🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Kcmatt7 said:

I expect Bennett to start recruiting better.

I think he recruits the right guys for his system.

He's starting to figure out that he still needs some offense to win titles. I'll tell you one thing... he puts Self to shame when it comes to playing "BAD BALL." No "offense" to Self... but UVA used to like games in the 50s, and once in a while they get one in the 40s.

I'm still surprised no D1 coaches have figured out how to find some real rough-cut diamond future defensive specialists... For those, go to D1 football recruits and look at defensive backs. Many of those guys that are just under being the top but are multi-dimensional athletes would be great pickups. If Self really ends up with many holes next year he should pick up a couple. They will toughen up the entire team and make all our guys better on offense, too, because no more easy baskets in practice.

Football players have different attitudes... especially defensive players. There are plenty of these uber athletes out there that run 6'2" or taller and can jump out of the gym.

Look at our prized Garrett. He sort of fits this mold. I'd love to have a couple Garretts on our team.

Remember Clint Normore? He made a HUGE difference on our NC '88 team!

@Bosthawk

I feel your frustration. I agree that I want players who put KU and their opportunity to play for KU paramount.

But I draw the line getting down too hard on Grimes. I don't think he ever pretended to be a huge KU fan. He was a guy that came into Lawrence "hyped up" and ranked. That is what we get for gambling on him.

As long as we play this concept of putting much of our eggs in the "elite basket" we can expect to have more of the same. I guarantee you this happens at all the elite schools who are busy recruiting elites.

I know I'm becoming more of a Virginia fan every single day! I hope Bennett doesn't use his new added prestige on going towards higher recruits and selling out his damn-good model on how to coach D1!

But I'm not the normal D1 basketball fan. I'm a basketball geek who loves defense... loves rebounding!

It's hard to say how Grimes will turn out. He may end up in the league and fulfill the hype forecast. And then we will all say, "See! He didn't try at Kansas! He merely used us to get to the next level!"

From what I have seen of Grimes, he isn't anywhere near ready to dribble on a NBA court. But that doesn't mean he won't be later, and that later could be within a year!

When these kids get hyped up they get a free pass to an opportunity at the next level. That means they get exposed to the developmental tools to get there. Money fuels all of this, and marketing creates money! A hyped kid is already floating around with followers, dreamers and the like.

I've read plenty about Grimes. He sure seems like a really good kid! I advise rethinking all of this. The problems are in the system. Not the kids. In fact... even the players that seem the worst... there is a reason why they are the way they are. It's a little too much to just expect these teenagers to be wise beyond their years, spiritual, and without any tarnish from the fairytale existences they have suffered with their entire lives!

I'm back coaching kids basketball. The problems start far before a kid dribbles a basketball. I personally went through this with my son, who within his first year of life was projected to be in the top 2% in height. That built all kinds of fairytale thoughts in my head. I'm back to reality now and I will accept him for who he is and what makes him happy!

Smelling sauce, anyone?!

@FarmerJayhawk

I think you and @BigBad are both right. We have been made aware of academic violations from big players, like UNC and Syracuse.

I expect that this is going on any many schools. But there are also many schools operating above board.

Time will tell.

The DOJ is completely understaffed to handle the wide scale crime going on in our country. They have to limit focus based on manpower and overhead.

I expect to see a bit more of a broad sweep on academic crime eventually... kind of like what we are now seeing on their "pay to play" bust on elites buying their kids way into schools. I think it is fair to assume their bust was meant more to warn the world that there is a risk they run doing this because they only scratched the surface.

We all need to drop our current careers and go work on passing the bar. Hate to say it... we all complain about how lawsuits are damaging our way of life... just wait! The tsunami hasn't hit yet!

Look at that "pay to play" elite bust... it is opening up all kinds of legal challenges... class action lawsuits involving millions of people.

I'm still waiting to hear about a class action lawsuit brought by past athletes who feel they have been damaged by these proven academic cases. I know there are cases outstanding now involving non-athletic students. I'm guessing the student-athletic case or cases are already out there.

When will this ever stop?

Remember the line, "nothing is certain except death and taxes?"

Time for a revamp, "nothing is certain except death, taxes and lawsuits!"

I expect that to become popular soon, so I better complete my copyright on that so I can sue people for using it! ;)

@approxinfinity

Take their phones away from them. Tell them their future phone possession will be directly related to their rebounding stat sheet in practice.

Ha... it's a great way to tick your kids off... but if you make it a real competitive challenge, eventually they rise to the entertainment level of the competitiveness.

@approxinfinity

My recent "sourness" makes me sound like I think most of these 5-star recruits are just self-centered and completely not caring about Kansas and the legacy of our great school.

I don't want to judge every young man with one blanket statement.

I think the truth is, the highly-touted players are focused on what they think their future employment will be. That often runs counter to fitting the fans' and coaches' mold of what they should do.

A more extreme example was Zion this past year. Many NBA guys told him to quit in the middle of the season to "protect the goods." I've been hearing this guy might be worth $1 billion in his career. Just how much is a guy like Zion supposed to care about Duke? Enough to risk $1 billion? Yet... he did hang in there and put out the effort!

And I get down on our coaching staff for not getting these guys better coached up. All these guys come in here with their own attitudes and expectations, often conflicting considerably with our coaching staff and fanbase. But the players are the players, and they come in here usually being built up to think they are the next Messiah. Are they to blame for that? Ha... they are kids!

My idea is to focus on developing the players, even within the limited scope of what D1 coaches can coach their players. Going "all in" on development and touting that on the recruiting trail is a way to filter out kids who are looking for an easy ride and don't want to dive for balls.

Much of the atmosphere for success isn't what the coaches have to offer or that direct environment... it is the indirect environment... the school life! Do the players really desire to put in an extra 20 hours a week on their trade, late at night? If they do, they will advance their games quickly. I saw that happen with the Lawson brothers this year. Dedric stayed in the gym and worked on his trey ball... and look what happened! Can we say that about every player on our squad? That guy worked his tail off to strengthen his body and become a more-rounded player. I believe he'll make it at the next level because he has the work ethic and focus. He may not be an athletic elite, but who cares when the guy knows how to fill a stat sheet!

My way may be "old school" but it sure worked for Bennett this year! I'd like to hear his recruiting sales pitch, "if you are looking for a team where you will work your butt off, pretty much every breathing second you are on campus, consider Virginia!"

The one area of basketball, where it truly exposes players and their level of being "coached up" is rebounding. I'm back in coaching my own kids, right now, oldest is age 5. I can guarantee you he thinks more about sealing off the glass when the ball is shot than our players do. It isn't even close! Why is that? Kansas basketball is such a big deal to probably millions of people. It's something that generates millions in revenue. It's a big deal! Yet, my 5-year old kid thinks and reacts more on rebounds than the cream of the cream athletes we recruit?

Look at the NC game this year. Those teams got after it! It may not have been the game with Zion dunks... but it was two teams that were focused, coached up, and got after it! I was thrilled to watch the FF this year!

I look at all of this as a development issue. Players need to be developed.

Why Malik left? Why would he stay? The reason for any of these guys to stay is they will become more marketable and skilled if they stay another year. There is always a risk of injury... and so they best become a lot better if they decide to stay another year. Did Malik improve while at Kansas? I think there is a good case for saying yes. Though part of it was just him feeling comfortable with his role on the team. Would he have continued to make gains staying another year? Maybe he didn't consider it enough of a factor to stay!

I don't want it to sound like I don't think our guys improve quite a bit while in Lawrence. They do. Just not to the level I would like to see. And at the level I'm talking about, I seriously doubt we lose many players early who really aren't ready to jump to some form of pro ball.

The game was ruined when they ditched the peach baskets!

@nuleafjhawk

I am realistic, and I remember what it took to haul arse up and down a court. We'd last about 1 minute up and down, but that one minute we would dominate the paint! (smile)

It almost seems like the elite guys are offended to think they should have to hustle and put a body on someone.

I had a hard time understanding Grimes. How can any player play 30+ minutes and barely mark a stat sheet? The ball will eventually fall into your hands if you just jiggle around a little bit.

I am very happy with Big Mac! He still needs to work on his footwork (considerably), but he puts plenty of effort into his time on the court.

I was thrilled to see the NC game wasn't stuffed with OADs. I wish we could become a team like that.

Suddenly... recruiting the mid-level players looks appealing.

I grew up in Kansas and was exposed to quality basketball my entire life. This OAD stuff is ruining basketball. I'm back on my perch, chirping my old strategy from past years... that Kansas become the first "elite program" to intentionally state we aren't looking for elite talent. We want the guys who know they aren't jumping to the league in 8 months. And we start trimming out our existing assistant coaches who are here for their ability to recruit and we bring in assistants with a resume for development.

Anyone remember when I advised we pay the big $ to connect us to John Lucas? Might be too late for that since he's now the developmental coach for the Houston Rockets. But there is plenty of talented guys out there capable of becoming big-time developmental coaches.

This past year was sour. I know we caught some bad breaks. But it still was based on hype from the word "go." #1 in the country?

I'm tired of the hype. And I'm tired of elite recruits who have a certain skill set that gives them their ranking, but can't perform the simple tasks required to play fundamental basketball. I grew up with the fundamentals and I bet I could still take my old rear end out on a court and could seal off the rim for boards better than anyone on our team. It's pathetic!

I vote for a retool! And I still think Bill Self is the guy who can do this. He's proven himself to me. Hudy is also solid gold. Beyond that... I'd start from scratch.

I guarantee you one thing... college basketball fans from across the nation would grasp our new concept and would become instant fans of Kansas!

I'm sick of us throwing our brand and heritage into the trash can because of elite recruits who could care less about Naismith, the Big Dipper, and on and on.

@jayballer73

I think this is starting to soak in with you.

You can thank the NCAA for killing our conference streak and a possible run (of some sort) in the dance because of the threat on Silvio.

Gatto is paying because his case fits into a federal prosecutor's snare... that's all. He wants this to go away more than anyone.

Meanwhile... back at the ranch... Hollywood starlets are going to the big pig pen for bribing universities so their "not as capable" children receive preferential treatment.

Sometimes I wake up, and wonder if it is all just a dream... but who could dream up this frivolous existence!

@dylans

Good point!

I just got around to watching Texas Tech vs Michigan State and was amazed at how well Texas Tech executed their game plan and played true hustle defense... the kind of defense many of us talk about and what Kansas doesn't do, even in our better years. We make up a lot of ground with some of our teams with athleticism.

But what Beard has done should be focused on and he did it without a bunch of top recruits.

I have to say that I am extremely impressed with Beard and his abilities. I'm not trying to slam our coaching... though I do think we need to retool our thoughts and consider what Beard is doing.

If the team is coached well, we shouldn't be worried if we have a down year recruiting Top 25 talent!

I've got a question for everyone.... how many McD's AAs will be playing in tomorrows National Championship game? Any?

I know we all love signing elite recruits. The process tells us that some of the best players out there prefer Kansas. But what do we really get in return? From my perspective... we receive plenty of nice press from the players that go on to big NBA careers. Jojo comes to mind. As far as hanging banners... I'm not convinced they are the answer.

What would happen if we just scrapped the hunt for elite players? We've had this discussion before. We focus on finding great athletes with solid potential. Man... I sure would have liked to see Harper from Auburn in a Jayhawk uniform! I looked back and he was rated as the 90th best. Wow! The guy could blow by a cheetah! How smart do you have to be to see potential in that?

This year's Final Four will be remembered for the quality coaches who made it there. All four deserve a very special tip of the hat!

It's a good thing, that we've been knocked down a few notches within our own conference. We need to do a lot more than just try to out-recruit everyone else in our league. We need to be focused on the basics, and maybe that means a different coaching philosophy and some new life to our assistant coaching staff. Or maybe it just means getting away from the "shiny box" recruits and getting some players in here that are athletically superior and have the heart to work hard and go after a National Championship!

Duke's loss turned the light bulb on in my head. Seeing their top recruits fall, along with Zion, should tell us all that talent alone won't do it most years. There are so many quality recruits out there that never get discovered until after they make it in D1. It does really make me question D1 coaches and their ability to recruit and I'm not just talking about KU....

I thought Pearl executed an excellent plan. His approach to his team, "just bring energy! Play excited and GO! If you do that we will win because they won't know how to match our energy. So now you know how to win... feel all the confidence in the world because we have the plan to beat Kansas!"

Pearl is one of the best motivators in college basketball.

Where is Ralster?

I do hope this ends up "cleansing" our spirits so we can look at college basketball with a fresh perspective. "Abundance" in any area of your life will typically bring sourness because sourness is a part of being spoiled.

I pulled back quite a while ago in an attempt to see the broader view. My broader view feels very fortunate to be a Jayhawk, and to follow Jayhawk sports!

One way or another, Jayhawk basketball will continue, and it (most likely) will continue to float to the top of college basketball.

Ups and downs bring opportunity for balance and maintaining a healthy perspective.

It looks like most or all of Kansas is having sunshine and warmth today.... time to enjoy it! My tomato seedlings are coming along nicely and I'm psyched to have yet another successful garden!

I want to wish well for everyone in here!

RCJH!

It is my opinion that the current "stink" at Kansas actually locks Self to Kansas. Not necessarily the other way around.

If Bill wanted to leave, where would he go? He's currently "marked" under this NCAA/FBI investigation. Who wants to hire his "baggage?" I seriously doubt D1 schools or the SA Spurs.

Bill needs to wait it out, clean up the image...

The Jayhawk Nation is nervous. I say... just look at Syracuse. Look at UNC. These schools just went through a fed investigation and NCAA probes. Yesterday, I watched a table conversation with Roy, Jim and Coach K. They aren't going anywhere. Money rules everything.

Who sang, "Give the people what they want?" The Kinks?

I smell BS until Duke gets pulled down into the mud. If I'm not mistaken, Zion chose Duke.

BTW, I heard a rumor that Zion will receive the largest contract every received by any sports player in any sport... of all time! His most valuable sports moment (meaning... financially) will be his shoe blowout at Duke. Could it be that he receives a deal for a billion dollars? It's a lifetime contract.

Just imagine... can anyone afford to mess with Zion? The NCAA? Fat chance... I bet he will end up owning his favorite NBA team within 5 years....

Excuse me while I upchuck...

@jayhawkcsg

"There is no evidence that this has happened, and it’s all just hearsay at the moment. "

Am I mistaken... but doesn't this say, "this is all bullsnit, but what the hay!?"

BeddieKU23 said:

@jayballer73

I guess it's a good thing we have 9 fan bases wishing they could be KU.. embrace the jealousy

We need a chip.

I remember, back in the 70's, playing for a tournament team that traveled in the Midwest. We were hated everywhere. We were in a championship game with a local team that had recruited in some ringer talent, so we were up for a real fight.

Before the game, one of the fans attempted to spit on one of our players and landed a big luggy on his shoe. He brought it into our team huddle, and everyone looked down at that hawker on his shoe.

We clobbered that team by 40 points. We were out for blood and we could have taken down anyone that night.

I'm back... wanting to see a chip. Heck... this team should go win us a National Championship after losing our streak... just to forget the streak!

RCJH!

Guess it could be worse... at least at this time I don't believe the feds are preparing a case against anyone at Kansas... like they appear to be doing in Arizona. Where is the NCAA on that?

It all reminds me of the sitcom Reno 911... where the FBI came in and used the local police to "guard the perimeter." We all know which authority I am putting in the Reno 911 role...

@Woodrow

Wade hasn't been 100% or even close to it. They are resting him for their hope of a deep run in March. I can't blame them. Looks like they are taking one out of our book.

We can either beat anyone and everyone, or we can fold up tent for next year. It really depends how our young bucks think. From the last games.... it looks like they are looking ahead to next year. I hope that isn't the case. I hope they realize who they are playing for and what is expected.

Glad to see Big Mac coming along! He should spend all summer in dance lessons to better coordinate those big feet. Glad we have him for a few more years...

For what it is worth (somewhere between 1 and 2 cents).. I have a second cousin visiting from AZ, he was a D2 player down there. He said Miller is done and probably headed off to the big house. I know it is just rumor stuff... but he lives AZ basketball.

I have a hard time believing AZ basketball won't get handcuffed by the NCAA, too... though the real threat is FBI -

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2018/11/19/why-sean-miller-cant-shake-fbi-college-basketball-investigation/1984094002/ ↗

His game is totally different... but on this, I like to compare him to Frank. Frank has done well for himself and he has a much better NBA body over Devon. @justanotherfan said it right... the NBA grinds up small guards. I think it would be smart for Devon to earn his degree because he will probably use it later. His best shot is to be here through his junior year (at least).

Anyone check out Devonte's heroics in G-league? I barely recognized him because he has been building his body to better translate to the league.

Once these guys go for the league, you can tell the serious players because they always make a huge leap in conditioning once they leave. So few have the body necessary at that level when coming straight from college. But heck... they have a lot more time to dedicate to basketball and conditioning...

@BeddieKU23

Yes... what a weird year. It just proves to us we can never take anything for granted.

2012 was a weird year, too.

Who knows? With kids this young, you just never know what they will do. Could fall flat or they could come together with a real chip and go clobber some people.

Our ace in the hole is Bill Self. Believe me... no one wants to draw us come tournament time!

I think they need to speed up the review process. I'm glad we have some level of reviews because it often takes away the focus on ref calls.

I'm saving for a pair... right after I buy one of these:

https://www.woot.com/offers/the-nose-picker-3000?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_19 ↗

I like Kellerman's call on this one... including exposure to the black/gray markets.

It's all about money. Zion is collateral damage.

All I can say is JB stuck us with the ultimate "I told you so" when the shoe dropped on Adidas... even though it is a dark cloud on Kansas basketball. He understood the real influence of shoe money.

He coined so much of the jargon on the shoe situation. My favorite; "ShoeCos"

He'll be back someday... when he runs dry on margarita mix.

LONGHORN BREAKING NEWS:

UT officials beg Rick Barnes to return.

Filmed at 11....

BeddieKU23 said:

Dotson is Frank reincarnated

I'm a monster Frank fan.... but wow... Dot far exceeds Frank as a freshman. Not even close. We have to consider that Frank wasn't a natural PG. Frank came to Lawrence as a volume scorer shooting guard. Remember how he struggled to adjust?

It's so refreshing that Dot came to us already as a solid PG. I mentioned this early... I can't recall a better freshman PG EVER at Kansas!

What I'm wondering... will his smaller size keep him in college for 4 years? Right now, I think we can keep him through his junior year. Of course, it always matters how we do in the NCAA tourney. When we go far it helps all our guys get more league attention.

I feel bad for Wade. He's an awesome guy. Foot injuries usually require a full year to heal. There are 28 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons in each foot... don't forget ligaments, blood vessels and nerves. It is impossible for doctors to locate all stress fractures when it comes to feet. It is unlikely Wade will be effective from here on out. I do see him returning, but the chances he has more trouble is probable. Add on top of that the Diarra loss.

I still see our biggest threat being TT. We get past them and it should be a downhill ride from there, though we will have to be on our game from here on out!

@approxinfinity

Excellent post!

I'm not going to come on here and blast Vick. I have the feeling he's been dealt some bad cards and he's trying to figure out a way forward. But I will say what looks like the obvious, this is now a better team without him!

It may have just been a team identity issue. I'm sure this was a huge part of it. This was supposed to be Vick's team. He was reformed and the senior that came out hot early on. When he fizzled and when he showed signs of trouble, we were suddenly without leadership. There was chaos on this team.

This is like a completely different team now! Devon is seating himself in a higher leadership role, but also... the entire team feels an obligation to contribute to leadership. That's creates a deadly problem for our opponents. If they focus on stopping Dedric, someone else will rise up for a big game.

We severely need Marcus back and at full speed! I'm guessing he is still 2 to 3 weeks away from being about 95%. He's going to have to learn how to play through pain now.

I don't know what it is going to take to get Q to play better. He hasn't adjusted to the speed of D1. He remains well-spirited and he's a great kid. It doesn't appear that it is a situation where he is just over-thinking the game. I just don't think he has made the leap to D1 smoothly and he may need another year or two. Meanwhile... it is crucial that he find enough improvement to reduce many of his TOs. He also needs considerable defensive work. Most of the teams in the B12 know he's the man to attack on defense and I'm seeing them run iso's at him.

I did mention early on that KJ would be a guy that will win us some games this year and he has proven me correct. He's not done winning us games either!

Agbaji... his poise and energy are just what the doctor ordered for this young team! He is definitely another leader and not afraid to do it. What a find he was!

We can definitely expect a lot more production from Lightfoot. He now sees his role on this team (crystal clear) and he will be there for us, 100%!

Everyone is onboard! The energy has never been this positive this year and all we should see now is constant improvement, almost daily.

The maturity of this team is happening before our eyes. We are coming on big, and lucky for that because we really need to win out to guarantee #15!

I think Vick has always had off-court tough things to deal with. That has finally reached a point where he needs time at home. It's a coin flip if he returns, but what we need to do is think positive and support him during this tough time. He's a Jayhawk, and there is clearly no bad intent here on his part.

Perhaps his absence may help the team regain a bit more focus down the stretch.

We have reached a magic moment when the streak is at stake and the struggle should help toughen up our young guys. I still wouldn't be surprised if we win out in the league. I recall what happened with the 2012 team without a single McDs AA after TRob's tragedy.

If we get any kind of leadership moving forward, we still should win our conference.

It's no surprise to me that we won by such a large margin over TTech on Saturday.... after Devonte gave a message to the guys. Our guys need a leader. Plain and simple. Just look how they responded to Devonte stepping in with some leadership language!

This is the time for Dotson to stand up. He can stand up now and save our season. Save the streak. And be well-poised to gain full control of this team next year.

He can start his new role of alpha dog by staying in Vick's grill to keep him going throughout our remaining games. When a freshman can push a senior... you've got your alpha dog and I can see Dotson carrying on the conference torch all four years at Kansas!

This really is the crucial time. Maybe Sherron can contact Devon and build him up on how he owned the purple kitties in Manhattan!

A few things I'll be watching for is Devon's play (which he will still be thinking about that WVU loss and his 7 TOs). Also... Dedric's fouls are a concern because UK will feed the post with hopes to foul him out.

I'm hopeful Q will come ready and show us something. If he doesn't, then I hope he at least stays away from making huge mistakes.

Pace will be a key. If we get the right pace and we get into a groove, we can win this game. If we don't, it could get ugly.

Your last paragraph says it all. Enjoy the ride and let's hope we keep the streak alive!

I'm not attending practices so I can't really say what's up with Q. He looks lost out there. I just don't think the game has slowed down enough for him yet. Not sure how a guy can basically have half a game on the court and not put up any numbers. He seems to be chasing after the game when he should know where the game is and start getting in the middle of it!

I can think of three very obvious things Marcus can do to improve his shooting stats this year without changing his form...

First... he needs confidence! That plays a huge role in bringing up numbers. It only takes the slightest hesitation to kill a shot. Marcus has to realize that just deciding he feels confident will begin improving his shot. If he needs any help with this he should chat with KJ. Man... he's never afraid to take a shot from anywhere!

Second... he should rethink his focus. Is his vision okay? Maybe worth an eye test. He needs to think more about where he is focusing.... back of the rim? An overall vision of the rim? Does he envision a pathway for the ball?

Third... he has to learn to relax on his shot. His arms should feel like spaghetti. Soft stroke. Follow through...

HighEliteMajor said:

@drgnslayr I just don’t see passion. I see passivity.

You know I'm a Self fan.... but if I see a weakness in his coaching it is his inability to express passion on through his teams. I don't think there are many coaches that are capable cheerleaders on the sidelines. Jimmy Valvano was always one of my favorites.

Darn! Wish I was nearby!

I think back on this game and I sort of wonder if Self took one out of Izzo's book... looking forward to a few bad losses so the team comes together and gets serious about playing real ball.

We have been very fortunate to win as many games as we have so far this year. Lots of "deer in the headlights" play where we won even though we really didn't know why or how.

Even without Doke or Silvio... this team has plenty of potential to win another conference title and go far in March. It's better we start making real headway into that potential now so we can continue to tweak it all the way through March.

I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in the level of play coming off of Christmas break. I was hoping to see a higher level of play... quite a bit higher. There is plenty of blame to go around, but I'd put it most just on the fact that they really haven't come together as any kind of team yet. I'm yet to see the players connect at a higher level with each other. It still looks like just a bunch of guys that are thrown together to play a game.

What is really missing right now is leadership. Someone needs to stand up and say, "this is MY team!" and then go prove it. I haven't seen a true alpha dog on this squad yet. My hope is for Devon. Somewhere deep inside himself he needs to cut the thoughts off about not being worthy to take over a team with some players who have been around longer. Also not sure just how much alpha he has inside. If there is a chink in his armor... this would be it. Time will tell.

Devon had a bad game. That really hurt us because we have already become accustom to his level play with few turnovers. He had 7 TOs in this game!

But we have to cut him a break. He is a freshman... on the road for his first game in Morgantown. He is a fast learner. I bet he lost sleep after this loss. I bet he is thinking about some of the other venues and he has a deep desire to "suck it up" and get the job done.

It would have helped if we did have some elder leadership in Morgantown... no doubt about that.

In the long run, it probably serves are interest best to have Devon take it on the chin here. What a great chip-builder!

So... we have probably the ability to lose two more games in B12 play... that's it. Better take care of business with ISU first. I could easily see anything go down in AFH... from a complete blow out of ISU to dropping another big game. It is a character test for this young team.

I'm still optimistic. They will have to pry that B12 Conference Title trophy from my cold dead hands!

I think Grimes needs a reality check on his game. He's making some big blunders at key times and those often not only cost us points or possessions, but are big momentum killers.

WVU isolated him on that finally play because he is our weakness on defense.

I still want to support the freshman, but he represents a big weakness on our team right now. He needs to find a way to better engage in D1. Not sure I know the answer for him but I see what is happening and just trying to point that out.

Too bad for TT.

We better be ready when ISU comes to AFH!

@Texas-Hawk-10

I agree. Hard to discount his contribution in our National Championship, too.

Devon has such an ability to execute, to stay disciplined and focused, show poise, and follow Self's instructions. What more could we want from our PG? And to be just a freshman... unreal!

Talk about a trap game... wow. If anyone believes we can just waltz into Morgantown for an easy victory needs their head examined. If we fail to prepare for this and take the Mountaineers seriously, we will do what we usually do, and leave WV with a loss.

Huggy is busy right now browsing through print media. He's hunting for bait. He's looking for a story that shames his boys. It wouldn't surprise me if he searches through Jayhawk websites, too. This guy knows how to build a chip!

If we want to win, we best keep respectful, quiet, and just go in there and take care of business.

I am willing to bet the Mountaineer faithful are planning their most outrageous greeting for a Jayhawk team to date! They are looking for blood and even with their horrible record they are still trying to mount some impressive victories to at least make it into the NIT.

Huggy is always dangerous.... and now a wounded bear!

I've been watching Jayhawk basketball since the early 60s.

I can't ever recall experiencing a better freshman PG over Devon.

Let's hope he continues to improve at a rapid clip, too.

I don't know... it seems to point to our late game drop offs... barely holding on to victories instead of keeping the score up.

I'm okay with that.

We need to close out games better and maybe this helps.

@dylans

I like it, too! I don't want the automatic conference title every year. That may have been an issue with us in some years... not having to fight a tougher conference and then stroll into March with a false sense of security.

jayballer73 said:

that Shaka has the program right where Barnes did - - - -

Yep... and look at Barnes now! Ha!

That should make everyone look a little harder at this. I'm not a Shaka fan. But maybe, just maybe, it is the environment in Austin that is the real problem! Not Shaka or Barnes. I know Texas lost one of the classiest human beings on earth when Barnes left. I don't care what anyone says... the Big 12 suffered a big loss when Barnes left.

Kevin Durant couldn't do it. Why should I think different about TTech?

I don't have a total feel for them yet... but I do know it takes many things happening for a team like TTech to dethrone Kansas. Depth is a huge part of that. It's a long season. No one gets hurt? No mid-season slump? Will they beat us in either game? They avoid trap game loses? They win all home games?

We need to remember how young we are.... And consider how bad we've shot from trey. Shouldn't we be very hopeful that Kansas will come on strong late in the season?

I like our chances. I will always like our chances until the streak is over!

I don't think any of us know much about the Silvio case.

I'm hearing people say, "why didn't the university declare Silvio ineligible earlier and then proceed with trying to get him reinstated?"

On the surface, that sounds like a fair question. But do any of us really think the university/athletic department/coaching staff is "out to lunch" on this? There are reasons why things happen and when they happen.

It will really be something if Silvio gets back in the game for us! Strangely... as much of a Doke fan as I am... I have come to realize that our better lineup ahead could be Silvio replacing Doke. Silvio has speed! Silvio has the ability to shoot outside of the box. Silvio is a better FT shooter. And, arguably, a better defender! And, of course... our best rebounder!

Now... throw in Agbaji to this mix! We could have one VERY QUICK team with plenty of depth! Suddenly... we become a defensive NIGHTMARE for opponents!

Is it possible our best potential is ahead of us? And, on top of that... maybe we get Doke back next year as a senior!

My glass runneth over... the heck with being half full!

Think, people.. think! Better... dream!