🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Imagine if Kansas had the sports revenue Texas has?

Imagine if KU was in a State the size of Texas, with all that incredible talent to draw from?

Imagine if Kansas had the "Jayhawk Network" in a proportional size similar to the "Longhorn Network?"

Texas and Barnes really does squander crazy amounts of potential.

If Texas is left out of the big dance this year he should get fired from the B12. If Texas doesn't have enough drive to do better, our conference should start calling the shots. On paper, I'm not sure if there is another athletic department in the country with as much to draw from as Texas has. The next question would be why isn't Longhorn football much better?

We need Texas to compete nationally. Overall, they are a big part of the faceplate of the B12. If you want to point fingers at why the B12 is not always respected in sports... start by pointing to Austin!

@jaybate-1.0

I think it is because these kids are now introduced to several sports.... many of the tall foreign players (like from Africa) are exposed to soccer from Day 1. This is where they draw their early footwork skills. It is a game entirely based on footwork!

Basketball really has it's roots in urban environments... remember my old playground ball? Most of those kids didn't play other sports because the only thing around was basketball. They didn't need anything but some shoes to play.

Basketball, over the years, has caught on with more popularity in countries like Africa, Europe, South America.... And also in more suburban-type American towns, where the kids have more exposure to other sports (and probably more $$$ to spend on playing other sports).

Look at how much talent has come out of places like Wichita?! Those kids down there now play several sports. I've attended soccer games there watching a South American soccer team. Yes... In Wichita!

I think we are definitely in the running for Thon.

@bskeet

I attended plenty of KU games in that era. You are right in that fact that AFH was usually not full.

I went to my fair share of KC Kings games, too. They were alive from 1972 through 1985 before heading out west to Sacremento. In the beginning the games were split between Omaha and KC. Omaha! They were first called "Kansas City-Omaha Kings."

During that period, they made it to the playoffs 5 times, including a trip to the conference finals. They had some talent... like Tiny Archibald. Phil Jackson was one of their coaches until he was fired! But there was plenty of boring basketball played in KC during those years. I would often catch up on my sleep by attending games.

For most of their existence they played in Kemper, except when the roof collapsed and they were forced to play in Municipal Auditorium... which didn't even hold 10k fans. Towards the end of their existence they only drew an average of 6,400 fans per game. Hardly a drain on the Jayhawks. Most of those in attendance were from free tickets given away, like at car dealerships. This is part of my point about how important it is to bring more quality basketball in the area... because bad basketball drives ticket prices to zero and gives out bad entertainment and associates it to basketball in general.

The team was sold to investors for only $10.5 million dollars in '83, and they were anxious to move the team to a better market... $10.5m wouldn't have even bought the concession rights to Arrowhead back then!

I remember the few diehard fans that protested the loss of the Kings from KC. What I remember most was how few diehard fans there were.

"There was apparently little protest, though, when the Kings ultimately moved to Sacramento.

"Frankly, I thought I would catch a lot of flak on it because they left very abruptly," then Kansas City mayor Dick Berkley once told The Sacramento Press. "I got four or five phone calls. I thought I would get hundreds.""

Here We Stay? There They Go ↗

"Calling Frank Martin... calling Frank Martin!"

I think we split with WVU. Lose the first one down in Morgantown, and get'em back in AFH.

To snag #11, I think we need to create a nice buffer and win a couple of the toughest games on the road.... any of KSU, OU, OSU, or WVU. In reality, we probably just need one of those games to at least tie for the crown.

I like our shot at KSU and OSU the best. It's tough for us to win in Stillwater... but this is a game we can win if we bring game.

OU and WVU will be really tough in their buildings. I still can't believe Self didn't see the potential in Buddy Hield. He may easily be the best NBA prospect in the B12. Self should work on his relationship with Sunrise Christian Academy. Lots of great talent goes through there and it is right in our backyard.

Barnes is easily the nicest coach in the B12. He's a class act. But those traits don't win games. I'm not saying winning coaches are classless and unfriendly, but they know how to bear down and push players hard.

@jaybate-1.0

"X is end to end. Y is up and down. Z is side to side."

Z represents the successful pathway of the ball going through the goal. It is also the successful pathway of shot blocking angles to the ball... and angles on rebounds coming off the rim. And passes being stolen. Dribbles being disrupted.

Z represents the execution of the game. The ball is the center point and creating a graphical pathway. Players can still be attached to the ball as it travels through pathways, or it may be released, in a shot, in a pass, in a throw down...

X is the horizontal pathways of players.

Y is the vertical pathways of players.

Discovering weaknesses and strengths. Plotting points, analyzing potential strategies of executing the Z.

Sticking the ball in the hole!

The art of combining chess, physics and Naismith.

@wrwlumpy

It is a sad day in college basketball. First, that they are probably too big to fail. Second... think about all the teams that lost to them while their players were busy studying.

The Death of Orange basketball -

Syracuse self-imposes ban
↗

Any chance they want to do the right thing and disqualify themselves from OUR 2003 National Championship? It wouldn't hurt my feelings.

Couldn't it be true they have two guys named "Melo" that should be ruled ineligible?

Anyone know the details of this case? It must be pretty severe if they are banning themselves!

How about if they start playing pre-conf games outside of the Carrier Dome? They can start by booking Wichita State down there in Wichita...

I'd like to say I feel their pain... but... NAAAAH!

Filmed at 11...

@JayHawkFanToo

Talk about a loaded question for Self.... "So Bill... if Mizzou had offered you the job, would you have taken it?" :-)

@globaljaybird

It was always fun watching those ranked Mizzou teams eventually melt down. Especially Norm's teams.

I wonder if that gas station would still keep their offer today? Remember that? When Norm told the world he wouldn't even buy gas in the State of Kansas and the Kansas gas station offered him free gas? He didn't take it, and the entire world realized what a dick he was.

"Missouri's former basketball coach Norm Stewart would traditionally have his players stay in Kansas City, Missouri, before playing at Kansas, going so far as to require the team bus to buy its gasoline at a Missouri filling station and reprimanding players who ate in Kansas, as he did not want to put any money into Kansas' economy."

source ↗

"Sit down, Norm!"

@JayHawkFanToo

Good points. But you would think the other "analysts" would be college ball junkies and know more. Pay me all that cake and I'll study the top 50 teams and know everything I can find on them. I'll even go read their fan blogs.

@jaybate-1.0

"I'm starting to think the announcers are "chipped and dripped.""

I'd like to know how many of them are just reading mindless teleprompters of scripts written by just about anyone.

I don't mind Seth Greenberg most of the time. At least it seems like he is chirping his own material and he does follow teams. He is often closer to being dialed in than most of them.

Jay Bilas is good in some areas... then he goes off the deep end with some of his concepts I can't tolerate. His goal is to sterilize the game.

Dickie V has changed over the years and is still an ACC boy, but shares the wealth more.

Brent Mushburger is in serious need of a lobotomy... real frontal lobe stuff.

Fran Fraschilla... didn't he just do some coaching but was never a player? There seems to be gigantic holes in his thought process.

@JayHawkFanToo

"I have said it before, if you can beat the WVU press you will win big."

I agree.... as long as you convert beating the press with easy finishes at the rim. If you can't do that, and you are trying to do that, suddenly you don't have offense anymore because WVU has successfully sped you up.

There was some of that going on in the OU game where OU beat the press then started to run some half court offense and they continued to rush their shots.

It's tough to control the pace of those games. WVU speeds up all parts of the game and you either fight it by still trying to run your set offense in the half court, or you just try to score fast because the other possessions you had run outs.

The key is to maintain composure. OU did a good job of getting back on track when they started to slide. I thought Kruger did a heck of a good job controlling his guys.

This will be a great test for our guys... really see their composure pushed to the max, especially in Morgantown.

@globaljaybird

Mizzou has had teams that were ranked. And our rivalry often went back and forth. They seem headed downward to even further lows... their first-year coach, Kim Anderson, comes from D2 ball for the Central Missouri Mules. The Mules? He did lead them to back-to-back MIAA Championships... but seriously.... Mizzou couldn't find a quality D1 coach?

Can anyone in here imagine Kansas hiring Emil Pospissle from D2 and the Central Kansas Jackasses?

@jayballer54

I just hope if we get him we set him up to play at his skills and not try to force him into what he is not. Thon is one of several big prospects coming up the pike that don't fit the traditional mold.

Hard to say if Svi can maintain enough patience to go through the Kansas system. He is no where near being a NBA player yet. But the investment in staying at Kansas for 4 years would really lift his game. He is a different case than Brannen... but he should be able to stay motivated by studying how Brannen is developing (and has developed) during his Jayhawk years.

Svi has all those gifts that Kobe mentioned USA players are lacking. He just needs the physicality to be able to execute his game in the NBA. He also needs to learn a bit more about the play of US ball versus Euro ball. I could easily see him being a life long player in SA! Hopefully Coach Pop will still be there in 3 more years.

I look at Greene and I believe his limitations for turning pro are a bit more systemic than just saying he needs to improve his defense.

Brannen needs to improve his physicality. Part of it is strength... part of it maybe be structural and flexibility. Part of it may be mental.

Brannen is aware of his shortcomings, and he is working on it. And he has made gigantic strides in his physicality, both physical and mental.

This will be best shown by taking video footage of his play this March and comparing it to footage from last year. You will not recognize him as the same player. He has made huge strides this year in many areas. He started addressing his stance issue. Last year he played too upright. Part of this was a flexibility issue, part a strength issue, part a structural issue and part a mental issue. He had to address all of this to start bringing his stance down lower. He wasn't going anywhere with his upright stance. It completely prevented him from being able to defend. He couldn't burst on a first step, or change direction quickly... and his upright position made him collapse on any contact. Players that play too upright are just not engaged in the game enough to be effective. It takes bending knees, widening stances and finding the right upper body positioning to be effective. This is not something easy to overcome. The entire body has to be retrained and converted. Flexibility has to be increased along with strength and strength in a broader range. The mind has to accept it and push for further increases in not being upright.

All of this is about Brannen being able to engage the game properly. Then he can learn to hang (defensively) with a guard who has a quick first step. He can fight through hard screens. He can better seal off the boards to rebound. He can develop a quicker one-step and no-step jump and go higher. He can absorb contact and not fold, but maintain his position and strength.

I don't know how he has improved in this... but I'm guessing Hudy has had everything to do with this! I think Brannen has put in a lot of extra personal reps in to improve. He's a different version of a Jeff Withey.... a guy who really dedicated himself to adding weight, strength and execute performance.

Brannen should keep on this path and stay 4 years in college, because the next jump is huge. If he keeps going like he is going now, the doors will be wide open for him at the next level... I'm certain of that!

@wrwlumpy

Excellent thread! Thanks for putting it up!

I'm not sure if it helps or hurts Kansas basketball to have Mizzou's program heading downward. Logically, it would seem to help us because fair weather fans just like catching a game now and then and will gravitate to success more than failure. But I've always taken a bit of a different view. That having more quality ball in the area helps everyone. If fans catch quality ball wherever, they are more likely to pursue other venues, too.

There may be some validity in this thread about OKC Thunder potentially stealing revenue dollars from OU, Tulsa and other college programs.

On the other hand.... the way I view it is positive. Getting fans to accept basketball as entertainment is a plus. Might it be that fans that attend OKC Thunder games may be more open-minded about going to a college game later?

I'm not sure these are the same markets. You only have to go to a Kansas game to see what I'm talking about. What percentage of the fans attending a game in AFH are either Kansas diehard fans, students, or both? I'd say upwards of 95%. First off... it isn't a cheap proposition to go to a game. Tickets are high, especially if you aren't a student. We don't really encourage opening our doors to lightweights. And when we get a few lightweights, they obvious have the bucks to fair weather it for a night of Kansas basketball.

If KC has a competitive NBA team, would it damper KU attendance? I think not.

What builds attendance is momentum. People want to go where other people are going. It's a crowd mentality. Every time Kansas has a game on the TV the announcers say... "man, if you've never attended a Kansas game in AFH, you need to add it to your bucket list!" Of course they are right! It is an experience because of the momentum! The fans pack in and it is the fans that make the atmosphere. Some of us old timers know quite a bit about that. I recall some not so great years of Kansas basketball when games didn't sell out. The atmosphere was not nearly as magical.

The problem at OU, Tulsa and OSU is first.... the student body does not support basketball! Oklahoma is a football State. Just a year or two ago we posted on here a video of Ford going around in big areas on the campus of OSU trying to recruit students to their games. Can you imagine that happening on our campus? It would be a huge media event and all the national sports media people would probably be in attendance. We'd have the entire student population crowding in because Self was going to utter some words.

I think OKC Thunder basketball is a huge plus for the State of Oklahoma. And the long run impact will be positive for all the Oklahoma schools and their basketball programs. It is very important that they keep building winning NBA basketball. It is a process of slowly converting fans to accepting basketball as major entertainment. This will take a decade or maybe two. Rome wasn't built over night. The problems are deeply entrenched in their culture. That's why even the youth haven't grasped basketball yet. Students don't go to basketball games, they go to football games.

I grew up going to Sooner football games. I was always a Jayhawk... but to catch real excitement I had to make a long journey to Norman. The momentum is there for football. Talk about wild and crazy entertainment! OU fans go all out for football. Painted body parts, crazy signs, real enthusiasm. Everyone wears Sooner red. And the stadium goes nuts!

It really is less about the game and more about the energy of a crowd! Find creative ways to build momentum.... build crowds... and then maintain it. We maintain our crowds by winning. Self is valuable for our program. And with all the fan attention, it helps recruiting. We get more TV coverage and national attention.

It is tough to turn communities of people around. I do think Kansas fans are the best in the world! We are not really a football State like Oklahoma... but the first signs of a winning team and Jayhawk fans show up at Memorial Stadium. We really need football to be successful. It will help our basketball program considerably!

Thank you, OU! You are a good team and deserve a full house. The empty seats is an embarrassment to our entire conference.

I feel for those OU players... they really fight hard and don't get recognized for it.

All year I've circled WVU away as a loss. We will be coming off only two days rest and have to travel there. And it is our first experience with them this year and we are still a very young team. However... if we screw on our hats tight like we did when we traveled to Austin, we can never count this team out!

I'm doubtful Self will start the preparation to play WVU until after the Baylor game... leaving us exactly one practice session to work on something very difficult to beat. If he does this there is no way we will be prepared.

Our biggest advantage is that we have depth to run in hopes we can stay fresh. Another monstrous advantage is that we don't play them until towards the end of the Big 12 season. WVU not only plays aggressive, but they also play rough. Their style of ball puts more wear on their players so hopefully they won't be really at full strength by then. I'd rather have them at full strength and put our guys to the maximum test. I just hope Self gives them a chance by practicing beating the press and traps at least a week ahead of our game.

@jayballer54

Then these same guys yack it up about KU when they call our games... as long as we win. We can have a 5 game lead in our league and lose one on the road and they start chirping.... "is this the year someone else wins the B12?"

It's about like watching CNN cover the recent snow in NYC. It was snow alright... a real snow job.

I feel sure that it is just a matter of time before we are down to 30 seconds. They are already fretting about the flatness of the game and record low scoring.

As the season is playing out, I'm seeing some really good characteristics... number one being that this team is winning a lot of tough games.

I'm starting to believe we will at least show well enough to get to the Sweet 16 and beyond that anything is possible!

I think it will take a really good team playing well to beat us in March. I don't see the flukey upset coming from a Mo Valley team this year!

@Crimsonorblue22

Gheez... like these kids could afford to shop at Whole Foods. I'm sure they will be lining up to buy a $35 happy cow ribeye steak! Unless I"m leaving out a part of the rest of their recruiting techniques. Just the fact that they list Whole Foods should be ample proof that the NCAA needs to run a formal investigation in Waco!

Hilarious link.... thanks!

@JayHawkFanToo

Thanks for doing some homework on this. I don't follow it so close, but love to read about it. Your link was an excellent read on LeBron.

""It’s whatever," James said of his position. "I just try to make plays no matter if I’m at the 4, the 3 or the 1 or whatever the case may be.” "

It seems like this illustrates a big difference between the rigidity of college basketball with the open attitude in the pros. College ball likes to draw players into a position, and then make them run their sets in the same positions with very defined restrictions. Pros throw that out the window and they draw up unique stuff to run that fits the talents of their players and their match ups. Wigs and LeBron should be able to work a monster offense together since both can drive the ball and finish at the rim, both can hit the outside shot. The defense can't be everywhere.... so how do you stop those guys when they are on the floor together? Wigs is quickly playing like a young, healthy DWade. He's a long ways from DWade's skill set, but he is making up ground with his athleticism.

Wigs still isn't great handling the ball, but he is improving... and they are starting to realize he's a better player when he receives the ball while in motion... something Self should have taken advantage of but couldn't in his rigid offense.

@Kubie

"Apology to Landon Lucas"

Landen may not be a super stud 5-star recruit.... but he has height and he has pretty good fundamentals. Of our bigs, he is the only one that really knows how to set up in the low post. I wish he had stronger low post finishes.... but... he is still improving his game.

He is a bit inconsistent... but he is an option off the bench, and in some games he is our BEST option! Since he does know how set up in the low post, in certain match ups he can dominate in the low paint. That isn't going to be in every game....

Part of his inconsistency is on defense. Sometimes I think that is the rust from not getting enough real game action. He is our best post player at sealing off the boards, too.

He is definitely an important part of our depth!

@Crimsonorblue22

Great image... thanks!

Hmmm.... McKay.... and his 80s hairstyle.....

[link text](

@benshawks08

Really great post! Right on about the personality differences between the Mayor and Self.

I think the Mayor's brand of offense is remarkably similar to NBA offense... depending on the team. Teams run different stuff to take advantage of their players.

College basketball is completely stiff everywhere but ISU. Look at how crazy wild they built their fan base since the Mayor has returned? A big part of it is about winning... but part of it is their style. Their games are actually FUN to watch! Their offensive stuff looks different every play. They play what I would call a "full motion offense." It's Princeton on steroids.

On one possession you'll see three guys in motion, choreographed... with another guy slashing and being hit with the ball on the run. He's already into his move to the basket. If you want to get a guy to drive the ball, start off by hitting him in stride! Did we ever do that with Wigs? We gave him the ball on the perimeter and made him start from zero. Totally stiff basketball. And painful to watch!

On the next possession ISU will have everyone stand still, and it's a play where Niang is going to do his thing, regardless of how many guys help out. Why it works is because of stuff they ran before. They already have the defense spread apart.

They combine a philosophy of "take what the defense gives" with "create opportunities with motion and isolations."

The cool thing about basketball is that there are no secrets. DVR a game and start studying. It's all there. Fred isn't running nuclear science.

Imagine what we could do with an offense like this with the level of talent we are able to recruit? Imagine we had run that with Wigs?

@JayHawkFanToo

No.... I agree with you on this. He is listed as a SF. But he has the body of a PF. He can perform like a PF. Actually... you are right... he can play all 5 positions!

But what difference does it make on how you list them on a piece of paper? It's the NBA and offense is drawn up to fit the talent and match ups. Wigs and LeBron play a different game. Both have their skills. Why can't they both be on the floor at the same time?

@VailHawk

It is a fun thought... thinking that the Kansas coaching brain trust comes to KUbuckets for advice.

But in reality...

I don't have a clue what motivates Self or what attracts his attention, especially around his recent changes in strategy. But I have some ideas.

I believe the Mayor has had the biggest influence on Self recently. ISU has stepped up and challenged Kansas and is definitely a formidable opponent and is able to do it without recruiting a stable of 5-star recruits.

I think Coach Pop at SA is also someone Self focuses on.

Self is realizing that the game has changed since he started coaching. He has always definitely fit into the typical college coach definition... teach rigid structure.... teach your philosophy.

The Mayor has a different approach. It is directly out of the NBA playbook. Do what you have to do to win! It is as simple (and complex) as that.

Self is no slouch on winning. He has been one of the most successful coaches in college basketball. But the game is changing, and Kansas basketball is changing in a big way. We are no longer focused on the four to five year players. We are focused more on the one to two year players. It is hard to get a return on teaching philosophy to players for only one or two years.

I hope what we are seeing is a permanent change in Kansas basketball. I'm not saying we should never again focus on post scoring. But to have the mindset that we will play to our strengths (whatever they are) is a completely different philosophy than what Self has had. This gives us a chameleon identity instead of just one identity.

I'm curious what could be next? Might we finally start focusing just a little bit less energy on team defense and offense and start pushing players to be individually responsible (like the NBA)? This is at the base of the Mayor's strategy. That's why you see every one of his players capable of taking someone in a one-on-one play to the hole or to a spot on the floor. His strategy is to open up the offense, spread the defense, isolate players so they can attack. We are still a long ways away from this kind of game. Our strategy last night was to spread the defense, but we still relied on mostly hitting the set shot. Every one of Fred's guys can drive to the hole with success.

The Mayor is one heck of a coach. He has made a bigger impact over anyone else in recent history. He has been able to translate the pro game to college. No one else has been able to really do it. Fred has. It is hard to imagine what he could do if he starts landing a few OADs and TADs. He should be able to do it eventually. At some point he is going to get some of these kids to realize that he has the right step between HS and the NBA. And he does!

Now imagine an open-minded Self?! Imagine a guy who is able to adopt more of a NBA strategy at an elite program? Imagine what we can do with that?

So we are taking the positive recruiting techniques from Calipari (build luxury living suites, top tier talent practicing every day against top tier talent), then apply the Mayor's game (teach individual responsibilities within a team concept, spread the floor, create isolations and scoring space, no rigidity).

And do all of this at a blue blood like Kansas!

Here is our monstrous edge over Calipari and his dribble drive. The Mayor's offense is light years ahead of the dribble drive... it is more like a supercharged version of the Princeton offense. Another real positive.... this is effective offense that new players can adopt and execute in little time!

There is a huge flaw in Self's recent strategy. He's going after OAD talent and then trying to force them into rigid, philosophical college basketball. It just doesn't maximize the use of those players. Look at Wigs. He was pinned into a rigid structure that trapped him into double teams and collapsed defenses. Look at Wigs now! Imagine if we could have had this Wigs at Kansas? Truth is, we could have! He hasn't improved so much in this short time, he is actually battling against tougher competition. But he has been set free! He is in the league, and the league is just about winning. Individual players have individual responsibilities. You either step up or you are out. A player can't hide behind a team concept. The game is opened up and you are expected to score in your match up!

It's time we be the real next step for these kids and give them some NBA-style game now. I'm sick and tired of babysitting players. Letting them float in a team concept. Reminds me of communism.

@JayHawkFanToo

"Love was/is a better complement to LeBron where Wiggins basically plays the same position. No question that Cleveland was trying to build a team to win now rather than in the future and Love fit those plans better."

That is exactly the thoughts of Cleveland.

Does it make sense to invest your future all in just a short span for success? The pressure is on... big time. If Cleveland can't bring home the gold within 3 they are dead. Love's time clock is running towards the end along with James' dominance. Love is about one injury away from being toast. And Cleveland still looks a long ways from being championship material. Defense still wins championships.... and I'd definitely take even a rookie Wiggins over Love.

Wigs and James only play the same position on paper. In reality James is a PF and Wigs is a SF or a SG. The only reason they are considered the same position is that James can score from anywhere and needs more exposure to the ball than a traditional PF gets. He just didn't want to share the point totals with Wigs. He's still living outside of reality and feels invincible. Wigs was his savior for extending his career and for helping reduce the pressure on him. Wigs is the "other threat" creating more scoring space and less double-teaming of James.

Love is a guy who will do some of the dirty work on rebounds. James would rather be focused on shutting down another team's all star scorer. But is that the answer for defense? One good defender shutting down one scorer instead of two good defenders shutting down two scorers?

It is all about his ego instead of what is right for the franchise and actually... what is right for James. He's just too proud when he plays in Ohio. That's why I"m doubtful James will win more gold in Cleveland.

@justanotherfan

"The only minor concern from this game is that Frank is really starting to look and play worn down. We have to get him some rest because his legs are starting to wear out and we still have two months of basketball left."

I'm with you on that.

Imagine what would happen now if we lost him to injury? Or if a secret nagging injury (which we have experienced before with several players) starts pushing his numbers down for the rest of the year?

Frank is our leader and he is also the guy that can take over a game when everyone else is playing bad. He's the guy that never quits.

I hope Devontes' toe is okay. I'd like to see him get more minutes not only to save Frank, but give him more experience as March approaches. Both of these guys will be vital in March. Devonte is very skilled and poised... but we still are experiencing plenty of "freshman" in his game.

I would also like to see Svi get a few minutes here and there, just to fight off the rust. He has now been put in the deep freeze. Kind of makes me wonder if he is coming back next year. It really doesn't help a guy's development to get no minutes for long stretches. I kind of can't believe he will return next year unless Self convinces him he will get minutes. He's on a different life schedule than the rest of our guys. I hope he stays and I hope he spends every breathing second with Hudy after the season is over. Lets see him apply that tough Ukrainian spirit to the weight room. His potential is oozing out the seams. Just strengthen him and give him a bit more knowledge on American ball, and this kid is a future super star.

@HighEliteMajor

Excellent post, and look how many Jayhawk fans liked it! You are right on the button.

"Then it happened. Self made the switch. The game changed. Four out, one in."

In my opinion, Self never expected success at the inside-out. This was his way of getting the game off slow for us. This was his way of "amping down" the troops. This was vintage Self. He did actually have a strategy, and it was exactly opposite of what I had predicted in my prediction thread. Self didn't want us to get out quick (for a change). He knew this would be a game of endurance. He knew ISU wouldn't go away, even if we built a 20-pt lead. He didn't want to experience another game like OU, especially against this team because if we gave away the second half momentum to ISU we were dead meat, regardless of the lead.

Self amped down the first quarter. He did what I thought ISU would do, and played "rope a dope." He reserved as much energy in our guys as he could. He kept rotating his guys, and he let out plenty of carrot for ISU to run run run (without scoring open court freebies). He wanted ISU to run themselves out, very similar to the strategy against OSU. It has stuck in my head all year... what we were able to do to Phil Forte, Mr. Conditioning. Self played this for a strong finish. He won the coin toss and elected to start the game kicking off. He knew this would be a game of attrition. Look at all the reversal strategies in this game. Not only did we end up spreading the floor and gave them a taste of ISU basketball back to them, we also pushed the ball up the court, another one of their strategies. He wanted to prove we could outlast them. He wanted to break their will.

I have to hand it to ISU... those guys play to win. They didn't break. But they bent. And that is all we need to win in AFH.

Brannen Greene is my hero. Wayne... WELCOME BACK!

But we need to make our pat on the backs really short because Saturday is coming, and a trip to Stillwater, in a place where we don't play well. And it two weeks we get our first taste of WVU, and I think we need two weeks to prepare to play them. We panicked on the pressure of a tired ISU team's press and trap and that was nothing compared to what we will face in Morgantown. What we did learn from this game was we need Devonte and Frank on the floor at the same time. Maybe we just agree to give away that game. We will be playing on two days rest only. That will be the ultimate test for this team. If we can win that game we will show a lot of potential for March.

It just seemed nuts to trade a stud like Wiggins for Love.

Kevin Love is 26, and has a roadmap of scar tissue running throughout his body.

Andrew Wiggins is 19, and is healthy.

Both are quality players... there was a known factor with Love.... along with his known weaknesses.

Imagine you are a top tier HS pg and your HS coach lets you know that someone is waiting outside the locker room to meet you:

SC: "Hello ----, my name is Sherron Collins and I'm an assistant basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Can I speak with you for a minute?"

I'm thinking Sherron could become a recruiting monster! Here is a guy that won't let off the gas!

@JhawkAlum

Amazing the similarities.... and you hadn't read my post first. Our predictions are only 3 points off.

@justanotherfan

True... but if some of these other guys could also create just a bit for themselves, Frank wouldn't be stuck so often as the shot clock runs down, forcing him to drive. By that time, the defense knows what is going to happen and they are ready for Frank to drive.

I'm not talking about a major change of who Frank is. Currently, Frank is okay with not leading in scoring. Often he is sort of "elected" as our primary scorer because when others should be taking the lead, they all take a step backwards, leaving Frank to do it.

Kind of like the old military cliche.... asking for one guy to volunteer, and everyone except one guy steps backwards. Frank is never going to be a guy that steps backwards and everyone on this team knows it.

We may have had more skilled PGs in our history before Frank... but I can't think of a single one that was any tougher than Frank! Frank is fearless and ferocious!

"3-F" Frank.... Fearless, Ferocious, Frank!

@JayHawkFanToo

Thanks for the links.

I just did a rough search... and I can't really find "experts" not picking us. If none did, then the hype against us was formulated out of thin air. Gee... what a surprise!

Greenberg didn't really pick us not to win. Just mentioned that ISU and KU were his top picks. Guess his sleeper is still sleeping!

@justanotherfan

"I am worried about Mason's minutes, plus the wear and tear."

I think it would be nice if we didn't have to rely on his scoring every night. Those drive finishes are where he picks up his scrapes and bruises.

I'd like to see Brannen, Devonte and Wayne be held a bit more responsible for filling out the stat sheet. And then just sometimes we count on Frank, when we really need it. That would usually be away games. Frank doesn't get spooked playing in away games. And it is usually the treys start missing away because the guys aren't used to that court (and for other reasons).

@Blown

Yeah... I think Devonte has taken more minutes away from Wayne and maybe Brannen.

Please.... I know there are some capable fans in this forum.

Can someone find some video footage of announcers predicting we go down this year and post it in here?

I'd love to RECOGNIZE these fine a-holes that targeted Kansas.

@nuleafjhawk

I used to always like hearing that statement made by announcers... until they started adding in other crapola:

"Is this the year? Is this the year that someone else in the Big 12 steps up and takes the crown from Kansas? Many have predicted that this is not the usual Kansas team, and there are several really good teams now in the Big 12. Blah... blah... blah..."

Okay. Notice how none of these announcers take personal credit (now) for predicting someone else takes the crown? The weasels always speak about it in 3rd person. I'd like to hear one of them admit they screwed up again and didn't pick Kansas.

I know there is a lot of basketball yet to be played. Just one loss in a game we should win would put us back with ISU and WVU. But let's get real... much of the media had painted us out of the picture by now. We were supposed to lose in Waco and Austin, too. Texas was supposed to clean our clock. Rick Barnes was suddenly transformed from being the nicest coach in the Big 12 to the most fierce.

I'm loving every second of this! If we go on to winning #11, I think this will be my most-satisfying conference crown ever!

What kind of game is everyone expecting tonight?

I'm not good at predictions, that's why I keep my money in my pocket and not with a bookie.

But if I was to guess how the game will go tonight... it would be like this:

1. Kansas gets out early. We bring lots of early energy and push out to a lead. The crowd is loud, and it looks like an easy win.

2. ISU finally starts scoring. They start scoring and we're still scoring, so the lead stays about the same.

3. ISU starts a charge. For the first time, ISU starts to whittle down our lead. For the first time they start getting a few easy baskets.

4. Kansas pushes back. Self calls a time-out, and the guys start pushing back the lead, perhaps there is a play to trigger this, like one of Wayne's blocks or Cliff's throw downs.

5. (3.) and (4.) keep recycling until the last few minutes.

6. ISU makes their last push. They get it close or maybe even tie it.

7. Kansas finally takes the lead for good.

Kansas 79 - ISU 72

What makes this a game closer than it should be is the brief periods when Kansas lets down with energy. Fred knows this is his opportunity to make up ground. So does his team. They will play like Ali and "rope a dope"... ready for the energy drop and then pounce on some scoring.

We may really need the services of a player like Brannen. If we start slumping we need to run offense for Brannen. A few of his 3s can keep us from a major dip. Our only possibility of losing is if we fall into a major dip. Brannen often answered the calling on Saturday against KSU, and he saved us from big dips.

This is my prediction... anyone else have a prediction?

@HighEliteMajor

"Then look at Traylor. We basically got nothing out of both of those guys."

True.... but we lacked team energy in that game. No one was willing to get back on defense. Energy is Traylor's calling card... so when he doesn't bring it, he doesn't have much to offer.

The game is in our house, and with the only one to beat us. If the guys can't get jacked up for this game we might as well throw in the towel on the rest of the season and March.

And now they know the difference of bringing the energy for half a game (OU) and bringing the energy for an entire game (UT).

They better know what to bring.

And Brannen is now our offensive "rescuer".... so when we start slumping on offense we need to run a play to open him up. The 3 points not only gives us a points boost, it helps put our guys back on energy track, including on defense. Brannen only scored 2 points in Ames and played just 5 minutes.

@JayHawkFanToo

"They play fast and they all can hit from outside,"

I agree with you... but it will be hard for them to have the speed advantage on us in AFH. They have to be faster than us to win this game. It's an uphill battle for them.

We know we can't give away our home court advantage.

@HighEliteMajor

"That's a game where the Graham/Mason combo should be front and center."

How many times can I say YES? YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES......YES YES YES YES YES.....

@wrwlumpy

I remember a lot of Roy's tears as a Jayhawk. Roy is a very emotional person and he takes everything personal. At least he keeps it real.

It was a media cheap shot to pan out to Fred's son and show that. Where will they look for drama next, the lady's bathroom with a toilet-cam?

What is something is that we don't have a single coach with Kansas Jayhawks roots.

We've had all that talent, many going on to be great coaches... and now we have none under our own tent.

We just experienced what can happen in football when an alumnus gets involved. Bam!

I think this is important. It isn't about the politics... it is all about having guys that bleed crimson/blue.

@JayHawkFanToo

The way to send him an "I told you so" is for us to win out in March!

I also hold out hope for the B12 in March... and usually surprised when other teams don't show better. We really need some conference help in the tourney this year. Many of our teams are piling up B12 losses but will be scary in March. I think OU could really thump some teams by then. Maybe even Texas will pull their heads out and start playing.

@JayHawkFanToo

"Orlando has one of the 3 worse rosters if not the worst in the NBA. Vaughn has done as well as anyone can under the circumstances."

True.... but the NBA is just another side of corporate America... and when things don't go right, people above look for someone below to blame, because you know they won't be accountable themselves.

I'm dreaming with you... would love to see him back in Lawrence. He'd make a great assistant for a few years, then have the right resume to land a big time college coaching position!

@HighEliteMajor

I'm with you on going small. Graham needs to start. Not sure if I'd use Greene over BamBam or not. It all depends which guy wants to run his butt off and prevent them from having easy run out points.

This is the same strategy we need against WVU. We need speed, ball movement and ball handling. I'm definitely trying to keep supporting Wayne... but he is just not the match up person we need in either of these games. Doesn't mean he won't be vital in both games. We don't know if Devonte will maintain his poise or not, but he is worth the shot!

We really shouldn't have trouble smashing down ISU in AFH. We better come ready to run. We do that we will win.

@JayHawkFanToo

"Texas is the Al Gore of sports"

They invented the game, didn't they? :-)

@wrwlumpy

It will be interesting to see how much the Shocks fall. But that UNI is a tough team and I'm not hoping we draw them in our bracket again!