🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@jaybate-1.0

"There was supposed to be some meaning in their defeat and death."

Many today believe that games like our modern basketball represent a futile attempt at "real sport"... a mere imitation ceremony played over and over again.

The definition of "real sport" has been given to me many times by friends who are into auto racing.

"It's not a real sport unless you have a real chance at dying!"

That took some time to soak in... but when it did, I have come to realize some truth in that statement.

One such friend, when he refers to basketball calls it "tiddlywinks."

Since all of these OADs are just bouncing their way through college basketball, we should force them to have a molly implanted in the top of their heads so we can mount a GoPro camera on it.

Just imagine what it would do for the excitement of the game!!

More excitement = more viewers = more money

This is the least they could do to "give back" for all the hundreds of millions they will one-day make!

They can just turn the hole into more body-mutilating decor. Shave a circle around their molly and do a decorative tat around it.

@jaybate-1.0

I fell into a relapse of TRON after reading your post! Bravo.

@jaybate-1.0

Wow! Thanks for the link!

I'm an aging man missing the action. There may be a "Deer Hunter" scenario in this for me.

I watched this game, and it fueled my vision of x-axis basketball.

With all the giants in this game, the outcome was largely determined by Ulis, the 5'9" PG who was the high scorer for Kentucky.

Louisville performed some aspects of x-axis basketball that kept them in the game, especially in the first half. Lots of pressure up top, and they forced Kentucky into a lot of TOs. Unfortunately, UL failed, in most cases, to take advantage of those TOs with made baskets, especially in the open court (a key opportunity in x-axis).

I recall Jay Bilas saying several times how successful Louisville was when they used shot fakes. He said, "every time Louisville used a shot fake, Kentucky bought in to it" and "it lead to scoring." This was another part of x-axis we didn't use in our game with Kentucky.

If we have the misfortune of playing Kentucky again, here is what I would do:

1. I would play small. Forget the inside game. Concede it to Kentucky. We aren't going to sky high for boards and win our share with Kentucky. Instead, we play for speed and outside shooting ability. Fight harder for long rebounds, something we can control and help statistically balance out rebounds.

2. Give minutes to players with offense, primarily guards. Brannen, Kelly, Frank and Svi would be getting 30+ minutes of action.

3. Run a high-speed motion offense. I'm talking about running a 4-guard offense. All of these guys have to be in a constant state of motion. Actually, all 5 of our players would be in constant motion.... setting legal screens on ball and off ball. Work hard until someone gets an open shot, preferably a 3.

4. Use fakes. Shot fakes, head fakes, body fakes, eye fakes, ball fakes, motion fakes. Kentucky overplays everything on defense. We should be able to get all 9 McDs AAs in foul trouble. I'm serious.

5. Draw fouls. Use the fakes, also push the contact. When UK players reach, drive into their arms. Sell the call. Draw fouls and eventually we'll be shooting FTs and Kentucky will have to lay off heavy pressure and the idea that Kentucky's depth prevents them from foul trouble is suddenly toast.

6. Make FTs. We have to make FTs because we will be shooting a boat load and it may end up competing with the amount of points we score from 3.

7. Crash boards on the long ball. When we shoot the 3, we need to obtain a good share of the rebounds. Rebounds from the long ball typically go long, meaning, the height of Kentucky is somewhat neutralized. Players should look for open spots on the floor where they will win the contest for the board. If Kentucky starts to get open court baskets off this strategy then partially abandon it to prevent their run outs.

8. Play aggressive perimeter defense. This works against Kentucky. The twins, once again, showed their vulnerabilities to pressure. Stunt their offensive rhythm and we can neutralize their size advantage.

9. Push hard after a steal to score an open court basket. If it's one-on-one to the hole, go into the body of the defender to draw the foul. If the layup isn't there, look for a trailing player to hit a 3 on initial break or secondary break.

10. Defensive post has to play hard for court position. Make them shoot over us and fight hard to deny interior passes. Of course this is a lot to ask for, but we don't have to shut them out of scoring in the post, we just have to limit their effectiveness.

11. Crash defensive boards. Limit extra Kentucky possessions. Control the potential damage.

12. Don't turn the ball over! TOs kill us, especially against Kentucky because they will score in the open court.

13. Constantly rotate players... perhaps every 3 or 4 minutes (when necessary). Let the players know they need to expend all of their energy while on the floor, and when they need a breather, signal the bench. We don't have the total depth Kentucky has, but we have MORE DEPTH with smaller players, guys that usually have better stamina.

In this game, possessions rule!

Strangely enough, Kansas has the right tools to beat Kentucky. We are athletic and have a bunch of capable perimeter shooters. We have a tough PG in Mason. It's all about strategy, something we completely didn't have in our first meeting.

This is a solid x-axis strategy. Put our energy into limiting the vertical part of basketball... the only part of the game where Kentucky is dominant. This is the only strategy that will bring down Kentucky, except for a lucky hot team. It isn't necessary to be lucky and hot. Just play smart... and win.

Kentucky's real threats are Ulis and Booker.

If any players on the team don't buy into this strategy, leave them home. No more wuss-ball!

@DoubleDD

This came from your link:

"If Pitino is finding it difficult to recruit at an adidas school while trying to land players from the Nike circuit, Kansas' Bill Self seems to have encountered no such obstacles. In 2013 and '14, Self landed a veritable Nike elite league all-star team with Wiggins and five-star players Alexander, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Wayne Selden."

I wonder how well Self would be recruiting if we were a Nike school? And why aren't we?

College basketball is absurd. The NCAA is a joke. They put up a tall fence around college athletes but have no real control before and after those athletes go to college, yet they still impose restrictions on athletes before coming to college. Anyone else see a conflict in that?

If they really wanted to limit the commercial influences of these kids they would restrict shoe companies from even coming close to AAU ball. Dry up the sponsorship because it seems obvious there are influences, and while you are at it, knock out the college sponsorship, too. The only way I see AAU ball working without heavy influences is for it to be a program actually sponsored and regulated by the NCAA. AAU ball is a form of pro ball, even if the players aren't paid. Actually, they are paid, via promoting their reputations for college recruiting and even NBA, because I'm sure NBA scouts attend AAU ball games. If the NCAA wanted to be consistent, they would only allow players with a pure background of school ball or NCAA-AAU sanctioned-sponsored ball.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too. There are more than gray lines being crossed here. Who are we kidding?

We will wait until an athlete comes out of the closet and tells about how he (or she) was influenced towards the school wearing the right brand. Then what happens? We've been shoveling this snit under the rug for way too long and the end result will probably lead to an overreaction or a quick, forced decision because we wait until something major hits the news. Just look at the NFL and how they dropped the ball on human abuse cases.

@JayHawkFanToo

Good call on the Shockers. Frigid shooting... and I think part of that was a combination of GWU hustling on d and WSU lacking motion in their offense. I noticed WSU players mostly standing in one area on offense, hoping quick passes would open up the defense. Meanwhile, GWU's offense was in a constant state of motion. They ran picks all over the floor, and their guys reacted off the picks.... pick and rolls, pick and pops... WSU, on the other hand, would set a few high screens that GWU would fight through, and that was about it.

I was impressed with GWU as a team. If they can limit their TOs they have a bright future!

@JayHawkFanToo

I think KU fans love Perry when he brings hustle to the game. And the other times, when he manages to somehow stay invisible for an entire game, KU fans are disappointed. I think the fans are well-educated in the game, and they see when he isn't putting energy in a game.

Showing dissatisfaction in a player should also help motivate the player. Take John Wall as a perfect example. Here is a guy who was lacking love in the league. He sure has stepped up now and is shutting a lot of critics down.

Perry is one of us. He's a total Jayhawk. So we treat him like our own boy, who sometimes doesn't bring focus or energy to his game, so we all act like strict parents. We all want to see him make it at the next level, but he isn't on track to do that. Not even close. He has developed a reputation for being soft at the 4 and can't score on big guys, but he doesn't have the game of a 3, which not only involves outside scoring, it's a real hustle position. If he played with more energy and a set of testicles, he could have potential at either spot. It's tough on all of us to see a guy with his skill set blowing it for the next level.

@jaybate-1.0

I dig-it-all!

The 1-3-1 is a good defense to limit perimeter scoring because you have wings on both sides. It works if you feel like your post defender can hold down the fort.

I'm a big fan of this zone, but it does open up possibilities to give up more offensive rebounds.

But still.... it is all about the offense attacking the seams (same as with playing against any kind of zone).

@HighEliteMajor

I like your idea of playing a perimeter player at the 4 if Perry doesn't bring game because when Perry is off, he's way off. In games where Perry is off he isn't hitting the boards our making any kind of defensive impact (or offense).

On games where Perry decides to sleep through, then put Green or Svi out there because we absolutely have to have guys who can score getting more minutes.

I didn't want to turn this thread into a pitchfork scene, with Bill poked on the stick hanging over the fire.

Bill is a fabulous coach, and I'm grateful he is a Jayhawk!

I just wonder about things.

I know KU basketball is holding up the financial pants of just about all our athletic department. That is a huge load!

I know Zenger and Self are constantly traveling and promoting Kansas to the wealthy to raise capital....

I just wonder if it isn't too much? To the point where Bill has to compromise the basketball program for the sake of the entire athletic department.

I suspect this to be true, and would like people who know more about it than I make comments to educate us all.

@jaybate-1.0

I like the idea.

And after half a season goes by, and Perry is averaging 3 ppg (hitting one trey per game) and Cliff is averaging 2 ppg (making one put back per game), those guys will realize their draft stock is plummeting, and might want to work a bit harder in the post to start earning some interior shot attempts.

@wissoxfan83

I'm in for #9.... I'll first buy me some of those Jayhawk basketball shoes that adds several inches of height. Maybe even wear two or three pairs at a time just to be recognized as their future PG.

Let's see... how does that work? The first shoes will be a size 12. The second shoes a size 15. The third shoes a size 18.

I'll learn to play a fiddle, drink lots of Kentucky bourbon, and I'll grease my hair back with a quart of Quaker State.

Anybody got a comb?

@JayHawkFanToo

" I indicated before the season and continue to believe that Perry is a natural SF playing out of position at the PF."

He is a SF... he'll never have a chance in the NBA as a PF, not even for a second. And he is getting his butt kicked in D1 at the PF.

But there is no reason why a guy his size can't score inside. There have been much smaller guys that score a lot better than Perry can inside. His skill-set is one that he brought with him to Kansas. A skill-set that was developed against smaller players. He should be working on a totally different skill-set in D1.

There are four ways of scoring on a post player in the paint:

1. Take the ball (and body) into the defender and elevate - this is what you do to draw contact and a foul. The defender either has to foul you or stand still while you score over him.

2. Create scoring distance between the defender and the ball - use your body as a barrier and keep the ball far away enough so the defender can't swat it.

3. Race the defender to the backboard - when you are scoring from a side, all you have to do is get the ball to the backboard before the defender can swat it. If he swats it after it hits the backboard, he gets called for goal-tending.

4. Use shot fakes to get the defender to leave his feet - another great way to get fouled on the shot, especially if you initiate contact.

Perry does the absolute worse thing... He rarely fakes, he goes right at the defender, but not all the way into his body. He has no scoring space and he leaves enough space for the defender to contest his shot.

You would think the designer would be working on this.

It's not too late for Perry, if, next summer, we can get him to play a summer of playground ball. Surely, there are games still out there somewhere!

@DanR

"...three defenders surround him and yet the remaining two opponents manage to cover our other four players who are standing like statues apparently mesmerized by Perry's spin moves."

Remnant behavior from last year when it was Wiggins they were all watching.

Is it legal for players to have a sack of popcorn with them on the court? You won't find better seats in the house...

@nuleafjhawk

We are of a similar size, especially in the heart!

I could never stand losing... even playing pickup ball on my driveway goal. Even as kids, we'd dive for a loose ball on our concrete drive! My mother started saving herself some time by showing us how to bandage our own scrapes.

I feel like you and I and 3 others in here could have taken them last night. Granted... it would have to be a half court game because we couldn't run up and down the court for more than a minute! I would play in the post, and I wouldn't let Perry near the lane area.

Frank would have been their big scorer... he'd probably have gone for 50 or 60.

I guess we all ate a little turkey yesterday.

I just had to post some dressing for our bird!

"Plenty of sauce, plenty of spice, makes your bird taste nice!"

That comes from my 82 yr old dad, who had he been coaching yesterday would have been chewing on a lot of raw Jayhawk meat on a time-out!

He just called me a few minutes ago to chew me out for not cooking the ham long enough... haven't even started the ham, I'll cook it tomorrow... but it wasn't worth telling him that! :+1:

@JayHawkFanToo

You often challenge people in here, including myself, and I really appreciate that! We all need to be challenged, and it ends up creating better posts to follow when people are challenged. Keep it up!

We do need to maintain a civil form of decorum, but we do that. What we don't want to do is fall into too deep of politeness and shy away from challenges.

Everyone in here has a common thread... Jayhawk basketball. I can't think of a single poster in here that I would challenge on their commitment to being a Jayhawk!

Keep it up, great Jayhawk fans!

@nuleafjhawk

Sorry about that!

Maybe this is one of those games where Self "throttled down" the troops, as @jaybate-1.0 used to say.

I really don't get it. Games like this one go against my DNA. My blood boils and I'm ready to erupt into a violent rage. I'm having to watch my blood pressure these days. It was blowing off the charts last night, and still this morning when I awoke from my restless sleep.

Who is responsible?

Who is responsible for bringing the team ready to play basketball?

Can't we summarize everything into that single question? There were no areas of this game we played well in and there was no energy. How can that be?

I've always attacked this issue. I don't mind losing games. I do mind when the team doesn't show up. That was humiliating.... and I believe it is games like this one that kill our recruiting. I know I wouldn't send my son off to a school who decides sometimes not to show up. This is a character flaw. Plain and simple.

I wonder... how much fundraising does Bill Self do? It sort of feels like politics in Washington... where our elected officials spend most of their time fundraising instead of working.

When I see a team that appeared to be so disconnected to their coach, I wonder about this. When I see a team that can't muster up energy for a screaming coach, there is a disconnect. Coaches that eat, breath and sleep with their players can't help but be connected. Everyone is in one boat. I don't see that.

This is what bothers me most about Kansas basketball. Games where we don't show up. That doesn't register with me. It's not a part of my DNA. I've played in over 1000 organized games of basketball (at a far lower talent level) and I can honestly say that I have never played on a team that didn't show up for a game. I would have been arrested last night if I was on that Jayhawk team because I would have physically assaulted some of those around me. I wouldn't accept that kind of humiliation. Ever.

Merry Christmas to all!

We'll regroup.

Meanwhile.... enjoy lots of spiked eggnog in the coming days!

@JayHawkFanToo

"The one player I think would make great coach is Kirk Hinrich"

Absolutely!

@VailHawk

"2. UK lose to UL now and to KU in national championship game."

Hard to beat that option!

I can think of adding something to it, just to spice it up a bit:

AND... the NCAA suddenly is informed that the Unibrow had cheated on his SATs and Kentucky was forced to vacate their title. Meanwhile, Kansas fans protest and make it a national issue and the NCAA makes a policy change and gives Kansas that title!

If that happens, I'll buy everyone in here a crimson/blue silk derby with a matching bouquet of flowers!

@JayHawkFanToo

I pretty much agree with everything you said.... including how Wooden's teams don't really compare to this current Kentucky team.

I think we are all worried about college basketball becoming too talent consolidated. And also there is a dynamic with how much better the top talent is over the general pool of college players. Those guys receive tons of extra coaching, competitive games, and early spotlight preparing them for all the attention that comes on the college level.

I've stated that I'm glad it isn't Kansas who possesses 9 McD's AAs... but UK is already there. So if we become stacked like that are we contributing to the same downfall Kentucky is doing? Maybe it's at least a better thing if the top tier teams can land that much talent (right now) just to keep one team (Kentucky) from completely dominating college hoops.

The game today is so different from the game when Wooden was making his statement. Recruits have an easier time with expanding their potential horizon over the entire United States. Schools used to mostly recruit in their region, and target recruits already playing in areas where their conference has a team or two. It was more about competing for talent believed to be headed to your conference. It isn't like that today... at least... as much. It does still exist. Myles Turner is an example there. He was thought of as a B12 prospect most (probably because he sort of indicated that). We needed Myles for that big hole in our lineup, but we also would have liked to keep him from being a Longhorn.

@justanotherfan

"And if the talent consolidates that means fewer upsets of the elite teams, which means more matchups in March between the best teams (and talent). I can't understand how that would be a bad thing."

Your opinion is that of a fan from an elite team. The majority of college basketball fans are from non-elite teams and they represent the majority draw for March Madness. Those fans want to see more parity... more upsets. That's why we have seen teams like Butler spike in popularity. Those aren't originally fans/alumni from Butler rushing over to support Butler... they are fans from the general pool that just want to see an underdog win.

I have to admit that I support most of the underdogs, except when playing Kansas. I think it makes for more exciting basketball to see teams go further than they are supposed to go. I'm sick of teams like Duke and Kentucky... and I know there are many fans out there that are sick of Kansas.

I don't think it takes too much imagination to see Pierce wearing a suit on the sidelines.

He doesn't need the money and he is still in the league. He's proven everything, and won a title, MVP of the Finals, 10x NBA All-Star, NBA All-Rookie Team, NBA Three-Point Shootout Champion.... He has nothing left to prove, and it's hard to imagine why he's still on the court.

There can be only one reason.... he loves the game. Players that love the game often want to stay involved in the game after their playing days are over. Coaching is a way to do that. So is working in the team front office. I think Paul could make a good coach, but as others above me mentioned, there are several important aspects to becoming a good coach.

No one can question his demonstrative abilities. Pierce doesn't lack communication skills. And he has been known as a great motivator for teammates. Hard to think that he couldn't be a great recruiter (but proof is in the pudding). IMHO, he actually has a more social personality for coaching than Danny has.

@wrwlumpy

"Bobby Knight's thoughts on Cal."

Read through the comments on that page. Guess Kansas fans aren't the only ones thinking bad thoughts of Cal, and Cal served some time at Kansas to get his start.

This is going to get ugly. I bet a lot of fans feel the same way I feel about Cal's current impact on the game. And he isn't going to turn down the volume. All of this will intensify with time and Kentucky scalping opponents.

And imagine if Cal is caught doing something really bad at Kentucky? Especially if it happens later, after Kentucky clobbers all of college basketball for several more years. Though... I have my doubts Cal is breaking too many rules these days. He doesn't need to. He's at a basketball elite school, great facilities, the current top of recruits lists... I just think it is an ethics issue. If he can sign 13 McD's AAs... is that good for the game? Maybe I've overestimated the impact. And maybe other coaches will learn to compete for the top players. Maybe. Maybe not. I just don't think it will take many years of Kentucky butchering the field for fans to just start turning off the game. And to be honest... what counts in this country is one thing.... money!

Anyone catch that UK/UCLA game? 83 - 44. Poor Steve is the latest victim of the all star team.

@wrwlumpy

Nice photo above. Hey... I guess Cal decided to keep one of those Rolex watches!

@DanR

"I sense a "beast mode" potential with Hunter that Withey tapped once in a while."

I do, too!

I'd like to know what his real height is. He seems like he could be another Cole. And we all thought Cole was 6'11" as a Jayhawk, and he turned out to be something like 6'8 1/2". Regardless.... he is similar to Cole's size and we know what kind of shot blocker we had there!

I kind of wonder if Hunter had "a moment".... meaning... sometime over the two weeks a light bulb went off in his head. Something that made him play more aggressive, or see something that he hadn't seen before. Or maybe he made a physical breakthrough.

Those things happen for players and not just the OAD types. We have all noticed the improvement with Kelly's game. So why isn't it possible that Hunter had a breakthrough moment, too?

I think we are all just hopeful this is the case, and Saturday's performance was not a fluke or not just because we played a dud. Hunter was just playing apprehensive basketball before Saturday and now he's letting go a bit.

I'm staying hopeful.

We are rolling into Christmas week and I'm refusing to play the role of Grinch.... I'll bah humbug later, after the new year!

@jaybate-1.0

I agree... Cliff needs a low post helper! And he can help a low post helper if he can develop more offense. I'm not sure what to think of Cliff's offense. He has hit some midrange jumpers. They look unorthodox and flat, but they go in.... sort of like his FTs. The guy has so much more he needs to develop before even considering pro ball. I just don't see him leaving this year... and surely a lot of those tall UK players will leave this year. Seems like a small hat filled with big names in this lottery... seems a bad year for someone like Cliff to throw his name into it.

We don't even know if he can dribble yet. It's pretty hard to get drafted without basic dribbling skills.

But let's look at what Cliff DOES bring to the Jayhawk table right now:

1. Rebounding
2. Defense
3. Rim scoring

All these things we need badly. All these things Perry is weak at.

There is a need to get this guy more minutes now.

Now let's look at Hunter. What does he bring to the Jayhawk table right now:

1. Rebounding
2. Defense
3. Scoring

Hunter may not be the most-athletic low post player... but he has potential of producing some numbers, and most of his numbers will come off of hustle. He's clearly just now starting to feel more confidence. Confidence usually leads to assertiveness and hustle. Let's not forget how much help Kevin Young was to us, and his entire game was built on hustle.

I agree with others, that Hunter should get some minutes Monday. He should be rewarded and given a shot to see if we can start expecting productivity out of him. He, in the least, can take Landen's minutes right now. Who knows... maybe he can even develop into being a good midrange scorer.

Reward Hunter and discipline Landen and maybe Perry. We have to start putting productivity expectations on our post guys. The hot hand gets the minutes. All these guys need to be pushed into production. Look at BamBam. He was slumping and then gets disciplined and sidelined for a game and suddenly he produces big.

Hunter has just made my "like" list... now he has to prove he belongs there!

The whole team... guys need to stay proving themselves or must sit. No free rides this year. No free rides because of seniority. No benching because of being young. Everyone has to earn their PT. Everyone!

This is a hard year to decipher Self's words. But he sounds like he's willing to reward players with minutes if they have a good week of practice.

So Evan... you want some PG minutes? Bust a nut in practice and see what happens! All of these guys need to realize the threat of potential bench time for coasting!

@BeddieKU23

We definitely don't want to stop recruiting bigs. I'm thinking (if Cliff stays) he can help us recruit! Why not take a page out of Calipari's recruiting book and focus less on quantity minutes offered and more on quality minutes and quality practices (for development)? Cal has these recruits sold on the concept of no more than 20 mpg. Was it Bragg talking up how impressed he is in Cal's platoon?

I don't know how Cal does it... but he does it. He could sell an ice cube to an Eskimo!

@icthawkfan316

Right on... Hunter needs to back this performance up with more performances throughout the season.

"I just wonder if he is a legitimate option"

Problem is... we only have a few choices in the post. He plays a different brand of ball than BamBam or Landen.

I think we just have to view him as he is... a unique option!

Since we were able to get that kind of game out of him yesterday, we can get some of that game back in other games. Granted the competition will typically be tougher... but sometimes we just need someone to come in and spark the guys. Hunter was a really nice spark to this team, and we saw the other guys respond from his performance.

The key to depth is someone comes in and does some nice things and at least doesn't give up ground because our starters needs a breather. Even better... if we can have someone off the bench provide a spark we become a much better team!

Gosh.... remember when Sherron was our sixth man?

@jaybate-1.0

Thanks for the encouraging words!

I haven't been in a posting slump as much as just very busy with business. It seems the uptick in the stock market and downturn of gas prices (or whatever) has motivated consumers to do what they do best..... consume!

I really like this team. It's a unique mix of guys that have all kinds of potential. And the difference has forced Self into a different game, and I think that is good for Self and the future of Jayhawk basketball! Surely, Self's growth this year will bleed forward into coming years.

This is our chance to see my constant blabbering context of "x-axis basketball" get put into practice! It seems like every year our biggest talent of players are not just the one or two footers we have in the post, so this is their time to shine and prove their worth! I hope this year ends on a positive note and we make some noise in March. It would do wonders on our future focus on better perimeter basketball... something we have been in need of uplifting for quite some time!

@icthawkfan316

I don't think I was over the top with my comments about Hunter, just saying he needs to maintain some minutes. Which he does, and did need even before yesterday.

I've said this maybe a million times before in here.... in the past, we have wasted needed depth in March because guys rusted away on the bench all year. Brannen was an example of that last year. We very clearly need more post depth and options. I gave my caveat before boasting on Hunter about the level of competition we were playing. But even if we were playing a HS team, he still showed some moves other post players we have can't seem to make. He is a legitimate option, even Self has already stated that.

We can't go out there and recruit in a player for the second semester. We need post options. I prefer what Hunter showed us yesterday versus if he didn't show up.

If Perry plays like he played Saturday on Monday, it might be a good idea to bench him and start Hunter, if for no other reason than to motivate Perry. Starting seems to be a motivating factor for players, so why not use it to our advantage?

One last thing... players need to be encouraged. If we can't give him a slap on the back for his game on Saturday, then we potentially shelf talent that we are in desperate need of. I look at Hunter and I do see similarities to Cole. What if Cole received no praise after he came out of the shadows against UNC?

Our game with Lafayette was entertaining. We got to enjoy some good 3pt shooting, some players that don't usually run the show ran the show, and it was (for the most part) an upbeat game during the holiday season.

We can easily become delusional from some of the events of this game. Lafayette is not on the national radar screen and few even know where they come from. However... there were plenty of nice outcomes to this game that were unexpected. And as we all like to deflate this victory because of the opponent, we should also make note of the time of year it was played in, and how games around Christmas time can often be dictated by distractions away from the game.

Here are my takeaways from this game:

1. Frank Mason continues to improve. We all know he has skills and packs a lot of athleticism in his mole-build body. Frank has been lighting it up from 3, and he often comes through with a big basket when the team needs a big basket. That is certainly a part of leadership. He is converting from volume scorer to team facilitator. He can only improve, and I see this guy earning plenty of national recognition by his senior year. We are fortunate to have him!

2. Kelly Oubre continues to improve. I really thought the wraps would come off of his game after Christmas... after all the heavy Christmas season practices, but I guess Kelly couldn't wait that long. Gone are the cobwebs, and those that were way too critical about his first moments as a Jayhawk.

3. Hunter Mickelson finally steps out of the shadows. The guy we saw in this game was the guy Self (and most of us) thought he would become at Kansas. The key for getting more production from Hunter is to keep giving him some minutes. Without those minutes he'll rust away like the Titanic.

4. Perry Ellis doesn't stay hydrated. That is my conclusion after reading the comments made about his lackluster performance. Flu-like symptoms from guys who don't have the flu are typically caused by lack of hydration. He even mentioned it himself. He may be one of those guys that hates to drink water. Pity if it is true. There is no way a guy his size and athletic ability can play that many minutes and produce so little. His energy was zero. Perry should drink plenty of water an hour before game time, and even better, some watermelon juice. And then eat a banana, for potassium and slow-releasing sugars to energize him for 40 minutes of basketball.

5. BamBam Traylor continues to play harder after his late night antics. Maybe he needs to make the same mistake in March! (joke)

6. Svi's extra practice on his trey after practice is paying off. He's going to continue to improve and give us some nice minutes off the bench.

7. Wayne Selden continues to be unselfish. He remains focused on doing more than scoring, and he's one of our key glue guys because of it. 6 assists from the 2? Are you kidding me?

8. Cliff Alexander continues to show us he is a work in progress. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will his offense be. He definitely is not a OAD, and I think we can start realizing that and build recruiting around him staying.

9. Brannen Greene better treat practice schedules as important as PT because the relationship has now been made obvious.

10. Landen Lucas, with all of his solid fundamentals, will have to fight harder if he wants to stay in the discussion for PT.

Self said it was a great week of practice, and it showed in many areas... mostly on offense. Our defense continually had many issues. Guys didn't make switches, and spacing was just down right horrible. We were fortunate that Lafayette didn't capitalize more on their 46.2% shooting from trey.

The difference in this game was rebounding. We owned 20 more rebounds, and those possessions gave us a margin to own the score card. If the Leopards had a footer in the paint, this game would have been a lot closer than it was.

It seems that all of us are "in" for making this a banner year for 3pt shooting. It is clear we need to make the emphasis on the perimeter. I think we should spend some practice time developing the secondary break open trey opportunities. Taking the trey shot on a secondary break offers many opportunities, including hitting a wide open trey, and a 50/50 chance at an offensive rebound (once we train our guys to focus on it). It is hard to come up with a better opportunity than that!

Now.... on to Temple!

@ParisHawk

"Maybe sometimes Self talks about practice (where the team spends a lot more time than games), whereas we think he's only talking about games?"

Never thought of it that way... creative perspective!

@jaybate-1.0

POP QUIZ:

Are there rules that disallow one player from playing on the shoulders of another player?

We may not have one player that is a legitimate 5, but we have a great "combo post player" in Frank riding the shoulders of Cliff!

@jaybate-1.0

I can see Self retiring some day and we'll see him on the World Poker Tour. The guy can talk some serious snit.

He's had Bam-Bam running the show from the top of the key, Wayne playing in the post, and everyone else scrambled on an ouija board. I feel like I better bring a bucket of change to the next carnival to the fortune teller machine just to know if Evan is our next starting PG!

I feel like all the crazy chatter might involve a couple of things:

1. Self is sick of hearing about board rats and basketball gurus calling him to the mat on everything from starting lineups to mock drafts.

2. Self is running a bit scared before B12 conf play kicks in, and we may not have the fastest ponies in the race.

I can't ever recall Bill sending out so many mixed messages before.

@JayHawkFanToo

In actual games this year, I'll only cheer for Duke if they play Kentucky or Missouri. I was definitely cheering for UCONN in that game and felt Duke got a million, typical "Duke calls" from the refs. Even Duke grad Jay couldn't continue to lie for those calls. It was the difference in that game.

Still.. Duke is good, and their young freshmen are far ahead of ours. Okafor and Jones are the "real deal." Those kids deserve headlines and success if they continue to work hard. They, like some other teams today, shouldn't play second fiddle to a platoon of all-stars.

Even though I'm clearly not a Duke fan, I respect quality ball and coaching. You won't hear me bad mouth Coach K like I do Calipari. I don't have harsh words for any other coach in D1 today. I respect Izzo, Williams, Donovan, Ollie, the Mayor... etc., etc., etc.

@DoubleDD

I will always be pro-KU. (obviously)

But this year I'm focusing more on being anti-UK.

It's not just my disdain for Calipari. And I have nothing against the great fans from Kentucky. Those people breath college hoops every bit as much as Kansas fans, and deserve respect.

But I'm against stacking the deck. I'm against one team having 9 McDs AA... whether it be Kentucky, Kansas, or anyone else. I hate regulations... but the game will go better if there is a ranking system counted and teams are limited to how much talent they can stack on a team. I never thought it would come to this. But it has.

I watched a good Duke team last night beat down UCONN, the defending champions. It was a great game, and Duke looks like a real contender. But let's see what happens when they face the buzz saw of UK. Let's see Okafor dominate 3 7-footers. I hope he can. I'm hoping Duke stays healthy this year because they may be one of the few teams capable of beating UK. I've suddenly joined my east coast family and I'm also supporting Duke. I'm supporting any team with a shot to beat the stacked team.

Duke resembles Kansas. Signs a few top players, then has to build a real team. They aren't an all-star team like Kentucky. No other school is an all-star team.

My biggest hope for this year is Kentucky doesn't win a NC. My biggest hope is they lose and the basketball world mocks every player for buying in to their stacked deck system. My biggest hope is that top tier talent starts to second guess Calipari's strategy of stacking a deck.

If my biggest hopes don't come true, Calipari will continue along his path of destroying college basketball for his own personal gain. His goal is not to sign 9 McDs AAs on one team. His goal is to sign 13 McDs AAs. It will not only give him more depth, it will remove 4 more threats going to other teams. More is better. That is what he has turned college basketball into. Quantity over quality. Yes, his players are quality, no doubt about that. But they aren't going through the challenges they would have faced if each of their elites played for another team where they were counted on to produce, day in and day out. Playing on a team of all-stars means they all need to just not play horrible in order to beat teams that are playing for their lives.

Calipari is killing college hoops. He killed a great story in WSU last year. A team that should have made it to the championship game. That story is dead. This isn't about supporting WSU. This is about supporting college basketball. WSU was a great story last year and was good for college basketball. Now, it is just a footnote. Duke has a great story this year in Okafor and Jones. Another story that will end up a footnote to Kentucky's sluggish "Dream Team."

I'm a lot less focused on college hoops this year. Because I don't like seeing my dreams become another footnote for Kentucky's Dream Team. I'm not ready to turn the television off. But if Kentucky steam rolls college basketball, follows up with signing in even more guys buying in to the platoon system, I'll be gone from college basketball. It's too sickening to watch. And I don't feel that way because it isn't Kansas doing the steam rolling. I'm glad it's not. I'm glad it isn't Kansas, who was instrumental in the birthing of college basketball, is the one instrumental in killing it.

This isn't a repeat of UCLA. They didn't stack the deck like Calipari is doing. They had their fair share of big talent, but they still had to fight for every win. UCLA never stacked up 9 McDs AAs.

@RockChalkinTexas

"Lafayette looking for its first win over a ranked opponent since 1978."

Wow... a chip that has been building since 1978! I wonder if there is some dust on that chip?

@JayHawkFanToo

I'm certain you are right about the stamina.

In my late 20s I had to adjust from playing on tournament teams to playing at the 2nd level of pro euro ball (meaning.... my pay was primarily travel expense, food and beer). The level of this ball would be similar to division 2 college ball.

It took me at least 2 months to get up to speed with the existing players. I thought I was going to die from the speed of the game. I was always considered in great shape playing on tournament teams that traveled through the Midwest. That level of ball was similar to HS.

I can't really imagine what D1 is like, except I feel sure the rigors must be absolutely brutal. Sure looks that way from watching games. Having all the crowd noise and pressure can only amplify the stress and pressure.

@jaybate-1.0

"Tape them repeating the task 10-20 times, or as many times as one needs to wind up with five properly executed efforts.

Edit out all the failed efforts.

Combine the five successful efforts and show it to them repeatedly praising them and pointing out the various aspects of how they are doing it right."

I noticed KU got a new video coordinator. That job should be huge. The right video guy can make a huge impact on player/team development. I hope KU chose carefully.

@JayHawkFanToo

Thanks for posting on the USOC. More info for us worried parents!

Yeah, headers seem like they up the risk level, but there is some risk in all sports. Can't totally avoid the dangers, and to some degree life is about assessing where the dangers are and what path offers more safety.

@brooksmd

Indeed... but hard to think about now as we lose our interior rebounding edge.

Go, TRob!

@HighEliteMajor

"It just seems silly to have a starter that doesn't even play rotation level minutes most of the time."

I hear what you are saying.... but I agree with Self on this one. The idea is to start the game with Cliff on the bench so he can mentally get into the game before he engages the physical side. It's all about trying to reduce his propensity to foul. No one knows more about this than Self because he experiences their practice sessions, and I guess Cliff has severe fouling issues.

For that reason, I like starting Lucas, and then we see how he does and when he fouls or has a mistake he gets a quick pull. It is a great way to quickly assess the post matchups. Sometimes Landen gets out of the gates well, other times, not well.

I know one thing.... Landen needs to learn how to set a high ball screen. I'm sick of him being whistled for the offensive foul. It's a loss of possession, and this team needs every possession possible in order to produce a win.

I contemplate all of this... constantly!

I have a 16-month old boy who is already showing signs of being a competitive athlete. He's the size of a 3-year old with huge hands and feet. He will have some height and he has serious body. Since he was 12-months old he has enjoyed stuffing a mini-basketball in a kid goal... palming the ball with one hand and extending it outward like Dr. J used to do. I scratch my head wondering how he figured out that gesture. When watching football and someone scores a touchdown, his hands go straight up to help the officials with the call. He's muscular, coordinated and smart.

When he was born, the first words spoken to him by family was "linebacker!" He was a thick, strong, muscular baby at birth. The first words out of my wife's mouth were "no!" "No football in this house!" I totally understand her, but was a bit deflated by the limitation.

We, both, have gone through the sports, one by one, and assessed their risks. Football, ice hockey, boxing and MMA were at the top of risky sports. Next came basketball and tennis. Then came baseball, soccer and track.

I informed her that we can influence his choices, but he's going to be drawn into what he wants to play (or not play) and we will have to live with his choices. We can override his decisions, but that will backfire if we do. He is a very physical kid, just like his old man, and he already likes hard contact. He leads with his head, and he's headbutted me several times now and loves it. He is drawn towards hard contact, just like I was at his age. The kid has a pretty good punch right now and gut bombs me every day! We never taught him to hit like that. Some behaviors must pass through the DNA... I'm certain of that.

I can't imagine he will steer away from the hard contact. It is something very addictive to those with hard physical behavior. I was addicted to it from Day 1. Football, boxing, martial arts... anything with heavy contact I loved and was drawn to.

I'm sure this is the same story with a lot of people. This must be driven by a gene... I'm certain of that. You either have it or you don't.

So how do we maintain a society with people like myself? People with this inclination have to have an outlet to use it. I'm certain I would have turned my energy towards violent crime if I didn't receive my fix through sports.

The NFL is suddenly focused on a safer game. It is just a matter of time before the helmet is melded into the shoulder pads. They already are starting to make the connection, and do so in other sports like auto racing. I'm not sure what can be done to help sports like basketball. Part of it is the focus has turned away from basketball fundamentals towards just raw athleticism. Everyone is in search of the super, high-flying dunk, or crazy blocked shot. SportsCenter searches out these plays for the highlight reel, instead of smart individual or team plays. I fear we will never have another player like Larry Bird again. This is where the focus needs to be, but it isn't... so the focus is on raw athleticism. The NBA is a mere shell of what it used to be when players were slower and less athletic.

I hope my kid plays baseball or soccer. Both are great games... though there are plenty of injuries in these sports, too.

I think the biggest part of this is to have another PG ready and capable. In order to do that, the backup has to get some PT at PG. Personally, I'd like to see Svi get some PG PT, but I'm thinking he has been discounted because of his age and lack of experience with American ball.

@approxinfinity

Sorry.... I am guilty as charged!

I'll try to clean up my act and be more accommodating, and I can at least use better language... like saying @&#$% instead of &%$@!

@jaybate-1.0

Great read!

I see Self as one of the top in college basketball. My reasoning isn't based on the fact that he has won a NC. I'm more impressed with his 10 consecutive conference titles. That proves consistency. Consistency of coaching. He's faced a lot on his plate in those 10 years and he has managed to outperform everyone in the league each and every year during that period. That is impressive, by anyone's standards.

Self's focus is on defense, and I am a believer in good defense. If you can't stop another team, eventually they will stop you or you will stop yourself with a cold streak, but defense should be something that can be applied with more consistency. Self knows it, and he focuses most of his energy on defense and gets results.

Self will be the first one to tell you he isn't an offensive genius. He tolerates spending some time on offense, but he looks for the best result with a limited focus on offense. I think because of this, he tends to get a lot of negative attention from fans because offense is so exposed. A lot of defense is not. Most fans don't notice if guys are making their switches the right way and in position. Fans focus on offense, and blocked shots on defense... which is not a high percentage of good defense.

In March, it is usually our offense that stutters and falls down. We don't get run out of the gym in March. Games are fairly low scoring (in general) and we lose a grind out game. Most (or all) of those games we would win with a better offense. The problem is, what worked for us in conference play eventually sputters out in March. The rigidity of our offense could not adjust to the situation. Teams we face come jacked up with a lot of defensive intensity of their own, something we usually don't see in conference play.

I gripe a lot. I gripe that we should be doing this or that. Usually, I gripe about our offense. I used to gripe about our defense not running pressure in hopes to change the tempo and speed up opponents (something we are finally using sometimes). If I generalize it down to one complaint about Self it would be this: needing to balance focus on both sides of the ball.

My favorite coaching philosophy separates the game into two games: offense and defense. I've always liked the coach that clearly does that, and even if they won the game, they are pointing out to one side of the ball he felt they lost. I do go with Self on emphasizing defense. I just think he doesn't quite portion enough focus on offense. That's why most of my gripes are about offense, and very basic offensive skills we usually lack.

Conference is going to be tough this year... but I'm going to reach out on my limb and pick Kansas winning #11. I'm going to do that because of defense. This is a pretty good defensive team, and has potential to be a really great defensive team. Solid defense makes us almost impossible to beat at home, and puts us in several road games for victories. That is why Kansas wins every year. The road to the conference championship DOES go through Lawrence... largely because Self typically has a good defensive team.

Just watch. Teams like OU, ISU and UT... might play great at home, but can they consistently win on the road? Can they win in Lawrence? Those are questions you have to have answered before picking any team besides Kansas.

March is a different story. We will be playing talented teams turned up as high as they can go. One or more of those teams are going to come at us with a mountain for us to climb; they are hot from 3, we are cold from everywhere, we turn the ball over, they control pace.... At some point we will need someone on this team to stand up and take control. Who will that be?

@JayHawkFanToo

"This is Coach Self's statement on the subject:

"And playing Jamari (Traylor) at the 5, at least he's always going to be quicker than any 5 man he has. I've even thought about making him the backup point guard, I'm being dead serious, if we played him and he initiated the offense, there would be no one that could apply pressure because he could drive around anybody. Not be the point guard that comes up and sets it up, but just bring it in transition and do some things like that. We've got to become more creative because it's going to totally wear Frank down if he has to do everything every possession."

Where exactly does Coach Self says that Traylor "should" be used to initiate offense as you posted? He is simply indicating that it is something they could do to get/manufacture offense/points. He specifically states that he would not the like traditional PG but one that could draw the center out and create space inside for the other players to opearte."

I think Self sometimes just likes to throw red meat out to the bloggers. Gives them things to spin about. And look... it has definitely spun around us all in here! And while we are spinning, we are missing focus away from our real offensive issues... which are:

1. We don't have a guy or guys that can really play alpha-dog basketball... that can take their man to the hole and score or get fouled.

2. We live and die with Self's concept of "team offense" which is great theory to go for, but at some point reality should force you to make someone take charge.

Coaches that teach heavy "team offense" never end up with a real alpha-dog leader. All those attributes are drawn out of players when learning "team offense." Players like Jordan didn't really accelerate until reaching the NBA, where coaches just want to win, and don't play so rigid and philosophical basketball. Jordan was pinned down by Dean Smith. He had to be a team player to the extent of giving up his game for the "good of the team."

What we all experienced after that was a different Jordan. A guy who was "set free" to dominate the game. After he started dominating, he became a much better team player because he was so effective, and he would draw double and triple teams... then Jordan would toss more assists. In the NBA, you put your best foot forward, and by any stretch, on any team, a young Jordan was the best foot. Once that is accomplished, you learn to spin off of that (Jordan assists).

Self doesn't teach alpha-dog skills... instead... he leashes them. Brannen Greene is a fine example. He's a guy that basically got screwed out of having a decent freshman year because they sidelined him so much he couldn't shake the rust. He got the hook for taking about any shot with more than 10 seconds left on the shot clock. He got screamed at as he took a seat, never to return to a game. That, my friend, is leashing. That, was removing all his alpha-dog.

And the reason why we crap out in March? Because March is the spotlight for alpha-dogs... the guys we leashed all season long. In March, you are going to get tested, and at some point your "team offense" is going to crap out. That's when you need an alpha-dog (or two) to carry the load.

We can continue to spin around Bam-Bam running point, which is absurd, because no big man will come out to the top of key to guard him because Bam-Bam can't hit a trey. Or... we can talk about the real issues with our offense, like Wayne's inconsistency, our sudden shortage of PGs, shortage of bigs, etc.

And how about, over Christmas, our offense works on creating points for all that talent we do have? We have a bunch of fire power if we just, finally, spend the focus, time and energy on an offense that will generate the best results for all that talent. It's time to throw basketball philosophy out the window and just do what works for the guys we have. Unleash the talent and build an offense to exploit it. Self should quit trying to smash a square peg in a round hole. It is going to take at least a year before Cliff can learn to score effectively with his back to the basket, and Perry will always have some limitations with that, too. Hi/lo should be left on the playground with the tettertotters.