Good luck, Cliff! Your road may become a bit rocky, but give it your all and we all hope the best for you!
drgnslayr
11251 posts
I don't have the "what ifs" with Cliff. His weakness is basketball IQ. It is smeared all over his NBA scouting report and they are right on the button. I believe Cliff would have completely vanished in March, because this is the time of year where basketball IQ comes to the surface and everything else sinks. I wish I could think better because I really like Cliff...
I'd like us to become what Calipari is to recruiting, we are to developing. Imagine that!
Imagine that it really didn't matter who we recruit because the players we get (as long as they buy in to development) are going to become awesome talent within a very short time.
Imagine a team that executes! Imagine a team where the coach tells them what he wants and they deliver! Imagine a team of listeners that also have a player or two that leads the team verbally.
Back in my day we had a captain, and second captain. The captain was usually our PG and he was on the floor about 90% of the time. The second in command, would get lots of playing time, too, but that position was open to whoever was best in fulfilling the responsibilities. The #1 responsibility is to keep the entire team on the same page. Keep the guys mentally involved, physically energized and spiritually connected. We had 100-times the communication going on than what you see at Kansas. That level of communication is what took us from last place to first place in one year. When a player was told to go out and guard someone, the guy would be in the opposition's underwear! We always joked about wearing condoms out there. I miss that kind of basketball... it was really a team concept. This term is misused today because by today's definition, if a team passes the ball around a bit, then they play team ball.
I'm of the impression this coming year could be a huge break out year for Perry. We saw Perry lift his game entirely after his missed bunny at WVU. I'm of the impression he will keep his intensity level higher now.
If he gets out of the blocks this fall and plays like he did at the end of this season, then he can lift his NBA stock considerably.
Another thing... I think we should be giving Perry some 3 minutes this year. It is unlikely we will recruit a quality Kelly replacement now, might as well do Perry some good and groom him for the next level. That would not only help Perry out, but would prove to star recruits that we focus on preparing them for the next level. How can we say that now and we force Perry into the 4 role? He definitely is not a 4 at the next level. And why shouldn't Perry play the 3? He certainly has the guns now!
If Perry wasn't such a nice guy I would be guessing he is playing a tough hand of poker with Self right now... threatening to leave for the draft if Self won't commit a lot of minutes at the 3 next year. That is what Perry SHOULD be doing right now!
BTW, Self does give guaranteed minutes now, Wayne is proof of that.
"the Harrison twins declare for draft."
Really makes me wonder what that does for the recruiting at UK. On one hand it opens up a few more spots to fill. On the other hand, it looks like Kentucky will be run by inexperienced guards. Seems that could risk signing more players because what if they go to Kentucky and end up in the NIT again?
On my want list... at the very top -
I want one player that is scrappy as all get up... eats nails for breakfast.... full of life, positive energy... and shows it on the court every second he is out there!
We need one of those. I don't really care at what position. But we need someone to spark this team. The only cheerleader we have moving forward is Devonte, but I'd like to see him have some help. A guy like this will help all our other guys stay upbeat and energized.
This is, by far, the most important need we have moving forward!
I kind of get the impression Diallo is a high-energy guy. Not sure what his attitude is like though.
Right on!
"The game has grown brutal, what with the speed and power generated by today's training techniques. I look at all the wrapped knees, the players sidelined by significant skeletal injuries, the jabs and blows above the shoulders. Holy Moly!"
Yes it has. Rules can't clean all this up. As I said above, this is all about physics. Dynamics of taking more size and weight and pushing it through space at a faster speed. And it will involve collisions.
Just look at what football has become. A few years ago I had a friend pull me a media pass to sit on the sidelines of Chiefs games. I thought it would be great to see the game up close. It ended up making me nauseated. The sound of the collisions of players, helmets and pads... very much resembled a bad car crash in an intersection. It was beyond violent in what I had known violence to be... and I'm no "p" (wife term).
The only thing constant in basketball is the hardness of the hardwoods. It may not be concrete, but it is a surface that does not forgive (much). And the guys are getting bigger, jumping higher, running faster. Think inertia. Think about mass in motion.
There will be no way to prevent injuries in this game, especially in the future. Some rules might help reduce them. But the ultimate culprit in all of this is the advancement of training. The idea that people like Hudy is going to reduce the risk is a pipe dream. Hudy is upping the risk, because she is making these guys perform faster and on many she is putting extra mass on them. Hudy is increasing the risk!
"The game has to be cleaned up AND a rationally fitting set of rules have to be written and enforced."
I agree... but do you think it is realistic this will happen?
When we talk about corruption... isn't the real corruption in the design of the system that has so many flaws in it (purposely) to allow corrupt and bad officiating to occur?
Look at this NC game. There is no recourse available for victims like Wisconsin on those bad and missed calls. The game has now been written in stone. It's over. Frank won't get a rematch this time. The harm has been done.
And now while we review the game and build our case proving faulty officiating, what will be the result after this is all said and done? The result will be that most people hate to deal with controversy and change, so they'll reach down in their playbook and start calling those who are complaining "sore losers." This happens every year, and they are right in that the fans that feel damaged will scream the loudest. Even though there are plenty of fans that just want to see fairness in the game.
The message from this has already started to dilute into the soil, like the watering of our tomato plants. Most people are already focused on their "Bay Watch" summers.
The corruption will continue. Duke will continue to get "Duke calls." Maybe it is nothing more than the fact that Rat Face has the ultimate prestige in this sport so when he complains at halftime, refs will change their perspective to a stronger Duke tilt in the second half. Maybe Rat Face has some quiet conversations with people associated with the bracketology and he makes his case just before the structure is built. Duke is a school full of weasel attorneys capable of bending laws into their own selfish needs... don't forget that. Ask an attorney, any attorney, about fairness. They are likely to choke on their cobb salad! They are focused on the prize... winning! Anything goes! If you want fairness, you should have been contemplating the meaning back in the days... with Plato and Socrates!
So Cliff is now gone. Kelly left earlier.
The only player we have signed for next year is Carlton Bragg... a healthy 220 lb Power Forward.
From my count, we currently have 3 scholarships available. We all know we need a beefier post presence.
Now that the college season is over, players are making up their minds on whether they will go or stay, or maybe transfer. Meanwhile, there are several top HS prospects waiting to sign after the smoke clears.
This is the time of year where Kansas fans feel apprehensive. We are in this position every year and we've experienced both highs and lows with the results of late recruiting.
Self seems to often "pull a rabbit out of his hat" and land some very late talent.
I feel totally lost. I don't have a clue on who is really leaning towards Kansas.
It would be great if all of you who are following the recruiting trail closely could give your predictions on who will fill out our roster for next year. Please keep your posts focused on what you project as most-possible instead of angling towards a dream of what you would like to see. I don't think any of us want to build expectations higher than need be... not good for our sanity!
Maybe you can go a step further and anticipate what a starting lineup will look like next March? Is that too much of a stretch?
I need something to focus on as I plant my tomatoes and peppers.
It is getting so bad that I could see us becoming like what happens south of our border. Refs get targeted for hits by crime bosses and sore fans.
Yes.... now I see they are trying to excuse themselves from making "Duke calls." What a huge pile of animal droppings!
NCAA official says referees didn't see crucial TV replay angles in Duke-Wisconsin game ↗
So the next question is... why didn't they see this angle in the first place? We have been told they have all the camera angles we have and then extra. Nothing about having less.
This is a total rip-off and supported with nothing but lies. If they weren't a monopoly we'd see heads on the block and in this case, someone should be going to prison since so much money rides on this game.
So can betters not pay their bookies because they didn't see the final score from the proper angle?
Snacks used to play. If he had talents in coaching up players like Danny did, I'd say keep him. But notice we haven't heard a single word from players on how much help they have received from Snacks.
Who is doing the actual coaching lifting in this program? That is what I want to know. From the looks of our guys, I'd say no one!
"How about get over a screen first?"
Not necessary.... the new bar has been set by Kelly. A player just needs to reach 333 points before he is ready to face the men's league.
If this is true, can't Jews around the world put in a claim against Adidas for holocaust reparations?
Sometimes I think the only fair way to call a game is to let them play and call nothing. At least it is consistent.
When we were kids we played a game we called "bask-foot." We played it on concrete... basketball where you could tackle. Yes, it could get as rough as you imagine. But it didn't take too long before players would adjust their play to protect their own health. Pretty soon, no one was getting banged up too much. Guys were getting hurt worse when we went back to rules, because the "trust" came back to the game and guys would go flying through the air and get nailed.
Bo Ryan's team is a perfect example of how to play physical without fouling. Had they not been nailed with "Duke calls" they would have won that game and committed few fouls. They got completely hosed.
What is missing from this discussion is "inertia." Players have become more athletic and physical. The game has advanced in speed. Players moving faster. Big players moving faster. The inertia involved is going to create contact, including hand checks. It is a mistake to just blame the defender for slowing down the drive. Some of the contact is being initiated by the driver and often hand checks are used to regain balance. And now, finally, the drivers are starting to get called for stiff arming, something that has gone on forever in this game but never called.
The problem we have is old marketing guys are determining the rules of the game. "We need more scoring." (or) "We need to speed up the game." (or) "Look at these viewership numbers." All of that has nothing to do with the actual game being played. But those are the driving forces that are creating the rule changes. So there is very little thought on what the impact will be of those rule changes because the rule changes don't address physics. Inertia isn't part of their equation.
Another part of the game that is coming on stronger is dramatics... yes.... the flopping! It is coming on more as a reaction to the rules of calling games tighter to "remove the contact." The dramatics make the game look more physical today than before calling the game tighter. Guys use to rarely flop, now it's part of everyone's toolbox. It is a natural response to the unnatural shift in rules.... going counter to inertia.
If we want to consider any more rule changes, we should address it with the physics department first. At least they can formulate an understanding of what those changes might bring to the game.
Until then, we will have to live with some horrendous officiating because much of the weakness starts at the actual rule (laws) they impose that don't make sense, so it creates even more of an opening for them to interpret the rules and apply them incorrectly. Just listen to the announcers try to defend calls. Black comedy.
"I doubt that's really any different than any other school, right?"
I had no idea it could be that easy to get into Duke. I have family members who graduated from Duke and they like to rub it in that Duke is tough to get into, but we all know that is part of the schtick at Duke, claiming to be better than everyone else.
I'm guessing that what you cited is their legal department covering their bases. They seem pretty good at that... being lawyers.
I do believe K has his own standards and he will back off a recruit he doesn't think he can reach. Notice how he speaks to his players so different from Cal, who animates like a kindergarten teacher. I couldn't handle being spoken to like Cal talks to his players, but then I guess I might fly above his mental bar (and that's not saying much).
"Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?"
"Lambs? Or KU players entering the gates of the NBA slaughter? Enticed by a few dollars they think they can retire on..."
Didn't this same thing happen to Jahlil Okafor? Uh... guess not.
I guess if you can get into Duke you probably have at least a reasonable mindset and wouldn't risk your future over what.. a few bucks?
I'm sorry... but this entire story has DUMB written all over it!
Maybe we need to veer away from the Kentucky-style recruits and head on over and put some pressure on Coach K and his recruits?
"Customarily, it seems that Self spends considerable time in counsel after weighing his players' NBA futures before the decision is reached."
He reads newspapers, too. Maybe he has bought in to the hype. As much as I like (hate) the media, they have never done us any favors and why would it be a favor to over-hype these kids? How long before we can't even recruit top players because our track record (beyond Wiggins) isn't very impressive with OADs?
And this isn't all about OADs.. just guys leaving early at Kansas.
What is the status of our guys that left early the last several years? I know Wigs is on planet 9, and I think the Morris twins are doing fine. What about Cole, TRob, Josh (playing in South America maybe?), Xavier...? Seems like this bunch is hanging on by a thread or not even a thread.
So which layer will Kelly join? His game is a long ways from being NBA ready.
How many players get hurt in college today to the point of being knocked out of basketball? Is there that much risk? I know @jaybate-1.0 is our scout who measures up all our guys for knee skirts.
Gheez... If I dribble a ball out at half court for Late Night will they have me pegged as a lottery pick?
That is like speculating on top of speculating.
This is the stuff that brings Kansas basketball down. We can't even get a player to contribute a couple hundred points before he is gone because of all the bs hype.. I think I'm dreaming...
I really liked Cliff... but seriously... THANK GOD THIS ORDEAL IS OVER!
Here is a good read:
Wisconsin takes notice of Duke's 16-3 edge in free throws in second half ↗
And this interview happened before the players and Ryan had a chance to watch the game on TV where they could see the other bad calls in the second half besides just the foul calls.
And what about this:
Duke's title was aided by awful officiating down the stretch ↗
It shows a motion graphic of the play I was talking about that they reviewed and STILL gave it to Duke! This is crime, pure crime! As I said before... how can a guy's finger get pulled back without something pulling on it (the ball)?
Kind of hard to find draft stuff now on 2014, but what I found, draftexpress, had him at 24. The Top 30 gives contract guarantees.
Hey... maybe the twins are gone! While looking for old draft stuff I found this:
John Calipari: 5-7 Kentucky players likely gone to NBA ↗
Maybe back to the NIT for Kentucky next year?
And maybe no more top talent to Kansas for next year?
This just in. Cliff is gone. Our new center has just signed...
I mentioned this before... but we take a gamble, even if he is TEMPORARILY cleared by the NCAA.
What I didn't mention was Cliff also takes a gamble if he is not cleared by the draft cutoff and hasn't declared. If he isn't eligible he'll be forced to either wait it out a year or sign abroad. Then his chances go from slim to horrible. @Statmachine also expressed the risk.
I'm not sure why more Hawks haven't declared their intentions. Self always like to talk to them first, maybe he hasn't got around to that yet? It seems like in talking to the fellas he would let them know that the sooner the better on stating their intent.
But maybe our current players don't really trust Self and are worried about being recruited over. They remember Frankamp last year and the last second pickup of Svi. Maybe many are silent because they want to come back if we don't recruit over them.
Meanwhile... it doesn't feel good right now to have all this silence (while recruits are hustling around now making their decisions).
I know recruits are waiting to hear from several schools but I think I'd want to be an early school knowing all the pieces. Kids get jumpy, and you want to have all their questions answered asap.
RIght on! Most of the pieces are there, just add some post and stir. I hope Self can figure out the puzzle that will take us to another National Championship!
Grayson Allen really got me pumped up for ball last night! Diving for balls out of bounds... the kid just exploded with energy. We don't see that enough in college basketball these days... and the kid kept under control. What a show! Just wish he was wearing a Wisconsin uniform last night... or a Jayhawk uniform today!
That is THE major problem in Lawrence. Getting these kids to come out loose, confident, and exploding with energy! I am fast to criticize Self for "not getting his troops ready" but when I think about it, this is a wide spread problem traveling all through college basketball. I think it is worse for teams that have some McDs AAs or that level of talent. Those kids are coddled too much before arriving in college. More need their azzes kicked several times to learn that they ain't poop yet!
This problem is wide spread throughout all our youth. Too much a spoiled lifestyle of perceived entitlement. More kids need to have an edge that is insatiable. Insatiable... a word that is vanishing from our vocabulary.... because there are so few times to use it unless we are talking about junkies or alcoholics.
Kelly's biggest weakness is his heavy emphasis on driving to the left. The NBA is going to challenge that immediately and he will be forced to learn how to go to his right and finish with his right hand.
I believe he would have faced this same issue in the coming year at Kansas. Even though college ball doesn't usually get to the level of teaching hedge defense, the scouting reports would put a heavy emphasis on overplaying Kelly to the left. At least in college ball, he wouldn't be going up against the best and would have had time to develop his mechanics to the right. But instead, he has chosen to take the total gamble and hope he can learn it at the next level.
Maybe Kelly just wants a fast payday and isn't worried about raising his game. He doesn't seem like that kind of kid, but who knows? He has been poisoned by the media telling him he is ready for the next level.
I really like Kelly and hope he figures it out. Maybe it is the type of challenge that will push him over the top and he will earn his spot. I hope so.
I feel positive that he'll make it in the Top 30, guaranteeing him at least one paycheck. We'll see if he can get his game to the level to earn a second check... the important one!
"OAD's just won a championship with a 4th freshman having the game of his life, another top 30 kid. 1 Senior and a 1 junior. There's no recipe for winning the crown other than having the entire team playing at a high level."
Except Allen is not a OAD. Man did that guy put on a clinic last night. Imagine if KU had a guy like that throttled down in wraps on the sidelines just waiting for the magic moment?
I guess that is the potential surprise that can happen when you have 8 or 9 McDs AAs on your team.
I slammed UKs OAD factory because so many of their McDs AAs are totally underachieving. I have to give my hat's off to Allen for really stepping up. The kid brought a frenetic positive, intense energy to the game and it made the difference. Why can't we see that in a Kansas player? Our closest guy all these years was Kevin Young, but Kevin didn't have that wicked tool box Allen has. Man... that kid is going to be special! He already is!
"It is amazing that with all the available technology and instant replays available to them, the refs have managed to royally screw up some calls. I wonder if they are shown the same thing we see and if they are not, why not?"
Early on in the tournament it was released to us that the refs have all the same footage we have PLUS extra not available to us. I find it hard to believe they get extra footage. Money rules media. But that creates a great alibi for cheating... after all, we aren't given the extra footage that makes the difference.
In this case... it just appeared that his finger was pushed back.... yadda yadda yadda... bs!
I see Ingram staying in the ACC... "They are in the ACC so in my opinion I think it's one of the best conferences in all of college."
And he said that about NC State.
I'm not sure what he can do in one year of basketball. He is awfully light. He would be a great catch if he sticks around for more than a year, but if he comes to Kansas, the first time his scores 8 pts in a game the media will declare him gone for the draft.
Gosh... is it just me, but the kid's face looks like a young Sam Perkins. I wonder if he might surprise some people and become a Tar Heel?
"Those are my personal 2 most hated teams in all sports."
I'm with you. I put Kentucky at the top of my list because I don't think they have an ounce of dignity. They'd sell crack on the corner if it would give them another title. I wouldn't put Calipari in my Top 100 of college coaches. But he can convince players to come and they put everything on recruiting masses of talent.
Duke... my disdain is mostly about the arrogance. I don't question K's ability to coach. Simply... he can and he is in my Top 10 list. The other thing I dislike about Duke is the "Duke calls" like the late game call last night where the ball went out on the Duke player, and when it hit his middle finger, it pulled his finger back, but Duke was anointed with the ball. That was the game right there. Just answer me this... how is a player able to bend just his middle finger backwards without the ball doing it for him? Right... Just like how Duke always gets an easy bracket. They get all the favored east coast media bandwagon boasting their program either overtly or covertly.
Look at it like this.... Kentucky is the mob. They will mug you for $20. They brute force and probably cheat to get to the "stature" they have. Duke is the refined corporate business model that mugs you through the front door... and it's all legal! That is how I see those two programs that currently own a big chunk of college basketball.
"that wasn't high enough for them!"
Right about that... but I give them credit for staying longer. They didn't give in to the fast money. Those twins are well coached. Not by Calidingdong, but their mentor John Lucas, since the 8th grade.
These kids would never be on anyone's radar in basketball had they not made gigantic sacrifices in their lives and put egos aside to accept coaching. Funny... Cal has teams full of the other kind of dumb players just chasing fast money and highlight dunks, but the twins aren't part of that stereotype. If Kentucky is blessed with a title soon, it is because of these guys, not the high flying flunkies.
What a clueless fanbase. They should stick to what they know something about... moonshine.
It's a race to the money. All the fast-twitch muscle isn't being coached to learn the skills of basketball, it is being coached to chase the fast money. It's a race to the money.
""AAU basketball," Bryant said. "Horrible, terrible AAU basketball. It's stupid. It doesn't teach our kids how to play the game at all so you wind up having players that are big and they bring it up and they do all this fancy crap and they don't know how to post. They don't know the fundamentals of the game. It's stupid.""
Kobe: Europe's players more skillful ↗
Americans are junkies to athleticism, not skillfully played basketball. You won't see a kid playing the game mimicking smart finishes at the rim with the other hand, you see them trying to windmill dunk while his dad looks on marveling because his kid has some hops.
Look at a player like Kelly Oubre. He has excellent athleticism and a body built by the basketball Gods... but the kid can only go left. He didn't finish with his right hand ONCE as a Jayhawk! That alone is reason for that kid to return for year 2. Do you think his long reach is going to save him in the league? He is about to learn a big lesson at the next level... it's called "hedge defense"... something never even mentioned in college ball. He is going to be hedged right out of 90% of his drives at the next level. The kid better learn to go right or his game is toast.
I can barely stomach college basketball today. I watch because of my competitive nature. But every time my brain engages in a game, I become sickened by the empty tool box these kids bring to the game.
Kansas should hire Bobby Knight as an assistant. His only job will be to teach these kids what a shot fake is. And while he is at it, he can teach them the other 10 or so fakes that can be used in a game. Bobby's motto will shift off the known "shake and bake" to "fake and bake."
Nice guys finish second.
Wisconsin had Duke in position for a knock out, and they politely backed off being aggressive.
It started early. In the first half, Frank had several perfect opportunities to draw more fouls on Jahlil and he backed the ball out. Not sure why this seasoned team didn't go for the jugular? It was right there to be had. Every time the right players attacked, good things happened. Instead, some of their smaller guards would attack at the rim and get smoked. I really had a hard time trying to figure out what Wisconsin was trying to do. Their bread and butter was Frank and Sam. Sam seemed to be okay with popping missed 3s.
Jahlil should have easily picked up his 3rd foul in the first half. He wasn't a huge factor in this game because of foul trouble, but he should have been no factor. And when he was out of the game Frank should have put on a low post clinic.
Nice guys finish second.
I wonder if they recovered from their Kentucky win? They definitely didn't have that final push that got them to the championship game.
Tough loss. It has been 79 years since Wisconsin won a National Championship. Last night was no time to be nice guys. In a championship game you have to go out and rip the ball out of the other guys' hands just like a bully would do on the playground.
I feel sadness for the team that came so close... and the fans that know they may have to wait a long time for another perfect storm. I hope not. Wisconsin is great basketball country that has been overshadowed for too long by powerhouse programs like Indiana.
Go Badgers!
"the only reason they are there longer is because they weren't lotto picks."
I don't buy that. The first 30 players picked in the draft receive guaranteed contracts based on scale, and at the bottom it is around $800k. The twins should have been Top 30 picks last year.
Kentucky should be winning another NC soon. Why? Mostly because they will have kept some quality players around for several years... they will be juniors and seniors.
And maybe if they get a guy that can totally dominate on his own. The reason they won in 2012 was unibrow. The guy dominated on defense. Shut down the post and about half of the perimeter.
"Most importantly, recruit guys that want to play for KU! I miss the Hinrich, Collison, Collins, and Releford types, and yes, even Reed and Morningstar."
I miss all those guys, too! I'd take a bullet for those guys and I'm sure many of you in here would, too. Can we say that about our OAD guys? Nothing wrong with those guys, but we only get to taste their basketball and get a tiny sense of who they were and then they are gone. Just a few months, not even a year!
Kelly Oubre said some of the coolest stuff I've ever heard from a Jayhawk when he declared for the draft. The kid sounds solid and I bet he does come back to Lawrence and keep touch with "the Jayhawk family" later on. But none of us are going to cry because he is leaving. Remember when Sherron left? OMG, I cried my azz off when he spoke on senior night.
What teams like Kentucky miss is the personal side. You'll never get that side without going through a lot of stuff together, and I'm talking about a lot more than a few months can generate.
We would all trade records with Kentucky... but do we really want a team like that? Like I said in another post, then we just become another hated Kentucky. I've had kids recently but I still get out and travel a bit and I wear Jayhawk gear everywhere and have rarely caught anything negative from people. Outside of a few crackheads from Mizzou (who I couldn't care about anyways) most people are cool. Even met some fans from Memphis that didn't hate us! Everyone I know hates Kentucky. I think it is more Calipari than Kentucky. I don't want to be them. I'd rather not win another championship ever than to have to recruit that much talent on a team because our coaching staff is that inept. Wisconsin made fouls out of Kentucky. Will Kentucky win another NC soon? I'm betting they will either next year or the year after, maybe both if they can keep the twins that long.
If we do want that much talent, at least make it guys with a brain. I've just recently been schooled on Duke. I had no idea they have currently 8 McDs AAs on their team. Very talented team and I bet many of those AAs never thought they would go OAD. Let's sign some of those guys. And at least those guys can get coached up in a short period of time. Kentucky just ran brute force at people. I watched half of their games this year, usually just parts of games because their offense stunk. Those guys aren't that bright and can't do anything too difficult in just a short period of 1 to 2 years. Had they got past Wisconsin, Duke would have schooled Kentucky.
Very solid post. There are plenty of "golden nuggets" in your post. I want to tackle a few.
I don't think it is fair to compare our last two years with other years. Three years ago we were dead meat. We lost our entire starting lineup. That is something we are still trying to dig out from. We still lost a bunch of games with both Wigs and JoJo (who, btw, was not considered an OAD at the time). Had we not taken those guys and picked up some sure fire 3-star guys that would still be around we wouldn't have won our conference (no more conference streak) and may not have even made March Madness (no more March streak). That very easily could have happened.
I just don't think it works to say we are going only for the middle of the pack guys. JoJo would have been considered a middle of the pack guy. But he exploded when coming to Kansas. You just never know who is going to take off with their game. And also... we recruited Wayne and he was considered a OAD and he'll probably be here 4 years.
I seriously doubt we would have won in '08 without BRush. I think many thought he might be a OAD even though it wasn't a common thing back then. He definitely would have left as a TAD if he wasn't injured. One of the big keys to '08 was getting BRush back. That same scenario is always possible for the OAD type players.
I'm really sad this week because we lost Kelly. That guy could have made us a possible contender next year had he chosen to stay, and really he should have stayed to up his stock and chances. He is taking a monster gamble in the draft, though he is almost certain to be a Top 30 pick and earn a guaranteed contract.
I think we need to consider ALL TALENT and be able to pick through what is out there to produce the best team in the coming year and in following years.
Some things I'm considering:
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Keeping OADs for an extra year. What can we do to keep more of these kids around for another year? I understand players like Wigs and JoJo (mostly because of his injury) going OAD. I can't understand a guy like Kelly going OAD. The media is feeding this early exit frenzy. They play little to no part in helping these guys move up their draft position but they do a great job of convincing the player they need to gamble their entire life away by leaving too early. We don't need every potential OAD to stick around for an extra year, just a fair share and those that really didn't contribute much in their first year.
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Invest in developing players. This is my biggest current criticism of Kansas and Self and his coaches. I don't believe they are developing players well enough. If we are going to keep many players around for 4 or 5 years they better then pay us back by performing in March. Over the past several years a lot of those players really didn't produce like they should in March. Why go with 4 and 5 yr players if they aren't going to end up being competitive with the top young players? They end up being a waste of time, and not just one bad year, but potentially we are plagued with investing in them for 4 eligible years without getting the payout!
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Balanced roster. We have to do a better job of preventing what happened happened three years ago. We can't lose so many valuable players on one team and expect to be decent in the following year... especially when playing "Self ball." We have to do a better job of recruiting players in the right slots and make sure they are staggered and have the right mindset knowing they have to spend a year or two (or three) learning Self ball and playing under another player. This is the way it used to be for many decades. But if a guy is capable to pass another player, hey... you have to play your best players. And why don't we bring in more 2yr college guys just to pick up instant experience and talent? Or guys like Tar? We may be doing that this year... wait and see.
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Blend OAD type players in. We should be able to blend in a few solid OAD players. Duke did it this year and wouldn't be anywhere near the title game without Okafor, Jones and Winslow. But those guys are surrounded by other players that are experienced and capable. Duke has the best of both worlds... young and talented, older and talented. Why do we only look at Kentucky and their failure this year as the example of recruiting OADs? Imagine if we could go back in history and take Wigs one year and put him on another team? Wigs isn't really a great example because of the next paragraph....
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OAD players equal non-OAD players. Self didn't follow this rule with Wigs. We didn't have a real team concept last year. It was Wigs and the rest. Or maybe... Wigs and JoJo. Freshmen coming in have to be respectful of upper classmen. But more than anything... it is the coach (and assistants) that set the tone. The goal is team play and anyone coming in that wants to disrupt that can leave now.
Always loved Jo Jo!
Congrats to a player that well-deserves the induction!
Your kids were tested for PEDs or for recreational drugs? I am of the opinion that the testing gets quite expensive to adequately test for PEDs.
Your example of Rose is exactly what I'm talking about. And if evidence comes up later, even if they have already dug into this case before, Kansas will be toast. Memphis... toast... Kansas... toast.
It isn't about looking bad. And if real evidence pops up later (and it always can) then if the NCAA doesn't act on it they look a lot worse! Cliff being cleared is no different than any other player cleared. It can always be overturned and it is very unlikely those games will count, especially if the school knew there were potential issues. Kansas knows there are potential issues. We can't say next year we weren't warned. The NCAA just didn't have enough evidence to keep Cliff ineligible.
This is a no brainer. Cliff should be done at Kansas. If there was no wrong doing and nothing hidden, he would have been cleared for March Madness. The risk moving forward is on Kansas. Play him and risk everything. I will even agree with that and accept the season being vacated because we should have known better!
I hope you are right... but Kentucky has already signed two or three of the very top prospects for next year. They will probably be a better team next year.
It makes no sense for guys like Johnson and Lee to waste their time on the Kentucky bench. And now they don't even get the facade championship ring they were wanting. Those guys are going to remain in their same roles next year because Kentucky has already recruited over them.
I think Duke has the more sustainable program. They try to recruit the more-intelligent 5-star recruits and they are developing that reputation. The have "smart leverage" moving forward. They can walk into the house of a smart recruit and point to their record on recruits and make the connection that they are the "smart choice." Even to the point where 5-star guys ride the bench because they will be coached up better than at any other school (so the sales pitch goes).
Calipari has to pull out every crazy sales pitch technique he can come up with. He lets players know they will be bumping elbows with Drake and Ashley Judd. Woopee! Kentucky is a basketball circus. Duke is a basketball school.
So Kansas (and Self) is busy refining who we are. I'm curious who we will become because it seems obvious we are in transition. We are new on the scene for the OAD-type players.
I think, if we are smart, we will play for more of the intelligent players. Our offer will be that we aren't stocked with OAD talent. We have only a few spaces for OADs and the rest of the team is seasoned junior and seniors. If I was an OAD player I'd go for that scenario.
But there are so many other areas we have to address and transition into if we really want to get serious about maintaining 3 or so OAD level players. First... our offense! Second... development! Even if it is for just one year, can't we impact a player's development? What is the best way to develop them for the next level? I would say first that our strength and conditioning program is the best in the country. I know we all think it is... but is it? I think it is one of the better programs, but can't we improve it? Is it all about pumping big iron? I've been looking at some pretty awesome equipment that is new on the scene and it focuses more on burst performance... fast twitch. There is a limit on heavy weights when trying to develop fast twitch.
Why don't we get at least one famous development guy as an assistant coach? Everyone knows my pick... but there are surely other guys out there we could land. This guy needs to have a plan for what he can do for guys in just one year or maybe two. That is a different plan than a 4 or 5 yr player. Development ideas could be formalized and written up and shown to recruits. How impressive would that be? So we go into a recruit with his parents and we have a complete outline of how we can make him better in 12 months. Not just BS words from a salesman coach.
What I really dislike about Cal is he has made D1 a game based on used car salesmanship. The game deserves better and so do the players, but they have to be given the options. Bring the right material in when recruiting and we will attract the smart kids. Those are the kids I want at Kansas!
Of course they can, and they WILL especially if anyone involved was found to purposely hide evidence. This is 100% truth!
I really like the big guy... but we should punt. Too high of risk, and completely not fair to put our existing team at risk, the university and all the fans.
What is the policy at Kansas concerning PEDs?
Do all our guys get tested regularly? Anyone know?
I've heard the testing can be quite expensive because there are ways of hiding some of these substances in the system.
I totally agree... PEDs destroyed baseball and the record book.
Now it is hard to go backwards and cleanse the records. What records should count, what records shouldn't count?
The problem is MLB has lost credibility. If a player suddenly kicks butt because he made a huge performance break through then everyone will question it, and should.
"I want 2nd year Alexander, Senior Ellis, and Bragg."
You know... no matter what they determine on Cliff now... they can always go backwards later and vacate our season next year when we play him. If he is cleared, it can be revoked if evidence comes in the future.
Cliff will always be a huge risk. He needs to leave Lawrence.
"I also find it highly irritating that he even got selected for the HOF."
I feel the same way as does at least half the D1 fans in this country.
But his name can be vacated from the HOF just like his past seasons. Didn't Pete Rose get tossed from the baseball HOF?