🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Right... there is huge difference between Ellis and Embiid. That's the kind of difference Self is looking for. But on offense, both have to earn their meal ticket in the low post, back to the basket.

And we should see a difference between the 2 and 3 (though, you are correct, sometimes we don't). The 2 should play tighter with the PG, to make sure he has a constant passing outlet. The 3 should have more roaming privileges... like setting up in the corners, working up the base line, anywhere in mid range...

I never liked our offense when the 2 and 3 were played like "left" and "right." It needs to work that ways sometimes in hi/lo, but to always setup on the perimeter, never moving from the perimeter, and just passing back and forth until the shot clock expires is not a way to run offense. I hope we never see that happen again!

@HighEliteMajor -

"Do you think the 4/5 distinction is of any importance? We won a national title in 2008 with two 4s starting ... Arthur and Jackson, and no real shot blocker?"

Sure... we had 6'11" Sasha Kahn, and 6'11" Cole Aldrich made his debut against North Carolina in the semis. I don't put too much into who starts... if it was Kahn or Jackson. But we had two players that fit the role of 5s.

Cole's debut: 8 pts, 7 rebs and 4 blocks in 16 minutes!

I'm totally guessing here... but I'm guessing Self always wants to keep a tree for the 5.

You are right... in our hi/lo offense the 4 and 5 are interchangeable. They are better described as "left" and "right." But on defense, Self wants a tree in there to help fix the problems created through running his sticky M2M defense. Someone has to clean up the mess... It is all by design. Withey was a gifted shot-blocker, but it was through Self's design of our defense that helped create record amounts of blocks. No way Withey had all those blocks playing for any other college coach.

That's all part of Self's design... and it should be sold to recruits that way. We should have Turner eating out of our hands.... just take him into the Jayhawk video room and maybe start with Cole... then go to Withey... then go to Embiid... How can any 5-star center say "no" to Self after that?

@jaybate - I remember flying into Vegas with my dad at night... while we were looking out the window at all the lights he said, "do you think they built all that off of winners?"

I think gambling is so big no one has an idea of how much capital is tied up in it. So much is behind the scenes... and some cultures gambling is far more popular than here in the US.... where the masses like to gamble on absolutely everything; sports, politics, royalty baby sex... everything.

I hope you are right, @Crimsonorblue22 .

I know the other guys get something because they chose Kansas. Just not sure about everything that surrounds Jayhawk basketball... How many of those guys were following Kansas basketball before signing? ...and for how long?

I know they all get how hardcore Kansas fans are... but do they understand where that comes from? I'd ask the same question to the players at Kentucky.

Turner is a 5 and Ellis and Alexander are 4s. If we lose Embiid, we'll have a spot for Turner probably starting. If we lose Embiid we need a legit 5 to come in and swat balls away.

From everything I've heard, Turner is waiting to see if Embiid goes. That means, he wants to come to Kansas if Embiid goes.

If everything goes right for Embiid, he's gone, but we can't say 100%. He could get hurt and stick around like B.Rush did. As a current projected #1 pick (possible) it makes no sense for him to stick it out another year at Kansas and put that desirability at risk.

If Turner comes... I think the guy sitting on the fence is Ellis. There is no way he can beat out Alexander to start at the 4. He'd become his backup. But the positive for Ellis is he may just get some minutes at the 3. From what we have seen from him this year, he still looks like a NBA 'tweener. Unless he can grow some Thomas Robinson-sized muscles between now and his draft day, he'll probably stay a 'tweener.

Perry did nail a 3 recently... wasn't that in the Toledo game? I'll be paying close attention to what spots on the floor he continues to shoot from. I think he is dreaming more about being a Marcus Morris kind of player at the next level.

A+ @nuleafjhawk !

I know Perry and Conner get it... since they are from Kansas. Not really sure what the other guys understand.

Facts #1 & 2: The State of Kansas is a basketball state! Kansas is a basketball school!

(I know... I might get some feedback from KSU football and KC Chiefs fans)

@Kip_McSmithers - Man.. I'd give YOU a 1,000 favs for posting that 'bama clip!

To think... Bama with TWO losses this year? What's next... ending apartheid in the South?

; )

@RockChalkinTexas .... I agree.. the MWC does need this win! It's tough as it is being a team in the Midwest, just imagine being West?! They are at such a disadvantage with TV scheduling, and so so far away from East coast sports media... since we are considered West by East coasters... imagine what West is? China?

@globaljaybird - good post!

Yeah... Tubbs didn't understand karma. Turning AFH into a celebration for OU basketball wasn't a good idea. I'll never forget their little dance and how they rubbed it in on teams. Not exactly respectful basketball etiquette.

Funny how some can't even wait to win the big prize before they start acting the fool! So many people just aren't cut out for greatness. Tubbs and Stewart were a couple from the Big 8 that had "L" stamped on their heads. Just a few mods to their behavior and I have little doubt both would have more to show for all the effort they put into basketball. But... that ain't my problem!

After the great pyramids were built, the kings asked, "what should we have them build next?"

It's a question that remained throughout time... when the Romans where asked, they responded with... "How about a place of combat? How about a sandy place to soak up the blood?" Hence, the term 'arena' was coined, and "civilization" has never been the same since!

So how will the shoe kings answer the question this time?

Jaybate?

"The Miracles" were all about developing a chip on their shoulders and they were not to be denied.... especially Manning.

I remember watching that championship game in the middle of the night, in Wiesbaden, Germany, on the AAFES military network. I kept a family up all night with my screaming "HE WILL NOT BE DENIED!" every time Manning scored.

He had 31 points and 18 rebounds in that final against a tough team with great post players and they knew Manning's game already. Knowing all that puts it into perspective of just how Manning was not going to be denied.

Where is that fire today? On this team?

Out of everyone on this team I like Embiid's passion most. If we can just build a chip on him to be the next Danny Manning in March... posting big stats... who knows? At least Embiid is so new to the game that he has no baggage to work through... he's a blank slate ready to be filled.

No way I give Manning all the credit for that NC... it took a team. But Manning was the guy who would not be denied, and when he wouldn't be denied, the rest jumped on board. It always takes one guy who decides he can't stand to lose another game. Who will it be on this team?

I think Turner comes to Lawrence, unless he wants to stay closer to home. We develop big men and Turner needs some development, especially with strength. We have several guys to show as examples of Hudy's work. And with Embiid potentially becoming the #1 pick over all the other talented players, it solidifies our position as a big man developer.

@jaybate - You mentioned Selden's issue with foot speed. Good point. I've noticed all year he seems to be a bit slow off that first step. Didn't know if he was just thinking too much or what, but as time goes by it appears he needs to still adjust to D1 speed. I find it completely unlikely he'll go OAD. He isn't even burning up the game at the D1 level. That kid needs to stay in school.

I'm bummed out about Cobbins going down for OSU. It tilts the scales in our favor, but I'd rather see us fight it out with both sides healthy. OSU will have to make some compensations for a loss like that. They do have what it takes to go all small.

@TheDrunkenJhawk - Wow... that's quite a list of post players we might have next year. If it does work out that we sign Turner and the list is what you posted I see it like Ellis, Alexander and Turner would be 3 rotating in for 2 positions, and the other 3 would pick up the scraps after that. With that much depth and diversity PT would often be determined by what match-ups work best against our opponents. Fun to think about having all those guys next year. It will help ease the blow of losing JoJo.

@HighEliteMajor - I'm glad you keep mentioning our low steal numbers. Keep doing it! Steal stats don't always tell the story if a defense is good. Sometimes bad defenses make up for a lot of their issues by having good anticipation and posting good steal numbers. Some outstanding defenses that play up real tight don't have so many steals because they are so good at denying the ball. Self said it best when he compared it to defensive backs in football and how they use deception.

But we aren't good in either area; tight, denial defense or "Grand Theft Auto" defense.

So what is the strategy moving forward? Do we take our best on-ball defender (Wiggins) and shift him over to guarding the worst players and focus him on anticipation to get steals? I don't believe Selden has a quick enough first step to do much, and I'm not certain Tharpe is the guy to do it, either. I'd almost say I like Greene as the guy to become the theftmaster. He's quick (fast first step), long arms, seems to be sneaky, and would love to take on any role that could help this team, but that means taking minutes away from Selden.

As Greene improves, there is going to be more pressure on Selden to earn all those minutes.

And where is AW3? I thought he was 100% now?

Personally, I don't think we can easily teach this team to create more steals. It is an organic process where several things have to happen together. First... we have ZERO pressure on the ball passer. Second... we don't have enough movement on defense to make that end of the court chaotic enough. Third... we don't have guys who know how to be deceptive with spacing and timing to encourage the pass and then anticipate it for the steal.

Another huge part of creating steals is having the ability to speed up opposing offenses. Heck... we are having problems making our own offense fast enough! That's the reason Self gives for playing 2 PGs! How are we going to speed up the other team's offense?!

I think I'd just forget about steals, and try to improve the defense around playing tight, denying passes, team defense, contesting shots and blocking out for rebounds. If we can learn to do that, it will help lift our steal stats some, too.

If we do want to put some energy into lifting our steal numbers we can work on a secondary plan... meaning... we separate Greene and Traylor... two guys with good speed and arm length... Traylor has already worked on the concept of being the energy guy. Make both of these guys "energy guys" by first having them watch video tape of Kevin Young. Young created plenty of steals because of his energy. High energy alone can create TOs. The fact that both Greene and Traylor are bench players, and one front court and one back court player, we can lull teams asleep with our starting rotation, making them feel comfortable to make any kind of pass... then we throw in these two to be disrupting forces, perhaps at the same time so we have front and back covered by theftmasters. They can work a bit on being deceptive and knowing floor positions that will help create more steals.

As I think of this more... maybe add Mason into the mix. Mason, Greene and Traylor. Maybe separate the 3 and see if they can create some synergy together. If they can, put the 3 in at the same time after our starting 5 has lulled teams asleep.

We could make a total blunder out of this by wasting too much practice time trying to make this team get more steals... meanwhile, we play poor fundamentals on defense and give up huge FG%s... The most I would focus on is having Traylor and Greene work on it apart.

The two guys with the most potential for steals are Wiggins and Embiid. Wiggins, because of his speed and arm length... but we need one guy who can learn to be a lock down defender, and Wiggins is the clear choice. Embiid has long arms, good anticipation and speed, and most important, he is so gifted with his feet, including a fast first step. I can easily see him lead this team in steals all year. Yes... it may reflect poorly on our perimeter players to get bet out for steal stats by a 5, but it also reflects on just how explosive Embiid is! I'll be surprised if he doesn't snag the #1 spot in the draft!

I admit I had a fantasy post... or is it?

Back in my day I would never have thought one day in the future I'd be watching the Tostitos Bowl!

The only thing I'm sure of is that big corporations will find more ways to weave in their interests into college sports.

I still have our guys in the COLD COLD COLD bracket. They didn't show enough improvement from the Toledo game to be reclassified.

I'm expecting the unexpected. I don't have a clue what Jayhawk team will show up. It could be the Duke game Jayhawk team or it could be the Florida game Jayhawk team.

I do expect Self to limit his bench play because he will try to get his top 7 or so to show moments of harmony. Obviously, that can be impacted by potential foul troubles or someone or some playing extremely poor ball.

Maybe Self should lie to all the players and tell them all their parents will be in attendance. Anything to get these guys to dive for a ball....

In past years, I never gave your posts on shoe company influences enough thought. I diverted all my attention to Xs and Os.

But this year, with Wiggins on board, and all the attention on his grand future, I've been pulled away from the play chart and forced to consider the heavy-handed business tactics of shoe companies.

Word on the street, distributed by sports media sources and spouted on every city court in America is that Andrew Wiggins will sign into a relationship with Adidas for the tune of $180m. If this deal becomes reality, it is (by far) the largest bag of bills ever given an athlete just to say, "hey, I like their stuff!"

The financial disparity created through a deal of this magnitude between the lunchtime YMCA ball player and Andrew Wiggins can not be easily comprehended. Perhaps it is best compared through historic eyes, say, feudal Europe. This created disparity (growing even higher with the addition of his team salary and other endorsements) could challenge the disparity of the House of Bourbon and the peasants of Navarre, and eventually, the entire country of France.

The comparison gives credence to the statement, "I'd trade a shoe for a kingdom."

Kansas has become the segway for the kings of basketball to connect with their regal sponsors. Word on the street now: "Kansas pays top dollar!"

So to tie this into your post... the future elite schools in basketball must have a sponsor. Not just any sponsor, but a sponsor who will make these schools the front line for bidding battles to possess future roundball royalty.

It appears that Adidas is raising the stakes. So for the time being, Kansas will benefit hugely from their commitment.

The tournament of tournaments may end up being the Champions Classic. The idea is to bring four teams (and their sponsors) into a single-elimination tournament where shoe companies can battle it out. That's my prediction.

As much as we all covet March Madness, it has too many variables to call it stable for the shoe companies to pay top dollar and expect a winner. Too many teams, not enough dollars to go around when it comes to the elite bidding battles. Shoe companies can't fight this battle with a rifle, they have to fight it with a shotgun. Money is spread wide, but the prizes are limited to a flash in time moment. Shoe companies are investing in franchise players and programs. Players and programs they think can impact the market for a decade or so.

Someday soon, there will have to be restructuring. My guess... March Madness continues as scheduled... except the four elite schools will not participate. The elite schools will hold their own 4-team tourney directly following March Madness. This is the only way to guarantee one of the über-sponsored schools wins an elite title every year, so all the marketing money in the world can be dumped into this blue blood event! Obviously, this will have to be endorsed by the NCAA. Doesn't seem possible or realistic until you imagine what kind of "grant money" might be thrown in the pot by four shoe companies. It seems that there must be four elite shoe companies to make this work. My guess (in order): Nike, Air Jordan, Adidas, Reebok or Under Armour.

The entire scheme cements the futures of the elite shoe companies and the elite schools, while ruining college basketball in the process. Money rules.

Lines are being drawn in the sand now. Our future will be.... The Adidas Jayhawks!

More than anything... I hope this young team all got together on New Year's Day and made a resolution to buckle down on defense.

I apologize for wasting bandwidth on the obvious. I'm not posting this for all you fans. You already know my redundant educational posts. But our team doesn't seem to get it yet. So I'm posting it in hopes that it is one more source of info for these guys to consider and perhaps act upon it.

Here is my remedy for fixing our defensive woes:

1. Do a better job scouting - Everyone knows that Travis Releford was perhaps the best lockdown defender in the Bill Self era. How did he do it? What most people don't know is the amount of time and dedication Travis committed to the video room. Travis spent hours upon hours scouting teams and players he knew he would face in coming weeks. Travis became familiar with the tendencies of every player he faced. Knowing those tendencies allowed Travis the luxury of playing his man tighter and also giving him insight on how to hedge against his opponents' tendencies. Proper scouting will not only help players play better defense, it also helps them prevent unnecessary fouling. Just knowing how opposing players use head and shoulder fakes, ball fakes and other moves will typically prevent several fouls during a game.

2. Taking personal responsibility - Players need to be held accountable for stopping their man. Team defense is crucial, but you can't always expect weak side help to prevent players from scoring. The most-aggressive defensive front line is directly on the ball, and directly away from the ball to deny the pass. By reducing the times opposing players blow by our guys or get an easy feed in scoring position, our team defense isn't pushed to the limits, which usually means there are less scoring opportunities created by our opponents. The purpose of running an offense is to break down defenses, force weak side help, and create scoring holes or seams in the defense so scoring opportunities are exposed. It all starts when a defender can't manage who he is guarding... can't keep up with a drive... can't fight through a screen quick enough... can't disrupt the passing lanes... Every defender is on their own personal front line, responsible for preventing the chain reaction breakdown of the defense.

3. Helping a helper's helper - Team defense is about bringing help when individuals breakdown. Team defense is responsible for closing down driving and passing lane openings exposed by opponents executing their offense, or attacking a shooter on his shot. Team defense also needs to be proactive; hedging around ball screens to prevent their effectiveness and even creating an opportunity to pinch ball handlers. Team defense is responsible for creating most TOs by anticipating passes and getting to the ball first, or doubling up and pinching the ball to force a TO.

4. Hustle, hustle, hustle - No defensive strategy will work without hustle. And it only takes one guy not hustling to create continuous opportunities for the offense. Almost any defensive strategy will work if all players hustle. We can be effective running M2M or about any kind of zone, if we just keep our motors in drive. Playing with more energy than our opponents also is a key psychological factor; energy brings momentum, energy brings confidence, energy brings opportunities! Hustle means going after loose balls, going after balls that could be loose, playing defense with hands up, moving feet at all times to fight for better floor position and to make opposing offenses feel like they're playing aboard a ship in a storm.

5. Better communication during play - Guys need to call out blind screens, need to call out for help, need to direct each other, need to take control. Everyone has to holler out so the defense can execute together, as one.

6. Block out for rebounds - If we don't block out for rebounds, we give up too many second-chance points. Second-chance points kill defensive momentum and build opposing team's offensive momentum. Playing great defense to force up a bad shot is half the victory, but the entire victory on that position doesn't occur until we gain possession of the ball. Giving up points after playing tough defense for most of the shot clock can take a toll on the esteem of a defense.

7. Learn for 40 minutes - Opposing teams are going to score sometimes. Take mental notes. How are they getting most of their points? Who is scoring? How is he scoring? How can we stop him from doing it again? Stay focused on what has happened the entire game. Sometimes it takes 39 minutes to figure out how to stop someone, and figuring it out in the last minute is the difference between an "L" and a "W"....

8. Create a shot-blocking monster - Embiid is the man. His ability to affect and block shots is improving game-to-game. As he learns to foul less, he's able to stay in games longer and have a bigger impact on the game. I have little doubt he'll get there soon; to become the next Withey! His ability to clog the middle will help our entire defense because reducing inside scoring eliminates what should be the easiest scoring option for our opponents.

We are just over a third of the way through our season and we really need the light bulb to go on in this entire team's head.

We don't need through-the-legs highlight dunks now. We just need guys to execute the basics. Every player on this team is capable of playing good defense. Defense is less about talent and more about attitude! Have the desire and go execute!

You knocked another one out of the park, Coach HEM!

I've been hunched over, choking in my spit bucket feeling paralyzed on what to think next of this team. I had all but written off this team and proclaimed them the worst defensive team in the Self era.

I didn't change my underwear since the Toledo game... and I wasn't even wearing a pair of those high-tech undies from Jaybate.

I was frozen in a state of self-loathing.

I was frozen in a state of ice and snow.

I couldn't even reach for one of my tasty Belgian craft beers.

Someone had to break the ice. Someone had to kick start the propane jet space heaters.

That someone was you!

The next time I give Perry a tongue-lashing for falling asleep on defense, please remind me that everything is going to be alright. Perry, the designer, will redesign his defense before March.

Wiggins will figure out something besides a spin move and will create the first slamdunk performed with his feet.

Tharpe will gain some confidence and start locking down on defense and protect the rock on offense while maintaining his new 20-pt scoring average.

Embiid will still just keep being Embiid, improving exponentially by the second.

Selden will become confident and earn his nickname "John Wayne." He'll earn a star on the boardwalk for his heroic performances in March.

Greene will become white hot... burn the nets and melt the backboard. He'll have to shoot wearing oven mitts.

AW3 will complete his Houdini trick and will reappear by March, showing us another trick or two by attaching an invisible string to the ball and pass it through the rim repeatedly... racking up points like a pinball machine.

Mason will start wearing rubber protective wear and will bounce off opponents into the nets while singing "Rubber Band Man."

I'm now restored to positivity again!

In lighter news:

The campus of the University of Missouri was permanently closed today after seismic activity from last week opened up a crack in the earth, running through the campus and raising the radiation level in the area far above safe human levels. Scientists believe the campus will have to remain closed for 72-million years before it is safe for humans to enter the area.

Meanwhile, university officials have setup a makeshift satellite campus just outside of Columbia, at a dilapidated mobile home park. University spokesperson Mary Jo Snaggletooth commented, "everthang gonna be alrite. This will make life easier fur students, they jest have to step out of their homes to attend classes."

@bskeet - right on! Love the Rock Chalk shirt!

My philosophy was always... "if I'm not going to score, I'm not going to let them score... so no one scores!"

Think about that for a second. Maybe it gets harder to play good defense when you are constantly scoring on offense. You keep scoring and you get some kind of affirmation that you are playing well.

The only way I could affirm playing well was to make it happen on defense.

You may have nailed it, @approxinfinity ... yin and yang. When one is black, the other is white.

My question is... when these guys are having an off-night on offense, shouldn't they be working that much harder on defense to make up for it?

Fascinating questions, @approxinfinity ! Maybe a psychologist is needed to answer that one. Maybe you need to have some personal traits where you like to "rain on someone's parade."

I was a defensive-minded player. I loved to challenge players, and to me, nothing spelled out dominance more than rejecting someone else's shot. Also... I was never really a skilled offensive player. So all my time went in on defense and owning the glass. If I hung 10 pts in a game, it was an exceptional scoring night. I'm from a different era... and guys like me don't exist anymore. Probably for the best... especially if you want a big fan following. Fans like scoring... offense... windmill slams...

I'm a big Self fan because of his desire for defense. I love the grind games... when they are grinds because of good defense.

I like to watch women's bball sometimes because women learn how to block out on the boards. I don't know why men (in D1) have such a hard time learning that skill. It doesn't even seem like a skill... just a reflex and execution.

Interesting... @approxinfinity ... I don't think I'd use descriptions like "honest" or "dishonest"... "sneaky" works better. I sneak up on my kid, catch him off guard. I'm not dishonest with him... but I may snag something out of his hands because I sneak up on him.

All of these heralded HS players coming in have earned their big reps on the offensive side of the ball. When was the last time you read:

"5-star All-American SG Joe Blow, averaging 5.7 PPG, 40.8FG%, 61FT%, 9.4 SPG, 4.3 BPG...."

That's SPG (Steals Per Game) and BPG (Blocks Per Game).

JHS and HS players put all their individual work in on offense, largely because of what I said above. And let's face it... when practicing alone you can't really practice much defense. Defensive skills come in during team practices.

CS contradicts himself by being characterized as a "defensive-minded coach" but recruits mostly "offensive-minded players."

There aren't many HS players out there that mostly focus their energy on defense. I'm sure they must exist... just nowhere on a "Top 1000 list!"

I grew up playing on city courts. There was always some big, thick kid who would holler out, "come on, bring that s#it to me!" Those guys never made it to D1 and a free ride through college.

I think coaches feel like it is easier to coach up a kid on the defensive side of the ball than to teach them offensive skills... so they go after offense-capable recruits. There are exceptions. Withey comes to mind! I'm pretty sure if he had a bit more strength and athleticism, he'd earn some decent PT in the NBA, even if he just guarded the lane like he did in D1...

Withey would have sat on the bench at Arizona for his 4 years had he not transferred...

On January 1, 2014, the Jayhawk Nation has approved a declaration of war on slothfulness for all who wear the Jayhawk uniform.

"As Commander in Chief of the men who wear crimson and blue, I have directed that all measures be taken for the strength of our defense..."

@Crimsonorblue22 - interesting angle you posted. Can anticipation be taught?

I'm not certain. But don't these guys all have other areas of the game where they anticipate well? Like... on offense? Seems you have to have some level of anticipation to score on someone guarding you.

I'm not even certain you can teach guys to keep their hands up. It seems logical that anyone can learn to keep their hands up, but keeping hands up consumes energy, and when players tire they naturally look for ways to conserve energy. I
have a bit of experience in boxing, too... A big part of boxing is keeping hands up for 3 minute rounds. How many boxers do it? How many boxers keep their hands up after... say... 5 rounds? It is harder than it looks.

I think you need to be a good poker player to be a good steal-master on defense. You have to bluff the guy with the rock into thinking you are giving him an easy pass to another player near you. Then... you have to have a feel for when the pass is coming and anticipate it. You don't want to risk too much... like giving up an easy basket because you missed a steal and committed to it.

That's one of the reasons I like Greene. He's a sneaky guy. He's a guy who can learn all of this and start snagging several steals. I can feel it. The guy could be a good poker player! Just my opinion...

"The bigger picture is that Self's teams have a history of tightening up, more than others, in the big dance."

I think you made a great point here... and it should be formalized into a new thread so everyone can input their 2-cents on the subject.

A+ @Hawk8086 !

Hey @melrank ... Welcome aboard! It will be great to have your input here!

Interesting that you bring Brady up right now.

It's hard to say... but Brady might help this team win more games right now than Wiggins. Brady was a glue guy and a guy who knew how to feed the post well.

Brady had one glaring problem with his game; it lacked "entertainment value." He didn't have the behind-the-back, between-the-legs, windmill slamdunks that fans pay big bucks to watch. I wrote a debatable piece on "entertainment" a while back in here... you should give it a read. In my opinion, it is a big part of the equation why Brady bounced around in D-league and Wiggins will sign a $180m shoe contract soon. I'm not discounting Wiggins talent, but it is hard to explain KU starters with such a commercial discrepancy.

Most fans watching the game today are addicted to the ESPN highlights more than the game itself. Cudos to iowajayhawk for nailing me on not mentioning that point in my original post.

I'm not trying to start a "Brady blog" here... just pointing out it would be interesting to see him available to play with this team right now. They seem to lack a lot of what Brady had to offer.

I think everyone on this team better start d'ing up or any of them can get pulled by a bench player who is scrapping more on defense.

Self is looking for defense, and he's willing to give up some offense to get it.

This is the time of year Self tries to iron out his defense. When that occurs he starts injecting more in the offense. This team has become his biggest defensive challenge ever at Kansas. They will improve soon... but will it be only because Embiid turns into a blocking machine, or will others step up and meet the Pepsi challenge?

Personally... I don't have a clue what will happen. I haven't seen any signs that most of these players are starting to understand how to d or put the energy into to execute. The only player on a soaring rocket upwards is Embiid....

Is there a diaper version?

You, too, Coach HEM!

To everyone in here, Have a rippin' good time tonight!

Be safe, and we'll all make it to other side!

Happy New Year!

@HighEliteMajor - I watch Greene, too. And he does okay, but he isn't creating TOs or doing anything exceptional on d... but then, neither are the guys ahead of him. I just think the rotation is sticking this way until someone stands out on d.

I like Greene, too, and can see your point.

I don't think it is anything any of us are seeing... more... what we aren't seeing.

If Greene reads this stuff online I'd tell him one thing... next time you get put in, make it memorable. Find an opportunity to go sliding for a ball, even if it isn't completely a 50/50 ball. Just do it, and keep going after them. You'll stay on the court, even if you rush a shot or throw a TO.

I hope he does it because I'd like to see him playing more, too!

Everything we need to know was in that press conference last night. Self is looking for defense.

Imagine what this team would be if Kevin Young was still around? Mr. Hustle, showing the puppies how to get after it!

The last day of the year and Self is chewing some fat, you can bet on that... too bad, because the fat belongs in the black-eyed peas!

You are right @MoonwalkMafia ... only Embiid and Wiggins are playing a bit of d right now.

If Greene had a bigger role in the rotation, he would be holding on to his minutes. If he was starting, he would continue to start. But he isn't going to earn more minutes (on a regular basis) without earning them through his d.

Self's coaching philosophy is built around d. He always tries to promote through defensive efforts. His feeling is that if he promotes based on offense alone, he'll be sending a message to the players to only focus on offense... most players will only focus on offense when given a choice.

I know what Bill Self is hoping for right after the New Year.... he's hoping for a grind game with SDSU where both teams score in the 50s and we win by controlling the game for most of it, and we finish strong. It's more like a fantasy dream because it probably won't happen.

My opinion on why Greene isn't getting more minutes...

Because Self wants his bench to earn more minutes by hustling on defense. If Greene wants to get into the rotation, he's got to man up on d. No one is getting a promotion unless they bring d. It is the main reason why Embiid won his starting spot.

I guarantee one thing right now.... if anyone on this team has the fortitude to get out there and play some strong d, that guy will earn minutes. If Nico or Justin... anyone steps up on d, they earn PT right now because the only d we are seeing right now is some team d by Embiid and some decent man-on-man by Wiggins (and only sometimes). No one else has a clue what they are doing on defense. I really haven't seen this bad of Kansas defensive play since way back in a few of the Ted Owens' years, when we were in a recruiting slump.

@MoonwalkMafia - I totally agree on your comments about the rule tightening and inconsistent officiating. I knew this would happen. By tightening down on the calls all they did was open up a bigger window of variance on how games can be called. You can expect this to get worse as the year progresses when the real stakes come into play. Expect March Madness to be a big mess. All the NCAA should have done was tighten down on a few areas of the game that would not only help the flow of the game, but sometimes protect players better. One thing... they should have gone after the floppers with a vengeance. That would have helped open up the driving lanes and would create more points and exciting basketball again.

I liked how Dave Armstrong commented about the G'town game and how ludicrous it was that the foul on Perry was not considered flagrant. If we know the refs won't call that foul, KU should bring me on as a walk-on and I will enter the game and consequently remove our opponent's starting 5 from each game... one by one. I'm sure I can make it look like I'm going for the ball when I crush all those skulls.

Back to the Toledo game... Self is frustrated. I caught the press conference and he was pissed off, and should be. Most of the players on this team aren't getting it yet. They aren't being personally responsible to shut down their man, and they also aren't participating in team defense. They just seem to think they can outscore every team by pushing hard on offense. Ain't gonna happen. This team may end up frustrating Self more than any other team because they just won't buckle down on d.

Last night was frustrating for fans, too. At times, we watched KU pulling away, and then letting off on the throttle on d, giving up totally uncontested 3s, and then in the second half plenty of second-chance points.

We should have plowed Toledo, and any other Bill Self team would have done it... except this one.

I hope they get it figured out more in the coming weeks, because we don't want to drop several games in the B12 in January...

It is a gigantic mistake to give Perry a bunch of hero credit for this game. His defense was downright horrid... if he doesn't start stepping up on defense he will be considered the worst starting post defender Self has ever had at KU. Perry better start thinking about the next level. The NBA may not always play great defense, but no team is looking for a post player with no defense. I hate to be hard on Perry like this because he's been one of my favs since junior high... but the kid isn't playing sound defense.

Tonight's results:

70% Growing Pains
30% Modest Gains

First, the pains... defense defense defense (lack of). I don't know if we will ever be able to take this team seriously. Since when do we see mid-majors come into AFH and hang over 80 points? I'd give some defensive credit to Embiid and Wiggins. Everyone else needs to run all night until they need Jaybate's trash cans.

Other pain... a few dumb TOs, especially in the beginning. Fortunately, we settled down (for the most part).

Next, the gains... Tharpe stepped up. He had a few dumb TOs, but otherwise he ran the show. Thank goodness he punched down 20, because if he didn't we would have lost our 67 game streak. The idea coming from KUSports.. that Tharpe doesn't need to score is absolutely ludicrous. If you ever think a team can count on only 4 guys generating all the points every single time out on the floor, you can forget a deep run in March. Even PGs have to be a threat to score or your offense is playing 4 on 5.

Embiid continues to show more every game. It was good to see Perry putting out effort on offense and boards (though his d is lacking). Same for Wiggins. He still doesn't know enough on how to score, but he took it hard to the hole several times.

Our offense is showing modest improvements. We can expect a lot more over the next couple of weeks.

But seriously... if this team doesn't start playing defense we can forget B12 #10 and a deep run in March! To put in perspective, this Toledo team would have hung no more than mid-60s on last year's team. I'm sure of that.

Self should lock these guys up in the film room for 24 hours and make them watch all the Shocker games this year. We didn't get a single floor burn this game.

Coach HEM nailed it with his stats on steals. Pathetic.

Caught this tiny blurp in the KUSports post on Toledo...

"Toledo is tied for seventh nationally in scoring at 86.4 ppg. ... "

After catching that stat, I decided it was best to do a bit of scouting on Toledo to determine just how big a threat they may be to our 67 consecutive-win non-conf streak at home.

If we come out with energy and determination, this game may be one of our more entertaining games we play all year. There are several variables in this game that could red flag this game as a train wreck for Toledo.

1. The average attendance per game for Toledo through their first 12 games is 3102. They appear to typically not sell out for home games, even with so few seats. They may not be in awe of our Jayhawk team, but expect them to be in awe of AFH!

2. They are hanging up 86.4 PPG, and they are doing it mostly through their offense and not so much off of defensive TOs. They must be pushing tempo to score so highly, and KU tends to play well against teams that push the ball, especially in AFH. Also, Toledo must not have faced any tough defense if they can average so many points.

3. Toledo lacks a super big. Sometimes that has spelled trouble for our Jayhawks, but that was before Embiid figured out how to score. As long as we don't lose the fouling battle, we should dominate the post, and looking back at our last two games, it appears that we finally figured out our need to run our offense through the post.

4. Toledo may be hanging 86.4 PPG, but they are also giving up 73.2 PPG, and that's against soft teams. The Rockets have given up a 45.8FG% through 12 games. Not too bad but not showing overwhelming defense, especially when looking at their SOS. Their strategy to just outscore opponents may totally backfire in AFH.

On paper, Toledo looks to be one of those typical mid-majors we have trouble beating. What they lack in size they make up for in hustle. You can bet this Rocket team will go hard for loose balls, and will be a good test for us to know if we can match their tenacity going for 50/50 balls.

This should be a perfect test for us at the right time of year... just before we enter B12 play. Are we prepared to take on some floor burns?

The Rockets average an impressive 16.4 APG, but scoring that many points, it must not come through something like a Princeton offense, it must come from offense scoring quickly in the shot clock. Might that say less about the Rockets' offense and more about the defenses they have played against? Do they have the patience to work through a shot clock to the final seconds and then execute?

We may own the top spot on SOS this year, and it shows in the fact that we have dropped 3 games already... so we should have something to prove, even if this game doesn't carry much importance. The chip should be on our shoulders to take every opponent serious, especially if they come in with a 12-0 record.

If Embiid can stay out of foul trouble, I'll be surprised if he isn't the man carrying this team tonight (or at least, one of them).

At some point soon, Wiggins is going to light'em up, big time. He's about to figure out how to work his game within the Self hi/lo (as long as our bigs start looking to feed him from the post). Could this be the game Wiggins lights it up for 30?

I'm ready to experience this team going out and mashing someone. It's about time these guys made a statement. When a team like Toledo comes into AFH and isn't in awe of our Jayhawks, they better be prepared to absorb our best shot on our home court.

It's time to knock the Rockets down, and when they are down, we need to unleash a relentless flurry of blows to let the rest of the world know what to expect from this 8-3 team from here on out.

We need to remove hope and confidence from our opponents and leave them with fear. It's hard to win when playing through fear.

It's a tough call. I like to see kids stay in school, but when reading stories like McGary, it makes me wonder.

I'd feel a lot better if the NBA would require these kids to have financial advisers, and these advisers had to be certified by the league and were under constant scrutiny. I hate to add rules and regs to most things but these kids are not ready to handle the responsibilities associates with the kind of money they are paid in the league.

My guess... we show a bit of both. We still need a lot of practice to eliminate most of the rough spots, but this team is so talented that making modest gains in practice will translate into a substantial difference in this outcome.

Toledo may be leaving Lawrence after the game saying, "Holy Toledo!"

The guys are back from Christmas and they have nothing to do except practice Jayhawk basketball.

This is the real developmental period for college basketball players and teams.

But we've got a long ways to go and this team has only run through a few practices since stuffing themselves with turkey.

Around this time of year, it is hard to guess what to expect in games.

So what's your guess as to how we'll play against Toledo: showing growing pains or monumental gains?

I will finally except the fact that Missouri fans are the very lowest branch of the human species tree.

(NOTE: AVEC MALICE DES TIGRES)

The last couple of games have been fun to watch, and those games give me confidence in Tharpe again. Hopefully, we won't ever return to playing like we did in Florida.

I'm thinking all of the Christmas break practices will show these guys how to play together.

I'm still optimistic we are going to land B12 #10!

I'm with you guys.. Greene is a must-keep! I can see the connection to B.Rush. I just think Greene will end up with a higher basketball IQ. I see some sneaky stuff in this guy, and it will come out eventually. I mean that as a positive. Like, maybe (eventually) he'll throw sneaky passes like Larry Bird. I just sense "sneaky."

I agree, HEM... if the wing is in the position you state. I just know we often shift our 3 into the corner. Wiggins has been there several times, and we often put BMac in the corner. But from the angle you mention, it's a perfect shot into the post!

Maybe we should try to work our 3s less in the corners.

Brady definitely knew how to feed the post!

It can be a risky pass from the 3 to the 4 or 5 if your 3 is close to the baseline. The angle on the post defender shrinks because they can hedge better on the incoming pass. Also, 3s often get pinched by the defense when positioned near the corners. It's definitely a tougher pass into the post from the corners.

Most of our post feeds should generate from the 1 and 2... and it does (when looking at Jesse's graphs).

I don't know that now is the right time to question Self on whether or not he really wants to feed the post. The stats are from all our games this year, most of which involved a disjointed offense.

I think we can ask this question as we move forward, because after the long Christmas break involving all that practice, we will see what this team emphasizes after being tuned.

The last couple of games definitely involved feeding the post more. Part of that is related to the increased effectiveness of Embiid and Black. Are they more effective now or is it just the product of receiving more and better timed passes in the post?

From the type of offense we run... there are not so many ways to get Wiggins more involved. One of those ways is to feed the post early in the possession, and by doing so it disrupts the defense and creates shifting that can expose gaps, holes and open perimeter spaces... Wiggins needs to see the defensive shifts and react to the opportunities they present. Then our post players have to maintain one eye on the basket (and other post player) and one eye on our perimeter players. Once the ball arrives in the post, someone, somewhere, is open (or the post player is).

What we need to avoid is a stagnant offense where our 3 perimeter players spread across the 3-pt line and just throw the ball back and forth until the shot clock burns down to nothing. We have to attack. It is crucial that our big men put out enough energy to create opportunities for themselves to receive the ball. That is absolutely crucial. Our perimeter players are trained to not let the ball stick. So if a wing receives the ball and we don't have an open post player, the ball feeds back to the PG immediately to prevent the ball from sticking.

Our bigs have to have their mindset shift to the concept that they will (for sure) receive the pass into the post quickly in the shot clock. They have to learn timing.. so their motions are choreographed with the movement of the ball on the perimeter. When everything is in sync our hi/lo is a thing of beauty! ...and it must be one of the most-effective offenses in D1.

We witnessed how good it can be when we faced Georgetown, and we exploited the slow feet of Josh Smith. Problem is.. we won't face many post defenders this year as slow as him. But there is no reason why we can't dominate quicker defenders if our bigs just work a little harder.

I think Perry needs to spend a little less time working on what he does after he gets the ball (something he is extremely polished in now) and get to work on developing his position quicker in the post to help allow the ball to come in. His game is finesse, but he is capable of playing stronger ball if he sets his mind to it. It's more the size of the fight in the dog, then the size of the dog in the fight. I'm starting to think Perry wants to be a 3 more than a 4, but that requires a completely different skill set. I thought with the addition of muscle he added over summer he would be less of a tweener and more of a 4.

Excellent reads from the @Jesse_Newell and @jaybate posts on cjonline.com!

I was reading down the page, and before I reached Jaybate's words about us tiring other team's out, that was already percolating in my head, because random luck is easy to attribute to one or two games, but as the sample size grows, a pattern starts to appear.

I'm looking for a pattern, and I think I may have one.

Look at Jesse's graphic showing the last 10 years of Jayhawk stats on opponent FT%.

I'm trying to piece together every team we had over the past 10 years... but it seems like there could be a relationship with the depth of our teams and our opponent's FT%. I could be wrong, but it makes sense that the more depth we have, the more we substitute and displace PT over more players. In doing so, this impacts the freshness of our players, and that should have a reverse impact on our opponent's freshness. This is all about our opponents' energy level when they step to the line.

I believe another factor may be our M2M defense, and comparison to how many other D1 teams are running M2M. It feels like we are the anomaly this year because of the rules calling closer. Teams are playing more zone, not just with us, but with everyone. There are not so many coaches in America that are married to a M2M. I wonder... I wonder if our stat on being 6th nationally will even improve as the season progresses! I wonder... if it will be connected to how close games are called and how often our opposition runs into M2M? If refs (collectively) start allowing more contact, perhaps more teams will play M2M and we are no longer the anomaly. Teams get used to facing M2M, so they maintain a higher energy level during games. But if we remain the anomaly, teams aren't used to facing M2M, and so it will tire them quicker than usual.

One more factor helping to tire our opponents this year; media hype. We've received so much hype, mostly based around Wiggins, that every team we play this year receives so much extra hype before we play. It's just more chaos they have to deal with, more sleep they lose, and more energy they have to spend before the game ever starts. We get the "best shot" out of everyone we face this year, and that means they are super jacked up to play. That may mean they play inspired basketball, but at what eventual cost to their energy level?

I do believe this all relates to teams being tired.

So how can we exploit this moving forward?

Strategy for beating "tired" teams should be broken down into different time zones:

1. Season - it seems that some teams get stronger through the year, while other teams tire as the season progresses. Maybe I'm being too broad here, and should say 'players' instead of 'teams' so when we scout future opponents we should study each player's "estimated energy level." We put more-aggressive defense on the "tired" players (who may be more-likely for TOs, too). If we foul them, we foul them, and we watch them brick FTs. Most players bricking FTs accept it as a slump for the game, and either get anxious or reduce their shooting. It's a kind of "mental jinx."

2. Game - we should have plenty of substitutions during a game, and we should push tempo. By doing so, we take full advantage of all that depth we have. Run plenty of on and off ball screens. Normally, you don't want to foul teams a lot in the second half, and I'm still not going to advise it now, but if we are considering a strategy based on opponent's being tired, I'd say we should definitely avoid fouling them in the first half! There are two big reasons why we shouldn't foul in the first half; first, our opponents have more energy and so are more likely to hit their FTs, second, we need to win the fouling wars and by having few fouls on our guys and more on opponents, we can use that as leverage to keep moving the foul wars in our direction. Players in foul trouble tend to play less aggressive and draw fewer fouls.

3. Defense - on the defensive side we should continue to push our M2M. Opponents facing M2M get tired more on their offense than when they face zones (or at least, they should). Our guys need to pester and play tight, forcing opponents to burn more energy on offense. Players' energy changes from moment to moment. When they have to use extra energy on bursts (more-likely when facing M2M) it takes them a minute or two to recoup some of what they spent. During that period, they are shooting FTs, and are more-likely to miss.

Consider that we have probably the best conditioning coach in the nation (Hudy). Fuse our conditioning with our depth, and we shouldn't lose an energy competition with anyone this year. Perhaps the biggest advantage we have this year on our opponents is the amount of energy (as a team) we should bring to games... how we use it... and how we force opponents to use theirs!

If none of this makes sense... run continuously around a gym until you have to wedge your arms on your thighs when you stand. Now go shoot 10 FTs in a row and count how many go in!

"Over his last three games the junior has 18 assists and eight turnovers, and if he can get that ratio closer to 3-to-1 Kansas will be better for it."

Solid comment, @RockChalkinTexas !

Exactly what we need!

Let's see... we played well in our last couple of games... Now, we will have had some gym time, and a young team like ours can only benefit from that.

All the indications say we should hang a memorable loss on Toledo. But there are no guarantees. We've seen it so many times before; coming off plenty of rest and practice; our Jayhawks go ice cold!

I'm anxious to get these guys over from the COLD COLD COLD bracket to the WARM WARM WARM. Will this be the game that makes the difference?

I'm hopeful, but they'll have to earn my confidence with solid play.

I'm hopeful we have a hungry team ready to chomp down and have a MAC-attack!

Rock Chalk!

"It is the bad memories that make the good ones that much better."

Spot on, @JayHawkFanToo !

That's a big part of what it takes to build a rivalry. That's why I've been pushing for us to hookup with WSU. The pain would be phenomenal at times... but the rest of the time would be pure joy, crushing the boys down south!

I vaguely recall a quote like that from Oerter. The more I ponder it, the fog is lifting.

I vaguely recall someone else's retort to Oerter... "You may have to start throwing them at the crowd first, to get their attention."

I can see Oerter's image preserved forever in the Memorial Stadium museum.... hopefully... someday.

Right on...

I've been feeling the love from Adidas and realize that we have become their front line to battle Nike. That puts us in a great position... otherwise, we fall into the deep hole of Nike and the rest, never to make a difference.

I think I'll feel comfortable when knowing Wiggin's NBA shoe contract. If he ices up the total projected fatness deal from Adidas, it will do more for Kansas recruiting than all the Norms in NY, tea in China and oil in Saudi Arabia... because the end result of being on the shoe war front is the fat deals the players receive. Follow the money trail... it's all about the bucks passed along to the players. The sides are chosen first in college. And it is no surprise that images are captured of all the college stars tilting the camera upwards, with the wide-angle starting from their high-tops and flowing up to their heads around the rim. Players are "marked" in college, and rewarded for their loyalty at the next level.

I'm not sure it always works out that way, but what a great story line if you are a shoe company in search of a hero to propel your brand, from Day 1.

http://tracking.si.com/2013/10/15/andrew-wiggins-adidas-nike-jayhawks-nba/ ↗

"Normie, I've got a hole at the five the size of a fully dilated elephant in child birth."

I don't know where that idea came from, and quite frankly, I'm not sure I want to know... but I'm thrilled to be able to experience a visualization, free of charge!

Ha... @jaybate , you do have some catchin' up to do. We've all been deprived so long from your creative side. I'm anxious for you to update the shoe war again!

Keep up the inspiring work, good buddy!

I think Norm deserves more than a few strokes... he deserves a serious increase in pay. He gives us a vast improvement on recruiting and practice coaching. I hope we can keep him here. If we can somehow brainwash in the mantra, "there's no place like home... there's no place like home..." Eventually, he'll realize the red slippers exist only in Lawrence.

We do have to focus on M.Turner now. He's a legitimate footer who will most-likely continue to grow and reach a footer+ length. Some say he has the genes of Ralph Sampson.

Imagine if we have the opportunity to help mold the careers of both Embiid and Turner? Two bigs with the size but needing help to bridge over from HS to the NBA.

I can't help but feel (if this goes down like this) that we will sit atop the list of every quality HS footer for years to come!

Euless Trinity is calling your name, Coach Roberts!

Tarc who?

Man... I'm glad you are back, JB!

...and a great job, wissox!

My all-time biggest throw backs would include the Syracuse loss, and all losses to Mizzou (both football and basketball). Especially hated that Mizzou rained on our football parade and prevented us from playing for a NC.

He's gone!

Myles Turner... calling Myles Turner....