🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Mario knocks'em dead...

I bet Wayne "John Wayne" Selden will eventually make this list.

It's all about eyes. (at least, that's what my wife tells me!)

Impressive piece. Thanks for posting it!

I always thought Kentucky vs Louisville was a big ticket every year. But I also heard more of those tickets are scalped than on average, especially in Louisville. The KFC Yum! Center holds 22,800.

Imagine going to a game and sitting in a bucket of chicken?! I wonder if the exterior looks like a red and white bucket of KFC? So, I guess, they sell KFC at the concessions. I've never been to a game there but I imagine the whole place smells like a KFC trash can and there are chewed up greasy chicken bones scattered throughout the entire building. Strange to have your logo be a bird and the main sponsor makes a living frying birds!

Can you believe they named it "KFC Yum?!"

Why not call it, "The Finger-Licking Good Arena?"

Or how about, "The Extra Crispy Center?"

Or best yet, "The House that Colin Cancer Built!"

BTW: awesome pic, Kip!

Let's see... bucket list:

1. Learn how to juggle cocoanuts on Thanksgiving.

After tomorrow... I'd like to take a poll in here to see how many of our posters got to watch the Thursday game.

It appears that I'm in luck and my brother-in-law has Directv and a DVR with channel 340. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I don't know if this is correct... but I found this list out there:

AT&T U-verse TV Channel #1106,
DIRECTV Channel #340,
DISH Network Channel #167

I guess AXS TV is considered a premium channel.... meaning... you probably have to have some kind of package beyond the minimum basic cable package. Since I have access to Directv, I checked out their site and all their packages above basic seemed to have this channel.

Good luck to everyone in here! I hope you all have a tasty Thanksgiving and can make the 2:30pm tip-off!

Global and HEM - A+

JayHawkFanToo - The game on Thursday being hidden from the western world is a Thanksgiving gift from Mark Cuban.... and his attempt to muscle his AXS channel into the market by outbidding NBCSports for game 1. I'm sending him a Xmas card this year, along with the Michael Jackson estate (for rat-holing the Beatles from public radio for all those years). It's an interesting Xmas card... with Santa using a chainsaw. Fortunately, his suit is already red.

This is a perfect example of how the media market works today...

"I hope this is changed by next season? When are we back to regular tv?"

I'm afraid the days of "regular tv" have left us, along with the quality FADs (four and dones).

AXS? Do they own Axe deodorant? Smells like a brothel on Sunday morning....

Wheww.... now I feel better knowing that I can watch the game in Puerto Rico!

But seriously... It looks like the game will be on U-verse, Directv and Dish.

Hey... I scored 324 points in my driveway yesterday in only 30 minutes. And I had stiff defense from the neighbor's dog!

Who do I contact to get national attention and placed in the record books?

I've got Cox Cable.... didn't see our first game listed. Does anyone know if Cox will carry it? If not... are there online options to watch?

Amazing the spokes from Lawrence.

Guys can do worse than coming to Lawrence for a year or two of volunteer basketball. Too bad those jobs have largely vanished (thanks NCAA).

Makes you wonder what kind of opportunity in coaching all our current players could have after they leave? I guess there isn't much to imagine, since the spokes from Lawrence are mostly ex-players!

Look at a guy like Conner. He may not have what it takes to get in the NBA... but a few years of euro ball, and then back in the USA without money issues and then he pursues coaching.

I'd bet the bank that Conner will one day wear a suit on the sidelines!

Imagine how well he could teach players how to shoot!!

Here is my take on ISU:

Since Fred's arrival as coach, and since he's made them competitive, the ISU fan base has decided they are on KU's level of basketball.

They want to be our rival from here on out, thinking being rivals puts us on the same level. Well.... it didn't work for Mizzou, so I wouldn't count on it!

I feel sure the ISU fan base is going to continue to push us to the edge in hopes to anger our fan base so the rivalry begins. I wonder who will pester CS this year in Ames?

As soon as ISU gets in the history books somewhere close to us, then we will consider... meanwhile, they can go #*&% themselves!

I think the issue with Louisville last year and the hand checks and mugging was a problem with calling the game consistently. Without doubt the calls kept going their way.

I just don't think the answer was to create an unfair advantage to the offense where even mediocre players can now drive on anyone and draw fouls or get off shots they could never dream about getting off last year.

I like to see good lock down defense. And some hand checks are a part of it (within reason). You should be able to touch the ball handler... you just shouldn't be able to hold him back. That's always been the rule.

We are compensating for bad officiating by eliminating a key part of the game, and it just so happened to be a part of the game that CS was the master of.... lock down, man-to-man.

We were usually rewarded for the defense CS put on the floor... but with the changes it will be harder for him to earn any kind of advantage.

So the play this year will create more offensive highlights. What's wrong with defensive highlights?

I know.... I'm continuing to rant about this. I need to move on because I'm just repeating myself... again!

I'll try not to talk about it, but threads like this pretty much run into the changes head on!

Sorry....

HEM... I want some of that coffee you've been drinking. You've got the texting energy of an 11 yr old boy with a new girlfriend. Holy smoly! BTW: perfect write-up to get the ball rolling on rotation!

I think this year is such an odd year for CS. First off, he clearly has more depth than he's ever had. Second... every year moving forward players seem to almost demand PT ASAP. It wasn't that long ago when most players would come in and knew they had to earn their wings before expecting court time. Not anymore. It's the personality of young people today... they need immediate gratification!

Third... these friggin' rules interpretation changes. I think CS is keeping as many guys in the fray as possible (for the time being) until he sees if this team can learn to come close to locking down on defense without fouling. There is no way we will see real lock down defense. Those days are over. But CS is going to push the envelope on these guys to close the gap without fouling. The perimeter players can back off at anytime and let their guy blow by, especially if Embiid keeps improving his shot blocking ability. But for the meantime... CS wants to play the majority of minutes with a handful of guys, then throw in many guys on the extra minutes.

Mason is built for the new rule interpretations. You've heard of a dog catcher? Mason is a foul catcher! And I'm certain we will see more situations where both Mason and Tharpe are on the floor, not only because it "speeds up" the team... but because we have two guys that shouldn't foul out (because of their quick feet) and should draw fouls. Remember what I said since before the Duke game... a big part of winning this year is about winning the foul contest.

I've been shouting for Embiid to start since the beginning.. but maybe it works best to have him come off the bench. As long as he gets plenty of minutes, I'm fine with the way things are. Black seems to be a kind of spiritual leader of the team. We see what happens when he comes out fired up... the entire team follows his energy. And it isn't a bad thing if other teams have to scout both Black and Embiid. It will help them both because they have different games and can both be effective in their style.

It has been a nice surprise to see Wiggins playing good defense. He's going to be the closest thing we have to a lock down player this year, because he actually has the speed and athleticism to close the gap without fouling.

In my books... our difference makers this year are Mason and Embiid. If those two guys bring game from here on out no one can stop us... not even Kentucky! Mason is too quick and can draw fouls on the tall perimeter players at Kentucky, and Embiid can slow down Randle and guard the rim against Young and the rest. Meanwhile... Ellis (the machine) will punch in points like a robot!

I think before we give this team the complete "thumbs up" on offense we need to realize how much of this is related to the rules interpretation.

No one is able to play lock down defense any longer. You can't. Everyone and their aunt has figured out if anyone guards you too close you just put your head and shoulder down and drive right into them to get the foul call.

A big chunk of college basketball is gone.

Okay... the game is "cleaner" and has more offense... more drives to the lane.... and players are "more free" on offense...

Bullsnit. A big part of the game was extracted. There is a hole on defense now the size of a mac truck.

I've already heard buffoons talking about giving college players a sixth foul.

I'm doing my best to focus on how good our players are... but I'm still urping in my mouth thinking about this.

Self better get used to the idea of playing less d and more o... because he doesn't have any choice but to jump in with the crowd of mediocrity.

If Embiid keeps improving his shot blocking... there really won't be any reason why we shouldn't win another National Championship. Between having a deep bench and hopefully what will become the best shot blocker in the paint, the rules interpretation will almost hand us this NC.

Forget the mid majors this time. Few have the depth to handle the rules.

If Embiid can learn to block shots (a lot of them) without fouling, who will be able to stop us? We shouldn't have a problem shooting high %s all year, and our defense may not lock down, but if we have Embiid closing down the drive and post, we'll have an advantage over everyone, including Kentucky. I never thought I'd say that.

I can't imagine now playing some of the game without using both Tharpe and Mason. Because of the rules, it is key to have lightning quick guards at the 1 and 2. Self already figured it out.

I'm thrilled if we can win another National Championship... but I'll put an asterisk beside it: "rules interpretation change"

"Attendance, 16,300. How long has this been posted as the attendance at AFH? I dare say every game since I attended in the 80's?"

wissox - What would be great to see a permanent large plaque inside AFH (visible from the court) saying "Attendance - 16,300".....

i thought both Wiggins and Selden had picked it up a notch last night. And of course Black showed the most positive change by bringing all that great energy!

I don't think anyone wants any player to just take over a game by himself.

I know when I mentioned that both Wiggins and Selden seemed like they were playing tentative it wasn't because I was expecting either one of them to score half the points and dominate away from playing team ball.

Neither player dominated the stat sheet last night, but they played well and helped keep the energy up. I thought team defense and rebounding looked better. Both of these guys impacted that well!

What we've come to understand in just a few games is that this team's biggest concern is to bring enough energy to the court. Basketball is a motion game. We saw what can happen when we move our feet more on defense... it leads to run outs on the other end! Talk about highlights!

Great job, Jayhawks! We still have a long ways to go, but we did make an incremental step yesterday towards success down the road.

Embiid... PHOF! He's not only starting to become a blocking machine... what did you all think about those bullet outlet passes? Those already compete with anything you will see at the next level!

I hung out on Jesse's live chat. Pretty nice! I tried to post but I had just registered and they didn't email me my password yet.... but next time I'll try to participate.

Great job, Jesse.. and thank you for coming in here and answering so many questions! We'll see you soon!

Ralster... holy cow, man... you brought it all today!

Thank you for stepping up for EJ... especially noting what I thought was his ultimate game.. his dominance in Ames.

Fascinating post... going to places we all rarely go. Yes.. Self is a big boy and sometimes has to put his big boy pants on and create orders that are not ready for prime time. It's a part of coaching you'll never hear coaches talk about in a microphone. But there are definitely times when teams and players have to "man up" and fight back.

I'm game to consider EJ's tap on McGary to come from the bench. Very possible. You know, I watched that play at least 100 times and you just can't tell how well he caught him. If McGary was wearing a cup, it was all show biz what he pulled. If he was only wearing a jock... his reaction was still questionable.

Back in my school days I played football and basketball and I always wore a cup for each... but I needed it mostly in basketball. In football, everyone presumed you were "covered" so few punches took place. You'd be more likely to get nailed with a grab that could be far worse than a punch.

I'll admit it, I was taught how to whack a guy in the sack and never even get a call. You keep your hand open and swing it like your just positioning for floor space and it looks completely innocent. If the guy isn't wearing a cup then he'll feel it, big time. It really looks innocent if you graze his leg while going in and not just nail the target directly. If you do it right you definitely won't get called for anything flagrant, and you are extremely unlikely to even get a foul call. It is consider an accidental contact situation. Ha... but of course, there is nothing accidental about it. I've been nailed several times with those, but I always had cover.

Funny you mention the twins. Those guys really played it wrong in college. They always took the maximum punishment for everything. They would easily be the worst poker players on our team at that time. Between some of their obvious flagrant moves, all the jaw chatter, and then the obvious guilt look even before the whistle sometimes... at a few points in their Jayhawk careers I thought they were going to get smashed with some heavy penalties (beyond being tossed from a game).

Thanks for the link, Wishawk!

And thanks to everyone for not turning this site into name calling. I welcome anyone to disagree with anything I write... it's the best way to push the window on content.

This is a site about opinions... not so much about facts. I'm guessing everyone in here is an adult, especially since everyone seems to act like one!

As more people arrive here, and approx continues to improve the features... we are quickly passing the quality of KUSports even in it's hay day!

I've already turned the corner... I'm glad everything went down the way it did (now)!

We just have to monitor things as members. If someone starts getting rude, we talk him down. If we keep the over all tone reasonable in here then it will really stick out when someone steps out of place.

More than name calling, I think the biggest crime is to disrespect someone. Obviously, a fast way to get there is to call out names, but there are plenty of ways to be disrespectful, and up until now I can't recall anyone trying that here.

If you can't win an argument by remaining respectful...

I'm constantly amazed when people can't keep it respectful, even in a place where the crowd is for the same team!

I like what Fred is building up north... even if he invites the entire environment there to go over the edge.

We just have to watch these guys and be ready for them. What I don't like about all of this is how they get to carry a chip on their shoulders every time they play us and we seem neutral and have to create motivation to be ready. Seems we need a kind of punch in our face to get up for them... hopefully it can all compress into a single game where maybe they punch us in the first half and we can rally back for the win.

ISU is building an aggressive fan base (as Bill Self experienced last year)... meaning... they are a tough venue to win in.

I don't like the edge we give them in motivation. With a team like Mizzou, we had a history of hatred that helped fuel both teams. With ISU there really isn't much fuel for us to use, they seem to possess it all.

It's like we need to sift through material on them and find something.... oh, yeah... here it is:

Ejim commenting about using his finger wave to the BYU fan base, "I thought I saw a Jayhawk fan out there!"

It's already starting to look like another classless year of basketball for the Cyclones:

http://network.yardbarker.com/college_basketball/article_external/iowa_states_ejim_flips_off_byu_students/15119306 ↗ ↗

"Newell: Kansas looks to speed up Towson"

Another solid piece by Jesse.

As I mentioned before, Self needs to put a little rock in their shoe heels so they stop standing flat footed. This team needs to move their feet more, on both defense and offense. Players are thinking too much and need to loosen up and engage their bodies into service at all times. Instead, we are seeing players standing and watching and then throwing out spurts of movement as a reaction. Basketball is a game of motion... Self may call it "speeding up."

Jesse -

1. What is your preseason prediction for the outcome of the B12 this year?

2. Frank Mason has been a nice surprise so far... how do you see him fitting in to this year's team?

I based my post on the issue of so few TOs from freshmen... but I was driven to ask that because of comments made by Self on both Wiggins and Selden. Self said Wiggins needs to put out solid effort each and every play and throughout the entirety of the play. Self also mentioned Selden playing tight.

Where I'm going with all of this creates a spark of optimism; that we still haven't seen what these guys can do... even without further improvement to their games, they have more to show with what they have right now. I read somewhere about how strong the play is in practice, and the games are yet to match the practices. Perhaps the Duke game is the exception.

I'm glad Mason is attacking. He'll receive some criticism when his layups miss... and he'll be praised when they fall. He's only shooting too much when the shots don't fall. You really can't judge a guy totally like that. The key is his effort and the potential to create offense through his penetration. We need to give him a break.... he's a freshman playing in only a few games. You won't find many freshman who can penetrate like Mason can, and in this year of refs calling everything, we are surely going to benefit in the long run from what he is doing. Self has been trying to get Tharpe to do more of what Mason is doing, but he just doesn't do it. Fact is... the player has to feel it before making the move and Mason does and Tharpe (for the most part) doesn't. That may change as the season progresses.

Regardless if Tharpe drives or not.... if the guy is producing 10 assists to 1 TO, and getting them all in one game.... how critical can you be of his play? Tharpe is the ultimate facilitator!

Lots of great reads in here today. Good work, everyone!

I think what appears to be a fairly simple question of whether or not to go OAD ends up requiring some complex thought to get the right answer. Many of the factors stick out in obvious fashion, while other factors that may be important, too, are not easily visible.

I decided to just make a list of what I think are key factors... and intentionally I have scrambled them in hopes of leaving their importance up to the person trying to solve the riddle.

KEY FACTORS:

1. Achieving a college degree (or two) - It seems that college athletes are more-likely to graduate if they stay in school until graduating, or at least a longer period of time to get closer to graduating. Whether or not this is true, who knows? Someone must have some stats out there that give us an answer. Possessing a college degree is valuable, especially over the total span of someone's life. It can help you find employment. It can help develop your intelligence so you maintain better judgment and decision-making skills. It can help give you self-esteem. It can help educate you in an area where you can put that knowledge into practice after leaving.

2. Money, money, money - For many, this factor weighs heaviest. But is it better to go after the money as soon as one can get drafted? Or is it better to hold off on the money one or two more years in hopes of lifting draft position and coming into the league on a higher pay scale? What about risks... is it too risky to play another year or two of amateur basketball and risk injury or losing draft position?

3. Maximizing the adolescent experience - Athletes may go back to school later, but is it the same experience as it was the first time? It seems you have one shot at enjoying the college experience with your own social group. What value do you put on that?

4. Staying healthy - College basketball is safer than pro basketball. Seasons are shorter and the contact isn't as intense. From what I have read, 19 yr olds are still developing stronger bones... same with joints. Is it a bigger risk to jump into the league at 19 versus say 21 or higher? Injury not only impacts the money these players will make, it impacts their quality of life for their entire remaining life.

5. Path to development - For as good as these top tier athletes are, none of them have reached their talent plateau after one year of college basketball. Do these athletes develop better if they stay another year in college or do they develop better by jumping to the NBA?

6. Personal maturity - We all are aware that sometimes it can backfire if someone really young (say 19 yrs old) comes into fast money. They are capable of making many mistakes that relates to the level of maturity they are currently at. High-speed auto accidents, poor investments that lead to bankruptcy, blowing money on extended entourages, etc. So will athletes tend to make less mistakes if they stay in school longer?

7. Personal networks - Do players create a higher quality of friends if they stay in school longer or jump to the NBA? We all discover that the people we have around us can heavily impact many areas of our lives.

8. Risk assessment - What are the chances an athlete suffers a major injury by staying longer in school? What are the chances a player drops his draft position by staying longer in school? What are the chances a player improves his draft position by staying longer in school? I would think that the risks continually decline for a college player to suffer a major injury and lose the opportunity to turn professional afterwards. It seems that every year brings advancements in medical procedures and rehabilitations that help athletes regain their athleticism and puts them back to work sooner.

I'm surely leaving out some things... but my point is really about how complex this decision is. Life is about more than making a few bucks.

Jesse,

First off... thank you for participating with us! We want to make sure and continue to run links to cjonline.com, to help promote Jesse's work and CoverItLive. Maybe we can even run an ad banner to help.

Question 1: We've been watching KU's ability to hold down opposing team's effective offense %s plummet from last year. How much of this drop do you think is related to having a completely new starting five along with giving so many PT minutes to freshmen, versus the new rule interpretations that clearly seem to target aggressive defense (especially man-to-man) and penalize them for locking down on the ball?

Question 2: From what few games we've played so far, what is your prediction for Selden and Embiid going OAD after this season? (discussion and express it in %)

Question 3: Will Head Coach Bill Self still remain at Kansas beyond 5 more years? (discussion and express it in %)

Thank you!

I'd like to comment about Jesse's article.... which, btw, was another outstanding piece of journalism by Jesse. There is no one out there who brings it more than Jesse!

It is impressive that we aren't giving the ball away. Since when have we had a team that could take care of the rock like this team can? Limiting TOs is such a direct method for lifting effective offensive stats. However...

Is there a negative to taking care of the rock? I'm certain many of you are scratching your head on that question.

Right off the bat, let me clearly state that I'm glad we are not a careless team and that we don't squander the ball away often. However...

If you look at Wiggins and Selden's stats closely, they have just 3 TOs in 89 minutes. You would be hard pressed to find any freshmen anywhere who protect the rock that well. However...

Could this stat also represent something else? Could it represent a certain amount of tightness with these freshmen? Could it be that they are playing more 'not to mess up' instead of attacking the rim and going for it all?

We had plenty of great highlights from the Iona game. But let's face facts, Iona didn't have much of an interior. We showed how easy it was to lob it over their heads, even when they expected it. The alley-oops were awesome, but that's just cotton candy highlights.

We are still yet to see much from Wiggins or Selden taking it hard to the defense. We've only been privileged to a few nice moves...more of a teaser than anything else. Both of these players can dominate off the dribble. Also, both of these players can create their own assists by drawing defenses in then feeding an opportunity anywhere on the court.

I'm not hoping we increase our TOs. But I do see the limited TOs as a mixed blessing. I know I would be willing to see a few more mistakes as a trade for these guys opening up their game more and going for it.

I remain hopeful that will happen soon. Wiggins and Selden just need a few more games to loosen up and attack the rim.

Moving forward... we should consider a proper format to maximize the opportunity to connect with Jesse.

We need Approx to jump in on this, too.

I'm sure many of you will have good ideas.

Right off the bat, I was thinking maybe we could start a thread and it has an agreed "post time" when Jesse could attend live. If the thread is up for a few days prior, posters could already post some questions for him. I'm thinking a Q&A format.

It would be nice if Jesse could post replies directly below the questions.

Is that possible, Approx?

If this format works well, perhaps we can do these on a regular basis... depending on how much time Jesse will donate. In return, we should help him in his efforts at http://cjonline.com. ↗

If everyone wants to be fanatically involved... we can do a Q&A before each game and then segue directly into Jesse's CoverItLive page. Perhaps Jesse will write something here or at cjonline before each game and that would also help get the questions rolling.

This is just an idea, and I know I'm game for any method of doing this.

I'm excited to have this opportunity and we can all learn a lot from picking Jesse's brain.

Install an entire goal post in your backyard and you can teach your kid to be a kicker. Who knows... the NFL awaits the kid who will put in the work. When your kid improves he'll have to kick it from the neighbor's yard...

And better put up a permanent net behind it. Might save the already-tested relationship you have with one of your neighbors.

Welcome, Jesse!

I'll check it out.

You are always welcome over here... in fact... is there any way we can hold a Q&A with you on occasion? In the process, we can help support CoverItLive. I think if we set it up in the right way, we won't step on anyone's toes in the process. There are many great Jayhawk fans on this site, and you are the best resource for Jayhawk basketball. It makes sense to put both together... and in doing so, we can help both of these websites. It is all for one great cause, Jayhawk basketball!

He said he wasn't affected by his dad being at the game. We'll see about that... he certainly seemed like a man possessed. If he doesn't always hustle like that we'll have to find a way to keep his dad in the USA this season!

I thought a few of his moves last night created the best highlights. You just don't see big men who can move their feet like that... heck... you don't find 6-footers who can do some of those moves!

I wish we could hold him here for 4 years. We don't have many lions to conquer here... but we have Wildcats! (and Sooners, Cowboys, Longhorns...) Bet he's never killed a longhorn before! While we are down in Texas we should take him to a longhorn ranch and take some photos of him wrestling a longhorn to show his friends back home. He can start a new legendary story.

Hey Ralster... I should have worded my post differently.

After your post I went back and read it again. It sounds a bit like I'm bagging on EJ. I'm an EJ fan, too... mostly because he made the ultimate sacrifice of playing out of his position for the good of the team. It didn't prove to help us, but I don't blame him for that. He didn't have the right skill set to be a PG. He should have always stayed a 2.

I should have stated that if CS wants to recruit guards that can play at both the 1 and the 2, make sure the guards have the skills required to play the 1. It doesn't work the other way around. You have to have a guard who protects the rock well, both by dribble and pass.... someone who can see the defense and take advantage of what it is given... be able and willing to penetrate... control tempo... find the gaps.... etc etc. I guess Mason was a 2 in HS... but he's a natural PG. With just a few games under his belt, we can see that he has so much to offer at point. He's a x-axis player... low to the ground, lots of lateral movement and looking for spacing advantages. I don't think these gifts are easy to teach players, because we certainly don't see many using these skills. It always seems tougher to develop x-axis skills for bigger guards. Maybe because they have always played looking for a vertical game... their size helps them in some ways, but they don't develop the bulldog tenacity some of the little guards have... who will find gaps, and if they don't see one maybe they create one!

Tharpe is the perfect example of a PG who can play the 2. We can count on seeing him score some minutes at the 2 this year.

Exciting game. Not too much to add that hasn't already been said.

The one glaring problem for this team is defense. Too much standing around flat-footed. Guys are spectating too much instead of getting involved. Defense is about constantly moving your feet.

There is a way to solve that. Put a small rock in their shoes, back on the heel. They won't be standing flat-footed any longer.

Imagine having to suffer through an entire practice like that?

"No lyin’: Lion-killer Embiid* to lead Kansas against Iona tonight"

So does that mean Embiid is starting tonight?

Embiid could carry a lion, after a field dress. Or he could drag the entire beast back home with two long sticks and a cloth... a gurney without wheels!

I actually believe him. He can't boast about it, or he's cursed.

Global... I know I'll be writing a check. I'm psyched at the concept and I am optimistic it will happen!

Really nice, global! Thanks for sharing about your dad!

...and awesome link! Yes, the history is there, and track and field was a part of Memorial, and should always be enshrined in the history of the stadium, because it wasn't all about football!

Imagine if we keep the original stadium bones intact and we expand and wire in some technology. Imagine going to a game and running down to buy a hotdog and on your way, in the corridors, you spot a big screen and see your dad vaulting in Memorial?

The right philosophy is to step into modern times while preserving the history that brought us to where we are today. Memorial could be developed into more than just a stack of bleachers... it should become a destination in itself! Just like AFH. There is more history at Memorial!

I'd love to see us step up and make the investment. It would be one more area where we step up for the university and the direction moving forward.

Few universities have the potential we have in Memorial. Few have stadiums going back that age. I get goosebumps every time I enter Memorial because I feel the history.

I think Zenger gets it. I do.

"And to think I once wanted to be an attorney. I can't stand the lying, condescending, judgmental jerks and that's the good ones who've won for us.."

Ha... hope you don't mind that I quoted you, dylans... I did it because it was worth repeating!

Here is what another one of my business associates told me years ago, and believe me, it rings true:

"Your best shot at a positive legal remedy is to only get screwed by your own attorney."

You can mount that one on your wall....

You are right, that we have to become GOOD in football for years... but how do we do that? To be truthful, through all of this realignment junk that has already devastated our conference, I've never been more optimistic about Jayhawk football.

I wasn't one of those fans that was screaming up and down when we hired Charlie. I thought Charlie would just use up KU and then split to a better job. Who knows... it could still happen. But by observing him and KU football closely, I'm finally coming around to Charlie. Charlie has made it clear that this is a process that will take time. I know we have heard that before, but I do see a difference playing out on the gridiron. Our record does not indicate the level of play this year. Most of the games we played we could have won if a few things happened differently and our team remained poised. We are crawling before we can walk... but I'm convinced eventually Charlie will have them running. I still think we are a few years away from becoming a real threat. I don't care... as long as I see us moving in the right direction.

Charlie not only needs to overcome the recent reputation of Jayhawk football, he has to overcome selling a conference many view as being on the way down. And a team that has been running track around the gridiron. Steps are happening... the track will be gone, and hopefully we'll get a stadium update that takes Jayhawk football out of the 20's!

If I'm not mistaken, Memorial Stadium is the largest memorial monument in the world! It was dedicated to the students who died in WWI. If the administration in charge of updating the stadium use their intelligence, they will feed off of the memorial aspect. We should do what we can to take advantage of the history of Kansas football, just like we are taking advantage of the history of Kansas basketball with our addition of the rules.

Last year I sat behind Gale Sayers in Memorial. He is one of the most precious human examples in the entire game of football.

There is so much to build on for Kansas football.... if people open their eyes and their souls.

Nice post, ralster!

When the word came down that we hired Charlie, I did not get excited like my Jayhawk friends did. I was skeptical because I just thought Charlie was using KU to get somewhere else. He still may be doing that, I don't know. But I know he has had to endure some horrible moments in Jayhawk football history and he still keeps going. From what I've seen, he is working hard at what it will take to bring KU football up. It's all about taking incremental steps. Fortunately, the game of football is so vast, with large teams, plentiful offensive and defensive schemes... kicking... special teams... there are so many areas where a team can focus and find ways to improve, and Charlie keeps working on the details.

I've watched every Jayhawk game this year except last weekend because I had to work. I DVR'd the game and my DVR went on the fritz so that is the only reason I missed the game. I've also gone to some home games this year, too. We've been a competitive team all year, just had some bad breaks and then the team would usually lose motivation towards the end of the game.

Now I'm on board with Charlie. As long as he shows us he is putting out the effort, I'm in with him.

We'll never get a quick fix by changing coaches. I'm doubtful we will find someone of Charlie's caliber to replace him. That doesn't mean I wouldn't support a change if it starts looking like Charlie isn't into KU football enough. But as of now, I don't see that.

I definitely question some of his calls this year, but I always question some calls by every coach, including Bill Self!

Realistically, it is going to take a while to build KU football. Rome wasn't built in a day, and if you look at what Charlie has to face, his task might be tougher than just building a city. A big part of the picture is to land better recruits... a tough task when selling KU football, and to be honest, selling the B12.

dylans - an attorney I use regularly has a framed statement over his desk, "Never say Never!" I asked him about that the first time I visited him and he told me anything was possible through legal channels. I hired him after that comment.

The threat of realignment creates strange bedfellows. I'm actually supporting Baylor football this year because they are ranked higher than any other B12 team. I shouldn't feel so desperate to have to do that, but I do.

What happens if B12 football continues it's decline in the coming years? What happens to our conference?

The problem has been that the world keeps moving, but the B12 stood still. We couldn't survive losing any additional quality schools, like Oklahoma. I support OU football, too. I'll support any B12 team that is ranked.

I hate it, but football is what calls the shots. We need to build a quality team, update our stadium, and have some kind of framework in place to guarantee football never sinks down to the level it has been. From what I understand, this contract helps spread a wider viewership of Kansas football. That will be great if we can start winning. I'm encouraged that we finally broke our B12 losing streak. At least we don't have to constantly hear that on the tube every time we watch KU play.

Zenger walked into a tough position at KU. So far I like what he's done and how he has approached his job. The decisions are tough, and it all starts with attitude. I like Zenger's attitude.

Maybe we'll get some relief when we discard the BCS system? I don't know... I hope some of you in here can explain that one to me.

Zenger should have explained things in a different way and should have avoided the comment about never alienating anyone in our fan base. It was one of those lines that if he said it in public around the wrong crowd he would hear an earful.

But on the flip side... the deal he made was sound and a good way to increase the Jayhawk brand. We all know the quality of education at Kansas is high, and KU Med is impressive... but at the end of the day, in a media world feeding only on sound bites (or bytes) and imagery what will save KU more than anything is our unique bird! Hard to believe it, but the uniqueness of our mascot has always played a vital role in our identity and by getting it out there more it will only enhance the position of the university, so one day we may not remain a member of the "forgotten five."

Less than 6 months ago you could go on all these websites and read how realignment is finally over because of all the penalties and rules levied by conferences. Hogwash! I said it back then and I'll say it again, realignment is NOT finished... it may be the only thing remaining as constant from here on out. What sounds like a mountain of money today and impossible to climb over will be chicken change in the not-to-distant future. The money involved in college sports is not only astronomical, it is growing exponentially. Just remember that. Do the math and you'll see that there will always remain the potential for schools to move.

Kansas has everything going for it in basketball, but we need to have a better presence in other sports, primarily football! The biggest shot in the arm we can have is to get more national exposure. And we need more academic exposure. This contract helps give us more academic exposure because we get academic commercials within the programs.

Zenger has it right, but he could use some work on his delivery. He should first apologize to all the fans who were alienated from those games, and explain he'll do everything he can to prevent this situation from happening again. And then he should go into how this TV deal helps KU.

I don't know what to think of that kid.

In the same sports rag they had a good story on a school just south of Lawrence.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/mvc/2013/11/18/wichita-state-shockers-final-four-gregg-marshall/3599893/ ↗

It's great to have two quality teams in our state! I'd like to see us meet in the Final Four!

Hey approx.... excellent!

You keep bumping up this site!

Excellent post, iowa!

I agree... players should be able to turn pro right out of HS.

My only objection to it is that their young bodies really aren't prepared to face the long schedule of the NBA (along with receiving poundings from bigger players).

If I had my way, I'd limit how many games any of these players could play every year. It would help extend some of their careers in the league, and would definitely help the super young players. It could also help employ more players in the league. In fact, they could even extend seasons... but just limit the PT of each player, forcing a bigger bench. I think it would help the league, too, by employing more players and extending exposure to all of them. Many fans not only follow teams, but also follow players. If you look on all the Jayhawk boards you'll see constant mention of past Jayhawk players and what they are doing in basketball beyond KU.

We'll see how our Jayhawks react to moving up. Being ranked at the top always seems to wear on a team after a while. For one, they can never win by a big enough margin to satisfy some... and of course a loss means they were always over-ranked and didn't deserve being ranked that high in the first place.

The only way to make it work (being ranked so high this early) is to never lose all year in order to limit the criticism.

I don't know, this team sure doesn't seem to mind the pressure so far, in fact, they seem to like it. The only game they really looked good in was the Duke game. That will have to change now... as their schedule stiffens and their higher ranking just feeds motivation to their opponents.

We don't play Belmont this year, do we?

For those of you who have been away to Cuzco, Peru, overstocking your llama herds, I thought I'd let you know we had some good news last Friday. Elite, HS PF recruit Cliff Alexander "went public" and chose The University of Kansas University as the school he will play for next fall. If you didn't see the announcement, view it here by choosing your own format:

Polished media version:

http://espn.go.com/chicago/story/_/id/9983351/cliff-alexander-picks-kansas-breaks-hearts-illinois-fans ↗ ↗

Handheld "pirated" version:

[http://voices.suntimes.com/sports/sports-prose/gif-cliff-alexander-jilts-illinois-chooses-kansas/ ↗ ↗

We are still awaiting a high-quality slowmotion version.

You may ask, "why do we need slowmotion?" Well, because the U of I might contest the call. Evidently, Cliff first chose an Illini cap so "Illinois University" Head Coach John Groce has been seen over by the scorer's table, asking officials to review the play.

Evidently, almost everyone in the State of Illinois would like to see a replay... at least, those fans still remaining in the stands who have not thrown in the towel by saying nasty remarks about Cliff "reacting in poor taste" or "choosing Kansas because he was paid." This remark caught my eye: "The kid couldn't spell ACT if you spotted him the A and the C." I wonder if that mattered before Friday? And let's get real, Cliff doesn't need the letter "T".. he only needs to know "K" and "U".

Cliff definitely incited Illinois fans when he stuttered on the hat selection. When later asked about the stutter, he commented that he decided to do it after talking to teammates. That comment didn't seem to help him smooth over emotions in Illinois. But is that what he meant? Enter foot in mouth. Since when are HS basketball players running for mayor?

Sometimes it requires forensics to resolve comments or issues surrounding HS athletes (and the same goes for college athletes). After careful deciphering and analysis it appears Cliff meant to say that his teammates helped him pick Kansas. And it seems the temporary fumble over the Illinois hat related to a case of stage fright.

So does it all matter now? Probably not, unless Kansas decides they want to schedule Illinois at Illinois next year. My guess is don't hold your breath!

If you don't feel like you have grasped the emotion in Illinois, check out the following links. By now, everyone in the western world has seen this first clip. I've heard it has now gone viral in Cuzco, Peru. And if you found some humor in this first clip, you might need a diaper change after watching the second one.

[

[

Something about seeing the faces.

And while Illinois fans have gone from mourning the loss of Cliff to becoming the butt of jokes around the world, you have to feel empathy for our friends up north, even if they don't realize we are "The University of Kansas"). We've been in their shoes before, but fortunately, we didn't feel the need to record our reactions and put it on the web for everyone to see. If you've ever slipped on a banana peel, you know what I'm talking about. Your first reaction was to look around to see if anyone saw it!

I'll put this issue to sleep with a link to the Master of Defusing Emotions, Bill Self.

[

No matter what we do here, it will appear like we are mocking Illinois. I did actually write this with a straight face. Promise.

BTW: I noticed security pretty tight around CS at AFH this year. I wonder what he'll have around him at ISU?

I'm pretty certain the B12 will be more involved with some security issues this year.

approx...

Any way to help the structure so posters can reply directly under someone else's post?

That would really help things out in here.

BTW: great job!

More on Lucas:

You said it right, HEM, it's a tough decision for kids when playing time is lacking.

I just think it is tough for a kid to lose a year where he can't play. Even if he mostly rides the bench at Kansas, there is always the chance he sees significant PT, like if someone gets hurt or breaks one of the major team laws, etc etc. Or... the player steps it up a notch and just wins over some PT! I think that is what is on players' minds most.

I would hope that CS made a mutual commitment with Lucas. Lucas has held up his end of the bargain, and I'm certain Self will, too. Doesn't mean he's guaranteed PT. No one gets that. But he is guaranteed a legitimate shot, and he's given every development tool that the 5-star recruit receives... including individual help.

For most of these guys (at least, at the KU level) they want basketball in their future beyond Kansas basketball. There are many careers out there besides the NBA. Coaching, playing overseas, sports broadcasting, etc...

I think Self does a good job of helping these guys focus on a future. He definitely has sounded that way with Traylor, and I'm certain he gives all his guys that kind of attention. Self knows these kids are at a crossroads in their lives, and making the Kansas roster is an opportunity for all of them. Self would like all these guys to be successful and have a quality career so they can raise their families or accomplish whatever dream they have.

It's possible Lucas could be better off only snagging mop up minutes at Kansas than playing for a lesser school and getting more court time. I'm not declaring that as some kind of fact, but that it is possible. It's like asking: would you rather have your bachelor's degree from Columbia, or your master's degree from Whatchamacallit State?

Look at it this way... by the time Lucas leaves Lawrence, he will have spent 5 years of his life learning from one of the greats of basketball. I don't know about any of you guys... but I'd sure like to have that on my resume!

Another one of your knockout posts, HEM!

Am I mistaken... but doesn't the "5 to accomplish 4" rule still exist? That's the NCAA reg that says athletes have 5 years to use their 4 years of eligibility.

If that is the case... it dampens the possibilities of anyone who has already RS to transfer, because they will be sitting out their transfer year and burning a year of their eligibility.

I am bringing that up for several reasons. One... Lucas has served his RS. For the reasons stated above (if true) I find it unlikely he'll transfer.

Second... (if true) this may be a big reason why Self didn't RS anyone this year. Because one or more of those guys may transfer, and if they do, they can burn their extra "5 to make 4" year while sitting a year at another school.

So the big mistake is to hand out several RS, and then not do what you can to make that player the best he can be. Part of that would be giving him court time, the rest is making sure he's been given all the development he can handle to help him beyond KU... maybe that means preparation for euro ball. Whatever.

For me, I think this is where I draw the line on how these players are treated. Don't offer a guy a RS unless you see him fitting in for minutes down the road, or you can at least make it worthwhile for the player making that level of commitment to KU. It is Self's job to win basketball games, not hold hands with players. If he has an opportunity to bring in better talent, he can do so, and probably should, because we can all be thankful for him potentially sacrificing getting better players to hold on to existing players because their are liked and it is in their best interest. But truth be told... if he does that, and we don't bring home another NC, who will get the blame? Self.

I don't question Self on this one. He's proven over several years how he'll do what he can to favor experience over potential... sometimes too much (in my books). I thought he should have give Perry more minutes last year in the early part of the year so he'd be seasoned for March...

I like the idea of recruiting Lyle because he isn't a projected OAD. I like guys right below that in the 1 and 2 slots... especially at point. The question is if Lyle knows he's not an OAD? And now we have a couple of true PGs on the team. Can Lyle be of that quality? Meaning... good ratio of Ass/TOs? I liked EJ, but I don't want to see us recruit more of these tall, athletic guards that can't provide us with enough of the right attributes. Self needs to diminish his earlier thoughts of going after generic "utility guards." Can Lyle protect the rock? Can he attack the basket? Can he nail the 3? Can he create and feed for assists? Can he learn to defend? Does he possess good basketball IQ? Does he see the court well? Does he understand what the defense is giving him? Those are the types of questions you want answered when recruiting guards... more so than what his ESPN ranking is.

I follow his tweets and try to keep up with him on the net. He's definitely a social media type guy, and I think that is the concern for CS in recruiting him. CS doesn't like all the inner workings of KU basketball broadcast out to the world through the tinted glasses of the players, especially if the player feels like he isn't getting enough court time. We've already been down this road and hit some bumps... like with Rio and some issues with TT.

These young players have to realize that their participation in social media can only hurt them at this point in their lives. It's hard to be totally mature (and show it all the time) when you are only 18 yrs old. And if you are that mature, you probably don't have time to have your hand held by people you don't even know online.

Look at Traylor. That guy was given an opportunity at Kansas when probably he shouldn't have. When he arrived in Lawrence, he was (at best) a D2 quality player. He took his RS (maybe by force of eligibility issues) and he has a great attitude and is earning some valuable PT. Self has said it several times that he isn't going to let that guy leave Lawrence without the tools necessary to make a living in basketball. As we can see... he looks to be well on that path to building his profession beyond Lawrence!

I'm thinking Lucas sees what is happening with Traylor, and he likes what he sees!

approxinfinity -

I like the new look!

However.. it is possible for anyone to edit another poster's post. You might want to take a look at that.

And links aren't hot.

I dream about taking home the big prize every year, but I just never count on anything... even over a several year span.

I just make sure I enjoy the ride... and don't over-focus on the destination. It's better for my health if I accept it all like that.

There were so many times we were close... and if I think about it too much my head hurts. I like to look back at those teams and remember the players, and some of their best moments. And by remembering the players, I think I do them justice because they always gave it all for the cause.

It's always a great day to be a Jayhawk!