🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Even a better reason to sign Turner... if Embiid stays!

If Self and his staff can convince Turner to come into college on a two-year plan, then his best option is to come be a Jayhawk and spend a full year of going head to head with Embiid.

Imagine him coming in, going right into Hudy training... then battling Embiid to improve his skills. And for his first year there is no pressure on him in games. He comes in off the bench for Embiid, and sometimes we could even play a big lineup with twin towers.

Then Embiid leaves after two years and Turner has a year of owning the lane at KU. The scouts will never leave their seats from the Embiid years, and Turner will have the two years of strength training he needs before entering the No Boys Allowed league.

What a plan! Having both bigs at the same time would be awesome for both. Name a single NBA scout who would miss an opportunity to see both of these premiere bigs playing in the same game?

KU would benefit with 3 years of big man basketball!

I'm always thirsty!

If you focus in on watching Naa, you'll see a guy who wastes tons of motion, like a shivering poodle. He expends all that energy but he can't stay in front of his man on defense. His motion is chaotic. Zen allows the mind to focus on motion. To break it down to it's simple necessity to go from point A to point B. No wasted energy, direct path. Visualize stance and the motion to go from A to B. Then visualize the entire context of play... when you have that down, you are ready to close your session, walk out of the tunnel and go play basketball. That's what Naa needs to do.

@KUSTEVE - Brillante savoir-faire, mon ami!

I'm always amazed how my wife can position me how she likes and does it without me feeling belittled. She knows the importance of roosters puffing out their chests! Sometimes, deep down inside, I feel like women must all be getting a great laugh out of us! There will be probably 100 women reading this post, and few if any will verify what I said with a reply... because they don't want to spoil all the fun!

Make our web conversations a challenge in being out there on the edge as far as possible, without giving the blog police reason to complain. At times, you've already succeeded. It was hilarious how you defended yourself and it backed down the critics. That's all brilliant bantering... something really most of us in here like.

So don't get all soft on us, or we'll kick you in your fruit sack!

Happy Weekend back to you!

I agree with your last post comments on Naadir. He is inconsistent, and shot selection has been an issue with him. I do think his shot selection has improved recently, consequently his FG% has risen along with it. Naa reminds me of a miniature poodle. Have you ever owned a miniature poodle? They take about 40 breaths a second and anytime the ambient temperature drops below 68 degrees, their head starts convulsing into shivers. Their movements in themselves creates a kind of chaos.

Naa often creates his own chaos on the court. I could fix that for him with one lesson on zen. And then he would have a short zen session right before every game. It would settle him down and bring him into focus. He wouldn't go out there on the court with the shakes and shivers. That's just a small tweak and he would be a completely different player. This is the reason why he typically starts off so poorly in games. He needs to get running to tire a bit and slow down his heart. Think of him as a poodle and all I've said here becomes clear.

@iowajayhawk2005 - Your recent posting spree has been like a first date for all of us. We are getting to know you.

I am intrigued with your lengthy post on why you "hate" Greene. Some of that info is new to me. I'm digesting that post, and might end up with some gas from the process, but often times the nourishment I really need will do that to me.

I think we've about ended the first date with you. While I don't think most in here are ready to disrobe, I think it is worthwhile for a second date and many would agree. Behind the rough texture is someone with depth. Your perspective is enticing. Bait for another date.

I've read all the date books and the bloated text about "first impressions mean everything." I've always considered that phrase a sucker's bet because anyone can fake it for one date. I appreciate that you didn't come in here with a sappy heart and sticky fingers.

I just hope you keep posting and you find cleaver enough ways to express your rough edges to keep the blog police at bay. Just make sure and keep as much edge as you can, because you were correct in one of your earlier posts when you said you had your own methods for getting results.

It is becoming easier to spot which threads you participate in by noticing the amount of posts in each thread.

Strangely, "hate" used to be a softer word. But now media has cut off the softer edges of that word so it's context relates to things like "hate crimes" and often lead to mass death. Because of that reason, "hate" is one of the few words I would scratch from use in here. You can go to the edge without using that word... how about, "despise, scorn, loathe, disdain..." None of these choices are as connected to horrific deeds like "hate."

@iowajayhawk2005 - Just put a condom on it and keep posting. Oh s#it, I shouldn't have said "condom"... Oh %&$@ I shouldn't have said "s#it!"

But seriously... we can sometimes edge into locker room talk... I think people just don't want it to come from the gutter.

How about we draw a line at PG-16? If we are clever we can take a lot of liberties with innuendos, misplaced acronyms, multi-directional slang and camouflaged syntax.

Hey, its not my poodle riding the chair!

Self-diapercation is allowed!

Conner needed a game like that to lift his confidence and reward him for the effort he has been putting out in the gym. He easily had the toughest road from HS to college in making the transition to D1 basketball. He still has a ways to go, but the progress is clearly there.

If the OU game was any indication of the level of play we can start receiving from Wayne, the minutes at the 2 will be limited for others, Conner included. He may just develop more minutes at the 1, and from what we have seen so far this year, we could still use another option at PG!

All Conner can do is keep punching it out in practice, lifting his game so he becomes a better option in the future. At least now he can smell the carrot at the end of the string. After the OU game we can see he'll some day earn some valuable PT at KU!

@wrwlumpy - A+!

I totally agree! I'll take it over our best dunk anyday!

@JayHawkFanToo - I think Tarik is a victim to inconsistent referees. He is the perfect example of what is wrong with college-quality officiating and then mixing in these new rule interpretations.

It is clear that the new rule interpretations just broaden the window for inconsistency in refereeing. In the old days, calling games "tight" was never like this. Players can get whistled now for having bad body odor.

Tarik has it all going wrong for him. First.. any player that size appears guilty of fouling... so if there is even the slightest contact, he gets whistled for the foul. The chances of him ever getting a "benefit of the doubt" call is about the same odds as getting struck by lightning while on your way to collect your winnings for hitting the lottery.

Tarik will be our barometer player for understanding how games are going to be called. It would be a good idea to put him back in the starting lineup, and every game where he gets 2 quick fouls in the first couple of minutes, we put in Embiid with instructions to stay miles away from opponents with the ball. Might be best if he stayed another state away. Guard from Utah... he'll still get a few blocks!

Isn't it amazing.. the level of inconsistency with calls this year? We could have used a shank in the Georgetown game!

"What is wrong with Andrew Wiggins?"

@JayDocMD - That question entered my mind, too.

Is he over-thinking the game so he's slowing down and the game (opponents) are able to react quick on him and take advantage?

Or is he under-thinking the game and not seeming to focus enough on our games because he is getting absorbed in all the media chaos around him?

I don't know. When I scouted all his online clips before he came to Kansas I thought he would be a loose player and always having fun. He has a tremendous smile and seemed to have an outgoing personality. That isn't really what he has been projecting recently in games. Maybe he reads too much sports media being critical of his play and instead of taking it as a personal challenge, he takes it in a way that makes him unresponsive.

I always base my views on issues like this by following the money trail. It certainly keeps things simple and in perspective.

We can argue about whether college student-athletes are "pros" or "amateurs" until we are blue in the face. Whatever the result, nothing is resolved.

Student-athletes have very little financial resources, so they can afford little or no agency services... I'm talking mostly about legal services here. If they hire sports agents, they violate their contractual agreement with the NCAA. No one in America is prevented from hiring legal agents because civil and human liberties are protected in this country.

Since these athletes can't take a formidable legal battle to the NCAA, their ability to fend off control from regulation is extremely limited (or non-existent).

In commercial matters, this is changing because lawyers see potential in working for potential court payout victories, especially if this can reach a class-action status. Also... some athletes that have gone on to commercial success beyond college are bringing in their expensive lawyers to challenge the NCAA on current and retro-active actions.

The NCAA is becoming like the Dutch trying to keep all their fingers in the dike. The water is rising and most believe eventually the NCAA will make changes to prevent their own drowning... but how to bend without breaking?

This is my simpleton view.

I'm starting to sense that I can draw a line and put @iowajayhawk2005 at one end and @jaybate on the other end. I'm not trying to induce friction with that statement... kind of like how I laid it out with Wooden and Knight.

Let's call it "philosophical differences." I'm probably inviting a punch coming my way because I'm positioned too close to the action. It would be well-deserved, I'm sure.

I'm on board with @globaljaybird ... it is all in good fun and everyone has the cap-acity to keep it cerebral and in tasteful jest.

@iowajayhawk2005 ... I'm thrilled with your infusion! I admit my worshiping of Greene, and am glad you've challenged my thoughts around him. You can continue to punch holes in my delusions. My closet runneth over with deities.

@iowajayhawk2005 - 4

@drgnslayr - 1

Iowa... you sure know how to get responses!

A+

In poor taste? Probably..

I'm giving Cindy Self all the credit in the world for making the winning difference in the OU game.

It was Cindy Self who texted her husband on January 7th and basically told him to loosen up. Cindy took one from her husband's playbook: "Enjoy the Process!"

For those who didn't catch the story the first time, here it is again:

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/jan/07/sound-advice-wife-tells-bill-self-heed-his-own-wor/?mens_basketball ↗

What are the chances that Cindy's text impacted the consciousness of her husband on January 7? For those who are married (I am), you know where I'm coming from! The answer is: there is a 100% chance that it did.

And if that text did what it was intended to do (loosen up Bill)... what are the chances that Bill's looser self helped his players also loosen up? I'm also going with a 100% chance of it happening.

This team came out and played 40 minutes of ball, away from home, after what may be their lowest point in the season so far, and they did it with more pep in their step, their heads up high, and clearly looked like a looser team, even more than when playing at home in earlier games.

Cindy Self 1

Bill Self 0

(fortunately, this is only the score between themselves. Bill also scored a 1 with Kansas basketball!)

@nuleafjhawk - Man.... I did the same thing. I jumped out of my seat on that first scrum where 3 Jayhawks went after the ball on the floor. I thought I was watching a Shocker game for a minute! ;) But seriously... I let out a holler, too.

I also noticed Perry smile. I also noticed Wayne exposing a happy crack, too!

God forbid these guys actually have fun during games!

"BTW - I'm OVER Jay Bilas. Listening to Jay Bilas is like kissing your sister. You only enjoy it if you're from Missouri."

That quote needs to be taken to the mountain and carved in stone! Please, please... go put that comment on the quotes thread we are saving indefinitely for future reference!

"He is 100% all in."

Most astute realization I read this morning!

Bravo, @iowajayhawk2005 ! You got my fav button!

"How does a team hold an opponent to 37% FG, yet allow 83 points?!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Of course, scoring 29 pts from the line helped. That not only gave them easy points, but also stopped the clock to allow more possessions. What helped the most was the amount of possessions Oklahoma had in the game. We had 14 TOs, which helped give them more possessions... but more than anything, both teams didn't burn up much of the shot clock.

We can limit points by slowing down our offense and using the clock, but that has never been a strategy in our offense. We can play better defense and lower opponents' FG%... that would help the most because they'd make a lower % and probably burn more of the shot clock in the process.

We burned OU for 90 pts, and shot over 50% from the floor. When you figure that in to the fact that we didn't use much of the clock either, it all plays a part in giving both teams more possessions.

OU put up 72 shots in this game! And they only snagged 6 offensive rebounds. So what we are looking at here is a spun up game. You can even contribute some of their point totals to the fact that OU's defense totally stunk. We were able to score quickly, and in doing so we quickly give the ball back to OU.

I think I would credit OU's lousy defense second for helping them tally 83, first I'd go with all our fouls.

This was an ol' western shoot out!

I'm starting a Floor Burn Award to be given after every Kansas game from here on out. In order to win the award, the winning player has to have gone down on the court, scraping for a 50/50 ball. If no one goes for a low ball in a game, no award will be issued.

The 1st winner of the Floor Burn Award for this 2013-2014 basketball season is Wayne Selden.

Wayne definitely brought the scoring magic with him to Norman. But Wayne also brought the kind of hustle we've been looking for with this team. He went sliding after 2 loose balls and was a great example for this team of what can happen when players go after loose balls. The first example led to a 3-pt basket, which ended up having a huge impact on the game by helping Kansas maintain a safer scoring buffer from Oklahoma. The second example led to a held ball, possession Kansas.

We'll keep a season tally so we will know by season's end which Jayhawk will receive the season award at the close of our season.

As an inspirational tool for this team, please reply with supportive comments for players who show hustle!

Might this style of coaching get these guys motivated?

[

It seems that AW3 may end up the best Self coached-up player we've had....

He's taken one directly from the coach's playbook. It doesn't get any clearer (and unclearer) than this:

“In my situation, I made a mistake before when I was coaching at Illinois,” he said. “When I first got the job, I made a mistake. I said I was in it for the long haul, and I totally meant it, but I only stayed three years. I learned from then that you don’t really say anything directly. Because you never know. But anybody who knows me knows I’m totally locked in where I’m at.”

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/bill-self-kansas-jayhawks-basketball-coach-nba-head-coaching-job-honest-080613 ↗

In a recent phone conversation I had with my old coach he called KU "a bunch of timid kids." He wasn't saying it as an insult, just a description of the team.

Could that description nail the biggest issue with this team?

Good call on pointing out the wrong people hoisting up the most 3pt attempts!

This is the first time we've all truly lightened up in here!

@iowajayhawk2005 - please do us all a favor. Travel to Lawrence and do your magic on this team! Back these boys off the ledge!

The electrodes have been removed from your temples.... for now! ;)

@JayDocMD - Nice thread!

Since Self has been at KU, I've always been thrilled with our big man development. What school has done more with their bigs? Even with Danny gone, our bigs continue to develop perhaps even at the same clip.

But I haven't always been thrilled with our perimeter development. I've always scratched my head on that one because Self was a guard. KU isn't known for developing guards... especially when compared to schools like Duke. Why don't we develop guards as well as we develop bigs? Is that just a side effect of Self's hi/lo?

I think Norm brings in some excellent big man coaching skills. I've always heard that about Norm.

Who is in charge of developing our guards? Self teams are never at the top ranks in low TOs, high 3pt%, etc...

I do appreciate the desire for not letting the ball stick... but I'd like to see better guard play. Sometimes it is clear we need clarification of roles between the 1 and 2 positions.

Guys... we've sort of been conditioned in the short amount of time this site has been going to being so completely polite. I think a big part of that came about because we all feel so thankful that this opportunity came about after what happened at KUSports.

But we have to be able to bend without breaking. @iowajayhawk2005 may push the window in here when compared to the over-complimentary style most exhibit in here.

My only objection to style in here is if someone comes on and doesn't add anything to the conversation. We should draw a line somewhere... so where is that line?

I don't care if @iowajayhawk2005 calls one or some of my comments "dumb." I don't take that personal, and he's not calling me dumb. So... it really isn't name calling... but just putting a name on a comment.

I think if @iowajayhawk2005 agrees to no direct name calling, he is holding to a standard we should all be fine with. And others should also follow that rule and not name call on @iowajayhawk2005.

Personally, I hope he calls me out sometimes because I'm pretty sure some of my comments can be called out for being dumb!

I see @iowajayhawk2005 as someone who is providing some solid content with unique opinions AND someone willing to give some push back to us all.

In some ways, we are like this Jayhawk team.... going soft and occasionally needing a kick to our backsides to get pushed to perform. I know I want to see people disagreeing with my posts. It makes me question what I've written, and sometimes makes me want to defend it. The process often helps me realize more than I had realized in my original post... and sometimes people open my eyes and I get a lesson!

@iowajayhawk2005 - Don't let it phase you... just keep posting. You offer up some diversity that we need in here. I think we all (me definitely included) start getting flat in here... like you said "almost as boring as watching Andrew Wiggins..."

In the very least you help get people juiced up and that definitely keeps things spicy in here.

The only way you'll piss me off is if you stop posting!

We should all be big boys and that means sometimes hearing criticism. It's easy to just be a back slapper like everyone else. Eventually, it's just a big circle of happy backs... We all need someone willing to push the topics. You challenge people (including myself)... and that's the only way this forum keeps working!

I've got my big boy pants on... let'r fly!

@iowajayhawk2005 - Awesome to see you write up your opinions in here. I knew you had quality opinions to offer... and you did!

You call it straight out... and nail the issues.

How do we get this team to execute the plan?

It sounds like you'd keep up a tight ship with plenty of discipline. Will these guys eventually execute if we keep the threat of bench time if they don't perform? That coaching strategy seems to work well with 4-yr players, especially when we don't have to count on them producing right now. But what about a team full of star freshmen, many who see themselves as OAD? Will Self be able to break them down and build them back up?

I'm not implying we bow down to any of these star players. I'm just looking for whatever method will work to inspire them to scrap for 50/50 balls, rebounds... and scrap for victory! It just doesn't look like Self's typical method of discipline is moving these guys into action. Maybe they just need a good win or two to get back their mojo.

"Think happy thoughts!"

We even have Eamonn on board!

Time to bring the MOJO and the JUJU to Norman and make a big splash!

Rock Chalk!

Cindy to Bill:

"Chill, Bill!"

" I think Wayne needs to wind the clock back a little and be a kid again."

Amen! I'd like to see all our guys wind it back a bit. What I miss from last year's team is Kevin Young's smile! That guy brought a couple hundred teeth with him to every game!

I really like all our guys and would hate to be coach and forced to decide PT. We've got probably about 12 guys that should get some PT, but there just aren't enough minutes to go around.

I've been liking Lucas a lot lately. He seems like one of our best big guys on fundamentals.

I still trust in CS and think this team will come around soon. I know how important winning the conference is for CS so he'll have them ready to compete for another league title.

My post is mostly about trying to help fans stay focused on the positive while we work out the bugs. It will help these guys out most to have fans stay positive.

There is going to be a game soon where enough clicks for these guys and they really drop the hammer on someone big time!

@Wishawk - Until I flipped my brain over from Knight to Wooden, I would definitely have switched out Selden from starting at the 2. Now I'm fine with leaving him at the 2 but focusing on how we get him to be more responsive on both sides of the court. I think we have a way to help him on both sides of the ball... and that is to create special training sessions to bring over-stimulation to Wayne, trying to speed up his internal clock mostly by preventing him from over-thinking and over-planning ahead of his moves... making Wayne's reflexes and reactions based on being instinctual and instant instead of mental and delayed. I feel positive that if he put in a half hour per day on being maybe double and triple-teamed the entire time, he'll adapt and eventually learn to be successful even against high pressure. So in game time, the game will feel slow to him and his reaction time will skyrocket!

We've seen glimpses of him executing well, and if he can stay executing well he is our best player at the 2. So we find a way to get him executing well every game!

If we stay in "Knight mode" then we pull Wayne from the starting rotation, blame him and scream at him and we completely kill what little confidence he has left. That can help players eventually... but when is eventually? Next year? Two years later or when he is a senior? I think the focus needs to come off of him being an OAD... from fans, coaches and Wayne himself. He just needs to focus on being a better player every single day. I don't think every player is receptive to the Knight approach, especially the thinkers... like Wayne and like EJ.

I just think if we view him in "Wooden mode" we look directly at his issues and treat those issues with positive energy and guidance. If we do it right, he could be one of our best performers within just a few games... maybe in two or three games! And with a productive Selden pumping in a dozen points every game and being a part of our team offense and defense, KU suddenly becomes a formidable team!

Taking a positive approach to helping these guys:

1. Perry Ellis - Perry is a scoring machine! I haven't seen a 4 in college basketball today that has more scoring moves than Perry. He can go left and he can go right, and he can score effectively from either side, back, front or sideways to the basket. Perry has shown us plenty of sparkle this year, and we know (and Perry knows) he should be our most-consistent scorer game-in and game-out. So how can we help Perry stay consistent every game? From what we have seen so far, it is crucial that Perry gets out of the blocks quickly in games. When he starts off well, he does a great job of maintaining his effectiveness in the post. If he stays hot in the post, he carries that confidence with him out on the perimeter, where he can also add to his scoring potential with the midrange shot and sometimes long ball. We need to draw up some early scoring plays for Perry. That should be priority #1 in preparing for every game!

2. Andrew Wiggins - By now the entire world has heard his name and associates it with his gazelle-like athleticism! We are starting to see patterns developing in Andrew's game. Until now, his scoring has come mostly off the drive, often leading to fouls and FTs. Sometimes he gets hot from the perimeter. Sometimes he turns cold, too. We can't really say he's been consistent from 3. Andrew needs to warm-up from 3 and develop some consistency. Much of that development requires work in practice. For one thing, Andrew needs to get practice time in AFH and not the practice gym. In fact, all our perimeter guys need to practice more in AFH to work on their long ball. By raising our long ball shooting % in AFH, we are bound to carry over some of that confidence on the road. Plus... if we lift our overall perimeter shooting %, we start earning respect from our opponents in their scouting reports and they start hedging out further to guard the line, in doing so, opening the middle for Bill's famous Hi-Lo. We can also do more restructuring on offense to create isolations for Andrew to drive on his man. With Andrew's speed, it really doesn't matter that his man plays off of him to hedge the drive. In fact, that's a mistake when guarding Andrew because if you give him a gap to start his drive, he'll just come in at a higher rate of speed and be that much tougher to guard! We also need to do a better job on floor position for our other 3-pt shooters, so Andrew can drive and feed out for open 3s. That's a big part of the strategy from the NBA, and helps Andrew prepare for his career next year.

3. Joel Embiid - It is pretty hard to offer up anything here. Joel is improving faster than maybe any player to ever wear a college uniform! However, I would like to see him work more on his midrange jumper. He is extremely capable of hitting midrange shots. When you throw that in with his extreme foot speed and coordination, this guy is a huge threat when receiving the ball in the midrange area. So on the Hi/Lo, have him pop out more often to around the FT area. If we structure plays through this, then our 4 suddenly become a lethal offensive rebounder off his misses or is open for a rim finish off a pass from Joel. Joel is the brightest thing going right now for Kansas.

4. Naadir Tharpe - Forget what you've heard from mainstream media, like Doug Gottlieb saying Kansas doesn't have a PG. Naadir has all the tools to become one of the better PGs Kansas has had in a long time. He's the first PG we've had in a decade that realizes the importance of leadership from the PG position. He's verbalizing more and more, both on the game court, and in practice and in front of microphones to the public. He knows his role is largely as a communicator and facilitator. But the process of him figuring it out has often been frustrating. Many times we have watched him make some unacceptable TOs and we've seen him disappear in games and leave us without leadership. It does take time to master this position. To do it right, it requires the most well-rounded skills of any position on the floor. A good PG should be able to drive and score, pop the 3, drive and feed, control pace, communicate to his players, break backcourt pressure both off the dribble and by seeing the court and making the right pass. That's just the beginning! Naadir is learning the most from our recent losses. Those losses all point to mistakes made in his execution. He is starting to realize that he can't get in foul trouble. He has to stay on the floor for as long as possible, and he has to stay active leading this team. He can't back down from his responsibilities for even a second. He needs to spend more time in the video lab and look back over the mistakes he has made this year. How can handle perimeter pressure better? How can he maintain the right pace for our offense? How can he create more offense? So much of mastering the game at point comes through basketball IQ. Naadir needs to work efficiently on his school work so he can put it down more and spend time studying basketball. The potential is there for him to become one of the best PGs in the country this year! He is capable of leading us to a National Championship!

5. Wayne Selden - Wayne has shown us glimpses of potential this year. He can be one of the better finishers we have at the rim, and he can get hot from 3. Wayne has made some of the better assists on this team. Wayne is athletic, but in different areas than most of our players. Up until now, it seems like his first step (off the dribble) is a bit slow, and sometimes he isn't creating or making the right decisions on his drives to the lane. In a year with stricter rule enforcements, he leads the teams in charges. It appears that Wayne's biggest issue is he's thinking too much during play. All the thinking is making him hesitate, and slowing down his first step and making him more predictable on his drives. There are many ways to overcome this in practice. Start by making him dribble within a rectangle around several defenders swiping for the ball. At the right pace he'll be forced to become instinctually reactive. There will be no time for being too mental and he won't be able to make decisions too far ahead. He needs to be challenged at a faster pace in practice. After lots of reps at a faster pace, the real game will slow down for him and he'll be one of our best offensive weapons.

These are some ideas for helping out our offense for our starting five. After addressing these 5 we should move over to the bench. Then we talk about TEAM offense! After that... defense, individual improvements then TEAM improvements!

All of these ideas are just tweaks. One or two tweaks with every player and we have an entirely different team! All these players are being held back by tiny aspects, but every team playing us has us scouted and exploits these aspects and takes us out of our offensive flow. SDSU brought a different defense to challenge this team, and they were well-coached, seasoned players... long and athletic... very capable team, including in the post. I wish we could schedule another dozen games with that team to work on our bugs!

We focus on the positive... everyone on our team brings something outstanding to this team and we need to accentuate those assets!

Rock Chalk!

@HighEliteMajor -

"Positivity, my man. This is like a Rubik's cube. A freaking mess ... until it isn't. Just have to know what colors to rotate, and which way."

There is just no way to say it better than that! Brilliant!

This team needs work, lots of work... but we knew that starting this season that it would be full of bumps for these freshmen. As much as it hurts to lose... maybe the best thing ever for us was to lose many times to wake up these freshmen into following their coach better.

I think many of these freshmen have different personalities than what we are used to having. It seems like it is taking longer for Self to reach some of them. I never would have thought this way before the season started, but I think Selden is one of those guys that is slow to catch on to Self. But... I think he tries real hard, maybe too hard, so his efforts look slow because he is thinking way too much while being on the floor. We've seen tiny glimpses of his potential... and imagine what difference it will make to this team to have him playing well!! Go, Wayne!

These guys all need to loosen up out there and be confident and motivated. If we were the same team that beat Duke a while back that in itself would be good enough to beat 99% of our competition... that was before they were coached up. But back then they brought in plenty of mojo from HS. They need to get back to being loose, confident and motivated! Bring back the mojo, fellas!

We can help them most by staying positive and focus on positive ways to show them how to improve.

Every couple of days another color to a side gets solved and we come closer to finishing the Rubik's cube.... and if we get stuck we can always call Kevin Young to help us solve the next step! Mr. Rubik's Cube!

@Hawk8086 - Don't you think the first thing these kids need to understand to "get it" is that Self is screaming at them for their own good?

After understanding that, players tend to learn much faster and build confidence. It seems like we haven't got past lesson #1.

After that, players should play less in fear about being screamed at because they start understand that screaming is part of "tough love."

Having played for both types of coaches, I think it is hard to respect and understand one without playing for both. Clearly, they both have paths to winning.

In many ways I like and prefer the Wooden way... but I have a natural inclination to go towards Knight. I grew up in the Midwest and I think our overall lifestyle fits more into the Knight category. I know the parenting I received as a kid was totally Knight-style!

Right on, HEM!

I know a lot of people in here don't have the respect for Wooden that I have.... The Sam Gilbert issue is kind of a lame duck attempt to lower the achievements of Wooden.

The Walton link I posted says plenty... mixing Walton and the Vietnam War made for one tough cocktail. I remember those years vividly. I will never be able to express the difficulty of winning college basketball championships in Southern California during those years. Nowhere in the country were kids more rebellious and Walton (as an example) was an expressive kid who beat to his own drum. He knew how to push Wooden's button. I heard he once showed up to practice in his pajamas. I remember watching Walton interviews back then and I really thought Wooden was crazy for taking him on. Sure, the Big Red Head was a monster in the post, but the sideshow was almost too much to handle! Imagine Coach Self showing up for practice and seeing one or more of his guys out there in their pajamas? The audio rap on Walton's website is a true taste of Walton and his relationship with Wooden. When I heard it I had an immediate flashback to early 70s.

It was a difficult time in US history, and college kids had a hard time focusing on education and any form of authoritarianism. It was easy to throw Wooden in with Nixon and the police. I think it all impacted Wooden and helped him realize his philosophical side (and connect it to basketball). Pretty hard to compare Kansas and Southern California during that time period. A big part of the "movement" was in Cal.

Okay, @jaybate ....

You are in for a treat!

http://www.billwalton.com/john-wooden ↗

Be prepared.... The Big Red Head wins the award as the Biggest, Greatest Dead Head of all times!

PS: Make sure you have your audio on so you can hear 10 minutes of Big Red blurbing on about Wooden. Priceless!

How could I forget... he started every year by showing his players how to put on their socks and shoes!

The last time I looked, we play Oklahoma on the road in two days!

@HighEliteMajor - valiant post, my friend! You wear your heart on your sleeve... and I'd be totally thrilled to find a guy like you to coach my kid!

That was a painful game to watch. I DVR all the games and typically watch them again, sometimes up to 6 times or so. I scratched that game from my DVR the second it was over. I didn't even do that after we lost the Michigan game last year.

At this moment, the team is lost. All of these guys are being shoved into manhood, and they aren't going into it without a fight! They don't seem to be embracing CS's philosophies yet. I'm just trying to back off of throwing out anger and blame, and holding onto some patience to see if they get it down the road.

I couldn't even identify what offense we were trying to run. Was that an attempt at Self's Hi/Lo? Motion offense? Dribble-drive? or... Run-and-Gun?! Since when do players dribble the ball over the half court line and just hoist up a gunned shot from 30 feet? And since when do they do it without CS calling a timeout and pulling them? That game was a complete meltdown!

I'm lifting my standards and going with the Wizard of Westwood. I'm raising my vision to a higher plateau. I'm not going to blast players for not meeting my expectations. They get from me the silent treatment on criticism and a loud voice of support in hopes they figure it out and find the mojo to match the high level of empathy given by the fans. It's the Wooden method. I'm not going to be a drag on them... constantly criticizing every move. They have no excuses, no crutches to fall back on, because all these kids have loads of talent and athleticism, and a positive fan base behind them. Our expectations are gone... so they'll have to decide for themselves what expectations should be out there.

They'll have to sort it out. We are all behind them! Go Hawks!

We have the faith that they'll figure it out between now and March!

Relieve them and yourself by letting go! Whatever happens will happen, but you'll stay focused on what you have to do, which is stay happy and healthy yourself. All the hard love we give them now is just holding them back. We have all been dumping all our expectations upon them and making it a tougher climb for them.

That doesn't mean we don't guide them. That doesn't mean we don't offer words of encouragement and direction. You have great insight into the game and your words are needed. Keep bringing it because you post from the heart! (and the mind!)

It is so easy to be a fan to a team that never loses. The best fans are there for the team when they fall on hard times.

This team can still lose 7 more games this season and pull a "Danny and the Miracles!"

The most we can do for them is support them with positivity and relentlessly show them a clear path to the goal! That's all we can do. They may figure it out or they may fail, but they will do it having the Jayhawk Nation getting their back!

We (me included) have kicked them plenty of times now in their backside. Let's see what happens when we hug them on their frontside, praise their positives, and show a positive way of helping them over their negatives.

I'm thinking these guys will react now and are ready to leave "boot camp!"

Rock Chalk.... Go KU!

@Crimsonorblue22 - before moving abroad 25 years ago I coached some kids in basketball. I now have a young son and am back on US soil, will probably coach him.

On January 23rd I have my all-time favorite coach visiting me for a few days. He was the best and taught Wooden-style basketball. He had a record of 10 years without a loss, but then, me and a few other rejects played for him and I think we dropped 8 games the first year! Years later I told him the lessons in life went both ways. We still laugh about it. We've been close friends for over 40 years now and he turned my entire life around in my teens. I went from police role to honor role, all because he mentored me.

I think I'm a bigger fan of Wooden-style coaching, but I had a nice run of success with a Knight-style coach, too. It seems that players all react differently. I'm not sure this year's team is reacting well to Bill Self's method. I don't think that says anything negative for Bill or his players... I just hope both sides get it figured out for everyone's benefit!

@VailHawk - I'm definitely not suggesting Bill Self doesn't care about his guys. It's just a different style of coaching, and the Knight-style clicks in big with players when they finally figure out that the coach cares immensely for them and has his guts poured out into trying to help them become successful. At that point, it's time to say the players really "get it!"

Bill Self cares about his guys... that's why Mario returns every year for his tourney... that's why so many players come back over summer.... that's why Sherron returns to try and get in shape... All those guys feel the love, but it is a kind of tough love.

I've been complaining for quite some time about the appearance of poor effort. I'm now convinced it is just the fact that all the guys are playing so tightly strung. They need to loosen up and then the reflexes will work better because they won't play so rigid and over-think everything. Everyone on the team seems to be trying to not mess up. You can't play that way, the game simply will not flow. Confidence is an issue, too.

If you have a chance, watch that Duke game again. We flowed like a team... we didn't have that look like there was an effort problem. You'll definitely notice a huge difference in their play. SDSU is a quality team, but so is Duke (especially on a neutral court and not in AFH).

Everyone in here knows me. I'm the first one to be critical about a player's performance.

This time, I'm not going to lay down blame on any players... and I'm not going to lay down blame for coaching either.

I will, however, point out general issues with this team.

I don't think anyone will disagree with the following:

1. This team lacks confidence.

2. This team plays with stiffness.

3. This team isn't having fun.

4. This team isn't executing.

5. This team lacks leadership.

6. This team seems to be going backwards.

7. This team has no identity.

I'm a college basketball junkie. I admit it. I DVR every Jayhawk game and I typically watch each game a minimum of 3 times... often 4 to 6 times. I've now watched the Duke game 6 times. I watched the Duke game 2 hours before watching our live game with SDSU. Sometimes bunching material together like that exposes several things. For the most part, this team has gone backwards.

Going backwards is not uncommon for teams. It seems like sometimes teams have to go backwards in order to fix some things that were not exposed while moving forwards, and later will be rewarded for having the patience and fortitude for investing in moving backwards.

All 7 of the points I made above... we've gone backwards in when comparing the SDSU game with the Duke game.

I guess the important question moving forward is, "will we right this ship?"

I think the right person to ask that question to is Coach Self.

I want to look at a couple of things here in this post and talk about coaching style, but I don't want to jump aboard the blame game and target any players or Coach Self.

All of us fans can only guess what happens in practice, in dorm rooms, on the team bus and every place and situation Jayhawk players are put in. We can only guess about that aspect, but we can see with our own eyes what happens on the basketball court, and the game shows us a lot more than hot and cold shooting or turnovers.

When I consider coaching styles, I draw a line, and at one end of the line I write the name "Bobby Knight" and at the other end of the line I write the name "John Wooden." Both of these guys are Hall of Fame coaches, and both deserve a lot of credit and respect for the accomplishments they helped create, not only for themselves, but also for the institutions they represented and for the hundreds of players they directly coached, and perhaps the millions of players they impacted indirectly.

Bobby Knight taught discipline. Bobby Knight taught accountability. Bobby Knight taught the game his way and players had to learn his way. Bobby Knight communicated with a loud voice and used confrontation as his teaching tool. Bobby Knight was a bundle of serious emotion. Bobby Knight's players feared him.

John Wooden taught respect. John Wooden taught empathy. John Wooden taught the principle of winning through whatever creative ways a team could find to win. John Wooden communicated with a soft voice and used harmony as his teaching tool. John Wooden was a bundle of philosophical principles. John Wooden's players loved him.

Where does Coach Self's style fit between these two greats? I think he clearly fits towards the Bobby Knight style. In recent years, Bill has even projected some of Bobby's violent behavior by damaging the scorer's table at the B12 Tournament.

I believe Coach Self's style of coaching works best with 4-yr players. His style mimics that of Marine Boot Camp, he even starts the year with something called, "Boot Camp." The Marine way is to tear down the soldier, and build them back as a Marine, and to do it together, as a team, under the motto "Semper Fidelis" or "Always Faithful"... starting within the ranks and on duty, and following a Marine through his entire life until death.

The Jayhawk team that showed up against Duke would have crushed SDSU at AFH. These players, this team, has been torn down since the Duke game. This team has fallen off the college basketball radar because it has reached it's low (hopefully).

The Bill Self strategy is the Bobby Knight strategy is the US Marine strategy. But will it work this time? Will these kids jump into being men and respond with optimism, energy and pride?

From the example of two different coaching styles, it is hard to guarantee one style will work and another one fail. I guess we'll decide that sometime in March or April, depending on the results of the basketball season.

I have my doubts of using a coaching style that can work well with 4-yr players and applying it to a team with several OADs and TADs. These players are a different breed than the typical 4-yr player. These players are the highest achievers coming into college basketball. Obviously, they had their own system that brought them to their status level before entering college. Is it right to tear all that down and start over for the sake of being forced into one coach's basketball philosophy? Can we expect positive results all within just one basketball season? We are only talking about a few months of basketball.

What would have happened after the Duke game had Coach Self taught the Wooden way? What if this team of individual overachievers had been fed a plate full of encouragement along with directional toppings on how to improve their games together as a team? What if we had made a list of all the gifts these guys brought with them, and then tried to find a strategy to use what they already have?

We'll never know that answer because that isn't what happened. We aren't watching games where players are being praised during games, claps from coaches, pats on rears... We are seeing "Bobby ball" and lots of screaming at players and players playing scared.

When you have a team that is mixed well with experienced and young 4-yr players, the young players can get in for a few minutes then pulled and tortured as a method to season them for future years. But when you have a team full of star freshmen and you use this style, you can pretty much count on a pile of losses and struggles for perhaps the entire season.

I don't think I have an easy solution for this team. They may still get it together and go HOT HOT HOT down the stretch (or not). The Bobby Knight way may still pay off and maybe even outperform the John Wooden way. We can only watch and then decide afterwards. I just feel comfortable in saying the suffering now is worse for this team and the fans because of it. We are a long ways backwards from being the team we were when playing Duke.

We seem to have a ways to go before completing the Crucible. Meanwhile... I think we should look for ways to stay positive and to encourage these players to improve and feel confidence again! I don't think we can keep criticizing this team in "tear down mode." When we toss around the blame game we are just helping keep these guys down. Every player on this team brought success with them to KU, that's how they landed a spot on this team.

The expectations are over. This is not going to be a perfect team in a perfect season. Let's all let it go and just look for some positive areas to focus on. It's the Wooden way, and it worked so well no coach or school will ever catch Wooden's golden years of coaching at UCLA. So from now on this team should loosen up and bring a smile back on their faces during games. We'll still be standing and clapping for them!

We can bring John Wooden's philosophy and spirit to our sidelines!

I know I'm doing my best to put my Wooden gameface on! It's time to look for positives and accentuate where our real opportunities are. I'm holding on to faith that Coach Self will find a way to have another successful season.

This team can go ahead and lose another 7 games... and then win another National Championship, and follow the path of "Danny and the Miracles!"

Rock Chalk and Semper Fi!

Bravo, @JayHawkFanToo !

I guess we should just focus on the tasty results... especially when applied with a side order of "sour" kraut!

;)

@HighEliteMajor - I'm sure calling just about all recruiting "distasteful" probably fits the bill. Recruiting mimics used car sales. But.. someone has to do it. It's a part of life. And there are quality used car salesmen (like Self) and guys you wouldn't leave your sister with alone for 5 seconds (shall I say Calipari?).

Might as well throw politics into this. When you put the word "Congressman" and "secretary" in the same sentence, what do you imagine the rest of the sentence says? (actually, in one particular case, if you put "President" and "intern" in the same sentence...)

Politics are probably the best comparison to basketball recruiting. Everyone knows the process is often distasteful, but no one believes their own politician or coach are involved in distasteful actions.

Now.... on to politicking: "Bill Self for President!"

@jaybate - Nice thread!

Who says Manning is just a big man coach? It doesn't look like we've missed a beat in the post without him. I'm not questioning his ability... I just wonder if we framed him right all of these years.

As a head coach, I doubt he has the time to spend with bigs to perfect their game now. Danny has to focus on the broader scope of coaching. However... he would certainly be the guy who could qualify an assistant coach needed to work with bigs.

I'm willing to give Danny all the leash he needs to become a great head coach. Many of the greats didn't start out kicking tail. Even though Danny played a big role at KU in coaching, I'm sure he is still a bit overwhelmed with managing his responsibilities as a head coach.

Will Danny become one of the greats in coaching? I have no idea, but I'm betting he can hold his own and he'll continue to improve Tulsa basketball.

Whether or not Danny lands some quality bigs... time will tell. He could use a break, and I bet it comes soon. Maybe an Oklahoma big kid who needs polishing. No OADs... a kid who is in for 5 years (including RS) and becomes the first example of what he can do with a big at Tulsa.

Tulsa isn't like the old Tulsa in basketball. They were better off in the Mo Valley than to now be in the C-USA. For a while it looked like C-USA would grow up and be respected with teams like UAB, Louisville, Depaul, Marquette, and Memphis. But today they seem to be lost in the college basketball world, especially after losing Memphis to the AAC last year. Who is left in that conference? UAB and Tulsa?

Danny needs to hang a few winning seasons then relocate to a school in a real conference.

@VailHawk - Hmmm... like Batman. Which one wears the cape?

@Crimsonorblue22 - I hear you on the whineyness of Marshall. You can only wonder how much cheese he must consume!

@JayHawkFanToo - I second that! The biggest rip call was that pick6 called back. Seemed like the flag didn't come out until the guy was in the end zone. That was the game right there....

Did you notice that Mauk QB for MU... over on the sidelines swallowing down 4 sets of pills? I'm sure it was just ginseng or vitamins... yeah... right! If I was working night shift at a convenience store and that dude (with his constricted, bloodshot pupils) entered my store, I'd slip down one hand on the sawed-off double-barrel 12-guage shotgun!

What does the NCAA rulebook say about players on the sidelines pumping down MDMA, Adderall and black beauties?

The quality of this thread is unreal! I'm in total awe and appreciation of all you guys! There are so many great posts in here it is hard to know where to start!

@HighEliteMajor - on our conversation about 4s and 5s. I hear you. And I've always been on the fence about whether I like two good sized 4s over having a 4 and a 5. I used to prefer two 4s, thinking we would have a better fastbreak team. But of recent, there are better 5s who can run the floor. What I've seen from Embiid... man... I'd take a million guys like him! He can run the floor, block shots, snag rebounds... and the best thing; he may end up having the best outlet passing off of rebounds the college game has ever seen!

What Self needs to focus on is taking advantage of his outlet passing! We may not develop all the TOs to help us run in the open court, but we can offset that by taking advantage of Embiid's awesome outlet passing! We need to have at least one of our perimeter guys taking off to our goal the second opposing teams shoot. Not maybe every time, but if we do it sometimes and we make points off of it, we then start freaking out our opponents and create problems for them running smooth offense because they have to think about us scoring off the rebound break!

@Crimsonorblue22 - I'm replying off of your comment about BMac crying after signing. That really touched me, too. It's impossible to not have a soft spot for BMac. He is a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy, and you can see that he's had a challenging life. I'll always pull for him... his game at the next level and his ability to manage the money he is earning. I hope he can handle the challenges it all poses to anyone, let alone a kid who had to come up through the ranks and earn every spot along the way. Stories like BMac are what attract me to college basketball... far more than the high-flying windmill dunks! I like the highlights, but I rarely catch ESPN because too much eye-candy spoils my attitude for the game.

Concerning your animosity towards Marshall at WSU... the best way to deal with it all is to play them. I'd also like to play Kentucky every year! It all just sucks us in to the game more!

I totally loved watching that OSU/Mizzou Cotton Bowl last night. I was screaming for OSU, and was digging that game because I hate Mizzou. It was an awesome game until that last interception. Then it was a race for me and the remote control to turn away from watching the Mizzou celebration!

Anyways... I'm sure we would drop one here and there to the Shockers... but we would also win 4, 5 or maybe 10 in between those loses! That's a good ratio of serious buzz to trade for the occasional let down! Bring on the Shockers! What if we were playing them instead of SDSU tomorrow? We could be the team that hands them their first loss! Wouldn't that give you a nice lift right before we start B12 basketball?!

Last... man.. I hope we land Turner! That guy has tremendous potential, is a solid person, and he's still growing! Could he be the next Ralph Sampson?

I agree, interesting post, @justanotherfan !

I think we all feel like it is the calm before the storm. College basketball doesn't exactly feel like it is on solid ground. We are all trying to catch our breath and adjust to recent changes; conference realignments, school media networks, network contracts, rules interpretations predicated by marketing interests, shoe companies dealing with schools and impacting in many ways through sponsorships at the college and pro level....

The one thing all of us can agree on: big money will decide the future direction of college basketball. Anyone arguing otherwise should have their head examined.

One correction to your post; the NCAA is NOT an amateur institution. The only amateur status is the title given to the athletes and is used to leverage power and control over their rights. In reality, the athletes are not amateurs... they are given valuable educational scholarships, room and board, and a monthly stipend. Nothing amateur about it, just call them what they are; "pros with a very-restricted pay cap." When considering the disparity of what money is generated from their activities, you can debate if it is a form of regulated slavery. I'm not trying to open up that can of worms here... but just stating that the topic is debatable.

Why we don't see even more direct commercialism with the NCAA? Because they know they've had an unfair advantage over college athletes, and that is going to end someday soon. Better legal representation is coming in every day for the athlete's side. Big money won't be able to stop the inevitable. Meanwhile, the NCAA is concerned about their public relations. They desire to mask the disparity between student-athlete, university and governing body. There is the place to use your word; veil!

@HighEliteMajor - I'm not sure I'd call this deal "slimy." First... the total details aren't known. There may be a connection with Merv (probably is), but we don't really know how that connection happened. Was it "brokered" by "Kool-Aid?" Wording is everything, and the way that reads there is a NCAA infraction committed because it infers Kool-Aid was paid. It could just as easily be that Kool-Aid conversed with Townsend, that it might help the deal to include Merv because Merv and Kevin were close friends. Recruiting is all about connecting the pieces, and those pieces are often friendships.

I think we like to label anything "slimy" when the details come later. We feel like we were left out in the cold and there wasn't transparency. There is never total transparency in recruiting, and never will.

Did Larry Brown make a package deal with Ed Manning to land Danny? Who knows... and who cares. The only factor that really matters is if NCAA rules were followed.

Going back to the Kevin-Merv connection.... there is no bad karma on that deal. Merv was given more of an opportunity than he probably deserved. His rep got lifted, and he should be making the most of it. In the least, he's getting a college education paid for. He is definitely not a victim in this, more like a beneficiary. The only hurt party was SDSU... and they missed on a recruit. They miss on plenty of recruits, and they get their fair share of recruiting victories, including victories over us.

I tend to believe the articles when it comes to mutual respect of these two coaches. Both are competitors, and don't like to lose to the other. Sometimes comments will be made, in the heat of the battle or after a loss. But in the end, both respect each other and are happy to continue a competitive relationship. The one thing about competition, it takes at least 2 sides for it to exist.

After saying all of this... if we lose to the Aztecs, I'll probably say something inappropriate about Fisher. Nothing fair about emotions, and emotional blurts! :)

@AsadZ - Hey, thanks for that post. I hadn't read that from Self. I know how he has basically thrown some of these guys out early. He did that with BMac, and BMac was probably less ready to go than JoJo will be by March.

I'm the guy that would like to see all these kids stay. But I've come to accept the early departures as the way it is. One in a million of these kids are ready for the NBA after just one year in college.