🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Most definitely watch Gran Torino. Like all of his movies, it is enigmatic at its rather dark center.

Then go back to the 1961 western The Savage Guns, knowing it was likely the proto spaghetti western and it was made in Franco's fascist Spain and might have been part of an attempt to begin generating a fascist mythology and a taste for violent entertainment for Cold War Era Western Europe, when the West needed to desensitize ordinary, socialist leaning Europeans to the West's ruthless use of the old Gehlen organization to carry out a rain/reign of terror in Italy, Greece, and Spain, too, to suppress the spread of Communism. Its pretty scary to think about, but the shoe kind of fits. It has always struck me as odd that these incredibly violent, and sadistic westerns were sourced to Fascist Spain, rather than southern France, or southern Italy, where the arid landscape and Latin Mediterranean architecture could have served just as well, and then dumped on France Greece and Italy especially, during the incredible rain/reign of terror there in Italy. Enter Clint Eastwood to the genre--an actor long isolated from much of Hollywood by his conservatism and fascination with themes of vigilantism and sadism and misogyny. And Clint not only dominates the spaghetti western genre, but brings the themes of it to American police drama, and the thriller and later to love stories and so on, as America moves right into right and far right parties and symbols and mythologies visual motifs of fascism become both further reviled and simultaneously embraced. America has been battling this fascist thing since the moment the progressivist collective formed by the late 19th Century/early 20th Century robber barons formed the American strain of national socialism.

In some ways Eastwood's long meditation on the fine line between American struggle for freedom and the precarious American slippage slide into racist suffused fascism, culminates with Grand Torino.

I'm a big fan of Clint Eastwood's story telling skill and devotion to deeply serious themes most of his career. Themes don't get any more serious than mediations on the fine line between patriotic heroism and fascist racism.

There seems little doubt that he has at times been exploited by those that would like to use his dark meditations for predictive programming and cultural desensitization. Many serious artists run this risk.

At times, almost inspite of himself, it appears Clint has revealed a lot that America needed to think through in order to avoid falling hopelessly into the abyss of fascism, while its other artificially induced pole was apparently progressively pushed head over heels into identity politics.

He is one of the greats for having gone into the bog between the two vast swamps and panned for some gems to leave us with.

Robert Mitchum in OUT OF THE PAST, the greatest film noir ever.

Sterling Hayden in John Ford's THE ASPHALT JUNGLE.

Sterling Hayden in Stanley Kubrick's THE KILLING.

John Garfield and Lana Turner in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.

All John Ford (The Quiet Man, then all the John Wayne westerns.)

Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Stranger, his Kafka story with Tony Perkins)

The Six or so late 50s Budd Boetticher-directed, Burt Kennedy scripted westerns with Randoph Scott (The Tall T, Buchanon Rides Alone, etc.); these are in my opinion the purest western stories of all, though Ford's were the most iconically photographed.

All Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby, Rio Bravo, El Dorado, Red River, Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend). Howard Hawks, Ford, and Welles are arguably the greatest directors. Period.

Kubrick's Paths of Glory.

Robert Ryan in ON DANGEROUS GROUND.

Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray in MEN IN WAR.

Sam Fuller's The Big Red One, a really, really great war picture, and some of his early B&Ws.

Don Siegel's INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

Most Bizarre Western: The Savage Guns--the proto spaghetti Western from Hammer Films. Shane on pasta, starring Richard Basehart. You really cannot appreciate the later spaghetti westerns of the 1960s and 1970s till you see this not very good film that nonetheless has all the earmarks of the father of all spaghettis.Like Naismith was not a great coach, Savage Guns was not a great spaghetti at all. But you've got to know your daddy, when you can.

Everyone is going to eat their words about Doke's FT shooting, when he gets back to 43%.

Sam just got the worst review I have ever read Self reputedly give.

Has Self found another 5-star that wants to decommit, or transfer in?

Is the Jayhawk at center court big?

First year LOBO HC Paul Weir is taking Bragg in.

Weir is assisted Marvin Menzies at New Mexico State, then Alford at New Mexico.

Weir then replaced Menzies and Alford as Head Coach at both schools.

So: Bragg is signing on with Weir who has two pedigrees, after having grown up and played college ball in Canada.

You assess them.

Alford is now at UCLA.

Alford has the simple and fancy pedigree of having played for and assisted Bob Knight at Indiana.

Menzies at UNLV has followed quite a windy road and has assisted:

Steve Fisher at SDSU. Gulp.

Henry Bibby at USC. Gulp.

Lon Kruger at UNLV.

Rick Pitino at Louisville. Gulp.

I haven't heard much skinny on Weir.

Hope Weir's one of the good guys and took more away from Alford than Menzies.

FarmerJayhawk said:

New Givony mock has Graham at 37, Svi at 47, and that’s it

One of the things maybe to keep in mind in the mock drafts is how many players in the Top 100 are wind up with Nike schools and how many wind up with adidas schools. It has been reputed at times that roughly 80% of the top 100 players from which a large amount of draftees ultimately come from play for programs and coaches contracted to Nike in the summer leagues. Let's assume something similar proportion of Nike schools vs. adidas schools.

If you are running a mock draft, whose good side would you rather be on by ranking their players more highly? Nike, or adidas?

If you are are running a mock draft, whose good side would your rather be on by NOT ranking some of their players? Nike,m or adidas?

Just a question that occurred to me to ask.

It does seem at least hypothetically possible that bias could creep into mock rankings, though I have never researched that issue.

Statmachine said:

Okay well I guess we will see. I stand behind a solid NO WAY

I'm afraid this will be difficult to clarify, if he does not declare for the draft.

I am conditioning his being drafted on whether or not he decides to opt to be drafted.

If he does not opt to be drafted, we will not know for sure either way, why he decided that way.

But I am fine with you guessing hewill not be drafted and me guessing he probably would be drafted, if he were to opt to turn pro.

Rock Chalk!

HighEliteMajor said:

Diallo defamation. He might sue.

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Diallo = a good prospect at KU.

Doke = a better one.

IMHO.

@BeddieKU23

Agreed.

@ParisHawk

I think your suggestion is super!

It didn’t occur to me even afterwards until I read your post.

I hope he uses it, if he and staff do not think of something else better.

I was writing to clarify both that Self may have had a reason to try it his way and also make the case that even great coaches miss things!

Thanks for posting your sharp counter move suggestion. It would likely work, even if Self finds a different solution.

Many ways of cat skinning!

Other coaches will steal from Kruger.

We need a work around.

Mandela Effect or Mengele Effect at work regarding KU not overstating heights of bigs?

Skulls!!!

@cragarhawk

I cannot recall any KU big under Self having been later to be found to be as tall as listed.

I have assumed from the start he was not a footer unless he later grew into one. He appears maybe 6-10 in non KU inches to me, but I have not seen any group photos this season that would permit one to do anything but guess. Have you?

Doke will be drafted, if he wants to be, because he can start, and guard the post, and score over 20 points in games, and runs the floor like a gazelle. Doke has to be at least a couple inches taller than Diallo. Doke can actually play basketball!

@Statmachine

Why was Diallo drafted?

Any NBA Team would be crazy NOT to draft him now and develop him themselves.

Diallo could barely play the game of basketball. Diallo did not play much at KU. Diallo never won games for KU. KU never depended on Diallo. Diallo was not a footer.

Doke starts.

Doke is a cornerstone.

KU depends on Doke.

Doke scores lots of points.

Doke is a footer.

DOKE probably will be DRAFTED END OF THIS SEASON, IF HE WANTS TO BE.

It’s up to Doke.

@Gunman

Remember: we only lost by 5 on the road to a contender on a night that Devonte and LaCobra struggled hugely!

Most other coach’s teams would have been blown out.

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@ParisHawk

Self is human.

I suspect he was never in the situation before How many coaches since Wilt retired have been? Not many. I watched Wilt many NBA seasons and never saw a coach pull a surprise move like that.

Lots of coaches foul bad FT shooters repeatedly with starters and subs (e.g., Self used massive fouling with the C5 a few years back), but Lonnie was more clever. He waited till late in the game and stuck a nobody in to do it. Self gambled staying big to get a rebound to keep possession, or get a FT from Doke. He figured Doke at 1 of 6 would likely make one, because he averages 43%. He thought the probability was Doke was due to make one. It was either a rational bet or he just got surprised.

It’s not a crime to get surprised and fail to counter in the moment. No coach ALWAYS makes the right move. Surprise has happened many times to all coaches and generals. You try to learn as quickly as possible and adapt or stand pat as the best guess response based on circumstances and what is known and correctly analysed. But sometimes the possibility occurs instead of the possibility.

Self has accrued several such events and unsuccessful responses, despite a ton of successful responses, also.

1. Self was flummoxed by Hoiberg’s 4-1 the first time he saw it. He stayed double post too long.

2. Shaka’s spread offense with long cuts fooled him into guarding the long cuts and exhausting his team, after a game of guarding Princeton cuts.

3. Ben Howland’s hack’n slap fooled him. He didn’t start riding the refs soon enough to get it stopped.

4. He didn’t anticipate Mike Anderson’s press the first time either. Guys were not slicing into seams.

5. People forget that Huggins’ weird East Ohio High school offense at KSU and Beasley gave Self fits.

6. Izzo’s doubling Sherron top of key took away his drive and Self never found a good counter that game.

And so on.

But my god! KU only lost by five on an opponents floor on an incredibly bad shooting night by two of its offensive cornerstones: Devonte and La Cobra!

Plus Doke had a ridulously bad FT night even for him at 1-8. Normally he makes 4.3 of 10, which is 3.2 of 8. On a normal night, even with Kruger’s cutesy move on Doke late, and Self standing pat, KU would have gotten 2 more points out of Doke; that would have made it 85-82.

With normal nights from Devonte and LaCobra KU would have likely scored another 10- 15 points! That would have made it either 92-85, or 97-85.

Self and KU can beat OU next time in AFH without Doke getting better at FTs! KU will win if it just shoots to its average. It will blow OU out on a hot night.

All Self really needed was a split last weekend. And he got it. In Norman, he was just trying to steal a road win. He almost had it, but a smart coach threw him a curveball and he couldn’t get his bat on it. But if Kruger throws it again, he will have something ready.

It’s how he is.

It’s what he does.

It’s all he does.

And he absolutely will not stop till he beats you.

He is The Coachinator!

@ParisHawk

Yes.

MUA = match up advantage

@Gunman

I am not taking the fall, your honor!!

Ahem.

I know you're just kidding

But, seriously, I wrote what I did, because I thought if I could see the 7 angles, then a D1 coach would too.

Some scheduling conflicts prevented me from seeing more than the last 6 minutes.

It would appear from the closeness of the game that Kruger did NOT follow most of my suggestions.

I regret to say: The coach that follows most of them will win big.

My hope is Self has some work around I can’t foresee.

@JayHawkFanToo

No, and I would expect the advantage to lessen again in the post season in one, or perhaps two steps.

What works great in conference oftengets stuffed in post season.

@Gunman and @mayjay

Shared PHOF

We can infer the outline of KU victory by the following stats from three categories:

SHOOTING:

KU's FG% is 50.2
OPP's FG% is 40.2

KU's 3pt% is 41.1 on 492
OPP's 3pt% is 31.4 on 474

DISRUPTION:

KU TOs 225
OPP TOs 260

KU Blks 86
OPP Blks 66

KU Stls 139
OPP Stls 108

REBOUNDING:

KU Def.Rbds 512
OPP Def Rbds 449

KU Off Rbds 181
OPP Off Rbds 228

KU shoots better inside and out and takes more treys. And KU taking more treys actually leverages up KU's scoring efficiency. KU turns it over less. KU blocks more. KU steals more. Despite being "small," KU also gets sharply more defensive rebounds, but sharply fewer offensive rebounds. Inference: KU gets way more first shots than opponents, way fewer (logically) second shot attempts, and apparently makes a sharply higher percentage of first shot attempts. In turn, opponents are having to score far more of their points on second shot attempts than KU.

The Opponents having to score more on second shot attempts implies something else a bit more subtle. Since the opponent has to take more seconds shots to beat KU over 40 minutes, then, regardless of what tempo is being played, at the end of games, opponents' shooting legs are much more tired than are KU's. Put another way, because KU makes so many first shots, when it's legs are more fresh, and the opponent has to make so many shots when it's legs are less fresh, KU is effectively biasing the opponent's shooting percentages downward with fatigue, and giving its defense more opportunities for blocks and steals.

Bill Self has given his dwarf, short handed team an unfair advantage. :-)

He has combined good shooting and sticky, rather than dominating defense, to push opponents into second shooting themselves out of games. Now we know why KU is so successful late. KU is scoring on first shots. Opponents are scoring on second shots. Other things equal, first shots (with a bunch of sharp shooters) yield a higher percentage than second shots.) And by the last ten minutes of a game, the opponent's shooting legs just are not conditioned for the increased number of second shots they have had taken and so they are missing even more first shots, and not jumping as high for rebounds either. because of all the additional jumping for rebounds they have been engaging in the prior 30-35 minutes.

INSANELY. BRILLIANT. STRATEGY.

Practically invisible.

It took me till now to even start to see it.

Of course, once you know how the magician is doing the trick, then you can see how it would be rather easy to disrupt the illusion.

Any team that can shoot about 51 FG% against KU will likely beat KU's 50 FG%. Or to put it another way, anyone that can lower KU's FG%, while pushing its own above KU's FG% will win. That much is obivious, right?

Clearly, all coaches have been trying with little success to find a way to do that all season.

So: here is the magic path for an opponent. These are frankly easily doable things. But only if one thinks to do them.

Do 1: Encourage KU into taking fewer treys and more of them from farther out, by encouraging them to drive with their off hands.
How: Overplay our perimeter guys out around 22. Guard their strong hand. Give them a free pass to penetrate with their off hand. Use help to strip the off hand penetration.
Net Benefit: Forces their trey percentage down and number of treys down, and increases strips for one shot baskets in transition.

Do 2: Keep your outside 3pt attempts way less than KU's, which you have lowered, unless you have some great trey ballers.
How: Run your offense and play for short threes with cuts and drives.
Net Benefit: Keeps your inferior trey shooting dragging you down. Increases your FG% and fouls-up Devonte and Udoka, especially.

Do 3: Protect, protect, protect, then protect some more.
How: Don't run except on steals. Walk it up. Run the stuff. Get as many first shot opps as KU.
Net Benefit: KU probably can't win without forcing you into way more second-shot shooting.

Do 4: Don't get blocked. Get a first shot.Period.
How: Don't take blockable shots. Don't give KU the blocking stat. Run the stuff. Drive and cut. Score and get fouled.
Net Benefit: Shot blocking is not an act of domination for KU, as it is for most teams. It is part of a strategy of forcing you into leg fatigue shooting down the stretch. KU needs shot blocks to shift more of your shooting into second shot shooting, when your shooting percentage declines, because the shot clock is constraining you and your legs are more fatigued.

Do 5: Strip more. Strip and run. Strip and walk. Strip, strip, strip, strip.
How: See Do 1.
Net Benefit: Stealing is crucial to KU's strategy of winning with way more first shot scoring at higher first shot percentages.

Do 5: Get more defensive rebounds
How: Attack the reeb rather than box out. You are likely the taller, slower team. Boxing out quick, short, leapers is a fool's game for taller, slower players. Get to the ball first and let your height be the unfair advantage. Force KU to run around AND jump for 40 minutes for any rebounds it gets. You will be tall at the end, when KU is jumping less.
Net Benefit: Forcing KU to work harder at rebounding is one of the best ways to tire its shooting legs.The more KU has to work at rebounding on first shots means the less you have been turning it over and getting it stripped from you without them having to jump for a rebound.

Do 6: Wear down KU's legs by making them guard more first shots longer.
How: Don't TO, or get stripped, and run Self's weave on him to force your perimeter defenders to slide a lot on defense.
Net Benefit: Self runs the weave mostly because others don't. The weave lets his guys run straight ahead for short bursts, then turn and drive straight to iron, while defenders have to slide sideways in really long slides across much of the width of the floor, and then remain on edge to turn and burn to catch the driver. Every weave burns more of the defender's gas than the offender's gas. Run the weave, then run your own offense, then get an open first shot. Don't give KU fresher shooting legs late.

Do 7: Make Doke shoot FTs, not short FGs.
How: Foul Doke at the start of his offensive move, not the end. Absolutely no dunks allowed.
Net Benefit: An opponent could probably defeat KU simply by putting Doke on the FT 20 possessions. If an opponent did that AND the above 6 Do's, victory over KU would be automatic.

Now, don't tell anyone.

INT. IGNOBLE ARENA-NIGHT

WIDE ON arena full of fans.

CLOSE ON disgruntled fans filing out.

CLOSE on scoreboard: Time Remaining 3:17; OU 65, KU 80

ANGLE ON Trae Young triggering 34 foot miss

CLOSE ON Bill Self smiling and exhorting his subs.

CHIRON: Trae Young 13-39, 14 TOs, 0 Steals; Devonte Graham 11-14, 3 TOs, 4 Steals

CLOSE ON Lon Kruger cursing.

FAKE NEWS SUMMARY JANUARY 22, 2018

MOHAMD BAMBA said he felt abandoned by Shorthorn fans and will transfer to Lawrence by morning. NOT.

BOB HUGGINS just finished losing 197 pounds and shot a spot for Jenny Craig. NOT.

PRESIDENT TRUMP is sending D-CIA Mike Pompeo to Lawrence for the rest of the home games to eaves drop on opposing team huddles in order to give KU and unfair advantage on all inbounds plays. NOT.

BRUCE WEBER was given an interim extension of 3:42:11. NOT.

BRUCE WEBER just signed an endorsement contract with Breck shampoo and will become the spokesperson for Breck's new line called "helmet hair--extra dry." NOT.

(Note: all fake, all the time.)

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I have a hunch the staff is pretty much having to triage Doke's FT shooting for now.

They have quite a lot of coaching-up on their plates right now. Consider:

~teaching a high schooler how to eat right, find the Union, and drive carefully, all the while learning the offense, and how to help defend.

~finishing working out the kinks in the new Malik Monsters in his parallel universe offense.

~daily applications of facial hair grower on Lightfoot.

~helping LaCobra find a new weave for each game.

~convincing Svi that he can both dunk and defend, while still shooting 48% from trifectaville.

~getting around the clock hydro therapy for Mr. 40 minutes--Devonte Graham.

~teaching Garrett that shooting requires both confidence and mechanics.

~getting Cunliffe and thrice weekly appointment with a dermatologist to have his wild hairs removed by March.

~sweeping out and repainting Billy Prestons locker with all the Samsonite scratches.

~making sure the cornucopia of transfers waiting to play next year are avoiding personal scrapes on weekends.

And so on.

There is probably a team Outlook Calendar and Doke is probably scheduled for Free Throw Work Shop February 1 through the 8th.

Also, remember their players and coaches are not as experienced at winning titles as KU. Experience counts!

WVU is haunted by its loss to KU.

It has to let go and move on.

But chokes when u r way up are tough to deal with.

The photo makes clear that someone is using microwave mind control technology to disrupt Udoka's brain function in a way that leaves him to manifest a palsy in his shooting arm during FTs.

The question is will the government shut down reduce the frequency of the microwave mind control interventions, because all non essential mind control staff are on unpaid leave?

(Note: all fiction and /s. No malice.)

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@Crimsonorblue22

Games and the players overachieving and Coach Self's dazzling coaching are great recruiting nausea remedies. I will fan through.

I asked something similar to my title question awhile back--before Billy Preston joined the all-Samsonite team.

Each year KU, if it is lucky enough to sign a 5-star at the 1 or 5, learns with alarming frequency that that player has some Samsonite that is not widely announced to fans in advance. The Samsonite can delay initial clearance, or trigger no/or limited playing times in anticipation of late arriving Samsonite.

Please list any players from next year's incoming class( including transfers) that might be destined for the luggage carousel at KCI.

@BShark

VERY frustrated with KU recruiting of 5-stars (that actually play) at 1 and 5 positions especially.

Endlessly glad I'm not a Maryland fan. Imagine living so close to a swamp. But I do envy them their soft shell crabs from Chesapeake Bay.

Anyone feel like running some numbers today? I’m under the weather.

CRH107 said:

WOW! These lists put Coach Self's success and winning percentage in a totally different stratosphere.

I have been typing till my fingers have bled the last 3 seasons and weary warning before that that SELF is not coaching on a level field.

D1 needs two new stats: WINS/OAD and WINS/5-STAR.

Self would be up here.
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V
Everyone else down here.

NOT. EVEN. CLOSE.

Indexes for talent level and quantity, he is just far and away the BEST coach the last 15 years, the last 10 years, and the last 5 years.

Maybe the guy at Gonzaga might score higher, but who else among elite programs playing elite grade schedules?

Ratso Izzo maybe.

Cunliffe certainly looks cryo iced.

Does he drive a Dodge Charger? 😏

Self can change quickly though.

He could blow cold on Silvio again—not likely but a significant possibility, if the last game’s fouls and TOs habituate.

Mitch seemed to struggle a bit, too.

All non starters are on a micron thin bubble. None of them are shoe ins not to be recruited over. None of them are contributing enough to endure excessive fouls and TOs.

If their fouls and TOs trend up two games, their PT appears to decline.

Or an injury can happen.

@HighEliteMajor

If he can take more rules, you’ve given him the right set.

All’s fair in war and FTs.

He seems to like the running hook and shoots it with dexterity. No law he can’t one step and hook either.

The thing that improved my free throw shooting most was breaking my right collar bone, and spending 9 weeks or so in a sling. I am a lefty and shot FTs one handed during that recovery time and it raised my average from 72% to 80%. It continued the rest of my life. Thus this is always my first suggestion for others: skip the fracture, but immobilize the non shooting hand, and practice one handed. It worked for me. If you analyze what one handed FT shooting requires, you realize it forces you to do much of what you laid out above. I had a wobbly elbow/shoulder, like Doke. Just did not want to stay in the same position each time. It meant I was shooting with new mechanics almost every 2-3 FTs.

At first I sucked one handed, so I watched one of my heroes—Oscar Robertson. I recalled he lifted the ball overhead two-handed, pulled the non-shooting hand completely away, and shot it largely with a wrist. He made the arm a rock steady platform for a wrist flick. This worked for me instantly. In fact, I never really improved beyond 80%, no matter how much I practiced.

Thx Oscar, wherever you are!!!

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stoptheflop said:

I was thinking Marcus Garrett would also get 6-8 minutes of defense on Young. That would give Graham some relief and put a really active defensive player on a really active offensive player.

I like this idea. Garrett, at 6-5, rotates in at both wings 5 minutes each half (total 10 per half) and guards Trae. In each wing rotation, The first 2.5 DG stays at point: the second 2.5 DG exits and either Vick or Newman run point for 2.5. Then Garret takes 5 minute blow. Then repeat repeat substitution routine at other wing.

The idea is buy Devonte 5 min rest each half, and 5 more playing but not guarding Trae.

Keep the defensive pressure on Trae.

And switch in and out of M2M and a box and 1.

@Careful-you

U r welcome. Boom the Sooners.

@Blown

Thank you for making the issue unmistakably clear.

Looking at this list makes me ill.

Why even waste time and money recruiting?

Let Self and staff stay home and coach up whomever shows up.

Just take whomever Adidas gives us and open an official University of Kansas recruiting website that says we have X number of scholarships available, first come first serve, based on star rank and tryout.

This isn’t recruiting!

This is a mascarade ball.

Its all rigged, as the President likes to say.

Make it stop!

Certain I am uncertain about how.

But we win.

Self just keeps getting better the more times he meets a coach.

It must be very annoying.

Ask Shaka.

Kruger has given him problems, but I suspect he is sighting in.

@mayjay

The low minute, low production KU bigs prove how important it is to the NBA GMs and Coaches to fill those slots, when stars allow, with guys that won't create on- or off-court problems. Most end of bench guys in the NBA are not going to help win rings for them on the floor. Except for the rare projects in development, end of bench (EOB) guys can only lose rings for them. The bling years of gangstah stars filling the EOB slots with their posse members seem mercifully behind us. Today's high buck stars are relatively level headed and business like in their approach, compared with the gang banger wave of the naught decade. It appears the stars, regardless of back ground, are getting better advice, or at least listening to it more, and telling the stars to surround themselves with EOBers that are professional in approach, rather than partying sycophants. Frankly, this seems one of the most positive signs in the NBA right now. It is being treated more like a profession again, and less like a gold rush.

The KU-OU matchup hinges on two teams trying desperately not to have to play their backups at point guard.

Self has Devonte Graham-a waterbug that can shoot the 3, drive it, and draw fouls for 30-40 minutes.

Kruger has Trae Young--a waterbug that can shoot the 3, drive it, and draw fouls for 30-40 minutes.

Talk about symmetry.

Kruger was a point guard and played and assisted for a coach, Jack Hartman, who believed in letting one player dominate scoring, if that was one great player.

Self was a 2 guard and played and assisted for coaches that believed in diversity.

This KU-OU game is likely going to be about Kruger trying to turn it into a two player game to see if he can foul-up Devonte Graham, while Self is trying to make it a 5 player game and find a way to foul up Trae Young.

Self has be planning on Vick and Newman bringing the ball up the court a lot. He has to be scheming a lot of help defense and a lot of switching to keep Young from fouling Devonte up. If I were Self I would let Graham, Vick and Newman take turns guarding Young. Young probably has not faced this amount and diversity of length and quickness on the defensive end that can work him death on the offensive end, also.There should be a sign in the locker room: Attack Trae Young.

But Self has one more thing related to Young to worry about. The help and turn taking on Trae needs to keep him out front. Self doesn't want Young slipping by Graham et al and challenging Udoka Azubuike for 40 minutes.

Its as simple as this: KU with Devonte and Doke playing aggressively for 35 minutes each and KU wins, assuming Vick, Newman and Svi bring their usual games.

Kruger?

Kruger has to hope KU blows cold and Young does not get fouled up. His dream come true is for Doke and Devonte to get fouled up.

Neither team has a backup capable of replacing half what the starting PGs supply their teams.

So: watch the penetrations of Devonte and Trae. The treys will be hard to stop.But its the one that can penetrate on the other and keep doing it that will foul the other up, and lead his team to victory.

@mayjay

Ah, that's sort of a relief.

I forgot. He had a big scoring night, but was not shooting a super high percentage to get his 40+, right?

Well, Kruger is making it pretty clear. I'm not going to stop going to him till someone figures out how to stop him.

Bill, here is another defensive challenge for you.

@justanotherfan

Insightful big picture assessment. Thx.

My add: now modest competition for youth players from foreign pro teams could push recruiting and the amateurism issue in a lot of directions. I suspect the NBA and NCAA are staying in contact on this nascent drift toward overseas play for pay.

Frankly, the overseas teams in Europe east of the Eurals, and eventually Eurasia, as they link up the New Silk Road, the Shanghai Security Pact, transEurasian marketing infrastructure, and absorb elements of the EU, are increasingly going to have the gambling infrastructure, and betting and sports merchandize-buying populations necessary to achieve economies of scale that will dwarf the NBA's, if it doesn't expand there first.

It would be interesting to know how many of the NBA owners, or their business associates, are already buying in to the ground floor of Eurasian sports. It would seem a heckuva play.

Another awesome play would be for the sports, gaming and media entrepreneurs of Eurasia to donate massively to America D1 basketball programs. Target the universities by sending either their children to them to attend, or associates children, and then funnel a billion, or three, into a school like KU, or where ever. Take the athletic department to the next level, and do so to attract a pipeline of players to that university that can then be moved to Eurasian pro teams. American schools and American players are ripe for the picking right now. Hope I don't live to see this, but seems like a plan.

@mayjay

Oooh, I didn't hear he shot 13.8%.

Who ever draws him is getting the honor of walking into a room full of natural gas with a lit match.

Gunman said:

@jaybate-1.0 Was this the same guy posters wanted to throw to sharks? No need to mention comments. Silly people trust Bill, don't Bash the Mash.

Each player has certain things they can do and other things that they need to get better at.

Malik is a Top Gun fighter pilot excellent at 1 on 1 dog fighting, but still learning at precision formation flying and coordinated attacking.

A Naval aviator needs to be able to do both to be optimally useful to his wing, or whatever they call themselves these days. Not every encounter is a 1 on 1 dog fight; maybe not any; maybe only just stretches of any encounter are. There are group targets and group tactics. Malik appears to struggle some with group targets and tactics. Its not from flawed character, or being a selfish guy. Of that I am now convinced. Its a problem lots of physically gifted offensive players have. Like a lot of players, he struggles balancing flowing with the team and making plays within in the offense. Its an awkwardness at shifting between both. Talented, creative types often struggle at this. He easily does one, or the other, but finds it difficult to enable flow AND make plays, when the offense finally does come to him. Its a level of stimulation thing. Malik gets juiced, when the rock is in his hands and he is looking for attack lanes. Every antennae is up and tracking in those situations. But when he settles into the flow, his focus widens and his stimulation lessens; then, when the offense comes to him, he is often not on the razor's edge of ready, and when the offense is going elsewhere he sometimes loses intense focus and anticipation. Almost every player that ever stepped on the sacred wood can relate for almost everyone has struggled with this balancing act at one level, or another.

Malik would master this issue sometime next season, or the following one, if he were to stay, but he probably won't, so we likely will never get to see Malik become a complete player in the traditional sense. Without that mastery, jumping to the professional level will be risky. He has buckets of ability and charisma and the NBA will take a chance on him. But EVERYONE in the NBA is already a master of both flowing and impacting. They are so masterful at transitioning from one to the other and back again at the NBA level that fans (even young players) often can't tell when its happening. Fans forget the NBA players are running any offense at all, because the offense runs a shorter stretch, before the player creates, but good NBA teams are Swiss automatic watch movements rapidly setting up creative impact moments.

Perhaps another helpful analogy for the NBA would be a great jazz quintet.

Great jazz players are great at the group and individual levels of play; this bothness enables the great improvisational beauty of jazz--its seemingly vast spontaneity that somehow occurs within a distinct scheme. Great jazz and great NBA basketball have the fascinating, shared quality of chaotic (nonlinear) systems. They manifest near infinite variation within distinct limits and the trained eye can see the recurrent, "strange tendencies" that an untrained eye misses. There are a lot of great solo trumpet players that cannot fit seamlessly into a jazz combo and there are a lot of so-so trumpet players that can fit in seamlessly. But what makes great jazz are great soloists that can also blend in seamlessly, and move gracefully between modes in ways that contribute to elevating the group sound. Capice?

Malik is a young man that can really blow a horn, and who can fit in, but who still appears to labor at times with changing modes gracefully and staying fully engaged in the flow.

But when his jazz quintet needs a solo that reaches for the stars, or when his fighter wing needs to break down into 1 on 1 dog fighting, oh my, can this guy blow his horn, or manage his stick!

Self tried to coach Malik up for awhile to help him get better at gracefully switching between flowing and soloing, but it got him thinking too much, as all new learning does to persons. Malik flailed awhile. Self may even have put him in toughening box lite for a while beyond our view. Regardless, as I have noted recently, Self apparently finally had to choose between helping him get better this season and re-tailoring his role to one that better fitted the stage of development he was at. Self has given him a bespoke suit, so to speak. And Malik, for his part, is increasingly wearing it like a second skin.

Of course, there are no free lunches in the team and individual tailoring game (how's that for compound mixing of metaphors?). Malik's new suit affects Devonte and Vick a lot and Svi to lesser degree. But it appears the biggest tug in pre-existing group tapestry is on Vick. Vick has to step away from the plate (ooh, I've always wanted to mix metaphors willy nilly once to throw off those old teachers a bit, oh, say like Malik gaining off down the stretch of game and sailing beyond the horizon of Bill Self's tidy game of Okie Ball!) a little more than would be optimal for him. A lot of folks are noticing that Vick is not quite the dynamic figure he was earlier on. No doubt some of Vick's problems flow from wear and tear of his first full season in the saddle, maybe even an unreported injury masked by lingerie, plus some strung hams from opposing coaches studying his moves closely and finding tells, etc. But it also appears pretty likely that Self has gone to his Gunny Vick (holy cow, now its back to the Marines) and said something vaguely like, "Look, LaGerald, you have been playing fabulous and we wouldn't be in the running, if you had not taken over and carried us much of the season, and I know you can keep doing it, and you are going to be the first option next season, but we need to get Malik untracked somehow. I've tried everything I can with Malik, but, well, he's just kind of a year or two behind you on some things. But we've gotta have him clicking for a fourth threat to make us really special this season, you know, to nail down this 14th title, and give us a shot in March. So: LaGerald, you know the role of the glue two. You are frankly as good as anyone I have given that role to since Chalmers. (Self pauses and glances up at Chalmers jersey hanging above them.) What I need is for you to make room for Malik to be Malik for the next month or so, while he kind of figures things out. He is going to get the pixels for awhile. I've already talked to Devonte about it and he's willing to lead us through this, but nothing can happen with out my gunny buying into this. So: whattya say, LaGerald, can I count on you to make Malik look good for awhile till he figures out who we are?" LaGerald gets it. He is smart and he is nobody's fool, but he also knows that Self is right. They need a fourth for bridge in March (yeeeeaaaaaaaah not a bridge reference, too, I hear a Greek chorus of old professors screaming). LaGerald is as sore as he's ever been. He's already shown he can throw down 25, whenever Self says go sick'em. He can feed the fish for a month and keep the tank clean (koi? fish tank? to metaphor mixing hell with ya! Tom O'Donnell would have said.). Besides, Devonte is the one that is going to face the real headache. Devonte is who will have to throttle back just the right amount the last three minutes of games to hit the sweet spot between letting Malik run wild and Devonte stepping in to weave himself, or others back in to retain credible alternative threats. Man, Vick thinks to himself, there is more to this game than I thought. (LaGerald looks back at the rafters--not at Chalmers jersey--but at the 4 NCAA Championship bed sheets hanging limp. I want one of those, he thinks, I know I'm good. But I want to be a champion. I want to know what that's like. I want to look Chalmers in the eye one day and know he got nothing on me. LaGerald looks back at Self. "Yeah, coach, I can do both." Self beams. He loves both. Titles and rings are now more than just champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

Failor shot 20% from 3 today.

WVU shot 18.5% from 3.

Before that, KSU shot a more typical 38% from 3.

Before that, ISU shot 40.7% from 3.

What’s up?

Are we guarding better with Silvio around to let Doke be more aggressive and so allow our perimeter guys to guard the 3 farther out?

Or did we just catch two straight weak trey shooting teams on cold nights?