Dole practiced free throws a lot.

Newman lived in the corners shooting threes.

Svi ended his practice by making like 10 threes left handed. Spot ups, step backs, fading in the corner. It was crazy.

Devonte ended the whole thing by making his half court shot on his first attempt.

“I just hope our fan base stays sober enough not fall in the river” - Bill Self

I will put out my opinion that we definitely would not have won Monday’s game without Traylor and Lucas on the roster. I really have trouble finding a way to justify the opposing view.

Bragg looked lost and scared fumbling the ball several times and committing turnovers. Diallo continues to play outside the flow of the rest of the guys on the floor. Hunter was not strong with the ball and didn’t show his usual energy and did not get the deflections he often does.

Traylor had huge momentum shifting blocks plus the rebound and put back in crunch time. Landon played great in overtime, made free throws, and was always in position to both defend shots on the drive then rebound the misses (something none of our other bigs can do!).

This game meant so much more than getting to 2-0 in the big twelve. It was a must win home game against the best challenger in the conference for years. It was a game that gives a nudge to the victor come seeding time. But most importantly (yes more important than playing time for freshman) it was a win that brings a team together. A win that shows just how far each teammate is willing to go for the other. A win that shows even though Traylor almost cracked his head on one block, he would still go even harder for the next. This win built character, built chemistry, and hopefully made champions out of our Jayhawks.

If you can’t appreciate what experienced players like Trayor and Lucas brought to the team that game then you don’t understand the word TEAM at all. Self can tell the Freshman all season long what they need to do to get more playing time but Lucas and Trayor just showed them.

Well by this time last year we had just finished off a win over #24 Baylor, our fourth straight win over a ranked conference opponent, and fifth straight conference win. We had been through a tough non-con with 4 losses all to decent teams. We had a BIG win early over Duke. We were all lamenting our lack luster defense. Jesse was posting steal updates constantly reminding us that we couldn’t guard on the ball, or get in the passing lanes. HEM was complaining about lack of offensive flow as it was mostly throw it in to Joel or Perry or stand around and watch Wiggins. Sometimes, Wayne or Tharpe would get hot from 3 and have some big scoring games.

1: Tharpe v Mason Tharpe had some great scoring games but never could “cut the head off,” a phrase held over from Tyshawn’s time that was repeated many times by self. But Tharpe was inconsistent. On one or two games, off several. Jaybate commented often about his short legs leading to shortcomings on the defensive end. The team is searching for a leader hoping Wiggins will be THE guy.

Mason so far this year has been the opposite. He is the model of consistency. He hasn’t gone for 25-30 or 5-5 from 3 but has been solid. His on the ball D is tough and aggressive making the opposing point guard make difficult passes that have lead to more steals (not necessarily by Frank). The team is a reflection of Franks tenacity. Turnovers are down. Many, including Self, have said that Frank is by far our most valuable player and this seems to be his team.
ADVANTAGE: Mason

Selden v. Selden This is a tough one because not too much has changed. 13-14 Selden, I think, had just had that huge hustle play vs Baylor. He’d had a couple of 20 pt games vs Oklahoma and KSU that had us thinking he could be the key. Turnovers were an occasional problem, and his defense was sometimes questioned.

14-15 Selden has had some good hustle plays but Kelly seems to have taken that role from him. His scoring has been down somewhat. His 3pt% is up and he has become more consistent defensively. ADVANTAGE: None

Wiggins v. Oubre Wiggins was starting to turn it on by this point. He had some big games. He was considered our “lockdown defender” on the perimeter. His athleticism was never questioned but his toughness and heart were still at times up for debate. Jaybate was already beginning to wonder about 1/2Wig or 2/3 Wiggy implying he was saving something for the future and playing not to get hurt. We all had the Duke game in the back of our minds hoping he would shine brightest on the biggest stage and go FULL ANDREW WIGGINS come March. He brought a circus to every game of people heaping unrealistic expectations on him and the team.

Oubre struggled early, but has come on recently. His on the ball defense and quick hands and hustle have lead to more transition play and infectious “pace” with the whole team. His 3pt% is better than Wiggins, he takes better shots, and nobody watches him to see what he’ll do next. He makes better decisions because he is allowed to not be THE GUY we all wanted AW to be.
ADVANTAGE: Oubre (in no way am I saying Kelly is now or will be a better basketball player than Andrew who is currently showing he will be just fine, but Oubre is better for the team)

To be continued…

I think we have to temper all of our attitudes toward BG. His biggest fault? He wanted to play more to help the team and handled that situation poorly.

No, he isn’t going to transfer and has said as much. He will get his chances this year and will likely have big time opportunity next year.

He clearly hasn’t figured everything out yet, and yes his actions hurt the team by him not being able to be there for him. But he is a Jayhawk. A pround Jayhawk. Check his social media and he will tell you the same thing.

So has he been the model citizen no and he is paying for that, but neither has he betrayed his teammates or even taken a me first attitude.

He’ll be fine.

Best chant I’ve heard all year

Has there been a bigger offensive rebound? And he followed it with not one but TWO post buckets he basically got all on his own. 40 and 19 in the last two games is legendary.

We have a problem: https://twitter.com/cnn/status/1266315061221613569?s=21

I don’t even know what to say. This is what we get when the “leader of the free world” repeatedly calls the press the “enemy of the people.” (Specifically CNN) This video is one of the many reasons that rhetoric is just not ok. I’m not saying he CANT say it. He’s free to say what he wants, but man is it irresponsible.

Many people are upset or at least annoyed that the Jayhawks were only able to beat TCU, the bottom feeder of the Big 12, by only 3 points in a game that was close for nearly the entire game. After defeating Texas on the road, many thought the team had found their identity and wouldn’t be turning back. Several have zeroed in on one key stat for the Jayhawks this year and have made some very compelling arguments regarding the correlation between the number of three pointers the team takes, and the success of the team offensively. Unlike past years where a high number of long range attempts usually meant settling for jump shots instead of attacking the paint, this year the 3 point shot is our most powerful weapon. Kansas is shooting almost 40% as a team from deep. This leads to the general assumption that as a team they should always shoot a significant amount so as to capitalize on this strength. This is true but it also is not.

Bill Self is a very good coach. He wins lots and lots of games. He is especially good at beating good teams, historically. However, for some reason he seems more likely to be upset (or played close) by not as good teams. This is not coincidence. He is not lucky or unlucky. As Jaybate pointed out several years ago, Self appears to “amp” the team for some games and send them out “flat” others. “Amp” meaning sending them out with energy, wrinkles, and a strategy that will crush the other team, “Flat” referring to low energy, basic game plan, and a strategy that makes the team work. I doubted for a long time the validity of this assertion, but I now see it likely has at least some truth to it.

It may have taken some time this year, but Self has figured out that this team’s biggest strength is their ability to shoot the three. Even though that style of play goes against Self’s traditional basketball values, he has utilized it recently in the games against the best teams. Against “weaker opponents” (though TCU is not necessarily a weak opponent this year) we have seen a dramatic difference in style of play. Where this team struggles is scoring inside. So, Self, a man who loves toughness and balance is demanding his team play inside when he thinks they can win that way, and maximizing their shooting strength when they need it. We have seen this for whole games and half by half. And on the surface this works as a decent explanation.

However, I feel there is some deeper, mad scientist, work going on here. I think Self this year is trying to beat the law of averages. My biggest fear for this team relying on 3 pointers is the inevitable 2 or 3 for 20 game from deep that just happens sometimes. It is very difficult, nearly impossible to win such games as GREAT shooting teams like Utah and Gonzaga have shown. Too many possessions are wasted without points or opportunities for fouls to really have a chance to win such a game where the shots just don’t fall. We barely missed such a game in Austin purely on the shooting of Greene. Everyone else was off from deep. So this year, I think Self is actively trying to encourage bad shooting nights against teams we can beat inside while limiting the actual number of 3 pointers taken. So here is the strategy as I see it. On a night we are playing a team we are supposed to beat, guards and Perry can take a 3 if it comes to them but we aren’t going to work for those shots. Also, if you make your first one, you are done. No player can waste a hot shooting night against a low level team. If you keep missing, keep shooting. That is how we have come to several 3-8, 2-7, and 3-11, shooting nights. Yes Mason shot 5 three pointers but he only made the last one so no harm done to the law of averages.

The key is to keep the 3pt% low in these games. Other strategies Self might employ in these scenarios include: frequent subbing to prevent game flow, focus on feeding the post, sitting Greene, the “quick hook,” harsh/negative timeout talks. On the flip side in games where they need to play their best to win strategies include: minutes for Greene, opportunity to get into the flow, 4 out 1 in, faster tempo, more positive bench interaction, encouragement to take open shots even if they miss.

HEM has suggested that a sound strategy this year would be to give Greene minutes early and if he is on “ride the wave.” This clearly works. However, Self is not the kind of man to leave his game plan up to the mood of a “wild hare” like Greene. No, he wants to be the one to make the wave. Save Greene, and his other sharp shooters, peak performances for when he needs them. Make sure they don’t get the opportunity to breakout against weak competition and the law of averages allows them to crest when he wants them to.

Unfortunately for HEM specifically, this means that during the tournament there will be a game or 2 (or 3 if we are lucky) where Bill Self appears to intentionally throw a game by going away from a strategy he knows works. We will play a team we should handle easily and win (or lose) a close one while only shooting 10 or less three pointers. We will not make more than 5 that game. HEM will be furious.

Self will make this gamble. Because the law of averages is real, and he refuses to let it rule him. Bill Self makes waves, he does not ride them.

I think this whole debate is moo. It’s like a cows opinion. It doesn’t matter.

Combine that with 30 conference openers and you have some solid bookends.

I can’t imagine the powers that be are dumb enough to hire Chris beard no matter how much self likes him. Would absolutely hate that hire and might be one of the few ways to get me to stop watching ku hoops.

@drgnslayr Like right now? or over the course of the next year? the next couple?

@approxinfinity was it the AI summary from Google? That’ll get ya every time. It’s never factual. So apparently ai is bad at both math and handedness. lol

@approxinfinity said in The portal.:

I think @dylans has a fair point that we need separation / compartmentalization of concepts.

It is a noble goal to find common ground, compassion and consensus with and for people with different beliefs than yourself. If all concepts bleed together that goal can become increasingly hard.

We need to fight back against the winner-take-all globalizing singularity of all ideas and be able to appreciate things like moderation, diversity, balance, satisfaction.

Lets not lose our taste for these beautiful concepts!

YOU SAID THE D WORD! J/K Sorry, @approxinfinity While I disagree with you, I do respect and appreciate you and all you do to keep this little community together.

So… Is KU going to have a full team next year? Seems like maybe we should have taken on more players previously and just eaten all of those penalties this year!

@wissox said in The portal.:

@RockkChalkk Sorry/not sorry if I can. The topic was threaded into the discussion of someone being deported who’s here to play basketball. I see a lot of parallels. It’s not a hogwash narrative. Hyperbole has been used to make points a lot in writing. I was employing the same. Trumps policies are already leading to deaths and so I’ll speak up, even on a great basketball blog.

It’s almost like the concept of sports and politics cannot actually be separated. Hmm…

@FarmerJayhawk said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 to quote a senior administration official, “The cruelty is the point”

I don’t think enough people understand this. Even all the FAFSA revamp stuff (started under trump but finished under biden) seemed to purposefully make things more difficult for those who would need the support the most.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:

Don’t really know where to put this, but Duke C Khamen Maluach has officially entered the NBA Draft. Not newsworthy itself because he’s a projected top 10 pick. Unfortunately he may not be drafted as he is here on a student visa from South Sudan which were recently canceled. Since his visa has been canceled, that means he can’t legally play basketball in the United States. He could play 41 games if he was with the Raptors (home games only) or play in Europe. ICE is currently trying to locate him to deport him, but Duke is doing what they can to hide and protect him.

Regardless of personal feelings towards Duke, this is a beyond f-ed up situation where Maluach may miss out on making generational wealth because of a situation far beyond his control.

Don’t forget sports aren’t political! Lol.

This is so gross and wrong. I do think it at least helps to have some of these more high profile cases shared over and over again just so people know what is really going on. Imagine all of the folks who don’t have the name recognition, the support of a rich private university, etc. It’s heartbreaking.

The Pitt is worth everyone’s time. On max from the folks who brought you er. It’s really good. First season just wrapped up on Max. I’ll be shocked if Noah Wiley doesn’t get an Emmy.

Chat GPT is often bad at math. lol

@approxinfinity I do think there is some what of a question of do we WANT continuity from this past season? That team was such a mess, is it better to just start completely fresh?

To be clear I also love Flory and wish he was going to be a jayhawk next year, but once you put yourself in the portal… loyalty, trust, and continuity are no longer traits you can lean on. There is also the idea of precedent to consider. Like does every player then just put themselves in the portal every year hoping to get a raise from their current school? Does KU want to set that as standard operating procedure?