Baylor's Short Stay At The Top
-
It will certainly be a test for Baylor. Welcome to the top, Baylor, where every opponent circles your game and is outrageously motivated to play you!
Baylor has a mixed record with West Virginia. I’m not sure I would make this the Bell Weather game to decide on Baylor.
-
@drgnslayr it is a real possibility that Baylor goes 0-2 this week.
-
Yeah, I’d be careful cutting down a team too far for losing to a top 10 team on the road. Now, does Huggy get a bonus for beating them? There is the real carrot, and the true indicator of a successful program! But an L @ WVU does not mean BU is a pretender.
-
@benshawks08 not many people think that. We all know Failor is a very talented team. Many think they are ripe for an upset because they could have easily lost two in a row at home to teams not named West Virginia and Kansas.
-
@drgnslayr I’m just saying that this is the type of game Baylor needs to steal if they want to consider themselves really in the running for a Big XII title. Because this is a game on our schedule that I can’t ever count as a win. And Baylor won’t win the Big XII without doing 1 of 2 things. They have to be perfect at home or they have to steal a really tough road game. KU typically does both every season.
-
-
@Kcmatt7 Good point. People say the road to the Big 12 Championship goes through Kansas, but KU usually wins it more because of the way they play on the road. Oh and not losing at home helps to!
-
-
@wrwlumpy So that last one must be called, “The Grayson”?
-
Those kids are really strong…and I mean REALLY strong…
-
@benshawks08 The road to the Big 12 title does go through Lawrence because you have to win road games most teams can’t and and KU is by far the most difficult venue to get a road win in the Big 12.
-
Baylor generally does well in the non conference and tourney but not in the Big XII because everyone in the Big XII is used to their zone.
-
Is that a new pic? Bob looks blank to me.
-
@chriz I think ksu will give em a game, any takers?
-
@Crimsonorblue22 I’ll take that. I bet they will be fired up for that one
-
@Crimsonorblue22 I think they will give them a game…but lose.
-
@wrwlumpy I threw out my back just watching the video!
-
@Crimsonorblue22 YA me too, I’m with Hawk Champ on this. -I think Baylor is gonna take it to them, I think this is where KSU realizes they are NOT there yet. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
-
I keep telling you guys KSU is legit. Had Wade made the 3 pointer KSU probably wins at AFH, something only 9 teams have done in the last 14 years…and it would have been against one of the top 2 KU teams in that entire period. I am by no means a KSU or Weber fan but I have to admit he is a decent coach and has KSU playing well.
-
-
Don’t we want Baylor to win tonight? I’m hoping they do and here is my reasoning.
First it would give West Virginia 2 losses, 1 home/1 away already. Puts them already in need of help from KU/Baylor the rest of the way. Obviously still early but it would put their margin for error even lower.
2nd because KU has winnable games against OU & Oklahoma St this week. If Baylor loses and KU sweeps the week we’d be #1 going into Ames on Big Monday. We don’t need ISU with anymore ammunition to play their Super Bowl game, we know its coming anyway. I’d rather stay #2 until this team starts putting more complete games together like the 2nd half of Texas Tech.
Having said all that I just hope we make it through tonight. Self sounds like he’s expecting Oklahoma’s Super Bowl game tonight. If Woodard does play, I’m at least worried it could happen
-
Usually when Baylor plays KU it doesn’t go how they…Drew it up…
I’ll just see myself out now.
-
“I keep telling you guys KSU is legit.”
We can’t annoint KSU with legitimacy because if we do that, we have to accept Weber as being legitimate!
Ha… but seriously… you know there are mixed feelings about Bruce in here and that impacts how people grade the kitties.
You don’t have to convince me. I know they are legit. My only question all year (concerning KSU) is if they hurt us, or help us (like they usually do).
I remain optimistic that the purps will help us by taking down the other top contenders in our conference.
All we have to do with the purps is go into the Sherronagon and bring Sherron’s spirit with us.
BTW: Bruce may be a bad recruiter, but the guy can coach! Very impressed with his skill set.
-
@drgnslayr Weber has always had the reputation of being a good game day coach. His first years at Iliinois and KSU back that up pretty solidly. The guy just can’t recruit very well which is why his programs are always up and down after his first couple of seasons.
That was reputation even at Illinois before KSU hired him.
-
@BeddieKU23 When 2 contenders play, I usually hope that the home team wins…otherwise the team that wins on the road (in this case Baylor) is “one up” on us in that respect. The other side of the coins is…as you point out, that a loss will give WVU …2 including one at home…which puts them at a disadvantage. I suppose it all depends on how much of a threat you really believe Baylor is…history would suggest that they will lose more games than they should in the conference…we will see if this year is different.
-
Excellent points. Without knowing what will happen I think we should be happy if Baylor wins tonight. Puts West Virginia in a tough spot already which I think is key.
I do think Baylor is the better team so I should in theory be rooting for West Virginia to hold serve at home but with WV already down 1 game I think its best to get as much separation from them as possible. If we can keep a 1-2 game advantage on them with Baylor being our biggest threat I think we have to feel good about our chances. Historically as it gets pointed out every day, Baylor likes to fall apart at some point. Whether this bunch is strong enough to end that reputation is anyone’s guess.
-
You make a good point about contenders and winning on the road.
I look at it like this. The games between the contenders don’t matter nearly as much. What really matters is how the contenders do on their road trips to Stillwater, Ames, Lubbock and Manhattan. That will probably be the difference in the conference race.
Let’s say Baylor, KU and West Virginia all split their games with each other. No advantage gained for anyone. But let’s say one of those teams goes just 1-3 in those road games I listed above, while the others go 2-2 or better. Or let’s say one of those teams loses on the road at Oklahoma, TCU or Texas. Those losses matter much more because the others likely won’t lose an equivalent game.
WVU has already lost at Tech, but if they protect their home floor and make sure to split with KU and Baylor, they are okay so long as they get wins in 2 of the other three places, or avoid losses to TCU, Texas and Oklahoma.
Remember, KU closes the season AT Oklahoma State. I do not want the conference title on the line with that trip looming.
-
@justanotherfan winning at Tech is important for us because we would have a leg up on WVU. I am still hoping the guys can get the job done at Iowa State and West Virginia this year. I certainly think its possible.
-
He has trouble keeping players as well…
-
@drgnslayr easily one of the best Xs and Os guys.
He needs to talk to Snyder about how he finds the right recruits and gets them to a small town in the middle of Kansas.
-
Absolutely possible. But that also assumes we don’t drop a game in Lubbock, or Manhattan, or Waco. I’ve watched Baylor enough to know they are legit. I don’t think we can just assume we beat them at their place, and I also don’t want to assume that we go 9-0 at home since we lose a conference game at AFH about once every 3 years or so.
Simply put, with Baylor and West Virginia both very good, the margin is pretty small this year.
-
I agree with you but…road loses are more likely to happen at KSU or ISU rather than at Oklahoma or Texas
-
@JayHawkFanToo said:
I agree with you but…road loses are more likely to happen at KSU or ISU rather than at Oklahoma or Texas
And we can’t forget OSU syndrome.
-
I know that OSU has been a bad place for KU but I was talking in more general terms…WVU destroyed OSU in Stillwater so I am not big on the Cowboys. Evans and Carrol are playing well, particularly Evans who will likely be all-conference, but Forte and Hammonds numbers are down and the quality drops quite a bit from there. They have 11 players averaging double digit minutes and other than the 4 above, none would get much playing time anywhere else in the conference. If not for Forte coming back for a 5th year, OSU would be battling Texas for the bottom spot.
-
@JayHawkFanToo think forte had a good last game.
-
Not the type of game he plays against KU but not bad, 5-7 from 3 for 17 points but only 2 assist in 36 minutes. With Evans playing point, Forte is now an undersized SG.
-
The thing with both OU and Texas is that while they aren’t necessarily good, neither of them is exactly a walkover. As we saw last night, OU has the talent to push the better teams in the conference at home. Texas can also do that. That’s the worry. An off night could cost you a huge game.
-
Very true. We just have to be aware of that and come prepared.
If we win these games then these middle teams will help us by pinning losses on other top teams.
K-State comes to mind, too… they usually help us by beating other contenders.
-
What do you think of Underwood?
I’ve heard he is getting them motivated for most games.
-
@drgnslayr Anyone that’s seen the movie “Just Friends” (and I know I’m probably the only one…) will know that KSU is Dusty Dinkleman.
Dusty. Dinkleman.
-
@nuleafjhawk how were your co-workers today?
-
@Crimsonorblue22 SURPRISINGLY quiet. I wish i was more of a d-bag so i could rub it in…
-
@nuleafjhawk don’t want it to come back
-
What?
“Baylor’s Shorts Stay At The Top?”
-
The conference has proven once again why you cannot take a game off. It is still the top ranked conference and the difference between the top and bottom teams is considerably smaller than that in other power conferences and the margin of error very small.
-
Here is a readable version of the SI article on Frank and Devonte.
http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/01/11/frank-mason-iii-devonte-graham-kansas-jayhawks
-
@wrwlumpy mine not readable?
-
@Crimsonorblue22 With my eyes, when I enlarged, it became blur. I’m very old, I don’t even buy green bananas anymore.
-
@wrwlumpy that’s ok, I’ll delete it. I’m at work, can’t watch it
-
@wrwlumpy By the way, I have a present for you and your Texas buddy in the OSU preview.
