I'm with you 100%! I am going to be so sad when this season ends. This is such a fun team to watch and we have such a great group of guys with outstanding character, on and off the hardwoods!
I would be willing to step up and pay for some plastic surgery and hair coloring for Frank, so he can come back next year with a new identity and 4 more years of eligibility!
I've always been totally against court storming. I think most Jayhawk fans are against it, probably because we are usually on the receiving end.
What about field storming in football? Didn't we storm the field after beating Texas?
I think basketball is different because the space is so much smaller than football. And football players have shielding on and are basically there because they are into full contact.
@ralster is right... we are systematically making minions out of our league opponents. I don't see that as a positive in the long run. We need a vibrant conference full of tight, heavy competition. @ralster is also right about our opponents not having much else than to hold on to "beat KU" as their only real goal for their season. Yes, it is pathetic. And court storming is their way to celebrate. And they need to celebrate, because it is all they have!
For those reasons, I'm starting to think that I'm okay with our opponents court storming. It helps them stay enthusiastic for their programs which don't really have a lot going for them. Let's not forget we are still considered a football conference, though with the recent decline of some of our football programs, I think we are the most balanced now than we have ever been.
We need to keep fan enthusiasm high with our opponents. We have experienced some poor enthusiasm in the state of Texas and that is not good for us.
What I want to see is stricter regulation of court storming, and make the penalties for failure quite high. Control it for safety reasons and then let them have their party event. It ends up being good for us in the long run.
I didn't feel this way until this past year... when I also changed my opinion on playing the morons in Columbia.
Awesome thread!
I like your thoughts on what it will take to beat ISU.
I put transition defense as #1. We have to slow down their offense and keep it in the half court. I don't see ISU getting lots of uncontested fast break points, but the real danger is in their secondary break offense.
I think I would put close to the top that we need to stay out of foul trouble.
If you look at us, compared to past years, we really have the right team to dismantle ISU. A 4-guard offense against their pressure and desire to run the ball should be a big help for us.
I think I would generalize around rebounding more and just say "possessions." If we lose the possession battle we will have a tough time coming out of their with a win. That means we need low TOs and high rebounds. We need to secure at least half of the 50/50 balls, too.
If we show up with 40 minutes of real energy, we should win this game. If we don't... then I think we are in for another Ames loss.
If we lack energy then we can expect foul trouble, getting beat on the boards, losing 50/50 balls, low or no momentum, perhaps our lowest point total on offense.
Contrary to what many people think.... you have to look at our offense carefully when grading it. Yes, the stats say we are one of the better offenses in the country, but the reality is different. In many ways we are starting to fail the eye test. We rely more on one-on-one moves to score, and we have been successful mostly against inferior defenses. What happens when we don't get secondary break points? What happens when our guards are actually guarded on the perimeter? We don't really run a lot of set offense,
Tonight I think we need demonstrative leadership on the floor. We need someone keeping our guys on the same page (through a screaming crowd of crazies). We need someone trying to have control on our tempo.
My offensive fears with this team is that we operate really well only at a narrow tempo. We do best when we are at a quick pace from a secondary break. When things slow down, and we are using most of the shot clock, we usually have to get bailed out by a one-on-one move. I like some of that, but I also like to see more team offense. Our assist numbers should be higher.
Funny hearing that out of me. I'm contradicting what I said in past years. But not really. I used to complain because we didn't have guys that could take over one-on-one. We relied SOLELY on team offense. Now... I wish we had just a bit more of that. Actually, I'd like to see us drive more, but also feed off the drive to an open trey more. In some ways, I feel like our offense is getting less and less aggressive as league play goes on.
Defensively... look at the stat numbers from our past games. We can't stop ANY big men from scoring! I only put a little of that blame on Landen. I put a lot more blame on our guards. Our guards have been playing HORRIBLE defense! I say that because of my expectations from a Bill Self team. We are not pressuring the perimeter so we allow the easy feed into the post. Or we let guards easily drive into the paint to challenge Landen. Last... our trey defense is really not good. We have been lucky to win these 5 conference games.
"looking for perfection"
I remember a certain coach from Kentucky who was looking for perfection. We don't want to fall into his illness.
"Got to kick back and enjoy the Season - -the boys, now all I have to do is convince myself to actually do that"
It has been a fun season so far. I do believe we need to mentally prepare for some losses. We may even take a loss tonight.
Concerning conference losses... I wonder if maybe we win games at Ames and even Morgantown. If that is the case, it would seem that we are a lock on #13. However.... I could see us losing at OSU (again), and maybe places where we shouldn't lose (like Texas and KSU). I will be pleasantly surprised if we don't lose at least 3 conference games this year.
"You will never appreciate your victories without first suffering defeat."
Someone famous said that.
Yes... I remember when we signed Frank. I won't say our fanbase was negative as a whole, but people never thought Frank would turn out to be such a plus for us. Size was the biggest factor, followed by where he was going first, seeming to rub people the wrong way like we should only be competing with other blue bloods for players.
The ultimate lesson is, "we can't judge a book by its cover."
I don't put much time into following recruiting because we just see the window dressing. We don't know the players. A lot of what Bill saw in Frank went beyond his stat sheet and highlight films. We all need to think about that when we start being overly critical about Bill's recruit targets and commits.
At this point, I think Bill coaching at Kansas has a lot more to do with legacy than money.
And legacies always shine much brighter for those who stick it out. Often, dimness comes to the drifters, who are always looking for more money, bigger challenges.
I see Bill sticking it out at Kansas.
"Brad Underwood is the real deal, as is Chris Beard and Jamie Dixon.
Now lets see what Steve Prohm has for us in the WeathermaxDome…"
Right on! Makes me excited about the future of the Big 12.
Gosh.... can we really complain about a single thing with Josh?
I guess his FT%.... but most freshmen don't shoot a great %.
He certainly does make the argument for recruiting more OADs. At least... with some level of caution.
Basically, EVERYTHING is currently going wrong with Carlton. And for those reasons, his skill set is right out the window.
He came into this season with big expectations put on him. He wasn't counted on for anything last year.
He came into a very different team. The tempo has changed and he remains out of sync. Where is his shot now?
He has had his share of bad luck... shots falling off the rim.
His confidence has been shattered.
He is thinking instead of playing.... making him even slower.
The game is moving way too fast for him right now.
When you see a guy that you are 100% sure has decent hands and he can't catch, grab or hold the ball, you know he has a problem (or two, or three...). Buttery hands are a focus issue, and when the game is moving too fast it is because you are not able to focus properly.
He may be a long ways off from bouncing out of this. Hard to say if it will be this year. But if he stays determined, gets advice from the right people, keep his patience, and work hard, he will end up being a pretty good player. I have faith in him to turn the ship.
Forcing him to become a real post player is probably a mistake. It is what we need.... but it isn't where his tool set is or will probably ever be. Back to the basket scorer? Can't see it. Big time rebounding basher? Doubtful.
Our offense doesn't really fit with his skills. We don't really need a big man at mid-range off a pick and pop. He doesn't fit well with what we got. I think that is a pity because I see him as the best pick and pop guy we've had in a long time. He has the size, quickness and a soft touch.
When was the last time we saw him shoot the ball outside of off a rebound or low post move?
This isn't all his fault.
I never thought I would put "5-0" and "mediocre" in the same sentence... but I just did.
So will we be the next Baylor? The next team to be ranked #1 and lose immediately?
Hard to say what will happen in Ames. Maybe we just need to be tested harder?
Holy Hillbilly Molé!
Sorry about that. I was just stirring the pot.
How about you start another thread.....
Title: "Recruiting: Kansas vs Kentucky vs Duke"
Comparative analysis.
"Why not at the least be like the city of New Orleans. Savor the apparent corruption. Be proud of it. Indulge in it. Say it’s just how it is, Jimbo. You can’t waste your whole life trying to catch them, Jimbo. Enjoy the etouffe. Have a Mardi Gras about it. Maybe a March Carney. Wink about it. Blow up the dikes to save the rich neighborhoods occasionally. During the flood and black out send in some private contractors and settle some old scores. Play some Dixie Land. Make fun of it all with the double entendre of Jazz. Say it’s all just a lotta jazz.
But why pretend The Big Easy is clean? The awful shizzle Bob Knight and others exposed back in the late 1980s to 2000 was NEVER fixed that I recall. The good guys apparently lost.
They are still apparently losing."
Priceless! Bravo!
What I wonder about... the WVU Mountaineer mascot carries a gun prop. I wonder if he/they have security issues when flying?
Checked luggage report, like hunters do?
Interesting.... except guns will be allowed in common areas, right?
The statement is true... except they left off the end....
"An armed society is a polite society, until the very end."
Seriously? So if I don't like my professor...
Just looking at their mascot.... does OSU have "open carry" on campus?
I was writing only in theory.
You raise good points.
How do you get players to throttle down? Even if they could, what risks would come from that? Maybe they can't throttle up later. Maybe they are prone to injuries when only playing a "fake game."
I meant my post to describe a natural situation where it just works out that way. Players don't intentionally play at a lower level, they just aren't developed enough to play at a a higher level.
Poor Shaka... living in the real world but trying to build a hype team.
What happens when his players stop buying the hype?
What happens when all those oilmen and rancher contributors stop buying the hype?
Time eventually filters out the hype in favor of substance.
I think one can argue that starting out too well is a disadvantage.
First... you have your guys playing in a groove, so all opponents start scouting you more carefully. Opponents have the entire year to figure out the right strategy to take you down. They watch previous game tapes and usually they find a way to compete.
Second... if you are playing very well now why would you change what you are doing? The old adage; "don't fix what isn't broken" seems to be applicable here. If you aren't changing what you are doing, are you also continuing to improve? Maybe... maybe not.
Third... later on, teams figure you out and then what? Obviously you have to make changes. So you may not be starting from scratch, but you may need to make wholesale changes. Now you are mid-season to late-season and you are applying a new strategy? Sounds risky.... while other teams have spent all year trying to master and improve their strategy that wasn't fine-tuned early on.
Fourth... early strong performance means getting ranked high. I'm not certain, but it seems like it is a jinx for us to be ranked #1. Our guys get too focused on the ranking instead of playing.
Fifth.... fan expectations climb to the point of being unhealthy. If you want to see what complete fan sickness looks like (concerning expectations) try Googling "Alabama football fans"... especially now after they blew the NC game. Pure disease.
I'm sure there are more points to be made in both directions. I'm not saying I don't want us to be better right now. But looking at this through the "Riverboat Gambler's eyes" I don't think he minds not showing everything we can do this early in the season.
I don't know what to think about being "good" early on. I am very happy when we get out to a quick start in league play. This year seems to be going like most of the last 12 years... we get out early and we stick around the top until the end and finish on top.
I do know what to think about finishing strong. I care a lot more that we finish strong in March, then start out good in November.
What happened in the handshake line? Coach Beard suddenly looked shocked, like there was something very negative said.
There are a few words spoken about this at the end of his interview, too. I guess he had something happen during another handshake line.
Anybody know?
I totally agree with your line of thought in this thread.... especially your last post about refs becoming the center focus.
I have my crimson/blue glass on 24 hours a day (and admit it), so I wanted TT to win. I cheered the conclusion. However... the more I look at that ending it sure looked like KSU didn't get fair treatment, including that T which ended the game. So 15-20 players go out and play a 40-minute game and the refs get to decide the winner at the end.... pathetic. From what I see I have to support the purps on this one.
COACHES OUT OF THE BOX - I've heard for years that the gold standard barometer for how much a coach is respected by the referees is determined by how long a leash they are given on the sidelines. This discussion goes back many, many years.
So nice to see JoJo playing again. I hope he stays healthy and keeps getting better.
I think there is a good chance this comparison gets impacted by injuries.... er.... more injuries.
Imagine how different the world (outside of Lawrence) would view Danny Manning had he stayed healthy during his playing days?
I hope both of these guys (and all players) stay healthy. But it has to be mentioned as a real possibility.
Often the injuries are not severe enough to end a player's career, just hobble it and prevent him from reaching a higher level.
Sorry to be a downer...
"His role was taken, his spot was given to a guard playing forward. Big ego hit. Is Bragg smart enough to endure the tough times to keep developing? I hope he is still here"
He better get used to that kind of friction because the NBA is all about creating the best chances to win.
He knows he isn't on track. I don't think he is blaming anyone but himself. We just need to stay positive with him and direct him in the right direction. I have faith it will work out for him and us.
Our style of play has changed considerably since last year. He not only was trying to grow his game to help us more, then he has to deal with the changes, too. And he is growing up at the same time. A lot on his plate, but he is a solid person and basically positive (though his frustrations are showing now).
I don't see him transferring and I don't see him throwing his life away by leaving early and not getting drafted.
I think part of momentum relates to the refs and they are more likely to give you positive calls when you have the momentum. And when you are on the receiving end of a team on momentum, you are more likely to have calls go against you.
RIght.... their hope is to draw Frank into a charge. And the way this year goes with refs... it works pretty well.
One of Frank's small vulnerabilities is his predictability in certain situations. Once he gets a full head of steam, he usually likes to finish at the rim because he usually scores, gets fouled, or both.
Knowing that in scouting tells opponents to play him for a charge.
Actually most guards play like that.
Josh has shown that many times, too. However.... several times now I've seen Josh moving forward with a full head of steam and he moves just enough to go around flatfooted defenders. Frank and Devonte sometimes show some last second movement away from a defender, too.
WVU could get us playing even too fast for what we execute at. That will be their goal.
Look at this team we have... 4-guard offense with lots of handles.... and goes into turbo scoring mode when playing a bit fast. A bit fast, but not too fast.
And then we have Frank Mason. Might he save our arses yet again? WVU will turn the game into a full court game and that spreads the defense and gives Frank a one-on-one situation much of the time. That is... as long as he receives the ball where he isn't pinched on a double-team.
Really... if we can't beat WVU this year in Morgantown, will we ever win there again?
We CAN be a nightmare for defenses... or we can play flat. It seems we are intensely predictable based on tempo. We have to play within a tight range on our tempo to be in "turbo scoring mode." We scored 10 points in 90 seconds last night. That is tempo.
We should beat WVU by 50 points. We should. Will we? No. Not without putting in real practice time to take this game. A big chunk of what has to be learned is watching tape and then making a plan to CAPITALIZE off of their press.
This Kansas team is the best, or one of the best, running at a faster pace than previous teams. We really tend to get hot in scenarios like when we are in motion like on a secondary fast break. The defense is spread and we move the ball quick and have at least one great perimeter shooter wide open. On misses, the rebounds tend to go long and we get our share of those offensive rebounds. I like how guys now realize that if they can't snag a rebound they can at least punch the ball out to one of our perimeter guys.
It is a mistake if we put much focus and prep on that Kentucky game. We need to stay focused on winning our conference and that will help us most when March comes.
I think Baylor this year is turning out to be just another typical Baylor team. Yes... they are good. Yes... they have some amazing talent.
Everyone mentions Drew being the weak link. This is true for several reasons, and the reason I put the highest is his inability to teach his players to deal with diverse situations. When things don't go right for Baylor they have a hard time adjusting. They have a hard time making the necessary in-game tweaks to recover.
Drew's thought process and strategy is just way too linear. To be a good game coach you have to think beyond a straight line. He doesn't do that so Baylor always looks like an "up and down" team when in reality, they win big games when they are allowed to execute the linear game plan they work on all year to perfect, and when they lose they often lose big because they were taken out of their game plan and couldn't recover.
But still... we can not look past Baylor. We have shown our own weaknesses. We have allowed most of our opponents to control the tempo of games (to their advantages).
That big run we had last night? That was a "tempo run." We up'd the tempo and we scored 10 points in 90 seconds.
This Jayhawk team is all about tempo. Most every opponent we face realizes this and will want to control the tempo to take us out of our rhythm. It is really that simple.
This is a big part of me pushing for a demonstrative leader. Someone out there aware of things like tempo, and what we must do to play at a tempo that is right for us.
No other team in America can come close to beating us if we run OUR TEMPO. Period. No one.
Heck... if you want to go to that extreme then add PCP on the list. That will make them hungry for a win!
We don't visit Morgantown for 13 more days. We have 3 games coming up first.... including a visit to Ames.
I know it is voodoo to look past immediate games, regardless who we play. But I have my reasons...
First.... I am sick of us getting our butts handed to us in Morgantown. It is obvious we are never prepared when we make that trip, though it requires a great deal of preparation to handle that pressure.
I don't think I have ever cared more about that game than this year. We have all the tools necessary to go in there and change the outcome. Our 4-guard offense has plenty of solid handles to get this job done.
Second... winning a game like this one means a lot more than a single "W." Winning this game proves this team is capable of going beyond where our most recent teams have gone. That should bode well for our confidence in March.
Third... learning the skills and strategy to pull off this victory will help us in other battles. For example, it should help us in Ames, too.
Fourth.... by winning in Morgantown, we change the current narrative there that we will face defeat every year. Win one and put it in question for years to follow. Look at how our own home toughness in AFH has helped us battle opponents. When the game is on the line, you know our opponents (in AFH) realize they are going to lose. When that chimes into their brains... they have already lost. Just like we know we are going to win in AFH, so we maintain our poise through thick and thin.
How can we win in Morgantown this year? How?
I think we first have to look at how we have prepared (or not prepared) for this game in the past. Does it really help playing 5 on 8 (or whatever)?
I think that is about the best we can do if we only prep for a few hours for this game. But if we take more time, there are far better ways to prepare because we can gain a lot by preparing our own press in the process.
In general, the idea of having to play and execute against 7 or 8 players sounds good on paper. But what really counts in this situation is effort, tempo and strategy. Facing 7 or 8 guys that do not have the effort, tempo and strategy is not reflective of what we will face in Morgantown. In other words... the only way to learn how to beat a press is to learn how to run a press.
Look, we are running a 4-guard offense, and we have a very experienced team with plenty of tenacity (under the right circumstances). I know we are worried about our depth. Losing Doke did not hurt us when pertaining to a press. He wouldn't see a minute on the floor in a press. And I am not talking about running a press as our calling card moving forward.
I want us to put some real practice time in on executing (and beating) a press. If you watched the game last night, the sportscasters said we have actually been reducing our full practice time in order to save the bodies of our guys who have been playing too many minutes. I know we need to protect our health. But these guys are in shape. And running a few extra minutes in a game is not going to make a difference with these guys. What makes a difference is using their heads. Look at Frank. Frank has never been anywhere close to this productive in his Kansas career. Yet... he seems to end up flat on his back less now than in previous years. He seems to be more selective on when he takes it to the rack, etc.
We have the talent to do this and do it well. The ability to run a decent press will be a real weapon as we move forward. It helps us change the pace of a game. It helps create new opportunities to win possessions. It helps speed up our opponents. It helps speed us up when we are playing too slow anyways. It helps us beat the press, too. We get used to playing at a higher tempo and executing. We need to be able to execute at many tempos. The more tempos we can execute at, the more chances we have to win games. When we can handle the most severe defensive pressure from a press, we can probably handle the most severe defense, period.
Many of the techniques used in a press help players learn how to defend anyways. I am especially talking about hedging. Also... weakside help on a double-team and how to play the passing lanes (including bluffing). It helps teach our guys how to GET HUNGRY on the defensive side of the ball.
Last night was a solid victory... but we have to look ahead. We have to look at how we are going to get better as a team moving forward. I'm not saying a press is our savior. I'm just saying we have the right players to run a solid press, and we have the players to be able to beat a press, too.
I don't like the fact that we are always vulnerable to being beat by a press. This isn't something we can learn to fight back against in a single practice or two. We have seen where that gets us in the past. It isn't enough.
I think a lot of what we need to learn is being educated in the classroom, in the media room.
We will not become the next West Virginia, nor should we. That doesn't mean we can't beat them in AFH and in Morgantown. By succeeding here, we don't automatically win another Big 12 title, but we sure help our cause considerably!
I'm on board with all the Drew coaching criticism.... but I'm a bit cautious because we haven't exactly had success in Morgantown.
We need to win this game this year. We need to overcome areas of traditional weakness to be prepared for March.
Drew said (after the game), "I have to say, this team on film, they have been impressive,” Drew said. “But in person, definitely the best pressing team coach Huggins has had.”
What a surprise.... Kansas has found the top of the Big 12 again.
Now is the fun part when we get to hear sports wonks back-peddle their bs about us not winning the league again this year.
Okay... we have a long ways to go and there is no guarantees because we will have to earn it (as we always have to do). But, come on. I was already sick about hearing Baylor was going to do it. Scott Drew always finds a way to lose.
On the other hand.... West Virginia... we better keep our eyes on the mountain men. Huggybear is the real deal and would be happy to be the one to end our streak. I still fear our game in Morgantown....
And I'm putting our team on notice. When I put up material like this it usually jinxes us. Our guys better come ready to play every game from here on out because the jinx is in! If we want to stay at the top, we better come ready to fight for it!
What do you think of Underwood?
I've heard he is getting them motivated for most games.
Very true. We just have to be aware of that and come prepared.
If we win these games then these middle teams will help us by pinning losses on other top teams.
K-State comes to mind, too.... they usually help us by beating other contenders.
Dope dope...
Did I hear out of Fran what I thought I heard out of Fran last night?
Did he really put Lon Kruger on a scale... one end becoming a HOF'r and the other being fired?
I thought I heard that but my kids were screaming at the moment.
If he said that.... I don't know how to reply to such a stupid comment.
Carlton is in a big process right now. And it all isn't about basketball. He is growing up. Like the off-court incident. He is having "turbo-experiences" these days and having to absorb, interpret and decide his path. He has a lot on his plate.
I don't think people often realize how unique players are on a team. We just see them as ball players. But they all have had unique backgrounds and experiences... and lack of experience.
I still have high hopes for Carlton. But I don't know what to expect out of him for the rest of the year. My hope is he starts to really bloom within the next two months. If not then.... guess it will be next year.
He is a mile and a doughnut away from the NBA. Not even close.
Maybe he is worried about depth.
Let's hope that is true when we visit the Sherronagon!
He does seem to choke often.
The sad thing is this team knows how to fight through screens. We've seen moments where they ran through screens like they weren't even there (and without fouling).
It is about being aggressive... mindset.
Carlton sure had some bad moments again. He just isn't in sync with himself or the team. He is bound to improve. Sometimes he tries to do too much, when in reality, he is accomplishing little. He just needs to focus on the basics right now.... defense.... rebounding.... and take offense when it is given.
Vick is getting some seasoning..... he's a player.... give him time.
I couldn't believe the kitties fell apart like that at the end. Winning that game would have really helped them out in the standings this year.
Bruce iced it for TT.
Really amazing how everything fell apart so quickly and decisively right at the end.