🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@Kcmatt7 said:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/kentucky-fans-referee-john-higgins-business-facebook-page-reviews-elite-eight-unc ↗

This might be worse. Idk if it was posted on here yet or not.

I read today some lowlifes are now sending death threats to the man. I'm not a Higgins fan by any stretch, but to threaten someone with bodily harm or death goes way beyond the limits of acceptability. Those responsible for such sub-human behavior should be thrown in jail. You just cannot do that. And we as a society should not allow it. The fact that so many thought it okay to trash a man's business and his livelihood because of a stupid basketball game is scary. I don't know how we've reached this point, but I'm amazed there are people out there who think reacting this way is okay. If we don't put a stop to this kind of crap it's only a matter of time until someone acts on those threats.

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

josh’s 2 fouls started the tightening-jmo. Tcu game part 2. Tait said before the game the team was loose, like they had been most of the year. I heard what frank said.

I heard Tait reported as such and I truly believe that the team was loose prior to tip. But I also think the psyche of the team did change after that second quick whistle on Josh.

After Josh picked up his second I felt it would be best to let him sit until half, especially since Vick did an admirable job filling in. If memory serves, we were only down a point at the 8-minute mark when Self put Josh back in. I'm no coach nor a genius basketball strategist by any stretch, but I felt that keeping Josh out until half, especially if we kept the game a one or two possession affair, would give him a clean slate mentally for the second half and we would have a totally fresh-legged Josh out there wreaking havoc. Putting him back in, I felt, made him worry too much about picking up a third before half. So, instead of playing with a free mind he was thinking too much about not fouling, rendering him less effective.

It's all water under the bridge now, but you look at the box score and see 13 fouls called on each team and the result appears "fair". But those two quickies on Josh undeniably changed the game and the mindset of our guys. That said, we still had our chances and many opportunities to take the game, but it didn't happen. And so it goes.

@jaybate-1.0 and @Blown

I'm not blaming refs for our loss, so please don't take it that way. 35% shooting and 20% from behind the arc will get you beat pretty handily every time by whoever the opponent happens to be.

I just find it interesting that in a game where only 26 total fouls are called, a guy who had 8 blocks, challenged many more shots, and was very active defensively comes away with only one whistle all night. (Bell was the only starter for both teams with fewer than 2 fouls, BTW).

Josh, meanwhile, gets two fouls in the first 2-minutes-plus of the game, the second of which came after a missed (and rather blatant) travelling violation. And he is the only player on either team to end the game with 4 fouls. Nobody else had more than 3.

Take from that what you will.

@Blown said:

HAPPENS to be a freak of nature with his blocking abilities

What's even more freaky is he somehow picked up just a single foul all night while trying to block everything in sight.

@nuleafjhawk

You couldn't have put this game into any better perspective. Stay strong, my man. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers. F*ck cancer.

@approxinfinity great minds...yada yada. Lets win this!

We made up 14 points in 3 minutes. We have 20 to reverse an 11 point deficit. Childs play. Were taking this game!

@wissox

I'll say it for you: after tonight they'll be Ore-GONE!

@mayjay

I totally agree. I dont know what Vick said in a single syllable and I dont know what Jefferson said in his 5-minute soliloquy. However the announcers in the Duke game seemed to think Jefferson was kvetching about some bad calls because they intimated that the refs were doing a good job letting him "vent". Okay so the guy keeps it g-rated, but after a couple minutes I still woulda told him to let it go or he'd be getting a "t" for his continued outbursts. Just my opinion though I confess my opinion is heavily shaded by my absolute hatred of all things Duke.

I think I read today Mason is one of only six players to score at least 25/7/7 in an NCAA tourney game. He is one bad man. #BIFM

@nuleafjhawk said:

ust out of curiosity - why is it a Technical when LV makes a face and a grunt after a monster dunk, but Swanigan mouthed off to LL THE WHOLE WAY DOWN THE COURT and guess what? No technical. A-frickin-mazing.

Or how about Amile Jefferson in that Duke loss? He must have jawed at the refs and life in general for about 5 straight minutes toward the end of the game and also nothing.

@BShark

I just finished watching that video and was going to post in on here somewhere and you beat me to it.

What struck me about this video is how in awe of Kansas' performance these two sports writers are as they talk. These are guys who have most likely seen a lot of sports and a lot of fine games by various players and they look and sound absolutely gobsmacked at what they witnessed.

Frankly, I'm still in a bit of awe myself. It's an absolute joy to watch!

@drgnslayr said:

Much of his game won’t show up in the box score.

Except for the fact he's only the fourth player in history to hit at least 4 3-pointers in the first three games of the NCAA tourney. He's been absolutely amazing so far.

@wrwlumpy said:

Why does Purdue get an extra day of rest before we play them?

So they can't use lack of preparation time as an excuse after we lay waste to their FF dreams.

@HawkInMizery said:

i got them as a graduation present.

Congrats on your graduation! If I got something like that as a gift, I'd probably never wear them as I'd hate to get them dirty!

@HawkInMizery

Those are soooooooo sweet! Where did you get them?

@HighEliteMajor said:

That schedule is hilarious … from Jan. 4 forward, they never left California, except for one trip to Hawaii.

I'll have to take your word for it. I didn't make it that far down the page.

Here's a bold prediction: I don't get much work done today or tomorrow.

I tend to temper my hopes this time of year because of the sheer number of variables that can affect outcomes and because of past disappointments. However, I'm like most others in that I believe we have the players, the coach, the experience, the chemistry, the pedigree, the toughness, the play-makers and, I think, the drive to win it all this year. In short, we have so many of the things a team needs to negate those variables that anything short of a FF this year would be an honest-to-goodness let down.

That said, I love this team and, whatever the outcome, I will look back fondly on this group of guys as time goes by.

@brooksmd

Pathetic.

It's Graham's show to run if he wants it badly enough. Why not be a god for another year instead of a minion?

@JayHawkFanToo

Ha ha. Thats pretty f-in horrible too. I hadnt seen that one before either. Thanks for the chuckles, good sir.

@StLJhawk

Thanks for posting that. I had not seen it before and it make me laugh.

Injuries are always possible, but I just don't think that's something you should worry about. I think you put on the uniform, go out there and give it your best every time you play. I have no empirical proof, but I think when you try to get cute and rest players or lose "on purpose" for some extra down time that's when bad things happen. There is something to be said about keeping players in their normal routines for the duration of the season. Altering those routines now I think could have a deleterious effect. Sure, rest is great, so pour it on during the game, get an insurmountable lead and you can rest all you want.

I say let's win and win some more and keep on winning until we don't. Play hard and let the chips fall. Whatever will be will be.

@drgnslayr said:

I find it unlikely that they will be in our bracket

Oh, but they will be. You just know it. They'll be there along with Kentucky, Baylor, Bradley, Bucknell, Northern Iowa, Stanford, The Harlem Globetrotters, the other three #1 seeds (a new experiment this season), and a Disney-sponsored team lead by Air Bud.

That will once again give Duke a clear path to the championship, defeating Monmouth in the final game 87-26.

@HighEliteMajor said:

I’ve asked this question before. From 1999, would you rather have UConn’s Tournament resume or KU’s?

There is absolutely no reasonable person on the face of this planet that could say KU. None. No reasonable person would turn their nose at four NCAA Tournament Championships. None.

You're a much smarter person than I, but I'm going to walk straight into the lion's den anyway.

I guess I'm going to earn the label of "unreasonable" with this post because I don't see how it's fair to include failures within the context of the tourney as part of a team's resume, but conveniently leave out the failure to even make the tourney as also being part of a team's resume.

The fact is UConn missed the tourney in 2001, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2015. By your argument it seems like you're postulating that they didn't fail in those years because they didn't participate in the tourney. It's a lot like Homer Simpson saying the way to avoid failure is to not try. Somehow, I think if we missed the tourney at just under a 30% clip for the past 20 years that would be completely unacceptable for most fans (certainly the ones on Buckets) and would certainly create endless topics of discussion on this board.

Of course we have had some bad endings in the tournament, but it's a direct correlation to the number of consecutive times we've been in the tournament. It's a numbers game. The more times you play, the more times you will fail. It's inevitable. I just don't think you can say UCONN's four championships look better in retrospect because of the winning percentage they have when making the tournament, especially if we are in agreement that winning takes some skill and some luck and some overcoming any asymmetry that exists in seeding. The fact is, they still missed the tourney 5 times in that span.

I certainly understand the argument for trading conference championships for national championships (and it's something I would be willing to do BTW), but to make the case that reasonable KU fans would trade missing the tourney entirely at a regular clip for an extra ring or two doesn't hold water with me. Unless I was grossly misinformed by Aesop in my youth, slow and steady wins the race and its just a matter of time until we close the gap in the race for rings due to the consistency of this program, something that you seem too quick to dismiss.

Blast away, my man.

@jayballer54 said:

This team once again just showed they ... never say die ...

They are the Goonies!

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Switch on ... here we come.

@nuleafjhawk said:

Soooooooo - did your daughter enjoy the game? I sincerely hope that she did and that this will spark a lifetime of RCJH Crimson and Blue adventures for her.

That being said - I still think you should have taken me…

She did indeed, though climbing on railings, walking up steps and standing on the bleachers was probably just as much fun for her as the game. But she really got into it in the second half and hearing her yell "Come on, Mason!" was fun to see.

I've lived a lot of places over the years, but any local sports was always secondary to my hometown teams (Royals, Chiefs, Jayhawks) and I have no doubt that wherever my kids go when they leave home they'll always have a soft spot for KU. Eighteen years of indoctrination makes that conclusion inevitable!

@nuleafjhawk said:

Sounds like great family time. BUT - as a 5 year old, she probably won’t fully appreciate the whole atmosphere thing. However, I am a huge fan of atmosphere. I would make the ultimate sacrifice and go to the game with you. I’m sure my wife would love to babysit…

Between time spent on this message board and the board at the "other site" years ago, I've been a poster long enough to know that you seem like a genuinely good dude and someone that would probably be a blast to hang out with or go to a game with. That said, I do have family obligations that make it difficult to pass tickets down to non-family members. However, because I admire your desperate willingness to make major sacrifices on behalf of our beloved Jayhawks I've got a couple options that will improve your ticket priority should the opportunity arise in the future:

1. Donate to the tis4tim fund. It's a sure-fire way to move you to the top of the priority list.

2. A substantial donation notwithstanding, I decided I'm still going to move you up the list and pencil you in between my third uncle twice removed and my daughter's goldfish, Mr. Bubbles, Jr.

Sound good?

@HawkChamp said:

The court date is April 12th and he is innocent until proven guilty. I just hope the team is able to fight through this and keep on winning.

Looks like fortuitous timing for Bragg's sudden emergence should Josh face suspension. I swear, if this team can tamp down its petty criminal behavior for 2 seconds and think before acting or reacting, everything seems to be coming together for an amazing finish this year. It would be a damn shame if these boneheaded off-court shenanigans derailed what is shaping up to be a magical conclusion to a history-making season.

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

anxious to HEAR your take!👂

What?

Kidding. We used earplugs!

The entire night was amazing. Yeah, we started out slow again and seeing Josh writhing around on the floor holding his ankle really took the air out of the place for a spell, but watching us systematically dismantle a TCU team that played pretty darn well was great to see. (That Jaylen Fisher kid, BTW, is going to be a menace for the duration of his college career. He was in complete control last night and he's just a freshman. Very impressed with him.) Bragg was terrific minus a turnover or two and some non-existent help defense, but our whole team had some pretty egregious lapses at times. We shot it pretty well, hit free throws, had some unbelievable blocks and some ridiculous dunks courtesy of one Josh Jackson. Mason was Mason and Devonte stepped up with some timely shooting as well. A very satisfying way to capture #13.

It was also great to see Brandon get his jersey up in the rafters though I admit I didn't recognize him at first with the hair do. Nice to see Mario and Brady in attendance too. And of course it was a thrill to watch the boys hoist the trophy and don the shirts and caps.

Best of all, it was great to hear my daughter whoop it up in the second half after she got her second wind. A three-hour event is a pretty long deal for a 5-year-old, but she did really well overall aside from an ill-timed bathroom break, but that's just part of the deal when you take a young child to a sporting event. It was fun hearing her yell "Let's go, Mason!" on a couple of occasions. I didn't know she knew any of the players' names, but it reaffirmed my obviously great parenting skills.

How was your evening?

@dylans said:

At KU there are always 5000 people waiting at the airport.

I'm waiting at the airport right now.

@JayHawkFanToo said:

Here is a serious bit of advice, make sure you and particularly your daughter wear hearing protection. My audiologist indicated that even one exposure to loud noise can cause permanent damage. I wish I would have known this when I did all that consulting work for the Air Force around fighter planes so I would not have to wear hearing aids now.

I plan on taking ear plugs. Thanks to you and @Crimsonorblue22 and others for the very wise suggestion. Hearing damage is very serious and I sincerely hope I didn't offend you or others with my tarmac comment. I was trying to make a joke about how loud Allen Fieldhouse can be, but it was probably in poor taste all things considered. My sincere apologies.

@jayballer54

Thanks, man! I'll look him up and check it out!

@BeddieKU23 said:

Wow you really lucked out. Have fun!

Will do! I don't get to go to many games because there's only so much in the budget with a couple rug rats to raise and tickets can be fairly pricey, but I try to get to a game every few years if I can. It's a real treat, for sure. I'm so looking forward to it!

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

I’ll be there too! Have ear plugs for daughter? Have fun!

We've been going out to the tarmac at the airport for a few weeks now to watch and listen to the jet planes fly just above our heads as a test run for the noise at Allen Fieldhouse. I think she's ready!

You have fun as well! I'll look for you there. And considering I have no idea what you look like, it'll be pretty astounding should I happen to find you! :smile:

I'm going to the game tonight and I'm taking my 5-year-old daughter to her first game. I'm so psyched!

Little did I know when I bought these tickets several weeks back that we'd have a chance to wrap up at least a tie for the league title. And I just found out a few days back we'll be retiring Brandon Rush's jersey at halftime. It all sets up for a magical night in the Fieldhouse.

I hope the crowd is ridiculously loud as I've been trying to explain to my daughter just how crazy the atmosphere is. But, words are an inadequate substitute for actually being there. I'm looking for a high energy performance from the boys to close out #13, with lots of highlight reel plays. Regardless, I hope it's a night she will never forget!

The Smart money is on KU.

@KUSTEVE said:

You ever seen me after a loss? I make him look like King Solomon. I am very glad no one could see or hear me before the comeback.

The greatest gift I ever gave to my family and to my blood pressure was to cut cable. We now use Roku and I watch the KU games on the ESPN app, which are posted about 45 minutes after the conclusion of the live action.

I follow along with live chat on Buckets during the game, but it's not nerve-wracking or cuss-inducing like it was watching on live TV. If we lose or play like crap I don't have to spend time or the emotional equity watching the replay, If we win, I can relax during all the ups and downs, knowing the final result. Yeah, there's less suspense, but also less yelling at the television and irritating my family to no end.

They'll just have to put up with me during the madness though!

I agree with @jayballer54 that the WV game tonight is huge in that it pretty much stiff-arms the Mountaineers from taking the title and it also helps us maintain the lead over Baylor going into that game Saturday. With a full 4+ days rest between this game and Baylor there is no reason to leave anything on the court tonight.

The next two games are for all the marbles. We take the next two and immortality awaits. Somehow, I get the feeling words like "manhood" will be peppered into any pre-game rituals this week.

If we eke our way to the championship, I won't celebrate any less than if we blow every opponent out by 30.

Also, when our goal is to win the championship every year and the goal of the other team is to merely beat KU once a decade somehow, you just have to sit back and smile because it's great to be a Jayhawk!

@Blown said:

Not bad for an older feller…

In Weber's defense, he's in a better perimeter defensive stance than our guys have shown of late.

@Crimsonorblue22 said:

@tis4tim I think some posters lived there?

My issue is not with our esteemed posters. It is with Lubbock. It's too bad, perhaps, that my one and only impression of the town is so tainted. It's probably a lovely college town with many fine, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth types living there. I just had "one of those days" during my stay that was so comically bad even hearing the name "Lubbock" all these years later makes me cringe.

@Fightsongwriter said:

Post script: after KSU all I have left is Tech and OU. WV does not really count and their fans are even weirder than the KState fans so I’m skipping Morgantown.

If I were you, I'd skip Lubbock as well. A total arm pit of a town and home to one of the worst days I ever experienced during my college years.

@nuleafjhawk said:

MOST of the things humans do are wrong.

My dad used to have a coffee cup that said: "I've never made a mistake. Once I thought I did, but I was wrong."

This discussion made me think of that. I figured you might appreciate that humor.

@drgnslayr said:

Just for old time’s sake… don’t you want to beitch slap someone? At least pile on top of Carlton.

Apparently someone's been reading Ecclesiastes ... or maybe listening to The Byrds.

@wissox said:

I don’t live anywhere near KC. Fill me on the Star. I really am not aware of the Star and their biases/leanings.

Let's just say there's a reason some call it the "Red Star" around these parts.

@Kcmatt7 said:

@tis4tim Wrong? Yes. Wishing an injury on someone is never right. But you know, I’ve wished a lot worse on someone for a lot less so don’t feel too bad.

I felt guilty typing it, but if there is any way we could keep JJ for another season I'm at the point of entertaining completely ridiculous scenarios to do so. For the record, I would never wish an injury, however minor, on anyone and my post was intended to be pure folly. That said, should anything bad befall our team from here out, you and everyone on this site can have carte blanche skewering me for the pox I unintentionally put on our team.