February 21, 2015 -- The Day The Season Died
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Last year UCON a 7 seed and UK an 8 seed with a combined 18 losses in the regular season battled their way into April. Anything can happen in March and KU will be dancing so I’m personally good with that!
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@wrwlumpy Normally I might agree. But, I didn’t see anything great out of Jamari or Lucas that warranted not giving Cliff another chance in the 2nd half. If one or the other were making things happen…Ok, go with the hot player. But, I didn’t see that. Quite a few of you other posters are more adept at seeing the small things that keep guys out of the lineup than I am. But, I ask you or anyone else…would we really have lost that much by putting him back in during the 2nd half? Lucas was inept, I thought. Jamari was OK…attacked the basket a few times…but nothing special.
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@KUSTEVE I agree with you. I think that Cliff, will, at some point, show us what he is capable of. He has show enough flashes, that I just can’t believe that he won’t be a valuable part of whatever March run we make.
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@KansasComet So, you posted a really nice post regarding Alex. You’re basically saying he is selfish, undisciplined, and not quite ready for Self’s system. Bingo, in a round about way you have posted what all elite, top picks have to endure. They have a choice: either I enter a program and buy into the system or continue to play MY game. We’ve seen some players in KU history especially with Bill Self that have chosen to “play their game.” Where are they now? Also, Self is being blamed for the failure of said players too. However, when you look at the players that have adjusted into Self’s system, how many are well adjusted to the NBA? Most all of them that are in the NBA.
Mari, Lucas, Selden (more so lately), Oubre (a bit late), Ellis (totally all about Self ball), and most of the other players have bought into Self ball. Now, critics still blame Self and are actually criticizing Self for Ellis’ inability to play up to his potential. Ellis is pretty much growing in front of the nation’s eyes. Sure, he has a few areas to improve, but he’s a solid player. He will adjust nicely in the NBA better than most.
My point is simply, no matter what people say, players that play Self’s system will succeed and adjust more than people will give credit. The players that fail to play into Self’s system, will not only struggle, but have difficulty adjusting into higher levels of play: Dleague, NBA, European league, etc. It’s the player’s choice, not Self. Self can only offer them the options. We all know his system is not the easiest either. But, if followed and learned well, they will be much better able to adjust in the league.
How many remember Kobe Bryant’s comments about how AAU ball was ruining these young players? He blasted at how these young players are failing to learn the basics and therefore enter the NBA totally incompetent to play at the highest level. Bryant and James are exceptions. They were fortunate enough not to learn at the college level. They are rare and many of these young players want to follow their path. Wiggins is the only player that might have followed them, but even he will tell you Self’s system was vital to his development. Where are the critics with Wiggins? Why don’t they attack Self’s development of Wiggins’ game? I don’t hear them attacking Self for failing Wiggins. Nor do I hear critics attacking Wiggins. I find this interesting and sad all at the same time.
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@truehawk93 really good! I remember Wigs saying last year that he was shocked how little he knew, and how much he needed to learn! Thx!
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@truehawk93 Thanks. I cannot speak as to whether he is selfish or not. I do think he is young and will develop footwork and discipline in time. Once he does, watch out!
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Great comments and discussion.
@MoonwalkMafia hit on this yesterday or Friday, I believe, and it underscores my thoughts as well. It’s not that Self is absolutely wrong in not playing Cliff. It’s more that Cliff, for whatever reason, is not where we need him to be. Would I simply play Cliff and take my medicine?
That is not as simple as it seems.
The better question is, “If I were dogmatically committed to throwing the ball into the post and refusing to scheme to capitalize on my team’s strengths, would I simply play Cliff and take my medicine?”
That answer is yes.
The reason why is simple. We cannot win a national title with Jamari Traylor as our #2 minutes post player.
As I’ve read comments, no one disputes that.
It is just that simple.
Of course, an 11th Big 12 title is nice. It seems about like 9 or 10 to me, and kind of like 12. It’s how spoiled I am. @ParisHawk mentioned John Wooden and the conference streak – Wooden’s greatness had little to do with winning those conference titles. Otherwise, Mark Few would be mentioned in the same breath or whoever coached Gonzaga. It was Wooden’s national titles. That and only that. @ParisHawk also said, “Maybe Self cares more about #11 than investing in Cliff for March.” The idea of this makes me want to throw up. But maybe that’s a correct statement. Self’s doing what he thinks is best, to win the game at hand. He has always done that. That translates to conference titles and good NCAA seeding.
Regardless, Kansas needs to win national titles. That is greatness. Given our coach’s offensive mindset right now, and with Traylor (or Lucas for that matter) being the #2 minutes guy in the post, the hopes for a national title are dead. It is just that simple.
Now, could his offensive mindset change … ?
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Watching 12 years of Bill Self teams, right? We (should) know how long his system takes to assimilate, especially for bigs, right? So we are pinning our post-season (F4) chances on an undersized frosh?? What? Are we desperate, or something?
Most of you ku fans/alums that post here should be a bit more knowledgeable about OUR system+players+coach, than most of the ‘outside’ observers/talking heads, save for a few such as Jay Bilas. When we see lack of effort by Cliff, & the quick hook, its clear Cliff aint lotto, & loves-his-bigs-Bill-Self aint done coaching him up.
So, to HEMs specific point with an accurizing twist: dont expect Cliff to be that exemplary bastion of nightly consistency and domination that leads us to a F4. Nope.
But whats more accurate a reason for us NOT making an F4 this year is the jekyll/hyde 1st halves vs 2nd halves…thats most of the team, folks. 15th youngest team in Div1, and it shows. And, yes, we are smaller than in years past, so there ARE matchup issues…but we “knowledgeable” KU fans knew that, right? At least against a packed-in zone like Stanfords, we have the snipers to defeat, and the dribble-drive to break it.
A meaningless point here: but did anyone see KY get off to a 32-6 start vs Pearl’s Auburn? Auburn ended with 61 pts…much better than KU’s 42. But is Auburn better than KU? (No, but any team can show poor effort, ala Cliff vs TCU, or make poor decisions after penetration, ala Mason vs KY or Oubre vs TCU).
Stay analytical, my friends–> we never, EVER would have pinned our hopes on frosh Shady, TRob, Twins (we tried, they are the reason MichSt literally beat our ass out of that yr’s tourney), Cole, DJax, Withey, etc. Conceptually, in this system, that just isnt happening, no evidence in over a decade with several talented kids, that they ‘get it’ quick enough. Possible exceptions are frosh Cole, but too small sample size his frosh yr other than few min vs psychoT, and possibly Embiid, although Texas roughed him up, neutralizing him, providing a template for future March foes to scout, if he’d stayed healthy. But we’ll not see an Embiid for years. Maybe Okafor is actually better, but both those types of 7ftrs are rare as hell, and we sure have nothing close currently.
Kudos to HEM for making us think outside our comfort zones. Im not sure I can be so abruptly decisive as he is prognosticating. After all, we’ve played a very tough sched/RPI, and its all about our OWN intensity (our A-game) x 40min…(which is Self’s whole damn point to Cliff)…along with some favorable matchups in the Madness. Anything can happen. The book on this season isnt finished.
Oh, and knowing this system, like HEM has said in the past: I’d rather keep these 4 MickeyDs for another year, instead of replacing their experience & knowledge with yet-another-round of newbie frosh.
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Other thoughts:
–> Cliff quite obviously still in Selfs doghouse, toughening box.
–> Imagine, for 1 tantalizing moment, that Cliff starts to play with reckless abandon & hustle, throwing his body around like Jamari Traylor (his fellow Chicagoan, who, according to some posters would be a -5star out of high school, I’d say sarcastically…). Why cant Cliff play like that? Because he’s NEVER had to, & must be shown & taught. Ellis + Jamari doing the showing&teaching vs TCU.
–> Davonte Graham. Kid is better than frosh Chalmers. There, I said it. Mario failed as a frosh PG, Self having to permanently move him to 2G. Graham, on the other hand, has proven to be vital as another PG. Self got a gem with him!
–> 2 great PGs, wings by committee, and bigs by committee. Got depth. Got 40minutes of intensity???
–> I personally find it distasteful to knock Jamari. Kid gives 110%. And if he’s gassed occasionally, I get that, but his m.o. IS hustle, and he’s made spectacular coast2coast plays for us. I’d like to use him as a positive example & positive piece of the puzzle. Ask Mike Krzyzewski about Traylor and Madison Sq.Garden…
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Two things I would like to see the team take more pride in: Positions and Passing.
It’s been clear the past two games that these have not been areas of focus.
Sharper positioning should lead to better rebounding [see WVU game] and sometimes that’s as much about sealing off others so a teammate can get the rebound as it is about allowing a specific player to rebound. On offense, positioning can create lanes and pull the defense… which leads to #2…
Passing should be treated as a weapon. Great passing kills an opponent; poor passing gives life to the opponent. The 10 turnovers in the first half [TCU game] is just sloppy… some of those passes were almost disrespectful to the opponent. Perhaps part of the problem is that I can remember some former teams that really excelled in this area. It requires great awareness and sometimes this team just doesn’t seem to have that sharp awareness.
That’s my Sunday armchair analysis
FWIW
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@bskeet sloppy!! I did think Perry did a fine job of sealing and Dg got some nice passes to him. Crisp would be nice, passing and cutting.
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@HighEliteMajor This is something we will not know the full story on, maybe ever. What are the possibilities after the season? Cliff declares for the draft. He stays one more year. He transfers. Im no scout but maybe Cliff isnt ready and maybe he is. I agree though, the numbers say Cliff is a much better player than Traylor. What the hell is Coach doing!? You just dont leave your toughest horse in the barn when your trying to pull the plows. Lame analogy but yall know what I mean. One thing I do know, I never for one minute thought they were final four material this season. I do not have that expectation for this team at all. Maybe sweet 16. Maybe.
Another thing, KU needs to win Monday night regardless of who they play or dont play. They need that game. Kstate is clearly having a down year but in this league that’s not a guarantee of a loss against your instate rival.
Again, I am not holding out hope for a long run in the big dance. But, I am holding out hope for an 11th conference title.
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A helluva good piece of writing even if I disagree on the substance. Great metaphor. Solid logic. I read the premises differently. You have probability on your side. I have a wild hair on mine. You will probably prevail, but like Nimitz, I see what I see and so, like you, I have to go another course. But I would recommend your take to anyone that looks at mine and says, “Nope, not buying.”
Rock Chalk!
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@jaybate-1.0 USS Nimitz. Thats one bad@$$ ship
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@bskeet I agree, especially on the passing. So many times it seems lackadaisical and scares me to think what a more alert opposing defense could do.
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Don’t forget that Nimitz won all the big sea battles and the the overall sea campaign and was instrumental in winning WW II and was the US representative when Japan officially surrendered. Arguably, the brightest naval warfare mind of all time. Not a bad vision to have.
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@JayHawkFanToo Agreed. Most will also agree though that the Battle of Midway, but for some bad calls by Yamamoto’s staff, could have easily gone the other way.
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@joeloveshawks SEC is trash and the Gonzaga Mountain or whatever league is NO B12. It’s a bit of a stretch to even compare the other leagues to the B12. I re-read my post and the point I’m making is KU can’t get these fairly good 12-14 pt leads. The TCUs can’t be allowed to go on 7,8,9-0 runs and KU will not be able to recover.
I know these games create a false sense of winning or even coming from behind, and this is good, but KU has got to learn how to get a lead and maintain that lead. They did for the most part. I’d just feel personally better if they were able to keep those double digit leads and not lose them in stretches.
If you remember or review the TCU game, they blew their lead on a 7-0 TCU run and it was right after the big plays by Mason and Ellis too. I sat there and watched them gain a 14 pt lead and then allowed TCU to come back within 5 pts? So, I guess it was good they were able to get/maintain the lead and/or allow an unpredictable team like TCU to come back to within 5 pts and still win?
My bottom line with this individualized and opinionated post is that if they can continue to win in this fashion, great, more power to them, and hopefully this kind of play will take them straight to the NCAA championship game in April? I hope that’s the point of your comment. If so, you have either more ‘faith’ in this teams inability or I have more hope in their abilities.
Just for the record, I’m not expecting this team to blow teams off the court by 20+ pts either. But to win like this at home is a little unsettling.
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We are a young team, very young. We will make rookie mistakes— fouling a three point shot, not once but twice. We have to live with that, not like it. For lack of a better example KSU football is in every game because they don’t beat themselves. It takes many of those players three or four years to get playing time and still they have to do it Snyder’s way or they get jerked. KU basketball doesn’t have that luxury because of players leaving early. Self plays the toughest schedule, demands his style and gets great results year after year. There are great coaches out there, but none I would trade for Self.
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Like Calipari in 2008?
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@HighEliteMajor said:
Regardless, Kansas needs to win national titles. That is greatness. Given our coach’s offensive mindset right now, and with Traylor (or Lucas for that matter) being the #2 minutes guy in the post, the hopes for a national title are dead. It is just that simple.
Now, could his offensive mindset change … ?
HEM- So what is exactly your point? Other than our season is ‘dead’ with Lucas and Traylor. Are you saying that Lucas and Traylor are utterly incapable of delivering some winning game performances?and/or are you saying Self needs to change his offensive mindset?
I disagree. I think if Lucas is given some of Cliff’s mins, he can/will produce. I think Mari has proven that he’s our more experienced man that can play some energy mins. You and I both know that Self is/will not change his offensive game plan. He will live and die by the inside/out game. We have firepower but it’s just not consistent enough this late in the season. The team showed some really nice ability to move the ball to the open or cutting man to the basketball in the last 5-8 mins of the game when they ground out the TCU win. A win is a win and at this point, I’ll take it. They can win, period. However, you’re not satisfied with winning, you’re more concerned about who? If Alex doesn’t produce and shows his typical undisciplined self, and gets into foul proned trouble, then Mari will have to be our go to big. Lucas give us some great experience against some good teams. Let’s just win and let Self decide who might lead us to that win.
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@truehawk93 I think you have identified my point exactly – if we are to win Self’s way offensively, then we need Cliff clicking commensurate with his #3 ranking. If not, then we can’t win playing Self’s way offensively.
Think hard about your post. You say that “Lucas can/will produce.” There is no evidence of that. Lucas is a nice kid. Tries hard. But the evidence shows that his production is sporadic.
You said, “I think Mari has proven that he’s our more experienced man that can play some energy mins.” Energy and what? Have you read @Jesse-Newell’s article last week? I get you think he’ll have to “be our go to big.” That, my friend, is scary. But it is also true. Thus, my point.
Each player could have a game where they do play really well … Traylor won us the EKU game last season. But winning 6 games in March?
You also said, “A win is a win and at this point, I’ll take it. They can win, period. However, you’re not satisfied with winning, you’re more concerned about who?”
My concern is whether we can win a national title. Really, more my concern has been “how” – since really before the season started. Being satisfied with wins has little to do with whether we can win a national title. The Lucas/Traylor combo are certainly a fine 4th and 5th big combo, and even perhaps 3rd and 4th. But if either of them is the 2nd choice, using Self’s offensive approach, it ain’t happenin’.
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If the heading for this thread had read, “The Day the Run for the National Title Died” most posters would not be lurching along like bouncing gliders, swooping in and out of luft. From the outset, the direction of this thread was pointed toward the winning of NCAA titles, not weekly contests or league crowns. Ergo, so many muddled conjectures regarding coaching and player development.
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Truthfully, ive never thought this team was capable of winning the NC. Ever. From day. Before day 1. Although like everyone else im sure, i certainly have that hope. And im certainly in agreement with those that think we need to win it every year. Absoutely we do. Thats what this program must be. That has to be the goal. Every year. No arguments. No questions asked. The end. But im even more greedy. I wanna win everything else too along the way. But i am most certainly willing to trade regular season success for ncaa tourney success. No question about it. And as far as this team goes. I agree with @HighEliteMajor on this. The only shot at winning the NC. If Self is gonna rely on inside/out first and foremost. Cliff has to be the number 2 big. Or number 1 big maybe. Since Ellis is really not a big. But. It maybe and probably is already too late to develop Cliff enough for him to be become the player he’d have to become for that to happen. It may sound debbie downer. But hey. Reality bites. Doesnt mean im not still hoping and pulling for this group. Regardless of how Coach wants to play it
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@cragarhawk Have to disagree with you. Regular season wins are fine. Winning the league is fine, even though it means very little, yes #1 seed in league tourney, but #2 might be a better bracket. I want final fours and NC’s. Give me that and sub par regular season is acceptable especially if it necessary to obtain the big ring.
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@Gunman um… Seems like you agree to me
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Here is a question for you…if you have sub-par regular seasons and don’t even win the conference, what are the chances of getting to the Final Four or winning the “big ring”?
Yes, I agree that the NCAA is structured so any team with a lucky run can win, but wouldn’t you agree that a good regular season showing and a Conference Title gives you a much better shot at a Final Four and the Title than a sub-par season? It surely seems that way to me.
IMHO, “sub-par” season and “Final Four” is and oxymoron, wouldn’t you agree?
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We’ve also aluded to the B12 too. Let’s not forget the B12 is far far more difficult than all the other leagues. It’s really difficult to see just how B12/KU compares to the #1 and other #2 seeds. I think KU suffers from being a victim of their own league. Think if KU was in the other seeds’ leagues? KU would dominate all, but maybe UK. UK is the SEC, along with maybe LSU and possibly Arkansas. But in the end those teams aren’t playing in leagues where they are beat up every single game.
Here’s where the B12 factor will come into play this year. I believe the B12 will either wreak havoc after being in a really tough league or they will stink up the entire tourney. Hell, even our bottom two teams would be sitting possibly 2-3 in most leagues at this point.
Our coaching remains the x-factor too. I will or would really like to see Tubby, Barnes, Drew, The Mayor, Lil’ Jimmy Dickens in Stillwater, and Kruger Co match wits with the rest of the nation. Many will point to earlier match-ups, but we all know that every single B12 is so much better and competitive at this point in the season. I know they are better since beginning of the season as well. However, you can’t tell me UK is better now than they were at the beginning? UK was a team in the preseason, playing like they were playing as most are now playing toward the back stretch of the season. No malice against this team, but their wins are really subpar against some soft teams. Even their game against us was a bit soft. We were so green at #5. I can’t even believe we were #5 so early. We then plummeted to #10 after losing that game against UK.
I think UK is bound to lose at possibly the round of 32, and definitely the 16 and maybe the Elite 8. If they get past Elite 8, I’m afraid they’ll be crowned once again.
Many of you counted KU out early. Why? Some of you have said that you never expected a NC. Yet, they are one of favored teams to play in the NC game. Now whether they win the NC is a different story. UConn went in with a lineup similar to KU and won. They had a tenacious pg that willed them to the NC.
I’m convinced KU can and will go all the way until they lose. I will never bet against them so early. One thing at a time. Let’s focus on the B12 title and each game left, then look to B12 tourney. There’s plenty of time for the NCAA tourney.
BTW- KU really doesn’t have a choice but to win out right either. We can’t expect ISU to lose a game going forward. I hope this team and Self are not expecting ISU to lose. I’m expecting them to win the rest of their games, as we too need to win out against our remaining games. ISU isn’t expecting us to lose, but they will definitely be waiting for us to lose, so they can step in by default and share or worse win out right. Gawd, please NO sharing. RCJHKU
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Being “fine” at anything is not ok w/me! How boring to watch and cheer on KU teams if it’s ok win or lose. I don’t like to lose at all. And if you flop in tourney, you have zero to be happy about! I want it all and it would be rather pointless to have ksu chat tomorrow ! Winning is fun!! Most of us are having fun cheering on our team, all the way thru-hopefully all the way!
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Big 12 According to Pomeroy;
- 6 teams in the top 25 - 60%
- 7 teams in the top 30 - 70% (KU 11-3)
- 9 teams in the top 93 - 90%
Big 12 According to Sagarin:
- 6 teams in the top 25 - 60%
- 7 teams in the top 28 - 70% (KU 11-3)
- 9 teams in the top 81 - 90%
Other conferences as per Pomeroy (top team record)
- ACC - 5 teams in the top 30 - 33% (Virginia 13-1)
- Big - 10 4 teams in the top 30 -29% (Wisconsin 13-1)
- SEC - 2 teams in the top 30 - 14% (UK 14-0)
- PAC 12 - 2 teams in the top 30 - 17% (Arizona 12-2)
70% of the conference teams are ranked in the top 30…this means that fully 1/4 of the top 30 teams are Big 12 teams; this is frigging amazing. There is no question that from top to bottom the Big 12 is the strongest conference. The other conferences seem to have 1 or 2 dominant teams and then the quality drops.
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@JayHawkFanToo Nimitz was a great admiral, but also he had the sledgehammer of US industrial might on his side. Japan’s 1941 A-rated navy died by attrition. When the 700+ crack naval aviators Japan used at Pearl Harbor gradually dwindled away as casualties, there were scant few replacements due to the very “elite-few” status and prolonged training syllabus. The 4 key naval battles of 1942 were ALL very close tactically/strategically, with the Japanese borderline winning 2 of them tactically, yet losing the same 2 strategically. Coral Sea, Midway, Santa Cruz, Eastern Solomons…fascinating reading about almost on-par carrier battles. By 1944, however, the “sledgehammer” of the USN was 15 large fleet carriers = total domination. The USN essentially continued their 15 carrier idea all the way thru the 80’s. Also, technological advances with stronger US aircraft, as well as the theoretical doctrine behind making robust (vs. the Japanese “light as possible” ) aircraft helped spell the end of Japanese naval airpower, and by consequence, their navy. The role of US submarines in the Pacific deserves mention as well. US subs achieved a chokehold of Japan and accounted for over 90% of Japan’s merchant marine being destroyed. Something the German U-boats failed to accomplish in 2 world wars. Fascinating war history… (Apologies for diverging from sports. I’ll blame @jaybate…)
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@Gunman “I want final fours and NC’s. Give me that an sub par regular season is acceptable.”
Gunman, I know what you are saying, but a subpar regular season implies some fundamental faults within such a ‘subpar’ team…making it very, very unlikely they survive 4 games to get to an F4. Its almost mutually exclusive.
Problem is, you can also have an overall #1 seed like the MorrisHawks, who just had multiple fails in the same game (offense, defense, turnovers), which allowed VCU to upset them. There are no guarantees.
What I tell myself every season is: try to understand my team, learn its strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncracies by the time March rolls around…and hope for the best. Bunch of 18-22yr olds is what it is…
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Nicely done. Sometime you need the hammer but you also need to know how use it properly, which Nimitz did rather well. Nimitz was also one of the pioneers of submarine warfare and he directed the up fitting of diesels engines and eventually with Admiral Hyman Rickover they were the two key individuals in the development of the current nuclear fleet.
Enough history, back to sports.
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@JayHawkFanToo Agree on all accounts.
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The season doesn’t have to die if HCBS would start running some offense for the Fools Gold three point shot.
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@HighEliteMajor I knew @jaybate-1.0 would love this post, lol–you used metaphors and referenced 60’s-70’s music.
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Oh, yes, the USS Nimitz is formidable. And if I recall you know something about this sort of thing from experience.
@JayHawkFan
Too, thanks for the assist in recalling those additional aspects of Nimitz. You are so right. He is too often reduced to Midway. The broader picture of his accomplishment is vastly more important to our legacy, even if Midway were perhaps the most dramatically pivotal in isolation. The fact is war is a process, not events in isolation. There might have been another way to win the war had Midway gone the other way. But it is the long process of winning that enables us to endure as a great country, not just anyone single individual, or single action by a single individual. Still, I do like driving down any freeway named for him and thinking of him letting it all ride on those carriers once upon a time…and betting right. Rock Chalk!
Cue Anchors Away! and a Naval metaphor, because I am also fond of my US Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard!!!
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@JayHawkFanToo and @ralster…
NEVER ENOUGH HISTORY!!!
Thank you both for enriching my reading day with these recollections.
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@JayHawkFanToo Thanks for the info. Despite the impressive data on B12, I have a question. Not beating on B12 (love our games, the best in the country), but how impressive were we last year in the tourney? How many survived the first or second week? ISU, KSU, WV all fell flat. Seriously, how many & what years have B12 dominated the tourney? I can’t recall, but was left wondering how good B12 really was last year and the year before. All said, I’m still banking on my MASON! That kid is a winner, no other words to describe the kid who scores 55 points to win a championship game! Hoping he’ll do that again & get us a W for NC! Ellis will get his, but am skeptical he’ll pout when the big boys tower over him. But, I’m optimistic he has learned to play over the footers with confidence! Now I go and pray!
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@JayHawkFanToo izzo’s teams always lose more than they should in my estimation, but no one wants to play them in the tourney. Unlike Self, Izzo believes there is such a thing as a good loss!
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The nature of the Tournament is such that any team can beat any other team; lets not forget that even traditionally good teams such a Duke get “Mercerized” often enough; KU is not alone in that regard.
The Big 12 has several teams including KU, OU, ISU, WVU, Baylor and even Texas and OSU that with good match-ups can make a deep run. The key is to have the right match-ups.
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@JayHawkFanToo and no injuries, see KU and ISU.
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I’ve sort of given up on seeing more development out of Cliff this year. It ain’t gonna happen.
But how about what he currently has to offer? His stat line clearly shows him as the choice in the post.
What scares me now is rust. Guys that are so inexperienced and undeveloped (like Cliff) can rust up in a single half of sitting on the bench. He totally needs game minutes just to establish any kind of flow. And in March?
I see a guy like Cliff making Self mad in the first half of a game in March so he only plays 4 minutes. Then the second half comes along and Self turns to Cliff and he goes in and plays horrible. He’s a guy that can rust quicker than paint can dry.
This is my biggest fear around Cliff from here on out. It’s too late to see much development in him now. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a vital part of this team moving forward.
Here’s where I take one from the master:
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I think Jamari plays a key role moving forward… just not in the way Self uses him.
Jamari should be “energy off the bench.”
Our other post player for most of the time moving forward should either be Cliff or be another guard. 4 out 1 in. But make that guard someone who can slash through the paint and score in the post. Or feed Perry in the paint to score. Or feed the ball back out for an uncontested 3.
I think Cliff’s biggest down side right now is his passing. It’s hard to make him a piece if he can’t pass effectively. Obviously, his defense is totally hit or miss, too.
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…and Embiid. You are absolutely correct.
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HEM, I think you were just 2 days off on the “title thread”. February 23rd was the day the season died.
