Bases jammed, no runs, that one hurts.
wissoxfan83
3027 posts
@brooksmd Naw, she's a Yankee, I think she'll go north!
@JRyman I hope to get there too again someday. My best hope is my junior in HS daughter who one day last year while I was watching, no, not just watching, but participating in, a KU game, she stated it'd be kind of cool to go to KU because of those basketball games.
Well, in my mind now, she is going to KU! Of course, I'd have to visit her oh every weekend the Jayhawks are playing at home, sure, I'd go broke doing it, but it's what I'm holding on to! Here's her cell phone number, get your pens and some paper, all of you need to influence her to go to KU. The number is 123-456-7890.
@globaljaybird I've feared your bullpen for years. I didn't heard of Davis until last week, looked up his stats and wowsa! There's some arms out there!
This years playoff series is going to be great. I'm pumped to see someone other than NY or Bos in it. As a White Sox fan, I've always been kind of against the Royals, but more because they're division rivals, than like they're a KU-misery thing. Since I don't have the overpriced mlb package I've rarely seen the Royals play because, you know, the networks show east coast teams. So it's been kind of a revelation of how exciting this team has been to watch. I do like Baltimore, they're a really exciting team as well. Should be a great classic matchup of power v. speed.
@Kip_McSmithers If that worse case came true, I guess I'd become an even bigger Badger fan!
@VailHawk I'm puzzled on MUA also. Pretty sure it's none of the ones you speculated it might be however!
Someone here once discussed the power of the # 1 seed and debunked the old 'being #1 is too much pressure, I'd rather be a 2 or 3 seed' myth. Winning conferences gets you number one seeds and the supposedly easier road to the final four. For this reason alone, I hope we win conference from now until there is no more college basketball (perish the thought)
I'd rather see our conference step it up and become stronger. That provides the tough road atmosphere that we need to become tougher ourselves.
KU in 2012, Wiscy last April, I'm tired of losing to Kentucky when it matters most.
I just realized I go to church with Jaybate because there's a guy there who breaks wind in church.
Selden averaged 10 a game (I think I read that), Ellis 13. That's not a ton of returning scoring, but it's a good start.
Here's Yahoo's best case and worst case for each team in the top 25. I went ahead and copied the Jayhawk part in case you didn't want to go and read the entire thing.
- KANSAS
Last year's record: 25-10, 14-4
Key returners: F Perry Ellis, G Wayne Selden, G Frank Mason G Conner Frankamp, G Brannen Greene, F Jamari Traylor
Notable newcomers: C Cliff Alexander, F Kelly Oubre, G Devonte Graham, G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, F Hunter Mickelson
Best-case scenario: Can a program really lose the No. 1 and 3 picks in the draft and get better? Yes. Though Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid may have been the two most talented players in college basketball last season, both became top-three picks as much on potential as production. Between the arrival of top recruits Oubre, Alexander and Mykhailiuk and the further development of leading returning scorers Selden, Frankamp and Ellis, Kansas quickly proves to have more than enough weapons. Equally importantly, the Jayhawks are better equipped at point guard too despite the unexpected departure of incumbent starter Naadir Tharpe. The competition between Mason, Frankamp and Graham brings out the best in each of them and enables Bill Self to turn to the hot hand late in games. Kansas rolls to its 11th straight Big 12 title, enters the NCAA tournament fully healthy unlike a year ago and reels off six straight victories to capture Self's second national championship. With the money raised during the title run, Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger signs Self to a lifetime contract and still has a few million left over to devote to Charlie Weis' hefty buyout figure.
Worst-case scenario: Can a program really lose the No. 1 and 3 picks in the draft and get better? No. Though Kansas replaces the scoring of Wiggins and Embiid, the Jayhawks miss their defensive prowess. A Kansas team that was already Self's worst defensively last season slips even further with referees still whistling fouls at a record pace and with their top shot blocker and perimeter stopper both in the NBA. Turnovers and poor decisions once again plague the Jayhawks as well because they lack an elite point guard for a third straight season. Mason doesn't make a sophomore leap, Graham isn't ready to make an immediate impact as a starter and Frankamp proves to be more of a pure shooter than a distributing combo guard. Between costly turnovers and defensive breakdowns, Kansas cedes the Big 12 to Texas and Jayhawks fans learn that league titles are not a birthright. They're also reminded that deep NCAA tournament runs aren't either when Kansas falls for a second straight season in the Round of 32 — to in-state foe Wichita State no less. Self leaves for an NBA gig over the summer and, after swinging and missing in bids to land a couple high-profile coaches, Zenger decides to bring Weis back to coach both the football and basketball programs. Tens of thousands of Kansas fans revolt and decide to root for the Shockers.
I know it's necessary to compete, but it sickens me at the same time.
Four guys in a two bedroom apartment, two guys in a cramped dorm room, a musty concrete floored locker room, that's what college kids need to experience because that's what we all did when we were in school. And it was fun! It wasn't miserable! I didn't deserve luxury because I hadn't accomplished anything yet. I graduated from HS, that's all. Make me relatively miserable creature comforts wise for four or five years and then my payday comes and I can start to enjoy those creature comforts that I EARNED. These guys haven't earned anything yet.
Sure they can run and jump and shoot a ball. Whoop de doo!Stop treating them like they're god's gift to us hopelessly addicted fans. They're not. My life goes on. When they lose each March or April, I get up to work the next day. In 1988 and 2008 when they closed the season with a BIG WIN,
Larry or Bill didn't call me up congratulating me for being a fan of the greatest program in college sports. Mario didn't text me saying, "Hey Gantz, did you see that shot I made? Cool, Huh?"
I know this rant won't change anything, but we also shouldn't be surprised when these spoiled (I'm talking in general terms, not just KU) kids do things that demonstrates they're spoiled college athletes. (see Jameis Winston)
What? No votes for Brady Morningstar?
Ben Brust is Wisconsin's all time 3 baller. He has always been allowed to shoot. And some games he'd miss 6 in a row, But then he'd hit one, then next time down, another. Now he added other things to the game, like 6 rebounds a game, not bad for a 6'1" guard, but he still was given the space to regain his stroke the few times it was really lost. Connor could be that kind of shooter too, I suspect Brannen has the same potential. Good to hear coach acknowledging this.
@globaljaybird I saw most of that 30 for 30. Another memory was seeing Bo at Old Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was long down the line, 350 feet. Bo caught a fly ball and threw a dart to the plate, almost looked like a pitcher throwing a pitch 60 ft 6 in! He didn't get the runner out that was tagging, but goodness, what a throw!
I, being a Sox fan, got to Royals stadium every time I could when the Sox were in town during my KU years. I was there the night Bo played his 2nd MLB game. His first he was hitless, but that 2nd night was eventful! 1st ab Bo hits a towering drive down the line. He hit it over the top of the foul pole meaning the ump had to make a judgment and he called it foul. Bo was flying around the bases, between 2nd and 3rd as I recall when the ump called it foul.
His 2nd AB he scratched out an infield hit, his first hit in the majors.
For his 3rd AB he came up with the Sox and Steve Carlton (you read that right) leading 2-0 in the 7th. Runners on 1st and 2nd, no one out. The crowd is going nuts when he rips it down the 3b line, but the Sox 3rd baseman snares it, steps on 3rd, throws it to 2nd on to 1st for a missed it by an eyelash triple play. I never saw a replay, but from my vantage up top I thought the Sox had him.
Memorable night indeed!
@BeddieKU23 No I didn't see that game, I saw the public league championship game, against Whitney Young and Jahlil Okafor, an intense overtime affair. Maybe a little different than an all star game where no one plays defense! I think a nice jumper for a big guy is a great asset, we saw that last year with Joel I think. But I do hope we get Cliff's Mcd's jumper as well, and seeing how big he already is I hope he stays away from McD's and gaining the freshman 15, unless it's a Hudy freshman 15!
I watched one game of Cliff Alexanders last year. Cliff is large and active, but what I saw appeared kind of raw. His jumper looked awkward. I don't know that much, but I wouldn't be that surprised if Cliff stayed around for another year or two.
Interestingly, where I live in the deep south, it doesn't have that unifying effect. I go to afair amount of HS basketball games and the rosters are usually bereft of Caucasians, even in schools where there is a broad diversity in the student body. Football is that unifier here however. Everyone wants to play football and our school in our town reflects the racial demographics of our town.
Went to bed, missed the extra frames. Glad to see they won.
@JayhawkRock78 Well Archie did come back and was actually injured again in the 88 season against St. Johns. I think that's when Coach Brown cried about it. Tough loss, but a great season.
Watching the Royals game tonight reminds me of 1985-1986, the greatest sports year of my life. I was new to KU in '85 from Illinois. I knew little of KU basketball. I did know baseball however and with my roommates took to the Royals at least a little. Watched the games all the way to the Joquin Andujar meltdown in game 7 of the series, brought to you by, ahem, Mr. Denkinger. Glad for the Royals to win that memorable series. (I actually spent grades k-6 in New Jersey and watched WIllie Wilson play football for 3 years. He was phenomenal at football, totally dominated the very good team in our town on Thanksgiving morning those 3 years. Rival games in NJ were played on Thanksgiving morning around 9 or 10 AM!)
Well by that time it was clear my Bears were in the midst of something very special It was great fun to watch. Of course in the middle of football season basketball starts. I attended my first late night, amazed at the atmosphere and bought my tickets. I didn't miss a game!
The Bears finish off their run and the Hawks were just dominating everyone, beating eventual NC TWICE in the regular season. Dallas here we come! Even the regional games were memorable. We beat MSU and then get Jimmy V in the regional final. The clock stops at Kemper, Brown gets T-d, which somehow helps us comeback in the last several minutes FF bound.
Somehow Duke, ranked #1 and KU ranked #2 draw each other in the semi's, Louisville had to knock off the highest seed to make a final four LSU. The refs took the game over, that's my version anyways, and maybe for the first time we were seeing the Dukification of college basketball. 26 whistles against KU, just 14 against Duke, and yet we were still in control until Archie got hurt, putting kind of a bitter end to the greatest year in sports.
@JayHawkFanToo OK, I just mentioned it because he was a mid major coach who won some games and got his team in a bowl game. Thanks for the info though.
@justanotherfan You're right with your theory, but it's a crapshoot. Turner Gill was probably on a list like that 5 years ago. So was Mark Mangino I think before we got him. How do you get a coach is going to do well for you? Michigan's no better than KU in hiring coaches. They're a mess.
I like the choice of Hudspeth. Seems to have a good offensive mind.
@jaybate-1.0 You forgot Billy Martin!
@bskeet I think you're going about this all wrong. Here's the ways I'd set it up.
Start with a base salary of 5 million. Each loss take away a half mil.
With each loss, assuming the coach is married, we have to get the wife on board with this, no 'privileges' until he wins again.
He starts the year with no KU basketball tickets because we know that's really why anyone would take the KU job. Win a game, get tickets to two games, top row underneath the Pay Heed sign. With each win, move down a few rows and closer to center court. I'M TELLING YOU PEOPLE, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE"LL EVER GET A GOOD FOOTBALL COACH AGAIN.
Go winless in the big 12, you're rooming with a 3rd string offensive lineman who will eat all of your food. Do it two years in a row, you're under the bridge by the Kaw.
We've just got to think outside the box to get the right man, or woman, for the job.
Although I act like I don't care too much about KU football, I do want to see us have a competitive team. It sure makes the fall more interesting.
Like basketball, I know little about football, so this two cents worth is truly two cents. Let's find a coach who can recruit. Our cupboard has been so bare recently it's no wonder we don't produce wins except against the directional schools. When was our last draft pick, does anyone know?
I'd be excited to see us play in any bowl at this point, that means we won half our games. Success builds on that. So get the coach who can get decent players and who can win us 6 games. Otherwise, it's just another long fall til November.
@globaljaybird Interesting article. Self says he went soft on them in boot camp last year. Odd when I read that. But his glowing evaluation of Graham is certainly encouraging. If we can find consistent PG play this year we will be right there at the end.
@Kip_McSmithers Wish it'd said Mangino given another chance.
@Crimsonorblue22 Well I would if I could, but my complicated life has me living in Louisiana! When I visit family I try to get there once a summer. It's one thing I really miss about Chicago. Where does your son go to school if you don't mind saying?
@Crimsonorblue22 Look at my screen name!!
We can call Jamari and Cliff the Chicago Swat Exchange.
This thread reminds me of a great Allan Sherman song: Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, oh the day they met
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, no one will forget
Harvey's a CPA, he works for IBM
He went to MIT and got his PhD
Sheila's a girl, I know, at B.B.D. & O.
She works the PBX and makes out the checks
Then came one great day when
Harvey took the elevator, Sheila got in two floors later
Soon they both felt they were falling
Everyone heard Sheila calling, "Ring the bell"
But they fell, Harvey and Sheila, fell in love
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, chose a wedding ring
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, married in the spring
She shopped at A&P, he bought a used MG
They sat and watched TV on their RCA
Borrowed from HFC bought some AT&T
And on election day, worked for JFK
Then they went and got a Charge-A-Plate from R.H. Macy
Bought a layette, pink and lacey then they had twin baby girls
Both with dimples, both with curls
One named Bea, one named Kay, soon they joined the PTA
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, moved to West L.A.
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila
Harvey and Sheila, flew TWA
They bought a house one day, financed by FHA
It had a swimming pool, full of H2O
Traded their used MG for a new XKE
Switched to the GOP, that's the way things go
Oh, that Harvey, he was really smart he used his noodle
Sheila bought a white French poodle
Went to Europe with a visa
Harvey's rich, they say that he's a VIP
This could be only in the U.S.A.
@bskeet That takedown of Arkansas in their prime was awesome! They were top 5 all season (I'm guessing they were anyway, they were that good). 40 minutes of hell they called it and most teams felt like it afterwards. Well they gave us 20 minutes of it and Roy said let's give it back to them in the 2nd half. They were up by around 10 at the half. And then we stomped them. When the Jayhawk chanters were warming up, Arkansas' version of the round mound of rebound Oliver Miller was 'hurt'. He was gassed. He laid on the court for 5 minutes and took a nap. He got up, unhurt, went to the bench I suppose and Dean was next. That Arkansas game is still one of my favorite Jayhawk games.
RCJHKU is the best of them all!
It still feels a little creepy to me when I discuss sports with other non-ku sports fans and I tell them about my online friends. I tell them, yes some of them are creeps! But most just love KU basketball and, like me, aren't surrounded by such like minded people, and we need an outlet.
I wonder what the demographics of our group is? I'd guess half of us are not living in Kansas. I'd guess most are men firmly in the middle portion of life. I'd guess most of you are successful at what you do. Your intellect comes through to me.
As for your cell phone rant, I teach tough kids. Somehow tough kids all have better phones than my dumb phone. They have iphones, I have an earphone. Some kids with great phones have failed my class because they don't put away their dumb smartphones. (our school has little administrative backbone to back us up when these phones become a nuisance) My cell phone is a tool for my work and a great way to connect with my kids who live in Illinois and Louisiana where I live.
And I love being here, basketball or non-basketball, but I do Facebook too. Steve Gantz is my name if you'd like to send a friend request. I have too many friends but I'll add more!
God bless and Rock Chalk!
I was showing my wife the long thread of posts on my Illinois recruiting and she uttered the unpardonable sin. She said "You guys need to get a life". Then she admitted to me that she is actually @jaybate-1.0. I've been married to a genius all these years and didn't know it. I often wondered when she'd say she'll be to bed in just a minute, she's writing an email. And here I always thought she was emailing Jake from State Farm.
@Crimsonorblue22 That name, I applaud him for his audacity to tweet this, but, I can still see him draining dagger threeballs in the Superdome. He shot them to the championship that night and I'll never forget, although I wish I would.
@JayHawkFanToo Rush Limbaugh writes poetry? Who'd a thunk it!
I really just wanted to know why Illinois can't recruit it's own players! Now I have what I majored in at KU, a geography blog.
Besides KU basketball I spend inordinate amounts of time fixing, at least in my mind or on replies to articles, geographical errors in movies, TV shows, best of lists (like the other day when they showed a picture of Door County WI, but there was no way it was actually Door County), driving random roads on Google Earth in far flung places like Botswana,
I watch airplanes in the sky and try to figure out what city they might be flying to, and looking at webcams to see what the view is like from the top of Table Mt in South Africa. I pore through my NG magazines, looking at the interesting photo's first and then perusing the mostly interesting articles. I stare at maps and wonder why God couldn't have seen fit to have me live in a place like the incredibly beautiful Italian coast, or the lakes and moors of Scotland, or even just on a hilltop in big sky country with a view of the Absaroka's or the Sawtooth Range in Idaho.
I look at maps and wonder if anyone else knows that the first (territorial) capital of Illinois is actually west of the Mississippi River or that the Mississippi River drains land from Montana to New York. I know people know about Lake Huron, but did you know that it and Lake Michigan are the same body of water making it, and not Superior, the worlds largest fresh water lake. Thus there's only four Great Lakes. And who hijacked geography and added Southern Ocean to the maps?
But then I contemplate my place in this world and realize how fortunate I am to be born here, anywhere in this country actually, and not be born in a place like Somalia, or in 90% poverty rate Calcutta, or in North Korea, a place that has enjoyed no freedom since before the Japanese invaded them in the early 20th century.
Which brings me back to basketball because I was fortunate as well to choose KU and become a citizen of Jayhawk nation, a decision that has brought to me a lot of fun and friendships over the years.
@brooksmd This is why I talk about Wisconsin so much! I do enjoy aspects of Louisiana, but I sure do miss it up north!
@jaybate-1.0 I was about to accuse you of plagiarizing William LH Moon until I got to the last paragraph. I too enjoyed the part of that book I read several decades ago, mainly because in my three years at Kansas I really fell in love with the Flint Hills. Amazing land out there which I hope to see again.
I heard a singer this summer up atop Rib Mt who sang a song with the line "When I look into my Grandmas eyes I see the beautiful Kansas skies" I almost lost it right there! Don't know what this has to do with the original topic of this blog, but it takes on a life of its' own sometimes.
We'll find out some about our bigs right away when we play Kentucky.
@Crimsonorblue22 I had a student a few years back with the last name Oubre. I don't have too many good memories of him! So I need an Oubre to restore that name!
Stanford unceremoniously dumped us way back in March. We don't like ending our seasons prematurely. We had to figure out what to watch since the tournament was over for us. November seemed impossibly far away. Graham and Svi joined us, a couple of marginal guys left as they always do.
Now November seems not impossibly far away but close enough that we can hear the Rock Chalk warming up. Crews, I imagine are sprucing up the House that Phog built. Players are dreading boot camp as much as we are delighting in the fact that boot camp is really the first official action of the season. We're speculating more intensely.
What kind of guard play will we have? Will it match the talent we have up front?
Are our Frosh as good as advertised?
Is Wayne with his repaired knee going to awe us with his obvious talent?
Will Perry be the old man of the team and lead them to greatness?
Will JamTray complete his journey from living homelessly in a car in Chicago to a National Champion?
Will Svi shoot his way into our hearts?
Is Mickelson going to be good at his craft as the more famous duffer Mickelson? Let's hope so!
Will Connor join Svi as twin triple firing sharpshooters opening up the lane for Big Al to throw down rafter shattering jams.
Will Oubre make me think well of that name after enduring a year with a similarly surnamed student a few years back?
I am so ready for this season to start, but I will sit and wait patiently, like a guy named Habakkuk who asked questions of God and then said he sat on his tower waiting patiently for Him to answer.
@JayhawkRock78 Jaybate lives on another planet, a place in which time is not even a concept, so while it may have been electronically time stamped at 4AM in our world, in his, it's just another moment in that savant brain of his!
Wow this post turned heavy. It also reminds me of this sort of odd, but close community we have here. We could sit next to each other at the counter at Denny's and probably not even know who we were sitting by. But here we are sharing condolences with online friends. And I am sorry @globaljaybird. Must have been difficult to deal with.
I am in agreement with @nuleafjhawk. My faith sustains me.
Lou Henson had good success with Illinois recruiting. When he left the coach at University of Illinois Chicago wanted the job. (I forget his name) He was influential in the city and I think he was able to steer Chicago kids away from Illinois. Similarly an influential HS coach at King HS, Sonny Cox (a powerhouse in the 80's and 90's) didn't like Ray Meyer's son at Depaul who took over that program. Cox was so powerful that NO Chicago kids went to Depaul during Joey Meyers later years. That once proud program obviously has never recovered.
It really goes to show how tenuous a program like KU's can be. If/when Self leaves, his replacement will most likely meet our high standards. But what if he doesn't. What if he has a hidden character flaw like Mangino and suddenly we lose our lustre? Recruits begin to look at Lawrence as a place to go if nothing else works out? I don't like to even imagine that it could happen, and maybe we're just too darn good, prestigious, tradition laden for it to happen.
I just know an awful lot of Illinois fans who are tired of seeing top players leave the state every year.
And Illinois since Bill Self left has not been able to get Illinois kids.