The only way to travel…

First… congratulations to Coach Self, our team, our school, and our fans! This was so needed for many reasons, not the least being the shaft we received 2 years ago for canceling our deserved run in March.

How did this happen?

Were we just lucky? Obviously no! Last night’s comeback shows just how good this team can be and had to be to bring home the trophy. But we can’t deny the luck we had along the way and I scratch my head wondering if the basketball Gods in AFH, or Bill Self Sr., pulled some strings from up above. Not only did we avoid injury throughout our March run, but we also benefited from other players going down and big upsets along our path. We even benefited in our final seconds as Bacot went down, turning the ball over and being done when his team needed him most. So many things happened in our path to this championship it is hard not to think someone upstairs didn’t pull a switch or two. I wonder if we might expect a new NCAA investigation into this one, draped in conspiracy theory and stretch out for another 20 years or so.

Self vindication? Hell yes! Gone are those critics saying Self can’t bring home another trophy. Gone are those critics saying Self can’t coach the big game. Personally, I’m giving the MVP award on this championship to Bill Self. He was a different man in this tournament than from the previous March tours. He was a lot more positive and had pure gratefulness for just being in the tourney. His poise was off-the-charts and it had to be the main ingredient for how our team stayed poised, including capping off the evening with the biggest halftime comeback in NCAA tournament history. I’ve never seen Bill smile more in March than he did this year. Listen to what he said to his troops at halftime last night, after being down by 15, another NCAA record lopsided score. He stayed poised. Listen to Big Dave’s comments after the game… he stayed poised. Bill is a different man after losing his father. I lost my father last year, too, and I know how different I am. Bill is, too. And it played out last night.

Comparing championships? I’m not sure I like comparing our championships at the threat that we minimalize any of them. But heck… we are sports fans and everything gets analyzed and compared. I wasn’t around for our 1952 championship so maybe others can comment. I did experience 1988, 2008, and now 2022. All three of these games are colossal storylines deserving special recognition. Even Self brought history into his locker room last night by asking his players… would they rather be down by 15 at half, or 9 with two minutes left in the game! I have to give credit for 2008 being the game where we had the biggest burst move to take the championship! I have to give the 1988 game kudos for creating “the legend” Danny Manning and how he carried his team on his shoulders to a championship over a heavily-favored OU team. But this team… this team’s storyline is only beginning to be told. Each player stepped up in their individual way to be a part of this! Never was the load so well distributed. Break down the game last night and you can point to so many plays by differing players that were “life or death.” Bill mentioned togetherness was their strength.

We may not own the record for most National Championships but no other school can claim as much March Magic as we possess! What stands out now… our book is yet to be written because we have so many chapters left to experience!

Love to everyone, and after more celebration lets start our next chapter of magic!

I know many of you will be blasting out of here at any moment.

I just want to acknowledge KUBuckets ( @approxinfinity ) and all the awesome Jayhawk posters that made this a great season for talking up basketball!

I’ve had a great time and learned more about the game this year than any other year of my life!

You guys killed it this year!

Thanks to everyone!

This is it!

This is the “stir up” I’ve been waiting for, and I even feel like we got a bonus!

So… what am I talking about? Udunka stuffing at ease? Earning a starting spot to help lift his game? 4-guard x-axis basketball starting the game?

All good… but what I am talking about is the roles of Frank and Devonte. I have been pushing for Devonte as our PG for more than a year now. Technically speaking… hard to say if he was a PG last night or our SG. Turns out not to matter. Frank is probably our best ball handler to be responsible for getting the ball to half court. But once he crosses half court and is positioned in the middle atop the key, that is where traditional concepts are thrown out the window and the chemistry of Frank and Devonte take over.

Look at the stat book. Frank, our PG by name, scores 21 pts and had 5 assists. Devonte, our SG by name, scores 6 pts and had 11 assists. Who ran the show? Who was our real PG? I guess we will say BOTH just to avoid a senseless argument. Months ago, it was difficult for me to convince fans just how incredible Frank is at scoring… a true volume scorer. He has the aggression of a driving volume scorer and has a dead-on shot from trey when it is wide open.

I don’t think fans have thought much about how hard it is to score 21 points in a game while being the floor general. Frank can’t take full credit for this because he does have the help of Devonte. Devonte is growing as the team “play maker”… a role he needs to take and conquer. Devonte exploited the over-match last night by continuing to pound the ball to Udunka for slam after slam. That is what play makers do… something works, they keep going to it.

Now I will discuss the “bonus” I mentioned above. Coach Self is truly the “Riverboat Gambler.” In my past vision, I thought we should move Devonte into the traditional role of PG. But the guy with the cards has decided to not show his hand anytime soon. Perhaps Bill will keep it a shared role. How will teams prepare for that? Who do they put their best guard defender on? Coach’s “ace in the hole” turns out to be Devonte’s ability to step up for big offensive games. We can flip the roles and succeed, too… especially on those rare nights that we face a team with a gifted guard defender.

We are just at the beginning with this team. They are just now coming around to executing a few plays and twists, and perhaps more importantly, they are filling in their roles and starting to be held accountable. The removal of Landen and Carlton from the starting lineup was more about a message to the team. Everyone will be held accountable, even 5th-year seniors.

Udunka is now plugged in! He still has a long ways to go… but it was amazing to see him take advantage of his size, and largely do it without fouling. You can see the game is starting to slow down for him and he is just beginning to execute. Bravo! He certainly has picked up the pick and roll! Amazing how just one weapon can be utilized over and over! Imagine when he has several big weapons?!

There is always some drama on teams. And our current drama is about Landen and Carlton. Teams actually need a bit of drama. This drama should be a good thing as both players adjust to step up their games, and Christmas break is right around the corner. I expect both of these guys to really put their hard hats on during that developmental period.

Last. We have to realize who we played. It isn’t going to go this easy moving forward but at least we got a little taste of what these guys are capable of. And they got it, too! This should help them focus on a goal to play at such a dominant level on all our opponents and also away from home. We got a long ways to go, but one step at a time, and last night was a great step in our desire to climb to the top.

I just can’t stop being a mother… er… father!

1. JWil - You are the “X-factor” guy in this game that will not get the MVP trophy, but this championship goes through you! You have to glue on Manek on the trey line and shut him down while also fulfilling your role as dynamic rebounder! If you do these two things well, we will not be denied the title! On offense… drive to the paint with your calculated medium speed… knowing not to charge and needing only a crack to slip through and put your body on a defender and score at the rim! We need your double-double!

2. Chai - You’ve got this! Replicate your game on Saturday! Look for your shots and don’t hesitate! Defend hard, too. You called it right… you were built for this stage!

3. DMac - Just like Chai… bring your Saturday game! No reason to do anything else. Bring the contact to Bacot and force him to back down without dropping your shoulder! Get excited because you finally get to match up with a big who may be in more pain than you!

4. Juan - CONTROL THIS GAME! Play with poise, always be aware of tempo. You already know to push tempo. Our best tempo is sometimes a subtle shift. In the least, always push the ball up the court and make them run hard because they have no bench! When UNC runs and exerts energy on defense, they have less energy on their next offensive possession. So monitor UNC’s energy level and take advantage of it, and tweak our pace based on how well we score. It’s all inside you because you have the best court instincts we’ve had running point in a long, long time!

5. CB - Realize how much your second half burst counted in our win versus Nova! Your first half was less than stellar but you left that behind and always focused on the next play! Do the same in this game and you will have your shining moments that will really help us bring home the trophy!

6. Remy - No words necessary… You know how to support this team. Sometimes it means fitting into the flow, sometimes it means taking over. Trust your instincts and play to win!

7. Mitch - I doubt anyone will have more emotion than you because this is your last game in a Jayhawk uniform and you’ve been in Lawrence since the invention of the wheel! Don’t be hyped up! We need your steady play, be levelheaded, and you will put in many key plays that help us win because you know the game so well. Play the role of a veteran!

Team - Do what you did all year… maintain your poise! The brightest lights are on and YOU GOT THIS! All you have to do is play your hardest and leave all your game on the court, and stay poised! That is the winning formula!

I know I speak for all Jayhawk fans everywhere… WE ARE PROUD OF THIS TEAM, WIN OR LOSE!

Jo Jo made the historic step “out of bounds” that put black basketball players “in bounds” in college basketball.

In 1966, Kansas was in the Elite Eight game against Texas Western. In a key moment in the game, Jo Jo was called for stepping out of bounds. A crucial call leading to Kansas going down in defeat, 81-80.

As most of you know, Texas Western went on to win the National Championship. A historic game in more ways than one. Texas Western brought the first all-black starting five to the championship game and faced off against an all-white Kentucky team. In 1966, racial issues were tense in America. This game took on a different flavor than past championship games.

The Texas Western victory in the 1966 NCAA Championship game represented the final hurdle for college coaches all through America to come to an understanding that black players could be a huge benefit to their teams and worth the “risks” associated at that time for recruiting black players.

College basketball has never been the same since 1966, and Jo Jo White made the most-famous out-of-bounds play that changed the tint of college basketball all through America.

I remember that championship game. Not so much the game, but the firestorm that came afterwards. Racism was on full display during this period and there were many outlandish racial events occurring on a constant basis. Lynchings and police brutality were still common.

While our nation focused on these events and the uprising of black leaders, like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., sports became the conduit for bringing black and white people together.

We shouldn’t forget our past. Jo Jo White was a true soldier for humanity. He represented himself with tremendous dignity and was rewarded with earned respect wherever he went, including his playing days in Boston, which was infamous for race intolerance at that time. Jo Jo has always been a part of my connection to the University of Kansas.

Rest In Peace, Jo Jo White. You will be missed by many and you will never be forgotten!

Calm down, people. If any non-KU people are reading this page their laughing… and rightly so. What this page really shows is we are spoiled rotten fans. We are crapping in our shorts because we are a 3-seed. Sure, we aren’t used to that. We also aren’t used to being in this position of being a team that has been beaten up by the NCAA for almost a decade with their b*llshit fake case where they somehow know more than the DOJ.

Self has vented frustration and it’s mostly where he shows relief because he’ll be able to recruit better again.

The idea of firing Self says everything. It’s starting to feel like Alabama football in here. I remember reading all those crying fans wanting Saban’s head on a stick because he only won 6 NCs. This is the type of crap that starts making a HOFr want to quit.

We have a team literally glued together based on only one idea; sign the best individual players we could get. Few top tier players want to play at a school in the cross-hairs of the NCAA.

Concerning this team… moving forward… anything is possible. We know we aren’t winning the league this year. What are our chances in March? Not so different than other years. The luck of drawing a good path in March will be crucial (as usual), and it’s all about us being healthy and playing good at the end. We could easily get knocked out in the first weekend, or go on a nice run. It’s the same for the rest of the D1 teams. Anyone can win and anyone can lose… just ask Purdue last year.

We never recovered from losing whats-his-name, the Texas guard who had off-court problems. Imagine if that didn’t happen and he had the year many of us felt he was capable of.

Everyone ragging on Juan. Seriously, people. You aren’t happy because he doesn’t just shift into a different player to meet our current needs. Had we kept the Texas guard Juan would be having a stellar year… doing what he’s good at… assists.

Let’s remember this entire season… not only the dud games like UCF. Has any other team won as many big team games as us? I guarantee you, no one wants to draw Kansas in March Madness.

The real problem we have is lack of consistency. This team can beat the best and lose to the worst. Yes, Hunter’s perimeter defense is awful. Yes, KJ has limited offense. Yes, Furph’s magic trey isn’t dropping right now. Yes, we get limited points out of Juan. Yes, Kevin’s trey isn’t falling. Yes, our bench is the weakest we’ve ever had under Self. I think it’s our weak bench that has hurt us the most, especially creating consistency issues.

This team is tired. Anyone can see that. So the same people who think Self needs to go probably also blame our guys for not being in shape. All I can say is we have more uneducated posters in here. How many of you guys played basketball that ran at this pace? It’s not something you can imagine until you’ve done it. I’ll prove my point by pointing to the world’s best basketball platform, the NBA. Our starters are playing more minutes than most top NBA players, and they play a 48-minute game spread out over more time. More timeouts, too. And we do not have all the benefits the NBA has with 365-day training, diets, etc. Plus, there is a reason why people say the NBA doesn’t play defense. These guys are pacing their seasons. That’s why I don’t watch NBA until June.

You have to start talking less and listening more. Watching games closer. BYU had the perfect game plan. They ran a grueling offense. Probably averaged 8 picks per possession. They beat us down. They knew we didn’t have a bench.

The smart move forward, as a fan base, is to support these guys and accept whatever happens this year. We are limited more than usual with this team. Push players to do better but be respectful. Don’t have typical insane expectations with this team. They may just surprise you in the tourney. Maybe.

I am probably like a lot of others in here concerning last night’s game. The first half gave me a stomach ache… thinking back to the last few years. Our guys not prepared for a dogfight, more like a cat grooming.

But I did feel better for part of the second half, mostly in the first minutes. Perry and Wayne took over. It was great to see both of these guys awaken from their first half naps. They really need to stop napping during games. Though they did wake up in the second half for a few minutes… enough for us to create the winning gap in the score.

I am amazed at Perry’s offensive tool set. I am amazed at the positive impact Wayne can have on our guys. One or two steals, assists or baskets from Wayne seems to liven up our entire team! This is his team!

I recall many times over the past couple of years where we came out flat and we stayed flat. I’m not saying that won’t happen again, but it is encouraging to see our veteran players step up and right a wrong, all within the 40 minutes of game time.

In as much as the first half gave us a “bad sign” for things to come, the inspired bursts in the second half gave us a “good sign” for possible great things to come in the season ahead!

Perry still hasn’t figured out enough to take it to bigger defenders… but he did show basketball IQ last night by taking what the defense gave him. He is as much a threat from the outside as any of our guys because he can hit that shot consistently and is often given the gift from defenses not wise enough to guard him out there.

Regardless what happens at the C5 this year… this is NOT the same team we had last year! For many, many reasons.

We’ve been short on depth all year.

Devonte plays almost 40 minutes per game.

Yet… we look a lot fresher than most of the teams we play.

How come?

A huge part of that surely must come from the efforts of Andrea Hudy. She is the training mom of all our guys and even travels with our team on the road.

Coach Self has mentioned a new strategy of carefully controlling our players’ legs both on the court (practice) and off the court.

I’m willing to place a bet that Andrea has teamed up with Bill to coordinate this strategy of saving our guys’ legs.

Can we really state that our Big 12 Conference Title #14 shouldn’t be credited largely to the efforts of Andrea?

I don’t think so!

So… here is a shout out to Andrea for everything she brings to our program! She deserves a ton of recognition (had to describe it in weight).

Who is responsible?

Who is responsible for bringing the team ready to play basketball?

Can’t we summarize everything into that single question? There were no areas of this game we played well in and there was no energy. How can that be?

I’ve always attacked this issue. I don’t mind losing games. I do mind when the team doesn’t show up. That was humiliating… and I believe it is games like this one that kill our recruiting. I know I wouldn’t send my son off to a school who decides sometimes not to show up. This is a character flaw. Plain and simple.

I wonder… how much fundraising does Bill Self do? It sort of feels like politics in Washington… where our elected officials spend most of their time fundraising instead of working.

When I see a team that appeared to be so disconnected to their coach, I wonder about this. When I see a team that can’t muster up energy for a screaming coach, there is a disconnect. Coaches that eat, breath and sleep with their players can’t help but be connected. Everyone is in one boat. I don’t see that.

This is what bothers me most about Kansas basketball. Games where we don’t show up. That doesn’t register with me. It’s not a part of my DNA. I’ve played in over 1000 organized games of basketball (at a far lower talent level) and I can honestly say that I have never played on a team that didn’t show up for a game. I would have been arrested last night if I was on that Jayhawk team because I would have physically assaulted some of those around me. I wouldn’t accept that kind of humiliation. Ever.

Instead of adding to the gameday post… thought it was worth it to start a more in-depth discussion on last night’s game.

In my 60-year experience with Jayhawk basketball I can’t recall another game where we came out so fast! We would even put Roy’s teams to shame with the open-court speed. It never took us more than a few seconds to get a shot up.

We also showed some full court pressure! Bravo!

I know it is pre-conference play and my guess is that Self is just mixing things up to see what happens. However… it excited me to see our boys run! How many teams have we had in the past that was deep and full of speed but we never used it? How often have we all mentioned not ever using a press? How many times have we started games slow… falling behind teams, especially low-rated teams, where we have to fight and claw to make a late comeback?

More than anything else… one huge criticism of Bill Self, throughout the years is his unwillingness to specifically strategize a unique game execution based on the other team. Bill has always just run KU’s game and all our opponents always knew exactly what to expect.

X-AXIS BALL - The dream lives on!

I’m not so sure our MVP on this team by year’s end won’t be David Coit! He brings hustle. He brings speed. I wonder if our tempo increase is being influenced by David. What are practices like? Also, I give a lot of credit to Zeke. He definitely could be my MVP this year!

Between Harris, Coit, and Mayo, they dropped in 40 pts! Basically half our scoring from 3 small guys. Granted Mayo is 6’4"… but he moves like a small guy and is the epitome of x-axis ball. For those unfamiliar with “x-axis basketball” it is a term I’ve used in here for years. It is the focus on playing a horizontal game more than a vertical game. Less height and more on speed and using the court to it’s maximum potential.

Team Basketball and a fun year!

It was fun reading the stat sheet this morning. Every player made a contribution! I’m feeling this team is on the path of really coming together well! I think AJ might take a little more patience because he appears to be the “thinker” on the team and he’ll be punished most by a faster tempo.

We are all worried about the defensive potential with this team. Can they pick up the Self philosophy? I saw some pretty good indications in this game that say YES! We had more players just playing and not over-thinking. All our guys brought energy! It was a joy watching us disrupt this opponent’s offense. Our weakside help is starting to show improvement. Everything works better when a team has energy.

Love that offensive play with 14 minutes left in the game. Our 3 veterans… Harris pass to KJ pass to Hunter for the slam! We are starting to see other players figuring out offense, too.

This is so much NOT a typical Self team! I’m very excited to see this year play out!

RCJH!

I think we are experiencing the beginning of higher recruits coming in again. Gone is the NCAA threat. Here is the good NIL revenue stream and a HOFr coach sitting at the top of college basketball right now!

I just hope we limit being an OAD farm. It really doesn’t make sense now to go after most of these players unless it is a guy who definitely makes us a contender in that one year.

The portal should remain our main recruiting focus. Sprinkle in a few outstanding HS recruits.

@kjayhawks

I grew up playing center because I had early height. By the time I reached junior high the other boys had caught me. By high school I had guard size but with big man skills. I tried… really tried to become a distance shooter, but never panned out. So my later ball all was based on big man skills… mostly defending and rebounding. My last team before my days ended on an injury was on a team with a 7’1" center. I always had to play him in practice and for the most part I dominated him. Height is a great thing. If all other things are equal, added height is a huge help. Otherwise… executing your game is by far #1.

I’m taking bets right now on Zeke vs KJ on RPM (rebs per minute).

@dylans

I relate exactly to your last post. I could see the ball right after it left the hand where it was going about 80% of the time… so I would hustle to get the right positioning.

Some of positioning you can be taught without seeing the ball. Like if a ball is shot from the corner… most rebounds will go towards the other corner (opposite direction from shooter). If someone is shooting from out front, most boards stay in front of the goal. Pretty basic stuff.

Sometimes I knew someone was going to shoot and before it left his hand I was already headed to a spot where it was a good chance the board was going there.

College basketball has become a pretty darn wimpy sport. I can’t think of the last time I really saw a guy battle for position, or seal off his spot well.

BASKETBALL TIP-OF-THE-DAY: If you are a college player and want more minutes and attention… learn how to rebound. No one else is doing it. You may not make the league some day, but I guarantee if you are snagging 10+ boards a game you will get your playing time!

I think we all love KJ… and we feel the pain of seeing such a physical specimen and great athlete… not quite reaching a high enough platform to take it to the league next year. He’s such a great person and while here has become a man. I know he’s one of Self’s favorites, too.

Monster kudos to the fellas! Great win!

We would have had a perfect season if we had scored 3 more points against the purple kitties! lol

This will turn out to be a toughening year. The real education goes to Coach L.

@bskeet said in KJ Rebounding:

These are two of the most experienced and successful coaches in their sports. I gotta believe they know more than those of us in the stands.

100%! But it’s good for fans not just to praise emperors. It then becomes a kingdom, with the emperor wearing no clothes. I criticize aspects of KU basketball… doesn’t mean I don’t have the highest respect and admiration for Self and company.

KJ drives me crazy! I have to admit that. I’d like to borrow him from KU basketball for just one week. Take him into the streets for some reality ball where you can use a pipe wrench and not be called for a foul. I agree with Self’s defense about one thing with KJ… I know he’s tough. He can lose a loved one and jump on a plane and go fight hard for his team. He just needs the experience of Jaybate’s meso ball… with the threat of being decapitated if he loses. For those fairly new to KUBuckets… here is a better explanation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_ballgame

Of course… the above description lacks the color and character when described by Jaybate… our long-lost resident Jayhawk philosophical writer. Can’t believe I described him in so few words! lol

BACK TO SELF: I am very happy with Bill and the state of affairs surrounding Kansas basketball! In my book, he has really accomplished 3 NCs (one was without the trophy ceremony). We have consistent winning basketball, a classy coach who knows how to talk to the public and has a deep-felt respect for his players, and we always stand a chance of winning another title! That’s all we can ask for. Can he do better at winning more trophies? I’m sure all of us can do better with our lives. I am always going to bark my vision from my official position as couch potato. It may be valuable enough to earn me a stick of butter to melt on top!

I’m still very excited about this year… especially excited if we achieve some tiny level of defensive efficiency!

Yikes! Some of us are going to H - E - Double hockey sticks because we think KJ is hugely underperforming in rebounds. I guess now Self is defending KJ and others from fan challenges:

https://fanrecap.com/jayhawks-coach-defends-star-forward-amidst-growing-criticism/?utm_source=kansas-jayhawks&utm_medium=RP&utm_campaign=ncaaf-mk&utm_content=1452028995114192&fbclid=IwY2xjawGmTqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfQm0eB5GvLYiRch2lrrhgMUc62RJuz5IMRW2Dvj_vwTAEztLFbycNQAIQ_aem_J90WHxdy0VszFlwmp6RwEA

I don’t see how anyone can defend a guy his size getting so few rebounds. In a certain sense… KJs poor rebound counters the rest of the optimism he gives the team with his dunks. I’ll take Ws over dunks any day of the week. At some point we will face a more challenging stretch of the season and I’ll bet the ranch we will be right back here screaming about lack of rebounds, though I will compliment some of our new guys for really going after balls… Zeke comes to mind first!

@FarmerJayhawk said in Other games 2024-2025:

It’s really annoying how early in the year the refs call EVERYTHING then in 2 months Hunter will get all but assaulted and no call

He doesn’t help himself. He reacts to all those hacks with a look of shock, going to the refs and saying things, and gesturing with his hands/arms he was hacked.

Instead… he should do more of putting on an injury show after he gets hacked. That’s a lot more effective at earning calls. Let Self impose ref pressure. Players, especially big men, just don’t get respect and whining to refs only makes it worse!

@kuballin10

I like the first part of your post. Yes… he has consistency! He screams consistency!

Realistically… he most likely would have had a third championship in the Covid close-down year.

I will quickly put this in perspective… name a better performing team west of Kentucky for the last 20 years?