🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I see you jayballer. Rock Chalk

Many thanks Sharkman for the repost of the first two exies. Those will really help me get through the weeks until Late Night. Wow, it's fun getting to know the new guys. Anyone else notice that Newman shoots his 3s with a scissor-positioning of his legs instead of squared up? I think that's why he is stepping out of bounds on his shots in the corners. There just isn't enough room for his back leg to extent out. Isn't it time to widen the court by a foot on each side?

Great win. Thanks for the post. I still really like the darker blue jerseys. Great to see favorite players of the past like Simmons and Randle. RCJHF

I just wish we had the benefit of Embiid for more than a half season. It's not his fault, but I'll always wonder how much better that team would have been with him on the court the whole season.

I watched the entire second season last weekend because I cancelled Neflix. But, I wasn't astute enough to pay attention to the opponents of the East Mississippi team. I still can't believe Buddy Stephens hasn't been fired for his lack of emotional intelligence dealing with the players, staff and refs. The way he picks fights with his assistant coaches and players during games shows he isn't capable of being an effective head coach. I did enjoy the way the program focuses on several players and follows them throughout the season. The final credits showing that many of the staff left the program shows how difficult it is to work with an emotionally unstable person.

Thanks for the post. That is indeed a very memorable game. I remember all of the home Nebraska games well. I admired the Nebraska fans, but hated that we couldn't get enough Kansas fans into the stadium to keep it from looking like a Nebraska home game. I look forward to the games when Kansas fans will once again fill the stadium and wave the wheat. RCJHF

I stumbled on Netflix's Last Chance U last summer and really liked the close-up introspection of the several junior college football players it followed during the 2015 football season. At my age, I'm just not around young men to see their struggles and just how few options some have. The first season of the program ended dramatically with a brawl and the East Mississippi team forfeiting it's last two games. Coach Buddy Stephens lost control and absolutely melted down after the brawl-all on camera. I can't believe he wasn't fired.

The second season covering the 2016 football season just started on Netflix. The second episode covered the struggles of running back, Isaiah Wright, who was in foster care for six years with his brothers. It's a sad and compelling story that helps me appreciate my family and the stability I enjoyed growing up. Check it out if you miss football as much as I do in the summer.

I agree kj: There's a lot to be excited about with the season approaching. Kansas football is going to take a leap forward this season and once again be viewed as a formidable, dangerous opponent by the rest of the Big 12. I'm looking forward to a couple of upsets and at least one road win in the Big 12. RCJHF

As painful as those percentages are, it just shows how far KU football has to go to even be perceived as competitive. I like all the positive statements about the progress our program is making in all areas, including recruiting. But the rubber meets the road on Sept. 2 and we'll see if the positive changes result in more wins this year. My optimistic hope is to be 2/0 going to Athens, Ohio on Sept. 16 and then pull a great win for Coach Beaty and team. RCJHF

BIFM finally showed up against the Lakers. I didn't get to watch the game, so I'll appreciate hearing from the night owls on here how Frank looked. 24 min., 24 pts. on 9/13 shooting with 2/3 from 3. 4/4 FTs, 5 RBs and 6 assists. If it wasn't for the summer league, my TV would be off all of July. RCJH

@mayjay Thanks. I tried every other combination of factors on the statistics line and couldn't make sense of it.

@Crimsonorblue22 What is the +/- column on the NBA box scores? I couldn't find an explanation anywhere. Thanks.

The way Frank ran point, it look like KU's offense. Whoever was running the Sun's point, I couldn't see any particular scheme. Same thing when Fox ran the point; I couldn't detect an offensive scheme. I really hope Self's offense as Frank runs it has value to an NBA decision maker.

Frank's getting a lot of first half minutes. Got his first basket and has a couple of assists. Josh has been quiet.

Josh doing it his way. And the FT was perfect. Now, we want Mason. RCJH

Looks like a very late start for the 9:30 game on ESPN2. I'm guessing the start will be after 10 PM. Waiting.... Ball is having a terrible game. Good.

Still voting every day for Frank. Frank v. Josh will be fun tonight. RCJH

While there's already a lot of chatter about Fultz and Tatum in the summer league early games, my focus is on the Josh v. Frank matchup. After a year of playing against each other in pick up games and practices, I'll bet Josh is smiling just waiting for Frank to try to take it to the rim against him. RCJH

Who amongst ye already plans to be in Memorial Stadium on Sept. 2? After squinting for 20 years, I'm now a westsider.
The Redhawks from Cape Girardeau feature a pass first offense. Last year they averaged 213 passing vs. 135 rushing per game. Offensively challenged against the likes of Murray St., TN Martin and Austin Peay last year, I like that our young secondary will face a senior QB, Jesse Hoskett, who completed 50% of his passes with 11 TDs and 7 INTs. If Armstrong and company will let a few passes get thrown, our secondary should start the season under fire and give us a hint whether they will be up to the 2017 challenge.

Two months to go until we get this thing started. I hope everyone will make plans to be in Lawrence on Sept. 2. RCJHF

Voting for Frank. It would be nice to know how the voting is going ESPN.

@jayballer54 The breadth of your interest in all things KU sports always impresses me. Thanks for your posts.

I'm so happy for Wayne. He definitely deserves an NBA contract. I hope Perry keeps his head up and continues to push forward. RCJH

@Crimsonorblue22 Many thanks Crimson. I can always count on you. I didn't know the summer league started so soon. Thank goodness: something to watch in July.

@elpoyo I don't judge our basketball program or Coach Self on NCAA championships alone. Putting together 6 consecutive wins over the best college basketball teams under the bright lights of the tournament involves a dose of fortune or destiny as well as the most talented, best coached team in the country. Our team is in the mix every year; not many universities have that privilege. Thank you Coach Self and thank you KU players. I'm a Jayhawk fan for life. Now, bring on the Italians.

@wrwlumpy I voted for Frank Mason this morning. Does anyone know if he's already in Sacramento? We waited months to see where our guys were going to be drafted. Now, I'd like to know how the heck they're doing and what they're doing.

Voting. Voting. Everyday. All day. BIFM

Nooooooooooo. Never. I loved the Big Eight and now the Big 12.

I'm continuing to vote every day for my favorite Jayhawk. I vote from every different computer I use during the day. It's going to be great following Frank's career in the NBA. RCJH

To the extent that NBA dollars is the barometer of basketball success, then yes I felt the slap of the draft last night. Unfortunately, NBA draft position is the first yardstick of a basketball athlete's value to the NBA. My hope is that like Paul Pierce, Josh and Frank will prove that Phoenix and Sacramento made the right choices and that the teams that passed on them will soon regret their decisions. RCJH

@Crimsonorblue22 Where do we vote?

@elpoyo Thanks for your thoughts. As a parent, I hope my children are perfect and don't make any mistakes. But, when they do screw up I also hope they accept responsibility and accept the consequences. I'm proud of Josh despite his failures and look forward to his NBA career. He has a chance to do great things and I will be rooting for him the whole way.

For me, I just want all our guys to do well. The play of Preston, Whitman, Lightfoot and even Svi will be the most interesting aspect to watch develop on this team. I can't wait until we play in Italy in August. Hey, Bill expect some hometown calls from the refs. Don't go all Greg Marshall if we are getting screwed by the refs. RCJH

@REHawk Josh has handled his mistakes extremely well and should be an example to others. Who amongst us didn't do something equally stupid when we were young. The image of Josh, his mom and his lawyer leaving Lawrence municipal court spoke volumes. Josh took responsibility for his offense, accepted the court's punishment and now talks about how the anger management counseling has helped him. Josh is a terrific young man and has shown he is able to learn from his mistakes and not blame others.

Thanks for the heads up on Andru Tovi. He's from Aiea, Hawaii, which is part of Honolulu near Pearl Harbor. I watched some highlights of his play with Pima CC and he certainly is a big body at 6'3'' and 330 lbs. Just like the famous quote you can't teach height in basketball, you can't teach big frame for linemen. Our football staff continues to impress me every week. RCJH

I've been looking forward to Thursday's draft since the end of our basketball season. The drama and suspense over Josh's selection is interesting. When Paul Pierce fell all the way to 10th, I thought the sky had fallen. But, that worked out just fine. So, I'm content with whomever selects Josh and look forward to following his NBA career. Isn't LA just extending it's workouts with Josh to improve it's bargaining position with the Ball family? I'll be watching Thursday until Frank gets selected. I can't wait for Frank to show the NBA how it's done. RCJH

@KUSTEVE Where are you watching Preston? Pickup games, video...

@Kcmatt7 Keegan just mentioned that Tune is a dual threat and is also part of the 2018 recruiting class. Our QB play must limit the turnovers and keep the ball in the hands of the offense. We just have too many short offensive possessions and I don't think the offensive line has been the main problem. It says a lot that both our starters from the beginning of last season have now transferred.

@stoptheflop Well at least Tom Keegan responds to my questions over on KUSports.

Will we keep Clayton Tune? Is he likely to be the answer to our QB woes? I watched highlights of his junior year play and thought he looked good. He passes and rushes as part of the team's offense. His willingness to run reminds me of Carter Stanley. As always, I still worry that we don't have a high enough level of athlete at QB to advance the program. Coach Beatty is certainly getting the other pieces, but QB?

@KUSTEVE It's irrational, but it's true that most fans remember the wins that give them confidence and pleasure and forget the losses. Here in Kansas, WSU is the best example: WSU fans get to look at the New Orleans win over Valentine's team and the win over Ellis and feel great about their program. We know it's only two games that could have and should have gone differently. But, those two games always will put smiles on the faces of the WSU fans. KU fans do the same thing: Football victory over Missouri and BB victories over Kentucky, Duke, etc. But, elpoyo's reluctance to play the games means you don't even have a chance to crow and feel good with a victory. That is WSU's complaint with KU; we won't play them and give them their one in ten chance to win and get bragging rights. It doesn't matter to WSU fans that they will lose 9 out of 10 games; they only hope for the one win. I'm still feeling that way about the Texas football win.

Has Preston been cleared by the NCAA to play? Earlier, there were questions about his academic eligibility. Now, many posters already predict he will be a starter. When will we know if Preston is academically eligible? Does KU make an announcement or do we just keep predicting greatness until the NCAA urinates on his eligibility?

@kjayhawks I too had high hopes that Ryan Willis would be a steady presence at QB in 2016 after enduring and surviving 2015. But, once again reality smashed my football optimism with Willis only accounting for 3 TDs in 2016 vs. 7 interceptions. I couldn't find a statistic on his total fumbles, but I can't forget his fumble on our 5 yd line against TCU when our offensive lineman was pushed into him by a TCU defensive lineman. That fumble and the quick TD that followed lost the game for us. Maybe he hadn't fully recovered from the wrist injury. I wish Ryan well at Virginia Tech. I just wish he had been competent for us last year.

@approxinfinity Oh my goodness, this is the first time I've seen that image. I'll be laughing about his choice of accessories for awhile. The bow tie is the best. Thanks for sharing the image.

Who knows Doke's personality? On the badass to mama's boy scale where's our Doke? Yes, I just made up the scale. Use any scale you prefer, like T-Rob to BJ Williams. This is just for fun.

@kjayhawks Wow, that list is a painful reminder of our struggles on the turf. I'm fairly optimistic about Coach Meacham, but the latest description of Peyton Bender's introverted personality leaves me placing all my hopes on Carter Stanley. Why oh why do we struggle to get a competent athlete to play QB for us? Where oh where is the confident, vocal athlete who will take control of our offense and move the ball downfield?

@AsadZ Thanks for the update. I always look for KU football news, but it's hard to find this time of year.

@dylans I'm done with the off the court issues from the last two years. I know the media, the KC Star and a few others will continue to bring up the past, but I've moved on and will gladly focus on this year's roster of quality young men and a fantastic coaching staff at the best university in the world. RCJH

@Kcmatt7 I agree; an injured wrist doesn't keep a motivated player from improving his conditioning and working on lower body strength and conditioning. From the chest down, Doke should be Hudy-strong.

@HighEliteMajor So many posters are over-optimistic about the new guys this time of year. I believe Preston and Garrett must earn their spots by quality play from the bench. Unless one of the new guys excels like Jackson and simply can't be held out of the starting lineup, my starting lineup is: Doke, Svi, Vick, Newman and Graham. These five represent the players with the most experience in the KU system and on the D1 court. Svi and Vick may be counted on for the rebounds that Doke doesn't get. But, I'm looking forward to being surprised by Coach Self. It seems to happen every year. RCJH

How does this team replace Frank's refuse to lose mentality that was responsible for so much of last year's success? It doubt it will be from Devonte, who has tended to passively float through entire halves of games. Who will be the dog? Maybe Devonte will step up. I hope so. As always, I'm excited for the next season and I look forward to reading everyone's posts. RCJH