🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@HighEliteMajor

Sorry.. but you aren't a name-calling kind of guy. Using the "wimp" term fit in the context of your post. I don't suspect any of us (including you) to start dissing players with names. We aren't going to start calling Naa a wimp. But it did fit your context and you've earned respect in here to where people know what you are getting at.

The role of labeling people in sports to help push them will always be around. We may have sterilized our culture to the point where we've all grown over-sensitive to things like this... thinking, for example, your label as abusive.

I'm glad I grew up in sports where coaches would call us "ladies" and "wimps" and other things to push us. It helped us. It wasn't abusive because we understood the overall context.

I totally respect Naa.... and I'm not going to give him the nickname of "wimp"... but I am on the list for thinking he played like a wimp on Saturday. Nothing fits better. It isn't the same thing to say he played "apprehensive basketball."

HEM... someday when you are coaching my kid and he plays like a wimp... call him a "wimp!"

@wissoxfan83

I'm pretty sure Andrew has been to several Shocker games this year. He goes but he hides (as much as possible). I doubt he even wears KU gear. He wants to be low profile... especially because he can't go anywhere without being swarmed.

It wouldn't be hard for him to hide from TV at Shocker games. The coverage is awful!

@JayHawkFanToo

"I don't believe Self ever said anything about cutting down the nets, at least that I know of. As usual, "not so" Smart is hearing voices in his head and hearing what he wants to hear."

You are right... Self said nothing about cutting down nets in Stillwater. Be he did say he was holding off celebration until we claimed the championship outright. Probably not a good thing to say because it allows for inferences to be made that could help OSU get motivated.

Marcus Smart stating he wasn't going to allow us to cut nets down wasn't intelligent... but it was smart (Smart). Smart pulled a Marshall. He found a way to inspire and motivate.

I've been critical on Self for lacking the ability to motivate before games. Maybe he's just too sensible to go in these types of directions. Smart's comment wasn't sensible. It was a long way from being factual. Doesn't matter... it worked!

That is the lesson in all of this... and for whatever flaws Marcus has in his game and personality he makes up a lot of ground by being so competitive. He is a guy who becomes lethal when he has the right kind of chip on his shoulder.

These types of illogical thought have always been around to help athletes motivate. Sometimes it is necessary to be illogical in order to get motivated.

I'm pretty sure the 1980 US national ice hockey team used several illogical mantras in preparation to face the Russians in the 1980 Olympics.

This is one area of sports preparation we flunk in. We are usually the heavy favorites, and we walk around with a target on our backs and unaware of the potential of tools like this that can inspire athletes to play to their potential.

I guess it is something we just have to live with because it is clear it is beyond us to try and find ways to motivate.

@Crimsonorblue22

Ha... I don't think it is the same thing. But everyone has hormonal cycles, not just women.

I think my overall point is that all of us have cycles that we operate within. Some people may be impacted more than others from some kind of cyclical factor. I did have some success using biorhythms with my predictions on some athletes. What really came clear to me while studying 100s of athletes' biorhythms is that there does seem to be some level of predictability possible. Maybe it has its roots more in people hormonal cycles instead of a cyclical pattern going back to birth.

I am just throwing out there something that popped into my head from a long time ago. Something that might explain a bit of the inconsistencies with Tharpe.

@HighEliteMajor - forgot about that. Having a child is a more concrete possibility of a factor that could be impacting his play. That opens up a broad window of possibilities that could be happening totally separate from KU basketball.

None of us want to dump on Naa. We all support him and want him to be successful. HEM's words of calling Tharpe a wimp are not words to demean or harm Tharpe in any way. Call outs like that are used to push athletes to higher levels. I agree with HEM completely on his post here and I am behind it because I care about Tharpe... and I care about this team! If I didn't care, I wouldn't waste a moment's time on this site or writing about Tharpe.

We all need to push him to "man up" and stay focused! When someone hits you, you get back up with more fire than what you had before getting knocked down. We are all just fathering him with our comments.

Man up, Tharpe!

@bskeet

Wiggins vs Foster

...and no mention of defense?

Defense is half of the game. At least, it should be!

@nuleafjhawk

"I just can't figure out why Tharpe seems so distracted this season."

Several decades ago I was gambling on sports as my main source of income. A guy who was a real pro at it turned me on to a device that calculated players' biorhythms. He swore by it. I used it, too, and made a lot of money betting games. I stopped because it gave me ulcers and I thought I was going to stroke out!

Biorhythms are a strange phenomenon. They don't seem to have much of an impact on many people. The secret in sports gambling was to find the key players who did seem to be impacted by biorhythms. I'm wondering if Tharpe is one of those guys impacted by biorhythms.

If anyone else has experiences with biorhythms, please post it. It could have been a coincidence when I was "picking winners"... however it worked for me in those years of my life!

Here is a short, easy read on biorhythms:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biorhythms ↗

I'm kind of with the critics on biorhythms when associating it with your birth date. But I am more the believer these cycles may occur and impact some people... but how do we find the cycles? Like I said above, I did use them, based on birth dates, and had remarkable luck on certain players.

@nuleafjhawk

I don't think it is realistic to start Conner over Naa... but what about using him sooner in games, especially if Tharpe comes out shaky?

When Naa is on his game, he gives us the best shot at winning. He's even won some games for us this year by knocking down points. And when he is on, his A/TO ratio is outstanding.

We just need a backup for Tharpe on those games like the OSU game. Then... Self shouldn't hesitate. He should pull Tharpe, and he should do it sooner... not late in the half or second half.

@JRyman

I've watched about half of Syracuse's games this year, and I felt they were over-rated from day 1. They brought in an experienced team and Boeheim's magic zone, and that was enough to win most of those games. They also had extreme luck on their side. The kind of luck that can help a team win it all in March.

But I have Syracuse on my second shelf of threatening teams. I will be completely surprised if they manage to make the FF this year. It could happen... if they keep getting lucky on last second shots... but I wouldn't lay down hard-earned money on that.

Virginia is a sleeper. They have managed to stay out of big time media and it has helped them stay focused on basketball. The ACC has plenty of good teams, but none stick out like a Florida does in the SEC.

I think Florida sticks out above everyone. They stick out above us because they play with more consistency, have experienced leadership, and they know how to close out games. They have plenty of star power and can score from any position.

Our big "up" is our star power. Another potential advantage we may bring into the tourney is our defense.

We showed some great defense against Texas at home. And we showed good defense in the first half against OSU. Self's focus is defense. I think he is putting all his eggs on defense from here on out.

Will that be enough to beat teams like Florida?

Guess we will find out soon enough... we'll have a big challenge just getting far enough to play Florida.

@REHawk

You nailed that post! And you did what many of us can't do... you did in with few words! Bravo!

I watch some pro ball... but only a few teams and some of the playoffs.

In the old days, there were teams like the Detroit Pistons. Laimbeer and crew were the bad boys of the league. If a team like that still existed, I could see them licking their chops to obtain Smart. Smart could easily turn the corner and just become a total bad boy.

But I don't know if there are any of those teams today... with a reputation for controversy and chips on their shoulder of another variety... more of a chip about their manhood. Something eating on a guy who wants to push back too hard and it isn't really relating to basketball.

I used to like Marcus Smart. I liked his tough, competitive nature. But he crossed a line where he sold out his dignity for a cheap call. That bothers me more than a player who runs his mouth. Some players are so gifted at winning psychological battles (like from running their mouths). In that sense, it becomes part of the game and can impact outcomes. Should it be a part of the game? Yes it should, because basketball is a game for humans, not robots. And psychology is a part of all aspects of our lives. We will never get to the point where we sterilize aspects of our lives. Fears, emotions, intimidation.... it is part of the human experience, and it will remain in basketball.

Concerning Smart's comments that he wasn't going to let us cut down the nets in Stillwater... big deal. He did what he had to do to get up to win the game. He may have helped his teammates lift their games, too. It's just chatter... in that regard, he'll fit perfectly in the NBA because it is full of chatterboxes. Eventually, the people that talk too much have to eat their words anyways. Marcus will probably spout out again soon, and there is a good chance he will help motivate another team... it may even be us!

This is one area where I don't jive with Jay Bilas. I feel like he is trying to remove the human factor in basketball, to the point where it becomes robotic. His latest rant concerns college coaches and their reactions on the sidelines. He doesn't want coaches exploding and screaming at refs. I'll stop watching basketball if the game keeps going in Bilas' direction. He is a stiff guy and he is forcing his stiffness into the game. It is also in his idea of removing contact from basketball. I'd rather watch a chess match than watch a game that fits his idea of basketball.

I've regained my sanity since my earlier rant.

It doesn't mean I don't have fears about this Jayhawk team. Their inconsistency factor will be around through April.

But there were some good signs from Saturday's game with OSU. Our first half defense did a good job in several areas that we aren't used to seeing from this young team. We are doing a better job of shifting off of ball screens, our defense looks like they are reacting quicker, etc. We held OSU to 25 points on their own court in a game they had to win. OSU also was building momentum from their two previous wins.

I've come down on Tharpe hard, so has HEM, because we simply can't win if he doesn't bring a certain level of play with him. It is only going to take one slip in the tourney and we are done. The OSU game is the warning shot of what is to come if he can't maintain solid play.

As fans, there really isn't anything we can do except watch.

I never expect us to win a National Championship. It is not realistic. Everything has to fall in place, including a bit of luck. But what I do expect is we'll go out every game and play hard as a team and we will come to a game ready to play. That means... players aren't playing video games 5 minutes before they come onto the court.

It is a good idea for players to consider the entire day leading up to the game, to be a part of the game itself. Really... the game starts the night before, by not staying out late and partying. Get a good night's rest and then get up and take care of yourself and prepare your mind with some positive visualizations... chat with players and coaches going over last bits of preparation. Stretching... warming up... executing a repetitious schedule of things that brings you to the game ready to play.

I lost my cool this weekend because for the first time with this team I have sensed behavior similar to other teams we have had that really laid an egg in March. The behavior is based around a complete meltdown of our point guard. That one position can take down any team.

I'm not mad at the 90th rated PG in the country. He's had a great year... just frustrated with his play on Saturday (and a few other games). And wondering if he is the best investment we can make when the rest of our positions are filled with NBA star talent.

I've always been a big Chiefs fan, too. And I related that in my rant. A lot of frustrations in me needed to vent from decades of watching Chiefs fail with the best team in football... best at every position but quarterback! Suddenly, I have melded my frustrations with KU PGs and past Chief quarterbacks! The bond is the fact that I care deeply for both teams.

He's susceptible for problems even on a simple rebound landing.

Tough decision... he is still rapidly improving with more practice... but any play puts him at risk.

@approxinfinity

I think you are right and Virginia is HOT HOT HOT. I haven't followed them enough so I didn't just give them that spot. But I saw that game and they shredded Syracuse just like the way I imagine we would... except we'd do it with better athletes!

However... I've watched probably half of Syracuse's games and they have been beyond lucky. Their ride is about over!

I'm guessing this engineer had a brother who was an investment banker:

[

"Investment banker".... does that qualify as an oxymoron?

This guy is a scream! Comparing his gadget for growing peppers to Bernie Madoff!

I needed to break from my funk from yesterday's game... so I went searching the net for a good time and ran across this fella:

[

I can be a bit of a geek... but this guy... this guy shows just how overboard someone can go trying to grow.

I'm smiling again! :)

@RockChalkinTexas

"Our beans and cucumbers came up in the garden last week and we've had to cover them. Was 82 yesterday. Know you have it worse so hang in there."

I hope you meant to say it was 82 degrees yesterday and that you aren't 82 yrs old!

I'm jealous! Looking out my window now at the frozen arctic tundra!

I'm another year away from building my greenhouse. So I spread lots of seeds in the house for now! We don't have any pets... just one wife who gnashes her teeth like a pit bull every time I set up more seeds!

@Crimsonorblue22

His fall seemed to be on his stomach. But back tweaks are mysterious and can get inflamed again easily. Maybe it isn't that bad.

@Crimsonorblue22

I'd like us to rest Embiid... maybe all the way until March Madness. He certainly improved after his last break. These back tweaks can escalate. All the floor pounding will prevent him from healing.

If we can get him health for the tourney, he'll be able to squeeze in some rest from week to week and heal in preparation for the next games.

I'm really liking Wayne's game... his year started off slow and has done nothing but build. We don't have lots of consistent players on this team, but Wayne is starting to play more consistent and helps us in one area we need help with: playing consistent!

Maybe we need to draw up more plays to get Wayne his open 3 shot!

@RockChalkinTexas

We can all take some pointers from you! Over-heating has been an issue in Kansas for the past years... so someone successful in Texas must have resolved these issues!

Yep... sure you are right about OSU having more to gain from that victory. I just want to stir the pot as much as possible from here on out. Don't want anyone falling asleep come tournament time!

I said a couple of days ago the best outcome for us now would be to drop a couple more games... get beat up by the media and have a lower seed than in previous years. Anything to build a chip on these guys. We know what they can do when they have a chip on their shoulders... they showed us against Texas!

So how do we get the team that mutilated Texas to show up for 6 games in the tourney?

Ultimately... that is what I want to see happen, and I can't think of anything except getting out the bullwhip and crackin' it a few times!

@Wishawk

Hahahahaheee... I've never actual been to the Sherronagon. But it looks like it would make an awesome greenhouse! Pluck holes in the roof and bring in some irrigation!

@Crimsonorblue22

What's up with your 'maters? Too much heat?

Two years ago I had a really excellent crop when everyone around me had nothing. ('maters)

First... I had my toms in early, so they were producing before the big heat came. Second... I had two water sources for them on timers. I had soakers to feed the roots... and I had misters spraying the tops during the hot time of day. I am blessed with late day shade. Maters like sun... but in super hot weather they like some late day shade, too.

I think my timed daily soaker watering was key. It was so hot that it only took one day without water and they would go into shock. I also mulch big time to keep the ground from cooking up and drying out.

You can save a lot of water by having your soak hoses BELOW your mulch! I'd go with a solid 3" or more of mulch! I use recycled chipper branches from the city trucks. It is free and it is lighter because it is untreated and not dyed. Lighter means it helps keep the soil cooler in the hot months.

Periodically, give your toms some coffee grinds. The grinds are a slow release source of nitrogen. But even better... crawlers LOVE coffee grinds! So they will surface to go after it. And the caffeine jacks them up (just like us). The more active the worms, the more holes they dig in your dirt, and more castings they leave behind! For a 4 month period, I have a relationship with several starbucks in my area. They save me grinds and I always bring them a few nice organic veggies.

If your soil is clay... treat it with gypsum. Over several years, gypsum treatments help break down clay into dirt. Gypsum also is a great source of calcium... something often lacking in soil and helpful for preventing rot end. Of course... turning your soil every year with some compost or composted manure, also helps break down clay. You should condition your soil every year to help revitalize it for another crop year. It helps if you move your veggies around so toms don't always grow in the same spot... but if you can't, soil conditioning will help guarantee another successful year!

BTW: I shouldn't ever get down too hard on the purple kitties. I've always received plenty of help from some of their ag students!

@MoonwalkMafia

I used to like Jay. But the last 2 years I've started to change my opinion. He knows quite a bit about basketball... and often he is right on... but other times I find him to come up short, but his persona is a bit too arrogant. He seems to project that his comments are pure fact when often they are not. I follow his statements closely and I've watched him squirm around after some of his statements later. He seems to be too much like a politician for my liking. A bit too slick sometimes with his words.

That's just my opinion. At least he isn't a total airhead or mush-head!

Once again... sorry to everyone in here about some of my over-the-top statements. I have the upmost respect for everyone in here... I'm already feeling the sadness coming after the season is over and we are all busy in our gardens! Gonna miss everyone in here!

@Crimsonorblue22

Not that smart. She ended up with me! ;)

My ace in the hole is I let her know that pointing out how bad I am also points out how bad of a choice she made!

Just one more competitive angle I've used...

@Crimsonorblue22

Give me time! ;)

What I do well is apologize after I attack peoples' sensibilities.

My ex used to call me out on that... said it was just part of my competitiveness. Still trying to prove I was right or whatever.

My wife doesn't play that hard. She just snickers at my competitiveness.

She knows how to defuse and diffuse...

@Crimsonorblue22

"When you suggested Self call him, that hurts, a lot of us! "

I apologize. That is my competitiveness. I went for the biggest eye-opener to stress that we need help in that area.

Like I said... Marcus Smart has nothing on me!

@MoonwalkMafia

Talk about a grand slam.... yesterday... for me... it was when Mr. Know-it-all Bilas supported one of Marcus Smart's obvious flops.

He then commented about how if Marcus keeps over emphasizing his falls it might turn against him.

Wow, Bilas... about time. The entire world has discussed this for ages now and you finally pay attention.

@bskeet

"And you could never, ever, be as big of jerk as Marcus Smart."

Well.... I know me and I've had a good taste of Marcus Smart.

I can match his jerkiness!

@MoonwalkMafia

"You said why does WSU show up pumped and ready to play. I think the point is that they're playing a team that is .500 in a historically bad conference. WSU is by far the superior team. How pumped do you need to be to beat Missouri St.?"

I think you mean... how pumped up does KU needs to be to beat Missouri State. Missouri State is in WSU's league... aren't we all saying they don't have the talent of B12 teams? WSU = MSU WSU needs plenty of motivation to beat MSU, especially at MSU. In fact, MSU game WSU the biggest scare this year by being the only team to take WSU to overtime! Meanwhile... WSU had less trouble at St. Louis, a Top 10 team.

@MoonwalkMafia

Sorry... this is the competitive part of me. And when I go in this mode I can be a jerk.

Marcus Smart... move over!

@MoonwalkMafia

What does talent level have to do with coming prepared and motivated?

WSU plays teams with low talent level... but WSU has a low talent level, too. They beat up on their peers 31 times so far.

If it makes you feel better.. I'll use the UCONN women's team and make the same argument. They friggin' rock!

So I guess only the top NBA teams are prepared every game and motivated?

Did you listen to Bobby Knight yesterday?

@DinarHawk

I hope that is all it is.

But why don't we throw in some extra motivation for Tharpe. We come down on him hard now and he comes out and plays harder. It's using the bullwhip instead of the carrot!

He seems to respond to the whip.

@bskeet

You are right.. WSU has a smaller margin for error.

This is part of why WSU is the perfect example for us.

Because perhaps we use our high talent level as a crutch... we have such a large margin for error... so we have room to slack off.

Otherwise... heck... we have the #1 and #2 recruits in the nation. We are a shoe-in to win another NC!

I shouldn't worry!

I really hate being in this position. We sit on all the big talent then underachieve come tourney time. I can hear the jabs now... "KU, once again, underachieves at the Big Dance!"

I hate that... and we should all hate that more than hating WSU. If we can understand that... we can swallow a little of our pride and better understand how we can capture some of those qualities that have helped them.

@DinarHawk

I will remain hopeful...

I am venting my fears... it is hard to see us playing consistent throughout the tourney.

It is games like this where many of us vent some things. It isn't always easy to vent those things after other games where we still win, but show many of these same issues.

We looked horrible yesterday.

There is added stress now because we are less than a couple of weeks away from the tourney, and we have a game with 22 TOs? Most of those TOs were unforced!

@MoonwalkMafia

WSU's woeful SOS is even more of a testament to their ability to rise for a game. It's tougher to rise to play another dud team.

My statements weren't about talent level. They were about coming pumped ready to play.

You really want to compare WSU to Niko and our lower bench? Really?

That position is shear arrogance. You might as well throw in all of our history and NCs. It's all about the same relevance to this conversation. All those factors helped us last year... and are starting to look to help us the same this year.

I'm pushing everyone's button because many in here despise WSU. I'm telling you all right now that hatred is holding you back from seeing reality. To deny what they are doing with the talent level they have is really missing the boat.

No.. I'm not saying we drop down and recruit players on their talent level. I'm just addressing the areas of strength they have and what is helping them be ranked ahead of us with walk on players.

If it is so easy to do, we can start doing it now and start Niko and the rest.

It sucks because I'm using WSU to point at our weaknesses. They beat some pretty good teams last year in the tourney, and I'll be surprised if they don't have some level of success again. It will be even harder because their SOS did suck. I still bet they will be formidable in the tourney... even with their walk on starters.

I don't have animosity towards WSU. So I can look at their game and see where they are succeeding... and in my books, they seem to be succeeding in areas where we need help. We are succeeding in areas they need help (recruiting).

None of this is ignorance.

Did you see their game yesterday? Bobby Knight was there as a paying fan and was interviewed about the Shocks.... I'm basically mimicking factors that Knight talked about... just another ignorant fan I suppose?

@Crimsonorblue22

It makes me puke, too.

Why does Marshall's guys always show up pumped to play? Why don't our guys do that?

Why doesn't Marshall's guys TO the ball 22 times in a game?

How does he get walk-ons to a mid-major taking a team to 31-0, ranked 2, and those players in the hat for some of the personal awards our star players are in?

Why does WSU have a chip on their shoulders this year? They had the best year in their history last year. That wasn't enough?

I'm still pissed off for last year. Why didn't we have a chip for finishing runner-up to UK the year before? We never have a chip! It is the main reason we don't win more NCs!

You know what really makes me want to puke? I see WSU once again trumping our NCAA performance. Tell me it won't happen! And I hope your optimism is right!

I hope this is our last dud performance this year. But, to be honest... my gut tells me it's not!

Why does my gut tell me we will be exiting early again?

I'll answer that... because I don't feel comfortable with our PG play. I know the value of PG play. PG = Quarterback

Sorry... I could probably use another example besides Marshall.. but I can't find another example that better illustrates areas where we need help!

BTW: I'm never going to trade Self for Marshall... or probably anyone else! But there are aspects of his coaching that I feel need help. He could go from being one of the best coaches of our day to becoming perhaps the best coach of all times! (anywhere!)

If Self resolves these issues he will win like Wooden. We'll be stacking up NC trophies in AFH!

@DinarHawk

"You win as a team, and you lose as a team."

I typically support that statement. That is my statement from last year when people were pointing at EJ.

But this game I can't see past Tharpe. He only had to play marginal for us to win. This is his team. He is the floor general. And he is the player that is responsible for this outcome.

It is rare when I go against your statement. This is one of those rare moments. We had 3 freshmen who are kids who have never been in this position. None of those kids have ever been to Stillwater. And they brought good game. Their games soured because of the clunky team play... which then points to our floor general. There was no way for those guys to take over and displace the hole Tharpe put us in.

I also blame CS for areas where I've ranted for years now... pretty much every time we go into the tourney and lose to teams we should beat.

I'm not blaming Tharpe as a person. He has overachieved at KU. I'm blaming his performance, because his performance level isn't consistent enough to win out in March. It is hard to say if he can reach his potential to be the consistent player we need him to be. I'm not counting on that and I'm not got to slam Tharpe (the person). We are asking him to be one of the top PGs in the country and he wasn't near that coming out of HS. And I have my doubts that our coaching knows how to coach PGs to their maximum potential.

@bskeet

"Lost the game, but still won the league championship outright, thanks to the efforts of others."

As I said earlier in the year... replace the statement:

"The B12 conference championship goes through Lawrence."

with...

"The B12 conference championship goes through Manhattan."

The Purple Kitties will never be our rivals in basketball because they help us too often!

Thanks, Kitties!

Well... it is March, and we know what comes in March... March Madness! I'd say I've started my month of March in total madness!

Joel Embiid is the clear winner of the FLOOR BURN AWARD in this one. His stat line was impressive, especially knowing he did it all in 29 minutes of play, and some of those minutes of play were in pain. JoJo was good for 13 points off of 4-of-6 from the floor. He accomplished yet another double-double by adding 13 rebounds. And he rounded out his performance with one assist, 3 steals and a block. JoJo was a big part of the defensive force in the first half that limited the Cowboys to only 25 points.

Wayne Selden deserves a honorable mention for putting up solid numbers. He knocked down 13 points off of 5-for-9 from the floor. He also had 2 rebounds.

Andrew Wiggins and Perry Ellis also deserve mention for holding up their own and providing the opportunity for us to win the game considering we were totally lacking leadership on the floor.

Tough loss from just a bad game that was as tough to watch as it was to play.

Conference Season Tally:

Wayne Selden 7

Andrew Wiggins 6

Joel Embiid 6

Tarik Black 4

Perry Ellis 4

Naadir Tharpe 4

Frank Mason 2

Brannen Greene 1

Landen Lucas 1

Conner Frankamp 1

Jamari Traylor 1

Andrew White III 1

Justin Wesley 1

Evan Manning 1

Niko Roberts 1

Christian Garrett 1

@HighEliteMajor

You have excellent vision about the game of basketball. And what I like even more is your guts for being able to call it like you see it. I wanted to come on here and do another thread on Tharpe... but I needed to be pushed because that game really soured my soul. I'm glad you took the lead on this one, and saved many of us from writing all the tough language that really does need to be said.

Months ago I posted my own ranking system for this team to describe my terms and hopeful projection for this team. My ranks goes as follow: COLD COLD COLD, WARM WARM WARM, WARMER WARMER WARMER, and HOT HOT HOT! This team has been stuck on WARM WARM WARM for a couple of months now. As I indicated, it is a level of play capable of winning a lot of games, but not a level of play capable of winning a NC. With just a few games left, there is no way for us to show consistency enough to jump to a higher rank (in my books). This is all my own system.

As of now, I have two teams that are HOT HOT HOT. I would rate these two teams as my favorites in bracketology. Florida and Wichita State. As we all know, WSU does not have the talent level near Florida or anyone else in the top spots. But WSU has the characteristics of a winning team (regardless of who they are playing). The #1 characteristic is they come ready to play every single game. Shooting streaks come and go, but that team comes ready to fight. Same with Florida. Teams in my WARMER WARMER WARMER bracket include Virginia, St. Louis, SDSU, Arizona (close to being HOT HOT HOT).

I rank the level of play ahead of talent on a team. Us and Kentucky are the two most-talented teams. Neither of us are ready for March, or even close. The issue is consistency. And with us, the biggest factor weighing in on our consistency problem is Tharpe... followed by Ellis.

Last night we should have blown out the Cowboys. Wiggins, Embiid and Selden were prepared to give them a beat down. Ellis wasn't too far off of these 3. Really... our entire team was ready to put a smash on the Cowboys... everyone except Tharpe.

I know we can look at the stat line and start sharing blame. It shows Wiggins as matching Tharpe's TOs with 6. Those numbers aren't right. First... I counted Tharpe's mistakes and in the least he was at 8 TOs. At least two of his mistakes were given to others... like where he moved off his position and the pass came back to him and an empty spot.

Tharpe's poor play was like having a dragster at the track, with all aspects of the motor, transmission, suspension, everything right... except 1 piston blown out. That's all it takes for a dragster to lose big. Tharpe was our blown out piston. His TOs, lack of leadership, lack of control on pace, poor defense, misguided play... it all took our team that was ready to kill and made them a horrible mess.

There is no sharing of loss on this one. This is Tharpe's loss.

In Tharpe's defense... he wasn't a top guard coming out of HS. And he wasn't even a PG. He came to Kansas with the understanding he would be a backup player. So he has had a great year. But he may be in over his head.

@HighEliteMajor ... now you understand the need for Lyle next year. He may or may not be ready to lead this team, but we have to have plenty of solid options at point because otherwise, we will be in this same situation again. We can all hope and dream that Tharpe will mature into being solid... but it isn't something we can count on.

Plenty of blame needs to go to the top... on CS. For whatever reason he has never seemed to be able to snag the best PG for what we need. We have always been like some of the best Chiefs teams of the past couple of decades... best running backs, best pass rushers... best best best... but finishing out of the money because we didn't have a 5-star quarterback. The PG is the quarterback of the team. And we can go ahead and get the best 2, 3, 4 and 5 players in the country and we still won't win without the right PG. I'd rather have what WSU has... and have a kick ass PG with a team full of just decent players, then the other way around.

I'm very frustrated with CS. I totally respect his coaching ability and him as a person. He has been perhaps the best coach in the history of Kansas! But he is missing knowledge on certain aspects of the game that is preventing him from winning even at a higher rate! Imagine if he was able to land a talented PG who was coached into being the best! Imagine if he was able to always bring his team ready to play!

Out of all the complications involved in basketball, those are the only two areas were CS needs help. That is amazing... but it is also very frustrating. Because we are a dragster with a monster 7000 hp engine that is missing on one cylinder. And sometimes we lose to a 1972 Pinto with a 1.6L, 54 hp motor!

It is so frustrating to know there isn't a team in college basketball out there that on our best day we wouldn't pound into submission. No one! But we can all clearly see how consistency is going to prevent us from winning 6 games in a row in the tourney. And so the inevitable will occur.... we'll go down to someone we should beat... again!

Bill Self should call Gregg Marshall and ask for help. How can Self develop the team psyche of putting a chip on these guys' shoulders? Marshall has done it with a team that overachieved and made it to the FF last year. Those guys should have been fat and sassy this year, and back playing in the NIT. And here we are... having lost another heartache game to Michigan in the tourney last year, and we are fat and sassy.

Our game with OSU is tailor-made for Embiid to own. Let's see if he is up for the task.

If we stand a chance in March it will only be if our guys show up to play every game hard... like they played Texas.

Playing in angry arenas should get these guys worked up and ready to beak the cowboys' brains out!

Beak 'em, Hawks!

The Chicago Public School System is a huge mess. Albert Einstein (as a student) couldn't wade through that system without acquiring a tarnished record.

@HighEliteMajor

Rockin' photo!

I'm positive we could develop some kind of Jayhawk basketball theme to take place over the summer that would include many of the past great Jayhawks, current players and coaches.

Something that would build enthusiasm for the upcoming season (like we need more enthusiasm), give us all something to do and look forward to, and bring together some of the Jayhawk Nation from around this country and the world.

Any time you bring such an affluent crowd together there would be ways to raise money to keep it going, and put the rest of the funds into something charitable.

For one thing... imagine being able to meet many of the Jayhawk all-time greats and current players in a single weekend?

And why can't we make it a bit competitive and have some hoops... some digital hoops and real hoops?

We all should think this thing out... This thing could develop into yet another unique thing that is strictly part of the Jayhawk Nation. It can do plenty of good for our program, for charities, and for all the great Jayhawk fans across the world!

I see this thing getting every bit as large as something like "Late Night"... and it won't take long before other schools jump on something like this, too.

Maybe it can include a real game with old players vs current... and will follow NCAA guidelines by not having coaches involved. I like the idea of Vegas for several reasons. First... it is a destination vacation location. Second... it has excellent flight connections. Third... the place is built for conventions and tourism so hotels and banquet facilities are plentiful. Fourth... it can help build a broader base of future Jayhawk Nation members because everything happening in Vegas gets broad marketing coverage.

And though it is focused around Jayhawk basketball... have a way to tie in all the Jayhawk sports to help promote them, too.

We can have both sports themes and non-sport themes. We have plenty of talented Jayhawk alums, both famous and some that should be. We could have a broad venue of entertainment... education.. and more. This project is family oriented... so a big chunk of our audience is young Jayhawk Nation with kids. You need to take your kids on summer vacation... why not to Vegas at the "All Jayhawk World Festival!"

Imagine the synergy that is possible by bringing all the great talent of Jayhawk alums together from across the world?

It is just so friggin' amazing to be part of the Jayhawk Nation... but we don't really take advantage of all the great people involved in it.

I would imagine this would heavily impact the enrollment at KU, too. And it wouldn't hurt recruiting, too!

@globaljaybird

A+

@Crimsonorblue22

Yeech! That link didn't exactly make Lew sound good. He presented himself well when I spoke with him. It seems that he left a trail of darkness behind him wherever he went.

Kind of hard to imagine how he got that Maryland gig after WSU.

I never understood how WSU landed Lew. Lew always seemed like a east coast mobster.

@Crimsonorblue22

Where is Lew Perkins? Is he still retired? I used to visit with him at games.

@icthawkfan316

You are the guy to ask... how did they lose their football?

I recall the tragic plane crash, but football was around after that.

KU games have lots of older folks, too... but a lot more students. I angered some people at KUSports a while back for insisting we give the first 5 rows around the court to students. It helps the atmosphere in a huge way! I said that someday we are going to lose our status as having the best basketball game atmosphere because of all the old people sitting court side.

Come on... watch a KU game carefully. Cameras can't ignore the first few rows around the court. When something happens where the fans are going nuts, it contrasts completely with some of the camera footage that shows old people sitting down and not even clapping. Half of them don't even seem to be paying attention! It is friggin' embarrassing! Just because these people obviously are all millionaires doesn't mean they can just sit there without participating!

I've heard several other schools have addressed this by putting students near the court. I know the revenue is an issue... but seriously.. doesn't Jayhawk basketball generate enough money?

Or if the uber rich want to keep those tickets they have to start participating with plenty of energy! We can have spotters in the crowds watching... and when these fans are caught sleeping through games, it goes on tape and they then have to defend ownership of their season tickets. Make them pay gigantic fines for being boring fans! They can afford it... and the fine payments will offset the ticket revenue losses from those who lose their season tickets to students in "ticket court!"

Lets face the facts... the crowd nearest the court is also representing our school. Proper behavior is required!

I loveeeee this idea!

I want to cry!

There are only 3 more regular season games left.

I am looking forward to March Madness... but it goes by so quickly!

Why does it always feel this way? Why does the season end when it just starts to feel like we are getting into the groove?

Life just isn't fair!

I guess it could be worse.

We could be Mizzou fans.

At least we (typically) get to extend our season a while longer!

How sad will you all be after our season is over?

What will you do to replace Jayhawk basketball for half a year?

Maybe we should start one of those online simulated leagues... so we can all play being Bill Self throughout the summer. The season can end in Las Vegas. We'll rent a banquet facility and a block of rooms. Winner gets some outrageous Jayhawk gear and a banner they can hang in their mancave.

It would be fun to develop all the old Jayhawk players. Build teams with all the greats from past Jayhawk teams. Imagine having Danny and Wilt on the same team out on the court being "twin towers!"

I'd like to pit Self against Brown. We've already experienced Self against Williams... (no pun intended!)

@jaybate ... help me out! You are the master of creative thought. This needs your input! Help rescue us from a long, hot, boring summer!

@HawkInMizery

I like to write the word "cower"..... especially when it pertains to some of our opponents!

@icthawkfan316

"And that's the difference in a HUGE portion of their fans now. People who had never before been WSU fans, and were in fact KU fans, have now jumped on the black & gold bandwagon."

Really? Most of the fans I've always seen at a Shocker game are 50-somethings... or 60-somethings... I know during games tv wants to show the craziness of the student section, and they show that at Shocker games, too... but I've always been under the opinion they have a rather small student section, especially when compared to KU.

I think the older crowd doesn't shift quickly to any bandwagon. However... I do think many people are buying more Shocker gear because entrepreneurs have been busy pumping out tons of Shocker gear. I've seen some of it and sometimes it made me rubber neck.... "huh... what the heck?"

Wichita has plenty of KU fans... but most of the town members are Shocker fans. I remember a million years ago going to a Shocker football game there and the stadium was packed. And their team stunk! I'm sure it didn't always work out that way because they no longer have football.

I keep hearing rumblings that football will return to Wichita. Anyone else hear that?

It doesn't make sense for anyone in Wichita to be against WSU. WSU brings business to Wichita. And it is the only D1 option for miles!

ICT - you know.. I think you are on to something. I know the Shocks don't want to just come to Lawrence to play for a paycheck... but what if they try to book big boy teams in Sprint? I'm sure there are enough Shocker fans that would love to go up to KC once or twice a year for a game with a big boy team! Maybe if that works, they can eventually work something out with KU. In fact... why not just do an annual WSU vs KU game at Sprint? That pays big revenue to KU and they never have to travel south of the flint hills. I'm certain it would be a big sellout every year and tv dollars would be gigantic!