issue and resolve it asap.

I never feel better when an attorney is involved. (I apologize to any attorneys in here)

From my experience, they are first representing themselves. Second, comes the client. I've probably had at least a dozen experiences with attorneys in a situation that might have involved entering a courtroom, and in every example it seemed that most of their actions first benefited themselves more than me. Lots of unnecessary actions and then not taking care of what would get the job done. Stretching out the process to run up a monster tab! I can only speak from my own experiences... but they are plentiful... and painful!

Of course this attorney is going to say there is a great chance of getting Cheick on the court this year. That benefits himself and how he is posturing. Keep the hope there while bleeding out the client.

I'm not saying he won't play ball this year. But it is no fluke that politicians usually have a background as attorneys....

@Crimsonorblue22

Thanks for the links!

I think, in general, there is plenty of blame to go around.

I'm not white. I've never had a problem with police. But I am careful (as should all people) what body language I cast, the tone of my voice, and I always clearly showing respect for the law. I don't do those things just because I'm not white. I do those things because I was brought up to respect the law. I think about being in their shoes and how challenging their jobs are. And I'm thankful we have police that, for the most part, are not totally corrupt and worthless. People should head south into Mexico for a taste of something different. Bring cash and spread it out in small amounts in separate pockets for the bribes....

I want to make it clear that I don't stake all the blame on one group. Every situation is unique. From what I understand, the police officer was under attack from Michael Brown. Anyone challenging the police in a threatening way, deserves what he/she gets. People that have general attitude issues with the police, bring problems to themselves. I believe there are very few times when police instigate one of these situations by themselves. At this point, the police are afraid when approaching certain groups of people, especially as the crowds get larger. That isn't something strictly formed by "racial targeting." A big chunk of it is the vibe officers feel the second they show up on a scene.

I think it is good for all of us to think about being in the shoes of all sides. Start everything by having a positive attitude and looking for positive ways to live life, deal with issues, deal with others... etc. I'm sure it must be difficult for some people to find that correct attitude. It is a real shame when they have to pay the ultimate price because of their attitudes and decisions.... but there are no promises in life, even for those with a positive attitude. Just do what you can, "keep the light on" (stay positive), and do your thing and be happy and feel fortunate for all the good things you have, even if it seems little.

@ralster

"Why the hardline philosophical stance? Because we really arent getting a Self team on D if certain kids arent doing what our $52mil coach says, right? We rob our foundation & toughness, & it shows up in March when some mid-F’n-major drops us, because we "cant stop the other guy/make the other guy ugly", which is a Self101 philosophy."

This is Kansas basketball in a nutshell. Offense will always come and go... so if we need to outrun someone, fat chance we can put together 6 wins in March. There is a reason why people say "offense wins games, defense wins championships." I'm not implying we shouldn't focus on offense... but becoming a good defensive team is paramount, and the only thing that is going to keep us in the Top 10.

We still need more energy out of these guys. I have both our games on dvr and I got the WSU game to compare styles. Man... all there guys were out there swarming their opponents. They ran some full court press and got some TOs, and just through Hawaii into a quick offense that they were unable to be successful at. Then I watch our games and they look like slow motion.

Sorry to bring up WSU... but I'm going to use them as the spur under our saddle all year. I wish Self would play the "chip card" like Yost did for the Royals. They kept suffering through the "90-feet from a tie" thought until they clinched the World Series this year. They represent the perfect example of how a chip can fuel a team to success. Why don't we use the Shocker game as a chip tool? In a few months I'd like to be able to thank the Shocks for helping us develop a chip that helped us win another National Championship this March.

@ralster

I agree with you 100%...

I think the real issue we have today is...

"The thing I’d like to tell young people today, is that nothing is given free."

And young people are of all colors... and all need to have this perspective.

Life is complicated. Kids grow up using only their thumbs to play games. Instead... they should have to deal with a simpler life that includes being bored. When I was bored, it usually motivated me to do more real things. From there, ambition took over.

When I was a kid, I played with sticks and mud. I made dams to see if I could stop water. It was the start of developing my creativity... versus having life brought to me like these kids have with their cellphones and laptops.

I think the riot/protests were looking to happen in some places based on past issues that went unresolved. I think that is what happened at Ferguson and MU. So certain groups were looking for the opportunity to raise these issues and the Ferguson incident was used to do so. The opportunism blinded their vision... because they backed a bad situation where the dead person appears to be more of one who victimizes instead of one who was victimized. I think the credibility was lost for this one reason.

Stand back from all of this and look in. Gain a wider perspective. I'm pretty sure all of us in here believe black lives matter. But the way you build a movement... the details... are crucial and telling. Naming your organization "Black Lives Matter" infers these people only care about black lives. I can understand that they might want to show more specificity in their movement so maybe "All Lives Matter" is too general for them. Why didn't they call it "Black Lives Matter, Too!?" Why doesn't your organizational message combine the importance of ALL people?

I find it offensive to just say "Black Lives Matter!" They might as well have called it "Black Lives Matter Only!" And they don't understand why not everyone is jumping right on board their movement?!

The feeling I get from it is the engine running it is hatred. So address issues (one of them is hate) with more hatred? It feels like an escalation instead of a path for resolution.

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the play last night. I thought we looked about as bad as we could be last week, so we were bound to improve... and we did.

Wayne had more bounce in his step and he did some exciting things. Good to see him back on track.

Landen looked better, too... both of these guys have been banged up and it is a good sign to see them move better.

It was great to see Svi hit some shots. Even Self mentioned how Svi and BG are really only in a game to hit shots, so their performance is graded by their stat line on shots. I'm still a bit concerned with Svi's footwork. I was expecting him to be quicker on his feet, but he is carrying about 20 lbs more weight this year, and that is going to slow down just about anyone. Chances are, he'll drop 5 lbs or so as the season progresses and will speed up a bit more. The heavy lifting stops during the season, and we usually see players that look bigger in November end up slimmer in March.

BG should have redshirted this year, but too late now. The way I understand it is he lost that right after playing last week. He still could petition for a medical redshirt (I believe). At best, he's 90% this year (Self said that) and a 90% BG really isn't good enough to be a real impact player.

When asked what player(s) he thought might be the most-improved this year, Self said, "Frank and Perry."

I am extremely pleased with Carlton Bragg! He is the best interior post passer we've had in a long time, maybe the best! I'm so glad we landed him... he is just at the beginning of a great KU career. I doubt he'll be here 4 years, but I could see him being here 3.

What relevance is there in knowing his academic scores from 6th grade? Those classes are not part of any admission guidelines to any university on any planet.

Diallo had to take an SAT as part of proof that he is mentally at a level acceptable for college.

For this reason, I don't care if the NCAA thinks they are guarded with their fascist rules for member institutions, this is showing an extra bar that Diallo has to hurdle... 6th grade academic acceptance. I'd like to be the attorney trying this case...

Because of the extreme level in which Diallo is being investigated... quite different from their eligibility checks on typical athletes... he should file a federal discrimination case on the NCAA.

@Kip_McSmithers

And they almost accomplished it!

I followed that case a bit. Kanter and his family promised to return all of that money. The case extended so the NCAA was flexible to make it work if the right path was taken. This should have been a slam dunk case from the getgo and resolved in 10 minutes.

@wrwlumpy

That article seemed to make racial overtones connected to this case.

I wonder what the NCAA will do when we have a few thousand fans protesting in front of their building?

F E R G U S O N !!! ;) (everything else gets linked to Ferguson, why not the Diallo case?)

Time to make this real for them and protest in front of their building. Let them walk through a security threat on their way to work... It seems to be the new tactic for change these days, even if the change means something positive or not.

(partial sarcasm... but which part?)

@ralster

"The MOMENT those students said "Ferguson", and expected administrative officials to say something in favor, they LOST credibility."

True. If this movement is so important to the students, and they are protesting MU, then they should pull up past cases of prejudice precisely from MU. Those accounts are there.

"You know whose "lives matter"? To each human looking at himself in the mirror, his life should matter the most, to himself first & foremost. If that Ferguson kid valued his own life, he would have NEVER dove headfirst into a police car trying to fight with an armed officer. He cheapened and demeaned his own life, plain and simple."

Spot on. I have mixed ethnicity and I'm the last guy that will just jump into a movement thinking... "hey, we can get something out of this." That is the way I feel about most of these movements. In the end, they do more harm for their cause then good.

@JayHawkFanToo

"HC Self values loyalty highly and probably feels he owes Perry to get it him at least partially prepared for the next level and this is the reason why he will see time at the 3. "

This has possibilities of helping us recruit. Because... the basketball world perceives Kansas as a school to go to if you want to help Kansas... Kentucky is a school to go to if you want to help yourself. Yeah... off come the crimson-blue glasses. If you listen to Calipari talk it is all about his goal of seeing how many players he can put in the league. Part of that is getting the player to play at the position he has his best shot at in the league.

I think we have 19 guys in the league, second only to Kentucky at something like 21. Big difference here... most or all of those Kentucky players were highly ranked out of HS and should have made it to the pros even if they sat out a year. Whereas... pull out Wigs and JoJo, and maybe X... our guys weren't at that same level coming out of HS. Big difference.

However... "perception is king" and that is why Kentucky is always loaded.

I wonder if Skal was at Kansas and Cheick at Kentucky... which player would be qualified today and which player would be disqualified or not yet qualified?

@justanotherfan

I like your pick and hope he is the guy tonight. Unless Cheick's attorney is Perry friggin' Mason it is starting to look like the best we could hope for with Cheick is a mid-season qualifier. We need another post player to start asserting himself and standing out from the pack.

Once someone hires an attorney, I'm guessing it will extend the process because now the NCAA has to approach things from a defensive posture for a courtroom.

I heard it from the horse's mouth (Self)... Wayne hasn't played like Wayne since fall practice started. I think the belief is that Wayne is trying to rehab in two different areas... first... his ankle... second... his mind.

We might not see the same Wayne we saw in WUG play this season. Most likely he has to overcome the mental struggle he has over his ankle. Perhaps I'm one of the few in here that have gone down with severe injuries.... because I keep mentioning the mental rehab necessary and no one responds. Wayne is going to be "gun shy" on playing aggressive until he overcomes the mental side of his ankle injury. He's even reading books trying to help empower himself to play to his potential and not play defensive (trying not to get hurt again).

And Wayne is at a tough position to make that recovery. He is expected to drive the ball into a crowd and score (or create an assist). He just isn't up to it mentally (more than physically).

He was able to be the Wayne of our dreams in WUG because he had a long recovery period where he didn't practice all the time. So he was able to regain his health and hit the mental "reset" button. Now... he doesn't have that working for him this time. He has to learn to play through his injuries. This is going to be tough, but it is something Wayne has to learn to do if he wants to stand even a chance of one day signing a NBA contract. You are expected to play through the injuries and pain in the "No Boys Allowed" league.

What curious NCAA minds want to know -

"How long did it take before Cheick was potty trained?"

Their bar is at 24 months. Anything past that means he isn't qualified to receive aid to get a college education.

NCAA GOAL: The marketing people that now control the NCAA in it's entirety has determined Kansas winning another NC does not bring in enough media revenue.

Look at the rule changes... How many of those rules were written by marketing wonks? Half address branding issues.

Most of the rules seem to be about "making it a better game to watch" meaning... the goal is to increase viewership and bring in more revenue.

@HighEliteMajor

"The theme that I have tried to get across here, over the seasons, is that games can be won many different ways. Bill Self does it one way. He doesn’t have the only path, and we shouldn’t accept his path as correct and proper in all circumstances. Self doesn’t have a monopoly on good basketball and with one title since 2004, it certainly isn’t the Holy Grail."

Very true. And Roy won it his way a few times by trying to outscore his opponents. But ol' Roy does the same thing Self does, he just puts more emphasis on offense and pace. But he still brings up to his players that after they score a trey or an easy run out that they have to come back on the other end and defend. He would like to see his guys go out and put up 90 ppg... but he doesn't want the opponent scoring anywhere near that amount.

Every coach has their style and philosophy. I think we need to praise Coach Self for his focus on defense. It is his way of playing ball, and we knew that when we hired him. Not sure we can get him to change much off of what brought him the level of success he has.

I just think he needs to find new ways of teaching that both ends of the court represent a different possession and they win games by winning more of the individual possessions. Teach them about how to embrace their offense... but then go back and defend because if they give it up on the other end it just marginalized what they did on offense. Something like that. I'm pretty sure he has thrown the kitchen sink at these guys. When even using PT as the motivation and it doesn't work (BG) then what will work?

BTW: I heard Self speak and he was talking about injuries. He thought BG was 90% but it might take him a year or more to be 100%. As we all know... this is a game of inches... so suddenly I'm not expecting much out of BG this year. He didn't really know what was up with Wayne. He knows he is still recouping from his ankle blow out. He said he hasn't even been able to recognize Wayne's game for the past month.

Cheick.... no wait a minute.... Devonte.

@DoubleDD

"Just a few musings."

Man... if these are your MUSINGS....(!!!)

That was genius... to connect the dots between Diallo and UNC. It was the right connection to bring all of this into perspective. And as you say... perhaps the Diallo situation is being handled correctly. So the NCAA can take their sweet time and ACE the Diallo situation, while they should be putting equal energy into BEYATCH slapping UNC into permanently being barred from NCAA sports. What they did was that bad.

The new playoff is a joke. I believe the 4 teams selected are done so STRICTLY BASED ON REVENUE! They want to soak the most media dollars.

@DoubleDD

"Find a big that can play the High/low are far and between. The most gifted big men don’t even come close to playing the High/low like it should be played."

Amen to that!

@Texas-Hawk-10

" I actually applaud the way the students handled the situation"

I might have posted a confusing message... I also applaud the students handling of the situation. Yes, every school has prejudiced idiots, just like they exist everywhere in the world, and those idiots exist in every race, too.

The current situation is really being taken out of context. Missouri has a history of racial struggle and the administration being lax from those events. I used to go to Columbia often because my then-girlfriend was from there. They (her family) told me stories I would expect to only hear from the deep south.

@HighEliteMajor

Great post! Always enjoy reading your deep perspective on topics.

I have to say I have made a complete 180 on this and it has taken all of this time. Devonte got me over the hump with his conditional comment. It showed me the mindset of these kids and just what a heck of a job Self has trying to impact these kids to think differently.

I think it goes to the point where he doesn't want to win "pretty." Winning "pretty" will just slam us down to the ground later when things go "ugly." And when you count on the trey, eventually things get ugly.

All of this "fool's gold" business is about reconditioning the minds of his players. He is trying to break the LINKAGE between what happens on offense with how much effort they put into defense. I can almost see Self saying "fool's gold" over easy baskets in the paint (if we ever get those again) because the same potential dilemma is there...

The issue is there, whether it be a slam dunk in the paint or a made trey from outside... players want an excuse to slack off on defense! It just isn't glamorous enough to hold their attention for long. They have been conditioned their entire lives to focus on the trey ball or the dunks. We just don't get the kids that have been conditioned to put the same focus on defense. Travis Releford (oh yes... and Withey!) was the last guy we had that really emphasized defense. He was not the most incredible athlete we have ever had, but he was one of the best at locking down the opposition and took personal pride in doing so. I recall those days... Travis getting a big stop and clapping his hands with a big grin on his face as he ran down court on offense. From watching all the Jayhawk basketball after his days you would have thought he was running back on offense.

These kids just don't get it.

Defense takes a lot more energy than offense.... that is... GOOD defense! You have to be anticipating everything possible from your opponents. On offense, you just run through your playbook options and crash the boards. However... running GOOD offense can be every bit the strain if you are being defended well. It is hard to do both well, especially at the same time. So if we hit a few shots (especially treys), the guys want to shift their focus to the offense. Self wants the priority to be defense. He loves BAD BALL because the game becomes a grind, and he wants to see his troops grind it out!

Self knows... on any given night a team can get red hot (or ice cold). He doesn't want his victories to come from just being red hot. He knows the difference between good and GREAT is when you can win the games where you are ICE COLD! He knows March Madness always brings a cold game here and there and he likes his chances of advancing further by playing consistent good defense and having his guys with a mindset of putting defense first.

I believe this is where we all become confused because we only see a tiny part of inner workings of our team.

@JayHawkFanToo

"“The other day we were 27-of-44 in our scrimmage from three (for 61.4 percent),” Self said after Wednesday’s game. "

That happened because no one was guarding anyone. Self said he can't get his guys to slide on defense. They just don't play motivated on defense.

@rocketdog

Heard Self speak today and he was asked about Diallo. He did everything he could to stay positive and also not slam the NCAA. But he shared his frustration about the amount of time it has taken. This all goes back to April. Evidently, they contacted Kansas in the summer and asked them to provide more information which they did quickly.

Very rare when I start a thread by calling people d-bags... but it is appropriate.

Maybe some of their football team would like to convert to a school that appreciates cultural diversity?!

They can start by looking up the definition of "Jayhawk" to better understand where Kansas stands.

University of Missouri president, chancellor quit after football team walks out ↗

@Statmachine

Me, too.

Hope our team is playing instead of watching and eating!

@nuleafjhawk

Winning can be contagious.... but we'll settle for 2 out of 3!

@Texas-Hawk-10

It has taken me a while to grasp the "fool's gold" concept... but I think I've got it now.

If we look back just a few days ago at Devonte Graham's comments, we will see WHY Self has gone to this extreme about 3-pt shots.

"In Big 12 play, if we’re not making shots, we’ve got to guard," Graham said.

Maybe that was a slip of the tongue... but usually there is something more to a slip of the tongue then just the slip. This should not have been a conditional statement. We should guard REGARDLESS if we make the shots or not. That's the difference from being a Final Four team or a team eating popcorn watching the Final Four.

@nuleafjhawk

Or how about just dropping the word "by"... How about "Made Calipari"... meaning... the player made Cal a big shot not the other way around.

@Crimsonorblue22

Amazing how many tools Wigs added to his tool box just since last season. He is on his way... big time! Great to see such a stud coming up in the league that doesn't have a "Made by Calipari" label.

@Lulufulu

"I see a Marcus Smart rule has been enacted. Bout friggin time."

It is about friggin' time! And especially now because the rule tightening will make guys want to flop.

I'm expecting a lot of stiff, awkward basketball this year. Players are going to be thinking too much instead of just playing. Maybe it will be to our advantage in March, since that is what we do then anyways.

Seeing that many marketing (branding) rules added makes me think a team of marketing wonks created ALL of these new rules.

We have all heard that there will be amended rules for this coming season that will change the game. Most of us are only aware of the 35-second clock being reduced to 30-seconds... and also that there will be an effort to reduce contact, especially on the defense, to promote a more liquid game.

But is that it? Uh... noooooooo! I just returned from a Sunday afternoon scavenger hunt: the goal was to round up ALL the rule amendments and additions. Fortunately, I didn't have to put too much effort in to this, thanks to the NCAA's very own website.

Notice how many rule amendments deal with subject matter that has commercial ramifications.

So here they are... read through them carefully, and perhaps look at the NCAA and their rules in a similar light as our US Congress and when they pass laws. Attention is only given to a few elements, while the quiet parts make a huge impact, too.

!rules1.png ↗
!rules2.png ↗
!rules3.png ↗
!rules4.png ↗
!rules5.png ↗
!rules6.png ↗

@HighEliteMajor

Magnificent post! Thanks for putting in the effort (and it took plenty of that)!

1. I feel the same as others feel... that Self gave BG a verbal warning about not "getting it." Brannen has two years to get his act together if he wants a chance at the league or even a chance at serious PT at Kansas. His lack of defense isn't the only deficiency in his game. He has to learn how to score on the move. How to handle the ball better and penetrate. How to score with a guy glued to his grill. How to free himself up away from the ball and also on one side of a ball screen. I do really think a big part of the "fool's gold" commentary is directed at Brannen. I think Self is very disappointed in BG and what little progress he has made while at Kansas. Brannen was improperly coached before arriving at Kansas. Maybe it was his dad. But during his pre-Kansas development all the focus was on his spot up shot and NOTHING else. I think the idea was his shot will earn him a spot in the NBA. There are at least a thousand guys out there who can shoot as good as BG, many can shoot while in motion and when guarded. Many play better defense. BG should be working his tail off right now trying to improve on his weaknesses. He could get there, if he focuses enough on it and works his butt off. Otherwise...

2. Imagine a NBA coach making these comments? You can't, because it won't happen. The "fool's gold" statements are coming from Self (the teacher) instead of Self (the opportunist). But Self's focus is like most of the other D1 coaches.... "teaching first!" I keep repeating this... but there is a difference in philosophy between NBA coaches and D1 coaches.

3. Vick shouldn't redshirt. We don't know how the fouling is going to go this year, or injuries. But this is a year where if the pieces fall right we should be in the hunt in March. In those years, you never want to reduce any current potential for a future possible gain.

4. Wayne, Wayne, Wayne! Our season rests in his lap, not on the Cheick eligibility... He is going to get his minutes regardless how he performs. Here is a good read on Kansas basketball... especially on Wayne: Kansas hopes to use summer as springboard ↗ . Wayne is reading, "The Mindful Athlete." Good for him to reach out and try to collect his focus in the right direction!

5. I believe this is smoke screen. Perry might get a few minutes at the 3 in the next week or so... but I feel like that is just part of the Riverboat Gambler pulling a bluff on future opponents. Let's see this happen in January or February!

6. Too bad the mentality switching in the movie "Young Frankenstein" isn't possible. If we could take Landen's mind and combine it with Jamari's body... we might have a complete player!

7. Right on! You just exposed another area of stiff structure that is restricting this team. We want to save the practice time of drilling every player on the team on how to inbounds the basketball, so we leave the responsibilities within a few hands.

8. Back to the basket takes time, and even more time when your bigs don't know how to score from it. When our year shifted away from 3s and back to the hi/lo, back to the basket ball, last year, I bet we had been focusing in on it for weeks before he flipped the switch. There is no way it happened over night. Makes me wonder if he had spent those practice sessions working on plays to free up our trey shooters... what would have happened at the end of the season?

9. I hear what you are saying and feel equally frustrated. Self has always been considered a "players' coach" and part of that is that he makes sure and rewards PT to seniors, even if they don't play the best. It's "old school"... in fact... young players used to be on the JV team first.

10. It is too soon to judge the officiating. The PSU game didn't offer up much defense on either side. There was still 47 fouls called.... not exactly a touch-free game. Wait until we play ISU, UT, OU and WVU. I can see the possibility of 60+ fouls called in any of those games. If Cheick gets legal... he is going to have a heck of a time staying out of foul trouble. Same with Landen. Landen has probably been coached up more than any other player on our team. The second he guards in the post, you will see him want to put his hand on the back of the guy with the ball. This is all part of his early coaching, when that was the right thing to do. Now... they don't even want post players to touch! So no coming up from behind and planting your feet and making contact with the offensive player's back side with some force to either push him out or keep him from going backwards. This is going to create some downright awkward post play this year. I think post guys are all going to have foul trouble because the NCAA wants to make the game so friggin' unnatural...

@Statmachine

You can always try to imitate Self and release poker hand clues meant to puzzle everyone. Seems to work pretty good for the Riverboat Gambler! ;)

@Kip_McSmithers

"Glad I always kept my homework for up to five years after completing the class… Some of the requests are a bit out there"

Yeah.. I was told to keep my old homework for 10 years with all my IRS filings....

@jaybate-1.0

If he has one game where he chips in double-digit points the media will be screaming that he will be a lottery pick this summer. Hopefully, he is a bright enough kid to see through the bs.

It seems like Self's only way to get some realism into these kids is to throttle their minutes. They all think they are the next Michael Jordan. I would probably think the same way if I was a teenager today and the press was stroking me like a prized kitty cat.

I can barely watch D1 ball these days. It takes all my 50+ years of dedication to KU to hang in there and watch the media circus of complete nonsense that surrounds us and infiltrates our teams.

Guess I miss the good ol' days! I'm just old flatulence!

Back to the topic... Vick was one heck of a great snag for us! If he can stay healthy, he should develop into prime time superman!

@DanR

He certainly won't be immortalized in the KU record book. Let's see.... he scored 333 points in his KU career... that ought to put him about 532nd on the KU individual scoring leaders board...

Whereas Perry....

@Texas-Hawk-10

I'm sure you are probably right on that... but also the rigidity of his system doesn't encourage players to create, especially for themselves. It is a far cry from Calipari and his claims to just be a servant of his players and the only thing he cares about is seeing how many players he can put in the league. It is all a bunch of bull, because if Cal just sent players to the league but had a losing record, UK would toss him out like old bread.

But good recruiting is a lot about perceptions. I think even the rigidity of our system feeds into the perceptions. "Go to Kansas and have ZERO freedom on the court..." All of this is a perception game played on recruits. "Stuck playing the hi/lo."

@nuleafjhawk

"I’ll bet you a thousand dollars that at every away game we play this year, someone in the crowd will have a sign that says: YOU’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANY MORE.

Even at the K-State game, because they probably don’t really know where they’re at."

Have you ever really thought about the "you're not in Kansas anymore" phenomenon?

Makes you wonder about the people who say it... how dumb can they be that they think we would get their place mixed up with Kansas?!

30 years ago a friend of mine was taking a cab in NYC and he mentioned being from Kansas. The driver asked, "you still have Indians there?" Of course, there are Native Americans in all 50 states.... but my friend replied "yes" and went on to fudge up a whopper. He fabricated all kinds of fairy tales, like we still all rode horses, we have no telephones or television... etc etc etc.

Maybe we have too much time on our hands, so we have time to read about the rest of the world, and sometimes go travel in it.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I think you are spot on concerning the rigidity hurting recruiting.

@jayballer54

If he did move up his decision, good chance it ties into Giles committing first, and a few others to drop like dominoes behind Giles.

I have believed all along it was between us and FSU. It really doesn't make sense for his career to go to FSU, but the convenience of staying in the same state may be a factor. Udoka would be a complete MONSTER in the hi/lo! Actually, he could turn out to be our best hi/lo player of all times by the time he leaves Kansas.

@wrwlumpy

No one will ever question the strength advantage Bonds received in his butt. He always had a strong butt.

Anderson's hair gel just doesn't cut it.

@Crimsonorblue22

Haze....

Fort Haze State University...

Where party animals go to die....

;)

@Statmachine

You want to be careful what you post here, also not wanting to look like you are recruiting players. That is a big no-no with the NCAA.

My optimism isn't about landing Bolden... It is optimism that we land at least one of the elite post players left (of which Bolden is one of those).

My favorite catch would be Udoka. His potential is every bit that of what JoJo had. Maybe a bit less footwork capabilities but more than made up for with his power. A guy like this only comes around every few decades. He reminds me of Shaq.

Bolden is a great catch, too. He is no where near the explosiveness of a player like Giles... but he would be our next version of a Perry Ellis. He looks to be another "designer." That means frustrating moments like we have had with Perry... but when Perry leaves KU we will soon realize how much we miss his production.

I think Greene is really sitting on the hot seat this year.

He's a junior now... and Self already dropped the bomb on him by making a general statement about some players not "getting it."

He hasn't screwed up enough yet to be in the dog house. But he is on the hot seat. And his future minutes are at stake (as well they should be).

Time to play defense, BG!

@BeddieKU23

Self isn't the old Self. He promised Oubre minutes (well... let's call it a "politician's promise").

It will simply be insane if we can't nail one of those top guys. We have the absolute perfect situation for all of them. I know I am biased. But seriously... I can put up the list of advantages we have... but we've all done it a million times now so I will save the redundancy.

@Crimsonorblue22

I caught probably 3/4s of their games this past year.... that is a lot of games!

There were so many games that I even converted my wife to being a Royals fan! Hey... she didn't say the "P-word" once during all those games!