@Texas-Hawk-10 said:
Was I still speeding because the cop chose not to pull me over?
Heck no! ; )
drgnslayr
11251 posts
I'm surprised the refs didn't make a call just because of the impact of the hit. They often seem hellbent more on making some kind of NCAA political statement instead of just calling the game straight.
Sounds logical to me!
@truehawk93 said:
I think he tried all he could. He worked the officials all game to get an edge, as all coaches do, but to call him "solid and a class act"? I’m not quite convinced yet.
I tend to try to think positive about our league. Can you point to one thing that challenges Beard's class or that he isn't solid? It seems like you contradicted the solid question in your own sentence.
We just going to hate everyone in our league because they aren't KU?
Hey... if you know bad stuff about Beard, let's hear it. I don't see Beard possibly telling his guys to foul as a "cheap play." Isn't that just part of coaching? We've intentionally fouled before, too.
We'll see what this team is made of on Monday.
When was the last time we lost 2 games in AFH in one season?
Do they want that "title?"
Trae really does seem like the perfect match with Kansas. He will be around, probably for 4 years, and can come right in and contribute from Day 1. He's very smart, plays within his skill set and protects the ball well while being very active... and of course, he can score because he is like Frank, a volume scorer.
Hard to think he could replace Frank and make us happy.... but I feel very sure he will satisfy even the toughest critics.
I wonder if our AD could request to not host him. I'd even rather have Bilas. And that says a lot because I'm not fond of his basketball politics either.
I'll tell you.... so far I really like Beard. He seems solid and a class act.
This is just one more thing to hang in the positive column. He knew it was coming and told his guy not to flop. Had he flopped, this game (most likely) would have had a different conclusion.
Please tell me this is real!
Fran just said "other programs need Trae's services more than Kansas..."
Pathetic.
I thought something was wrong with Frank. He wasn't his old self.
I'm just glad Josh plays for us! Wow! He definitely carried us in this one.
You forget our very last game at OSU... a place where we struggle to win.
I'm not sure that we have any tougher schedule than Baylor. I think it will be tough for them to win at ISU and at home against us and UWV. I like our home court game with UVW as a better chance to win than Baylor's home game with them. (But I'm a jinx so I better be quiet)
It would be great if we have a 2-game lead going into Stillwater.
I think everyone is unique. I threw out some ideas as have others...
Josh just has to try some things and see if he can find a way to lift his average.
I think he can. He wants to win so badly... He'll figure it out. I think if he just settles down on the line a bit before taking his shot he can develop a rhythm. I hope!
Rick Berry -
"When his son Brent won the NBA Championship in 2005 with the San Antonio Spurs, Rick and Brent became the second father-son duo to both win NBA Championships as players, following the Guokases (Matt Guokas, Sr. and Matt Guokas, Jr.). Later, this would be repeated by the Waltons (Bill and Luke) and the Thompsons (Mychal and Klay). Scooter won titles in the CBA and the top Belgian League."
"He can take over games when needed and he can get other’s involved."
Yes he CAN. So WHEN will he?
His stats are okay. Would you settle for "okay" stats from Lebron James?
Devonte isn't Lebron. No question. But Lebron is an "alpha dog." Even when he has a bad game his presence is known.
Like I said... if this was someone else... if this was Vick or Svi.... I would be thrilled with his stats and activity.
I just happen to believe he is a much better player than we are experiencing. I'm posting on this because I ACTUALLY BELIEVE he is much better.
Heck... when was the last time a sportscaster even mentioned Devonte? Back in November? When everyone was touting what a great guard combo we have? Now the talk is all Frank. Frank is an alpha dog, not Devonte. Same with Josh.... alpha dog and being mentioned.
I've said this for months now... DEVONTE is the key to this team's success in March. You raise his play to that of Frank and Josh and no one has a chance of beating us in March. No one. He doesn't need to score like Frank or Josh. But he needs to put the scoring pressure on, if for no other reason to help free up Frank and Josh. And through driving and being alpha, the floor will open up for all our guys.
Devonte SHOULD be our best driving guard. He has the handles, more size than Frank, and he can drive on either side.
How about Devonte driving and kicking to a wide open trey for Frank or Svi? Both should be getting more and better looks from trey.
There are so many possible working routines from the line.
Here is another idea.
BEFORE he receives the ball from the ref, he should set his feet and take an "air shot."
A lot of guys that get nervous before shooting have added this into their routine. It already puts his repetitive form in use before taking the shot. It addresses having the mind imagine taking the shot so his focus is already working before he receives the ball.
If that doesn't work... try something else.
He is nervous on the line. That is impacting his focus. He's probably trying to not stiffen up. But instead of just hurrying up the shot to prevent stiffness, he should have a routine where he is moving his arms and body (a bit), so he is staying loose while going through a focus process.
I'm pretty sure some kind of moving routine before he shoots may help him lift his percentage.
Very true!
BTW.... UCLA is being exposed right now at home by Oregon. Current score: Oregon 37, UCLA 18.. with 6:15 left in the first half. Looks like Oregon might hang 100 on the Bruins on their home court.
I've wondered if the team let up for the ISU game after Bill complimented them.
I think we all underestimated the exhaustion level of this team. It became much more apparent during the KSU game. Frank especially. We all know he is tough as steel and tries to hide pains and issues. He wasn't hiding it in the Sherronagon. He was flat out exhausted!
And I agree... it is time for Devonte to put his mark on this season. His team needs him to step up. It's not like he isn't doing anything... but we expect more from him because we KNOW he has it in him and is probably the most gifted player we have.
In a nutshell.... YES.
The largest culprit of bad FT shooting is Josh. Part of us improving as a team in FT% is to structurally reduce the opportunities for Josh to go to the line.
For one thing... when we are in the bonus (1-and-1) we need to be careful on when Josh handles the ball. It's best that he is driving to the hole so at least can get 2 shots, and often an "and-one."
But also Josh can improve his FT shooting to some degree. It is too late to drastically change his form, which is bad. But he can work on repetitions and develop a regiment. By always doing the same thing, he can improve his %. First thing for him to do is try a few things to see if it makes a difference.
Here is an example....
He should pause and focus about the same time every time he takes a FT. Watch what he does now. Sometimes he steps up to the line and he shoots the ball very quickly after receiving it. Other times, he pauses. So which is it?
In his case, I bet he would do better to take more time at the line so he can better focus.
His form is bad. We used to call that "pushing" the ball. Guys who don't get the ball up high enough in their form look like they are pushing the ball, or throwing the ball almost like a 2-handed pass.
I can't believe we didn't work on fixing his form. He would already be showing huge improvements. All he is doing now is instilling a bad habit to take with him to the NBA. Simply stated... he WON'T be able to keep that form in the league. He'll get it blocked a million times.
Svi knows better. He needs to put in the reps at the FT line like he puts in the reps from the trey line. He also needs a bit more of a regimented routine at the line. He should be shooting 90%.
Until UCLA faces a team with a REAL M2M defense! A hungry team fighting through screens, disrupting their flow and sticking to all their guys like glue.
That's when UCLA will get exposed.
Their defense is subpar. I like UCLA... always have... but I don't take them serious until they put up more on defense. They have time left and have the tools to become decent.
Typically, for a PG you'd rather see the big numbers in assists instead of a points.
Depending on his size, he sounds like a better pick as a 2-guard.
"But he knows all the tricks."
Yes... he knows the "tricks".... they used to call them "fundamentals."
I believe he is the most fundamental big we've had in the Self era. Probably by far!
"we had to share them 4 years"
Yeah.... he tries to imply that we don't really have a streak of 12 straight. It doesn't seem to count when we share the crown.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading every post so far. Really top-notch thoughts.
It seems like most agree that we have little margin for error.
I agree.
But I also think, to some degree, we have less need for big margins than in previous years. We have plenty of experience on this team, and Josh doesn't really play like a typical freshman.
The pattern so far feels like Frank and Josh are counted on for big point stats every game. Devonte is kind of the odd one who doesn't always produce big scoring numbers. However.... when I examine our starting 5, it is rare that we get big scoring numbers from all five. And, typically, the guys who don't always have big scoring nights have several other big stats that help carry the team.
Landen's rebounds, Devonte's assists and steals, Josh's rebounds and steals..... as long as these guys STILL have a productive night, even when their scoring numbers drop, says a lot and does a lot for helping us stay consistent every night as a team.
I do think Josh IS the missing piece for this team. He's the guy who has come in and established himself as one of our best scorers and makes several big defensive plays every night. He is a catalyst for this team, no question! Just hope he can start making more FTs.
We have to remember that teams like Duke do receive big ratings.... not because they are so loved, but hated. 49% of D1 viewers HATE Duke! Yes... Duke is #1!
People want to watch Duke and UK games because they hate the school, coaches, and some of the players. Players like Grayson Allen create more hate followers than positive followers.
TV marketing wonks don't care if the viewer is watching because they hate a team, player or coach. They only care that they are watching.
Dollars decide a big chunk of this. The rest is about helping build a school's brand with either hate or love by giving them more attention than the rest.
Kansas isn't polarizing enough to get that extra viewership bump.
!4848731851_e365acc65c_b.jpg ↗
This Jayhawk team is hard to figure out.
Today, over at KUSports, Matt Tait has a story up on ranking our current guards as the best perimeter trio in the Bill Self era.
Same time as that story was released, Tom Keegan ran a story about this team being the "least dominant" team Bill has ever had at Kansas.
This team is perplexing... showing signs of being able to dominate while barely beating even the weakest teams.
I looked back over our schedule. We haven't had a real blow-out since December 6, our victory over UMKC on our home court.
Is this glaring fact a good thing or a bad thing?
Is the glass half full or half empty? That appears to be the real question here.
On the "half empty" side... It doesn't appear that we have the "killer instinct" necessary to win out in March. If we keep teams around and encourage them by not demoralizing them, aren't we opening the door for having another one of those horrid March events where we get knocked out in the first weekend by a nobody that gets hot? Wasn't that what happened in AFH last Saturday? Didn't we have the opportunity to knock out ISU early, but we let off the gas and ended up with the "L"?
On the "half full" side.... we've only dropped 3 games so far. Obviously, we know how to win. Winning is more important than running up a score. Losing only 3 games when most of our games are close, points to having a team that knows how to finish. We have come through with several big wins by playing our best down the stretch. By having so many close games, we are well-prepared for close games in March.
So how does everyone else feel?
It is just a matter of time before states truly go to battle against each other.
It is already happening to some level concerning cultural and legal issues. And you know it will become a financial war very soon.
And concerning Presidential politics.... many are boycotting companies and products over politics. This is happening on both sides.
You can just sense this becoming a major factor moving forward with sports.... pro... college... and other amateur sports.
Just sprinkle some vinegar over his photo and you have salad dressing!
I hope he sticks around in school long enough to make an impact.
I think he is two years away from being the beast everyone imagines.
Next year the goals for him are:
-
Learn enough "Self ball" to understand what he is supposed to do and how he can help create offense and help on defense.
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Get in better condition. Even though he made an incredible effort this year and lost a lot of weight, he is still a long ways from being in top D1 basketball condition. As far as he has come, he still needs another year to be in good enough condition to play most of a half without being totally winded and exhausted. Make sure hand is well-healed by doing rehab.
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Learn personal technique. Start the long process of learning how to really shoot FTs. Learn some back to the basket moves. Learn how to seal off the post. Learn how to guard without fouling. Learn how to offer weak side defensive help.
If you look at how much work he has in front of him... he will still be a "work in progress" next year. He will be more dominant and will contribute, but getting him to the level of "college franchise" is a long ways off.
Yes... it is often the case that torn ligaments are worse than a bone break but there are exceptions in both cases. Bad tears require surgery and have a long healing process.
I'm definitely not supporting discriminatory laws.
But I don't agree with making student-athletes suffer over politics. They don't write these laws.
But this thread was a big goof. I was just reading an article about Calipari then found this link, and it was about California, not Calipari. My goof.
Absolutely!
What I really LOVE about Trae.... he will be a 4-yr Kansas PG (most likely). And he will help us even in his freshman year. Our conference will get so sick of seeing him and think he has been playing for us for a decade or so.... just like how they feel about Frank.
Hudy will go to work on his physique here shortly. If he picks Kansas next week she will get him started on a strength/conditioning program while he is still in HS. The goal is to have his body at least respectably ready for D1 by November.
Trae and his dad will be impressed on how much he improves over the next 12 months.
It would be nice to see our current guards set the example.
Our perimeter defense is horrible. It's horrible because we have one of the best group of guards in the country but they won't defend.
We better get it together or I can see us getting beat by another mid-major who gets hot from the edge (in March).
It's mind-boggling to think of next year's post.... Doke, Carlton and Billy.... backed up by Mitch and Dwight.
If we stay healthy, we will not have a depth problem in the post!
Seriously seriously deep in the post! Heck, Bill could play 5 Bigs with Billy at the point.
Our post will be near unstoppable next season.
It leads me to wonder if Coach will stick with what he has learned this season. Running 4 guards.
If SVI comes back and DG comes back, with Vick and the other guards... and we get Trae Young.
Holy cow that's a deep team. We are talking Duke and Kentucky deep here
Why wouldn't he mess with opposing coaches and run every thing he can? 2 guards 3 bigs, 3 guards two bigs, 4 guards one big.
Shiite, Ralster, I just edited your post by mistake. sorry bout that!
JUST to mess with the opposing team. Add in his junk zone defenses for a bit. I mean, for real! Nothing beats that.
He tore ligaments to the extent of needing surgical repair.
I don't have the details on Doke's severity but from my experience the best case on a surgical repair is 8 weeks until the beginning of rehab.
The prognosis states a mid-summer full recovery. Sounds about right. 3 or 4 month rehab.
I don't expect to see him back this year.
Caught some additional footage of Trae.... wow!
He isn't a freak athlete, but he has quickness and his lateral movement might be the best we've had at the point for a long, long time!
With his lateral speed, he should be able to learn how to DEFEND and stop the opposing guards' drives.
I'm sure this is one way! But it started with the truth.... Calipari is a slickster.
I noticed even the link doesn't work right anymore because ESPN changed their site and looks like they pulled the story.
My mistake.... I thought Calipari was kind of reaching by using a law from California.... but since he is without a spine, the story fit perfectly.
!John-Calipari-Basketball-Coach.jpg ↗
It looks like Calipari has found a way to prevent playing us every year -
"If it was MU you would move to court-side seats…'
You might even get paid to sit low, within range of TV cameras.
I'm okay with him getting more assists over points. I don't care if most of what he does even shows up on stats sheets.
What I'm talking about is the "eye test" and he hasn't been passing my eye test. I have probably higher expectations on Devonte more than other fans. I know what he can do and he should be a guy the entire country is talking about. He is that good.
I think Frank and Josh have been great. Devonte is the guy I worry about and am often not pleased with.
Devonte may be our most talented guard, but he refuses to go alpha-dog enough and we really need him to produce every bit the same level we get from Frank and Josh.
The idea is not to have one player hang such huge stats so other players can coast.
Rock Jock Signing Trama
Right on!
And that exposure is important for them and their futures. So many players want to visit blue blood programs because they are also making valuable contacts for their careers ahead of them.
It is no surprise that players like Buddy Hield have solid friendships with other players and especially coaches.
It is one big fraternity... as it should be!
For the most part, I agree.
We've been playing a "sagging M2M." It's about 5% better than a sagging zone.
Our guards come closer to the paint, leaving the outside shooter WIDE OPEN!
This place where they go.... near the paint is truly "no man's land" (dead zone) because their only possible "help" here is to snag a defensive board.
I know most everyone in here is familiar with "musical chairs."
We had a guarding drill called "musical chairs."
Instead of being in the right spot when the music stops you had to be in the right spot when the shot went up. Anyone caught in "no man's land" better be able to substantiate their reasons for being there.
If a player is going to offer weak side help, then friggin' help! Don't go through the motions and be caught in a dead zone when the shot goes up.
All of our guards are guilty. None of our guards would make it through a practice drill of "musical chairs" without getting called out and forced to comply.
Here is another one of my peaves....
When a ball handler drives the baseline and you are on the other side of the goal... you just stand there while the player goes under the basket and out of bounds but right before that he passes to the corner for a WIDE OPEN trey.
The first thought that should be going on in the head of these players just being spectators instead of defenders is... "where is this player going to throw the ball?" We should have 3 or 4 steals per game just realizing this. But... chances are the player is standing in the dead zone, just watching the game played and then reacts late to the ball going out to the corner by making it look like he is defending the shot. Bull snit!
If you are a defender and not right at the basket preparing to defend the goal from a driver going through, you better be prepared for his outlet pass.
This is like stealing candy from a baby.
So true.
"Every little move these top kids make is interpreted in 50 ways."
And those interpretations have so little real knowledge on the process. I don't get too wrapped up in the recruiting process because I value my sanity. How can one remain sane when all of these things are going down and there is little info out there to understand WHY it goes like it goes? We can blame it all on kids being kids.... "what do teenagers know?"
I bet many of these top recruits have a pretty good understanding of the process and their opportunities. We may not always agree with what they do... but we wear crimson/blue glasses.
It's just my opinion, but I'm guessing the public is only privy to about 10% of the info surrounding recruiting.
We get to know when there is something FORMALLY done, like an offer. And we know what players and family members leak to the press. We also have people reporting from games on who is in attendance.
This is the big reason why we can't accurately second-guess coaches, players, etc.
If you have been around any popular HS athlete who is getting attention from colleges you will get a taste of what the athletes deal with during the process.
What we have to realize is that these calls are not going to go our way on the road. Is it so different for other teams on the road? Doubtful.
We just have to do what we did last night.... suck it up and keep playing hard. Adjust to the garbage officiating and continue on for the win.
We proved last night that we can still leave a farmer barn with a win... even if we have to play against the refs, too.... and the fans.... and a few sheep.
I think it is hilarious that Bruce thinks they "kicked our butts."
We will take that kind of butt-kicking anytime. I hope we get our butts kicked 6 times in March!
What a joker.
I'm surprised Landen didn't get called for a "pecker foul!"
Good night all....
And good night, Bruce!