is it reality?
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hey guys you know heard some interesting convers on radio this morning, and actually whether we want to believe it or not DOES makes sense. it is what it is, the question is, as Jayhawk fans has our expectations just become to un realistic? ya the Oklahoma State game was bad, ugly but like was pointed out its reality. I mean stop and think about it this in all reality IS still a very young team. like was pointed out Oubre- -Freshman, Alexander- -Freshman, Graham- - Freshman Seldon- -Soph,- -Mason- -Soph Greene- -Soph, Lucas- -Soph and then Ellis- -Jr, Traylor- -Jr very young, very young but yet we are 19-4 on the season ranked 8th in the nation before today’s rankings and in 1st place in the league, so we lose on the road and the sky is falling in OH this team is crap so inconsistent, and don’t try and come and say WELL these are surpose to be one and dones these are College Fr HUGE difference from dominating high-school competition to major college ball. like the person said did your really think these guys were going to go 30 plus wins and 2 on the season? we lose the nu 1 pick and what the 3rd pick in the NBA and we are 19-4 and in 1st place in the league, these are kids 17,18, yr old kids have we raised our expectations so high that nothing is good enough? yes this team is different but like I said its one loss, the goal is not to make it 2 in a row does anyone think its going to be 2 in a row? has it gotten to the point where we are expecting sooooo much that no loss is acceptable, IT HAPPENS, has it got to the point these kids are under so uch pressure at the University of Kansas they aren’t able to have fun playing the game they love? if its gotten to that point, THATS SAD VERY SAD. again a lot of times I too get p.o very hot but think the guy opened my eyes some today this team is YOUNG, VERY YOUNG it is what it is. why can’t we just enjoy these guys and appreciate what they have done, what they are doing. what are they doing? they’re WINNING that’s what and they are well on their way to ANOTHER conference championship we just need to enjoy this season I think we will be fine GO HAWKS
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I think it is the way we lose this year that is causing alarm. Look at games like UK and Temple. We didn’t show up… period. And we didn’t show up the second half at OSU. In Ames… Self couldn’t get his guys to run offense or get back on defense. Watching the ISU run outs over and over again. We aren’t used to that as fans!
Yes… we are spoiled. Not only on quality basketball, but at least a certain level of execution and hustle.
What we aren’t used to is having a team with this much youth. Last year and this year are exceptions. It isn’t all about OADs. This stems back to two years ago, when we lost so many players in one year. That created a lopsided effect. Self suddenly had to deal with having to play extreme youth. This is also an adjustment for him. He is used to benching freshman for a couple of years.
Last year’s youth was masked by Wigs and JoJo. They not only captivated crowds and media… they were instrumental in helping us win another league championship in a year we had little experience. That was huge! So those guys are gone, and we are still very very young, but now we can’t mask our youth any longer with uber talent.
Fans in here are knowledgeable. They know how big these games are, especially on the road and when you had an opportunity like we had in Stillwater. Up 11 at half and their star sick with the flu. We all know certain road games are tough wins, and we know that is the secret sauce for Self and crew and the streak. Everyone else is thinking… “the road to the title goes through Lawrence…” hogwash! The road to the title goes through all our opponents’ home courts. We win road games. That is why we win the B12. Other teams can’t stop us from winning some in their gyms and they haven’t figured out how to win enough road games.
We know this is a young team so we really want the opportunities like we had in Stillwater to go our way… because it will help us hold on to win #11.
It is very very unlikely we win out from here. We all know it. I’ve already counted our away at WVU as a loss long ago. Winning at OU will be tough and improbable. Even winning at KSU may not be the cakewalk we all think it should be.
Heck… there is no guarantee tomorrow at TT! I have us as a 50/50!
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What really gets me… why didn’t Self go after a few juco or transfer players when he knew we were going to be so young?
It really is insane to run this much youth and expect to win.
This team needs a leader. Someone with cahonas and experience.
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@drgnslayr Don’t you think this is why Jamari gets the time over Cliff? He is a junior, a fourth year junior even. He and Perry are our only truly experienced players. Perry is way to quiet to be a leader of a bunch of youngins. After the game Self mentioned that in situations like that we need to look to Jamari but he just didn’t have it.
I know HEM and others often talk about how Jamari just isn’t talented enough to be a starter at Kansas. He was low in the rankings coming in and has never really shown the talent to be a star. However, as a junior, he should know the system as better than everyone else, he has in the past been our best hustler, and he is a guy that when Self looks down the bench, he recognizes! He can look at Jamari and know he has an experienced player. Someone who has been through a lot and knows what it is like to overcome adversity, both in real life and on the court.
People talk about the long leash that Jamari gets. He gets it because Self trusts him in only the way Self can trust an upperclassman. Is Cliff the better prospect? Of course! Could he go out and get you more points and rebounds? Clearly! But obviously this is not the role Self has in mind for Jamari. Should he score? Some. Rebound? Sure. But the big role for Jamari is Jaybate’s favorite, GLUE.
And this is why they lost on Saturday. They fell apart. As any structure would when the glue melts. Traylor tried. He tried very hard. Probably too hard. OSU turned up the heat in that second half. The young guns were thinking, “hey, we beat these guys once, we have a nice lead, this is in the bag!” They looked to the elder statesman of the team to show them the way and we know the rest. Six turnovers, especially bad ones in crunch time, game over.
@jayballer54 has a great point about this team’s youth. They are young and therefore inconsistent by nature. Jamari should be, needs to be, the one who brings stability. Frank is doing his best to fill that role, but as a Sophomore who is taking an absolute pounding, he just can’t keep it up. We would all love for Perry to do it but know that isn’t who he is.
Think about it. Jamari Traylor practiced on the team that went to the championship game. He was there. Only he among the team has seen what it takes up close. We saw how far he can take us in the Texas game. He led by example and the kids followed along. He doesn’t have to score 15 points or pull down 12 rebounds like we know Cliff could. He has to play with energy, and show the rest of the team how much they have to want it.
Is Alexander’s motor really that big of an issue? It wouldn’t be if there were another player who could lead the way on that front. But if Cliff wants to replace Jamari in the starting line up or the ending line up, he has to match or surpass his energy output. Energy is contagious and Jamari is this teams patient zero.
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Self views everything as a new problem to solve, a chance to get better.
He was actually happy during the late game at OSU. Ford had exposed a weakness that had nothing to do ith want to. Ford had showed Self the next crack to patch in his new way of outside inside out–attacking the block from outside, and Self clearly thinks some practice can spackle it. He wAs happy because he can fix it before madness, and that made up for losing. He can play Cliff 30 mpg anytime he wants. He knows that. He is experiencing the intellectual challenge of trying to win, while developing Traylor and Lucas. He would be bored after 25 years, if he didn’t create these hoops to jump through.
Just read where Coach K has reduced his objectives to leading and teaching. Like Wooden he has shifted focus off winning. He is bored by anything but these two things and probably made sick by trying to win.
Great coaches have to create their own inner games to keep coaching the outer game.
Whether Cliff is going or staying, he seems completely happy with how much Self is playing him. His wear and tear and injury risk are kept low. His draft status stays high. The pros get what is going on or they wouldn’t still want him. This is the same deal as at UK, only Self is doing it without out 10 OADS/TADs. Same as with Wigs. Self is protecting the OAD/TADs for draft day in a couple months, or a year.
