Udunka Very Mucho
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Not sure if anyone kept track of dunks, but we may have set a school record!
Interestingly, and I know this is not news to you, we start four guards, and have numerous dunks.
Eye popping stats tonight, even if it was against a poor team like UNCAsheville. 3 pt %, Vick 9 RB’s, Frank 5-5 on 3’s.
And we’d have been over, or very close to 100 points if we hadn’t missed more than 50% of our FT’s again.
It was a pleasure watching young Mr. Jackson and old Mr. Graham combine for 18 assists.
Mason’s brilliance was somewhat overshadowed by the performances of Jackson, and Udunka. And by the fact that he’s been doing this night in and night out, in different time zones yet.
Udunka’s points came against a pretty bad defensive team in my view, so I’ll temper my enthusiasm with the knowledge that much tougher tests are coming.
I wish these guys would stop hanging on the rim. I do some reffing, I’d T them up!
A month into the season, we’re sitting about where most of us thought we would be I’d guess. Maybe I’m wrong. I figured we’d lose one of the two tough games. How about you, are we about where you thought we’d be?
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@wissox Agreed about Dok’s dunks, but his post game is coming around. IMO, he needs to start from here on out and get as much experience/reps as possible to prepare for March.
Our guards were really good again tonight. Besides a couple nitpicky things, could they really do much better?
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Definitely where i thought we’d be. We have to get better shooting FT’s though. There’s going to be a game come conference time or one of the tourney’s in March and we are going to live or die by our FT %
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Informative assessment. Thx.
Doke had game, but it wasn’t against studs, so I’m wait and see with him.
Josh, despite staying a Free Mason outside, had a big time floor game that finally got me jazzed about him. HE…WAS…ACTIVE!
Vick really ticked up my like meter!!
Those three have some chemistry together. Interesting to watch it unfold.
Frank and Devonte are just sooooo reliable and good!
Bragg needs Santa to bring him new knee tendons.
Big Luke needs a new ankle.
Tough sledding for Luke/Bragg.
And yes…GET OFF THE RIMS.
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Totally not where I expected!
I thought we were a lock for a big manly man kind of high low game, not this GUARDS’R US stuff. Thought GUARDS’R US would just be one gear, not the whole tranny!
Also didn’t expect Josh both to struggle with scoring efficiency so much AND to do so many things so well in his floor game this soon.
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Josh has the 2nd best shooting % on the team among guards. Though Vick may be gunning for him soon. I don’t trust him shooting treys, but other than that, he can score it.
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@wissox I agree. Right about where I thought we would be. Actually exactly where I thought we would be. I thought we would have one loss but the only difference was I thought it would be turned around. - -I thought we would beat Indiana and lose to Duke, but I for sure will take where we are.
You are also right about trying and tempering our enthusiasm maybe just a little, like you said this was UNC -ASHVILLE, probably one of the weaker teams we have on the schedule for this year. As we all know or should know, Udoka will not be able to just have his way dunk, after dunk, after dunk as we get later into the year and play stiffer competition - - Like Baylor comes to mind, pretty long and tall - - Kentucky comes to mind, so he is going to have to continue and try to work and develop his little jump hook or some kind of offensive shot on top of his monster dunks. - - -BUT having said that, you can see he IS progressing, just keep working without fouling, and get his conditioning down and then - -LOOK OUT.
We also know that we are not going to have this huge of a rebounding advantage every game, unc-ashville was greatly outsized by us, so this is probably something that should of been expected on the boards. - - -BUT having said that, MAN I love LaGerald, I think he is going to end up being a really, really, good player, long, athletic, got some serious hops and can play multiple positions. Josh is really settling in, getting his comfort zone, makes some really sweet passes just an overall COMPLETE package - -does it all.
Overall was a great game, we are getting better, getting a little rest for our guards is huge, long season - - I think this is going to be a sweet season - -a long season - -BUT a very sweet season - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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I said this the other day, but I am very happy that Udoka is getting experience early. For the last 2 years with Diallo and Cliff we cried for them to get early season minutes that would pay off come conference time and March. We are getting our wish finally! I think this may have something to do with LL playing poorly/injured ankle but I will take it either way. Before the game the announcer said he isn’t starting because of his numbers but his potential. In one game, granted against an inferior opponent Udoka had a better game than LL has put together in 3 plus years. We need LL to return to form, but I am very happy about these early season minutes for Udoka!!
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Since breathing on your opponents seems to be point of emphasis drawing phantom fouls these days, and not hanging on the rims, I say: Let’s see if we can break some glass.
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It was nice to see Doke throw down those dunks. Finally a post player playing like a KU post player we know. Encouraging game, I liked his effort on defense more then the flashy dunks he got. Nobody was guarding him or could guard him on Asheville.
Think about it though. Doke vs Asheville = Diallo vs Holy Cross. Similar OMG “he’s so good game”.
Counter to that was Doke’s effort vs Duke. He rebounded well against a top team.
Encouraged by the effort, glad he stepped up with his name called. It was the perfect game for Self to see what he’s got. I think he answered the question. Anything but Lucas playing right now is the answer
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@BeddieKU23 during post game doke was asked if he had “butterflies”? He didn’t know what that meant but DG explained it and handled it fine. But then DG started laughing at Vick and the interview was cut short. They do that quite often, which I think is funny too. They are kids and get tickled really easily by each other’s answers.
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@BeddieKU23 how many times have we seen someone like Perry, Landon or Carlton leave puts on the floor because they try to gently lay the ball in? So frustrating when they’re two feet from the basket and 6’10
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@Crimsonorblue22 what was Vick saying that had DG cracking up??
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Udoka last night was I think better than Diallo against HC. Just from what I remember. Loyola was probably Cheick’s best game and also his first. The big thing is that Udoka keeps getting minutes, which should happen.
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@Kcmatt7 I’m not sure, probably just how he said something. Or, if they are being serious it cracks them up too. Remember everyone got on Embiid and Wiggs pre game interviews for laughing? It was simply cause they were asked about the player chasson randle, I believe, they thought they said Jason and were confused and then they got tickled. I still get easily tickled, so do my boys!
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Also Lucas is a bit hurt but honestly it’s possible the last part of last year was an outlier.
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@Crimsonorblue22 I do love how much fun our guys seem to have. DG and Embiid have been so fun to follow.
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Does Stoudemire still have the Big Man camp that Cole and Jeff attended in the Summer? Back then, Danny had a tremendous influence, showing them 20 years of smooth Big Man Moves. Nick used to play the post like McHale. Doke needs to go to a Big Man summer camp.
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Copypaste from 247. Expect MORE DOKE.
Kansas switched up the starting lineup Friday night, with the change resulting in a 95-57 win over UNC Asheville.
Out went Carlton Bragg and Landen Lucas, two parts of the Jayhawks’ much-maligned post players. In came freshman Udoka Azubuike and sophomore Lagerald Vick. And they both excelled, with Vick scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds and Azubuike finishing with 17 points, three rebounds and three blocks. Just as importantly, they were unbelievably efficient, combining to shoot 14-of-16 from the field.
“Absolutely,” Self said after the game. “There’s no reason to switch that up right now.”
Kansas had a significant size advantage over UNC Asheville, but won the rebounding battle by the largest margin of the season, 49-23. And Azubuike provided the interior scoring presence the Jayhawks have been missing.
So don’t expect changes anytime too soon: if Lucas and Bragg want their spots back, they’ll have to earn them.
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@wissox Nice post. I was hoping to win the Indiana game and we didnt. Although, we would have had certain calls gone our way and anyone could hit the broad side of a barn from the line or the trey stripe.
EIther way, I’ll take 5-1 at this point.Coach Self started Doke on purpose to get his experience up to par. Something he didnt really do with Diallo or Clifford. I think thats HUGE. All we need is Doke going out there feeling his game and thinking he is 10ft tall.
Oh yah, How bout our guys making some GD free throws??
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@BShark Actually Self said that he would alter line ups based on scouting report, which is something he has Never done. But I think the 4 guard line up is freeking awesome!!
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@Jayrawks1 Probably the main thing in Self’s mind in Udoka’s favor is that except for some dumb freshman moves, he has not wandered about on the floor like someone who didn’t quite know where they were. Unfortunately Chieck and Cliff both fell into the wandering category.
Another key to his playing early is that he is not a tweener, a term that will never be applied to Udoka. An experienced big can sometimes get the best of him because of the experience but he will still have to contend with a very big person who seems to pick things up relatively quickly.
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Udoka knows his role. REFRESHING in this day and age.
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Thank you I confused games. None the less we should be excited Doke played well while also keeping check the competition he did it against.
And I think we might be seeing the unraveling of Lucas. He’s looked unraveled and mentally not in the game because of calls going against him. He needs to find whatever was motivating him last year because he just lost his starting spot
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@Lulufulu I agree with the 5-1 statement. I figured the opposite would happen with us beating Indy and losing to Duke.
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Yeah no biggie, I knew what you meant.
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@wrwlumpy said:
Does Stoudemire still have the Big Man camp that Cole and Jeff attended in the Summer? Back then, Danny had a tremendous influence, showing them 20 years of smooth Big Man Moves. Nick used to play the post like McHale. Doke needs to go to a Big Man summer camp.
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@wrwlumpy Im betting that Doke gets invited to all the big man camps next summer.
