Talking about media black out...
I wonder if we can point fingers at our local press for a lack of national attention?
Publications like the Journal World and KC Star... Surely these publications have an AP wire tap and can post news on the wire. This is where 99.9% of the media goes to get their news. If it wasn't posted, they don't publish it on their sites and papers.
I checked directly with the AP wire right after our gold medal victory and didn't find our story on the wire.
I've been playing since about 1988 or so.
Maybe some time we can meet and play online? There are free playing websites where players can play. I used to play about 3 or 4 times a week, but am rusty now and haven't played much in the past 2 years.
Love the game!
I've had a great year for cucumbers and eggplant. Eggplant love the heat... I just had to keep them alive through all the rain because they drown easily.
Got to check out that card game. Reading about it now on a website.
It is great if players like Hunter raise the competitive stakes for post minutes. It will only help the team and will push players like Cheick to compete harder.
I'm pretty sure Cheick will get lots of PT before conference play because he is expected to be a big time contributor by conference play. There just won't be a way to keep him out of the lineup.
This is a guy who is going to raise the level of play of our entire team because of his rare level of scrap and energy!
I don't know about how that works... but I believe he is already enrolled in fall classes and he has been accepted and started his grant in aid.
Thanks for reminding me to replant beans. Time for round 2 with the beans.
I've had lots of tomatoes but less than expected. Spider mites got to them. Hopefully, they will still recover and produce later on, when the temps drop.... if I can keep them alive!
Backgammon? That's my favorite game that doesn't have a ball involved!
"You can’t force a rivalry. Just because they are in state doesn’t mean it would be a rivalry. "
That is my point.
The hatred is there. The borders are close so the fan bases are intertwined.
Right, you can't force a rivalry.
It's not like we have a lot of choices.
The KSU rivalry is dead. It means something to the schools and immediate fans... but has no possible outreach.
Even though we are adding in tougher opponents to our schedule, we lack the fever that was present when the lowly tigs were around.
I miss emotion and rivalry... but I don't miss the tigs!
Let me put it to you this. Do you know anyone who works in marketing? Ask them their opinion. This really doesn't differ much from UK/UL. WSU could stay good, and we could help them. I know that absolutely ticks off a lot of our fans. But the end result is positive for KU. Just like it was when UK helped UL.
I know it would be a game I would look forward to every year. I don't fear the shocks. They actually are a good test for us... one of the best mid-major teams to hook up with and mid-major ball is different than what KU is used to facing. How many times now have we been beat in the Self era from mid-major teams in March? Right...
Lots of years when both Louisville and Kentucky totally sucked.
Like I said, it is to our advantage to help our little cousin.
Rivalry ball is a great recruiting tool!
Thanks. Will was our competitor... but he is a brother of the game. We should show our compassion for his situation, just like if he was a Jayhawk!
I just don't agree that Kansas doesn't have anything to gain.
Granted... if WSU falls back into Nothingville, then there is no gain.
But we should want them to develop and be good competition for us. We need more quality teams in the Midwest. It's like living in a basketball desert out here. Sure, we have some quality teams in the B12. So far, none seem to fair well in March. ISU could easily whither and blow away in the coming years. Same with OU. And yes... same with Texas!
I think it is short sighted the other way around. Kentucky/Louisville is now a huge revenue maker and big recruiting tool for both schools. I know WSU isn't Louisville, but just a few years ago Louisville was in the Mo Valley and wasn't nearly as good as WSU is today.
This is like the short sightedness some fast food franchises have. They think they don't want to locate near McDonalds, the competition. When in fact, putting fast food in clusters helps all of them.
I know people in here hate WSU and don't want to believe this. In my book, it is one area that even Kentucky has played much smarter than Kansas. We can stick our noses up in the air and refuse to play people where it could develop into something big... that is just turning our noses up to opportunity. Kentucky never had to play Louisville. They could have done like us... put our tail between our legs and wait out the long period after the defeat. They finally saw the writing on the wall and realized the long term gain from having a real rivalry.
Fact is... we don't have a real rivalry. Those can't be faked or created. There has to be a history of disdain. The exact natural connection we have towards WSU.
I'd much rather play the shnocks, then rekindle our battle with the tigs.
So... what now?
Didn't he bust his nose and give him a boxer's nose?
Yeah... I would have been happy to have the other teams pick up some of their older pros as long as we could. I know most pro teams don't want to release their guys but would have loved to see BMac and the Morris twins and Mario back to kick the rears of all these teams.
Dingleberries from Kentucky and some of the media wonks make it sound like all these foreign teams intentionally held back more talented players from playing. It is a competition and filled with competitors. So the best teams possible were built by these countries. If anything, we were restricted to being around 80% KU with just a couple extra players only because we couldn't fill a roster with eligible players. We were at the disadvantage. The other teams... they built "all star" teams and made it work because all those guys have played together, sometimes for more than a decade.
My only complaints with this tournament was the monstrous advantage organizers gave to the bracket that played one less game. That was a rip off and a clear advantage to Germany.
I hear you...
But if WSU can't maintain winning... we can always leave them alongside the road, an orphaned program once again.
I think (if he's healthy) Devonte will step right in to the hole left by Nic. He may be younger, but has more height and talent. Yes... he is younger, but he has also had almost a complete year more of Self ball than Nic had. He is also known more by his teammates.
He is not only an adequate replacement for Nic, he is only beginning to touch his real potential, so we get several more years of his upside being developed in Lawrence.
Nic was great because he filled the emergency hole left by Devonte. Hopefully, Devonte will be healthy and can now replace the hole left by Nic.
I think he has just become a product of his age.
I'm 56... and I tend to be more rooted in the same thoughts and my mind is gradually closing. There is still a small crack open, but not much.
I think the same of Bilas. I thought he used to be better. Now I see him playing politics and personal favorites.
I think I have become the same... so no room for me to criticize... though I love to bash these guys when they deserve it!
Maybe hardening of the arteries? Especially the one feeding blood to the brain?!
Wait a minute. Are the lips moving on that emoticon? What is he saying? Seems to chat continuously.... :-)
(no malice intended)
Right. Genes are perhaps the biggest factor, or at least, one of them.
Cool! Hey... I don't want to bag on him now. They all deserve a lot of credit, for a job well done! Time to party! It will be time to push these guys before you know it.
I hope Landen goes right into some heavy leg strengthening. Time for him to get motivated with his game!
I like Landen... but most of the time he looks like he just woke up from a nap. Seems like he should be considerably stronger by now with years of Hudy. He should be able to hold his own and also have some swagger. He is probably the most fundamental post player we have. But his legs are like jello and he gets pushed around easily. He also needs to develop more offense. Kind of seems he isn't developing fast enough.
Agreed. This had to help some though...
Oh yeah... just caught that. Nice!
Just add in "Big Blue & Crimson Nation" just to twist the dagger!
I'm around plenty of the purple pride. They never give me too much of a hard time even when the kitties beat us in basketball because they know their win will be very short term. The next time we thrash them.
Just like the rare occasion when we beat them in football. I don't press it in too hard because it is very temporary.
I miss Frank Martin. I miss Jack Hartman even more. Those guys were good coaches and decent people. Guys you could respect. Weber is just Weber. Hard to understand him. Seems like a man with issues. Not my cup of tea.
It bothers me more to lose to the Shockers... because it might be another 30 years before we get to avenge the loss. It feels like we had just recently recovered from 66-65 "Battle of New Orleans"...
We should play them every year and smash them into pieces!
It needs to say "WORLD Champions" and someone needs to post it on all the UK sites... just stir the pot again.
"The thing that Lucas seemed to learn at WUG was his need to bang if he wants to see the floor."
I think he first had to learn to keep his emotions in check. He had lots of problems early in this tournament with the contact. He'd get pushed out and when he tried to hold his own he'd get whistled for a foul. You could see the frustration building and finally he shoved a guy. The last thing we needed was players fighting. Not a good representation for the USA. I think Self held him down to few minutes after that so he could collect himself.
Self knew that Landen will be one of the pieces we need to improve this coming year and WUG was a great opportunity for him to bang bodies in the paint and survive the whistle. So he was bound to eventually be brought back on the floor for more experience.
Landen finally came to his senses and then started being more productive. I'm certain he is one of our guys that improved substantially from this experience.
I think ALL of our guys grew from this, and the results will be visible this coming season!
I want KSU to be decent. It is our last rivalry.
It's also a school in Kansas. So when teams like KSU and WSU play, I'm a big fan UNLESS they are playing KU!
We better not poke too much fun at KSU. Teams that have few players and lacking top talent sometimes become dangerous teams. Their lack of bench can hurt them at times, but also help them by giving all the key players tons of PT minutes. And their complete underdog role will give them a huge chip. Personally, I'd take a big chip over a big recruit any day of the week.
It's funny... but many other D1 fans are suddenly pissed about KU being in WUG... ONLY because we won! Boo-hoo! Hatemongering and envy, raising it's ugly head.
I read all the tearful complaints on the UK website and how that would give KU a huge advantage this year. They didn't seem to mind it last year when they thrashed our young team in November after their preseason season.
There are some nasty rumors going around.
This is just one more accolade we can keep in our arsenal to use against bozo fans from other schools who like to attempt to insult Kansas and our fans.
Why should these elite fans waste their time with us lowly Kansas fans? Kentucky... Duke... you have your recent NCs. Take a squat on your NC trophies and rotate. Just leave us alone. Unless... maybe you are targeting us because you know the TRUTH. And the TRUTH is your programs are great but they aren't Kansas. Our court is named after the founder of basketball, who happened to be a JAYHAWK. And we play in the greatest building in college basketball.
We are hidden from mainstream sight. You have to cross a lot of wheat fields before you find AFH. You swim in a sea of sports media wonks who jump all over a new story about which player has diarrhea. Great. RUN with that! Out of site, out of mind. Don't follow Int'l ball unless it is your team.
But hey... go do your thing, we could care less. You will always be just an afterthought to the peach basket history and everything that followed in Lawrence. If you were a real fan of the game, you would respect that instead of taking childish pot shots at us. I know if I grew up in the bluegrass state I would still visit Lawrence to experience AFH and the rules and the history. Why? Because I'm a BASKETBALL fan!
Many of these same people even showed their true lack of patriotism by hoping for a USA loss because the team was Kansas. "Fair weather patriots!" Always willing to attend the victory marches but last in line for enlisting to go do the dirty work that creates the victories and maintains the freedom of our nation! Really... throw our country under a bus because Kansas was the representative? I doubt many KU fans would have been pulling for Germany to beat Kentucky or Duke representing the USA. I know I'd still support the country some of my family members DIED for in wars!
I think we can make assumptions about where some of these teams might fit in D1, but the reality is they aren't D1 teams. Many of these teams have several players that are currently playing in D1, but as a team, none play in D1 and I don't think any of their coaches coach in D1.
It has raised my curiosity how each of these teams would fair in D1 if they were thrown in there this year. I'm not sure, but outside of a few teams like Chile... it seems that KUSA was the shortest competitive team.
I think Germany was one of the better coached teams, but talent wise, I think several were better... including Russia, Serbia and perhaps Lithuania. I thought the fact that they played one less game was a huge factor plus our main guys playing 35+ minutes against Russia.
Pity this tournament wasn't structured to put in one extra day before the championship game. It would have leveled the playing field to make it close to even. I feel sure we would have beat Germany by 30+. The fact that we won this game with guys that wasted is simply amazing.
Compare us to the Germans. They finally tired out in that second overtime and you could just see them start to give up. Heck... they might have been at the same tired level we were at somewhere in the 3rd or 4th quarter.
It seems that most of the teams we played had older players... but in most games, KUSA played more like men. I wasn't sure that was going to be the case in this championship game, especially when we were starting to melt down in the second half. My gut was telling me we were done the second Germany took the lead. We have been in these situations before where we didn't have the determination to mount a comeback.
My overall rating for our WUG experience is A+! It will later be modified to A++ if we are get Devonte back and healthy for a big year!
"Let’s be very clear on something … Self just about blew it against Germany. He changed completely from the excellent approach he had in prior games in the second half. As I mentioned yesterday, he “puckered.” That happens.
The fact is, we won. So his decisions are irrelevant to that issue now, and validated. When you win a championship, the decisions are validated. Everything he did is now “right.”
Before WUG started, I was already wondering how Self would coach this tournament. Before WUG play, he made it sound like WUG was insignificant, and the whole thing was just a practice opportunity for our players in the coming season. He mentioned how ALL our players would get significant minutes, including Self and Manning.
I have to admit... I was bracing for a poor KU showing.
I should have known... Self will always be the "Riverboat Gambler." Words come out of him and we never know if he is running a bluff or giving us code messages or just shooting straight off the hip. This is an aspect of his coaching that is under-appreciated, and usually not even realized. Self's real name and identity is "Nick Corey"... the sheriff of Potts County in "Pop. 1280".. the classic Jim Thompson crime novel.
But when it came down to the end... with Kansas one half of basketball away from leaving with a gold, I believe Self validated my assumption that he wanted to win gold, but he wouldn't do it over giving his troops a needed lesson. There was only one lesson taught in Korea... "never stop fighting!" Self pushed his key players into a murderous schedule of PT minutes. He wanted them tested beyond any place they had ever been before. He accomplished this in Korea. By the end of regulation play, our lineup could hardly walk, no less play a competitive game of basketball.
It is important for developing players to push the limits. They need to be put under heavy stress situations so they become familiar with these situations and learn how to be most productive when they occur. Regardless what anyone thinks, I'm convinced this will pay off for our key players this year, especially in March. Why? Because they will know they can push harder and succeed. They know not to give up in games. Continue to fight, even if you have had a bad game up until that moment. Continue to fight.
I can't believe we didn't substitute more in the Russia game... and also the Germany game. How could Self feel good about keeping guys in the game that could barely even hold themselves up with their hands on their knees?
So did the win mean a lot to Self? I don't know. But what I do know is that Self wasn't about to let WUG pass without teaching valuable basketball (and life) lessons. I know he is proud of his players for buckling down.
Never thought I'd say this.... "Jaybate, the minimalist!"
When Wayne Selden came to Kansas, he looked a lot more like a football player than a basketball player. I think we can say that stayed true all the way through last season.
Not any longer.
Wayne ("Baby Fat") Selden conditioned his body towards basketball after our March defeat in the tourney.
He is now... Wayne "Ripped Abs" Selden... the BASKETBALL player!
More spring in his step? Heck yes. He probably dropped 10 lbs of baby fat in the past few months. I'm curious about what his body fat percentage is after the conversion?
Wayne is a different player today than from last year. He does have more spring and quickness. Surely tires less, too. And, most important, he has lifted his confidence level.
Enjoy Wayne this year, because it is quite possible we lose him to the draft after March. I mean.... after April!
Good points.
"Even with their fresh legs, Bill Self still favored a completely exhausted Perry Ellis over a fresh Carlton Bragg and a completely gassed Wayne Selden over a fresh Lagerald Vick."
Yeah... I was kind of puzzled. I thought he would give our starting guys more small breaks to try to save their legs.
I think part of it was he wanted to give them some seasoning. Build some character by pushing them past the exhaustion they have ever been through and had to produce.
Luckily... we won in the end. I'm pretty sure many would have questioned all the minutes had we lost. We were clearly superior to Germany. Playing the extra game was a huge factor as well as the fact that our key starters played almost the entire game against Russia.
I think what we see now is just an indication of what we will see in November.
But there will be a lot of ball played between November and March. Guys are bound to move around. Players will be nicked up (hopefully, not too bad).
We have to be thankful that we have the depth to develop and possibly come in when someone goes down.
Bragg and Vick will have tremendous careers... but they are fresh-cut wood... green as green can be.
There are banner companies available. We should have one made. Just because it isn't part of WUG's policy doesn't mean we shouldn't show our gold off in AFH.
I'm willing to donate the money to do it....
To my knowledge, even NC banners are the responsibility of the school.
I agree, that we need Diallo stepping up and becoming a real force. The key is to keep Hunter getting enough minutes to keep his game moving forward.
As the season progresses, we may see less of Jamari and more of Hunter for minutes off the bench.
Hunter is putting pressure on Jamari for his minutes... and Jamari needs the pressure applied. It seems he has hit a rut on his progress and he is running out of time before he has to leave lalaland to go make a living dribbling a basketball.
I wonder what Self found most-pleasing about Hunter's play in WUG? Was it the fact that he gives us a real offensive weapon at the 5? Gosh, he even nailed a couple of jumpers around the FT line... Or was it his tough defense against some guys 5+ inches taller than him? Or was it his rebounding prowess, especially his ability to snag offensive rebounds and get the put backs?
I hope he was impressed with ALL those areas... he should be!
He might want to be bilingual if he wanted to chew out the refs. You don't want any misunderstandings and be tossed from the game!
Self already admitted that he didn't know how his system ball would work with a shortened clock. That more guys will have to step up and create their own shots down towards the end of the shot clock.
I hope we are able to run some real offense this year, and not count just on our defense. BAD BALL can win a lot of games, but if we can dominate on defense, why can't we dominate on offense?
"Getting up in the middle of the night or the crack of dawn to watch a game was new one on me. I’m kind of glad that stuff is over."
I had 20+ years of staying up until 3am or so to catch Jayhawk games when living abroad. I had a sling box setup on my parents' house in Kansas and I very rarely missed a game in all those years. In my first year abroad, Danny and the Miracles pulled their miracle and I watched the NC on the AFN (American Forces Network).
I know there must be a million Jayhawk fans scattered all over this world, and they are getting up in the middle of the night to watch Jayhawk basketball!
What I really really liked about this game (one more "really" and it could be a "Self comment")... was that Nick didn't really (there is #3) have a good game, but he stepped up for the steal. He never gave up.
Wayne shot something like 3 for 548, but he stepped up and hit the big shot at the end.
Frank only had a few points until the end when he made clutch plays and baskets.
Perry was cold, too, but kept working through it until his shot came back.
If this had been last year, our guys would have rolled up the carpet and settled for the silver.
There was no settling in this game, in this team. Spaghetti legs and all, our guys kept fighting back. They fought back until the game went long enough to tire out the Germans.
We actually won like we won our other games, through attrition.
That takes a ton of heart!
I can't wait until this coming season!
I know how I would prepare my team to guard the Kansas chop play.... I'd just tell one of my perimeter players to step out in the path. Actually... since our guards expect to run it smoothly, it is the perfect situation to draw an offensive foul. I'd have a gifted guard step out in someone's path and pull a mini-flop to draw a charge. End of chop play.
I agree with @HighEliteMajor ... it was used properly at WUG, but we used it way too much last year. Even though there are many finishes that can be drawn out of it, for a large part it becomes predictable.
I lived almost a year in Germany, down by Wiesbaden in a small village named Delkenheim.
German culture is very different than the rest of Europe. They have a great deal of community pride and personal shame if not keeping up to the standards. I lived in a house on a fairly upscale residential street. Every house was in perfect shape. Every yard and gardens... perfect.
One morning, looking out my basement window (walkout basement) I noticed a neighbor woman climbing my 5-ft chain link fence in her "house work dress." She climbed over and pulled a weed out of my yard and then climbed back over the fence. It bothered her that much to see a weed!
There was a law that all sidewalks had to have the snow shoveled by 8am. It snowed often, so I'd go out there at about 7:45am to get started and I was always the last one to shovel on my entire long street. Many would shovel the street, too.
One Saturday afternoon, as I strolled down the city streets of Wiesbaden, I heard an elder woman scream out. I witnessed a young man running from her with her purse. A few meters later he was tackled by an elder man, and several people stepped in and restrained the man awaiting the police.
There are great things about every culture... but I know I certainly miss the German attitudes to do things right. Hard work and having pride for what they do. Americans like to boast about these things over here... but I have a hard time getting anything made right here and can't even seem to order a drive-thru burger and have them get it right (and ordering in my native language).
Perhaps not, but you got to love his x-axis last second steal!
How come we had to play an extra game? How come we played 8 and the Germans only played 7? In such a short period, that was a monstrous advantage, and we saw how close we came to losing to a very inferior team. In a well-rested game, we would have thrashed them.
Now that we won the gold we are bound to finally get some coverage. This will surely edge out the big news sports story today about how many MLB players wear women's panty hose to keep their legs warm.
Congrats to the guys for bringing it home. Today was bound to be tough because our key players were worn down yesterday beating the Russians.
Way to tough it out, guys.... spaghetti legs and all!
2nd, 3rd, and 4th winds... it took them all!
RCJH!
"Not bragging or anything, but I called Landen “getting his mindset back on track” after the Switz. game."
I can never resist the opportunity to run a "Cool Hand Luke" clip:
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"Jamari needs another Tarik."
I think Jamari needs another Danny Manning as an assistant coach. Imagine the help he would have received over all his years at Kansas if Danny was still with us?
I caught that, too.
You would have thought it would be at least a bit of a media event because it is the only real basketball going on, and it was USA vs Russia, playing to advance to the Gold medal game.
I guess if they jumped in now and gave coverage, Americans would be asking them... "why didn't I know about this tournament sooner?"
What most people don't understand is how news (and sports news) works. There aren't many real journalists left (or reporting done). Organizations get their news off the AP wire. So if no one posts the story (like WUG) then it doesn't get picked up. None of these organizations have enough interest to invest in coverage from Korea.
Sounds ridiculous... but chances are that few (if any) sports media groups even know WUG is going on now.