🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@jaybate-1.0

"Bill needs a point guard bad and he knows it."

You nailed it. It isn't that he doesn't have several talented guys who can dribble, pass, etc....

But the issue for Kansas this year will be about winning the possession battle.

Gone is the big post presence for rebounding.

Gone is the big post presence for shot blocking.

We'll need other advantages to win the battle of possessions, and none can be won more than from the PG position. We have to have a PG that will protect the ball while attacking at the same time. Throw in a few steals would be great, too!

@jaybate-1.0

"I actually think we have been right on, but that it will take awhile for Oubre and Alexander to play into starters. I suspect they will be starters eventually this season and if not starters then 20 mpg guys.."

I'm thinking that is only the case if they start out needing more motivation. And sometimes young players can learn more on the sidelines watching.

But I have a feeling they are going to start from the getgo. Self is already talking like he sees this team as being younger even then last year's team. I think he wants to get them as much PT as possible to benefit the late season.

My curiosity concerns PT for players like Greene, Svi, Lucas, Mickelson...

@DoubleDD

"Wigs2 paying players is a slippery sloop."

I agree with that.

It's even a slippery sloop with my method of letting players own their names. It would get corrupted.

Problem is... isn't it corrupt today?

Let's face it, few all-star players' parents are starving before they get to the league. They may not be setup in big houses and cars.... but I'm sure, in most cases, they get provided for. The biggest drive for the kids to get to the league is to soak up all that gravy. And their posse pushes them to go quick because they want a taste of that gravy, too.

Star college players take a risk of injury by staying another year. They also risk injury more by going to the league too quickly. Joel... he's taking a big risk going early. But I'm really pulling for him...

Anytime big money is involved, you have corruption. I don't care if it is sports, politics, financing, investment... real estate.... commodities... Big money attracts bull snit.... bull snit attracts flies.... flies attract lizards... lizards attract snakes...

@ralster

It is easy to bash Cal for not focusing on FTs. There is a reason for that. He was living the NBA dream in his head and he thought it was below him to focus on such a simple part of the game. Cal has since admitted that his own personality has often caused issues with becoming a good coach. Maybe it was his lame way of admitting he isn't a good coach.

I look back at that game and, for me, it really wasn't about Memphis missing FTs (I know it was a huge part). I focus more on our "Hail Marys".... Sherron stealing the in-bounds pass, getting it back and nailing the long ball, and then Mario's shot "heard around the world."

To be honest... I give Sherron more credit than Mario. His steal and shot were infinitely harder to accomplish and so so rare.

I know there are other crazy steals in basketball... but something that comes close to what Sherron did was Gerald Henderson's steal and basket that put the Celtics into overtime with the Lakers in Game 2, 1984. The comeback in regulation helped finesse Boston in OT and they beat the Lakers. That was the pivotal game in the Finals, and Boston took out LA to win it all.

@JayHawkFanToo

It is impossible for me to view that match-up without a bias. I still believe we were the better team and had better depth.

I thought we underperformed until those last couple of magic minutes (and OT), when we finally put it in overdrive.

@ralster

Your post is sad... made sadder because it is probably true. RussRob did make huge sacrifices at Kansas that could have cost him from getting the needed big time attention players need out of college when going to the league. It is so hard to make it work after that. There are few NBA coaches and head office people that have the guts to gamble on guys who don't come in with the big hype or are fresh.

It is the same issue in corporate America. Stay out of the corporate loop for a few years then try to get back in. Good luck!

The decision-makers feel they risk their own necks when going outside their small, safe loop (hype players... or in corporate... currently employed candidates). They may be right, too. A sad conclusion to this post.

@Wigs2

"One thing that could alleviate the OAD issue would be for the players to be paid a decent stipend for playing D1 basketball."

They just need to own their own names. In any other situation this would be protected by federal laws... but the NCAA "slave league" somehow wins out over federal law.

If they owned their names they could already be pulling in licensing revenue. As we well know, even top HS recruits might already be millionaires coming out of HS... funny thing... they already have big reps today while in HS and a big value with advertisers and shoecos. They have that value WITHOUT any involvement from D1. Wiggins should have been a millionaire in HS.

Someday there will be one smart attorney with ethics and the balls to take this challenge the right way to the courts, and not just what the NCAA does with players' names, earning them a small cut.

@JayHawkFanToo

"and even '08 is a tossup"

I'm trying to think of a team that would be a toss-up with us in '08 in a best of 3 and can't think of anyone.

Who did you have in mind?

Surely not Memphis State!

@justanotherfan

From a talent perspective, you are right, and we stand a better chance by recruiting higher talent.

What really pays off is when players that maybe should have gone pro, hang back for another year. You mention '08... what really worked for us was Rush getting hurt and coming back for another year. We had a good fortune as a result of his bad fortune.

It is hard to talk about chance without talking about luck. We were fortunate because of Rush's injury the year before, then we were fortunate to keep our guys healthy through the run.

In 1988, turns out we were fortunate to lose Marshall for the second time. It is hard to say that, because we all suffered so much with Archie. But there is no guarantee we would have won it all with a healthy Marshall. Losing him gave that team all the heart they needed to win out in March, even against a tough Oklahoma team with all that talent.

In 2012... heck... were we really the second best team in the land? We didn't have a single McD's AA, but we had a team that had endured the loss of Robinson's mom. That lit a torch in the souls of those guys to step up and push harder. I know that is the most proud second place I'll ever experience.

The one aspect that is gone from a team of OADs is the relationship of being a team for a longer period of time. That helps the guys come together as a group, especially when something horrible happens and they have to fight through it together. You never hope for bad things to happen, but it took some bad stuff for us to come through in '88, '08 and '12.

Look around at other teams. Louisville losing Ware... UCONN being banned from post season play.

I'm curious to know if we went through the list of champions, how many went through some kind of major struggle that toughened them up to win.

I'm making a point, but I also agree that snagging big talent helps our chances. We just need to try to have a mix with some quality older players, too.

I don't believe this article for a second.

You don't go to the prized basketball schools and put their coaches on a level where they are untouchable. First... it just isn't true. At Kansas, we have high expectations and we expect to win. If Self stops winning, we'll start looking around.

The safest jobs are at schools where they hardly care about their program and don't have high expectations. They probably aren't winning a lot of games now, so it would be tough for a coach to play much worse, at least bad enough to make a change.

Self has one of the greatest jobs in America... but it is also one of the toughest. When we don't see him on a court, he's at an airport, flying out to see a recruit. He's hustling not only because he is a competitor and he is being paid well in a good job, he's hustling to save his job, too.

If Self goes several years and we finish no better than the middle of the pack in the Big 12, and don't get offered to the tourney in March, people will start talking. In some ways, Self has made it tougher on himself by being so successful. Now success is expected out of him every single year.

@globaljaybird

"They've got to tweak that friggin rule"

Amen on that!

"Surely the L doesn't want that, it's their minor league-for free !!"

We should all be thrilled at the lambasting of Goodell in the NFL. I'm thinking all the other pro league head offices are thinking of cleaning up their act before their heads go on the chopping block.

There are going to be stories coming up, showing athletes like Selby, who went from 0-100 in two seconds, then back to 0.

Suddenly all the pro sports start thinking about their image and hire marketing and PR people to help them review policies.

The OAD rule might end sooner rather than later because a football player punched his girl in the elevator.

BTW: there is only ONE sport in this country.... M O N E Y ! Catch it while you can!

Filmed at 11...

@justanotherfan

"You can hate UK all day long, but if they are healthy, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them playing deep into March again this year."

If they remain healthy they should be the team to beat this year in March. They've got the tallest D1 team of all time. 3 footers to go along with their tall twins out on the perimeter. They are stacked with All-Americans, and many of those are back for year 2.

Their weakness is Calipari being out-coached. Their weakness is still the twins, if opponents can get over all the intimidation of playing such a tall team and get out there and put pressure on the twins. The only way to beat this team is to beat them at x-axis basketball. Win the game from about 6'3" and lower. Big perimeter pressure, steal passes and dribbles, play more physical and get rebounding position and win the boards, draw fouls with fakes, control tempo... just get Kentucky out of their game. The twins will still choke if there is enough pressure. They are still only a few months older than they were last year when they constantly choked. Last... their weakness is too much media all year creating chaos and slowing down their development.

Self is going to have to put the heat on these kids. The pressure starts from the coaches, and ends with the kids putting up big pressure on the court.

We could easily lose our B12 streak this year. We are going to have to really hustle to win it this year.

@HighEliteMajor

"Carlton Bragg is the perfect recruit."

Better... he's the perfect "Self recruit!"

@JayHawkFanToo

Painful read you posted. Painful because it is true.

We'll be challenged in the post this year.

Because of that reason, I think the answer is for us to put more pressure on the perimeter. Make it tough for everyone to feed their post bigs. Also... if we can penetrate we should be able to draw fouls on their bigs.

Teams like UCONN prove that size can be overcome by aggressive guard play. We should take a page out of their book and see where it leads us.

One thing is for sure... we can't maintain the old guard mindset that our bigs will save their poor defense. I'm really sick of watching KU stink at perimeter d. It is the biggest reason why we rarely get to use all that athleticism on the court, like for run outs, because we don't get steals.

It sure would be nice to be a team that took care of the ball this year, and also played aggressive and stole more balls than they give up. We better figure out some way of winning the possession battle because I'm not counting on us doing it on the boards this year.

We have a big pile of quality guards.

But one thing stands out to me.

Mason is the only guy who is dedicated totally to one position... PG. I can't see him coming in as a 2. Not sure about Graham, but I'm guessing he could see some time as a 2.

That sticks out at me. It tells me that Frank just has to focus on being a play maker. Every once in a while, knock down a perimeter shot.

I think it will be tough for anyone to take that spot away from him.

Sometimes less is more. In this case, Frank focuses 100% of his energy on being a play maker. Hard to imagine him losing out the starting spot at point.

@JayHawkFanToo

"By the way, Sean Miller "played" at Pitt"

Was he a "baby linebacker?"

@wissoxfan83

You can always test the waters by wearing khaki.

@jaybate-1.0

Surely some of those things will actually happen.

I laughed so hard I lodged a wasabi pea in my throat!

@BeddieKU23

Spot on!

This is what I hope:

This is the team that really puts it together on offense. "Team offense" becomes the spirit of these guys instead of forced upon them by Self's structured "pass it around the horn until 5 seconds left on the shot clock" offense.

I really have the feeling that this team wants to form their own mold instead of being a team trying to mimic past teams.

We are in need of this. We need a team that can just go out there and feel it and do it. I'm not saying they shouldn't be disciplined... but that the right things should be executed because they feel it instead of being forced into it from coaching rigidity.

That rigid approach to offense needs to stop. It's been shackling our offense for several years now. It's been making our offense look stiff, without a flow, and too predictable.

We have such an equal level of offensive talent this year. So many guys that can become big scorers. We aren't a team like last year.... "get it to Wiggins"... This year we've got equal weapons all around and we need to take what opportunities defenses give, and if they aren't giving we need to execute enough aggression to create our own.

I really think the guy that completes the puzzle this year is Svi. He may have some maturing to do, and definitely the need to be more selective on his shots. But he plays a different brand of basketball from the rest of our perimeter guys. He can create for himself. He can also influence the rest of our perimeter guys on how to create for themselves. He should be a difference maker. I don't think Kentucky has that this year, but I haven't seen their new blood. Young was their guy last year. Glad he is gone!

Cheick Diallo -

Guard attributes: lateral speed and agility, good timing, ability to hit mid-range shots, some ball handling

Footer attributes: big hands, long wingspan, quick hops, aggressive in the post, some back-to-the-basket

He's a big prize, and he's going to become a bigger prize very very soon. I'd put him as a "need" not a "want!"

@Crimsonorblue22

I'd be happy to... when the season starts and we see the beginning of the bruise brothers together!

You can bet it will be mentioned hundreds (if not thousands) of times.

The first time we see Perry play soft we'll see Bam-Bam replace him and the beginning of a synergistic relationship with Cliff.

I can hardly wait!

If Hunter really has increased his vertical by 5 or 6 inches then he will be a totally different player from his Arkansas days.

His scoring potential changes completely because that many vertical inches means a juxtaposition ON TOP of his former scoring position (ball release).

This changes his potential for scoring with his back to the basket. He still has to have technique and touch, but his release platform just went up half a foot!

He is really our big mystery post player. Maybe his increased athleticism hurts his touch for a while.... maybe not!

Some guys are naturals when it comes to back to the basket scoring... others just never get it. You've got to establish your position while guards reach in and take swipes at the ball, while you start your scoring move. There is so much that has to happen, and the key for most post players is to catch the ball while already starting to make their scoring move. Give no time for help defense to disrupt his movement and movement options. How many guys have we watched fail at this? Remember back to a young Withey. He would catch the ball and stall out, while bringing the ball down for help defense to swipe at.

I don't know why it is... that so many post players pause with the ball and wait for the defense to give them the sign that they are set and ready to defend. That has been one of the greatest mysteries in basketball that I have never found an answer for.

Certain players, like Kareem, fed off of his pause because he could pass well and he could protect the ball well in the post. Problem is, everyone seems to think they are the next Kareem!

I really loved to watch Olajuwon! He mixed up his timing on every single possession. I also believe a big part of what should make Embiid successful is that he understands the need to mix up his timing in the post. He's watched probably every single piece of footage on Olajuwon he could get his hands on.

@Crimsonorblue22

"I'm hoping to see a remake of the bruise bros, w/Mari and Cliff. "

I love the way you think!

It's funny how the mind works...

When I read the title of this thread:

"Is coach K cheating?"

While I clicked my mouse to get the details my brain already decided this was an article about Kalipari cheating! Did anyone else have that happen to them? When the topic turns to college coach cheating my brain fast forwards to Kalipari!

I guess for one day I'll connect the dots Kalipari ..... "Coach K."

It is ridiculous for anyone to NOT see the advantage this gives Coach K in recruiting. This gives K another season of ball every year to sell the "Coach K" brand, and the "Coach K" brand follows him wherever he goes, and it just so happens the benefactor is Duke. And he is out meeting with top foreign talent, too.

It FEELS corrupt when he defends it all as not an advantage. What utter BS! I try to maintain a high level of respect for K... but it dwindles every time I read a story like this and he really floats BS out there (and gets away with it).

I'm pretty sure if that was CS in his position he wouldn't defend himself, he would flatten the story out with a famous Bill Self comment starting out with... "I don't know.... but I can say it doesn't hurt our recruiting. Does it help? I don't know... maybe... I guess you could argue that." Self might even throw in a "really really" statement... like.... "Does it really really help our recruiting?"

Here is another "funny thing:"

Every time Self makes a statement full of simplified "I don't know..." statements I think of the Sheriff in the book "Pop 1280" by Jim Thompson. BTW: I heavily recommend that read to everyone. Very hard to find humorous westerns!

@jayhawkbychoice

I think it is good for these young men to have competition coming at them from every angle. I'm sure it creates a degree of chaos and may even sometimes test team chemistry... but their world is all about competing and they need to gain a sense of team work while also realizing they are alone in their pursuits for PT. They'll have to go that part alone because no one else will win them PT but them.

Some guys get it. Being pushed on all sides creates the environment to motivate them to go up and beyond what they ever thought they could do. Other guys don't get it and they never reach the level of play they could achieve because their attitudes (or something) gets in the way of their progress.

I don't pretend to know what happened with Naa... but I have a feeling he wasn't getting it. He didn't "buy in.' At times he seemed to get it and talked a mean game, but he didn't walk the walk. The selfie clearly illustrated that. No one walking the walk would either be in that position or be in that position and document it and risk what eventually happened. I'm pretty sure that selfie was his last straw at Kansas.

I hope we are kept abreast on that study in Hudy's department where they are examining performance issues going into March. I believe we will find ways to help them max out in March.

If we do that, then everything points to other areas of preparation that need to change to have better outcomes in March.

I do think certain aspects will be hard to overcome. Anyone playing for Kansas will have super high expectations put on their shoulders... if not from the Jayhawk Nation, it will still exist from the rafters of AFH. You look up and see all that history, all those great names, and you BETTER feel the pressure to perform!

Then look at a school like Stanford. Can't those guys just come out loose and play? They aren't expected to win anything.

We need to find a way to address this aspect because it isn't going away anytime soon. I believe it is even becoming more intense as we bring in all that top shelf talent that brings media along with them.

Everyone is watching... and I mean EVERYONE!

@jayhawkbychoice

'I really hate using the Embiid injury as an excuse. It may be a reason, but not an excuse. And for everybody that want's to give the coaching staff a pass on not being ready for Stanford (already knowing that Embiid wasn't going to play) I ask this, what if Embiid had really been a 2-3 year project like he was thought to be? Would we have lost 15 games?"

First... Embiid WAS a 2-3 year project. He wasn't ready to go to the league, but the hypemonster took over and he's gone. Funny... his family didn't need money and he claimed to not be chasing it, but he didn't hesitate to jump WAY TOO EARLY!

Imagine an Embiid that was really ready to go the league?

I thought the injury was a poor excuse to go early. He will be at a much higher risk now in the league. And if he gets off on the wrong foot, he'll have troubles in the league, being traded every week to another team. Then, he isn't settling in to a team, loses valuable esteem, and won't meet up to his salary demands. Pile on top of that another injury. Let's say he goes down this year. He will then have "injures easily" as part of his rep.

If his family was starving then I could see why he would take the NBA bait too soon.

Still... your post is solid, and we were not prepared for Stanford. This team was too soft. And we didn't have a leader who would step up, especially when we were down.

Would we have lost that game if we had Russell Robinson or Mario Chalmers at point?

I'm not trying to deflect the coaching responsibilities... but could Naa have been coached differently to become another Robinson or Chalmers? It didn't seem like Naa was "getting it."

@jaybate-1.0

Maybe TT is employed by the NSA. He's now signed to play in Russia. I'm trying to visualize a flubby Putin chasing after TT and quickly getting winded. The goal was less to spy and more to just see if we could stroke out Putin.

Gosh... did that really happen just 6 months ago? Seems like a loooong timeeee agooooo!

@jaybate-1.0

I dusted this image off from my archives. I couldn't resist. Amazing the resemblance!

!penguinwebber.jpg ↗

@jaybate-1.0

Thanks for the flattering comments.

I didn't serve in the armed forces, but I did have a period of working on DOD installations. My dad and uncles were all the brave souls who went to battle.

I have to tell you... in the 20 years I spent there I always came back for my Kansas summers. I just couldn't live without it. And when I had a girlfriend, she would come with me. Also, several of my buddies visited me in Kansas, too. Every woman that came here cried hysterically when they left because they had never been somewhere where people were so friendly.

I do think people are attracted to their own familiarity. I just feel fortunate that I have embraced where I'm from and I feel a bit sorry for people who don't embrace where they are from because no matter what, it is part of your identity!

One of the main nicknames I picked up abroad was "Kansas." I kind of liked it!

@brooksmd

Ha... I hear you! Snow is a bummer.. but without a hard freeze the bugs go crazy the next summer! And the freeze helps sterilize the soil from unwanted bacteria. That's why you don't want to eat lettuce on your trip to Mexico, or you'll experience most of your trip in a toilet! (been there, done that)

We live on a block that goes 3 blocks long and I probably know 90% of the people on these 3 blocks by name. The other 10% are new and I'm sure I'll get to know them, too.

This morning there were two dogs running loose that were obviously someone's critters so I chased them down with another neighbor and we located the owner.

The only way I can go to the grocery store and get in and out is to go late at night... otherwise, I'm bound to see several people I know and will chat it up while my ice cream melts and my pregnant wife is screaming for her ice cream!

That's just the way it is here. I'm not some super social person.... people are just downright friendly!

That's the way I want to live my life.

@konkeyDong

I agree with your post. I didn't know Cole had such a long wingspan.

Withey proved to us how much it is about technique than anything else. In his first year of play, it didn't take much to shoot over him, and then he found technique and timing.

I don't know... back in my sports days I can't ever recall playing for a team in any sport where I was asked about my measurements. There was always a nurse or med type person measuring everyone and I was never measured with my shoes on. Height was measured at the same time they took weight, so we were down to our undershorts.

@JayHawkFanToo

Physically, you can argue that Jamari can be a 3. But up until now, he definitely is not a 3. By the time he leaves Kansas I hope he can work into becoming a 3, because professional doors will open for him when he can handle the ball better and hit perimeter shots. He has the athleticism to defend at the 3.

He definitely (on paper) is not a 5. But Self used him as a 5 sometimes this past year and I'm willing to bet he will do the same this year. Sometimes Self just wants to see how players match-up. Jamari actually can match-up well on some trees because of his lateral speed and his physical strength. Others... not so well.

I'm anxious to see his progress this year. He has made gigantic leaps in his game every year and there is no reason to think his development has slowed.

I'm also psyched on Hunter's potential.... and Landen.

Really... all of these guys have their strengths and weaknesses. Hunter seems to have the most going for him to get minutes at the 5. But even Self doesn't know until more time goes by and they guys practice more and start having games.

A big unknown for me, concerning Hunter, is his lateral speed. Can the guy get up and down the court quickly?

It would be truly amazing if this team found a quicker effective pace than our more recent teams. Over the past few years our offense never attacked a defense until that defense was totally settled in. Often... that made it an uphill battle and it killed momentum.

Think back to last year. How many times did we pop in 10 points on anyone within a minute? How about 2 minutes? I recall this as being one of our biggest advantages in the past... our runs!

@jaybate-1.0

Totally enjoyed your read on Kansas.

I love the waves of wheat and high grass plains. I love watching some of my Native American friends perform as "grass dancers" at powwows.

I love the artwork from a generation ago (maybe a couple of generations) from the Prairie Print Makers.

I love the artwork of current Kansans that appreciate Kansas... like my good friend, Lyle Allen White, and his modern day interpretation of the plains and the people that live in this "ocean" through his book "Pioneer Spirit."

I wouldn't want to be from anywhere else. I've traveled the world, and seen plenty of awesome places, people and culture. They are great, too, and I'm sure they are happy where they are from.

I'm happy being from Kansas!

I largely keep my happiness a secret because I've witnessed (first hand) how some other States to the west of us suffered from becoming "hot spots" by crowds of people looking for a new place to live because they were unhappy where they were. Consequently, these same people go with the herd and become unhappy in their new land and eventually leave, but not until they have largely destroyed key elements of that place.

So it is all of our duty to defend our State. Talk it down to everyone who doesn't live here. We'll be just fine and we will still get a healthy growth of incoming people who truly want to contribute to our State.

Let the crowds chase their own tails in other States. We'll settle for a State that has steady, realistic real estate prices and cost of living, steady government and steady people!

I hope I didn't offend anyone... that is not my intent. But I'd rather live in a quiet place and read all the loudness of other places in the newspaper.

@jayhawkbychoice

"Perry better play some D!"

Maybe we over-analyze... but one thing is for sure... we will not have the kind of year we are capable of having if Perry doesn't start stepping up and playing defense. He is easily the worst post defender we have had in the Self era. And since he is our most-experienced starter, he will set the tone for how the rest of the team plays. He may not want to be a leader... well... circumstances have changed and he is forced into this role. It is the best situation for Perry, to force him out of his comfort zone.

He just has to become a more physical player with a more physical attitude. It goes against his "designer" grain, but he better think now if he wants a potential NBA career or not because he isn't going to learn to play physical ball after Kansas. This is his shot to change who he is and perform at a higher level.

I agree with @jaybate-1.0 ...

"Be the above as it may, four things killed last season:

1.) Embiid's injury;

2.) Selden's injury;

3.) Wiggins protecting the merchandise most games; and

4.) Tharpe's cracking under the pressure."

The only thing I would add to that is the fact that this team was so young. It might have even been the youngest team in college ball last year. I'm sure someone in here can verify or correct me on that.

Even having just a bit more experience on last year's team could have meant all the difference in the world. Even just one senior that had spent his 4 or 5 years at Kansas. Black was helpful, but he was a newbie, too.

I've seen it so many times before. A team full of young bloods lose their composure and the coach calls a timeout. The players huddle up and their faces look like they've just experienced a gruesome car crash. When the coach stops talking (screaming), the players would then all directly look at the one starting senior for more guidance. We didn't have that senior. If we had, we may have only lost half the games we lost and made it to the Elite Eight or even the Final Four.

Naadir was a major disappointment. He just did not possess the personality traits needed to run a team. Even though he is small, he should try to make a living now at the 2, because he doesn't show the leadership characteristics needed to run a team. I'm not trying to slam Naa... I wish him the best!

Kansas and Texas are comparing apples to oranges.

Kansas population: 2.8 million
Texas population: 26.4 million
That is about 10 to 1.

So multiply the Kansas great players through history by 10 and see if it closely matches the great players coming out of the State of Texas. I'm guessing it would be close and we may even have an advantage!

Meteorologists and other scientists pretty much all agree that Kansas will one day become the center of a big desert. Demographically, it has already achieved desert status. From a sports media perspective, we exist in a cave buried in a desert!

Marvel at what Kansas has done even though it exists in a desert.... yes... we are the High Plains Drifters. When I think about Kansas, this film is always right there!

@Statmachine

Great projection!

I could see this happening. It will depend on how much Jamari improved, too, and which player creates the best chemistry on the court.

However, I could see Hunter earning lots of minutes for two simple reasons: defense and rebounds! He seems to have the advantage in both areas and I'm pretty sure these are the areas we will need the most help from the bench concerning post play. I know he can hit the outside shot, but I'm not sure Self wants him to.

I also see Jamari getting minutes because he is one of Self's favorite players. He works hard, hustles and has brought himself from dire straits to one day earning a good living in basketball. I know that counts big for Self, and he'll stay on Jamari to continue to lift his game so he can get his minutes on the court.

Landen has fundamentals going for him. He may not have an outside shot or have any specific part of his game where he stands out, but he does bring fundamental basketball to the court, and as we saw last year, sometimes he can be effective by bringing the post play back to fundamentals. Sometimes our post play gets away from fundamentals, like properly blocking out, knowing how to hedge on defense, play with arms always extended up, knowing if you step out of the post to guard you still must defend the post, seeing the court well especially for team defense, etc.

I remember a guy named "Cole Aldrich" who suddenly appeared one March to start his legacy. KU listed him as 6'11" and he was only 6'9". Cole didn't have a crazy arm length or big hops. Cole had fundamentals, good court awareness and had great shot blocking technique and good rebounding skills, too. I see Landen and Hunter targeting play like Cole.

Jamari sets the distinction of a 4 and not a 5. Sure, he'll get minutes at the 5 sometimes. That is one more reason why Self likes him... Jamari is a "utility post player!" Or how about.. "combo post player!" He represents in the post what Self likes out on the perimeter; guys who can play multiple positions! Granted, in Self's offense the only difference between a 4 and 5 usually is right or left. The difference is more if one can hit shots away from the basket. But on defense, one guy has to guard the other team's center. Jamari has the athleticism (speed and hops) to handle quality 4s. And he has some brawn to challenge 5s (to some degree).

@justanotherfan and @JayHawkFanToo

Great reads on the twins.

I think the twins finally realized how to use their size in March. Up until then, they had confidence issues and would fall easy victims to simple traps and just about any kind of real pressure. They picked up some esteem in March and it showed in their play. For the first time all year they didn't play tentative ball.

So this year it will be harder to get them back in their old groove of poor basketball. However... it will still be possible. It just means upping the pressure until they break, and they will break. Neither one of the twins can handle the ball exceptionally well. And they really don't have great drive moves... they count more on their athleticism and reputation (which a lot of opponents buy in to so they back off and give them the room they need).

The twins game is flawed, and there will be opportunities to expose their weaknesses again this year, it will just take more pressure. I hope they didn't spend their summer with John Lucas... yikes!

@jayhawkbychoice

"Another great point on controlling tempo, but I would go one step farther and say, this team needs to dictate tempo."

YES!

I hear you about the potential clash of keeping Cliff on the floor and pushing tempo.

There are several ways to deal with that. First... I want to know how Cliff plays when he gets pulled every 5 minutes for a quick blow. Some guys do great with that, others don't.

He doesn't have to lead the break. He will often be our 5, and 5s usually are slow going up court. That can be an advantage, too. First... if something goes wrong he is back to defend, and second, he can snag rebounds off a secondary break by arriving late and finding gaps to get rebound positioning. Good chance his man isn't waiting in the post to put a body on him.

Part of what Cliff will have to work on is improving his condition. These next 2 weeks will represent a good start. Boot camps always expose players to the reality that they are not in great condition. I expect him to have a tough two week period.

Yes... it's time for boot camp.

All I can say is these guys should feel thankful it isn't the Marine way...

Hollywood Version -

[Hollywood Version](

Marine Version -

[Marine Version](

@wissoxfan83

"I am so ready for this season to start, but I will sit and wait patiently, like a guy named Habakkuk who asked questions of God and then said he sat on his tower waiting patiently for Him to answer."

My pepper sauce will be done fermenting in another week. I can offer you a bowl of sauce and some chips to take your mind off basketball for a while!

@jayhawkbychoice

"But what happens when we run into a 7 footer who is just money with a baby hook from 5 feet, like Stanford last year."

That is going to happen sometimes. Even with a footer it can be impossible to stop another footer who is allowed to get the ball deep in the post. The best bet is to fight hard for real estate and prevent the interior pass into the low post. Sometimes that is easier said than done.

The thing we really need to watch out for (with a small post team) is rebound margins. We can't give up the glass! We usually have strong rebounding teams and we need to maintain that or.. for whatever gains we make in the steals department we turn around and give it away on the boards. The game of basketball is largely about who owns the most possessions.

There is no reason why we have to give away anything on the glass this year. Cliff is a big body and he'll have to use his body for rebounding position and then hustle for the ball. I keep referring to Charles Barkley because he was only 6'6" and led the league in rebounds. It is a cop out to use the lack of size as a crutch excuse for dropping rebound stats.

Perry really needs to step up this year and become a leader for this team. He won't need to do it verbally... he needs to lead with his play. This is Perry's time and he needs to own it! The guy has been pumping Hudy weights long enough. It is time he leaves the ethereal designer world and start mashing bodies. He might as well do it now because if he hopes to play professional basketball anywhere (US or abroad) he'll be expected to mix it up!

@jayhawkbychoice

I hope you keep putting up threads during the season! Great job!

"How do we handle the twin towers from the color blind state? (sorry, but I've been there and the grass is green, not blue) Maybe we get lucky and the Harrison's won't pass them the ball!"

We have real match-up problems with Kentucky, if we don't come in with a definite plan and execute. We have no other choice than to win this game "x-axis style." That means we need to own the energy in this game for 40 minutes. We need to put high pressure on the ball and shoot the passing lanes for steals. We need to thwart Kentucky out of their game by controlling tempo.

We've got a few months until that game. Svi better get busy teaching everyone else on this team how to use a head/body/ball fake. Done right, that is the best way to put big guys in foul trouble, create extra scoring space, and time it right to shoot over them.

The twins will be dangerous this year. It took until March before they realized how to take advantage of the opposition by using their size better. But... they aren't really super talented players. They are a very poor man's Magic Johnson... and I mean a very poor man! They can easily be taken out of their game by putting heavy pressure on them and pushing the pace. Some day, they will figure it out and be much better players, but right now they are a couple of players who must have the game played a very specific way (and specific circumstances) for them to really have a good game.

We can try to run height at them... apples to apples... and I'm doubtful that works (by itself). Our best bet is to run speed and athleticism at them. Pressure up high so they can't get into a rhythm... peck at their dribbles (they aren't gifted ball handlers)... shoot passing lanes for steals.. maybe even draw a charge or two!

I respect what Marshall has done at WSU. But I don't think he would be a good pick for Kansas. Marshall feeds on the underdog drama, and that works great at WSU, where they can always claim that description. At Kansas, he would have a really hard time always being viewed as a favorite.

@Statmachine

Really nice work!

Has Perry suffered any injuries as a Jayhawk? I don't think so. Consider many past and present Jayhawks and how they have been hindered through injuries. I think Wayne hurt his stats big time this year because of his injury.

It seems that most Jayhawks that stay healthy see a huge improvement in play over their years in Lawrence.

@jayhawkbychoice

Hey... thanks for starting a thread!

"The big question comes down to effectiveness. Who's going to be the most effective in the lineups. (more on this later) I guess the point is, Frank doesn't need to be the next Sherron, he needs to be the first Frank Mason! And CF doesn't need to be a "nice guy teammate", he needs to be Conner "Flippin'" Frankamp and play like he's the best player on the floor even if he's not. Let's just hope these guys have the freedom to be the players they are supposed to be."

I like this paragraph... a lot!

I think that sums it all up at PG this year. Self will run all 3 at point in practice, and one will stand out as developing the best team chemistry. He'll also look at who plays the best defense because we have to do a better job of stopping the drives and defending the long ball this year. I don't care what anyone says... a big part of our success this year will relate to our ability to keep Cliff on the floor (out of foul trouble). If our guards easily let their guy penetrate it will be up to Cliff to stop them, and you can count on a couple of extra fouls every game because our perimeter guys didn't hold their own. This is huge!!! I believe this is the key to our entire season! Cliff may end up being the best post player Self has had at Kansas for running the hi/lo.... but he'll have to stay more than one year to earn that!

I don't quite relate to your view on Mason and Sherron. I (also) don't see Mason as another Sherron... I see him more like a Phil Pressey (from our beloved Mizzou) but with a much thicker, stronger body. He definitely hasn't figured out how to use his body on his finishes... but that was last year, his freshman year. I'm expecting him to transfer his game from HS to D1 this year. That means... knowing how to finish and use his body to create spacing... knowing how to see more of the floor and be a better team player... learn to defend better and stop his man from penetrating... etc.

But who knows? We all put our hopes and expectations in these guys to make a big jump over the summer. Some do and some don't.

I feel positive that Frankamp has up'd his game over the summer. He just needs more time playing with D1 players. He has had a summer of "pick-up" games going against D1 and NBA players. He's the kind of guy that finds ways to be successful. He is learning how to play at this level and we will see him play a bigger role this year. I'm sure of that.

Self has said some things that are interesting. I think he wants to get back to the mindset he had in '08, where he had 3 top notch perimeter guards to mix and match (at the 1 and 2). This time, he has at least 4 and maybe 5 if you put Svi out there at the 2. I think maybe only Mason is fixed as a 1... and I think the rest can be 1 or 2. I expect Self to mix these guys up out there to help throw off our competition and to try to find the right combination to be effective on a per game basis. That's pretty much what he did in '08. The last few years, he froze guys in one slot, and I think it limited what they could do and kept them in ruts for longer periods. All the guys we have now can handle the ball and bring it up the court. They are all capable around the perimeter and some can drive.

A long time ago I posted that NBA website that shows players graphical shot charts for the entire year. We need that for D1. Some guys have their sweet spot where they are deadly, but if they slide over 5 feet they can't hit the broad side of a barn. It's just the way it goes with shooters. And the guys who like to drive, sometimes do it much better from a specific angle on the court. Some can drive off the dribble while others need to come off a screen.

We should all be pumped to see this team in action this year! We have so much talent and depth in most areas, and players with strong skill sets to do specific things well. I have to go back to '08 to find a Self team that can compare with talent at the guard position (1 and 2). So many areas where we have been horrible the past few years should improve vastly. We should have fewer TOs and we should create more with our d. How many of our pile of losses last year were largely created from having too many TOs?

@KUSTEVE - thanks for the link! Gotta love Bragg's attitude! He has plenty of pride and drive. Sometimes all it takes is one guy like that to impact an entire team and drive them to the big prize.

Man.... I miss the 70s....

"When the women were soft and the music was hard!"