🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@Statmachine

" I don’t think he told Alexander the same thing BUT now that Alexander was on the front page of every news outlet as being lotto to bust the outside pressure for HCBS to go all in on these kids and their family has increased 10 fold. Change is coming sooner than you think."

Up to now, I haven't been one of those thinking Cliff's situation harmed Kansas to any great amount. I am starting to wonder. Partially because we still have a goose egg on recruiting this next year when we have a hole in our post you could drive a 747 through.

In some ways, I hope you are right. Have I turned against my alma mater? No... but I have realized that we get the most out of Self when he gets pushed to the wall. Question is... do we have to suffer through a devastating recruiting year for him to hit that wall again?

@HighEliteMajor

1. Agree.

2. Agree... Heck... I know my share of homeless people. Where do they sign up to play for KU? Free ride?

3. Agree.

4. Agree.

5. Self will, first, set the team goals towards winning the league. That won't change. But I do think he is keeping the big prize more in his mind (and hopefully in his coaching) during the regular season this time. He already has his troops thinking that way. Thinking of the big prize but first taking care of business.... that is the mindset. We won't know if we will see anything different during the season (at least, from our distant perspective) or not. I like how he mentioned our "last loss" during Late Night. Makes me wonder if he will finally coach in some "chip" I always talk about.

6. I don't think Self thinks about outside pressure. I think he just tries to win games and plots on how to do so. Many of us sometimes clash with his strategy.... but his overall winning % is excellent. But we do wish we could perform better in March, and also be more consistent in doing so. Guys will have to earn their minutes, and Self won't be shy about telling them what he expects.

OTHER THINGS.... Svi has definitely put on weight (muscle). It would be a tragedy for him to play the 3.... he should play the 2. That will be prepare him for the NBA. Clearly, he is a guy that is being watched closely by NBA scouts. He looks like a perfect fit for SA. Try to imagine his NBA game after a few years with Coach Pop? What a combination!

I'm going out on a limb with this.... but I don't like the idea of Mason/Graham so much this year. Yes, it will reap rewards. And I am in favor of using it sometimes, just not all the time. Graham needs to start getting groomed for the PG position. Not only for his one year after Mason is gone, but for his future in basketball. Also... Mason will need a rest. If Self gets too aggressive with the Mason/Graham combo, it will take away some of Mason's rest minutes. Also... playing both means risking both (more to injury). We simply will not advance in March if either one of these guys is out because of injury. I feel that strong about it. It killed us last year to lose Graham for a chunk of time and play a worn out Mason in March. There is no reason why Svi can't quickly learn to help keep the pace up at the 2. He may not have the handles Graham has.... but he sees the court probably better than anyone and can definitely create offense through the pass and through his basketball IQ. He should start becoming the next Manu Ginobili THIS YEAR!

The real problem we have with all our guys is the media hype. I know my thoughts run counter from mainstream. But the hype that surrounds our guys after a single performance in double-digits stating the kid will go to the league next year is by far THE MOST damaging current situation Kansas basketball is facing. That stuff works for schools like Duke and UK... who fill their bench with the very top elites. It did work with us with Wigs. Yes... he did the right thing by leaving. But most of our guys do not perform at this caliber and suffer big time hits when entering the league.

I wonder what would have happened if guys like TRob, X, Oubre, etc... would have stuck around until they were ready? What would our recruiting look like today?

@brooksmd

I'd love to take you up on that!

I'll bring my fermented pepper mole with me and we'll pound shrimp!

I love Cajun food as much as anyone... but the last time I looked on a map, Louisiana STILL resides in the "grits and gravy" belt. Sometimes made me feel like the real spicy food was something mainly sold to tourists. I could be wrong, definitely won't be the first time (or the last)!

@bskeet

It's all "play money" to BigShoe. Nike created the formula for UA and Adidas to follow.

Glad to see more "competition."

Go, Badgers!

@wissoxfan83

I think your story is a big reason why Late Night is such a good recruiting tool for Kansas. It's held in the best venue in D1. Recruits paying a visit get an idea of how important Kansas basketball is to not only Kansas residents, but far beyond.

@wrwlumpy

Looks like you need to photoshop 2 more "Back To" signs to catch up to where we will be after another successful conference season!

I hope we can add in some NCAA Tournament images later, too!

Rock Chalk!

"Reasons why Cheick decision is taking so long"

I hope the final result (Cheick becoming eligible) will give him the realization that playing basketball at Kansas is pure privilege and an honor and worth losing a tooth or gaining a black eye defending the honor of so many great Kansas fans, some living today for over a century!

I'd like to see this team realize their identity.... take a trip out to see Naismith's grave and realize how important they are as a branch of the deeply-rooted Jayhawk tradition!

RIP, Bill Bridges! I hope you have been reunited on the basketball court again with all your Jayhawk brothers and sisters!

@jaybate-1.0

"Bill Bridges died for a reason."

I hope his passing sends a signal to our current players of how important Kansas basketball was in the past, is today, and will be in the future, including THEIR future!

Ladies And Gentlemen....

The time has come. Once again, we are at the start of another great year of Kansas basketball!

I'm proud to be a Jayhawk and proud to be associated with such a great group of knowledgeable KUBuckets Jayhawk fans!

!inset1.jpg ↗

[link text](

@Crimsonorblue22

That's right. And now you see how bad of a bookkeeper I would be...

@jaybate-1.0

Yes.... that bird! I wore him overseas and a big chunk of people recognized the bird, but didn't know what was behind it. One thing for sure... it is impossible to forget the image of the bird once you've seen him.

@jaybate-1.0

KU has something few D1 schools have...

Basketball history? Yes...

The inventor of the game? Yes.

But what sticks out from a profit point of view is our brand. The Jayhawk is solid gold. Can't be mistaken for any other mascot. Compare the Jayhawk to the KSU Wildcat... an off-the-shelf logo.

Cha-ching!

@Crimsonorblue22

Yikes... typo.... I changed it now. 2 years old!

@JayHawkFanToo

Sounds like you have your hands full. Baseball has to grow on you.

@JayHawkFanToo

Gosh... then you are also welcome at my house! We've got two... 7 months and 2 yrs old.

@nuleafjhawk

Gosh... I had no idea your feet were that small!!!

@JayHawkFanToo

I agree. Totally. Everyone needs to be held accountable these days and we need to stop the blame game.

But I think this is important enough to take extra measures. Many players are foreign and I doubt they understand how touchy the rules are.

Also... HS kids have been groomed into being totally unaccountable. Our society somehow thinks it is horrific sweat shop behavior if a kid has a job before turning 18. If a kid waits until 18 to finally do some work, chances are he/she will never really have the right work ethic.

@HighEliteMajor

Gheez.... I "liked" your post, even though your wife suffered through a big time frustration.

I see DirecTV and AT&T are bundling their stuff together -

Big things are here from DIRECTV and AT&T. ↗

I suffer the outrageous expense from Cox in order to make sure I get as much KU as possible.

@BeddieKU23

"Preseason Newcomer of the Year Deonte Burton, Iowa State,

Preseason Freshman of the Year Cheick Diallo, Kansas,"

So freshmen aren't newcomers?

Shouldn't they change "Preseason Newcomer of the Year" to "Preseason Transfer of the Year?"

@JayHawkFanToo

That does suck.

I watched the NY Yankees get smoked by the Houston Astros last night and they mentioned the game being blacked out in NYC even though the game was a sell-out.

@Statmachine

Can't wait to see Bragg in action!

@BeddieKU23

I feel your frustration.

The NCAA has to be the police for this membership structure. Without these cases where recruits are denied, it would just continue to push it further and further, away from the overall needed standard they are reaching for. I do understand that part.

What I don't understand is their laziness in publishing info for young players to steer them away from handlers. Give them info about how to identify people who are trying to exploit them. Explain more about what is allowed and what is not allowed. They could spread the word through the AAU circuit and HS ball, especially the schools where many elites go.

It doesn't seem like they do enough to protect the athletes.

@Crimsonorblue22

Gheez... never thought of that! Perhaps I should have!

@jaybate-1.0

I had a pair of WWII English soldier boots that I wore religiously for 20+ years. I think I put new soles on them 4 or 5 times. They were made of bull hide. Black high tops that must have weighed 5 lbs each. Even with the weight, I could "march" in those all day long and never have a pain below the knees.

I had picked them up down in Camden Locks, London, at the market for $20. Wish I had bought 4 or 5 pair to keep me marching my entire life. They were the best! And had steel toes to prevent smashing your toes from something falling on them or from kicking someone in a hard spot.

They finally gave out about a decade ago during a big snow storm in Berlin as I marched through the city on New Year's Eve... absorbing all the fluids from a pub crawl.

Ha... the internet is great... even found a photo of them...

!English boots1.JPG ↗

@RockChalkinTexas

Yeah... it was the lack of contoured, padded soles that created pains for me. A modernized version would be awesome!

@Texas-Hawk-10

I'm not a Kentucky fan, and even less of a Calipari fan. But I also hate to see a young, gifted player get "worked" by someone who is clearly out for themselves. If he had put Skal's interest first, he would have helped him go to a legitimate school from the getgo.

What is amazing is these "handlers" really do mess up recruits' futures. If they knew anything at all about basketball (or life) they would turn them in the right direction and then perhaps hope the kids grow up and realize how they helped them and perhaps throw a few bucks back their ways later. Of course... people out to do good usually aren't thinking about getting paid for it later.

Hamilton is about to be smashed like a bug on a windscreen. The question is HOW LONG and HOW MANY MILLIONs have to be lost before Skal realizes Hamilton is not helping him but hurting him.

@VailHawk

I'm not sure WHY I love something that brought me so much pain.... but... heck yes, I'm down for a pair of All Stars!

@jaybate-1.0

We can lead a big to water, a cup of it, at Late Night, and we can spike it with crimson/blue punch and quickly slide a LOI under his hand before he blacks out.

I wonder if any recruits have been given a roofy during a campus visit? Perhaps at Louisville? I know, I know.... Pitino knows nothing about it....

@ralster

If this is the case, he must surely have conveniently looked the other way for some of the Shockers play. I'm not slamming the Shocks... they play tough, gritty basketball... but they've never been called for a flagrant? And the players that were given a flagrant, did Marsha kick them off the team?! Wow... he should have.. in order to keep the respect of this guy. Gheez.... what a joke! Oh wait.... does he disrespect Marsha, too? But respects Cal?!

I think I wouldn't talk basketball with this guy, I'd talk life. Tell him to "grow a pair" and give you a call when he does. Perhaps you can then go out for a beer some night and talk real basketball. But not until he realizes that life comes with a few cheap shots to the nuts, and you don't want to go to a bar with a guy who thinks the bartender will call "foul" while he lays there in a pathetic victim role while you get teamed up on because he can't hold his own.

Sounds like a mama's boy. I bet she called "foul" and saved him from growing up.

@BeddieKU23

Taken from your link:

"Labissiere arrived in the United States in 2010 from Haiti after the devastating earthquake that hit the country. Hamilton has moved Labissiere from Evangelical Christian School to Lausanne Collegiate -- both around Memphis, Tennessee -- where he was ruled ineligible to play. Labissiere wound up playing for Memphis-based Reach Your Dream Prep, which Hamilton formed to give the talented big man somewhere to play for his senior campaign."

Seriously? His agent FORMED a school, basketball team, and scheduled opponents for Lab's senior year? Is that legal? Sounds like total rubbish. Who was his educational teacher(s)? The same guy that took the SAT for Rose? Did Cal set this up for Lab during his junior year of HS? Why wouldn't he attend a real school?

And Cheick's past looks fishy? Lab wasn't given HS eligibility clearance in Memphis.

Wow... check out this link. It is a year old but still says plenty. Surely Lab will never see a D1 basketball court. A court room... perhaps.

Hoops recruit announces he'll play at prep school that doesn't exist ↗

I will bet hard cash that Cal helped Hamilton set this up. I can smell his stench on this, even after a year...

I think there are so many factors involved.... I'm not trying to divert blame away from "guilty parties" but IMHO I think many things worked against Cliff.

Self's fault: I think, as usual, @HighEliteMajor has nailed the issue of rigidness in coaching through a "system." Kansas has shown that it can't really adapt the structure to the player... it works the other way around... player adapts to structure. And, in general, success is a result of players coming together in a style of play. That doesn't mean coaches shouldn't take advantage of the skill set each player brings to the game.... on the contrary... this is a REQUIREMENT to success. And from a recruiting perspective, we are sitting on the wrong side of the fence. Recruits prefer what Cal tells them.... "I'm here for YOU!" That isn't the message from Self or Kansas... The message is, "We want you to become a part of us!" Big difference... especially in the success rate of recruiting. I understand that we don't want to recruit elites that are narcissists... but come on... let's watch all the recruits we missed on this year and in March, how many of them are focused strictly on themselves?

Cliff's fault: Cliff should have been able to improve and hold on to his elite status by going to any D1 school. He made some mistakes, his family made some mistakes... We wouldn't be having this conversation if he didn't blow his eligibility because he would have returned, unless he was prepared to make yet another huge mistake in his future. Cliff's mistakes on defense were often simply not acceptable. Self's focus is defense. Having 4 guys play their guts out for 33 seconds and then Cliff give up a back door is simply not acceptable. If left to continue he would bring the team down to his level of play instead of the other way around. It truly does only take one "bad apple" to spoil the bunch. And while he clearly had more to offer than Jamari and Landen, his errors were more colossal. At least, that is what I keep telling myself. In reality, I don't know that to be true, but I try to rationalize why he wasn't given more minutes. We don't attend practices and typically PT is earned by what a player shows in practice.

NBA's fault: Let's face it... NBA scouts and management follow the flow of popular momentum. They are human and that is what humans do. Cliff's disastrous conclusion to his D1 experience put him in "nowhere land" and he became virtually invisible, except when mentioned as being the poster child of failure in D1 by several sports "authorities."

Mysterious fault: I'm pretty sure there are factors none of us know. Self hasn't come this far in his career by making huge coaching blunders. And I don't think Cliff intended to wipe out in college.

All of our analysis will be answered in the next few years. If Cliff really had potential he would step up and fight through the NBA system and end up on top. He can't blame Kansas and Self now. It's all him. I hope he makes it because he will always be a Jayhawk and it is hard to not have a soft spot for Cliff.

@jaybate-1.0

In HS, Cliff's size and abilities were able to let him dominate. The game became more competitive in D1 and Cliff didn't make the jump in his game to meet the situation. A big part was he just didn't adapt quickly. Had he kept his eligibility, we would have experienced a much-improved Cliff over time. I'm convinced of that.

The problem that we can't overcome is perception. In sales... "Perception is king!" Always has been and will be. The perception (and also on paper) shows that Cliff went from being a top prospect to not even getting drafted... all in the span of a year. We can argue all we want... we aren't high school recruits looking for a school. I have to admit that if I was a young recruit, I could be persuaded to bite some of the bait offered by recruiters dissing Kansas.

Now, at this point in the game, it becomes much harder for Kansas to recruit. Why? Perception. The fact that we have ZERO momentum... to the point that we are going backwards instead of forwards.... the job gets harder. Recruiters can now say about Kansas.. "See, elite big, other elites are also not signing with Kansas! They have issues and others see it, too!"

What Cal figured out a long time ago was momentum and perception. A big part of what made him so good at recruiting is that he always sold momentum. Cal would say, "hey Joey... Nathan, Tyrone and Tim are all coming to Kentucky! Jump on board! We'll dominate and win a championship! We'll have the #1 recruiting class and you will be a big part of that!"

All the great assets Kansas has to offer quickly goes to the wayside. We have LESS THAN ZERO momentum. If our coaches were car salesmen and I was their manager... they would be looking for work elsewhere.

But as coaches... they are solid! Just not great salesmen. Wiggins was a fluke. So was JoJo. We barely recruited Wigs. In fact, he's that odd recruit that didn't like all the sales talk.

Thing is... why do we want to be like Kentucky? Why do we want guys in plaid suits out recruiting players? Since Kansas really is the "gold standard"... why don't we act like it? Why don't we be the first to push into a new horizon? Offer something different from all the used car salesman approaches out there. Offer REAL development. And then we get our pick of the right kind of elite players. The ones who aren't buried in a cloud about their own talent level. We land the hungry recruits who have humility and the reality that their game has a long ways to go. Those are the players I want at Kansas. Not the top elites that think their poo doesn't stink.

@jaybate-1.0

I wonder... Self still doesn't really promise MPG. Maybe Cliff's fall in the spring is not part of the problem but his lack of early season minutes is?

I can imagine other recruiters telling recruits that they don't want to take a chance of being benched early on if they go to Kansas.

Even stud Oubre was denied early minutes.

@jaybate-1.0

Didn't he invent the internet? WWW?

When sleaze is this quiet you can bet he's doing a lot of bad things out there.

@jaybate-1.0

I'm pretty sure the show "Naked and Afraid" started like this..... as someone's joke that was taken seriously by a production company.

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid/videos/naked-hug-in-panama/ ↗

Yeah... I'm sure recruits would get hot for Kansas if they received a big naked hug from Self or one of his assistants. Maybe Snacks will come in handy... as a threat.

Or we can always recruits coeds for the naked hugs... basically pulling a Louisville. Self can then be just like Pitino... left totally in the dark on what recruits do when they visit our school. ;)

@BeddieKU23

I'm starting to think that advisers have told Kansas to go slow. Perhaps they get a better result that way. Sort of like the IRS. In theory, they challenge less late filings than those on time. Maybe it works that way. Maybe the NCAA has a heart and knows Diallo's future is at stake so they are trying to hurry up (or their legal department is worried about a lawsuit). Maybe... all the planets will align and our planet will become one super happy place. Wish I had a dime for every "maybe."

Who will be the...

[link text](

Time for Frank... the Atomic Dog!

There is only one player we need.... Moses Jones.

He's only 5'5" in height, but guards the rim better than Wilt. He's only got one leg, but he slashes through defense like melted butter. He's never missed a half court shot before.

He is the only player we need.... MOses JOnes!

That is everything I really learned from being coached. You've got to have this guy in order to win.

@jaybate-1.0

Is we talkin' Barry the Pimp or World Wide Wes?

Don't hear that name much anymore.

Prostitution is not only the oldest profession... but also the widest spread profession in the world!

@jaybate-1.0

Screaming to the point of projectile vomiting! I'm starting to do a "Mr. Creosote" impression....

"I couldn't eat another thing. I'm absolutely stuffed. Bugg'r off!"

"Just one."

"Just one..."

"Waa laa... bon appetit!"

[link text](

Could this be the tactic that we DON'T do but UK and Duke DO?

Our pants are held up by the Bible belt...

@ParisHawk

Ha... I just googled to see if the film exists. Doesn't appear to. And the domain name is available.

Someone ought to jump on that deal!

Cha-ching!

UPDATE TO THIS POST: I also did a google image search. If you search "flexible coeds" your results are like 99% porn. If you search "flexible girls" your results are like 99% PG-rated. Even "flexible hookers" gives you fewer porn results than coeds. It seems like the coeds have, by far, the worst reputation (at least, in the porn industry).

@BeddieKU23

I think you have it right. Surely, KU would already have his first semester of HS in Mali. Wouldn't he need that for basic admissions anyways? All of your HS records are needed to prove curriculum and also GPA. At least... that is the way it worked back in my days when we rode horses to school!

I'm flabbergasted! The gall of some recruiters to "grease the wheel" (literally) is beyond me! How could they?!

Just one question: If the recruit gets a coed pregnant.... is that considered an "anchor baby" for locking down a commitment from that baby in 18 years?

Why would prostitutes have to be used when coeds are available and tend to be more flexible? Not that I know anything about this subject...

@BeddieKU23

My answer is to bring someone like Miles on. Go all out on player development.... and truthfully... these kids need it.

AAU teaches nothing but bad habits. HS, for the most part, doesn't even teach development to players.

All we have to do is separate us from the rest of the schools who all do the same thing... hire salesmen coaches and assistants that are good at "closing the deal."

Don't you really think there are enough elite players out there with smart parents that would go for the school that could best develop?

Granted, part of it is conference and media attention. East coast has an advantage, but Kentucky.... are they really east coast? They play in the hillbilly/redneck conference.

I still think we could dominate in recruiting with the right development. And we will be happy to stay with the players just beyond the elites.

Obviously, there are practice rules with coaches in attendance, but the players practice all year and are directed by coaches, just not in attendance. That is why we should always be very careful on who we take as walk-ons. These guys should understand basketball and perhaps desire a future in coaching.

Within a few years we should have a big reputation for development and it will stick, even with NBA scouts and management.

We can all complain about the Slick Cal's in the world, who recruit using Drake and whatever.... but we can't be effective just being another version of Cal. It is time to start doing the right thing for the kids. And the right thing is to give them a choice on where they want to school... development school or "shiny box" schools.

Seriously? Transcripts from Mali?

They look at transcripts that far back? His transcripts from when he was 13-14 years old? Maybe further back?

When was he potty trained? When was he able to crawl? All vital information to know to qualify him for university.

Ooops... he spit up some rice... that's gonna cost him!

@BeddieKU23

I believe we will land one elite post player to play with Bragg. What bothers me is right behind them... in the reserve role. I would have liked to think we could get at least two elite post players and maybe a solid 3-star or 4-star reserve. Unfortunately, our name isn't Duke or Kentucky.

But Self is the master late recruiter and always pulls a rabbit out of his hat (or an ace from under his sleeve).

I believe the issue of recruiting should be a good topic question for @Jesse-Newell to ask him. Why is it so difficult for Kansas to recruit?

It seems that we have a banner year every once in a while and the rest of the time we have to scrap very late in the game to salvage our recruiting year.

Look at everything we have to entice elite big men:

1. Will team up with experienced and quality perimeter players who know how to run the team and feed the post.

2. We run a hi/lo to showcase our post players.

3. We've put a boatload of players in the NBA.

4. We have one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in D1.

5. Bill Self will be a HOF coach eventually, and in the meantime he is capable of bumping the hype on players.

6. And seriously, the next two seasons we should have good runs in March with the leadership we will have.

Come on, guys... there is a logical reason why it has taken 4 months. Chances are... the smuggler vessel that was carrying his Mali transcripts capsized in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, all the search cameras are still being contracted out by Malaysia Airlines.

@Crimsonorblue22

Brilliant! Echoing Howl from me!

@HighEliteMajor

"Greene is probably the one player that I am most concerned about. My humble opinion is that his skill set has been grossly mismanaged and underutilized."

Yet another reason why I'd like you to coach my kid. You call it straight!"

@DoubleDD

I am so sorry.... I will try to practice more discipline in the future.... and I totally agree with you!