🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@DanR said in Texas Southern Game Thread:

It really is amazing how horrible big men are as freshmen. I don’t know if it’s just that they finally play against guys their own height or if pre-college coaching for bigs is non-existent. Sure, they make a big dunk or impressive block once in a while, but otherwise they’re like a chunk of gravel stuck in the machinery

Wooden had to teach Bill Walton how to tie his shoes when he arrived at UCLA. I kid you not. Also... Walton would show up to practice in pajamas. You can't make this stuff up...

I know he earned the title "the crazy redhead" but it speaks for the generalization about bigs.

@BShark

It's just way way too early to write an obituary for this team.

What if we lift our game and start playing like we did against the cream puffs but against real competition, including the Big 12?

My biggest concern now is backup PG. I feel like we will work out a reasonable post solution eventually. This team is going to need to have a "team rebounding" philosophy... much as we did last year. Those CB rebounds were vital for our run!

Actually... we should be a better rebounding team this year, and I think we will end up being respectable. Kevin is a huge asset there, and JWil is considerably more dominant. We just need medium numbers out of the 5...

I expect MJ to end up being a big role player with this team. He needs to stay healthy and learn a lot more.

GD should also be filling a stat sheet with more than treys. He's mostly running around like a chicken with his head cut off so far because he has to be further educated. He's a high basketball IQ guy and it won't take long. Give him a dozen more games under his belt.

Let's not forget that Self wouldn't trade Dajuan for any other PG in the country. PG is the head of the beast, so we will always have solid potential for a deep run.

We are all suffering badly from that loss... but it was a loss that needed to happen. So glad it happened before Big 12 play with time to really grind on these guys to lift their games. We need big time improvements... mostly getting them to some form of gel together.

@Jethro

We looked like that kind of team the first few games. Then the competition became tougher and it wasn't as easy to control tempo.

For one big reason... we aren't rebounding well and when you don't do that it is impossible to control anything.

The Tennessee game was frustrating because we finally showed we weren't invincible since before the tourney last year. Our expectations need to come down to reality, and I think they did for many now... hopefully the team.

I don't know what to think about who to start at the 5. Think I'd have to sit in practices to know more about that.

Let's go retro for a moment... back to the good ol' KU days when Self either didn't have a NC under his belt, or only had one. Before January we often looked like total crap. We would usually make big gains over the holidays because the players get a little run of straight practice.

We can look at what we don't have on this team and moan. Or we can look at the pieces we do have and smile. I'm smiling. I see so much potential with this bunch and I hope they realize it after the holidays. Meanwhile... I'm prepared for some smelly basketball.

I hold high hopes that Rice will become a solid contributor this season and we get at least 2 bigs playing better.

Say a prayer that Dajuan and JWil stays healthy. We will meltdown if we lose either one of those guys.

GD will have some great games this year, but unless he figures out how to shake himself open when closely guarded, his results will be mixed. Saw him push up some ill-advised shots during this tourney and it helped bring down his % from trey. Maybe it will help people realize he's not ready for the NBA yet... and that's not even addressing his boy body.

The loss yesterday was a blessing. It finally ended our mental picture of still being national champs. Until a team losses after winning it all, it is still on the honeymoon of that title.

We will still be targeted by all our opponents... but we should be able to play a little more relaxed. Dajuan was showing the wear of 3 games in as many days while trying to keep our national title streak going.

Now it's time to develop! Players, team, roles, perspective, motivation. It all starts now!

I'm glad we lost.

Now... finally... this team has lost the identity of last year's National Champs! The burden has been lifted and they will now have to move forward realizing they have to find their own identity (not riding the tails of last year's history). Now they realize they can play as crappy as any other D1 team and get beat by any D1 team on any given night.

B12 play is upon us but I think we will be as ready as we can, considering we now only have one PG!

I'm still very optimistic with this team and expecting big time fireworks come March!

RCJH!

Not quite the exclamation mark of the UK loss last year but I'm sure it will work as a "toughening box" game.

Dajuan... get some sleep. You look like you've been up all night.

Was there a team curfew in the Bahamas? Appears not... lol

Imagine Marcus Smart playing D1 today? lol

Will be interesting to see if Self still has Rick Barnes number?

@stoptheflop

Maybe Self was saving them for the Vols. Maybe...

I'm not sure how effective they can be. The officiating has been weird. Not saying it has been against KU because we got some positive calls, too... but they've been calling weird fouls while missing others.

That court was slick. They use the wrong cleansing/prep product on the floor. Hope no one gets hurt this evening.

I'm sure glad we won, but take no pleasure in beating Wisconsin. I've always been a Packer fan and had some of my best times with people from this great state and also Minnesota.

Now about the game... we are all about Dajuan running the show and when things aren't going smoothly, we look mediocre. Two elements are key for this team; defense, and passing. We were lucky that we had just enough to pull this one out. Our defense leads to offense, and our passes can make us look like the best team in the nation. UW played tenacious defense and put some struggle into our passing so we often flipped to individuals, like JWil, bailing us out of possessions.

This was a game that exposed GD. He has still soooo much to learn about basketball, even though he truly is amazing as a freshman. He's going to have to learn to shake his man to create distance to get his shot off. Right now, he vanishes in some games because he doesn't quite know what to do. But he is very intelligent.... give him time.

Kevin... please... please stop taking treys early in games. lol Let the flow develop before you start pumping treys.

Self is smiling now. This is a game we are fortunate enough to win, while Coach has plenty of ammunition for practice to wake up these guys and teach them more. Our offense is still very much undeveloped. The lobs just aren't there yet and we keep forcing them and creating TOs. Lots of missed timing, miscommunication, and just lack of team flow. But heck... it's just November! Aren't we all expecting too much too early? I'm impressed that we are still undefeated and we are the #1 targeted team in the nation since we are still National Champions until the next one is named... preferably us again!

Of course our bench looks like crap... and it will until we develop more defined roles for players, including bench players.

I was glad to see Zach's number get called again and hope he gets more reps. I don't think him bombing treys will be our salvation this year... but his other gifts can certainly be a part of building us into a very unique, difficult team to play by March!

Shout out to Bobby! I was just stating how important he will be to this team and he just earned some gravy points! Bravo!

Have to admit... I'll be shocked if we win this Bahama tournament. I wasn't expecting it.

Double thumbs up for KJ! Those two court dives were monumental and he is fighting hard to earn that 5 spot. All the other bigs will have to fight him for those minutes... good luck fellas... gonna need it! I'm starting to see a permanent role for KJ on this team involving plenty of PT.

Statistics can be misleading.... look at the +/- line. Our big + player was Joseph. And JWil was a negative.

!IMG_8030.jpeg ↗

My heart is with these people!

@Texas-Hawk-10

I still see what you see with Zach... just hope he gets enough PT to work it out.

His biggest pluses to me is his court awareness, foot speed, and passing. Maybe the trey gets worked out, too... but if he can provide these other things it will be a huge plus.

I do think he has potential to be a decent defender and rebounder, too. Basketball IQ!

@AsadZ

Ditto... ditto!

I think Dave is doing well and building his bank account.

He certainly deserves, too!

@BShark

Yep.... I can't stress how vital Bobby is to this team. Dajuan is our most important piece to this team. He is the composer of the orchestra. But Dajuan is going to show wear if we don't get him some rest. And it is scary to think he could have an injury.

Plus... if we get Bobby really executing his potential, we have a lethal combo of him with Dajuan. Bobby can turn the corner on anyone in college basketball.

@AsadZ

Think he needs some more PT to work things out. His speed is needed, but it also means he has to mentally have it together to play well at that pace. I know Self thinks highly of him and Self smiled big when he drove baseline to baseline in the second half for the easy layup.

Bobby is sorely needed on this team to backup Dajuan. Joseph is a 2, definitely not a PG.

I expect him to get some decent PT before league play starts. Gotta have him!

I was pretty satisfied with this game. Seems we often get knocked out early in these fall distant tourneys where there is a beach.

Self was already sunburned.

We've been talking about Self's impact on the actual game. I think he made a difference today. I think he helped keep Dajuan settled down and it is Dajuan's show.

Anyways... glad to get the win and look forward to a game with Whiskey.

!barkley.jpeg ↗

Since I was a kid, I wore a mouthpiece when playing ball. A few kids laughed, until we played.

No one influenced me more in basketball than Charles Barkley. I've always affectionately called him "Chab." He is the Muhammad Ali of basketball, and he has lived up to the Ali personification.

This new book release is on my read list. If I was coaching college ball, I'd have my players on a read list. They can't always practice. How about developing their minds.

Right off hand, I think I'd like to see Jalen Wilson read this book. He doesn't have the girth of Barkley, but he has come out this year and showed "Barkleyesque" aggression. He's taking the ball into the footer trees without hesitation. I'd say he's done pretty well so far this year in the timberlands. The only thing stopping Jalen now is Jalen.

Thoughts?

This has turned out to be a pretty good thread. I think sometimes we can all over-argue our own points thinking others in here aren't listening to us. I can hardly find a point in here where I don't agree... and the overstatements often end up exquisite reads for me. A big part of my Jayhawk experience (at this point) is connecting with you all and sharing our opinions and ideas. A+

I think it is a far reach for anyone to say that having Self on the bench wouldn't have impacted the game. But it is even possible we lose this game with Self on the bench... maybe our guys would have been even more out of sync because of higher anxiety. That is possible, though I think more and more improbable as Self ages with his wisdom growth from the game. We have such a great HOFr because he constantly shows his own personal growth in coaching.

Still.... lots of great content here about trap games. "Falling off the mountain top" will always be a part of college basketball (and all sports).

I hope I didn't seem to belittle Coach Roberts. I'm certain he adds a great deal to the success of Self and KU basketball. I did notice his game style was quite a bit different from Self... whether for good or bad... we really won't have a way to prove the difference as we move forward.

Let's not forget that I'm the guy who has previously questioned Self getting his teams amped up enough for some games. This was a fascinating topic back in the Jaybate days...

@mayjay

Seriously? Coaches don't make a difference in a game's results? Why do we pay him millions? Just for recruiting?

!billself.jpg ↗

Yugly game... horrific outside shooting... silly TOs throughout the game... guys never finding a rhythm... defense went south....

I know it has happened while Self is on the bench, but I feel comfortable stating they needed him last night and this game wouldn't have been such a nail-biter.

No one took SUU seriously... even during the game. Usually it is part of game commentator's job to inject some drama. They were yawning on this even at the end. The game news barely made the pages of KUSports.com.

The bright side is we won. And once again, Gradey isn't shy about pulling the trigger late on the money ball.

Wilson is now classified as a true "volume scorer." He wants the ball, and doesn't care if the lane is crowded... he'll take it in to the rim anyways! Bravo!

Dajuan can take some of the scoring load... but can he do both? Can he load up 10 assists per game while averaging 10 or more points? I don't know... but I miss Dajuan's 10 assists. The fact that we never really found a groove... maybe it was Dajuan's off-night and now we know how valuable he truly is.

Glad we got the "W!"

Thoughts?

Gradey might prevent needing this thread this year!

@FarmerJayhawk

I agree.... I'm just not too sure he reaches that NBA stock in one year.

@kuballin10 said in Duke Kills Kansas... Kansas Wins Game!:

How is Self selling next years team? I must have missed that article or tweet. Fill me in

https://www2.kusports.com/news/2022/nov/09/kansas-coach-bill-self-raves-about-versatility-3-m/?mens_basketball ↗

@BeddieKU23

I'm not getting a feeling he is in a hurry to rush to the league. From what I understand of him... he is relishing in playing at KU as it was a lifetime dream. Money can't compete against childhood dreams... especially if you aren't in an impoverished situation.

Yes... if he stays it is at some level of risk, but so is going too early to the league. Och really showed how important it is to have patience and build the brand.

I don't know if this relates... but Self is already selling next year's team. Improving the chances of GD returning? IDK

I'm still trying to understand our self-imposed punishment... this didn't help -

https://www.si.com/college/2022/11/03/louisville-basketball-ncaa-sanctions-iarp-rick-pitino-violations ↗

Why do I still have a bad feeling we will be treated worst by IARP... especially now that we have basically admitted guilt! We've thrown a lifeline to this entire stupid process and it still remaining after basically eliminating all these violations with new NIL structure.

@BeddieKU23

The draft will be stocked high this year... best to give him another year to build his brand. He'll do good with NIL this year anyways.

I'm sure he could use some strengthening... and hopefully that won't negatively impact his shot. Doubtful.

@BeddieKU23

I think Gradey needs another season to make his body NBA-ready. I see him checking out the waters so he knows what to work on for next year... just like many of our guys do.

Plus... even though he looks so good now, we don't know how this year is going to go for him yet. He could have a pesky injury slowing him down, or go in a bad slump. I'm skeptical he will have too big of a slump because his mechanics are the best I've ever seen in D1!

@wissox

I'll never say I'm not biased! lol

But he owned the ref's ear for an extended time after that flop call. I don't see Self extending that for too long. Maybe I'm just biased... but I know what helped K get the famous "Duke calls" related to how well and how long he worked the refs.

Actually... it's a sign of good coaching if it works and Duke has always mastered achieving this!

Yep.... and you see how Scheyer worked the refs in the first half? A Coach K trick... preparing to send his thugs on the court for violence.

What goes around, comes around.

If Duke is going to play this rough all year I'm betting they won't stay healthy.

This will backfire!

@benshawks08

Wait until they do that on another team's court!

The game was ridiculously violent.

Look where we are today... and refs trying to reduce the violence in the game... and then here comes Duke with a bunch of 7' thugs who are largely permitted to mug the paint.

Bilas had a lot to do with taking aggressive play out of college ball. He pushed for softness in the game and always protested "mugball."

You didn't hear him say a word about what they were doing last night, only saying the game was a slugfest (or whatever). He didn't pinpoint the blame on Duke for what they did.

In case anyone missed it and why I still am not a fan of Bilas...

When FILIPOWSKI (FLIPPEDOUTSKI) threw an intentional, head-high, elbow in the paint, Jay didn't explode with words. Imagine that had been a Jayhawk who did that? Bilas would be filing an assault charge with the DA's office!

I can't believe something that horrific didn't end with FILIPOWSKI being tossed from the game. So you can throw a high elbow and it's clean if you don't actually knock someone's block off with it?

FILIPOWSKI is a real talent, and he'll be in the league the next year. But is he going to be throwing elbows the rest of the season? I have no doubt that Scheyer LOVED what he did.

Put me on the books right now... that Scheyer will be hated far more than K ever was. He's obnoxious and feeling even more entitled than K ever did.

There is no way that K would have approved of throwing high elbows.

!kansas-duke-getty-2 copy.jpg ↗

As you read this... tell me when you knew we actually won this game:

1. No Coach Self
2. Duke had 21 offensive rebounds
3. Duke made 9 more FTs than us
4. Duke used 3 dominant 7-footers to none on our side
5. Halfway through the first half, we abandoned most of our aggressiveness... shutting down their offense and getting out on the break, settling for a half court game favored by Duke.
6. Kansas shot 3 of 19 from trey.

You know what your eyes told you. At times, Duke seemed to totally dominate us with their size, physicality, and NBA future talent.

Now forget what you thought you saw... and soak in the other stats and facts about the game:

1. Kansas blocked 13 shots... Duke 2.
2. Dajuan had 10 assists... Duke (as a team) had 8. KU had 21 assists.
3. Kansas still managed to get 12 offensive rebounds.
4. Duke had 3 more TOs than us.
5. Kansas shot 46.3% FG... Duke 35.8%
6. Duke shot 3 of 21 from trey.

In a game full of giants... JWil filled the stat sheet, including 11 boards. And our invisible Dajuan, with his tiny 6 points, was the difference in this game. By himself, he had more assists than the entire Duke team, which means he was able to create more scoring for his teammate than all the Duke players did for each other combined.

What sticks out with us is Gradey's scoring threat. We need to create a TON of offense for this guy! One of the few Bilas comments not full of Duke love mentioned how Gradey plays like a senior. Can he do this all year? I doubt every single game, but if he can do it in this game, down the stretch when we really needed it, he can do it in March!

Imagine what would have happened with a healthy MJ in this game? He's a guy that can easily make his scoring space on anyone, any size. He's a guy who plays above the rim and surely would have impacted some of those rebounds.

Bill Self was missed in this game. I have absolutely no doubt that we would have spanked Duke had Bill been there to keep us from straying away from our early game strategy.

Though Bill was gone, his fingerprints were all over this game. JWil's after-game interview showed that. He mentioned his leadership focusing on staying composed. We showed composure throughout this roughneck game. When Duke finally took the lead, you could sense their cockiness... and they weren't prepared for us coming back strong at the end. They get their cockiness from Scheyer... who I'm beginning to dislike more than Coach K.

@DanR Spot on!

I'm sure Duke and UK have several players who go on to the NBA... they always look so good on paper. That's why the game is played... to actually see who wins. If we keep our wits about us and continue developing all year (without many injuries) we should be right there in March... and hopefully April!

Zuby and Udeh are being taught that they have to all-out hustle to take minutes away from KJ. This is Self' coaching.. and he has exactly what he wants for the 5... a competition for minutes with guys that all bring different gifts.

@Jethro

Wish I could give you 10 likes for your last post!

Speed and basketball IQ!

I've watched Duke this year and they have some tall talent, but they look really sloppy and vulnerable to pressure.

Run, run, run! Keep them out of playing half court ball... keep it our speed...

I'm hoping Dajuan, Kevin and crew capture double-digit steals that end in run outs! The formula for victory! Swarm their height with bees and sting, sting, sting!

I'm not sure Zach has found his rhythm with the speed we are playing.

He definitely has some special big man skills that are unique to this team.

Maybe it's just a matter of time before suddenly it "clicks in" for him. If it does... he could become a big piece to this team. But he doesn't have to be. We have the 5 covered and will develop whatever Self wants to develop.

@BeddieKU23

Seems like Gradey is playing like a sophomore or junior! What a level kid! But we'll see if he keeps his cool when playing Duke away from Lawrence.

All I know is... I saw some major potential with Rice last night! He's still getting healthy but his athleticism will be huge for this team. If he received big minutes he could become our best rebounder. The guy plays above the rim!

I know we haven't played anyone yet... but wow! This team is coming together quickly! Can't ever recall a team this young and with so many pieces playing anything that even looks like basketball this early in the season! We only had 9 TOs and we constantly shuffled players in and out!

I am sensing we have pretty good basketball IQ as a team... and that is something we haven't always had with Self teams.

So glad to see many of you jumping on my enthusiasm bandwagon!

The Duke game might bring us back to earth... but I'm not sure we are a good matchup for them! We might run them out of the gym! (wishful thinking here)

I don't know when I've ever been this jacked up on our team! Felt pretty darn good about our 2020 team with Doke... but I'm quickly passing that!

I don't know if this holds up... but from a few games I see a new possibility for how we use our bigs.

Moving away from back-to-the-basket hi-lo game and use them mostly for lob dunks. We've got players, like Bobby, who can easily penetrate and score at the rim. He draws defenders and "BAM!" we have the lob dunk!

I like the idea of keeping the paint opened up because we have so many driving threats, JWil, Bobby, Joe, Gradey... even Dajuan!

I see our need to use bigs different than in the past... with a higher emphasis on high ball screens for pick-n-roll, sometimes pick-n-pop... getting out on the break sometimes for either primary or (especially) secondary break finishes. Then work hard to stop low post scoring on defense and be a big rebounder.

I think we need, at least, two players getting significant minutes at the 5... probably 3!

It's starting to look like Zach could be the guy left out. I know it's early... and I know both @Texas-Hawk-10 and I have had hopes of Zach being big in this formula... but I think the formula might be shifting away from our bigs shooting treys, to focusing on our shorter players hitting treys. JWil is looking very comfortable out there at trey and Gradey is a beast on the trey. A few other guys can chip in out there as the season progresses.

I sense a new wrinkle in Self's offense this year and I'm excited for it! Last year we saw more of our "large guards" Och and CB cutting through the post in our half court offense. We barely even have a half court offense left now as we move to a "speed team" transition basketball.

Does the hi/lo work with a transition team? I think NOT!

Rice! YES!!!!! I especially love his rebounding! He's a piece in all of this. Hope he can pop the trey!

I'm as excited to watch this team play as any team we've ever had!

These guys are fun! So much energy... and speed! Love this speed!

Going to be a very entertaining year and who knows how it plays out in March! Or April!

I came away feeling SUPERCHARGED after this game! I know... it's Omaha. But still... some of what I experienced I have not experienced before with KU ball.

Is it possible this team can be even more exciting to watch than last year's team? Heck yes! Finally... we are seeing a Bill Self team really out in transition! So many past teams with speed but only playing half-court offense.

First... JWil looks like a different player. He is oozing with optimism! He's doing everything! A+

Second... Gradey is a monster! That sweet outside trey is going to win us a lot of games this year! What else he provided? Showing a lot more overall athleticism than many expected. Defense? Oh yes! He was supposed to be soft... ha... not so soft! And I loved his swagger! I'm seeing a team that shows a lot more emotion than last year's team!

Third... McCullar's presence is so important to this team! We already see from two games that his defense shows leadership with this team! And he can fill a stat sheet with more than defense!

Fourth... Bobby is a scrapper! And he can take a guy in one-on-one when we clear it out for him!

Fifth.... Dajuan is captain of another great team! He's sprinkling in a few more points and racking up huge assists while defending well!

More.... KJ stays active... and that creates opportunities. Got to love his energy and it adds to the speed of this team! Clearly, he is getting the most looks from coaches early on this year in the 5. Joseph is feeling the pressure to score... maybe a good thing as the season progresses. Zach is still not getting minutes to shine. Zuby and Udeh... looks like Udeh leading in PT but time will tell. I'm still a bit skeptical of using any big man that slows down the total team. No one brings the energy like KJ!

I would welcome the Zags anyday (as long as Few is committed for many more years)! He's an excellent coach and brings a different approach to the game. It would be good for our league.

We have two choices in the post:

1. Go small

2. Go big

Zach is big... just thin. I consider him "going small." So we have KJ and Zach on the "going small" side. Also... we have potential to stick someone like McCullar in the low post. Maybe sometimes even someone like JWil.

Zuby and Udeh have size and are players who will eventually develop into traditional bigs... back to the basket scoring, rebounding, and low post defense.

Question is... how many teams will we play that have a real low post threat? I'll tell you... not many! The biggest issue (and need) we have with a big is offering rebounding. We need rebounds to get out and run! If we could have a big capable of pulling double-figure rebounds... this contest would probably be over. Low post scoring is pretty basic. Not too hard to have your back at the basket and shoot a mini hook. Glad more people are now appreciating what Big Dave had to offer. He had great low post scoring %.

Right now.... I like the idea that we play games with some minutes small, some big. We adjust as the game goes along with what works best.

Starters.... I don't always put faith in the +/- stat... but checkout this game. It is glaring... Harris, Wilson, McCullar, Adams, Dick... and then Bobby... Very telling.

@Kcmatt7

It was such a "newbie" game. Wow! All those first half nerves were hilarious. I'm almost positive a junior high school team would have taken an early lead on us.

The competition at the 5 will continue. None really grabbed me enough to give a thumbs up. I did notice how they were all trying to keep up with the speed of the offense.

What sticks out in this game is Self's desire to run!

All of our 5 candidates are going to have to realize they can't be "ball and chains" out there... slowing down our team pace. From what I saw, KJ holds the lead with speed!

VIEWS OF THE GAME:

1. Gradey stuck out to me! Wow! That kid has an amazing shot! Great verticality, great form, super quick release... I can't think of anyone we've ever had that had a stroke that clean as a freshman! He's going to take some lumps this year, but he is going to get plenty of PT and will be making some amazing plays!

2. McCullar is the real deal! 5 steals... and almost another 5 steals. When he is out there it seems like we have 6 defenders! He was the guy that flipped our lousy slow start into a big win! He started the charge on defense then others sped up and played better defense, too! If I was to give out a game ball for this game it would go to McCullar!

3. JWil showing more scoring aggression. Many times last year he had the rock and was driving and pulled out... now he tries to finish more. It's a good sign and I expect him to average some big numbers this year!

4. Bobby has to stay healthy! His scrap should earn him plenty of minutes! His game is still untapped and he can be huge for us this year if he stays healthy and builds off his PT.

5. Dajuan played it right! Only 6 points but 10 assists! How many games will we lose this year if he puts up 10 assists?

6. Rebounds are in question! No one got more than 4 rebounds. I get it... this year will be a "team rebound" theme. I'm okay with that but hey, we only had one more rebound than Pitt State! It's hard to send everyone to the boards on defense if we plan to be a fast break team! ANSWER: We need a big that will dominate the boards!

@BShark

Yes on Louisville... except look at their program now. It's a disaster.

I think our self-punishment says more about our fan base than anything else. Our fans don't want a dirty program. My experience with Louisville fans... they could care less... especially wanting to beat UK at any cost.

And our fan base reaches far beyond our alumni. On my 20-year stint through Europe I can't count the times I ran into other Jayhawk fans... many not speaking good English. I was a walking billboard with KU gear! (lol)

Our program is guided heavily by our reputation. We have a lot more to lose than a year or two punishment from the NCAA! Not even close!

Concerning Self... his job is to coach, but it gets political and legal. And he doesn't always know what is going to happen. Pretty hard to judge his honesty, or just how transparent he needs to be. Personally, I give him a high grade in how he handles himself and how it reflects on Kansas. I definitely rate his abilities in this area ahead of probably all coaches we have had before him in my lifetime.

Surely this came about after some kind of agreement with IARP. Otherwise... it would be some kind of an admission of guilt and could do more harm to us than good.

It is a compromise to reduce the blood loss from our side because we help the NCAA save a little face.

I think of it as a plea agreement.

So from here... I expect us to not be penalized more but get our hands verbally slapped in their decision.

Two thumbs up for YouTube TV! Unlimited DVR, too!

So I'm looking at this schedule:

https://kuathletics.com/sports/mbball/schedule/ ↗

When it doesn't list a broadcaster.... surely that means the games will be broadcasted but not negotiated for yet? Half of the Big12 schedule not televised?

If you hit the download button... it shows the schedule with different TV possibilities.

Someone help me out here...

@BeddieKU23

I think he mostly has more confidence. And he will do whatever Self asks of him. If Self advises him to be more aggressive as a scorer... he will! I do hope he's worked on being more aggressive and put up some serious trey reps in the off-season.

@BeddieKU23

Good perspective!

I think opposing PGs tended to fall back and not play him tight... challenging him to pump up treys. I think if he puts up better trey numbers the defense will play him tighter and it should send him to the line more.

Otherwise... he can get there by penetrating more. I'm not sure that is what Self wanted. He had CB, Och and Wilson for that.

I expect his game to shift to what the team needs. Hard to say he wasn't effective last year since we won it all.

Your idea is a solid argument.... I'm on "wait and see" mode now... and will better evaluate after I see this team play some games first.