And Silvio even showed a little post move!
Now everyone just let Silvio play this supporting role without expecting more this season.
If he can do what he did first half against WVU every game, then Doke and Mitch going full tilt full time make us a team capable of winning our home games and stealing enough on the road to tie for a 14th, and win one outright if Malik continues to find a fit and discover the assist stat.
Batman has LaCobra.
And Malik is finding his way.
While the talking heads focus on what KU lacks, Self and his Players are busy becoming the best they can be.
All the announcers appear to recognize KU is not getting its share of players, and that their own ratings depend on stroking EST eyeballs. They all jump ship on KU ASAP. Itâs SOP after all these years.
Huggins and Self are alike in certain ways.
Both guys let the players own the mistakes and losses, as well as the wins.
I loved hearing Bob say, âI donât know why you tell a guy to do something again and again and he doesnât do it. I donât know.â
Huggins has won 72% of his games. He has won 834 games!!! He has never coached an elite program. Itâs almost unbelievable how many games he has won, given where he has coached.
72% of the time his guys listen enough for him to win. Thatâs 7.2 games out of 10.
83% of the time Selfâs guys listen enough to win. Thatâs 8.3 games out of 10.
What the old bear said about his players said was harsh, but really no more harsh than what Self says when we lose. Self just smiles more and says it faster.
Huggins gave his team some serious medicine.
You guys arenât preparing like you belong up here. #2 is way up there.
Remember Self has said exactly the same kind of thing a half dozen times about teams over the years.
Itâs tempting to say it sews some self fulfilling prophecy karma, but really, the both coaches are describing what is already there. A doctor telling you you have cancer doesnât make the acute symptoms appear later. They were coming.
By telling players the truth about their play and then telling them how to do it right, the coach gives them a chance to head the problem off before it gives them a loss.
If they canât listen and process, then at least after the loss comes they will have more trust in the coachâs advice whenever they can listen.
Everyone of Hugginsâ press conferences and interviews is a clinic, since he took his medicine, sat out a few years and came back.
He is a fiercesome manâa great bear of a man.
But he has learned to harness it for good.
Self is every bit as unflinching in his ways, but he has a much gentler demeanor. But when I say Self is a hard man under that exterior, I mean that there is a Bob Huggins inside the jovial man you meet on Mass Street, or in interviews.
To be a great coach you have to be unblinking and fearless in what you see, so you can communicate what you see and solutions to it. Self appears to admire Huggins so much, because Huggins is even more fearless than Self in his candor in public.
Hugginsâ and his players will get better from this awful experience of losing two and blowing a lead at home. The players will now know the old coaches knows what he is talking about regarding preparation. Huggins tough love assured that.
Now Huggins has to go to work on figuring out how to substitute more effectively, so his pressing team can play 2-3 without losing its shooting legs, while also keeping his better players on the floor enough to getter done.
The March Carney is three 2 in 3 sets. Huggs will likely figure at least part of it out. Like Self, he does not always adapt fast, but he tends to find solutions eventually.
Remember how Self has had to figure things out on the fly.
Watching Huggins coach and interview is a privilege, same as is watching Self.
Self is easier to watch, because he isnât so edgy, but a person can learn so much good from both.
These are two giants we are lucky to watch work.
Float like a butterfly
Guard like a Hawk!!
It was the most startling power transfer I have witnessed in basketball.
I have witnessed many great come from behind victories, but I have never seen look as intimidating and dominant as WVU, turn around and look almost submissive.
KU â s players were just mentally tougher.
WVU got demoralized by their bad shooting, whereas KU just kept struggling through the misses until they blew the lid off!
Thx for posting.
We must stop, heal, prevent and build the honorable culture our Declaration of Independence and Constitution commit us to.
We must regain our self respect as Americans. It is one thing to stumble and fail occasionally, but intentionally harming children is intolerable.
Our men are too precious to unemploy and waste and then humiliate in media.
Our women too precious be anything but fair, kind and gentle to.
Our children too precious but to protect, nurture and educate the most we can.
To violate any of us is to violate us all.
Stop it now!
Gunman said:
@jaybate-1.0 said ' Never apologize or fear the truth.
EVER!'
I agree 100%, but l fear my wife.
God fearing and wife fearing indicate wisdom!
Gunman said:
@jaybate-1.0 This reminded me of several times my wife would see something I posted or shared on Facebook and said you'd better get that off or you'll be sorry.
Never apologize or fear the truth.
EVER!
I am ready for some science on the measurable effects of energy budget size accruing from long term play of 7-8 vs. 10 man rotations.
What I suspect happens is that against lesser teams, rotating 10 is a big edge, because all 10 are as good or better than the opponents 10 or less.
But as the talent of the first 7-8 spikes up, the teams rotating 10 suddenly find their second 5 uncompetitive and so have to play their first five sharply more minutes. But the starting 5 is not ready for the increased minutes and fatigues.
So when Duke and UK had their long stacks they were able to stay long bench and it was such an advantage, even playing green OADs, that both made deep runs against 7-8 rotation teams.
But under short stacks, then the old dynamic of the 7-8 rotation prevails over 10 man rotations, because against to good teams the 10 rotation teams have to reduce to 5-8 to stay competitive. In turn, their 5-8 not used to going 38-40 crack.
I also think Mother Graham being at the game and getting so fiery the second half helped also! Holy cow! No wonder Devonte can amp up!!!
Thx so much!!!
Yup.
But he still did a few good things out there.
And to be honest, that was war out there last night.
WVU was as big, strong and intimidating with DONATE as anyone we will see and Garrett is a skinny freshman; that was arguably a new level of pressing intensity and violence for him. He got overwhelmed, but he did not break and run. Good for him.
It is amazing that a pressing team with more depth than KUâone that presses most of every gameâgot more tired than KU down the stretch and made so many more TOs the second half.
Maybe 2 in 3 is harder on a pressing team? WVU did appear to lose its shooting legs the second halfâfinishing under 20% from trey
I am interested in the idea that Huggins may have erred with having put it on them to win it.
I will think on that.
The above responses tell how we held our TOs down the second half, but the question of the post is how did KUâs defense change the second half to force WVU into so many more TOS?
Was it increased intensity, or some defensive adjustments?
I saw much more switching by KU defenders on interior cuts the second half.
Anyone see anything else?
Itâs absolutely amazing to see a visiting team make fewer TOs than pressing WVU!!!!
How did Self and his Hawks pull this off?!
Itâs one of the great defensive accomplishments in a long time.
NOTE TO ALL: I DONT SEE THIS POST AS OTHERS APPARENTLY DO. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE POSTS OF MY OWN EVER. IT TELLS IT EXACTLY AS THINGS STOOD AT THE TIME IT WAS POSTED!!! AND SO IT CAPTURES THE DIRE STRAITS KU WAS IN AND SO CAPTURES PERFECTLY THE INTENT OF MY METAPHOR OF âTHE CANALâ NEVER QUIT SEEING THE DIRENESS OF THE SITUATION AS IT IS, EVEN WHEN OTHERS FEAR THE DESPAIR OF THE MOMENT. THE TRUTH IN SUCH MOMENTS IS THE GREATEST WEAPON OF ALL. MY FATHER SAID THE TROOPS KNEW EXACTLY HOW BAD THINGS WERE AND NEVER FORGOT IT FOR A SECOND, BECAUSE IT MADE THEM STRUGGLE THAT MUCH HARDER TOGETHER. NEVER LET YOUR BUDDIES DOWN, ESPECIALLY BY LYING TO THEM. NEVER! HE SAID THAT IF THE AMERICANS HAD EVER DENIED THE DIRENESS OF THAT NEARLY HOPELESS EARLY STAGE OF THE WAR, EVER TURNED THEIR EYES AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, VICTORY WOULD HAVE ELUDED THEM. FOR THIS PHASE OF THE KU SEASON, AND FOR THE CURRENT TRIALS OF OUR GREAT NATION, REMEMBER THE DIRE STRAITS AND DESPERATION OF THE NOW NEARLY FORGOTTEN VALIANT HOURS THAT WERE THE SOLOMONS ISLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1943 THAT MY FATHER LIVED THROUGH, WHEN FEW HAD ANY IDEA HOW EVENTUAL VICTORY MIGHT BE WON YET WAS!!! NEVER AVOID THE DIRENESS OF THE SITUATION. EMBRACE IT. YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND IT SHALL SET YOU FREE. THESE WERE THE VALIANT HOURS OF THIS TEAM. TO HAVE AVERTED EYES FROM ITS DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE BEEN TO LIE. LIES ARE THE GREATEST ENEMY OF ALL. THIS IS WHAT CURRENT AMERICANS MUST TAKE AWAY FROM OUR COUNTRYâS CURRENT STRUGGLE TO FREE ITSELF FROM THE FORCES AND DYNAMICS THAT WOULD KEEP IT BOGGED DOWN AS IT IS IN A MIRE OF LIES, INTRIGUES AND DESPERATE ATTEMPTS TO SAVE THE LIARS AND INTRIGUERS. KEEP SEEING AND SPEAKING THE TRUTH AND THE LIARS AND INTRIGUERS, WHOMEVER THEY MAY TURN OUT TO BE, CAN NEVER PREVAIL. THE MOST BITTER TRUTH IS ALWAYS STRONGER THAN THE SWEETEST LIE. ROCK CHALK!!! GO JAYHAWKS! AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!!)
KU made a lot of TOs the first half. I watched closely and could figure out many of the adjustments KU made that helped it stop making as many turnovers the second half.
But...
What defensive adjustments did KU make defensively that made WVU make so many more turnovers the second half?
Its going to be really interesting to read Huggins' quotes about the game.
You called Cunliffe right, tonight for sure.
I thought he would play 8 minutes or so given the press, but either you are right that Self doesn't trust that he can play under control, or...
KU was coughing up so many TOs, and barely able to stay in the game score wise, the first half, that Self just did not dare put him in the first half, which would have been the time to use Cunliffe to shorten the game for the starters.
I doubt Da Sousa would have seen the light of day, if Doke had not gotten fouled up when he did in the first half, and so Self had to protect Lightfoot, for the second half, too.
Self was clearly looking at the first half and thinking KU was doing a lot of good things that were not converting to points, because of a home whistle, and too many turn overs. He couldn't do much about the home whistle, so he just decided NOT to risk anything that might make the turnover problem even worse, if he could avoid it. Hence, no Cunliffe, and no Da Sousa until he just could not afford not to with Da Sousa.
This was a seriously ballsy job of coaching by Self tonight. He really just road out the first half doing the bare minimum. He in effect said I am NOT going to make adjustments the first half that Huggins can counter during half time. He coached the first half as if KU were only down 5 instead of 10-15. I mean it was incredible that he could restrain himself from trying to help his guys get back into the game. He basically exhorted them emotionally, but didn't give them diddledy squat in the way of adjustments until half time.
After half time, he adjusted the weave for the hand offs to occur waaaaaaaaaay outside and almost immediately; that put an end to the jamming up of the hand off that was occurring with the help from their high post and from their wings--something Huggins clearly borrowed from Squeaky two days before. Self also told the guys to get their butts up the floor so that Donate always faced 2 on 1. He was quite human after that. Also, whenever Mitch was in the second half he broke all the way to the basket off the pick and rolls, and they threw it to him over the shoulder like a quick football pass instead of a lob play. You could go on and on. Self tweaked a ton of stuff. He didn't change sets. He just tweaked the actions. I think it was the accrued effect of WVU not knowing how to adjust in huddles that finally broke down WVU's momentum. It wasn't our trey shooting. That didn't come til the stretch of the second half. And it wouldn't have helped, if WVU hadn't lost its focus and gotten on its heels defensively.
BShark said:
@jaybate-1.0 Carter is a 41% trey baller this year. Just wasn't falling for him tonight. In fact just about everyone was going CLANGA tonight. Svi caught some fire at just the right time.
Thx for the heads up. I am so glad I didn't know it then. :-)
I would have been much more worried about him.
Blown said:
2 gutty games in 3 days. very impressive. was nice to see the FT even out the last 10 minutes of the game.
This has to be one of the greatest 2 in 3 performances in quite some time. They beat their instate rival at home and then went to one of the toughest places to play on the road and stole a road W by coming from 15-17 down!!!
And this win tonight was almost essential for this team to have a real chance of winning a 14th Straight. If they had had to play the rest of the front nine with backs to wall, they might have fallen too far behind to come back on the back nine, given how short handed this team is.
Just a great, great, GREAT win to enable this team to go on the offensive, instead of having to spend the rest of the front nine scrambling to get back into it.
Now they can go on the offensive and try to put some other teams backs against the walls.
Jayballer54 said:
KU outscored West Virginia 43-25 --in the 2nd half - -4 turnovers in the 2nd half - - - -closed out the game by shooting 8-10 - -80 % in the final critical minutes of the game. - - -more steals then WV - -95 -- -WV more turnovers then KU 16- 13 - -gutsy gutsy win - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
Super synopsis!!
It in a nutshell!
mayjay said:
Anyone notice that they backed off Malik when he started bringing it up against the press?
It didn't didn't register with me until you mentioned it but you are absolutely right!!!!
They were all over Malik on the wings, but they never put pressure on him brining up once. Strange.
Also, Huggins went to Javon shooting the treys late and Javon just did not look like a triafectate to me at all. Is he? That was a strange move, too.
Biggest goof by Huggins of all was not to keep posting Devonte up down low. Huggs called it one play down the stretch with 7 or so to go and it worked easily. Huggs could easily have fouled Devonte out if he had just kept doing it. But its like he decided not to win that way. Strange again!
8 miles high on nothing but basketball!
:cupid:
I love this game!
I love this game with all my heart!!!
It is the greatest game ever invented!!!!
Fightsongwriter said:
@jaybate-1-0. And how about that sweet post move by Silvio for his first KU bucket?!?!?!?
OMG ! OMG !!!!
This team has discovered who it is!!!
The are SCRAPPY ON STEROIDS!!!!!!
Incredible mega huge pair of wins!!!
Self was beaming from the moment Doke and Svi were diving for balls!!!!!!!!!
BShark said:
Fightsongwriter said:
Silvio and mitch really played some key mins to keep us in this one.
That dunk by Mitch...wow.
Emphatic COPY AND PASTE!!!!!
Fightsongwriter said:
Silvio and mitch really played some key mins to keep us in this one.
Damn straight!!!
And did you see Doke and Svi diving for balls?!!!!
THE CANAL IS SECURE!!!!
THE CANAL IS SECURE!!!!
THE CANAL IS SECURE!!!!
THE CANAL IS SECURE!!!!
Combat hand to hand last 5 minutes.
Enemy hung on to the end.
KU took no prisoners at the end.
Point blank 3 point mortar barrage breaks Mountaineers backs.
Marines finally overrun Mountaineer position on the sand bar.
Mountaineers go down guns blazing finally dry. Licking empty magazines.
Mission accomplished!
The Canal is secure.
Prepare to sail up the slot!!!!!
Holy cow!!!
Selfâs Marines barely hanging in. Each charge blunted. Step slow.
WVU posting Devonte.
(NOTE TO ALL: I DONT SEE THIS POST AS OTHERS APPARENTLY DO. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE POSTS OF MY OWN EVER. IT TELLS IT EXACTLY AS THINGS STOOD AT THE TIME IT WAS POSTED!!! AND SO IT CAPTURES THE DIRE STRAITS KU WAS IN AND SO CAPTURES PERFECTLY THE INTENT OF MY METAPHOR OF âTHE CANALâ NEVER QUIT SEEING THE DIRENESS OF THE SITUATION AS IT IS, EVEN WHEN OTHERS FEAR THE DESPAIR OF THE MOMENT. THE TRUTH IN SUCH MOMENTS IS THE GREATEST WEAPON OF ALL. MY FATHER SAID THE TROOPS KNEW EXACTLY HOW BAD THINGS WERE AND NEVER FORGOT IT FOR A SECOND, BECAUSE IT MADE THEM STRUGGLE THAT MUCH HARDER TOGETHER. NEVER LET YOUR BUDDIES DOWN, ESPECIALLY BY LYING TO THEM. NEVER! HE SAID THAT IF THE AMERICANS HAD EVER DENIED THE DIRENESS OF THAT NEARLY HOPELESS EARLY STAGE OF THE WAR, EVER TURNED THEIR EYES AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, VICTORY WOULD HAVE ELUDED THEM. FOR THIS PHASE OF THE KU SEASON, AND FOR THE CURRENT TRIALS OF OUR GREAT NATION, REMEMBER THE DIRE STRAITS AND DESPERATION OF THE NOW NEARLY FORGOTTEN VALIANT HOURS THAT WERE THE SOLOMONS ISLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1943 THAT MY FATHER LIVED THROUGH, WHEN FEW HAD ANY IDEA HOW EVENTUAL VICTORY MIGHT BE WON YET WAS!!! NEVER AVOID THE DIRENESS OF THE SITUATION. EMBRACE IT. YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND IT SHALL SET YOU FREE. THESE WERE THE VALIANT HOURS OF THIS TEAM. TO HAVE AVERTED EYES FROM ITS DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE BEEN TO LIE. LIES ARE THE GREATEST ENEMY OF ALL. THIS IS WHAT CURRENT AMERICANS MUST TAKE AWAY FROM OUR COUNTRYâS CURRENT STRUGGLE TO FREE ITSELF FROM THE FORCES AND DYNAMICS THAT WOULD KEEP IT BOGGED DOWN AS IT IS IN A MIRE OF LIES, INTRIGUES AND DESPERATE ATTEMPTS TO SAVE THE LIARS AND INTRIGUERS. KEEP SEEING AND SPEAKING THE TRUTH AND THE LIARS AND INTRIGUERS, WHOMEVER THEY MAY TURN OUT TO BE, CAN NEVER PREVAIL. THE MOST BITTER TRUTH IS ALWAYS STRONGER THAN THE SWEETEST LIE. ROCK CHALK!!! GO JAYHAWKS! AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!!)
Wow! The home whistle stunted our rally and we lost our composure. Da Sousa helped briefly then got overwhelmed. But he did help. Devonte lost control of his own team.Garrett a no show. Malik looked good but destroyed all Team play. Vick andSvi both got shoved out of their spots.
Self gambled and withheld adjustments for half time, but we appear too far down to come back on a pressing team.
May get but heâd second half.
Marines under heavy siege. Almost no more ammo.
This is the crucial question.
Infinite patience has limits.
PHOF!
Everyone needs to chill on this WVU-Tech stuff and focus on our game tonight.
You can be sure WVU is.
Our players are going way deep in Appalachia tonight.
Best tend to our own knitting till tomorrow.
Something doesnât feel right here.
A possible turning point nears.
Preparations are under way for the Battle of the Monongahela!
The keys to Victory in Morgantown are: first, break the press; then fight the intimidation with jungle warfare tactics; and then trifectate and feed Doke enough to overcome the referees EST whistle.
Synchronize watches.
Lock in defensive and offensive focus.
Calibrate 3pt shooting sights for that weird dome.
Visualize jungle warfare techniques.
Mount bayonettes.
Prepare morphing zone.
Letâs do it!!
"Nobody roots for Wilt Chamberlain."
--Goliath, after interdimensional time travel through the Stargate
Marvelous school and country side.
Now massacre their team.
In fact, suspend two of their players.
We have to get the numbers on our side.
I absolutely insist on the WVU player being suspended for the KU game!!!!!!
I've been trying it a different way this season. I have been interweaving the metaphor of Guadalcanal through intermittent references to The Canal in a succession of posts.
This regular season has so far been the six month campaign on Guadalcanal--trying to get ashore and fight without the necessary man power and with the needed reinforcements of the short handed team that is already ashore and trying to simultaneously hold Henderson Field and fight their way through tall grass and jungle with attrition of personnel. Think General Vandegrift trying to wage the first phase of a Soloman's campaign with a skeleton crew green Marines and Army that can barely get resupplied because the troops and supplies keep being delayed off shore by the NCAA.
I have carried the metaphor up to the coming visit to Morgantown being this team's apparently decisive Battle for the Tenaru River that culminated ultimately in hand to hand on a sand bar.
If the team were to prevail in this encounter with Huggins' mashers, then the rest of the season looks like a Solomon Island Campaign island hopping up the slot to try to cut off Rabaul by taking both Bougaineville and New Britain and part of New Guinea, during the remainder of the front nine of the B12 campaign; then moving on to Tarawa, Guam/Saipan, for the Back Nine of the B12, then into post season Iwo and Okinawa, where the impossible will take a little longer.
Alas, if the team gets massacred on the Monogahela in Morgantown, then it maybe time to look for another metaphor. :-)
Good news: Neers loss in Lubbock gets KU a shot to claw toward Ring 14 !
Bad news: Neers will be fit to be tied.
Inference: On THE CANAL, even the breaks can be lethal.
Success, as they say, can be catastrophic.
It may be too soon for the metaphor of The Battle of the Tenaru River for this season, but the WVU loss means WVU will be sent in to win at any cost by Huggins, same as Self sent KU to hold Henderson at all costs today. Huggs cannot allow his Neers to go 0-2 including a loss at home to KU.
This means KU cannot hope to catch WVU over confident.
KU also cannot go into Morgantown rested.
Finally, KU cannot sneak up on the Neers, as a washed up ex-13-time champion.
KU is a bonfide contender, if KU can steal a win in Morgantown. KU is real trouble if it loses.
This is going to be a flipping bloodbath!
Absolutely no prisoners taken.
Two in.
One out.
Whoever wins here has a HUGE edge down the back 9.
Both can avenge their other losses.
Both can clip Beard and the Raiders later.
But not this one.
Not this time.
A loss here is a loss on the sand bar of the Tenaru River, as much as the Monongahela.
This is the deepest part of the jungle and the hardest place to lose in. There is no safe retreat path.
Losing here can turn into massacre.
Selfâs Team shouldnât have to play a game like this this soon, but losing one early at home early, and WVU jumping off quick, made it almost unavoidable.
Neither should Hugginsâ Team. It all looked so easy before the loss in Lubbock. But now going 0-2 right now could fling it into a four way dog fight it could easily lose in Lawrence later.
Is there a sand bar in the Monongahela in Morgantown.
If so, keep your distance.
Itâs going to get intense.
Look out Huggs .
KU has learned to jungle fight.
For every forearm smash a trip.
For every shove an eye jab.
For every act of intimidation a flip on a drive.
The 1st Division that has been living off garbage and dank water, and learned to bite and scratch and learned to take unfair advantage is coming into Morgantown with their faces covered with mud and ready to trip your guys down into an unfair fight.
No more Kansas choir boys, Huggs!
You may press, punch and shove, but we will jungle ball you till you wish you hadnât.
We are coming to Morgantown to drag you onto The Canal with us.