Maybe #1



  • @bskeet Self is one of the best to ever do it for sure. I think the NCAA situation pretty clearly relit his fire too.

    The teams we played early are fortunate that’s when we played them. Especially because of no Self.



  • I think having Dooley back has been huge for the team.



  • @AsadZ

    I also think Case in his 2nd year is making an impact as well. We have a dynamite staff



  • Dooley has some silly title yeah? W/e we are calling it I am glad he is back as well.



  • Never hurts to have a former great assistant back that also has head coaching experience.

    Case is a star in the making and just adds to the mastery going on.



  • As soon as Bill fully adopted 4-out basketball we’ve been to a FF, had the consensus best team in 2020, won the title in 2022, and are absolutely one of the best 4 teams in the country at this moment.

    He may have been later to adopt it than we would have liked, but damn do I love that he saw the light. Shoot a ton of 3s and use your athleticism on D and in transition. It’s been so fun to watch, but even better it has been effective. When you are KU and you can have 6 guys on your team that are 6’5 and above and shoot the 3 better than 33% you should use that to your advantage. Because the reality is most teams don’t have that luxury…

    Really hope he wins 1 or 2 more before he goes.



  • @bskeet said in Maybe #1:

    I’m not an expert, but I think Self and staff have incorporated new schemes and actions that require the passing and this new stuff is partly why they are confounding some opponents. It looks like there are some NBA sets… They spread the floor out which pulls the defense. If they don’t come out, you hit a few threes and then see what happens. Anyway, when the floor is spread, it leads to skip passes that pull the defense and lots of cutting opportunities.

    Really, you can only do this if you have the right kind of players – quickness (everyone) and no fewer than 3 (4 is better) reliable three-point threats (Dick, Wilson, Harris, McCullar). You don’t have to have size inside, but you have to have athleticism and skill (KJ)

    The Big 12 teams have had enough time and film to find some ways to counter. For those games, there’s more reliance on our (superior) shooting and athleticism.

    You are correct. The spacing, ball movement, shooting and posting up guards is all NBA/modern basketball oriented.

    @drgnslayr Bill has been terrific. The way he has helped KJ be a legit threat to score makes this team similar to the 2018 Nova team. He already has range out to the free throw line for sure. Damn, what if he has a three point shot??? I’m sure that is something he has been working on. I mean seriously, if all of a sudden we have five legit three point threats on the floor, who is going to beat this team?



  • @Kcmatt7 said in Maybe #1:

    As soon as Bill fully adopted 4-out basketball we’ve been to a FF, had the consensus best team in 2020, won the title in 2022, and are absolutely one of the best 4 teams in the country at this moment.

    He may have been later to adopt it than we would have liked, but damn do I love that he saw the light. Shoot a ton of 3s and use your athleticism on D and in transition. It’s been so fun to watch, but even better it has been effective. When you are KU and you can have 6 guys on your team that are 6’5 and above and shoot the 3 better than 33% you should use that to your advantage. Because the reality is most teams don’t have that luxury…

    Really hope he wins 1 or 2 more before he goes.

    This really is so much of it. I really do believe he will for sure get 1 more if he coaches another 5+. It could be next year, depending on how some things break. Another year of improvement from Dajuan and KJ, more development from young post guys (Zuby really could be a plus version of KJ in some respects and is certainly a better rebounder). Kevin and Jalen are good players but like all college players this far in they have some weaknesses. Who replaces them is key. In a fantasy world where Gradey returns we would be the title favorite barring something nuts.

    I also can’t overstate how important Gradey is for this team. His gravity is absurd and that benefits everyone.

    None of this is to discount this year of course, just thinking about the possibilities for Self’s next title. I suspect we will have a tough road in the bracket this year.



  • @Kcmatt7 said in Maybe #1:

    As soon as Bill fully adopted 4-out basketball we’ve been to a FF, had the consensus best team in 2020, won the title in 2022, and are absolutely one of the best 4 teams in the country at this moment.

    He may have been later to adopt it than we would have liked, but damn do I love that he saw the light. Shoot a ton of 3s and use your athleticism on D and in transition. It’s been so fun to watch, but even better it has been effective. When you are KU and you can have 6 guys on your team that are 6’5 and above and shoot the 3 better than 33% you should use that to your advantage. Because the reality is most teams don’t have that luxury…

    Really hope he wins 1 or 2 more before he goes.

    I would also count the 2016 and 2017 elite eights too, as both of those teams really embraced the three ball and playing outside in quite a bit.



  • @Kcmatt7 said in Maybe #1:

    As soon as Bill fully adopted 4-out basketball we’ve been to a FF, had the consensus best team in 2020, won the title in 2022, and are absolutely one of the best 4 teams in the country at this moment.

    He may have been later to adopt it than we would have liked, but damn do I love that he saw the light. Shoot a ton of 3s and use your athleticism on D and in transition. It’s been so fun to watch, but even better it has been effective. When you are KU and you can have 6 guys on your team that are 6’5 and above and shoot the 3 better than 33% you should use that to your advantage. Because the reality is most teams don’t have that luxury…

    Really hope he wins 1 or 2 more before he goes.

    Hall of fame post.



  • This team is not a contender without a PG playmaker like Juan.

    This team is not a contender without a volume scorer like JWil.

    This team is not a contender without a defensive savant like Kevin.

    This team is not a contender without a hot shot like Gradey.

    This team is not a contender without a post threat like KJ.

    This team is not a contender without a quality PG off the bench like Bobby.

    This team is not a contender without a versatile bench guard like Joe.

    This team is not a contender without a late-blooming threat off the bench like MJ.

    This team is not a threat without several backup options at the 5.

    I am really starting to believe this! On any given night any of these guys may be the hero of a game! Every player brings a unique tool set to the party and the other players feed off those tools, too! I can’t think of a team I had more fun watching!



  • @Jethro said in Maybe #1:

    @Kcmatt7 said in Maybe #1:

    As soon as Bill fully adopted 4-out basketball we’ve been to a FF, had the consensus best team in 2020, won the title in 2022, and are absolutely one of the best 4 teams in the country at this moment. He may have been later to adopt it than we would have liked, but damn do I love that he saw the light. Shoot a ton of 3s and use your athleticism on D and in transition. It’s been so fun to watch, but even better it has been effective. When you are KU and you can have 6 guys on your team that are 6’5 and above and shoot the 3 better than 33% you should use that to your advantage. Because the reality is most teams don’t have that luxury… Really hope he wins 1 or 2 more before he goes.

    Hall of fame post.

    I second that! It’s been a great ride watching Bill adapt new strategies throughout the years. You have to be a good student to become a good teacher… Bill continues to educate himself throughout his career!



  • https://twitter.com/mctait/status/1612524411164188673

    Recruit dudes and figure it out from there.



  • The reason we’re not number 1? Because a “journalist” that covers Purdew ranked them number 1, and ranked us 7th. He also has a tweet pinned to his Twitter account that says "I tell my readers nothing but the Truth! ". And then he “lies” on the AP poll.



  • @Jethro said in Maybe #1:

    The reason we’re not number 1? Because a “journalist” that covers Purdew ranked them number 1, and ranked us 7th. He also has a tweet pinned to his Twitter account that says "I tell my readers nothing but the Truth! ". And then he “lies” on the AP poll.

    I don’t care about being # 1 during the regular season , some fans die for that - - I’m just looking to be # 1 the last man standing at the end of the year when it REALLY COUNTS



  • So Georgia is going back to back in football. Kansas will go back to back in basketball. And people will speak of dynasties.



  • @jayballer67 said in Maybe #1:

    @Jethro said in Maybe #1:

    The reason we’re not number 1? Because a “journalist” that covers Purdew ranked them number 1, and ranked us 7th. He also has a tweet pinned to his Twitter account that says "I tell my readers nothing but the Truth! ". And then he “lies” on the AP poll.

    I don’t care about being # 1 during the regular season , some fans die for that - - I’m just looking to be # 1 the last man standing at the end of the year when it REALLY COUNTS

    I agree- I couldn’t care less whether we’re 1st or not. I was pointing out the irony of a guy saying he tells the truth when he doesn’t on the simplest of things.



  • I believe what tickles me most is the fact that Phogg Allen, Moses, or perhaps Self has gotten Dajuan to shoot 3’s. Three to five a game and if they are all makes it is even better. As much as anything else his showing he is an effective 3 point shot will help the team reach their peak.



  • @Kubie

    I hope they leave him open all season long.



  • Self said he is a very good shooter in practice, was only a matter of time before it started translating to games.



  • Almost every announcer this season has make the observation that Harris is the most underrated PG in D1. He does exactly what a good PG needs to do in all aspects of the game, And yes if he can hit somewhere around 40 % of his threes he will really help this team. There will be many time coming up in the crucible of league play and tourneys that we will need him to hit open looks.

    Also, who’s most likely gonna transfer next year? udeh? rice?



  • @Bosthawk

    Zach, Cuffe, Yesufu in that order.

    I’m not going to speculate on freshman right now but the one’s not playing much can’t be ruled out.

    KU will only have 12 scholarships next year as well.



  • @Kubie said in Maybe #1:

    I believe what tickles me most is the fact that Phogg Allen, Moses, or perhaps Self has gotten Dajuan to shoot 3’s. Three to five a game and if they are all makes it is even better. As much as anything else his showing he is an effective 3 point shot will help the team reach their peak.

    I said it his freshman season that he needed to take more 3’s because he can make the open ones at a high rate and was ridiculed by quite a few people here for it. He still has a really low release that’s almost like a middle schooler, but his shot is much quicker now and that’s helped him out a lot.



  • @BeddieKU23 said in Maybe #1:

    @Bosthawk

    Zach, Cuffe, Yesufu in that order.

    I’m not going to speculate on freshman right now but the one’s not playing much can’t be ruled out.

    KU will only have 12 scholarships next year as well.

    The only real question I have: when are we going to hear the real story behind MJ’s season?



  • My guess, sickness, injuries, stones, player development lost and low bb IQ due to prior coaching. Very talented though! So is Udeh



  • I want to add, I really hope we keep these 2!



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 said in Maybe #1:

    I said it his freshman season that he needed to take more 3’s because he can make the open ones at a high rate and was ridiculed by quite a few people here for it. He still has a really low release that’s almost like a middle schooler, but his shot is much quicker now and that’s helped him out a lot.

    Hard to understand why he wasn’t coached into improving his shot form at an early age. Don’t think I would change him now!



  • We just proved we are #1 a few months ago… I prefer being 2-4 ranked… still a #1 seed but a little less attention and targeted by other teams. A little.



  • @drgnslayr said in Maybe #1:

    We just proved we are #1 a few months ago… I prefer being 2-4 ranked… still a #1 seed but a little less attention and targeted by other teams. A little.

    Doesn’t matter my friends if we are ranked # 1 or 21 - KU will always have a huge target on it for every other team - - Because we are KU , true blue blood , the School who is the Nations all time winningest program , doesn’t matter what day of the week it is - - what time of a day it is - KU will always have that bulls eye . - As you know we can go to another teams place and they average a half filled arena or less and when KU comes to town that place is gonna be packed and jumpin - -that other team is gonna be so jacked - - their fans are gonna be so stoked -and they are gonna play a lot of times way over their heads. - - Why ? - because for some of these teams -KU IS their NCAA tourney game-- KU is their Game of the year- - It’s KU - - it’s Bill Self - - -so ya , we are gonna be targeted every time we step on the floor weather we ar # 1 - or what ever -just how it is when your KU



  • Got a question- -innocent enough just curios and looking for honest opinions. - - - The question is , do you think – K/State got over ranked in the polls or not ? From unranked to ranked 11th. - -For me yes I do think they got ranked to high. -Do they deserve to be ranked ? - -Hell yes they do but not 11th. – I was thinking more on the line of anywhere from 15 - - to 17th. - -So what do you think - -where do you feel they should be ranked ?



  • @drgnslayr said in Maybe #1:

    We just proved we are #1 a few months ago… I prefer being 2-4 ranked… still a #1 seed but a little less attention and targeted by other teams. A little.

    Being 2-4 isn’t about the target. It’s about the CHIP! You know this…



  • @benshawks08

    Exactly!

    In that horrible national championship game last night the Georgia coach explained how it was necessary to build a chip with this team since they were coming off the nattie from last year.

    He said his guys were criticized with many non-believers saying they couldn’t repeat.

    Maybe we need this!



  • @jayballer67 said in Maybe #1:

    Got a question- -innocent enough just curios and looking for honest opinions. - - - The question is , do you think – K/State got over ranked in the polls or not ? From unranked to ranked 11th. - -For me yes I do think they got ranked to high. -Do they deserve to be ranked ? - -Hell yes they do but not 11th. – I was thinking more on the line of anywhere from 15 - - to 17th. - -So what do you think - -where do you feel they should be ranked ?

    K-State is good. They have beaten three straight ranked teams. They have loads of talent - probably a first and second team All conference player. They are well coached. This is the K-State team I was talking about earlier last year when people were laughing. They have guys that have done it at other places, and Keyontae Johnson is a real star. They should be a top 4 seed come March, and could make a deep run.





  • @justanotherfan said in Maybe #1:

    @jayballer67 said in Maybe #1:

    Got a question- -innocent enough just curios and looking for honest opinions. - - - The question is , do you think – K/State got over ranked in the polls or not ? From unranked to ranked 11th. - -For me yes I do think they got ranked to high. -Do they deserve to be ranked ? - -Hell yes they do but not 11th. – I was thinking more on the line of anywhere from 15 - - to 17th. - -So what do you think - -where do you feel they should be ranked ?

    K-State is good. They have beaten three straight ranked teams. They have loads of talent - probably a first and second team All conference player. They are well coached. This is the K-State team I was talking about earlier last year when people were laughing. They have guys that have done it at other places, and Keyontae Johnson is a real star. They should be a top 4 seed come March, and could make a deep run.

    Agree now. Was hard to tell during non-conference. Played a really weak schedule. Good 2 point win against LSU (no other Ws of note) and got beat soundly by Butler (which hasn’t won a game against any other good team). But getting consecutive roads wins against UT and Baylor is a statement, especially with those point totals against two pretty stout defenses. Both Johnson and Nowell are good.



  • Houston’s schedule looks pretty light. They should win out. KU will get more quality wins, but likely picks up a few Ls along the way. Will be hard to achieve the regular season #1 ranking. Oh well better just focus on that little 6 wins takes it tournament in March. 😉


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