Bracket chat



  • If Hunter is šŸ’Æ and McCullar at 90 I feel very confident with our chances to advance to second weekend



  • KU women receive an 8 seed and will play Michigan in the 1st round. If they win that one, they will likely play JuJu Watkins and USC in the second round.



  • 9:55 pm time on TBS. Kind of brutal



  • @rcjhdraft said in Bracket chat:

    9:55 pm time on TBS. Kind of brutal

    Too old for this, Iā€™ll sleep and check the score in the morning.



  • I actually think we got a decent draw, 3 point % does scare me a little. Not remotely worried about Purdue, if they donā€™t get the whistle no chance of getting out of the first weekend.



  • @rcjhdraft said in Bracket chat:

    9:55 pm time on TBS. Kind of brutal

    8:55 central so that helps but still sheesh



  • @FarmerJayhawk worse for Samford



  • Proud of the Ladies - - 7Woems Big 12 teams- - 8 Menā€™s Big 1tteams-- been a good day - -Leetā€™s go Ladies



  • Means I can watch the game after work at least. And Iā€™m in Colorado so 7:55



  • @BShark said in Bracket chat:

    @rcjhdraft said in Bracket chat:

    9:55 pm time on TBS. Kind of brutal

    Too old for this, Iā€™ll sleep and check the score in the morning.

    You arenā€™t that old. I know you arenā€™t.



  • Last game of the night on Thursday? I like it! Weā€™ll have the whole day to worry about it while watching (hopefully) a bunch of upsets during the day.



  • Am I old enough to remember when we had to buy a newspaper on Monday to see the matchups and we only found out the game times maybe on Tuesday?



  • @DanR said in Bracket chat:

    Last game of the night on Thursday? I like it! Weā€™ll have the whole day to worry about it while watching (hopefully) a bunch of upsets during the day.

    Next to last unofficially. Drake and Wazzu tip at 9:05.



  • @DanR I used to run to the store to get the USA today tournament preview paper first thing in the morning. Iā€™d read all through it and make my picks!



  • They will be running behind seems like they typically are a few minutes. Just looking into some scouting on Samford.

    They are #7 in the land in 3 point percentage at 39.3% and tied for #7 in overall FG percentage at 49.3%. Which tells me they take a lot of quality shots. They are ranked 69th in adjusted offense and 116th adjusted defense on KenPom, they are the highest rated 13 on there @ 81st.

    They donā€™t have a lot of size down low, they have one 6ā€™11 guy that averages just over 12 minutes a game. We should dominate them on the glass even though they are tied with us in rebounds at 139th. However they are 201st in rebound differential at +0.1 while we are 110th at +2.1. Ranked 334th in turnover margin, they donā€™t turn people over much at all.

    Achor there starting forward will be a tough match up for us. Heā€™s not a strong rebounder at 6.1 per game but has a nice inside out game he can hit 15 footers and is one of 3 guys shooting above 42% from 3 for them. I almost think you may consider playing 4 guards to help with this. Just quick little 5 minute scout here for some info friends.



  • Several teams chose to opt out of the NIT in favor of focusing on recruiting. Teams include St. Johnā€™s, Indiana, Oklahoma, Memphis, Pitt, and Ole Miss. Feel bad for the kids would couldā€™ve used this extra practice and game time to get better or get some minutes that wouldnā€™t normally play.

    If recruiting is the real reason, then the NCAA needs to looking at recruiting windows and probably adjust the portal windows to not allow any player to enter until after the completion of the NCAA Tournament.



  • Someone could pony up a fat purse for winning the NIT to incentivize, call it the NILNIT henceforth.



  • Last year we ended up talking about the womenā€™s team more/longer than the menā€™s team.

    Could be the same this year.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 is ole Miss, chris beard?



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 Iā€™m hearing the players are saying they donā€™t want to play either



  • Folks, tell me how you see bracket toughness on paper:

    Below is mine:

    1, East, 2 South, 3 Midwest, 4 West



  • @kjayhawks

    Lots of 3 pointers lead to long rebounds which is absolutely a weakness of this team, so I donā€™t think we have an edge there.

    If Hunter is matched on their leading scorer, itā€™s going to be an issue defensively.



  • From CBS Sports page this morning:

    Best first-round game (4) Kansas vs. (13) Samford: Samford gets 44.8% of its minutes from its bench, which ranks third in the country at KenPom. Kansas gets just 23.7% of its minutes from the bench, which ranks No. 318. With KU stars McCullar and Dickinson working their way back from injury, keeping up with the high-flying Bulldogs may be a problem. Throw in the altitude of Salt Lake City, Utah, to the equation, and this one could get weird.

    Top potential matchup (1) Purdue vs. (4) Kansas: If both teams win their first two games, the Boilermakers and Jayhawks will square off in the Sweet 16. The two last met in the 2017 Sweet 16 when the seedings were reversed and the Jayhawks crushed Purdue by 32. Both programs have lived near the top of college basketball in the years since, and a high-stakes showdown between coaches Matt Painter and Bill Self would have legendary potential. Though the schools havenā€™t played in recent years, Purdue center Zach Edey and Dickinson are plenty familiar with each other from Dickinsonā€™s three seasons in the Big Ten at Michigan.







  • https://twitter.com/Sully_2029

    The only school in the Big 12 in 2023-24 to:

    • Win a bowl game
    • Make the ncaa menā€™s tournament
    • Make the ncaa womenā€™s tournament

    ME: Why itā€™s KANSAS OF COURSE!!!



  • @BeddieKU23 - Looks like Achor and Allenspach are the two bigs, spitting time at center, about 30 mpg. There scorers appear to mostly be in the 6ā€™5ā€ range. 21 ppg from these bigs, but mostly Achor. Really deep team though, so lots of fouls to give. KU best be practicing FTā€™s. šŸ‘šŸ»



  • @BeddieKU23 Nobody is.



  • @RockChalkinTexas said in Bracket chat:

    Listen to Paul Pierce here. šŸ˜

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1769440646127886462

    You know Paul was nick named the Truth - & that was what he was saying THE TRUTH - -Paul keepin it 100 all the way, loved this guy



  • @Gorilla72

    Thatā€™s what i saw as well.



  • Man a ton of people are picking us to lose



  • @kjayhawks said in Bracket chat:

    Man a ton of people are picking us to lose

    Self has usually been good in these situations. The pressure is certainly on him with the way things have gone.



  • In January, if youā€™d told me that we were going to play Samford in the first round and itā€™s basically a 50/50 game, I would have thought you were insane.

    But thatā€™s how it feels in March.

    The guys need to be locked in like they were in the first half of the season.

    I know they can win. But it all hinges on whether we get Dec/January Jayhawks or February Jayhawks.



  • @kjayhawks said in Bracket chat:

    @Texas-Hawk-10 Iā€™m hearing the players are saying they donā€™t want to play either

    Thatā€™s fine, let it be like bowl season in football where players can choose to opt out. That still lets younger players and bench guys get some real game time that havenā€™t gotten all season.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 for sure I think you can get better for sure. Downside is if some starters opt out bench guys may get seen and offer more NIL to play elsewhere.



  • @RockChalkinTexas best year in Kansas athletics history. Bowl win, volleyball, womenā€™s basketball and menā€™s basketball all in the ncaa tournament for the first time ever.



  • If we get lucky to get by Sanfordā€¦ā€¦Mcneese st might beat us by 20 #levelup



  • What do we think about this? Certainly casts a doubt on Hunter and his ability to play at a high level with that injury



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 said in Bracket chat:

    focusing on recruiting

    In the past the coaches would have talked very proudly about the student athletes voting to take the opportunity for concentrating on their studies.



  • @kjayhawks said in Bracket chat:

    @RockChalkinTexas best year in Kansas athletics history. Bowl win, volleyball, womenā€™s basketball and menā€™s basketball all in the ncaa tournament for the first time ever.

    Not so fast! The 1992-93 season has to count as the best. Football won the Aloha Bowl in December, Womenā€™s BB went to the NCAA and ended up ranked 24th, Menā€™s BB went to Final Four, and KU Baseball made its only College World Series appearance. Only 31 years ago, how could anyone forget?



  • @BeddieKU23

    I have my hesitations on this video - - we could put the shoe on the other foot just Like McCullar, all these specialists on him saying thee was no reason Kevin couldnā€™t get back on the court and play , that it was more mental and yet Mccullars camp saying different.

    Sure Hunter was hurt , popped right back in , even goodman siad this guy hadnā€™t looked at the x rays on Hunter - -Iā€™ll wait and see, Coach said he had been practicing and good to go - - itā€™s looks more like click bait for Goodman and that mess thatā€™s right there, they always looking for clicks



  • @jayballer67

    I donā€™t doubt that the video may have been made to generate interest (clicks) but none of us know the extent of the injury either.

    I hope he has practiced as Self has said. I donā€™t think we can win without him.

    Teams are not exactly required to be forthcoming about injuries either. Itā€™s backfired for teams like Florida State in football. Thereā€™s a competitive edge + a scouting thing, keep your opp guessing by making them prepare for everyone. Disclosing the extent of injuries could have also harmed KU in seeding & Kevā€™s/Hunterā€™s professional goals for after College. I know itā€™s still early but do you have 100% confidence right now both are going to play?



  • Read a post from individual that said , he had heard Hunter on a spots show this morning out of the DC area.- -Hunter saying his shoulder had actually popped back in shortly after the incident ā€“ that he been doing no contact , but he said he felt like he would be 100% ready to go come game time.

    kind of had to chuckle a little on this as he also stated that he couldnā€™t get over the intensity of our fan base talking about the rabid atmosphere at AFH - -and also the fan reaction on Twitter after we lose lmao.



  • @BeddieKU23 said in Bracket chat:

    @jayballer67

    I donā€™t doubt that the video may have been made to generate interest (clicks) but none of us know the extent of the injury either.

    I hope he has practiced as Self has said. I donā€™t think we can win without him.

    Teams are not exactly required to be forthcoming about injuries either. Itā€™s backfired for teams like Florida State in football. Thereā€™s a competitive edge + a scouting thing, keep your opp guessing by making them prepare for everyone. I know itā€™s still early but do you have 100% confidence right now both are going to play?

    Actually I do believe it or not , and I believe that Hunter will be very close to 100 % ā€“ Now Kevin , again I think he will go, like I read from another poster and have to agree with , he said you canā€™t tell me Kevin will not at least give it a go saying that with Kevin knowing that this is going to be his last tournament - -last chance - -no way will he not go out and try at least.

    I think Kevin will probably be like possibly 75 % -could be wrong and have been many times but that is what my gut says



  • the odds of sustaining another dislocation is extremely high! He is probably cleared to play but I would expect surgery in the offseason, and if he doesnā€™t do surgery and plays next year it will be concerning it could happen again next yearā€¦ McCullers injury theyā€™ve been super vague on. Most likely a small medial meniscus tear that he will have scoped in the offseason. This team was never that elite when healthy but especially not now. With that being said the tourney is a crapshoot and we are talented enough to get lucky and make a final four. Odds are just lower this year than most self years



  • Yeah, I think thatā€™s true, although this team was considered elite or at least nearly elite until they played UCF. Frankly, the warning signs were there with the TCU game, which Udeh won for us.

    In other words, we were looking pretty good until we faced B12 competition.

    Now that weā€™re in the tourney, and weā€™re out of league play, can we get that mojo back?



  • When this team meshes, they are elite. However, this team is an excellent example of college bball in todayā€™s world. Of the players who play the most, all but two are in their first or second season; therefore, chemistry and familiarity are not there at all times. We all know that Billā€™s best teams are veterans who have been with him for more time.



  • The Samford Freds are the 6th highest scoring team nationally. They shot 39% from three 335/852. Our beloved Jayhawks rang up at 32% 180/547. I trust we will run them off the three point line and not watch Elmarko and Nick chase them from behind to the layup zone over and over until I puke. On the positive side it sounds like Hunter may be fine unless he gets targeted. It would be Pepto Bismol to my soul if we look really sharp and dull their sharp shooters while we snipe, maybe in camo uniā€™s, them to the tune of one three for every turnover we bumble fumble ourselves. Letā€™s give their asses the bum-rush out of the tourney.



  • IMO there is nothing elite about this team. Iā€™m leaving my crimson and blue goggles off for this one.



  • I think we need more than a reasonably healthy Hunter to beat Samford. We might even be better without Hunter since he canā€™t guard the trey line. That isā€¦ if they come out with ice in their veins. If they do, we need players like Elmarko, Nick, and Furph to come ready to play defense and guard the trey line. No more floating around in ā€œno manā€™s landā€ pretending to play help defense. Juan needs to disrupt and get some steals for easy runouts. Kevin? I expect he will play regardless of how he feels because he needs to closeout his college days on a positive note. KJ? Here is another game built perfect for him to dominate, but will he?

    Two things we have to focus on to winā€¦ First, win the possession battle. We should be able to win the boards if Hunter plays or not. Then its about turnovers. We need to protect the ball while swiping balls from this team known to be turnover-prone. Then turn those turnovers into runouts. Second, guard the trey lineā€¦ all the way through the 30-second clock. These guys arenā€™t used to playing at our level. Guard hard and watch their trey line % drop!

    If we come with energy and effort, we should smash Samford.


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