" I think Frank is better than Tyshawn as a sophomore by quite a distance. The only TT that I would even consider having in my lineup would have been the last half of the 2011-12 version."
I totally agree. Frank is already better than TT was at the same time period in his Jayhawk career. But I would love to have TT for another senior year! He was like night and day once he was coached on how to finish his drives.
Players have started to outgrow this game.... meaning... the super-athlete today, with all the training and rehab, are jumping higher, making more acrobatic moves. It's a great thing to watch, but it plays havoc on all the joints. Jumping higher just means harder compression, and the reps are so much higher, too.
Football is a sport players have outgrown, too. You have 400 lb linemen running 4.4 40-yd dashes, and guess what happens when two of those guys collide? Turns out their skeletal structure, joints, cartilage, tendons... haven't kept up with the speed and impact of the game.
Athletes reach a point where they are over-training their bodies. Sure... they can perform better, but parts of their bodies can't keep up with the latest, greatest training techniques which help them push a little harder. The muscles perform better, but outperform the supporting structure.
Focus should be more on diet, to help promote health in the entire body and reduce inflammation.
I like this team. a lot! They have all kinds of potential.
I find it refreshing that we don't have a big shot blocker in the middle, ready to correct all the horrible perimeter defense. It's refreshing to not have that luxury and have to be more resourceful on defense. It has worked. Our defensive stats are pretty good and can stand to improve more as our young guys learn more. I'd like to see us keep the pressure on. We do well when we use pressure. It seems to energize the team on both sides of the ball. I think this is the first time since '08 we've had a team that can even impact the pace of the game. It has been a pure joy to see us apply pressure and speed up opposing teams in their offense. There is a lot more potential in that area, and we've just sort of experimented with pressure.
One of my bigger disappointments was losing Conner. And I bet he has second thoughts now, too, since it is obvious he would have played a role moving forward. He had the potential to be a great shooter, but I think I was focused in more on his ability to use his head. He showed us some of that potential last year in March.
I've been impressed with Perry so far. He has definitely stepped up and is showing up to a lot more games this year than last. Perry is a quiet guy, so he leads through his play, and he is a big reason why we only have one loss.
Frank is what I expected from him. A bullish mole who can drive at will. He has improved considerably over last year, but still has a ways to go and that was shown (big time) in our loss to UK. He has ice water running through his veins and he isn't afraid to take over in a tight ball game. That's what you want from your PG.
Cliff is totally undeveloped. He's great on an offensive rebound put back, or a lob backdoor, but he has almost nothing when fed the ball with his back to the basket. I was expecting more, and that shoots a hole in Self's hi/lo system. I'm actually sort of happy for that. I want to see us transform our offense into more than hi/lo.
Kelly is coming on. We will see a big lift in his game in January. I have little doubt of that. He'll improve the most over Christmas break.
Wayne is the guy I worry about. He's the guy that hasn't really found his game yet this year. I already posted why I think that is. He needs to stay a 2, spend all of his time at the 2, in practice and in games. He's a guy who needs to be given just a few areas to focus on, or he gets frayed. We have experienced a frayed Wayne, where he has picked up all the chatter that he needs to lead the team, do this and do that, be able to play PG, the 3 and 4, maybe even the 5. Nonsense. The guy is a 2, period. If we leave him alone and drop all the other silly expectations, communicate to him simple expectations, he will perform and he will perform extremely well!
Brannen has definitely picked up his game. To be honest, he's just now knocked off the rust since coming to Lawrence. He was never given enough game minutes to keep from rusting. He's a guy that will give some production if used right and given some minutes.
I like this year. I like that we don't have a big shot blocker and we don't have the killer power forward capable of back to the basket offense. This pushes Self to think outside the box, and he needs that. His game was growing stale. He was able to produce a high % of wins based on his structure and the guys he recruited that fit his structure. But it wasn't the right formula for March. He needs to be able to bring other weapons to the fight. This is a year where he may become the "most improved" performer on this team.
I'd like to see him replace one of his assistant coaches for a guy who brings offense to the table. I know it makes him cringe... but he is leaving too many points in the locker room by not adjusting to the times. And that will help recruiting substantially.
JMHO.
I'm curious if anyone has stats on average height over the years in college basketball?
I'm even more curious about wingspan. It seems like many players today have longer wingspans. Guys who are 6'7" but have a 7'3" wingspan? Sounds nuts.
Is there some kind of training gear used by kids that pulls their arms out longer?
The "Stretch-o-matic" perhaps?
It seems like coaching doesn't keep up with the times. Players with 7'3" wingspans should be fouling out of games at a high rate. While they have an advantage at a distance from other players, up close, the length should be a disadvantage. Physics doesn't work in their favor. They have to deal with more length and getting it out of the way. Imagine guarding someone with a broom handle. It's great from 10 feet away, but doesn't work good up close. It should be easy to draw fouls on those long sticks they can't get out of the way in time. Coaches don't focus on that... drawing fouls. It's part of x-axis.
"We do have to find a way to manufacture points because we simply don't have any guys that can score conventionally."
We don't have any guys that can score other ways than the 3 ball because Self doesn't teach offense.
Many of us have been howling for years how KU players never use a shot fake. Never. Perry finally used one and got an easy score out of it.
Just look at what KU players DON'T do:
Use head/body/ball/eye/shot fakes
Use a pull-up shot
Use effective screens, including pick-n-pops and pick-n-rolls
Crash the offensive boards
Develop "hot spots" to score from
Self said it yesterday... his focus is defense.
He puts the least bit of effort into producing the most points on offense because he wants to focus on defense. He loves the grind games.
I understand where he is coming from. He just said it again... good offensive teams often don't play good defense because they put their focus on offense.
The only flaw with focusing so hard on defense is that it takes SOME offense to win games. If we can't create more offense from our defense (like on TOs that run out), then we have to focus harder on offense.
Most recruits want to go to a school focusing on offense.
Name a single KU player that really exploded their offense while at KU (under Self)? I can only really think of Marcus Morris being a guy who totally built his offense while at KU.
And what offense we do work on is team offense. Moving the ball quickly, building team assists. Eventually, a player has to stand up and take charge. Our offense is never built for that. The closest we came to that was last year with Wiggins. And, instead of actually developing offense around Wiggins, we just game him the ball and cleared out and told him to drive it. His offense was ugly (except for a few open-court slams).
Now Andrew is in the league, and he is already being coached by players like Kobe on his pull up. Gosh... I wish we could have him now!
It is frustrating when TV broadcast people yell out at KU what to do... "shot fake!" "pull up!"
"I haven't been mad at him in the last several games, so either he is getting better, or I am getting less cranky."
I just wish we could get him to stop those drives past under the basket, where he goes airborne out-of-bounds on the baseline then looks for salvation with a pass. I recall having to break TT from that habit.
Frank, in many ways, reminds me of TT in his earlier years... often driving out of control and not being able to finish what he starts. TT learned from the best, John Lucas, on how to finish drives, and it helped take us to National Runner-up his senior year. Frank has to learn that once he blows by his man he has to often back off the gas just a touch, and then take control of how he finishes.
"Self started the season saying Selden would probably play everywhere but 5."
I think Self has made a major mistake when he pulled Selden away (mentally) from his natural 2 position. Wayne has struggled this year, and I think it is because Self threw him into an identity crisis.
Wayne is a big, physical guy, but has proven to be temperamental towards change. Going into this season, I think everyone thought of Wayne becoming the leader of this team. A big part of that was about thoughts of him being consistent. That's changed now, and he is one of our main guys battling consistency issues. He, suddenly, was the guy playing stiff and a bit slower than everyone else. Why? Because that is what guys feeling unsure of themselves do. He's had to play away from his position and try to learn a bunch of other things instead of focus on his duties at the 2. Big, colossal mistake.
The good news may be that it keeps Wayne a Jayhawk another year. He definitely hasn't flown out of the blocks this year and he isn't on the big scope for an early departure (so far).
And now, Self sounds like he is going to compound the loss of Devonte by tormenting Wayne with another identity crisis. Wayne is not a PG. Might as well make BamBam a PG. It is all absurd thinking.
Meanwhile... suddenly Svi has been dismantled and put away on the shelf.... and Evan is promoted? Seriously?
Why doesn't he run Svi at point for some reps? Perhaps because Svi hasn't adjusted enough on defense, but Evan has?
"But I always like a good opportunity to slam WSU....."
That's why I like you nuleaf.... you call it straight!
Good thread! I've suspected for quite a while that Self (or KU) is not liked by some of the local AAU circuit. I tend to think it is more about Self. I'm guessing some toes were stepped on in the first years Self was at Kansas. Part of it could be Nike "making investments" in local AAU ball.
"The problem with a switch to a more perimeter team is we only have so far 1 consistent player, Mason. Nobody else has put 2-3 games together of production. Selden's still trying to dunk the ball, Greene had 1 good game, Svi's minutes have decreased, and Oubre has taken only a few outside shots. Graham was showing good consistent minutes but he's wildcard to when he will be back playing."
Very true... but maybe we should look at the glass half full instead of half empty. The real key is that someone steps up every game. That's actually the best case scenario. So how does a team prepare to play us when they don't know who will be hot and will be feed the ball frequently to shoot? The key is we realize who is hot and we continue to go to the well.
And, eventually, we'll have more perimeter players play consistently. We haven't played enough games or practiced enough.
Self has to change, and he has been changing over the past several years. When was the last time we saw 40 minutes of hi/lo? That is all we used to see.
Self is playing poker and he is talking poker... bluff. This is not a hi/lo team, in any sense of what hi/lo is to past Kansas teams. Cliff has not shown back to the basket skills yet, and Perry is limited to who the competition is.
I agree with HEM. Outside-in. Inverse Self ball. It doesn't mean we don't start a possession throwing the ball into the post. It just means we focus more on 3-pt shooting (to the point where we have to count on it). And we use the 3 to start opening up scoring in the post. Ellis hitting 3s is huge. He needs to keep shooting them when he is wide open. It creates a great diversion and forces defensive bigs to step out. We become a different team if Perry can start making a higher percentage of 3s. It's a Perry thing, and he has to stay disciplined to only shooting the wide open shot when he feels it. I'm not saying he needs to pump up a ton of 3s... just keep it as a weapon and use it sometimes.
The player that does need to play more consistent is Wayne. He gets off-focus and tries some ill-fated things, and sometimes it costs us dearly. He needs to stay focused on positive outcomes and not force his game. I'd like to see him learn to pull up on his drives.
Big shout-out to Perry for using a great shot fake recently!
At this point of the year, any win is a win. We can win ugly or lose pretty. I'd rather win ugly. I'm glad we aren't running teams out of the gym. Then the guys get big heads and hard to coach.
The Utah game could have easily been a loss. At least we get to chalk up a win, and who knows what we will need for March.
Most of the developmental coaching happens over Christmas. At least we have that tough UK beat down to keep these guys thinking how much they need to improve.
There are only 10 or 11 teams younger than us this year. Remember that.
All these kids are capable of playing a dud game or a star game. I'm sure we will see each one of them do both many times this year. It's something that goes with the territory: youth. Half the people in here were ready to throw BamBam under the bus, and now he's the savior of this victory. Be prepared for him to dud out again. And then be prepared for him to be a star again. And he is one of our older players.
"If we play WSU, the game would have bigger audience if WSU proves that it is a top tier team for a lot longer than a couple of years;"
Sorry... but your Jayhawk is showing. The rest of the country respects their ranking. Come on....
They could be ranked for 100 years and you still wouldn't respect the quality of their game.
I guess I'm the only basketball fan in the country (besides Shocker fans) that want to see this game.
Since the Missouri Valley Conference is already taken, how about the Missouri Hilltop Conference?
"None of that diminishes Svi, nor the praise I and others have had for him. Svi is still very much a work in progress, but it's the combination of his potential on top of his already very strong fundamentals and high BBIQ that had me going to begin with. Nothing has changed in that regard. We'll be seeing plenty of Svi this season."
I'm with you. Svi is a good player now, and he will quickly become a great player. Imagine him after he learns American ball, puts on some muscles, perfects his trey, and continues to add more to his toolbox! Self was right in saying he has as much NBA potential as anyone on his team.
Super congrats! Enjoy the lifetime ride!
Another solid "coach's" post!
We've all been waiting for a night like this from Greene. Finally! What a blast, to watch him go off! He's a guy that needs to stay confident. He has height and he has elevation on his jumper. He doesn't really need so much space to get his shot off. He is a weapon we need to use this year, and he needs to stay toasty from 3.
I don't always agree on the quick hook. But I think Self played this game just right. This was a physical game, a game for men. Svi still has a boy's game. Mickelson was held accountable for missing his assignment. Adults are held accountable. This was a game for men.
Oubre is the real deal. People were too quick to slam him. He will become a huge factor after Christmas, After he gets coached up when the kids are on break and are allowed more practice. He will be a key factor for us defending our B12 streak. We still haven't seen nothing of what he is capable of. Nothing.
"Unsure why Self viewed him as a bad option tonight."
Self knew this would be a physical game. It always is with Georgetown, and playing at Georgetown meant soft officiating in some areas. Svi doesn't have the strength to play physical ball... yet. This game should be motivation for Svi to develop a good relationship with Hudy.
Mason made some bad errors... but he also played a good game. Offered some penetration, including sometimes scoring off of it, and even hit at least 1 three when we really needed it. He's the PG you want in games like this.... muscle ball.
Selden seems to have some confidence issues. When he gets on a roll, he can put up big numbers. When he bricks a few shots or has one or two bad drives, he lets it effect the rest of his game. A one-handed stuff off the drive, against a team like Georgetown, was ill-advised, and a bit too much showboat. He should have either just tried to finish the drive with a score, probably off the glass, or if he wanted to finish strong he needed a two-handed slam... something where he could maintain some handle on the ball while getting fouled. He made some bad TOs in the game, too. I think he is feeling the pressure that he has to lead this team, and he has to do that by making plays. Problem is, he is forcing those plays. He should think of leadership in a different way. Sometimes even team leaders aren't hitting shots. Team leaders do what they have to do to give the team a better chance to win. Wayne didn't do that. He forced shots and passes, making it tougher for us to win. He needs a bit more mental growth in his game.
Cliff is trying not to foul. He is feeling out the boundaries on how much body he can put on someone. Where he is failing most is with position. He needs to use his feet more. Like you said... boxing out, is definitely one of those areas. I would have thought Self would try to front Smith. Make them throw the ball over the defense. Smith wasn't fronted so he was easy to pass in to. Then he'd just start moving his feet backwards, closer to the goal, and since it didn't look like he was muscling anyone, it was allowed, even though he was using his weight to gain territory towards the goal. Once he has it in the low post, he's impossible to stop. I liked how Lucas fronted him on his 5th foul. That was bull to call him on that. Smith used his hands the entire game to gain position, including on Lucas' 5th foul, and he gets away with it. Watch the tape.
Back to Cliff. He is being coached into not fouling. And that is important. But he also needs to be effective, and if he can't be effective, he isn't extremely valuable in the game. I think it made a difference that Bam-Bam was not available. He wouldn't have made a big impact, but he would be another body with 5 fouls available.
I give Perry a lot of credit in this game. This will be our most-physical game all year, and Perry didn't back down! He isn't strong enough to exactly go toe-to-toe, but he didn't back down, even after getting his shot smoked several times. I really give him credit towards the end, when he drove the baseline on a hard low post shot and made it. He didn't give up. We need to see more of this Perry!
Mickelson missed a switch and gave up an uncontested stuff. It only takes a few of those and KU's momentum may have been lost for the rest of the game. He should have been pulled. I expect the guy to have game rust, but he really blew it.
Graham is going to give us lots of great highlights in his career. The great thing is we will have him for 4 years! He looks like a guy who tries hard to stay confident. That is a psychological feature you want from a guard.
This is the type of performance we've all come to appreciate from Self, and from mostly non-OAD athletes. We got to experience some developmental improvements in a short time. Some of it individual, some of it team. This is what turns on a big part of the educated Jayhawk fan base!
I've been posting about controlling tempo recently. We came out early and forced TOs with nice pressure defense. Later, we sort of backed off the high pressure and it let the Hoyas back in the game. On one hand I thought that to be a tactical error, on the other hand I see it as Self using this game as a teaching lesson. He wanted a good grind game, and he got it. He wanted us to close well, and we did. But if this was a FF game, I think Self would have played for the jugular and we would have knocked these guys out early with high pressure they never could have overcome and got on track.
Except for missing a low post enforcer, this team has the chance to be the best defensive team we've had since '08... and in '08 we didn't have a low post enforcer either. Closest thing was Sasha. By the end of the year, hopefully Cliff will be more capable to play aggressive without fouling so much. And if that is the case, he'll offer us better low post defense.
We can't play every non-conf game at home. I'm sure the math is different, but that math will be different playing ranked teams in AFH. They aren't coming to AFH for nothing.
I bet both schools in the "Battle for the Bluegrass" come out extremely well and better than just scheduling another home game with an irrelevant team.
If we really want to make a comparison we compare apples to apples and select a home-and-home with another team. How about Temple? Liacouras Center (Capacity: 10,206). We have that game coming up in a couple of weeks.
I will guarantee a big TV gate if KU plays WSU. I will personally make that guarantee. Even in year 1. This would be run through marketing and a theme name applied. Media would jump on board. The media feeding frenzy would begin.
I was in NY about 2 months ago, and chatted it up with some hoop fans. The question came to me... "when will Kansas play Wichita State?" I've heard it other places, too. It was never presented to me as a slam on Kansas. Basketball fans just want to see these games. Even in NY, it doesn't take much imagination to realize this could become a rivalry and be a good game to watch.
Fans everywhere like rival games. I know I do. I could give a flying f__k about UCLA and USC, but I also watch that football game. Same with UK and UL in basketball.
Kansas is missing the boat on what could be a great media event, big money maker, and a good recruiting tool.
We were just starting to really cash in on the Mizzou rivalry when Mizzou went renegade. Even though I dislike Mizzou, I was digging the whole "Border War" theme, and so were people far, far away.
"He also indicated that it will consider expanding to 12 teams"
Now that Louisville and Florida State are out of the picture.... I bet we can still land Appalachian State University, if we can steal them away from the Sun Belt!
"Since we're not, I'd say a balanced attack is best."
We need to learn to focus on tempo. And offense and defense need to play at their own unique (best) tempos. We can use one to adjust the other. For example.... if we pick it up on defense, speed up our end (and hopefully our opponent's offense) that should give us more energy in our offense. Doesn't mean we need to speed up our offense... just have more energy.
If we come out slow and fall behind, we need to adjust the tempo. If we come out with a sped up offense because the other team is pressing... we need to call a timeout and talk about it. Get the ball past half court and run more determined offense.
This is an area that will make or break us this year.
Control our own tempo, control our own destiny.
So maybe we recruit Diddy. Then schedule home and home with Kentucky. We can put up a portable boxing ring at halftime on center court for the Diddy/Drake rematch.
We'll draw all the rappers in attendance, driving ticket prices through the roof for this special event.
Kansas and Kentucky will share the Top 50 prospects for the coming years because we put the Diddy/Drake rematch series under contract for 5 years.
Filmed at 11....
I am confused... therefore, I am confusing!
I'm in a state of disbelief. That the game I grew up loving has turned into a circus show, and is being orchestrated by a guy with greasy hair.
He is setting the direction, for many to follow. We are following.
It bothers me. So I vent it out with confusing statements. I also feel disparate.
Later today I will post Drake's schedule and when he arrives in Lawrence.
~ sigh ~
"Or have Georgetown University and Georgetown basketball always just been FEMA Continuity of Government created illusions injected into our minds by some Tesla Tower in New Jersey that mind controls us all into believing in continuity of basketball?"
The buildings on campus are made of cardboard. It's like a Hollywood set. It's just a funnel for tax dollars. Gotta spend them some how. If you go behind the set you will see a big drain, where the money goes. I'm curious where the plumbing ends.
"Ten More Signs the 'Bate Is Getting Senile"
You are in the clear. One of the tests for senility is to ask yourself if you are senile. As long as the answer is "no" there is a distinct possibility you are senile. Senile people are incapable of diagnosing their own senility. They think everyone else is crazy.
The next question is: how did I know this?
I constantly remind myself that I'm senile.... trying... trying... trying.
I feel exactly the same as you!
I'm sorry for protracting this can of worms. We've had this discussion way too many times now, and I'm usually one of the instigators.
I'd like to play them because it would be an entertaining game, and most of the time we would win. We would always keep the chatter down, and over time, we would show clear dominance. No more bull about "chickenhawks!" That always sets me off and sends my blood pressure out the roof!
How about a visit to 1000 Jefferson Drive?
Excellent point!
Hey, look.... Bragg is now sizzling to go to a school offering a platoon system -
“That (Kentucky) platoon system, oh I love it,” Bragg told the Herald-Leader. “It gives everyone a chance to show what they have. They play hard. I’d definitely like that,” he added of playing in one of two UK platoons.
Bill Self on hand for prep Newman’s show ↗
I will be surprised if Calipari drops the platoon system after this year. He introduced it like it was a gimmick because he had so much talent that deserved to play. But all you have to do is follow his tag line. He's setting this up to be permanent. The side chatter was just to cover his bases if it collapses.
How likely is it that Calipari will lose 9 McDs AA from this team? That, in itself, would dilute the draft. No.... a minimum of 3 will be returning. And how many has he already signed for next year? 2 or 3? So he's already up to 5 or 6. Anyone think he is done recruiting for next year? He's just begun. Most of his signings will come in the spring. He'll be back to at least 9 top tier players. He would like to possess at least 10.
Unless there is a meltdown on the platoon, it is here to stay, and he already has preps sold on it. They are sold to come to college for a year or two, and not have all the pressure of having to produce, and maybe less chance of an injury. Practice with the best. Play every game in front of an abundance of NBA scouts. Kentucky combine. Nationally prominent games, like the biggest college basketball rivalry; UK vs UL.
We are already copying their dorm suites. How much more will we be copying? Kansas combine? Self said he doesn't like it and prefers open practices to scouts. Will we have a choice? Do we really want to have to face 9 to 10 McDs AAs every year at Kentucky with our 3 or 4? Seems we are forced to play "follow the leader."
" I wish I could take back about 100 bad decisions I made after 2 a.m. when I was in school in Lawrence, Kansas."
I'm glad to not take back any of my bad decisions I made after 2am in Lawrence. Most of it turned out to be my cherished memories from KU!
Others have said it... back in the day, Lawrence cops pretty much let students be students (kids be kids) and as long as they weren't doing something really bad, the police looked the other way. Now, police act like gestapo. It's all just business now, trying to ring up heavy fines to support the municipality. It's pretty much like that everywhere.
I didn't realize the bounty was that high in the Bahamas.
"Not sure how H/H/H is less than H/N/A??? "
Here is the math:
3 games at AFH
16,300 X 3 = 48,900
3 games, 1 AFH, 1 Sprint, 1 Wichita Intrust Arena
16,300 + 18,972 + 15,000 = 50,272 and two of those games include no low cost student tickets
I'm certain this could be packaged at a higher cost. Brand the name of the series and charge higher ticket prices. Both team fans will be willing to pay a premium to support this rivalry. I see the average price for a ticket in Rupp for the "Battle for the Bluegrass" is now $848. Granted, we are lowly Kansas teams. Maybe we can get half that amount.
"But the not-soft Self/KU fan that I am just would competetively like to shut those WSU fans up by beating their team"
Me, too!
I apologize if I ruffled any feathers in here. Everyone has the right to their opinion, and this subject is very strongly opinionated on both sides. That, in itself, probably says something, but I'm not sure what it is.
Again... sorry to all.
This is all just chatter from not wanting to play WSU.
Every year we play turkey games, like in the Bahamas, that actually COST Kansas money. Those are not even revenue games. Gate has nothing to do with this. And if it did, we would already be involved in this series, because the math has been done, and a home/away/Sprint deal makes more money than playing 3 games in AFH. Already proven.
It is irrelevant that Louisville had a good past in basketball. This is always a shock to Jayhawk fans. Basketball isn't so much about the past, it is about the future. We live too much in the past. We think the world is going to bow down to us because we have Naismith. Naismith doesn't win trophies or sign television contracts.
WSU doesn't have a huge basketball rep from their past. So what. They are NOW, and college basketball is about NOW.
Actually, the deal should only happen if we can get a heavy guarantee that their coach will be around for the next few years. He has proven he knows how to build a winner there and he will help solidify the future of this rivalry. And a few more solid years of ball in Wichita will get their status on solid ground. Louisville... Louisville... oh yeah... they come from the MVC.
I got this right. And it is about thinking small and hating WSU, and in the process, hurting Kansas.
We can't generate a rivalry with another B12 school. Not to this level, and not benefiting the entire State of Kansas.
We will never compete against Kentucky... Never. They are a million times more progressive and on the ball, and what you are seeing now is just the beginning. By the time people here figure it out it will be way too late (if it isn't already). Kentucky has it all, and we put our beans on owning a piece of paper with the rules on it. And, btw, our conference sucks. This ship is sinking.
I'm not a gambling man, but if I was I know where I'd put my money on this one. And it ain't in Lawrence.
"Play them in Lawrence and in KC."
We should play them in the Arena at Wichita, too. It holds just over 15000, just a tad below AFH, but it isn't their Shocker Koch Arena, so students have to pay full price, equaling or exceeding the gate in AFH.
What we give us is all the revenue from the potential rivalry.... everything from t-shirt sales to TV revenue. This game would quickly have national implications for viewership (similar to UK/UL).
It's not only money... kids go to the Kentucky schools because of the exposure... something we are blind to out here.
Nice read (as usual)!
I think everyone in here knows where I stand.
I believe we should play them. We, actually, give them more respect by refusing to play them. It doesn't bother me when WSU fans clamor over KU's refusal to play them. They are acting like fans should act. They are acting the way KU fans would act if WSU refused to play them and Kansas was the competitive newcomer. What bothers me is I get out in the world, and I mix it up with college basketball fans from many areas of the country. And it turns out, those fans want to see this game, too. Fans everywhere want to see the potential of rivalry games. Fans everywhere like watching Kentucky vs Louisville, even if they aren't a fan of either school. Fans everywhere are jumping on the same bandwagon Shocker fans feel... Kansas is afraid to play WSU.
I don't have an argument back for this. I can say KU loses money, but that is a lie, and everyone and their dog (except other KU fans) realize that Kansas is giving up a future MONSTROUS revenue builder! Just ask Kentucky and Louisville fans.
We feel like we have a corner on quality basketball in this area, and that greed for ownership is costing us, big time.
We should want WSU to become a powerhouse every single year, and we should promote them becoming one. It doesn't benefit us to be the only quality basketball program in Kansas. It just doesn't. It's the same reason why fast food chains all huddle together. Competition actually helps programs get stronger.... not being exclusionary and alone on an island. Just like conferences. It helps Kansas to win the B12 conference every year, but it doesn't help our conference and in the end, even Kansas suffers, especially if we fail to have B12 teams reach the FF. It would help our conference more if someone besides Kansas made the FF.
I'm tired of arguing with people. This subject is like talking politics. I have problems with Republicans and Democrats... both parties seem to do as much harm to this country as the other, mostly because they refuse to work together. Basketball is the same thing. I venture to say that Kansas and WSU share responsibilities for the distance. But the growing pressure now is on Kansas to lay out the olive branch.
It is our own hatred towards WSU that will hold us back. It will also hold WSU back. It should be our goal to help the Shocks become a basketball powerhouse, too. That is good for our State, and we should fight for our State... especially since it is the NAME OF OUR UNIVERSITY!
I'm jealous of Kentucky. I'm jealous that they have built the absolute top rival game in college basketball. It helps brings millions and millions of dollars into both schools. It helps them recruit talent. It helps them with their brand. Meanwhile... we are out here asleep on the plains. Stuck with only one silly rivalry left... the KSU purple kitties. A game with very little prominence.
I miss having a real rival game. I don't miss Mizzou, because that went beyond rivalry.. that was just pure hatred, and it benefits us all to end hateful relationships. That relationship was different because of the history in the region.
This is the kind of story that makes you question his commitment to basketball. Not only does this hurt the team by adding a distraction, it makes you wonder if his focus is solely on his education and basketball. That's what players need to commit to at Kansas.
Maybe it turns out to be little and just something trivial. Maybe not. This one is for Self to decide.
Wish I could hit your like button a million times!
Missed that one. Still weeping over the UCONN loss. :)
I think you are on to something. Svi needs to get strong... fight through screens. And he needs to work on his team defense. He seemed lost on switches.
Everyone showed failures in that first half. Seemed that all our guys were playing "between" players. Seemed that every Gator was open, and they just passed it around and the one that felt like shooting, shot. It looked like all our guys were running with ball and chains... stuck about 10 feet away from the guy with the ball.
If I squint my eyes... I can see Isiah.
But he hasn't proven anything to deserve the comparison.
Here is Isiah Thomas:
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I remember watching that game. I remember looking at Isiah's ankle, and it was the size of a grapefruit.
Detroit couldn't cash in on Isiah's guts that year, but they did after that!
Isiah is one of the guys I want beside me in a foxhole.
I'm glad I waited on posting a new thread. This one sums up everything, with a twist of comic relief.
Thanks, JB!
If it gets any worse. If Bill's use of power tools stops doing the trick, I will loan out my dad. He will get them in line, quick. He's the master butt chewer. Had he ever converted to Skoal, I would have bought their stock. I've counted over 200 teeth in his mouth, while I was being ground into a pulp.
All I can say to all those softies that don't understand the value of verbal napalm... you experienced a slice of the value last night. These kids were playing like they were on a 7th-grade field trip to a moth museum.
I once heard of a coach, who got sick of screaming at his players, so he made them wear hearing aids... even though their hearing was fine, it was their listening skills that had diminished.
You brought out your A-game, JB.
"They look too robotic when they run the offense at this point."
That's common when young guys are trying to learn offense. They often get worse before they get better. Seems we sort of did this last year... beating Duke and looking okay, then playing some shaky ball.
I have to admit, when they were down 18 I thought they were toast.
I was asking myself what the heck do these guys do in practice?
The pull out is good for their record, and perhaps their poise moving foward. But I'm still not a happy camper for what I saw in that first half. And Dicky V even said he could have made that layup. He was right.
Some teams have enough going for them that they can play unmotivated ball and still stay close in games. Some teams can't. This team can't. They can't get by without bringing energy to the game, because it is energy that drives this team. It is that way with all teams, but some teams need energy more than others, and this is one of those teams.
Doesn't hurt to involve brains, too. We were chasing the dragon in the first half. Self will have some prime video for teaching.
I don't think people realize just how good Frank Mason is.
First off... he is only 5'11".
Second... his HS role was that of a scoring guard. Some might even classify him as a volume scorer. He scored 50 points in the 804 All Star Game.
Now he's transforming into a PG. How many guys can successfully do that? Not many. Now Frank's first role is to create opportunities for other shooters.
We all know Frank has a ways to go, but we should appreciate how far he has come. And if you are able to do that, really appreciate that, then you see how much potential Frank has in his future years as a Jayhawk.
Frank is the real deal. So don't be surprised if he continues to earn most of the PG minutes this year. Cut him a break now and then while he advances through the learning process.
And how about him averaging 5 rebounds a game?
Bird was as much magician as ball player.
It's called "sleight of hand" and Bird extended that to "sleight of body"... his head, eyes, arms, ball, direction... he used everything to sell the illusion. The illusion was usually to create space to shoot or pass. Sometimes the illusion was to draw contact and a foul.
I can't think of a player today I can make any kind of comparison to Bird. I can't believe young guys who really really want to get to the next level aren't studying Bird's toolbox, and working on their execution. I'm thinking young Svi might be the only guy in the country who would consider studying Bird to improve his game. Svi could do it. And Svi could be (one day) immortalized into the NBA HOF.
"But yeah strong passes, quick passes, no sticky hands, move the ball by passing unless you are going to drive the lane then dribble."
I see the dilemma our guys are in sometimes.
They are being told to move the ball, don't let the ball stick. Good advice. But in order for that to be successful there has to be equal responsibility with the players receiving the ball. That is where we often fail most, and no one mentions it. The blame always goes to the passer. This has always been a flaw with Kansas basketball and a big part of why we (historically) have too many TOs.
The receiver first needs to make sure there is enough space in a passing lane to receive the ball. That means movement, fakes, doing whatever is needed to create the space. Usually it takes CONSTANT ENERGY!
The second thing is the receiver has to anticipate the pass. They should react sooner than the defender.
The third thing is the receiver has to be aware of defenders going for the ball.
The fourth thing is the receiver needs to aggressively go for the ball. It won't be often that the receiver will be called for the foul on a collision. The foul usually goes to the defender, especially if the receiver got a good jump on the ball.
The dilemma comes when the passer doesn't really have anyone to pass it to but he is instructed to not let the ball stick. So the passer has a dilemma... pass the ball but no one is open. That often creates a conflict within the head of the passer and that's usually when you see guys passing soft and pretty much right to the defender. Ever wonder why you see that happen? The mechanical process of throwing the pass is interrupted by the conflict within the head of the passer. Sometimes they are just trying to stop the body while in the motion of passing, often creating comical mistakes and the ball might just go anywhere, and usually very slowly. Other times, the entire process is smooth but slow, because the conflict was there for a while in the passer's head, but it didn't get resolved so the motion continues at a slow "cautious" speed.
Anyone who has played much ball has faced this dilemma once in a while. But at Kansas, we aren't teaching enough responsibility with the receivers to help prevent more of it from happening.
Right on about Bird. I was comparing his level of athleticism to guys playing in the league.
I've had the good fortune of catching Bird live, court side, during his college days at ISU, and once in the pros.
I liked what you said about Bird being able to square up to the goal. He had that ability. And he would do it while fading away (his money maker) and also he would lean in and draw fouls (while often hitting the shot).
The guy had "double focus"... the ability to see the goal to hit his shot while seeing where his opposition was and making sure he had just enough space to get his shot off.
I wish Bird would do educational videos to teach these guys how to play. If he did, I think he could raise the skill level back in the game in areas that are being forgotten. The focus today is just on body size and athleticism. So if you are tall enough, have a long enough reach, with some very basic abilities, you have a career somewhere.
I think a lot of people think Bird wouldn't be effective today, because the athletes are a bit quicker and a lot of them have longer arms. Nonsense. Bird would even be a more dominant player today because he would bring skills that are becoming rare. If Kansas had a young Bird going into that Kentucky game he would have probably fouled out many Wildcats and they would have been forced to back off going for every smoke.
This will be a very entertaining team to watch. They will improve, and with improvements will come great team play.
I agree with HEM on how much Wigs hurt us last year. I don't blame Wigs for that. I blame Self. Wigs started out as more of a passer and got blasted for not being an alpha-dog.... which to many means being a gunner. By the time Wigs ended his short Kansas career, he was pretty much a gunner.
I don't think Wigs was instructed to look to pass the ball. Whatever... we can dispute that back and forth because none of us know.
But I think after a while, the Pavlovian complex took hold. Wigs wasn't passing the ball so guys started standing around and just played spectator whenever Wigs had the ball. Gosh... sometimes I wanted to throw the guys a bag of popcorn! I'm still not sure Wigs would have ever passed it. But the spectacle it created made Kansas look really bad. Gone was the reputation for Kansas (and Self) being focused on team play. Assist numbers shrunk.
Look at our assist numbers now. The guys are doing a pretty good job on the pass, even though we are driving the ball more than some years.
There is a lot of positives going for this team. We just need some patience.
@globaljaybird - I hear you on Wayne. I hope Bill hasn't been pressuring him to shoot. If this continues, Wayne's vision of an NBA career will be shattered. If he plays like he played in the MSU game this entire season he better learn a foreign language. His shots looked forced. Bill needs to back off of him and just let Wayne figure it out for himself. Wayne just has to put good energy into a game to at least contribute something. His shot will come around, if it isn't forced. He's too good a player to play like this.
I agree with your post. But what your post leaves out is team play. When teams have several seniors that have played together for 4 years, that is a monstrous advantage. At least.... it should be!
Yeah, I can imagine if Anthony Davis stayed 4 years in college. Talk about dominance... wow! He's recently been on a blitz in the NBA.
"Your idea of the older players dominating would work if incremental improvement were always guaranteed."
There never has been a guarantee... but I think, back in the old days, we experienced a lot of improvement with the older guys. For one, they were more pliable with the concept of "team basketball." And it is a pity more of these 4-year players aren't improving at a better clip. They have a zillion more developmental tools than we had in the ice age.
Svi is a throw back to my era. All the guys I ever played with pretty much had his moves. He does have an exceptional rotation on his shot, and I give him the most credit for that. But his floor moves, seeing the game, anticipating the ball, using fakes... that was all status quo. It has been a complete joy to watch him move on the court!
I'm ready for the complete throw back guy. I'm waiting for the next Larry Bird to enroll at a college somewhere. Reasonable athlete, but not great. Not a huge vertical, a bit slow on his first step. Nothing looking right compared to the freakish athletes of today.... but... a guy averaging 28 ppg and dominating everyone in D1! Where is this player?
I'm on board with your post.
Just look at last year's winner... UCONN. Their most dominant post player was Deandre. Seriously?!
Their victory over the tall Kentucky team didn't surprise me. This year Kentucky is even bigger. So it will take a team even tougher on defense, especially on the perimeter to disrupt the flow.
But it can be done.
"I hated when guards drove it into my chest. No block and I ended up with the foul."
Good point. Something Frank needs to keep in mind. The way to neutralize a big is to drive right into his chest. If he does anything beyond putting his arms straight up he will be called for the foul. Sometimes they can foul even for holding their arms straight up.
Then the little driving guard creates his needed space with his body separating between the big and the ball.
Interesting post on Brannen.
I'm like many in here and I really like Brannen. Definitely in his fan base.
What I really noticed last year was his stance issue. He played the game too upright and needed to bend his knees. For a while this year I felt like he was bending his body more, not playing so stiff. To me, this has been his biggest issue and it has killed his "response time" on the floor.
Curious if you noticed this with him?
He doesn't seem to have a lot of leg strength. Very thin legs and a bit disproportionate to his upper body.
I've felt he didn't engage enough physicality into the game last year. But I noticed some improvement this year. He definitely could earn more minutes by playing more physical (without fouling)... going after balls, rebounding, tougher defense.... all the things Self loves to see.
Brannen has earned minutes. It really is up to him to make the most of it, not to showcase himself but to be a good team player and help the team wherever possible. If he can use his minutes to positively impact a game for Kansas, he will continue to hold his current minutes and maybe pick up more minutes. That is where he needs to focus.
Svi plays with a big tool box. No one else on the team has the tools he has.
Kelly is just a different player. He has more athleticism and appears to be a stronger player. If he figures out a reasonable amount of Self ball he will surely earn more minutes soon. We need Kelly to snag rebounds and defend the rim. If he picks that up he'll get a lot of minutes when we go into conference play. We'll need strong rebounding, and there are several bigs we will be combating this year with our small post.
From the limited minutes I saw of him last year he didn't seem to be 100% mentally engaged with the game. He didn't seem to have the focus and would often be more of a spectator than a player while being on the floor.
"Kids have also realized they have the most leverage in holding out til Spring. With Roster turnover/transfers and Coaching changes unless you know for sure none of those are likely why would a top recruit sign early and risk having to do it all over if something happened. Heck they don't even need to sign,they can hold out on just signing financial aid papers. As a High Schooler I can see why, as a KU fan it drives us crazy on the waiting game. "
That is really it, in a nutshell.
It really doesn't benefit these kids if they sign early... or even sign a LOI, period. The smart thing for elite talent is to just wait and sign their financial aid package.
Things happen too fast in D1. Coaches are suddenly gone. Players are signed that ripple PT with other signed talent. Or sometimes players and coaches just get off on the wrong foot, even before the players come to town.
The bad thing is that many universities won't easily let a player out of his LOI, and most players don't have the capability to challenge it.