That may be. Then he should have even a bigger problem. But will it become a problem?
I remember how he hid Lee on the bench last year. I can't believe that kid wasn't playing 35 mpg somewhere else, like on another contender. The kid seems happy and always motivated when he comes in off the bench.
Imagine we had 9 McDs AAs. We can't seem to keep support players happy around 4 McDs AAs.
I know I've been guilty of slamming John Calipari a million times in online blogs. Many of us have given him unflattering names and descriptions. I've done it again by giving him the title, "Master Clown."
I created that name from watching plenty of his games, and John is a very animated coach. I see animation as a major feature of clowns, but in reality maybe John just knows how to communicate to high school and college players.
(insert segue)
We are about ready to embark on another great year of Kansas basketball in the Big 12 Conference. This is the time of year where Coach Self starts focusing playing time into a smaller and smaller group. This is the time of year where players that didn't quite make the cut get placed away in the deep freeze on the far end of the bench and rust away.
There are several quality players that might want to grab their winter coats about now. Not because of the current frigid temperatures outside in Lawrence, but because of the frigid temperatures coming inside, at the end of the bench.
What players are bound for chilling temperatures and rusted joints?
Svi. Svi has shown lots of promise, but he hasn't shown enough immediate ability to contribute on a consistent basis.
Brannen. Brannen had one game showing how hot he can be, but hasn't shown it again. His defense lacks intensity, and he hasn't had a steal all year.
Hunter. Hunter has shown some promise during a few moments while other times seems a bit lost and slow in the game. His timing seems a bit off, and this has kept him from stacking up bigger numbers in his brief moments of play in the area where he was dominant at Arkansas; shot blocking.
Landen. Landen is a starter who is slowly fading off the screen. He (and everyone else) has been awaiting the inevitable, for Cliff to come on stronger and take his minutes away. Will he take most of his minutes? Good chance of that happening, but Landen will surely be counted on in parts of the coming season, when Cliff finds himself in foul trouble or unmotivated play.
(insert chorus)
This leads me back to John Calipari, and his platoon system used to parse playing time.
I've never given John credit for being able to win with a stacked deck. I've always maintained that a group of this much talent can probably win 25+ games a year being self-coached. We'll never know if that is true or not.
But I am about to break new ground here and give John credit for convincing his all-star troops that playing a mere 20 minutes a game can be a positive. Meanwhile, the rest of college basketball coaches has to plead with high school recruits and guarantee them a starting position with all the playing time minutes they can handle.
When Coach Self was focused more on 3 and 4-star recruits, he seemed quite proud to lay down the law to the recruiting world: "if you come to Kansas, you'll have to earn your playing time. There are no guarantees. You'll have to steal minutes from experienced players who will have a preference for their experience." We all see where that got us. CS suddenly found himself in a recruiting slump.
CS finally broke down and changed his strategy. He was sick and tired of spending all that energy in top recruits and rarely landing them. None of us know what he tells recruits today (exactly). We know he has softened his positions, and we have seen many recent 5-star recruits start as freshmen.
This all makes me wonder. Has he committed playing time to certain players? Right now my focus is on Wayne and Perry. These two seem to often bring the softest play to games (not always). Are they playing under the same high risk other players are playing under?
Are we going to experience another year where we rust away much of our deep bench, ending the possibility we can use an effective bench later? Will we experience more transfers after March?
We were all shocked at Conner Frankamp's transfer. No one saw that coming. We all thought there was a possibility he could be "put on ice" for another year. He isn't the exact profile player we look for in a perimeter player, and the one enticing area of being a sharp shooter hadn't come to fruition. But Conner did have plenty to offer us. First, he represented needed depth at PG and the 2. He is a different approach from what we have now. He was less athletic and was small, but he offered a good amount of basketball IQ, something we often lack on the perimeter. If he was instructed to do something, he did it. He was disciplined.
Conner was (and is) a Kansas Jayhawk diehard. But he is also a tough competitor, and he couldn't stand the thought of rusting away at the end of a bench, even if the bench was at Kansas. Conner left for two main reasons: first, we ended up being lopsided with too many talented perimeter players, and most of these players fit a profile of what CS liked to recruit (and play) and Conner was not in that profile. Second, Conner had already experienced a year of Jayhawk "deep freeze." I believe both of these factors made a compelling statement concerning his future as a Jayhawk.
We've lost plenty of talented players to transfer over the past years. We can shrug our heads and turn up our noses and proclaim that these players just couldn't cut it. But the facts are the facts. When we lose talent that has been at Kansas for a year or more we are losing experienced depth. We lose a few players early to the NBA, but when you combine it with the players we lose to transfers, we end up in a situation where we are never able to put an experienced team on the floor again.
I don't know what John Calipari does to get his 9 McDonald's All Americans on board for playing half games, but he has now earned some coaching respect from me for making this approach work. Most of his players do not come from the State of Kentucky, and were not diehard Kentucky fans, yet they seem more flexible for sharing playing time and in the process have become a tighter team because of their sharing attitudes.
What will make Kentucky a great team come March will be their depth. All of their talented players received plenty of minutes throughout the year, and will be ready (and fresh) in March. Will we be able to say the same? Or will we "ice away" several players now, only to not have options in March and face more defections after the season has ended?
"slayer, what do you see in this pic?"
I see an EJ who remained humble even after destroying ISU by himself.
"Remember how in the UK game, Perry was terrorized for ALWAYS trying to lay the ball up? Then in the next few games, you saw Perry throw it down with authority. That was learning."
I think you are on to a very big point here.
Most guys can "learn" a change of behavior and carry it out for a short while only.
You can see that happening right now, big time. It's the New Year and everyone and their dog has made another New Year's resolution that they won't keep more than a week or two. All the health clubs prey on the masses for this by signing them up for a year or two on what will end up being a "ghost" membership.
It is the rare person that can make big changes and keep them permanently.
Jeff Withey is a guy I put up there. I remember when he was just a skinny twig in the breeze when he came to Kansas. He worked his butt off and put on some weight and lots of strength. He went through a big character change during that period. Remember "fat lip" Withey? The guy got sick of being punched around and he toughened up. It's amazing that he is able to make a dime in the NBA when thinking back to what he was when he came to Kansas.
I hope Cliff is being educated on how hard players like Jeff and TRob worked during their stay in Lawrence, and just how much they evolved over that time. And I hope Perry realizes that he can make a deep-rooted behavioral change if he really wants it bad enough. He needs a sense of urgency, and I've never seen Perry maintain that sense of urgency. In some ways he is just too methodical and laid back.
I wish I could hit the like button more times than once! Thanks!
"Wayne is certainly an enigma."
So true.... and that exact statement was used frequently to describe EJ.
I was (and am) a huge EJ fan. Always was. He was asked to do more than he knew how to do. In that regard, he was a true team player. He gave up perhaps some of his pro career potential to play a different role in Kansas basketball.
I hope we don't put Wayne in that position, too. I have the same fondness for Wayne, but I don't think I have the stomach to watch him end up with a similar outcome EJ had. Once was enough.
We need to show the tape of Texas beating us at home after TRob lost his mom.
That was a gut-wrenching loss.
I recall seeing many fans crying. We so much wanted a ray of sunshine to help lift the clouds, and Texas brought rain.
That should be a motivational tool for the next 100 years every time Texas comes to AFH.
I give Roberts all the credit in the world from bringing him to Kansas. Roberts isn't a big man coach.
I didn't forget the big guy. But how much credit do we give Snacks for developing JoJo?
JoJo brought the gift with him. Even our coaching staff often commented how surprised they were to see some of his moves.
We had little to do with his improvement. Look at how good he became in the 3 years he played basketball before we got him? He went from zero to becoming a huge recruiting score.
I think he would have improved about the same if we dropped him on the North Pole with a basketball, a rim and a DVD TV/player with a stack of Olajuwon DVDs and came back a year later to take him to the NBA draft. Might not have been drafted 3rd.... but he would have brought game with him.
Kansas taking credit for developing Embiid is like Kentucky taking credit for developing the Unibrow.
Wow! Where you been hiding out?
I really agree with your entire post, except the part about Naa. I was the very last guy to throw him under the bus, but when I did, I did.
Lots of good material there.
I've been wondering about Snacks, too. Maybe he helped us land Cliff, but if we had Danny still, wouldn't we have landed Cliff and Myles?
KU's reputation as "Big Man U" is on the line with Cliff. We had the rep of being a school that developed bigs, but that was when Danny was with us. What about now? Other teams surely use that against us while fighting for bigs we are after. Cliff was "all world" in HS and he still doesn't even start, and sometimes we go a long time without him getting minutes.
I know Cliff is a great recruit if we were looking for a guy in the middle of the pack that might hang around for 3 to 4 years, but his rep has him leaving this year and he doesn't look anything at all ready for the NBA or even to be a premiere big in D1 this year. If he leaves early, without ever giving us quality minutes, then gets drafted in the second round and flounders at the next level, he will be our biggest post bust since Self has arrived here.
There is a lot riding on Cliff's progress and his decisions.
Meanwhile, the earth stays in motion. Players like Willie Cauley-Stein are getting headlines and we didn't even recruit him in our own State, just half an hour from the campus. Maybe he should have been a target instead of Landen? Or maybe we just don't have the ability to develop bigs like we did when Danny was here.
So if we don't have an edge recruiting and developing bigs anymore, why the heck would we ever focus on a hi/lo offense again?
Personally, I want to see Self ditch the hi/lo for a more progressive offense and one that helps us recruit better guards. I'd rather be guard-heavy than post-heavy. Doesn't mean I don't want good post players, but I feel like guard play influences winning in March more than post play. I think UCONN is a testament to that.
It was our guard play in '08 that made the difference.
I laughed so hard and I should have had a diaper on!
Another great post, HEM, and definitely deserves it's own thread and plenty of discussion.
I've always been a big fan of Wayne. For one, he has a stocky build like me and I've always been waiting for him to be the next "mini-me" Sir Charles Barkley. That hasn't happened this year, and worse, he seems to be backing down from aggressiveness. Towards mid-season last year, when Self was pushing the team for more aggressiveness, Selden did step it up a notch.
I wonder.... oh... I wonder. Could it be? I really hate to go in this direction and make the comparison to another player I like equally... but.... could Wayne be our next EJ? I've been thinking this for quite some time and didn't want to go there, until I felt comfortable that it was a comparison that had to be mentioned.
Wayne and EJ both have NBA-type bodies and plenty of touted athleticism when they came to Kansas. We know what happened to EJ. There were questions of his health (same with Wayne). But at the end of the day, many of us gave EJ the nickname "the thinker" because his body followed too much heavy thinking. I'm afraid I see this in Wayne.
Watching Wayne out there, he looks a half-step slower than everyone. The same was true for EJ. Both of these guys were way too athletic to be physically slower. Both are held back by their thoughts. Their brains have to process too much before their bodies react.
I truly believe Self has made the same mistake with Wayne as he did with EJ. Imagine if EJ remained a 2 his entire career at Kansas and was never mentioned to take on other roles (like at point)? I believe he would have been a very different player and would have improved all 4 years. I feel the same with Wayne.
My jaw hit the table months ago when I heard Self talking about playing Wayne any positions 1 through 4. When he did that, he sent Wayne's mind into a tailspin and he hasn't recovered. His psyche is too much like EJs. Guys like this have to have a single focus, and if the apple cart is not disrupted, they show more than potential, they execute.
EJ was a disaster at point. It is a hard adjustment to make, and even players like Frank, who have more natural ability to make the switch, still have issues and a long adjustment period. It is a disastrous thought to run Wayne at point, even if it is just words for saying that Wayne will bring the ball up the court.
"My standard analysis on personnel is to go with the guy who will be your best player in March. Right now, I don't think there is a easy answer to that question. "
I feel the same way. And I also definitely put in there that I want the best player that will help us do our best in B12 play. I haven't completely written off a chance at another NC. But what I really don't want to do this year is go 0-for-2, no B12 title, no NC. If I have to pick a focus for this year, I think I'd focus harder on the B12 title because if we lose it, we become just one more of the 400-some D1 teams. With the streak alive we have good recruiting bait and lots of extra general publicity. More than anything, I want to beat Texas this year. I want to prove, once again, that if big guys choose Texas over Kansas, they made a gigantic mistake! Imagine what kind of team we could have had with Myles?
Tomorrow is our last game before conference. This is our last chance for Bill to pull player's strings without league consequences. He should be giving Wayne a push, and if he doesn't hustle more, he should get an early pull.
Look at our conference schedule. We really, really need to win those first 3 games. We all know how tough of a league we have this year and if we don't get out of the blocks strong then it will be very unlikely we'll chalk up #11. For all of our upside, imagine the upside of teams like Texas. If we get out of the blocks strong, some of our league's toughest teams will get a loss quickly, before they figure out how to play tough in the league. I see Texas as a much tougher out in 2 months.
What I see as a real killer this year is if we have a collapse like we did at TCU a few years ago. This team is super young, and something like a 3 loose streak would end our chances of another B12 trophy. We could do that with the way this team currently plays.
It is bad enough that we don't know which players will show up for a game... but we know of 2 guys in our starting lineup that often play passive: Wayne and Perry. That just isn't going to get it done this year!
We have so many tough players this year, but when Wayne and Perry play soft, they lead the way for a soft game. If we go soft in league, we will experience more blow outs like we had with Kentucky and Temple.
Temple was the wake up call.
"although who knows with Coach K. He may never quit."
Seems like he'll never quit. He grimaces from the bench and you can tell a big chunk of that isn't because the team is playing bad, he is obviously in pain.
We all need to step back and look at this closer (concerning Hudy).
Her job is to increase the athleticism of a teenagers, while trying to limit injuries.
There is a conflict in that statement. By increasing the athleticism in teenagers, it puts them at more risk, too.
When you jump higher you are putting an exponential amount of additional impact on your joints. When you learn to make more aggressive lateral cuts, you are putting an exponential amount of additional stress on tendons, cartilage and tissues.
Now consider that we are also talking about teenagers. They may have the most flexible bones (comparing to older athletes), but many areas of their body have not matured and are vulnerable to injuries.
I like what @justanotherfan said, when comparing college to pros. Pro training is more about maintaining endurance and preventing injuries. Most athletes in the pros are not working hard to increase their vertical by several inches. They are interested in protecting their investment because they are already signed with a club. And these athletes are true adults, matured anatomies that have already established strengths and weaknesses, and these players are heavily coached into paying attention to their bodies to prevent injuries.
College basketball is about development.... seeing how much improvement players can make during that period. Add that to their youth and you create additional risk.
Pro ball is about endurance. Long seasons playing way too many games. Their injuries are more a testament of repetitive stresses.
I think Hudy does an outstanding job.
If I have a gripe it is about nutrition. There is not enough focus on contemporary sports nutrition. Kansas could leap over all of college basketball if they got on the stick with contemporary sports nutrition. Get these kids off of sports bars and Gatorade and on to real nutrition. It would impact their health and performance considerably.
"I'm sure you all hate grammar policemen, but this isn't grammar."
Sorry.... I dropped the ball on that one. Actually, I don't hate grammar police and appreciate when someone makes corrections.
I've been wondering this, too.
I believe Bill still has a burning passion for basketball, and coaching young players. And I think he is very happy with Kansas and his contract.
But basketball at Kansas has been changing over the period he signed on. The recruiting is far more intense, and the need to recruit harder all over the country is common now.
Another aspect that is unique to Kansas is the level of fundraising Bill is involved in with Sheahon.
Bill would have more time and energy if Kansas football was pulling more weight. This has to be the biggest factor because Kansas basketball is pulling a disproportionate amount of the financial weight in the Kansas athletic department.
Bill isn't a KU alum, but he certainly goes up and beyond his duties across the board for the university! This is completely understated and Bill doesn't beat his own drum, but people should be made aware of how much time he gives to the university and other organizations in non-Kansas basketball efforts.
Seriously, I don't know how he keeps up.
We should all support Kansas football, and we all need to realize just how much the football program impacts basketball.
I totally agree with your post, and am also a victim of early concussions. My first two concussions happened at age 12, my first year of tackle football. In my first concussion I was knocked unconscious.
I suffer extreme cases of memory loss. Things come and go, and I am capable of temporarily misplacing vital memory, like the loss of family members' names. This has been debilitating and frustrating.
I believe sports like football, before kids are mature enough, is just too risky.
Just my humble opinion.
Yes, she is! Due end of February.
"Here's hoping HCBS dreams a little dream."
I hope he still has the fire inside to make big changes. I think older people (myself included) often find it a tougher challenge to make big changes as we age. We can stay young in heart/body/spirit if we still embrace change. I know I've accepted lots of changes by having kids late in life.
University of Needless Light Voltage
Bravo! Are those full-body panty hose? I know plenty of rough bikers who like to wear them under their leathers when they go for a cold winter ride out.
Ha..... it was! I was in bed by 10pm, watching the tube and looked over at my snoozing wife at midnight and wished her a happy new year!
Okay. It's the first day of the new year and I woke up in it after dreaming Bill Self revamped his strategy and Kansas was THE dominant college basketball team of today.
Bill realized he no longer had the pieces to run his old style hi/lo offense. He also realized his hi/lo was no longer helpful in recruiting top tier talent. He needed to change some things to bring Kansas to the top of the college basketball world.
Bill rang up his old friend down in San Antonio, Coach Pop, for words of advice. He found what he was looking for.
Bill designed his own offense, and like anything else successful in our country, it needed branding. So the "Self Full-Motion Offense" was born!
Bill had realized several things while designing his offense. He realized how the game was changing. There were more and more big men that had guard-like skills and could dribble and shoot on the perimeter. He realized these big men didn't want to be pinned down (and limited) in the box any longer. He thought back to how many great recent big men recruits he lost because he was going to limit them in a role only fit for college basketball, when these recruits were much wiser and sought out programs that would play a game showing (and developing) their skills beyond the low post.
Bill's new offense combined the full motion effort (movement, passing, screening) of the Princeton offense, but didn't stop there. In Bill's offense, players were also encourage to take their man off the dribble, too, creating the most dynamic offense possible because opportunities were created both off the pass and off the dribble. Bill's new offense, essentially, combined the Princeton offense with the Dribble-Drive offense.
Bill decided that combining both of these offenses would create opportunities both from passing and driving. By combining both, the weaker aspects of both were eliminated, because it changed the overall attitude of both structures to one of being open-minded and just looking for the best opportunities instead of being pinned into a specific philosophy (and limitations).
Bill immediately applied his strategy to recruiting... He would target at least one super big to be his 5. These recruits would be counted on for big man defense (shot blocking) and their own offensive game could now be exploited to maximum potential because the big man would be given free range on offense to an area that would match where he can be effective. If the player started broadening out, so would his allowance be broadened on offense, too.
For the other 4 positions on the floor, the main attributes needed were good shooting, dribbling, and guarding with an emphasis on all areas of athleticism. Other valuable considerations are being able to finish at the rim, good basketball IQ, skillful size, and finding a mix of recruits where some could be OAD but others definitely wouldn't be so every year we could have a continuation of knowledge at all times on the court.
On the defensive side of the ball, Bill would keep his shot blocker back while often using his 4 speedsters out on full-court presses and running perimeter traps.
Since this style of play put the team in heavy motion, good bench depth was necessary and players would be shuffled in and out constantly to keep everyone fresh. This strategy not only kept players fresh, it gave Bill the opportunity to try another aspect of his new philosophy... assistant coaches were paired with all current players and were given game responsibilities. For example, "Snacks" handled several players and when they were out for a breather, he would go over some tips from what he saw happening when they were out there playing.
Last, Bill came to understand that his current team only lacked the big shot blocker, but had the rest of the other pieces to make this work immediately, so he spent the rest of Christmas break installing his new philosophy.
We went on to win the National Championship by avenging an earlier loss to Kentucky, and actually paid them back with a complete stomping. The complete change from what happened earlier in the year made the media stand up and take notice. Bill received "National Coach of the Year" honors and had no trouble signing the exact players he wanted for next year... a year in which Kansas repeated as National Champions!
Dream.... dream.... dream!
True dat. And how many of those were the front end of a 1-and-1?
I remember throwing a pillow at my tv. Luckily it was only a pillow.
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"If you can get a Canadian sports bar to change the channel away from hockey, you are doing pretty well!"
I would say so! Trading a real sport for tiddlywinks... :-)
I think we are not beating teams this year because we don't have an identity. We are a team full of pieces. Sometimes several pieces perform well enough for us to let the other team beat themselves. Sometimes none of our pieces show up and we hand mutilation tools over to our opponents.
I think we don't have an identity because we don't have the interior pieces Self needs to form his identity... the hi/lo team.
I think we all thought a player like Cliff would quickly become an asset for Self's hi/lo, but it hasn't worked out that way. Cliff doesn't have a "back to the basket" game. He gives us only outlier help... a put back off a rebound, an alley-oop here and there. Perry needs space to score. He has to utilize positional movement or he gets his shot blocked most of the time since he doesn't know how to score standing in one position. BamBam is like a very rough Perry. He needs space to score and has to be in motion. Cliff works great in motion, as long as he's not dribbling the ball (alley-opps are created from motion).
What this team needs is a full motion offense. Gone are the days where guys stand on the 3pt line, whipping the passes around.
We need all 5 guys to be in a constant state of motion (on offense). We need lots of screens... even some double screens. Guys running through the pack and exiting on the 3pt line ready to shoot. We need our post guys to stay moving, from the FT line to the baseline. Perry can be the exception and pop out for the 3 once in a while.
A full motion offense is the answer for teams that don't have size. We have some size, but we actually play like a smaller team than we are.
If we could do this, and then go to a high-pressure defense on the perimeter, presses and traps, we should be able to beat most teams that outsize us.
Now that is an identity! And that is an identity that could make this team extremely dangerous even more dangerous to teams with size!
We have the perfect players to run this. We have all these guys with decent height and athleticism who can shoot the 3.
It has been great seeing Kelly come on, but not at the expense of Svi and Brannen. If last night was any indication, those guys are going to rust up from here on out sitting on the bench and will be of no assistance down the stretch and in March. That was what we experienced with Brannen last year!
In a full motion offense, we would need more guys to get minutes because we would need more substitutions so guys can get a breather. Also... players like Brannen and Svi are the perfect player profile for a full motion offense.
Think I'm kind of like everyone else in here... seeing bright spots and areas of darkness.
What stuck out at me the most in this game wasn't Kelly's high-octane performance (it stuck out second).
What stuck out most was Perry and how the team sinks or swims by Perry's performance.
We were down by 6 in the first half, and Self totally got on Perry and he came out of a time-out and played with some energy. He didn't do everything perfect after that, but he was able to get some hard-earned buckets, and that is when we made our move and never looked back.
What that told me is this team is following Perry. Even though Kelly was nailing every shot and stealing balls to boot, it couldn't keep us up with the golden flash until Perry decided he was ready to play.
This is monumental, and I'm not sure it is a good thing. It's good if Perry comes ready to play every night. But we all know he doesn't have that reputation.
After one more game, we go into league play, and we need to win those first 3 games. These are games we should win (and must win) if we expect a shot at #11.
There is still a lot of slack in our play. We still don't have an identity. Who are we? Who do we count on? What is our "bread and butter?"
On the positive, these games that pop up during our Christmas practice period often produce strange results. Self is in the midst of trying different things, pushing guys' buttons, and teaching these kids more plays and strategy. In the midst of that, the results of a game can be unpredictable. We better just feel good that we won that one. For the millionth time now... we need to remember how young this team is.
I thought this was going to be Wayne's team. So far, it is Perry's team. I thought Wayne would be our "knight in consistent armor" this year. That hasn't proven to be. I was hoping for him to lead with consistency, to help the young lads out.
As anticipated, Kelly is coming on. He's a huge bright light on a team full of shadows. We still haven't experienced what he is capable of. He just gave us a taste.
Perhaps Kelly is up to leading this team. Give him some time and let him continue to build his confidence.... who knows.... maybe by March?
The 2003 loss to Carmelo and the Orange was the most painful for me. I really loved that team and felt we were easily the best team in that FF.
McNamara was on fire from 3, and Anthony just found ways to beat us, including dishing out a season-high seven assists because his back was bothering him and the Jayhawk defense swarmed him when he caught the ball.
I've never liked Carmelo Anthony since that game.
I've been getting a kick out of the floundering Knicks just because of Carmelo. He is a great scorer, but too much ball hog for me. He doesn't play enough team ball to win a championship in the NBA, and never will. I won't cry a single tear on that.
I have to say this.
It's really cold outside, but it sure is warm in here!
I definitely don't miss the old KUSports blog area.
This site creates enough warmth to brown marshmallows!
Everyone in here has really kicked it up a big notch.
We've already experienced plenty of highs and lows and conference hasn't even started.
Looking forward to a great season in here!
You guys ROCK (CHALK)!
I'd like to see @approxinfinity run the statistics on which users hit the refresh button most!
Is that possible?
Good post.
Yes, there are some contenders and possibly national contenders. The thing is, all of them are unproven. I remember when Durant was at Texas, and there was plenty of talk then, too. We won the conference and Texas was upset in the second round of the big dance.
Kansas is a proven winner. That doesn't mean we will win our conference from here to eternity, just means others will have to figure out how to do it before there is a change.
I'm sure we will have our share of losses in the conference this year, but so will all of those teams. I just don't see one horse pulling away. And for that reason, I still think Kansas is the team to beat.
Often the biggest fun for us (during league play) is nights we don't play, and others do. When UT, OU and ISU chalk up losses in places they shouldn't.
We always get some help. Our little purple friends to the west usually provide some help, even in years that they stink.
Statistically (and historically), Kansas is the only team that really knows how to win on the road in this league.
All of this needs to be preached to our young guys that they need to step up now and take charge.
Ha..... now, come on!
Every year at this time we look like a team of drunk sailors... but we win another B12 championship.
Self is a defensive coach.... it is his priority.
We've seen a lot better runs of defense this year than in recent years, especially on the perimeter.
We've also seen moments where we use a press and traps that actually give us a few TOs. We haven't seen that in ages!
Even though our offense is one gigantic mystery, the one mystery that doesn't exist is Self's focus on defense. Even though most of us would spend this extra practice time trying to improve our offense, you can bet Self is using at least 50% of this extra time on trying to improve our defense.
Self wins B12 titles because he focuses on defense. And it is our defense that gives us road victories in this league, not our offense.
Even though we always have a stack of ugly wins every year, they are still wins! And wins produce trophies!
I've griped plenty in here, but I still like our odds of winning another league title.
I think these kids are capable of deciding anything.
But the smarter ones get some advice, and I don't think there is any sound advice for kids leaving that won't be picked in the first round.
Come March, we will all start paying attention to the draft talk and projections. We'll all know more then.
I think you are right, and hype plays too big a role in this!
I hope you are wrong, too!
This may be our toughest year to win the B12. What people forget is how young we still are. We are one of the youngest teams in the country.
And this year, OU, UT and ISU look to be tough outs, and you can never count out others, like Baylor, OSU or KSU, especially on their courts.
I do think Self knows how to prepare for the B12. I think most of us in here question some things in March, but during the B12 campaign, we all sort of watch and enjoy.
We will be playing at a disadvantage in the post this year against some of these teams.
I think we have to always be ready at home, because it will probably take one or two home losses for us not to be in the hunt for another championship. I don't see us sweeping every game on the road, but we can at least make sure and beat the teams we should beat (on the road) and that alone (with an undefeated or one loss home record) will have us at the top of the league, perhaps sharing it with one or two teams.
We really need to win at least one of these road games: ISU, OU or UT.
If we win out at home, win most of the road games we are supposed to win, and at least win one of the above games, we should secure another B12 crown.
I believe the B12 champion (this year) will have 3 to 4 losses.
I really don't think we need insanely improved play from any particular player. I think we just have to be ready to play every game... none of this nonsense like we saw against Temple. If we come ready to play, we should be a pretty good defensive team this year.
Expect a lot of grind games. I think we are all going to totally adore Frank Mason by the end of conference play. He's a guy that wants the rock in the closing minutes and seconds, or when we are desperately in need of a basket.
I'm not certain this team has all the pieces for a national title run, but I think we will have enough of the pieces to secure another B12 championship, as long as we come ready to play every game.
"All Cliff needs is to not embarrass himself too badly from here on out, and have a couple of breakout games and he is a done deal. I don't think he's coming back at all.. Same for Oubre."
I guess he can leave, even if he's a second round pick....
What does he currently have that NBA teams want?
I can't even say "potential" yet. I haven't even seen NBA potential yet. I think it will definitely come to him, but I'm doubtful for this year. I hope he develops something this year, but if he doesn't do a lot more and then leaves for the NBA he will be a big-time Kansas bust.
A player like Okafor is already making gigantic contributions to Duke. They wouldn't be half the team without him. He seems to be years ahead in development, on both sides of the floor. He is a guy that has a valid reason for leaving after 1 year.
A bunch of Kentucky talent will be leaving this year, and a bunch of big-time talent from around college basketball. I have a hard time seeing Cliff drafted in the first round, even if he develops a few small moves. The NBA is not a school, it's a league with guys ready to play.
I see a better chance for Kelly leaving. He's rough, too, but his potential is higher and I believe his game will come along faster than Cliff's.
The NBA is not exactly clamoring for thick (relatively short) post players who can't handle the ball and shoot the 3 and don't have Jordanesque athleticism. Cliff has so far to go before he's a legit pro. I hope he gets there.
The professor missed the real story. The essence was captured, but for a college professor you would expect a better defense of his overall statement.
Good optimism, HEM. Thanks. I'll try to be more hopeful for Cliff's rate of advancement!
BTW: I want Cliff back! So I hope he doesn't get so developed he leaves.
Hunting is a sport. You can shoot yourself, or have another one with you shoot you. Remember Dick Cheney?
And with bigger game, the animal can win the battle. Try hunting feral hogs and missing, or doing it the traditional way with a knife, where you approach the animal and slit his throat.
Yikes! Something you wouldn't want to do drunk!
;-)
I would like to hear that over the holiday extra practice sessions someone is specifically working with Cliff, teaching him some offense beyond the dunk.
Until that happens, he's nothing more than a potential rebounder on the floor. We need offense on the floor.
I was expecting him to bring some offense with him. I thought he would be a bit more like Okafor, since those two were always compared against each other. He's nothing like Okafor. Okafor has plenty of offense, is well-rounded, and is definitely a OAD because he'll be able to start contributing to a NBA team next year. I'm not even certain when Cliff will be able to contribute real offense. That kind of development happens at different speeds for post players. I can only think he will be a slow developer since he really brought no offense with him to college.
There is no way he's OAD material. We will have him back. I'm thinking he'll be a 3 year Jayhawk. Similar to a TRob development project. TRob was just a 4-star recruit out of HS.
Hudy also is involved in advancing strength and conditioning research. Something you won't read on many sites until there is more conclusive results. She's been involved with studies at UCONN and now at KU. I believe she is on her second book now, too, and covers some of her studies results. There are several college (and maybe even some pro) sports teams that have shown interest in our facility and Hudy's regiment. I'm sure many of those groups have mimicked her approach.
I think Hudy far exceeds what NBA teams have. Check out her formal background.
NBA front offices focus more in rehab and staffed medical personnel.
Here are a few good reads on Hudy, and why she would be welcome on any NBA staff:
Coaches Corner with Andrea Hudy ↗
Andrea Hudy: KU's secret weapon ↗
In January 2013, Hudy was named the National College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the NSCA. This is the same organization that supplies the pool of strength/conditioning trainers for the NBA. Few of these trainers have Hudy's qualifications.
Many of her pupil athletes (who turned pro) maintain contact with her years after their college days for her support and knowledge.
I totally agree. I'm just giving them a good tongue lashing for not showing up.
I gripe a lot, but that was how I was coached as a player. When we screwed up we were yelled at, and we deserved it. The screaming helped motivate us to not do it again, and usually we didn't make the same mistakes twice.
One thing... we were never criticized for not showing up, even if it was the third game played in the same day. I don't understand that part... being soft!
I'm old and I'm out of shape, but if asked, I'd run 40 minutes, 3 times a day. I might kill over afterwards, but I wouldn't lack hustle!
I hope someone carves this on my tombstone.
" Here rests "Mr. Hustle" "
:-)
Right on!
And thanks for the CSNY upload!
Yeah, those were wild days in our country. I was pretty young then, but old enough to go to demonstrations and get gassed. When Kent State went down the entire country went into shock. It was the feeling like the gov had said "enough is enough, no more protests."
Looking back now, I think we were very fortunate things didn't escalate further in '68 at the Dem Nat. Convention. National Guardsmen armed with .30 caliber machine guns and grenade launchers. It could have gotten a lot worse than the clubs and tear gas.
I'm also surprised there wasn't a bigger reaction after the Army Math bombing in Madison. That was the moment when the protest movement "upped the ante" on violence, to the point of terrorism.
I agree. And I wonder if X should have stayed just to build his body.
If I was Self, I would do a better job of selling Hudy to recruits.
We should be able to recruit even above Kentucky.
I know it is the news none of these kids want to hear, because they are living the dream in "invincibility land." But these kids have parents. And many of these parents are realistic.
The argument that these kids need to get to the league before getting hurt so they can at least have one big pay day is utter nonsense. There are exceptions, and Embiid might be one of those.
College basketball is 1/10th the stress to the body as the NBA. I've read that before. 1/10th! Because the NBA season extends (for many teams) over 100 games per year, including exhibitions. If you do the math and compare it to college, it seems to be just 1/3 tougher. But the effects are cumulative. I even think 1/10th might be conservative.
Now... back to Hudy. She is recognized throughout the USA as one of the premiere strength training coaches. She far exceeds anyone on any NBA team.
If I had a OAD-level kid ready to go to college, I would want my kid at Kansas, and I'd want him playing probably a minimum of 3 years of college ball. It's a natural step up in talent and speed of the game, and he would have at least 3 years to mature his body. And he would have at least 3 years with Hudy to give him his best odds of making it at the next level.
Many people in here have said it before. It isn't the initial contract where pros make their money, it is the contract after that and the ones after that.
The more you ease these players into an advanced game, the more time they have to adjust to the speed of the game. Many of the injuries were preventable if the player had the right mentality. There are tricks to playing safe and still performing at a level that will best help your team. If you want a great example, see TIM DUNCAN! That guy has stretched his game out considerably by limiting his movement to "safe moves." Doesn't mean he is risk-free... just means he is limiting his exposure.
If you think about all of that carefully, it is hard to not come up with the conclusion about the true ability of a player like Michael Jordan, who brought years and years of "in your face" basketball to the league. I never saw a game where Jordan didn't take crazy risks with his drives to the goal. That guy put it on the line every single game and was only the second guy to reach 3000 pts in a season, behind Wilt.
To my knowledge, Jordan's biggest injury was a broken foot he suffered in the third game of his second season.
Those early pro years are very risky for players. Their bodies are young and they don't have the level of development they need to reduce the risk, and their minds are not focused on playing it safe because they lack experience and are still living in "invincibility land."
My first years of basketball, as a kid, happened on my own driveway goal. All the neighbor kids would come over because I had the perfect driveway/goal setup. We'd also play tackle football in the front yard.
Basketball turned into something else for us.... "Bask-Foot!" We played it like 21, but you could tackle. We were playing on concrete.
This was my early development in basketball.
Playground ball was later, and by then, I considered it to be soft.
Like everything else in life, education always comes from your point of reference. My point of reference, even today, is "Bask-Foot!"
I never raced cars on a track. I raced on the streets as a teen, back in the muscle car era. There was risk in that. I lost a few close friends in HS who were racing on the streets. Once again, my loss of friends is my point of reference around racing.
I put football in that same league as motor sports. Guys have died playing that game, and a whole lot of guys have suffered paralysis and other extremely debilitating injuries. Boxing and MMA should be in that group, too.
I can't separate the "death factor" from games.
In these "real sports" you aren't allowed to do what Kansas did against Temple. You can't come so unprepared to play. The risk of serious injury (or worse) is all the motivation you need to come prepared. That doesn't mean you avoid getting whipped in the game, but you at least better have brought some solid motivation and focus with you.
The Kansas / Temple game did more than expose Kansas.... it exposes the game as one that is just a game, not a sport.
Of course, there have been players who came this unprepared for what I term "real sports." They took a serious risk in doing so. That same risk is considerably less in basketball.
None of this takes away for my love of basketball. It is a game! And the passion can exist for any game, even tiddlywinks!
I've missed Frank Martin from the day he left. I know he was a hard azz.... but I like guys like that and he turned the kitties into a competitive team. We had some pretty good games during his stay.
Everyone enjoyed watching Frank blow his top!
"So, they dropped an egg on 2 days rest right before Christmas, it doesn't make me question their heart. "
I question everyone on this team except Frank Mason. Mason was the only one that brought game, and even though he was surrounded by Jayhawks who brought nothing, he refused to give up the ship. That is a guy that has heart in my books.
When I see a team absolutely bring nothing to a game, regardless if it is just before Christmas or a man landing on the moon, I see a team that has to MANUFACTURE enthusiasm in order to have it. Those are always teams that have an uphill battle with enthusiasm. They will do this again. And they are very capable of doing this in March, and probably will.
I get mad at Self for saying things like this:
“I think, yes, they were ready to go home and see their families. I’m not going to make excuses for our guys at all. We don’t talk like this, (but) it was not very smart to play Lafayette Saturday, travel and not practice really, and play them on Monday. We added to the lack of energy by also being a tired team,” Self said.
Making an excuse about being tired is pathetic. These are kids in the best shape of their lives, and a game is only 40 friggin' minutes long.
I used to play on what was called "tournament teams" that would travel the Midwest and play in tournaments held in cities and towns. Sometimes we would play 3 games in one day! That was exhausting, and we still didn't play the "tired card" if we lost. Playing every couple of days, even if they travel, should not be exhausting for these guys.
That comment was a big cop out and the only thing it did was enable the players with a bogus excuse, so they can use that one again the next time they lay an egg.
Pathetic.
I'm expecting to see a different team come conference play. I'm expecting to see a team that has shored up it's defense and is running a smoother, high-energy motion offense.
I'm expecting to see a team that can handle a 1-3-1.
I'm expecting to see Wayne step up.
I'm expecting to see Cliff learn a few basic strength moves to the basket where he has to negotiate around a man.
I'm expecting to see Kelly make the biggest elevation in his game, more than the rest.
I'm expecting to see BamBam start to play like a junior instead of a sophomore.
I'm expecting to see Frank play more like a natural PG instead of a scoring guard converted into a PG.
I'm expecting to see Svi start to find consistent ways to help this team.
I'm expecting to see Perry come ready for every game, regardless of the opponent.
I'm expecting to see Brannen continue to improve his game, continue to bend his knees more and play with a lower center of gravity so he is fully engaged in the game.
I'm expecting to see all our guys realize that getting a rebound is rarely about who jumps the highest, and mostly about who hustles to get it!
I'm expecting to see all our guys do a better job at guarding possessions. Fewer bad ball screens turning into an offensive foul, hence another TO. Fewer drives going past the baseline out of bounds and then trying to be rescued with a recovery pass. Fewer misses from the FT line.
Last.... I'M EXPECTING TO SEE GUYS STARTING TO USE SHOT FAKES, ATTEMPTING TO DRAW FOULS AND HAVE THE DEFENSE STOP OVERPLAYING FOR THE BLOCK!
It's time to tighten up the ship. Pump out the bilge and seal up the hull. It's time to sail this ship through the perils of a tough B12 schedule!
We have to maximize play at all 5 positions because this team has no extra slack available in posting victories.
So that means starters and guys coming in off the bench will ALL have to perform to their utmost potential for this team to win another conference title.
I'm sure someone will help us this year, but I'm not counting on the kind of help we have been receiving most of the time over the past 10 years.
The biggest part of winning another B12 title will fall on the kids listening to Self. We can all criticize Bill for various aspects of his coaching.... but one thing is certain... the guy knows how to win B12 titles.
Even though we are a young team, most of the teams seen as the biggest threats are also dealing with youth performing to a high level. A lot of that will be the kids reflecting from their coach. This is where Kansas has an advantage, because Bill knows how to win away from home and really none of the other coaches in this league have that figured out yet.
So we have the entire league focused on.... "the road to the title goes through Lawrence." When these teams should first focus on holding serve in their own court.
I have a vivid memory of Kent State. Unfortunately, my memories are in color.
!1.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg ↗ !KENT-STATE-SHOOTING.jpg ↗ !Kent_State_massacre.jpg ↗ !2011-135.jpg ↗