🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Dear Cheick,

Study Bragg.

Best regards,
Bate 1.0

Is there a thin man camp? A camp that teaches centers thin as sewing needles how to fight for spots? If there is not, then Carlton Bragg needs to open one; that guy was banging out there against OSU's planted Douglas Firs the second half. I liked it. I like Bragg finally. He showed he belonged with our bunch of overachieving hard noses. I liked seeing him run the length of the floor and run into a guy on Bragg's spot and try to knock him off it. It reminded me of how offensive basketball ought to be played inside. THAT'S MY SPOT!!!! often he rattled his own fillings, but he took the fight to his opponent . This is crucial to sport. It was like they showed him tape of Kevin Young. It is not the width of the post in a flight, it is the width of the fight in a post. There is motor, and there is fight. Fight is effective motor. It is directed energy.

Diallo is doing everything but fighting effectively, for spots, for rebounds, for what have you. He has great potential. But he needs to learn the difference between swarming and owning real estate inside. Once he learns that, Composite 5.5 will have what it needs from them both and C5.5 can move to the 20/20 plateau, maybe the 25/20. At that level, KU can play through Wayne's volatility. Landen and Hunter have less ability, but they now both understand the landlord mentality big men need. Traylor needs better sense of it. Bragg seems to be acquiring it. Diallo is next.

With Cheick and Bragg collecting rent by the end of this year and maybe next year, a ring could be in our grasp this year and next.

@ralster

Yes, I was prematurely optimistic about BG's development, after his first game back. Silly me. BG still needs to develop more mental consistency. He needs to learn how to attain the edge he needs on a regular basis.

Between Selden and Greene, KU has two of the most variable performers I have seen on a basketball team.

Amazingly good when good. Inexplicably bad when bad.

@HighEliteMajor

Its funny. Selden came to KU with the rep of a guy that could shoot. He was big and strong and athletic for his age, and so his shooting got lumped in with the rest, whereas some guys get labeled early as shooters. But Wayne had the rep of being able to shoot.

But he never showed it.

Recalling that he played injured all of his first season and much of the rest of his time, I am inclined to think his shooting much have suffered from the injuries, as @ralster suggested in response to your post.

But even attributing some of this improvement to healing from his injury, there also seems to be a significant improvement in his form and mechanics.

I have to say I don't recall such a transformation, if he keeps shooting it this well.

His form now looks like a very natural shooter. He is also showing great range, too. He is not always glued to the trey stripe when he triggers.

Hope someone surfaces with some scoop on this process.

@HighEliteMajor

Greene and Svi, our marksmen, did not play the second half. Vick never got a sniff the second half either. And just 2 minutes the whole game..

Only 16 3ptas in an 82 point game sounds about the same as last season before everyone got hurt.

Self played Wayne 36, Frank 38, and Devonte 35 in early December against an unranked team.

Wayne definitely got a green light: 5-8 from 3.

But it was the screening action and baseline attack initiated in the lane the early in the second half that turned the tide from my POV and got our bigs untracked in half court. And Composite 5 had another double double at 17/13, while Perry chipped in a slightly soft, somewhat inefficient 13/9. So: in the paint we got 30 points and 22 REEBS, which also sounds like last year before everyone got hurt.

This team seems to be moving toward Selfs offensive norms. And he is Playing his cornerstones big minutes as usual.

I did like how freely Wayne pulled the trigger though.

Cheick has to be mentioned in one word: sushi.

Leaving aside being dominated like dogs in obedience training for the first 20 minutes, When a big, slow OSU shot a positively KU 75% from Trey, and KU struggled making shots everywhere, KU played brilliantly...for the last 20 minutes.

Self apparently decided to let the team take its lumps the first with the plain vanilla variations of MO2.0, so that he could come with the adjustments after half when Tinks could not adjust mid game. We saw The team sequence futilely through first quick trigger Trey ball (aka GOOD BALL), which OSU gummed up, then the high low passing OFFENCE, which OSU banged up, and then Bad Ball. Bad Ball stemmed the tide briefly but then OSU pulled away again and KU went into the lockers -10 in need of smelling salts. Instead one has to infer that the players were ordered to bend over, while Self drew plays on there posteriors with a weed eater. The plays involved lots of criss cross screens by the bigs in the paint and lots of baseline action. It all worked well with KU's sudden hot hand. In the end, KU protected and disrupted better than OSU, and the second half unleashed a reign of terror that would have made the CIA proud. Possession after possession OSU players went down, got eye gouged, tripped, elbowed in a counter terror ballet that paid back some of the rough stuff OSU dealt out the first half. Frankly KU dished out like a bunch of stealth ninjas.

Most played well the second half. Wayne was the most glamorous, because of some treys, Frank was the man who imposed the will to win, Perry continued his very slow restoration process, but it was Composite 5.5, or should I say C 5.4 (since Jam Tray only played 2 minutes) at the post that continued his march to March with all conference numbers and steadiness. C5.5, or C5.4 quietly racked up yet ANOTHER double-double (17/13). The hydra heads of Hunter and Carlton were most active and productive. Cheick hit a temporary ceiling the height of his foundation, but will get better against more mobile teams.

A good win that taught our guys they can come from behind...with a weed eater.

@DanR

No Svi either.

That was the Bill shake that said don't ever try that shizzle on us again. There's more where that came from, Tinks.

Take THAT Andy Krapz, er, Andy Katz!

This KU team will not take plunking laying down this season. The guys appear to be trAined now.

@globaljaybird

Yea, Self took off the gloves this time. Good for Bill.

Wayne liking that corner

Everyone on OSU been taking lumps this half. This is the best under the radar cheap shotting I have ever seen KU do the last two seasons

perry having a soft attack

That's more like what I expected

Bragg is turning into a mauler. I love it!

I completely misjudged Tink. Thought sure he would turn it into an abbatoir

Now Tinks' kid is going to get a taste of Self Ball

Bragg is even banging onto his spot

Bragg has looked his best this half.

Tinks thought he had Bill with the Euro junk, but Bill sand bagged till half and rolled out the baseline action the second half....and Tinks can't figure it out!!!

Tinks, welcome to Self Ball

Beavers shooting back to average with a vengeance

Welcome to Self Ball Gary

Frank owed Gary one and gave him a sweet little shove there

Wow, KU is doing this with baseline action

@brooksmd

ROYAL ARSE MASTICATION!!!!

How do u spell OFFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS at half??

I believe those are lawn mower abrasions on Perry's ass!

Mick taking treys ?

Now OSU doesn't know what's happening and Self saved his junk till second half so Tinks couldn't adjust.

Amazing how making a few makes everyone look better

@DanR

Good call

Tinkle shoulda roughed us up quick. Lucky us!

Beautiful kick out by Hunter

Self cracked. Did you see all that action and screening in the lane by KU!!! Good for Bill.

We have got to come out ready for trench warfare! Going to be brutal!!!!

We have got to come out ready for trench warfare! Going to be brutal!!!!

But they probably won't. But trust me. KU is going to get roughed up like they haven't been since last season. There will be blood!

It's simple. If OSU stays this hot, we are dead meat. They are like we were against THE CROSS.

@Bwag

It's the wrong kind of team to shoot back to our average against. They like smash mouth!

@Bwag

That's worrying me too!!

Man, Self is going to register on the Richter Scale shortly

They are much tougher so far

We r playing a good team tonight

Payton is about to eat Frank alive. Time to help Frank or go junk zone.

BG keeps getting beat baseline instead of funneling center!

KU not liking this match up zone at all

Tinks is the PNW equivalent of Self meeting the Mayor the first time. He hasn't seen what Tinks is running. It's all this junk they ran in the Euro pro leagues probably. It's clear he and the guys have no clue what to do with it

KU behind the 8 ball!!!

Now Tinks is playing some Bad Ball.