🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@BShark said in #$%@ Covid:

Officially passed away today.

My heartfelt condolences to you. I’m so sorry for your loss. You’ve got a lot of friends in this forum. Lean on us if you need anything.

@Fightsongwriter said in Does Baylor's title make Self hungrier?:

What I hear you saying is you are above someone challenging you for a ridiculous (my opinion) comment on a message board dedicated to dialog and opinions. But you can then turn around and do the exact same thing you accused me of being uncivil for (calling me a homer).

What I am "above" is a caustic discourse that devolves into personal attacks. Like I said earlier, respond or don't but there is a tactful way to do so. Calling someone "ridiculous" or suggesting that their opinion doesn't merit a reply instantly dismisses said opinion. At that point, there is neither robust discussion nor free exchange of ideas. It becomes "I'm right and you're wrong", which is the antithesis of dialog and of a board such as this. That is the root of my "uncivil" comment. I could care less about being called a homer. We're KU fans on a KU board. Are we all not homers to some degree?

And I never said following a legend and keeping the train on the track wasn’t a challenge, but to say it was more difficult than what Drew inherited perhaps just reveals you never coached a program.

I didn't know coaching was a pre-requisite for an opinion on the matter. But that seems to fall in line with your MO of negating any opinion that you deem to be "less than". I also never said that what Drew has accomplished is anything short of amazing. It's an incredible story from stem to stern and if Hollywood fails to capitalize on it I would be shocked.

But to stoke the fires a bit further: let's pretend Drew takes over the Baylor program and fails to show any progress what so ever and is summarily fired after a few years. What would the prevailing opinion have been? I suggest it would have been along the lines of, "Oh, well, it was an impossible situation; nobody could have turned around that program as far as it has fallen." Drew would have most likely emerged unscathed, ego intact and untainted as a potential coaching hire as everyone knew the cards were stacked against him.

Now, let's pretend Bill wins 10-15 games his first few seasons at KU after we just came off a National Championship appearance in 2003 and after 15 great years of Roy Williams. What would the prevailing opinion have been? Having been a member of this community for some years I know exactly what it would have been. I can recall us losing 3 out of 4 games during one stretch in 2005-2006 and the fan base calling for Bill's head. That is pressure. And that was my point. Yes, massive difference between Pinto and Lamborghini, but also massive difference in the amount of pressure both men faced at the outset of their tenures and how they would have been perceived nationally had things not panned out the way they did. If you run the Lamborghini into the ditch, the Pinto becomes more reliable transportation, does it not?

In 17 seasons at Kansas, Bill Self is 501-109 (82.1 percent), averaging 29.5 wins per year. That is astounding. Even with looming sanctions plus Covid and a less-than-vintage team we racked up 21 wins. How do you think Drew would have performed with our team? How do you think Bill would have performed with Baylor's roster? How do you think Baylor would have performed under the threat of sanctions? Drew has won at a 63.4 percent clip over his career. So, even with Nike backing and superior athletes year over year Bill wins 20% more games. Now that he has an NC in his pocket, let's see if Drew can sustain a winning program for as long as Bill has and at the same elite level.

By the way, how has Indiana done in recent years? UCLA? Arizona? Heard from Matt Doherty lately? The pressure to succeed at those programs is immense and not everyone is cut out for the job. It'll be interesting to see how Drew handles the pressure cooker that is now Baylor basketball.

And please don’t call me a liar either (talk about uncivil), there is nothing “self-described” about my contribution to KU history; it’s a relatively meaningless blip in the annals of KU lore, but it is fact. Look it up.

I did look it up. I assume you wrote the bio on your profile page. Therefore "self-described" is an apt term. And for the record, the word liar shows up nowhere in my posts. Saying I called you a liar when it's clearly not the case actually makes you the liar. Ironic, isn't it? Huh, I guess I do know the definition after all.

I've got no beef with you @Fightsongwriter. If you are looking for a fight, you can look elsewhere. Not interested. I won't disrespect @approxinfinity and the others here and all the work they've accomplished with this site by turning it into a cesspool of infighting as has happened with other KU boards. So, this comment marks the end of my discussion with you on this particular matter.

Best of luck to you. Stay safe.

@BShark said in 2021 Transfer Talk/List:

Dollar Bill Self has the dollar moniker.

Oh, yes. I forgot. Trademark violation.

Perhaps "Schilling" would be a better name since that's what he'll be doing, despite the spelling discrepancy.

@BeddieKU23 said in 2021 Transfer Talk/List:

Earl Timberlake to Memphis. Every recruitment for this one has been shady

Penny may need to change his name to Dollar.

@Fightsongwriter said in Does Baylor's title make Self hungrier?:

@tis4tim That is such a blatantly ridiculous homer comment that I cannot dignify it with refutation.

A self-described co-lyricist of the KU fight song calling someone else a homer. Irony at its finest.

Look, man, respond or don't, but try to keep it civil. I'd like to think I've been nothing but respectful to everyone on this board in my time here and the least I could expect is the same courtesy in return. Thanks.

@Fightsongwriter said in Does Baylor's title make Self hungrier?:

In the same amount of time (18 years), Self and Drew have the exact same number of NCs. Think about that. And Self inherited a Rolls Royce. Drew inherited an exploded Pinto.

It's also harder to stay at the top of the mountain than to get there.

In many ways, inheriting a good situation is more pressure than going to one where there are few expectations. Look, I like Drew and I like this Baylor team, but let's see how things go now that they've reached the pinnacle. Sports are always much harder when you're the hunted and every team has you circled on their calendar.

@BigBad said in So- with all these players coming and going, what is next years team gonna look like?:

This could just be Old Man Yelling at Cloud…
It isn’t just Self that’s starting to get to me. It is the state of modern basketball. Everyone’s offense now is 2 guys standing in a corner and the ball receiving a high screen from one of the other two guys. There is no longer much screening away from the ball. Nobody gets each other open anymore with off-ball screens and movement, it’s all just spread out and watch one guy try to break down the defense. Or Self’s version of a modern offense…the weave with guards until someone has an advantage.
Somehow coaches have all bought into the idea that spacing > movement. The biggest issue I have with it is that a very low percent of college teams have more than 2 good shooters. Again because nobody gets each other open anymore with off-ball screens and movement, slower catch and shoot kids don’t have a place. So we get stuck with Agbaji and Braun types who can “athletically hang”, but lack basketball skill.
If anyone watched the UCLA and Michigan game and thought that was good basketball then there is no point in having this discussion with me.

Watch Gonzaga for a bit and your faith may be restored. The USC game was a clinic. Very nice to watch the screening and cutting and ball movement. The whole thing was a ballet.

@Kcmatt7 said in Beard to Texas:

Baylor is about due to take a step back. Scott may even have to go back to the zone next year once Butler and Mitchell are gone.

Have they announced their intentions to go pro? Either way, there is always a little regression when upperclassmen graduate/leave, but there's no denying the elite level at which Baylor is currently recruiting. They seem to have reached the "reload" tier and are poised for a long run of success.

Then again, with Beard going to Texas Nike may decide to pad the nest there since the Texas name has more cache nationally than does Baylor. Either way, KU has its work cut out for it. I hope the infusion of talent lights a fire under Bill. It sure seems to be working at the moment.

Perhaps Self knew this was coming as well thus the urgency and immediacy of the roster overhaul. Now we've got Baylor and Texas as potential perennial landmines to conference titles. OSU is coming on as well. The sledding is getting tougher even without looming sanctions.

@BShark said in 2021 Transfer Talk/List:

They have a shark on staff.

But they don't have a BShark!

C’mon 50!

Where does this rank all time in worst KU losses. Does this make the Top 10? Tourney only? All time? Not vintage team of course but a beat down is a beat down.

Mateen Cleaves right?

Forget Cliff’s notes Hoosiers at half. Get Lilly from AT&T in for the pep talk. “It’s not complicated”

700 players in the portal. Any random 5 couldn’t do worse.

This game is over. Sorry not coming back from this. Will we score 40 is the question.

Trying to stay positive but getting very difficult.

KU to do list: recruit shooters.

@DCHawker said in KU vs USC game thread:

4-20…

Not gonna win many doing that. Time to show the law of averages is not just a theory of averages.

Bonus might work to our advantage USC not a good FT shooting team.

Why can’t Agbaji shoot?

Sitting on head = not a foul. Got it.

Holding USC to 38%. Too bad we’re shooting 15%

Oh my god. Someone make a bloody shot.

Can't seem to get the embed to work. This will have to suffice. Our plan for tonight.

Our strategy:

@jayballer67 said in Today's Games Thread:

The right side of my bracket just kicked my butt PERIOD - total diaster

Not like Ohio State didn’t already do me in with their loss but this one hurt B1G time. My brackets are toast.

What gets me are the people who still have a perfect bracket. How in the heck does anyone have the foresight to pick Oral Roberts? I’ve never figured it out.

So down goes Illinois and that popping sound you heard is my bracket getting thoroughly busted.

Ballgame!

3 possession game.

Protect the ball and make FT.

@RockChalkinTexas said in That Other Team From Spokane game thread:

EWU is gassed

Conditioning and playing in the Big 12.

@BShark said in That Other Team From Spokane game thread:

Dave is FEELING it this half.

And I thought we should go small. Way to prove me wrong, Dave!

This game is ours!

Time to put this game away.

Gotta make FT.

Starting to see that spark return. Hopefully we’ll wear them out the last 8 minutes.

Mojo!

Money.

Harris is the man.

Let’s see how our conditioning factors in down the stretch. We should have the advantage there.

The moment doesn’t look too big for Harris.

This delay is ridiculous. Right as we are starting to get momentum.

Just gotta go play for the last 10 minutes like they’ve done their whole lives. Don’t over-think it. Just play.

Self looks tight.

Heating up... Keep loose.

Just don’t see the fire in these guys today. They’re playing tight. Running out of time to loosen up. Gotta find the switch soon.

This is where Bill needs to change it up. But if history is any indicator he would rather go down in flames with McCormack than play small.

This script looks all too familiar. I really don’t know why I put myself through it year after year. The ending is always the same.

@BeddieKU23 said in Gameday:

Nothing else matters, just win.
Rock Chalk everyone

Now I’ve got Metallica and Al Davis in my head. Ditto, no less.