🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Yup, I was thinking the same thing about Cade. The ball stays on his foot too long. Shoot or pass. Exciting to see him dribble thru a crowd for sure though. Just young. Hopefully as he plays with more mature players around him, they’ll let him know (loudly, probably).

The boys lost tonight. Drat. PKs.

As predicted before he took it, Roldan crapped the bed. Oh well.

Even game. Both sides had chances. The Panama goal was a catastrophic failure by the left side of the US defense.

The US had a decent second half though.

Love that Turner saves at least one PK per shootout.

@mayjay said in Huggins Retires:

@rockchalkjayhawk How do your 1st 2 sentences not lead directtly to the description of his exit in sentence #3😉

All that BBQ’d squirrel soaks up the alcohol.

I'd speculate it's about legacy as well. He's a proud West Virginian. Doesn't wanna go down like this in a public drunken stupor.

I don't have any tremendously crazy celebrity encounter stories while at KU in the mid/late 80s...but one or two kinda interesting.

Any punk fans out there? Remember guitarist Billy Zoom of X? Me and my roommate at the time picked him up from the airport when X was coming to town for a concert. he was crazy! fun crazy. We took him to KJHK and showed him around. He wanted to steal just about every old piece of equipment they had. Lucky we were his drivers, so he had no way to get away with it. we even stopped by our place to pick something up, and he wanted to steal one of my old guitar amps. Real nice, friendly guy for a drunken rock star. The funny part? He would walk around with a guitar pick stuck to his forehead ALL DAY! hilarious.

Ran into Danny multiple times. he was very outgoing and energetic. One time before practice at the Fieldhouse, me and a bud were kicking the soccer ball around on the track inside (they still have that?). Danny came over and wanted to play. Hilarious watching a 6-11 guy trying to juggle the soccer ball. His knees were basically at the height of my head!! Larry was screaming at him to join practice. He was having a good ole time, ignoring him.

wondered when/if the covid factor would affect recruits like this. lack of playing time, learning, coaching, etc.

@FarmerJayhawk said in 2024 Recruiting:

I haven't watched enough 2024 guys to have really strong views on anyone other than Flory, but keep in mind if they don't get the top guys on their board it's an immediate pivot to the portal to get the last of the covid year guys. The 2024 class almost without exception will get ABUSED year 1.

ok, just catching up to the 2024 class news. Why does it suck so much?

After watching the USWNT play yesterday (and recently), had a few thoughts...

-- Alex Morgan needs to touch the ball more often. She didn't even sniff it yesterday vs Wales. I wonder if she should move back out to the left wing so she can get on the ball, make some plays. She still have some speed? that way you can put Trinity Rodman in the middle, and Sophia Smith on the right wing. That's a pretty nice lineup of forwards. She can always slide back into the middle if a sub is brought in.

-- We need more out of Lindsey Horan. At times she just seems like she doesn't give a crap out there. sleep walks. I've seen her be dominant, aggressive and fluid (see my praise in the above post from 2022). Need way more of that. Hopefully the World Cup motivates her.

-- Fingers crossed that Rose Lavelle is back from injury, and brings some individual brilliance to the midfield. After seeing how teams now pack it in on defense against the US, we need players to make some plays.

Whew. Man. A great day to watch US soccer yesterday.

The women were dominant vs Wales. We can see the tactics other teams will use against them: pack it in. They will need to finish better for sure in that defensive quagmire. Early on I didn’t realize the girls were playing in my neck of the woods. I shoulda gone! I’ve seen them play out here in Cali before. Fun to watch live. The San Jose stadium is awesome for soccer.

Approx, the men’s game was kind of UGLY! Yikes. Aggressive. I don’t mind that actually. Fouls everywhere. Lucky we didn’t see any reds (both sides). I saw a few guys step up in this tourney for sure. I saw a few guys take a big step back, too. Like you, glad to see some guys make a future for themselves with the national team.

The game opened up a bit more in the second half. My boy Cowell was aggressive again when he subbed in. It’s definitively good to see younger guys get minutes in big games.

It’s great to develop depth, and that’s what it looks like this group of guys was here for. I was mostly impressed with the defensive units we rolled out. Last night they all had some suspect moments with their feet (passing), but generally they all showed out. That being said, Jalen Neal had an amazing assist last night.

My knee jerk reaction to who could and couldn’t ever make a US World Cup roster:

— All the defenders have a future.

— Maybe two of the midfielders. Mihailovic and Sands. Neither looks like a star though. Busio needs a lot of work IMO, plus about 50 pounds of more muscle. Sonora goes straight to DVD.

— Forwards? Jesus and Cowell. No real opinion formed about Gressel. Vazquez has nice size. Showed some skill. Zendejas straight to the high school coaching ranks.

A fun day yesterday. Off to the World Cup for the ladies!

Awesome. would love to see that work out for him. needs some PT!

Aaronson to Union Berlin.

@approxinfinity said in Generic soccer thread:

@rockchalkjayhawk im excited. They have a star at left wing already, but i hear the manager is high on the idea of Pulisic at 10. Hope to see that instead of just right wing

Yea, read that somewhere as well. Do you think we have enough evidence that he can play the 10? Pulisic must be excited about it if he chose Milan.

Pulisic to Milan. It’s official!

I’m a bit bummed. Loved being able to watch him and our other US players easily in the EPL.

Antonee Robinson is reportedly set to snub interest from the likes of Manchester City and AC Milan by signing a new contract at Fulham.

It's summer transfer time. A few updates as i see em:

1: Pulisic has agreed to terms with AC Milan. Now the teams have to agree on a transfer fee.

2: Sergino Dest. Barcelona says they want to get rid of him by the end of the week. no teams seem interested at the moment. What happened to him? Thought he was a wunderkid?

3: Folarin Balogun. Arsenal looks like they want to put him on the market. He's currently on loan in France. Arsenal is looking for suitors for about $50M. He's been linked with AC Milan, Juventus, Marseille and RB Leipzig.

4: Yunus Musah: Inter and AC Milan seem to be in a battle for the Valencia player. that's a good thing! He's also linked with Fulham.

5: Brenden Aaronson. After relegated with Leeds, he could join Union Berlin on loan. His brother Paxten plays in Germany as well.

6: Weston McKennie: Rumors of him joining AC Milan with Pulisic and Musah. Juventus doesn't want him any more.

7: Timothy Weah: Signed with Juventus.

8: Tyler Adams: Also relegated from Leeds. Looking for a new home. Linked with Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion.

US plays July 9.

Awaiting opponent.

Delayed response to the US game last night…

BAM! One shining moment and now Cade Cowell is oozing with confidence! You see his demeanor change after that breakaway goal? Awesome. He had no fear after that. Hope it sticks.

Alejandro Zendejas does not deserve another chance. I realize we use the Gold Cup to grow our younger players, but cmon. Dude was just awful the entire tournament.

Loved the way we dominated possession, and kept the counters to a minimum (mostly).

That field in Charlotte was an embarrassment. The ball didn’t do anything close to normal on that pitch. You could see the players struggle with how to pass, trap, expect the bounce, etc. terrible. Grass over artificial turf? Insane. Horrible decision.

Top of the group! Happy that we found our scoring touch. Jesus! Another hat trick! That first goal was another master touch.

Just read this about Cade Cowell. Kinda what I was thinking last night.

LOSER: Cade Cowell

It's not that Cowell had a bad game, because he didn't. He was decent enough and dangerous enough. Still, you were left wanting more from the 19-year-old attacker, who just couldn't quite take this one over in the way he did so often at the Under-20 World Cup.

Handed a chance to start, Cowell never really threatened the opponents with his pace and dribbling ability. Part of that was because of the style of game, of course, with the defense bunkered in, but even when he had moments, he just couldn't quite create magic like he did earlier this summer.

At this point, Cowell may just be a better supersub for the USMNT, with his physical attributes having a better chance to impact games later on. That's not to say he'll be in that role permanently, because his ceiling is so high, but at the moment, his game is just missing the little things that help break down a bunkered defense.

Those little things could come eventually, and the U20 World Cup showed us that Cowell is, in fact, a player for the big moments. He'll have bigger ones than a Wednesday night game against St. Kitts and Nevis, and the hope will be that he can take those moments and make a slightly bigger impact than he did in this one.

Oh, and I’m shocked that Gaga didn’t start in goal. Is he cap tied yet?

We whooped some St Kitts and Nevis butt tonight.

Well played. We dominated possession. Looked sharp.

Jesus F. had a hat trick. This was by far the sharpest I’ve seen him near the goal. Impressively quick reaction time. Ball left his feet lickity split. Nice.

Mihailovic with a beautiful finish. Reynolds with an absolute smash finish.

Busio had some nice assists.

I have to say Cade Cowell was a massive disappointment. Tentative, indecisive, didn’t seem like he could beat anybody one on one. I had high expectations for him, especially in this game. Bummer.

Sonora…once again sh*t the bed.

And I saw that they are adjusting the NLI (letter of intent) rules as well. Guys will have an official way out under certain circumstances.

Too bad for Cuffe. No biggie though. Only a month down, and that will allow him to work on that left hand dribble! He'll come out better for it.

@BShark said in 2023 Transfer Portal:

Would expect KU to be done barring a shift now. "No one worth getting" as it was relayed to me.

OK, does that finally mean i can start reading the 2024 recruiting threads? I hold off every year until we're set!

I must be half asleep after a late night. Why I brought up Dest I’ll never know! Zzzz

Yedlin! I’m with you on him. He’s a spare part at this point. Unpackage when all other options have been depleted.

Yea, some rough performances.

To me, J Morris and B Aaronsen are the same guy. 99% effort, 1% skill. That’s not a bad thing sometimes, effort is helpful. but most times they offer little else.

I’m on the fence about Dest. He was so hyped early on as a highly skilled dude. It shows up now and again.

@approxinfinity said in Generic soccer thread:

Usmnt rolled out an absolute stinker of a lineup tonight. Is attempting to win every game too much to ask? Felt like a Berhalter especial.

Oh man. That was u-g-l-y.

What a turd of a lineup. Some were calling it the “B” team, but I’d argue really not even the “D” team.

The first 65 minutes were slow, plodding, highly uneventful and youthfully inexperienced.

Expected with that starting 11 I suppose. Jamaica is a solid team.

If you’re going that way, I woulda started Cowell over Morris at the very least. He can be exciting.

I guess the result was fair, although 2-2 was more realistic with all misses by both sides.

The announcers were dogging Miazga, who I read was dogging GGG about his lack of playing time last year.

Sonora was bad.

This video is hilariously spot on. Impressions of great players. Check it! I LOLd.

https://fb.watch/lkeWKcNR64/ ↗

I see Penny just got suspended for a few games.

We up next for whatever punishment or lack of?

Ah, bummer for Udeh. I liked him.

Those two get into a Tyshawn Taylor vs the KU football team skirmish?

@BShark said in ZACH CLEMENCE COMING BACK?:

@rockchalkjayhawk said in ZACH CLEMENCE COMING BACK?:

@BShark said in ZACH CLEMENCE COMING BACK?:

@BeddieKU23 said in ZACH CLEMENCE COMING BACK?:

This is one of the weirdest one's I've seen.

It's not always about basketball. Zach honestly needs help, and I'm glad Bill took him back for that reason. :folded_hands:

And que the next thread…Zach has a problem we don’t know about. Let the speculation begin! :(

Well, it's not exactly a secret around Lawrence what happened last offseason.

I have a friend that worked at Sunrise who talked with Zach today. Sounds like his head is in the right place currently. I also wonder if there were any stipulations for his return regarding his mom. I haven't heard anything in that regard but maybe @FarmerJayhawk has.

There ya go. If it ain’t exactly a secret…please share! I haven’t heard any rumors or issues with Zach. So, well kept secret if it never made any of the boards. Hope it’s minor.

@BShark said in ZACH CLEMENCE COMING BACK?:

@BeddieKU23 said in ZACH CLEMENCE COMING BACK?:

This is one of the weirdest one's I've seen.

It's not always about basketball. Zach honestly needs help, and I'm glad Bill took him back for that reason. :folded_hands:

And que the next thread…Zach has a problem we don’t know about. Let the speculation begin! :(

Another shocker of a pairing in front of the defense today. Musah with Aaronsen? Wow! Didn’t see that coming. Why not. He runs around with boundless energy.

Balogooooal! I could get used to that.

I have enjoyed the 4-2-3-1 mix the last two games. Maybe that’s where Gio needs to be, in the middle of the three. Beautiful assist today.

Somebody’s gonna be pissed among Musah, Adams, Weston and Gio when are all healthy. I guess that’s a good problem to have?

Wowzers. Didn't think he could possibly do enough to eff up that job.

I'd still let him keep it if he wanted to stay. maybe it was forced. Always entertaining with him on the sidelines.

@approxinfinity said in Generic soccer thread:

The one good shot Mexico had, Turner passed it up the middle to Musah lazily checking back. Reminded me of similar non challance that cost us a goal against Netherlands from the midfield (I think Musah).

Turner freaks out at least once a game with his passing. usually at the start.

Ref was a total weenus. Absolutely lost control. i was trying my hardest not to get all worked up again and rant about the ref and red cards!

The game seemed even a little more over the top than the usual Mexico/USA games. Actually, a lot of the first half was pretty polite. I was wondering if things had changed. Then Jorge Sanchez (no. 19) played pure instigator. d**k

The smash job on Reyna was shockingly not a card.

Dest needs to control himself. that was entirely unnecessary. I guess his frustration just grew. dunno. And he played great! Why did he need to push dude in the neck a few times??? no clue. wasn't even our ball, right? frustration.

McKennie is an idiot basically. he didn't really deserve a red (i still don't know what he did), but he didn't help himself any by being who he is. he's a yellow waiting to happen any game. He must need that firey emotion to get going.

As for the famous Mexico PUTA chant. whatever. Do i like it? absolutely not. But i'd just laugh as a player. They are trying to get under your skin. It should not bother any player. who cares. let em sing. Fans may be pissed, sure. But a player should not lose focus over being called a name. Fifa cannot control fans from chanting whatever foul words they want. not going to stop. It's societal. Stop the game, call the game, not gonna work. IMO it's lame as hell to stop a game when people in the stands say bad words. is there a solution? I don't see one. You can't kick everybody out. How do you blame a team when their fans sing? not fair to the team, either. That being said, i wouldn't be pissed if they made Mexico pay for it! ha.

Sure was fun to watch @focojayhawk

You make some excellent points.

Berhalter, yet another soccer subject to discuss! Almost forgot.

I don't like this rehire, but maybe nobody else decent wanted it? I don't think Jesse's press press press would work for the US.

No major complaints about GGG, but his relationship with a potential star player (reyna) has to be an issue. Can't have that. coach has to go.

No way they are seeing eye to eye ever again.

Maybe our performance against Mexico will change his mind about the lineup? doubtful, huh.

Ha, we'll still struggle with away games in hostile territory. that never changes.

Man, i'm still riled up after last night's game! Fun one to watch.

There seem to be two topics to discuss: the actual tactics and players, then the typical uncalled for stuff.

Back to the Weston/Musah pairing in front of the defenders. When i saw that i was like, to hell with defense, we're going all out attack mode! I was a bit worried about who would actually stop any attacks in the mid. Well, obviously it worked out since we basically shut Mexico down. Very surprising. McKennie was a bit sloppy with his distribution (a trend?), but he contributes in other ways. Musah was great.

Captain America!! Weren't Dempsey and Donovan former Captain America's? ha.

Pulisic was the most surprising to me. I haven't see that kind of burst of speed out of him in a LONG time. Was Mexico slow, or is he healthier? Quite an effort from him. Very happy to see that. Worried for sec about that sliding goal he scored...memories of the world cup injury.

The new guy was basically invisible to me. Didn't really touch the ball much. Not happy to see that. We need to maybe reconsider our strategy -- feed the new and very capable center forward!

Loved the way we pressed and held the ball. Great effort all around.

Reyna. Well, he got clocked in the face. Thought he was dead for a sec. I'm still waiting for his breakout. But, i'm looking at him with a stern eye. So, maybe he was better than i thought. We played well when he was in, so i guess that speaks for itself. No complaints, but maybe didn't see what i wanted to see.

Anyway, very exciting game. The sloppy brutality at the end is another thing...

So much to say. Maybe I’ll comment tomorrow when I’m awake.

First impression: interesting lineup. Mostly the Weston and Musah combo. I was worried about that at first.

Man, I should know better than to watch USA v Mexico before bed. Now I’m all riled up!

True. I’m hoping for his breakout season! Or at least a solid rotational guy.

Good summation of Pulisic's options this summer:
https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/pulisic-usmnt-chelsea-milan-man-napoli-juventus-bayern-psg-transfer/blt4a2639481f2dd678 ↗

@dylans Some experts who obviously know more than me give the Chiefs good grades for signing him.

Tyler Sullivan at CBS Sports gave the deal an A- grade and wrote, “Omenihu has a ton of upside and should thrive in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Playing next to Chris Jones will benefit him immensely.” Our pal Matt Verderame from Sports Illustrated gave the Chiefs a B but docked them solely for his off-the-field concerns. Meanwhile, Seth Walder from ESPN concurs with the B rating and calls Omenihu a “fine” signing given the weak free agent selection.

@dylans said in NFL Draft - 2023:

Clark was only good in the playoffs, but when you’re there every year that’s kinda important. Hope they can replace his post season production with in house talent. That guy from San Fran is intriguing

Meh, the SF guy isn’t really intriguing to me. I watched most of his games for the last two years. He’s been “on the verge” of a breakout season for like half a decade now. He’s a body. Seems durable. Throw in the domestic violence stuff and double meh.

Indifferent about Clarke moving on. He had his moments.

Other sites say he's reluctant to shoot from deep. Turnover prone, makes bad decisions on offense.

I haven't really seen him play @AsadZ , but here's what the scouts say:

The Michigan transfer Dickinson is a load to handle in the paint. He’s a throw-back center who throws his weight around inside and also has a really soft touch around the basket.

Establishes position well, using his big frame to shield defenders and carve out space in the paint.

Has a really good touch from inside and from mid range. A lefty who can score with either hand (shot nearly 60% from the field as a freshman).

Plays a mature game and makes good decisions with the ball. Knows how to move the ball out of double-teams. Becoming a very high level passer could be his ticket to the NBA.

An older prospect for his class.

Doesn’t have great speed or agility and will struggle to guard in space at the next level.

Looks like we signed Marcus Adams' bud?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtVJl7gJ_A_/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== ↗

Wow. Reading that the San Francisco 49ers are purchasing Leeds United outright. crazy!

I could alter my post to read: So, who the f**k wants to go to a bowl game in (name any country outside the US)!!??

I'm not picking on Mexico for being Mexico, but keep the bowl games where the colleges and fans are! Ridiculous.