🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@Crimsonorblue22

I caught that one... it did seem edited even though it was long.

@nuleafjhawk

I agree in the sentiment that drives the anger in Wichita. I'm just not sure it is a healthy thing to pull on them. What happens if we play in March and they spank us? It's not like Self knows how to play Mo Valley teams. And never would he face a more motivated team.

It just seems like we are setting ourselves up for a major beat down and bragging rights for decades. I think we finally almost evaporated the "66-65" smack. Just thinking about that makes me want to chuck lunch.

@HighEliteMajor

"How about we win that one a few times here pretty soon?"

I'm on board for that... I'd love to see more shiny hardware in the AFH museum!

@JayHawkFanToo

"I guess any team with "Kansas" in the name that beats Kentucky is a good thing."

ya dang tootn'! ;)

@Crimsonorblue22

Do you have a link to the video where Marshall calls us chickenhawks?

I've scoured the net and can't find it. I found a speech he gave a while back and it was long.... I sat through the whole thing and didn't hear chickenhawk, even when talking about KU.

Surely if he said it, it is out there on the net somewhere! Everything else is...

@icthawkfan316

I think you hit it on the head... question is... can WSU's success last?

I think it can as long as Marshall is there. But what happens if he skips off to another school?

@icthawkfan316

Yeah... I'm in my mid-50s... about the same age is all those Shocker fans I sat down with. I have to admit.. it was a bit nervy for me to do it. Felt like I was walking into an ambush!

Their fan base is unique. WSU is an urban university. They don't really have any campus life. Lots of part-time students, often older, trying to finish up a degree. I'm sure a big chunk of their younger students are foreign because their big programs include engineering. Their campus is flat, but amazingly stuffed with beautiful artwork! Every few years I drive through there campus just to see if I see more amazing art! I don't know... do they have a big art program? I've heard they are about to expand dramatically... the golf course will completely go away and so they have room to expand their campus. Not sure where the students will come from. My guess... more International students. Seems an odd mix of students, but a big chunk of fans are middle-aged from Wichita. ICT... maybe you can fill us in. Am I right with my assumptions?

Strangely... one of the guys sitting at that big table was an ex-baller. We managed to do one of those "6-degrees" things and traced a mutual ball player friend. The world is a small place! I'm going to try and hunt down that guy after March. Get his impressions... regardless where we and the Shocks finish. I'd definitely like to talk to him if we end up playing.

I miss a rivalry... and I have no desire to start playing the lowly Mizzou Tigers again. We can't just make a rivalry happen. Playing Duke every year will not make us rivals. We need some animosity between schools and fans. The Shockers are what we have left to dance with. It is what it is...

@icthawkfan316

Wow! It sounds like you have had a lifetime of tough interactions with Shocker fans.

I have some experience with Shockers... but I'd call those experiences mostly neutral. I've never experienced anything but respect for the history of Jayhawk basketball. Really the only beef I have ever encountered was about our lack of willingness to play. I've heard the 'chickenhawk' name before... only in reference to not playing them.

I've sat at a table in a breakfast joint and hashed it out with an entire table of Shocker fans before. All of them were polite, but I was polite back and started out by commenting how well they are playing and I've become a fan on tv, watching their games. I think it helped that I made it clear I wasn't looking down on their program. This happened about 1 month ago.

Every single Shocker fan, in the end, admitted their deep respect for the history of Kansas basketball. And under all the chest pumping they were hiding pride for Kansas basketball. It's there, and it is in just about all of them. It just isn't possible to not appreciate Kansas basketball if you are from Kansas.

But all those fans are frustrated. Their comments: "Why won't Kansas accept the recent 3-game offer that actually increases seating by 500 over 3 games played in AFH? Kansas doesn't want to waste an away game to a place where they don't heavily recruit? How many players are Kansas recruiting in the Bahamas? Is it enough to warrant playing 3 games there? What was their revenue from those 3 games? Uh... wasn't that little tour an out-of-pocket expense?" I have to hand it to their fans... they are well informed, and extremely well informed when talking about developing this rivalry. I have to admit... that accidental meeting impacted my thoughts on all of this.

What also impacted me was my own competitiveness. I have to admit, I can be over-competitive... to the point where I can put myself in situations where I am an asshole!

So I apologize to everyone in here... if I ever push wanting to play the Shockers too strongly. I do respect everyone's opinions, but sometimes I can come on way too pushy!

Everyone has their own experiences to draw from and to form their opinions. We all need to respect that... I need to respect that!

I know my accidental collision with a table full of Shockers (naturally I was wearing a Jayhawk tshirt that attracted their attention) must have happened for a reason. I know I largely defused some of their attitudes. They weren't ready for me to be as complimentary as I was about Shocker ball. They were thinking KU fans must be arrogant and only self-centered. I know I would never have got them to admit how much respect they have for the history of Jayhawk basketball if I hadn't broken the ice first by complimenting their program.

I have only one sports love that trumps my Jayhawk basketball... and that is love (in general) for the game of basketball! That is why one side of me totally enjoys the heck out of watching the Shockers play... and my other competitive side wants to play them and beat them to a pulp!

Rock Chalk!

@justanotherfan

Right on the money!

Young, developing players can impact their athleticism quite a bit through working out. But we are all given a genetic code that largely maps certain aspects... like ratios of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscles.

Players can improve their fast-twitch... at least, up to the ceiling of their genes. Perry's early development didn't emphasize his fast-twitch development. He worked on his choreography and toolbox... that's all in a slow-twitch mode if he wasn't working it on competition. Competition requires use of fast-twitch.

It also explains his introverted personality. Basketball is a team sport. It is all about being extroverted... talking to your guys... communicating... getting on the same rhythm... developing playing relationships that feed on each other... building momentum as a team.

We often see Perry sort of on his own.

I think the key for Perry is to almost stop working out on his own. Restrict his late night work outs on his own. And instead... involve almost all his focus to scrimmage play. Pick-up games... 1-on-1.

Actually... 1-on-1 should be his tool for working on his toolbox. 1-on-1 is both competitive and has a degree of isolation... the focus is specifically down to two players.

Perry should be best friends with Andrew and JoJo. He should go at it with both of those guys, 1-on-1. Both are good defenders representing an inside and outside game.

I know his future potential in the NBA may be at the 3. But he doesn't play like a 3 yet. He is a tweener. Which I posted about before how being a tweener also has it's advantages at the next level. NBA teams are constantly redefining who they are. The goal is to create match-up problems.

If Perry can strengthen his body over the next couple of years, and refine his 3-pt shooting and ball skills... he'll become one of the most diverse players in the draft. And though he doesn't have "all-star" written all over him.. he does have "journeyman player" written all over him, and those players probably have the best quality-of-life of any players in the league!

Love the read from @jaybate and @ralster concerning Ellis.

I've said this before... but will expound on...

I think Ellis is a bit a victim of his own early training. The guy lived in the gym. He has worked on his game more than anyone on this team. It has given him a stuffed toolbox to draw from anywhere inside the trey line.

But what stands out as obvious? What stands out to me is that Perry worked for hours and hours (years and years) on perfecting his moves by himself. That's great to work out the bugs and to make everything flow well. However... while Perry was working on his game alone, other players his age were just going at it... in pickup games.

This has created a sort of deficit for Perry. He always brings a perfect shot and form with him, but how often does he get smoked trying it? It appears obvious that Perry's well-polished toolbox is more of a theoretical toolbox. One that works perfect when he is all alone, imagining using it against competition.

I haven't seen Perry adjust his game... especially in mid-air. All those other guys that spent all their early developmental years on a court in pickup games may not have as many polished tools... but what they have are tools that have been tested against competition.

Perry's theoretical toolbox worked great in HS... where no one plays defense and he mostly played smaller, weaker players. In the college world, Perry often meets his match. And what does this say about what he will do in the NBA?

I think it has definitely hurt him on defense. He couldn't practice defense in a gym, working out alone. He should have been mixing it up more in pickup games.

Perry's enigma factor has held him down.

Just compare him to Wayne. Wayne grew up playing pickup games. He probably spent some good time on his own, too, building his toolbox. Wayne knows how to finish better at the rim or when he is being defended. Wayne has some concept of how to create scoring space. Wayne is one of the better x-axis players we have had in years! He sees angles... he sees pathways to scoring.

Wayne has had a life full of pickup games... probably a ton of 1-on-1. More so than Perry!

We all know one thing.... Self never stops recruiting.

He learned his lesson with Tarczewski. That really screwed us (at that moment) and Self hasn't been the same recruiter ever since. Losing Tarc was probably a good thing for us!

@HighEliteMajor

I think you have it right on Lyle... I follow his tweets. He always seems to have nice things to say about Kansas.

Another thing us fans don't always know... there is often a chain of recruits around another recruit. It wouldn't surprise me if there is someone a couple years behind Lyle who may easily follow in his tracks. And then someone behind him...

I kind of think there is some collateral talent around Lyle.

@jaybate 1.0

Excellent post on comparing us with the Shocks. I agree, that early on in the season, the Shocks would have held up better than us because of their experience, and then later on (during league play), the Shocks would have started to run into problems.

But one thing scares me:

"There is no substitute for experience. If WSU had played the schedule KU has played, and done as well, or better than KU, and if WSU had the kind of trans-seasonal experience it in fact has, then I would say it would beat the pants off KU and would deserve to be seeded higher."

That is fine for a comment about seeding... but once we are in the tournament, the Shocks become the team of experience... NCAA tourney experience! Most of their players were there last year at the FF. I think Tharpe is our only player with that kind of experience in 2012... sitting on the bench.

This March experience factor feeds into my fear about March...

I don't fear the Shockers playing them in November... when it doesn't really count. But this particular situation with them owning the tourney experience.. it does mess with my head!

The Shocks don't have answers for lots of our guys... I think their biggest problem would be containing JoJo. They have several bigs in the paint, but none are footers and they have shown a propensity to foul (as much as we do).

I'm afraid this game would come down to who wins the foul battle. They play all sped up and they have ways of drawing fouls easily. That scares the crapola out of me! They play a style we aren't used to. But then... so do we and they would have to adjust to all our studly talent.

I think it would be a great game, and I'd love to see it played in November... not March!

@jaybate 1.0

" @ajvan Glad to hear it, AJ. I'm always glad when I can give someone a little humor here. And I've enjoyed reading your takes and hope you continue to contribute to the Jayhawk chorus. Rock Chalk!"

I second that! and happy to see @HawkInMizery posting, too!

@ajvan

I think Tharpe has the best attitude of any PG we have had during the Self era.

He only cares about his team. He'll fight to become better for his team's sake.

Attitude counts big... and Tharpe's attitude gives him an advantage on anyone coming in. It is his attitude that has laid the path for him to become a starting PG at a blue blood school. He simply didn't have enough game coming out of HS to reach this level easily.

I have tons of praise for him... but I'm like everyone else and I'm going to keep pushing him.

Tharpe is no where near his potential! He has so much more to bring to this game, but it will only be realized with heavy pushing.

I don't think most fans realize how hard it is to improve drastically while playing D1 ball. It is hard enough to just keep up with the game... let alone, make big leaps in improvement.

Fear of the Jinx

Did I wear the right tshirt? Did I avoid walking under ladders or stepping on cracks? Did I become too confident? Did I follow my pregame ritual to a "t?"

Did I subconsciously wish bad juju on our opponents, consequently creating a karma issue?

Did I remember to cross off buffalo wings for game food? (indigestion)

Did I remember game time?!?!?! (yikes!)

Did I pay my cable bill on time?

PS: JB, thanks for backing me off the edge!

@HawkInMizery

Awesome post!

Hey... the home game with Texas showed how these guys can play when inspired. Look at the stat line... we only shot 1.6% higher than our average from the field. But we blew them out because we controlled possession count... out-rebounding them, more blocked shots and steals than them, and less turnovers than them. We fought tooth and nail and drew more fouls and shot more FTs. We played good defense and shut down their offense to just 34.4% from the field. The stat line showed what an inspired Kansas team can play like.

Now compare that to the Texas game in Austin. We didn't show up. We lost in all those areas I listed above concerning possessions... add on top of that our poor shooting from the field. We were very fortunate Texas only shot 42.9% from the field or we could have been smacked with the same level of beat down we gave them in AFH.

Maybe our best strategy moving forward is to completely stop practices and just get together in a southern baptist church and receive high-inspiration sermons from a motivating preacher man. I say this because all the work and strategy means nothing if the guys don't show up to execute.

I really don't see how these guys can maintain a constant motivation through March. They haven't shown that type of motivational endurance all year. In fact.. really... I think they only played really 2 games with some level of real motivation; Texas and Duke.

That is why it may be best to lose a couple more games before the tourney. Lets see if we can really blow it and get knocked down to a 3 seed. And lets see the national east coast media come raining down on all of these freshmen. Bring the clouds and the darkness... Bring down the tent on our circus.

Then we have a team meeting... and then players like Tarik step up and earn his nickname, "Black Death!" JoJo has a flashback to a tough survival moment in Cameroon. Something pops in Jamari's head.. the smell of one of those cars he was sleeping in... and how cold he was. I'm pretty sure other players on this team have closets full of bones, too.

That's the type of brew that needs to come from a stirring pot.

It's the brew they are drinking down there in Wichita. Marshall has his guys drinking the punch.

I'm hiding my deep fear. My deep fear that we might hit a wall in March trying to replace "66-65" with a better headline.

Lets face it... we all have that fear down there somewhere.

If we finally get that game with the Shockers... I'm hoping Self picks up the microphone and sits on a wood thrown similar to Jim Jones.. and he unleashes a flurry of psychological blurb that makes these guys realize just how important that game is for Jayhawk fans. It will take one heck of a speech... but I am hopeful that our guys will drink the punch. And if they do, imagine a game very similar to our Texas game at AFH because in that mindset, it really doesn't matter who we play; that opponent is going down for a hard landing! There isn't anyone in this country that can stop Joel. There isn't anyone in this country that can stop Andrew. And when our opponents are getting smacked with those two heavy punches we round it out with a flurry by Wayne... by Perry... by Naadir... by Jamari... and finally... by "Black Death!"

I'm holding on to that dream... if I don't I can't sleep at night.

I fear the nightmare. I fear Self not standing on his troops throats with a cup of punch. I fear this team treating someone like the Shockers as just an over-hyped mid-major. We've certainly taken that approach before... twice from the Mo Valley under Bill Self. This Shocker team is anything but normal. They come at you and they redefine the word "relentless." I've watched a big chunk of their games this year, including one of their wins where their opponent was shooting something like 80% from the field in the first half. The Shockers kept fighting... kept scratching... and finally "relentless" worked. It's tough to play 40 minutes of ass-kicking basketball! Texas gave up in AFH. Barnes is a nice guy, but he's weak and it reflects under all that big boy flesh on his team. We will have to be truly prepared for this game. We will have to realize that a 10-pt run isn't good enough. We will have to realize that if we don't possess the momentum, they do. We will have to realize the value of every possession. We will have to realize what it truly takes to own the boards. And we have to do all of this realization for 40 continuous minutes!

If the nightmare happened I won't sleep for a year. Maybe longer.

I like the Shockers... and I hope they beat everyone... except us!

I am not prepared to see Bill Self go 0-3 against the Mo Valley in March! It would be a stat that would always challenge his 10 consecutive B12 championships... at least, in my head (and probably several of yours).

Meanwhile... I'm in dream mode. And all I can see is our team that showed up against Texas at home!

Rock Chalk!

Awesome discussion! I've learned a lot in this thread!

I think Creighton has a seat at this table of discussion. They are only one year removed from the Mo Valley... it's the same Creighton team that was Mo Valley.

Creighton is proof why teams like Wichita State can't get a date to the dance (not talking about the big dance.. just games!). At least, not a home-and-home.

What it really speaks to is how undervalued the Mo Valley is (in general). No one wants to risk loss to an undervalued Mo Valley team. This may not be the best year to look at the quality of the Mo Valley... but their schedules this year were decided in previous years.

This inequality in college basketball is damaging to the entire sport. But inequality is a part of life and we'll never live in a utopian world. I'm just glad we do have a large field in the NCAA tourney and it is a way for undervalued teams to make some noise.

WSU is making noise... plenty of it!

And for people like me that like to see the pot stirred now and then, this is a good thing! Just so our Jayhawks don't end up getting burned on the bottom of the pot. I see that possibility as highly unlikely!

@JayHawkFanToo

I agree... they have a huge target on their back. They have had that target on them all year (this year) but now it will be coming from better competition.

I'm not sure that will matter. They remind me of a nagging ex. They just won't go away... and when you escalate an argument, they escalate right with you and seem to thrive on it.

Yeah... I'm rooting for them, too.. except against us. In that case I'd like to see us really give them a good beat down!

I hope they do get the #1 seed. I just like to see college basketball mixed up now and then. It shouldn't just be us and Duke, UNC, UK and a few others. It's good to get some new blood in there, whether or not it stays at the top or not. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Butler and was pulling for them.

I always want Kansas to be at the top... then I'd like to see all the other top teams fail now and then and be replaced by teams like WSU. Ha... It helps spotlight how good we are to stay consistent all these years.

What is really amazing is how our intense SOS has helped us this year.

We've lost 6 games, and the only team around us in the polls with 6 losses is Duke. We all know Duke always gets over-rated... but forget Duke and then you have to go all the way down to Kentucky about 9 or 10 spots lower, before hitting another team with 6 losses.

Really... when you go outside of our conference play we only have one solid win against a top team.... Duke.

So we've been given a lot of love for playing a tough schedule. If we had played softer teams before conference, and if we had only lost half of those games, where would we be today?

Let's see... that would mean 4 losses and we could be ranked lower than we are now! I don't think we would be ranked higher!

If we had won all our non-conf and it was a soft schedule, the highest we could be ranked now would maybe be a spot or two higher. We would have had a larger target on our back throughout most of the season, which could have helped create another loss or two.

I like us playing a tough schedule. And what if we start winning more of those tough games before conference play? Seems we have everything to gain and nothing to lose!

I hope we keep up with the tough schedules. It is also good for our team development!

@globaljaybird

"@drgnslayr_Cal is continually on record saying that conf titles don't mean anything to him. No surprise there....."

I've heard him say it with my own ears and I still can't believe he said it. What a stupid comment to make.. very short-sited!

And this coming from the guy who is reaching for perfection! Ha... what a joke!

Amazing that we have the same overall record this year (with Kentucky), but we are ranked 9 or 10 spots ahead of them. I guess the rest of the country doesn't recognize all that perfection in Lexington!

@ajvan

Kansas is very high on Lyle. I know that as fact.

Bill Self loves big combo guards.

Lyle would have his shot to take Naa's spot. Self has changed the last years and he gives freshmen opportunities. Self would go with the player he feels will win more games... it is as simple as that.

Another factor is whether or not Lyle can pick up "Selfball" quickly. My guess would be Tharpe starts at the beginning of the year and later may get a challenge for his spot.

I'm positive Tharpe would like to be challenged. He'll like any situation where he is pushed into lifting his game. He wants to become the best he can be, and eventually that means being pushed harder. He has a solid attitude and would hang in there and fight for his spot... all year long!

Lyle would help the team, whether he receives big minutes (his first year) or not!

There are two ways to beat teams that are a threat at 3...

1. Play good perimeter defense. Challenge every shot, and deny easy passes that allow shooters to go into an easy shooting motion. Fight hard through all ball screens... get out on top of the screens.

2. Exhaust their guards. I've never seen totally exhausted guards put on a shooting clinic from 3 in the second half of a game... never. So we run some press to keep the tempo up and make their guards work hard the entire game. And we keep the tempo up... lots of quick passing, some open court game... lots of on and off ball screens requiring their guards to fight through... constantly use our bench to substitute so we stay fresh and fast!

Amazing how teams don't use exhausting their opponents as a strategy. In football, it is well known and used. When a team's offense continually goes 3-and-out it puts pressure on their defense to have to keep playing on the field. Consequently, defenses get tired and start giving up more first downs... more points.

Why don't we ever seem to use exhausting our opponents as a strategy? How many teams have our level of quality depth?

Turner should come to Kansas ESPECIALLY if Embiid stays!

First off... Turner shouldn't be a OAD, he should be a TAD... and where would be the best place to go for a TAD?

Try this on for size:

1. To a school with the top center in America you would have to practice against every day. What other scenario offers more for your development?

2. To a school that clearly has the best reputation for developing big men! Embiid goes from zero to #1 in the country? Can't prove anything better than that!

3. To a school that has the best conditioning program in the country... especially useful to a guy like Turner!

4. To a school where you would have no pressure to be successful in your first year while you learn the ropes.

5. To a school who is almost a shoe-in to be a Final Four team your first year... AND your second year!

6. To a school who has the #1 pick in the lottery, a center, in the year before you will declare for the draft!

If Turner comes to Kansas, he will be the #1 pick in two years.... how could a young man want more than that?!

Turner should come to Kansas ESPECIALLY if Embiid stays!

First off... Turner shouldn't be a OAD, he should be a TAD... and what would be the best place to go for a TAD?

Try this on for size:

1. To a school with the top center in America you would have to practice against every day. What other scenario offers more for your development?

2. To a school that clearly has the best reputation for developing big men! Embiid goes from zero to #1 in the country? Can't prove anything better than that!

3. To a school that has the best conditioning program in the country... especially useful to a guy like Turner!

4. To a school where you would have no pressure to be successful in your first year while you learn the ropes.

5. To a school who is almost a shoe-in to be a Final Four team your first year... AND your second year!

6. To a school who has the #1 pick in the lottery, a center, in the year before you will declare for the draft!

If Turner comes to Kansas, he will be the #1 pick in two years.... how could a young man want more than that?!

(I moved this to the other thread... sorry for it appearing twice!)

@JayHawkFanToo

Thanks for the link. It is a good read and pretty much neutral info.

No doubt the Mo Valley is weaker this year... especially after losing Creighton (so they could go on to dominate the Big East)!

It would suck to lose to any of those teams... like Bradley or UNI... especially in March! (bad joke)

I do recall the history of the Mo Valley, and some of their past members...

KU, OU, U of Nebraska, ISU, Iowa, NMSU, Tulsa, Missouri (yuck!), Louisville, Cincinnati, Butler...

I'd advise WSU to move to another conference, but I'm not sure anyone wants them and if they become independent, they won't be able to schedule a top 300 team in a home/home.

What no one is talking about is how well this team plays when considering who they are. One quick read of the comments from your link pretty much tells the respect the Shockers get outside of Wichita. Pretty much all slams for a team that has 30 straight wins. They get punished for winning.

The moral of this story will take place in March... and I dare say I wouldn't want to be a team that would have to face this pissed off Shocker team! They know that the critics will be there to criticize them for any outcome besides a National Championship!

Congratulations Wichita State... you've actually exceeded the required expectation level we have at Kansas! I thought WE were the only ones that would criticize our team for not bringing home the trophy!

We all have to enjoy this moment for what it is... a moment in time where peoples' emotions are at play and the subject matter offers up plenty of punch lines! Bravo for that!

It really wouldn't surprise me if we end up having to be the team that has to earn the title, "Shocker killer." I just hope JoJo has had enough practice killing lions!

I'd bet all the gold in Fort Knox that JoJo doesn't know what a Shocker is! Will someone please ask him that question during one of his interviews... the answer will become a pure classic!

;)

All in good fun!

@globaljaybird

It's just amazing how one feeds the other. As long as we keep the pace right, the d seems to play harder, and when the defense plays harder, the pace stays up.

@nuleafjhawk

Brilliant idea! I remember when my dad wanted to slam someone's intelligence he would say, "move their plate 6 inches and they'll starve to death!" His upbringing included hunger and poverty, which he quickly worked his way out of... so I guess it had the most meaning for him. Luckily, he provided his family with enough...

@JayhawkRock78

Totally agree... somehow my father got smarter as I became an adult. Funny how that works!

@globaljaybird

Bazzzongo! (kind of like "PHOFF!")

Tharpe did an outstanding job in both games! He just needs to keep the pace moving, without getting them too sped up. There is a happy speed where these guys run best. This seems to be the #1 determinant for how these guys play.

Maybe Self can send him secret pace tweak code from the bench.... it works for baseball... why not basketball?

@globaljaybird

"Five-star guard Charles Mathews commits to UK."

Must seem weird to be a top prospect committing to a team that can't even win its own conference championship.

@nuleafjhawk

Biggest concern: inconsistent officiating!

@Crimsonorblue22

It won't hurt my feelings if we mash the Shockers... but I still like watching them play and appreciate having them in Kansas.

I don't hate or like Marshall... but just appreciate how he gets his team ready. I never heard him call us "chickenhawks" and I tried to find it online and couldn't. If you have a link, please post it. Thing is... I feel like a chickenhawk when we refuse to play them. I don't like that feeling, especially being a fan of the best program in college basketball! I'm just that kind of guy that doesn't back down from anything. All that yack from Wichita ticks me off!

I'd like to see us mash them in the Final Four!

@JayHawkFanToo

I'd like a little revenge for the "Battle of New Orleans" too! I felt like I had the stomach flu for the entire year of 1981! What makes it worse... I can't get that image out of my head when Mike Jones nailed that fade away shot falling back into the bench. Talk about a prayer being answered!

Quote:

In East Lansing, Mich., the Spartans can’t wait until they get healthy.

In Syracuse, N.Y., the Orange can’t wait until their offense comes around.

In Lexington, Ky., the Wildcats can’t wait until the kids put it all together.

That's not the case in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks simply can’t wait until March.

Seriously?! We are NOT ready for March yet! And I noticed he left Florida out of that scenario.

@JayHawkFanToo

It's fine to disagree! I also respect you and your position!

The Shockers proved they belong as a top team last year. Heck... the refs ripped them or they would have beaten Louisville.

The Shockers are the real deal and all they can do is go win games. Any team that doesn't think they play a tough enough schedule can fix that by offering to play them. We don't because we know we'd eventually have to go to Wichita and that would be a tough win. But as this year is proving to us, it helps us to take on tough teams in tough venues.

History isn't on WSU's side to go after 5-star recruits, mostly because they have never had a program this established before. They've had good teams for a year or two, but that is it. They are proving they can develop players. Cleanthony Early will go pro... and he was on no one's radar before WSU. They'll have a couple of other players that will get looks by the pros, too.

What killed WSU's moment before was NCAA sanctions, but that might not be there to hold them back this time. Not in basketball... baseball... I'm not so certain.

I'm not saying they will suddenly be in the same recruiting circles we will be in. They won't. But I'm convinced they will continue to build with Marshall... whether we like him or not. All he has done is improve his team every year. They have a couple of players now I would love to bring in on our roster... vanVleet and Baker, for example. They have a footer coming in 2014 and maybe a second. I'm talking about 2015 anyways. It makes sense that if they keep improving they will recruit better players. The same thing happened with Self, though his starting place at KU was much higher than Marshall at WSU.

WSU has proven it can recruit 5-star players... some KU were after... It's all good... because 5-star recruits are being recruited by every big school. I'd like to see more 5-star players in uniforms in our State! I hope they start landing better talent! But it isn't all about talent level. They go after scrappy kids, and I commend them for that.

I'm not sure why you've listed all this history. History doesn't determine tomorrow. It certainly didn't play a part last year as WSU advanced farther than KU.

I think you just don't want to believe what is in front of you. The Shockers are for real... good for them! And that doesn't tarnish KU unless we get hung up on it and decide it does. It's another quality team in Kansas... that is good for our State and it is even good for KU!

Now... let's play them every year and prove who the better team is in Kansas! I'm already psyched to buy some of the awesome t-shirts on a rivalry that should be.... I want some kind of shirt graphic to replace the last shirt graphic I saw with a Shocker and Jayhawk on it.... It said "66-65" at the bottom... something I would very much like to replace in my mind!

Right now, we are part of established basketball that doesn't believe in the Shockers. Marshall is feeding on that and fueling his team. They went to the FF last year and they even have more to prove this year! That is brilliant sports psychology!

We should have used that psychology after our 2012 loss in the finals to Kentucky. But we didn't. I pointed it out constantly all year last year and we had no chip on our shoulders going into March, and it showed. People can blame EJ all they want. We lost as a team, and if the team had an edge, we wouldn't have needed to put EJ in that position to revive the game.

Unfortunately, all of us (including the team and coaches) watch wayyyy toooo muchhh television! We buy into the elite factor too much and it hurts our hunger level in March. In the least we could feel our elitism and then feel it slipping away with every loss in March. Anything to gain an edge in March!

I'm almost hoping we drop another game here soon... bump us back in the pack and make these kids go into March and prove something!

We had something to prove against Texas and look how we played!!!!! That's the team we need to show up all through March!

Rock Chalk, @JayHawkFanToo !

BTW: I was (am) a big Brad Stevens fan, too!

@dylans

Thanks for posting that... amazing what it tells us when looking at frequency to make it. We've only been there twice under Self... interesting to see what teams made it more than us.

Frequency:

UCLA 3 1 NC)

UCONN 3 1 NC)

L'Ville 3 1 NC)

UNC 3 (2 NCs)

Duke 2 (2 NCs)

Kansas 2 (1 NC)

So on the national level... all those teams have outperformed us when looking only at the Final Four (last 10 years). The graphic above is wrong... Duke has made it to the FF twice, winning both times.

We've done better in other areas... 10 consecutive B12 Championships... and 24 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tourney (longest current streak).

Other NCAA records we currently own at #1:

1. most winning seasons in Division I history (95)
2. most non-losing seasons (.500 or better) in NCAA history (98)
3. most conference championships in Division I history (57)
4. most First Team All Americans in Division I history (21)
5. most First Team All American Selections in Division I history (29)

Congrats to the players, coaches, university and fans!

"“I said we’d do it when and if we win it outright,” Self said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to celebrate in Stillwater on Saturday.”"

Can we expect Wiggins to do a back flip on the court?

;)

@oldhwkfan

Love the post!

I'm on board. I'm for having both WSU and KU in the FF this year! Let's leave the east coast out of this one!

Speaking of geography... it helps KU to have more ranked teams nearby. Doesn't seem logical at first... but think about it. It's the same reason why fast food restaurants all position themselves by each other... because in the end, they feed off of each other.

We fed off WSU this year. I seriously doubt Andrew Wiggins would have come to KU if brother Nick Wiggins wasn't just down the road at WSU. He said it was a key reason and I believe him. If Andrew goes on to be a superstar at the next level, we will always have WSU to thank for that (and the bonus it brings us).

It's not good for KU to geographically be located in a desert away from other top teams. It's like putting a McDonald's in the middle of the Flint Hills...

Back in the east, you can hardly drive 20 miles without being at another Top 20 caliber school.

That was a tough win last night. OU refused to give up, and we have to hand it to the Sooners for sticking around and giving us a tough challenge on this special night, the night we captured 10-consecutive Big 12 regular season championships.

Once again, it seems impossible to recognize just one Jayhawk for this award. So I'll award all those Jayhawks who played a key role in this victory... our entire starting 5!

Naadir Tharpe is my overall top pick in this game. He settled in well and kept control of this game for the time he played. Foul trouble limited his minutes to 26, but he was able to make the largest impact on the game in those 26 minutes. Naadir controlled the pace of the game, which sometimes started to get away from us, especially in the second half when we started to get impatient and rush shots. And most of all, Naadir stepped up on many occasions to hit key shots that kept up in the game on both the scoreboard and from a confidence perspective. Naadir managed to quietly become the top scorer of the game with 19 points and he created all those points on only 7 shots. He kept pushing our offense without turning the ball over, with an A/TO ratio of 5-to-1. Naadir also hustled for two steals in a game where possession count was extremely important.

Perry Ellis is my second runner-up. Perry's stats didn't support him in this slot, but Perry had several key hustle plays that we aren't used to seeing from Perry, including going down on the court a couple of times for 50/50 balls. Perry scored 11 points, 4 rebounds and had 2 assists (one was superb to Black for a two-and-one) and a block. He managed his stats in only 24 minutes of play.

Joel Embiid, in many ways, is almost a shoe-in for winning this award every game. The Big 12 Championship may go through Lawrence, but each individual game goes through Joel Embiid. He made the difference on the boards, snatching up 13 rebounds. He went for 12 points, 3 assists, 4 steals (that's right... 4!) and 3 blocks! As the season progresses we are witnessing JoJo's will in games. His desire to win is shining through and he has become a silent leader with his control of the game.

It has taken almost the entire season, but finally it appears that Wayne Selden Jr. has found his role and identity on this team. We already know of his role for being scrappy... going after 50/50 balls regardless if they are rolling on the court or flying out of bounds in row 3. But now Wayne seems to understand of his need to create offense, and he is doing it both by the long ball and driving into the paint. His 3 3-pt baskets always seem to come at the right time, giving us a big lift on points and spirit. He is also continuing to improve his defense considerably. As the season has progressed, Wayne seems to inch closer and closer to his defensive assignment.. and without getting in foul trouble.

Andrew Wiggins continues to show his hustle in his typical acrobatic ease. Many might say he went through a small rut in this game as his shot started to clink off the rim. But he later found ways to be effective... by drawing fouls and scrapping for his own rebound and put back. Andrew captured at least 2 50/50 balls in this game without acquiring a floor burn. Possessing the ball is what matters in the end on a loose ball. The one area where Andrew needs to improve most is finding open players to pass to when he has the ball. He had no assists in this game, and he should have produced several from some of his drives. Part of that equation is having someone open to pass to, and other Jayhawks need to fight to get open while Andrew drives the ball and stop taking for granted he will shoot the ball. Especially all our 3-pt marksmen need to pop open.

Honorable mention goes to our "bruise brothers"... Jamari Traylor and Tarik Black. These guys helped keep us in the game, allowing our other post players to rest or sit because of foul trouble. Last year, Jamari had little or no offensive skills.... this year, he is showing us how capable he is in the post. He needs to take more shots because he has freakish speed in the post, perhaps one of the fastest post players in the country on a scoring move. Tarik brings heart and soul every game, and also plays a symbolic role as the spiritual leader of this team.

Conference Season Tally:

Wayne Selden 7

Andrew Wiggins 6

Joel Embiid 5

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

@JayHawkFanToo

"Take a dozen teams from major conferences and have them play WSU schedule and they would all be unbeaten as well."

I bet none of them would be undefeated. It just isn't easy winning all those away games. KU would not be undefeated if they had played WSU's schedule.

It just doesn't work that we bag WSU for not playing anyone then refuse to play them. This is our own doing.

We should have played them this year and we would have another win, they would have a loss, and we would be seeded ahead of them!

This is one more example of why I'd like to play them every year.

For some crazy reason we think we would be helping them by playing them every year. I don't think it would help them if we gave them a good beat down every year.

But now they can have their easier schedule, go undefeated, and probably swipe a #1 seed away from us. So we don't really have control of our own destination because no way we are going to beat all these ranked teams every year... when all we need to do is beat down the Shocks in November (to prevent them from getting our #1 seed).

Kansas fans aren't going to like what is coming soon from WSU. Starting 2015, they are going after 5-star recruits. The fear we had of having to compete against them for 5-star recruits will begin. I've heard it from a good source.

The Shocks benefit most by begging us to play and us not accepting. They get a kind of bragging right without having to play for it. As long as we won't play them, they will continue to get the benefit and build their program higher.

I like seeing good basketball in our State... so I don't totally mind it and actually have been enjoying watching them play this year.

@jaybate 1.0

"If Self were to start emphasizing Wiggins and Embiid sets, as Slayr has suggested, Black would become the perfect complement at 4 during those minutes"

Bingo! I've been hearing people talk like we may be seeing Black with Embiid. I like the idea! And then use it to keep the pressure on Perry again... he needs constant pressure to perform well.

Amazing how important it is to distribute minutes correctly and at the right time...

Some of our guys have the self-assurance reminiscent of my 8th-grade prom date. All I can remember is she was in the bathroom for most of the dance...

@nuleafjhawk

Ha... You forgot the first part... "Hey Toto... you're not in Kansas anymore!"

Why don't we just change it all to fit our needs.... like yesterday...

"Hey Dodo... you're not in Texas anymore!"

Here is a good head sign of Self... maybe posed for in Austin this year...

!XpGv7.St.81.jpg ↗

@JayHawkFanToo

Oh yessss.... Mr. Withey!

!photos.jpg ↗

@jaybate 1.0

Maybe just show the pile with text inside...

"R. I. P. (E)"

Along with their tacky longhorn graphic. Color match the pile to their Texas burnt orange school color... it wouldn't take much of a color shift.

@jaybate 1.0

Excellent reply.

I don't see Perry connecting with anyone. He's a bit of an enigma. It is his own doing. His history of working so hard on his game... alone... I'd bet he has spent more time practicing his game than probably any two players we have. That has helped him build one of the best toolboxes in college basketball, but perhaps at the cost of developing synergies. At tmes he has been a great scorer inside, but he'll never become one of our best hi/lo players because he doesn't build synergy with other players. Perry has long been one of my favorite players, going back to HS... but as we see more of his game he exposes more weak areas. I hope he is able to overcome these areas so he can one day become a big time NBA player!

Andrew is such a force because he can bomb the 3, he can nail the mid-range shot, he can drive the paint, and he can score from underneath the basket. He can do it all... and he draws fouls like rotting flesh draws flies. And finally, he can nail FTs!

So he can score from anywhere on the floor and on any player. That is beyond rare! He needs to become a leech on the back of Embiid and feast on all those easy scoring opportunities.

This is the easiest way to create a whole bunch of shots for Andrew. And it is an easy way to start releasing some of the doubling pressure on Joel in the post.

It is something we need to establish, and something that is so unique that teams can't really scout and prepare for well enough because they don't have that kind of talent to mimic our game.

And since we can score from all 5 positions.... if we establish the connection of this duo we help the other 3 scorers out by relieving pressure off of them. Perry then goes completely off the radar and should open for back doors, etc. Wayne remains a 3-pt threat and an option... same for Naa.

And the better teams guard against the Andrew/Joel combo, the more Naa, Wayne and Perry are open to score!

This is called a "mid-season tweak" and so often these tweaks play a key role in determining the next national champion! It's the hottest team at the end that wins it all, and the hot teams always have key tweaks that give them the edge in March.

My favorite all-time Jayhawk sign was... "Should have read the sign!"

The sign had an arrow pointing up and the sign holder was beneath the "Pay heed" banner.

@JayHawkFanToo

Joel is Ginger... Imagine a 7' 250 lb Ginger!

@KirkIsMyHinrich

I agree... but it doesn't mean we don't exploit obvious opportunities on offense. Traditionally, Selfball is about defense.... but we don't know if this team will ever match some of the teams he has had. Even though we always stress defense, it could be offense's turn to win a NC. I don't want to emphasize that... but it could be!

Fred and Ginger were stars of the silver screen through song and dance. Movies like "Top Hat" and "Swing Time" (in the '30s). I'm not that old, but their films are timeless!

@jaybate 1.0

"After that, sparks flew from our ears and we removed our beaks from their rears."

I've got to preserve that one in the quotes archives.

I'm an old guy. I remember so many great dance duos... Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, a ballroom pair that brought romance alive through their graceful steps and subtle gestures. Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lisa Rinehart, partners on the stage of ballet and in real life, masters of the pirouette.

And now the new pair of high steppers, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid!

Andrew and Joel have received plenty of attention this year. Their potential on the basketball court has brought on crowds of onlookers. Just about everyone has decided they will become top lottery picks in the next NBA draft.

Until the last few games, they seemed to be unrelated high-flying stars whose flight patterns rarely crossed. Then, suddenly, the pair seem to find each other in the sky, amongst all the shining stars. A new dance combination has formed.

A one and a two and a three and a four...

A one... Andrew has the ball out on the wing and passes into Joel... and a two... Joel draws in the double-team into the post... and a three... Joel passes back to Andrew at the 3-pt line... and a four... Andrew takes the wide open 3-pt shot for an easy score!

The new dance pair performed this easy choreography in front of a packed house in Lawrence yesterday, and their easy steps, spinning moves and high-flying acrobatics led to a masterful 3-pt play! The simplicity, ease, execution and final result showed us all that this dance pair needs to stay dancing together. There needs to be an encore performance on a regular basis from now on until April.

Our classic questions have been answered.

Q. How will we win another National Championship in April?

A. We'll succeed by winning all our games in March.

Q. How will we win all our games in March?

A. We'll win all our games by outscoring all our opponents.

Q. How will we outscore all our opponents?

A. By bringing the two best players in college basketball closer together to form a successful dance duo.

Let's face it. We can score from all 5 positions on the court. But sometimes, we don't score enough points to win the game. Playing good defense helps.... a lot. But regardless of what we do on defense, we can always win by playing more efficiently on offense, too. This dance duo is about becoming more efficient on offense.

By choreographing the play of Andrew and Joel, we create a constant easy scoring opportunity on offense. When Joel has the ball in the post, he becomes a deadly scorer. Joel makes 62.5% of his shots! With that proficiency, it becomes difficult for the Jayhawks to lose if Joel gets many shot attempts in the paint. Our opposition knows that, so they do what they can to limit Joel's shot numbers in the paint. How do they do that? By double-teaming Joel in the post. And when Joel is doubled in the post, that means someone else is open. What if we do what we can to make sure Andrew is the guy that is open? What if we make sure it is Andrew's man that must help out on the squeeze of Embiid? Or.. what if we make sure Andrew is standing in the area where the zone defender has to go pinch Joel?

And when Andrew gets in the paint with the ball, he gets doubled. Often it is Joel's man who has to help out. Then who is guarding Joel?

We can study any defense... it doesn't matter what kind of defense comes at us, as long as we identify what it is and where the defenders are. Our dance combo can perform a cha-cha for easy baskets!

These two players are our most-prolific scorers. It would be a crime if we don't promote them feeding off of each other. In the Texas game, when Andrew fed Joel in the post, Joel was doubled and threw back to Andrew for the wide open 3, it was beauty, it was perfection. And it was the start of the next Fred and Ginger!

The big weapon in this rodeo was a cattle prod. But we didn't "hot shot" the Longhorns... instead... we turned it on ourselves after falling behind the steers' rears.

After that, sparks flew from our ears and we removed our beaks from their rears.

And that is a cowboy explanation for how we stuck it to the guys in 70's burnt orange clothing with the common longhorn graphic that is so common it can't even be trademarked.

I guess the Longhorns left Kansas immediately after the game because I woke up this morning and the smell of cow s#it was gone!

Picking the FLOOR BURN AWARD for this game seemed easy at first. This was to be an easy trifecta... until "Black Death" entered the picture with his ferocity and prowess. So I made it to the window in time, and changed my selection to a superfecta:

Joel Embiid was not going to be denied. His pride dominated every part of this game; offensive firepower with 13 points off of 4-for-6, rebounding zeal with 7 rebounds, assist generosity with 3 assists and oppressive fascism on defense through dictating control with 6 blocks and countless shot diversions.

Andrew Wiggins was a man possessed. He owned the rim by sending the ball through 7 times for 21 points. He kept the ball out of Longhorn hooves almost at will, by snagging 6 rebounds a steal and two blocks. He stole one rebound off a missed free throw and put himself on the line as a result.

Wayne Selden Jr appears to be the guy that keeps his eyes on the ground looking for spare change. And when he spots a rolling quarter, he dives for it and fights for it. It is the kind of attitude that was missing on this team early on this year, and it is the attitude that is helping this team find an identity. Wayne was the glue in this game. He stole 6 rebounds, two steals and had a block, but what he really mastered was finding the open man, and he did it 7 times (assists)! Wayne rounded off his game with 8 unselfish points.

Tarik "Black Death" Black stole the show with a dunk that can hardly be considered a dunk. It is best to consider it a throw down, because that is what he did... he threw the ball down from a distance... sideways and downwards. Tarik has become the spiritual leader of this team. At certain times he will make a play that brings inspiration to a higher level for the entire team. In just 15 minutes of play, Tarik managed 9 points, 5 rebounds and a steal... and the best "throw down" all year!

Frank Mason wins an honorable mention for his tough defense and overall play. In 18 minutes of action he managed 14 points off of 6-for-7.

And a special shout out to Conner Frankamp, who continues to inch his way into more minutes of playing time. Conner made his way on the stat sheet with 5 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in just 8 minutes of play.

Conference Season Tally:

Wayne Selden 6

Andrew Wiggins 5

Joel Embiid 4

Tarik Black 4

Perry Ellis 3

Naadir Tharpe 3

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

Lets consider what we had in '08 in the back court... RRob, Mario and a young, healthy, thinner Collins. Those guys could guard well enough for us to bring home a title. We don't have near that kind of defensive prowess in the back court this year... it's not just Naa.... And Perry is the weakest defending 4 we've had in the Self era!

Perry has to toughen his game. I suggest heavy meat eating and hit the weight room every day. His current game is light years away from what is required at the next level. He needs more strength and a stronger attitude.

And that meat needs to be hormone-free. I think most meat is pumped with estrogen.

Today's OSU beatdown of TTech illustrates this entire thread. OSU kept pushing the ball, and kept pressure on defense, and they blew out TTech with ease. The parts of the game I watched showed TTech was sped up and shot most of their shots within the first 15 seconds of the shot clock. When you are down by 20, stalling out the game doesn't benefit you...

We have another shot at TTech, this time at AFH. I bet we push the ball more and blow them out!