Bill Stirs the PG pot....
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@KUSTEVE I’m curious. Would that 2 syllable pronunciation be like “YAAAA’-uh?” I am accused from being an Okie quite often & is common for me to say it that way when around friends or family to enunciate total agreement/conformance, etc; also to playfully confirm my heritage is true Kansas redneck. Fact is, that just can’t be denied.LOL
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“Bill needs a point guard bad and he knows it.”
You nailed it. It isn’t that he doesn’t have several talented guys who can dribble, pass, etc…
But the issue for Kansas this year will be about winning the possession battle.
Gone is the big post presence for rebounding.
Gone is the big post presence for shot blocking.
We’ll need other advantages to win the battle of possessions, and none can be won more than from the PG position. We have to have a PG that will protect the ball while attacking at the same time. Throw in a few steals would be great, too!
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@jaybate-1.0 Great story, great read!
“One must first understand how to learn, before they can learn”
This is what I love about your post, they make me think and evaluate my own preconceived notions before moving on. Every once in a while you drop a gem that really opens my eyes, and you did it twice today! Rock Chalk!
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Is hard for me imagine that baby face Graham was a ‘tough guy’ at Boot Camp. Sure hope he was & Bills not just trying to stir competition alone. Is he the 3rd guy from Brewster that Bills had? I know the last one (Na) didn’t end up so peachy.
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@drgnslayr Don’t forget about Mickelson. He was one of the best shot blockers in the country at Arkansas and is considered one of the top centers in the country. Now I’m not saying that he will as good as Jeff or Joel, but I think the combination of him, Jamari, Perry, and Big Cliff will be enough to get the job done. JMHO
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@DinarHawk good pt! I think we’re all waiting to see him play, reserving judgement till he passes the eye test.
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“One must first understand how to learn, before they can learn”
True “Woodenism!”
Very nice read, JB. Love your focus on the spatial aspect of everything, especially pertaining to basketball.
X-axis basketball is all about taking advantage of space. Focusing on the game beyond just the vertical height and leaping ability because only a small part of the game is played up there above the rim. Most of the game is below the rim… most of the game is from around the 6’ area on down. That height owns most of the passing trajectories, screens, ball handling, fakes, positioning for rebounds, passes and scoring… even running.
We’ve all fallen in love with the high-flying jams and blocks. It has warped our sense of understanding. It makes us scratch our heads every time a team like UCONN wins ANOTHER National Championship.
The game of basketball is nothing more than a game of logistics. Find a way to take a basketball and run it through a hole as many times as possible while trying to stop your opponent from doing the same thing. It really starts there (and ends there, too!).
I’m surprised more people don’t study the math behind it. And how about more creativity with positions. Isn’t it one big game of chess? I know many football coaches get that. I know Andy Reid gets it… and he sure used it last night when he blew out the Pats.
Let’s take what sounds like a ludicrous idea (with our current concept of “slam-jam basketball” ) and try to defend it.
We are playing a team with a star 7-footer in the post, and our post player is getting dominated.
Is it possible that our best match-up on their big man is none other than Conner Frankamp? 165 lbs, 5’11" (without KU inches).
Let’s say that Conner is now the same scoring threat as he was in HS. Bombing those 3s…
Now, is the 7-footer going to be able to contain Conner from the perimeter? I doubt it. Will Conner be able to contain the footer in the post? I doubt it. The post basket is 2 points. The perimeter basket is 3 points.
Granted… the game isn’t this simple. Or is it? Chances are, our opponent will shuffle their defense out of their M2M and go zone, or flip defenders on hot Conner. Will that work? Maybe. Maybe not.
The key is the complexion of the game can change quickly if the coaching perspective changes. That’s what Andy Reid did last night to play the most dominant half of football Belichick has ever faced. That was the reason why KC smacked NE.
Utilizing a weapon like Frankamp can do the same thing. It creates a challenging juxtaposition that sometimes can not be overcome by opponents.
Checkmate.
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@DinarHawk Not to nit-pick, but Mickelson his sophomore year was way off the radar with blocks, just 1.2 per game. Wasn’t much of a factor there. But his freshman season was better, he was a ranked 36th in the nation, appx. 2.25 per game. So there is some optimism there.
Now, Mickelson being " considered one of the top centers in the country" – let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic there. Perhaps not holding my breath. But wouldn’t that be a cool thing to have happen? That’s the kind of thing that changes a team’s season.
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@HighEliteMajor I had said Mickelson would be first BIG off the bench and many of the guys around here said it would be Traylor. Mickelson has 2-3 inches on Traylor and there will be many times that they need his height to match opponents. I am interested to see if he starts just to grab the jump ball right off the bat? If he had stayed at his last school he would be a senior. After a year in the KU system and having been at the D1 level for going on 4 years he should dominate in the paint. Training with our trainers and lifting properly adding 5-6 inches to his bounce! Mickelson should be ready for a break out season… Another thing to throw out there is he is the only 4 star ESPN top 100 BIG left on the bench after Cliff and Ellis.
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@HighEliteMajor Like you, I will be cautiously optimistic regarding what he can do. That said, I think he will be more productive than what most predict. It would be a great benefit to have a decent rim protector and solid rebounder. His overall game should be improved immensely from his Arkansas days since he has improved his vertical by six inches. He may not be Jeff or Cole, but I predict he will have a very good year.
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If you look the numbers, the only one that was really down was the blocks, all the others show only minor changes. I believe part of the reason is the emphasis Anderson placed on Mickelson gaining weight to better match with the opposing centers in college. He went from his stated 185 pound in HS recruiting sites to 220 pounds in his freshman year and to 245 pounds in his sophomore year. As we all know, Anderson likes to have all five players press the ball all the time, and while he could do it at 220 pounds, the higher 245 pound weight was too much and not matched by the needed increase in muscle and power and was mostly dead weight; this is one of the main reason why his blocks went down quite a bit.
At KU and under Hudy’s tutelage he has transformed those fat pounds into muscle pounds and as result he has increased his vertical jump by 6 inches; all of this bodes well for him and for KU. If he has indeed shown good improvement over what he did in his freshman year, then we might be in for a very pleasant surprise and I would not be surprised to see him start at center.
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@JayHawkFanToo Ok … you and @Statmachine and @DinarHawk had me sold until your last sentence. Start instead of who? Ellis or Alexander?
And I’m a little skeptical of him leap frogging Traylor. If Mickelson is that good, we could have a true 4 man post rotation.
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@jaybate-1.0 WOW!! This would be two full posts on the old site. Go jb, go, Rock On !!
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@jaybate-1.0 said:
It all hurt to learn each step of the way, because I kept having to surrender thinking I understood things, decide I did not, and then learn some more.
That, my friend, is part of life that we all need to " get ".
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I don’t have a clue as to what players will start or get meaningful minutes. I am looking forward to it. Should be another exciting season. I feel like we are loaded and experienced in every position. The young guns should do fine.
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Most likely Alexander. Keep in Mind that Embiid did not start until several games into the season after Tarik had s few poor games… If Mickelson starts and play anywhere close to Withey, then we will be in really good shape at the bigs.
Biggest unknowns coming into the season: who will start at PG, and how much have Mickelson and Lucas improved over the Summer; the first one being the $64k question.
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@JayHawkFanToo BUT in Embiids case experts we calling him raw, and a project with a high ceiling. He didn’t have the hype Alexander carries into this season.
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Before the start of the season, he had already played in the Nike Hoops Summit USA vs the world game and the Jordan Brand Classic where he had 5 blocks, including one that had Randle reeling. His stock was way up and had been upgraded to 5-stars and anointed a lottery pick. Don’t forget that Coach Self values experience, in 2012 he started veteran Kevin Young over McDonald All-American Perry Ellis,
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Ahhhhhhhh!!! I just want the season to start already!!! Gosh darn darn!
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@JayHawkFanToo you are correct. All I have to say is that this season is going to be fun if our Bigs on the bench produce! I am not half as concerned with back court. They will have someone who can run the point I mean supposedly Svi and Selden can play a little point guard and we have 3 actual point guards.
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“…he has increased his vertical jump by 6 inches…”
If that is true then he will be a completely different player, most-likely, much improved.
Back in my day, I had a big developmental year where I picked up probably 3 inches in vertical and it transformed my game completely. A 6 inch increase is insane!
The vertical increase is just one form of measurement used to indicate “athleticism.”
So imagine if Hunter increased his vertical by 6 inches… what did his new body do for his lateral movement? Straight-line speed? Perhaps he is quicker off his feet? Perhaps his timing has improved because his movements are quicker?
I’m thinking he is a completely different player than he was at Arkansas.
He’ll be one more fine example of how Kansas can develop players.
Is it any wonder that even NBA KU alums come back to Lawrence in the summer… not only because it is an awesome place to hang, but also a great place to train!
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One of the most brilliant outside the box insights I have ever read!!!
It can take a generation or more to see through the blinders of the past.
It may take another generation for coaches to get and process and implement the juxtaposition you just wrote about. But as sure as God made little green apples, your idea has to be tried because it is probabalistically determined to work . Time to get a coaching job, slyr!!!
Your
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I’ll start coaching in about 5 more years… when my boy is ready for biddy basketball!
But you can bet I’ll work him over on the fundamentals of the game that happen from a height of 6’ on down… where the actual game is played.
He’s a big kid. Might have picked up some height from his Serbian mother. Most of those people are tall and athletic. I care most about him gaining height for dating and less about basketball. He’ll just have to learn how to play the game and not count on height writing him a scholarship somewhere. He’ll have to work on his hops… and build muscle for power and speed. I’d rather he be shorter and broader and play physical ball. Take it up and stuff it on a big pretzel post player and fold him like a cheap suitcase!
Pretty obvious I was a big Charles Barkley fan. His kind of game dominated everything from the playground to the NBA.
I’m not sure when the rest of the basketball world will understand x-axis basketball. The NBA is still glued on old Magic Johnson VCR tapes. So far, UCONN is the only basketball team that seems to get it (for the most part). You could restrict them from recruiting players over 6’6" and they’d still win titles at a rapid rate.
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Mickelson has been Hudy-sized!!!
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This post is deleted!
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Amen to that!
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@drgnslayr “The key is the complexion of the game can change quickly if the coaching perspective changes.”
This is exactly why I think the biggest key to a successful season rest on Self and the coaching staff. The game plan need to stay flexible and scouting needs to be detailed with an eye towards using any of the tools in the toolbox (players) when advantages present themselves. This team has many different weapons ready to use whenever needed. It’s up to the coaching staff to develop them and have them ready to deploy. And it’s up to Self to put the pieces together to get the most out of them. Better in game adjustments. Better scheming, offensively and defensively.
We have talked a lot about MUA’s and for sure the one MUA we have every game is HCBS. Instead of thinking about an individual player being a MUA and putting the team on his back, I want to see a grouping of players together be a MUA! In 08, for sure Rush was a MUA but also were the groupings. Our bigs rotation was a MUA together but not individually and our 3 guards rotation was a MUA together and not individually. JMO! Good post!
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@jayhawkbychoice You said, “The game plan need to stay flexible and scouting needs to be detailed with an eye towards using any of the tools in the toolbox (players) when advantages present themselves.”
The “stay flexible” part and the more precise topic of capitalizing on advantages always concern me with our coach.
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We do need to stay flexible, both in body and mind.
ISU has certainly become a thorn in our side every since the Mayor joined on there. The guy can coach. I can’t believe the NBA hasn’t been pounding on his door because he brings NBA hoops to college. He focuses on match-ups and how to exploit every opponent based on how he thinks he can exploit his advantages while masking his weaknesses. He is flexible, and an example we need to learn from.
I admire Coach Self and the strategy he brings to the game… I just wish he would bring a bit more flexibility in on a per game basis like the Mayor. Teach his guys to be opportunists a bit more and just a bit less of team ball. Team ball is great, but eventually, someone will have to take his man to the hole.
It starts in recruiting. The Mayor goes after some different players. Guys that are used to carrying all the weight on their backs and then he teaches them to share just enough to win. Self wants to see how many assisted baskets we can have every game and we usually rank highly in that category. That is not a strategy that looks for a match-up advantage and then giving it to the guy to take his man.
I think it is one thing to think CHANGE and another thing to coach it. Self will be the first guy to tell you he is still picking up new coaching knowledge all the time. He does seem to have gained a lot of knowledge while at Kansas.
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@drgnslayr The mayor is at home and I don’t think he wants to move any time soon. If he ever starts to pick up on the recruiting game he will give us even MORE fits for the rest of his tenure.
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ESPN predicting today that 3 Freshman start for KU. That includes Graham at PG.
If that happens we might be in for another long season with ups + downs. We need Mason or Conner to take control of the PG situation. They know the system, they know what’s expected of them. I hope that both of them show in practice that they can lead this team, we really don’t need to start a Freshman PG, its just not a good sign if that happens.
I can see Oubre or Alexander both starting because of the accolades they have from High School and KU’s track record with top 10 kids is that they will start and play a lot. And we have depth to support them if they do take time to develop.
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@BeddieKU23 Don’t we kind of deserve that surprise player, like the Derrick Williams, or Tyler Ennis? The guy that far exceeds expectations. Like immediately. Maybe Graham is it.
Can anyone imagine Self starting three freshmen again after last season? Cliff, Oubre, Graham? I can’t.
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@drgnslayr The mayor has heart problems-that’s why he left the NBA. He isn’t going anywhere.
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I see your red flag.
But until I watch some games, I’m not going to get worked up.
We have an idea of what Mason and Frankamp bring from last year, though both surely improved a lot over the summer months.
If Graham gets the starting nod then he obviously brings enough potential with him for Self to discount the experience of Mason and Frankamp to second fiddles.
Guess what I’m trying to say is look at it through a glass that is half full!
Regardless… I’m having a hard time believing we will be worse off at point over last year. I’m not slamming Naa… but this year we will have two guys in Mason and Frankamp that bring some game, and now they bring another year of experience with them, and age.
Graham is a total mystery… something we can only imagine for now. He’s making it hard to keep patience before basketball season. Same goes for Svi. I’m dreaming of him being a penetration expert who realizes how easy it is to score points from midrange. That could setup other people, too… like Oubre and Selden… even Alexander.
And what about Selden? Word is out that he will lead this team. The guy is healthy and likely to rip up everyone this year. Yeah… bring on Kentucky!
I feel like I’m waiting for my chess match with Bobby Fischer… what will be his first move? Self is quite the chess player… and head coach. He certainly knows how to maximize the value of his spoken word. Who knows if he is speaking out to motivate, or to confuse, or both, or neither.
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@HighEliteMajor Maybe not start but I can see 3 on the floor at the same time…
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@drgnslayr said:
I see your red flag.
But until I watch some games, I’m not going to get worked up.
We have an idea of what Mason and Frankamp bring from last year, though both surely improved a lot over the summer months.
If Graham gets the starting nod then he obviously brings enough potential with him for Self to discount the experience of Mason and Frankamp to second fiddles.
Guess what I’m trying to say is look at it through a glass that is half full!
Regardless… I’m having a hard time believing we will be worse off at point over last year. I’m not slamming Naa… but this year we will have two guys in Mason and Frankamp that bring some game, and now they bring another year of experience with them, and age.
Graham is a total mystery… something we can only imagine for now. He’s making it hard to keep patience before basketball season. Same goes for Svi. I’m dreaming of him being a penetration expert who realizes how easy it is to score points from midrange. That could setup other people, too… like Oubre and Selden… even Alexander.
And what about Selden? Word is out that he will lead this team. The guy is healthy and likely to rip up everyone this year. Yeah… bring on Kentucky!
I feel like I’m waiting for my chess match with Bobby Fischer… what will be his first move? Self is quite the chess player… and head coach. He certainly knows how to maximize the value of his spoken word. Who knows if he is speaking out to motivate, or to confuse, or both, or neither.
I agree that seeing games will cure our questions regarding lineups.
I think the PG situation will be better. Naa did hit big shots in situations but he really fell apart a lot of times as well. I don’t think either Mason or Conner will do that. They both showed poise as the season went on. Mason wasn’t a true point when he came here and Conner was used to scoring in HS so both got the freshman year and offseason to really learn how to become the PG.
I would prefer and feel better about our PG situation if Graham was eased into minutes and not thrust into them no matter how good he is. We need stability, we don’t need games where we struggle because our freshman pg got rattled. We have Selden & Ellis for buckets, we really need the stabilizer and leader to keep the ship going when situations get hard.
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@BeddieKU23 we can’t figure out a starting lineup, guess espn knows more than us! Ha
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@HighEliteMajor I have no idea, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I think coach has more options than last year, all about the match ups. I think I’ve said that a million times. Pretty excited to see how this plays out!
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@JayhawkRock78 think it’s a pacemaker? Saw pics of him getting new batteries in hospital.
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Great call. Another tip-off is “yes” is two syllables. When I first moved here I refused to,say “ya’ll”. The second move here included my children and they picked it up,in school fairly soon so I bought into it.
Houston’s regional population has almost doubled the past 7 years so you don’t hear think southern accents so often these days. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone tell me they were "fixin’ to do something.
@Crimsonorblue22 said:
@JayhawkRock78 think it’s a pacemaker? Saw pics of him getting new batteries in hospital.
I’m not sure-the way I remember it there was a lot of stress and they the doctors thought he should get away from the NBA. But then again I may be having memory issues.
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@JayhawkRock78 said:
Great call. Another tip-off is “yes” is two syllables. When I first moved here I refused to,say “ya’ll”. The second move here included my children and they picked it up,in school fairly soon so I bought into it.
Houston’s regional population has almost doubled the past 7 years so you don’t hear think southern accents so often these days. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone tell me they were "fixin’ to do something.
@Crimsonorblue22 said:
@JayhawkRock78 think it’s a pacemaker? Saw pics of him getting new batteries in hospital.
I’m not sure-the way I remember it there was a lot of stress and that the doctors thought he should get away from the NBA. But then again I may be having memory issues.
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The picture on the right of Chamberlain is iconic. It should be the NBA logo. He was an remains the greatest athletic freak on the planet in human history. HE was a demigod in sneakers. He was original. He beyond awesome. He redefined what was possible for a human being.
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@JayhawkRock78 could be a defibulator too?
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@JayhawkRock78 http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/isu-basketball/2014/07/15/hoiberg-pacemaker-surgery-mayo-clinic-cyclones/12664249/
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Okay-read a bit more on this. As a player he knew about a heart valve issue and went in for ANOTHER issue, and things went south quickly and they had to scramble to put in a pacemaker-the last procedure was to put in batteries.
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@jaybate-1.0 During the filming of Conan the Barbarian he intimidated Arnold Swarzen-whats his name so severely that when Wilt was in the weight room Arnie would not even get close. LOL !!
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@Crimsonorblue22 +1000 for those pics !!
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My thoughts and prayers are going out to the Mayor. He’s a true competitor and great coach… very very good for the Big 12!
Definitely a shining star in our league!
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@drgnslayr Yep, I never want him to beat us of course but he is a stud and a class act!!!
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@drgnslayr So if the glass is half full or if it is half empty, could it just be the wrong size glass? Makes me wonder.
