I haven't had this much fun since 2008
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Run! Run! Run!
This team had me at Diallo.
And not because Cheick was great in his debut, which he was. Because it was at that point forward that Self relaxed, with his full complement of talent. Since then, it’s been like a dream for us Bucketeers. Self’s decision-making and our thoughts have been pretty much completely in lock step: Mick’s got the run he has deserved, we’ve been playing to our strengths (shooting, running), and Self has come out and said as much. It feels like love.
I’m riveted. Goosebumps flush my arms. The 20-2 runs that absolutely bury competitive teams have me on cloud 9. Disruptive defense from guards and bigs, the outlet passes from Mick, Cheick and Bragg, the breakneck push down the floor from Frank, and Devonte, the spread wings ready to bury threes, and the smart decisions that fill the space between these elements. It feels like love!
But to me, it doesn’t start with the 3. It starts with pushing the ball, and that means good outlets to Frank and Devonte, with Selden, Perry [and Svi/Green] rolling to the wings with the green light to bomb in transition. That’s the stuff that makes 20-2 runs, and championships are made of.
Don’t break my heart Bill. Let these Hawks run! What’s a 3rd side? Never heard of it.
Run! Run! Run!
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Lets think outside the box for a second.
When was the last time Bill had this much guard ability? Not just shooting… but protecting the ball, penetrating and creating offense, control of the game, etc.
2008 was the last time.
We all know that your PG and your SG are the head on the team… the brains. They make the team go or stop. Succeed or fail.
Maybe this is the first time Self can step away just a bit from the duties of micromanaging his perimeter guys (especially the PG).
I’m thinking the strength of our play from Frank and Devonte is loosening the leash Self usually has over his team. They have more capabilities, so the team has more capabilities to advance their play with different sets, different wrinkles.
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@drgnslayr no question! He trusts this team. They trust each other. We trust them. And how nice to have a preseason tournament to build that trust all around.
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Agree with drgnslayr, I’d like to add 2012’s duo of Tyshawn + EJ together. It confirmed the concept of 2 perimeter ball-handling/passing threats. If you can add a 3rd one, like 2008’s Sherron, it gets even better. It seems Selden is becoming a much-improved 3rd ballhandler/penetrator, and I like his court vision! He’s a bit better than Releford off the dribble. Releford was great in transition. And Selden can simply create his own shot, or even take a guarded 3 from NBA range without needing a screen to get open. The birth of an NBA 1st round pick, as well as the birth of a dangerous March team…we hope. BigXII play will continue to sharpen this team.
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@ralster I don’t think Selden should bring the ball up. But oh my word, he is just filthy good against Montana right now. In a half court set or off the pass in transition, yes, Selden all day!
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I haven’t had this much fun in a very long time watching Iowa State get beat by NORTHERN IOWA!
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@RockChalkinTexas And Puke and Kensucky losing. Whoohooo, great day.
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@drgnslayr You’ve said many times they gotta have swag, & these guys are building their confidence to back it up. The WUGs were PDG, but D1 is even more intimidating. They may have just the chemistry to bag the bear & sounds like Bill may even let them run with the big dogs & do just that.
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@globaljaybird And in the immortal words of James Naismith’s interviewer, Gabriel Heatter:
“There’s good news tonight.”Hawks win, Duke, UK & ISU go down.
Time for a nightcap…
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@nwhawkfan @globaljaybird would like that!
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22 points and 20 rebounds from Franken Five, and superior athleticism to a mid major, and a home crowd make it tough to keep KU from quick transition.
Right now the games we need to make us grow are Texas to test our cardio and WVU to test how we cope with a press keeping us in half court slog.
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@nwhawkfan Add Baylor, Okie State and the Shockers to that list!
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I was highly impressed watching N. Iowa take down the Clones. What a smart bb team on both offense and defense. It’s not easy going into Hilton Jr. and the land of the lousy fan to pick up a win, but they handled it like champs. They have now knocked off UNC and the Clones. Geez, keep them out of our bracket…
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@KUSTEVE I’d almost bet 10 donut holes to a monkey’s butt we do end up in a regional bracket with em.
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@KUSTEVE not in hilton
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@globaljaybird another new one to me.
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@approxinfinity I’ll go one better - I think we’re better than what we’re showing now.
@drgnslayr We spend 95% of our discussions on who is going to play the 5, when the real story is that adding Devonte to the starting lineup has electrified the team, made it run more efficiently, less turnovers, more steals, etc. The residual effect is that the game has slowed down for Wayne and Frank by leaps and bounds. Fewer and fewer drives to nowhere, less bad passes,etc. Excellent post…hammer, meet nail.
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My good friend and KU roommate now lives in Des Moines and he calls ISU the Clowns!
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@VailHawk very good friend!
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@KUSTEVE They played in Des Moines, not Hilton Coliseum.
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@KUSTEVE Hey, they played in Des Moines, not Hilton. Make sure you tell Granny, and Ellie-May.
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Looks like I missed a lot of hoops yesterday.
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@approxinfinity One thing to add. I absolutely cannot wait until January 30th when KU and 16,300 rabid KU fans absolutely blows the blue hair off the UK Wild kitties. Its a revenge game. Its a game that will involve taking no prisoners. Its a game where KU is the hunter and Kentucky is the hunted. World Wide Wes cannot save slimy Cal within the legendary Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Noise decibel barriers will be broken. It is also possible that we could break the 150 point margin against Kentucky! No prisoners will be taken.
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@KUSTEVE UNI is gonna be good this year. A scary team to meet in the NCAA’s. I hope they arent in KU’s bracket.
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ISU is woefully short on the bench. It played 7 players and that is as deep as they go and there is a drop going from the 5 starters to the bench; the 2 non-starters played a total of 29 minutes and combined for 7 points…you cannot go though the conference gauntlet that short handed. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is the real deal and thy will be tough, they have a bigger bench but not that effective; against Creiighton 6 bench players played 41 minutes total but scored a combined 16 points…on the other hand, Hield is very bit as good as advertised. The starters are averaging over 30 minutes per game. No question that KU’s strength is its bench that is deep and very able.
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Iowa State is in trouble without Long.
One thing that has become apparent in looking at college basketball this season is that you cannot win without a legitimate PG. Kentucky fell apart without Ulis healthy. Iowa State is much worse without Long. UNC struggled when Paige was out. Wichita State is a shell of itself without Van Vleet. We just destroyed a quietly decent Montana team that was missing (surprise surprise) their PG.
This season may be all about PG play. Thankfully, KU has a good one.
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@justanotherfan or 2
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@justanotherfan KU has 2 great ones. Svi is being molded for spot PG duty also. I truly feel this will be a great season for this team.
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@drgnslayr I love the guard play on this team. This team can go a long way if they don’t sleep walk through games and can stay focused. I don’t think there’s a team in the country and that can run with us firing on all cylinders like we’ve shown for stretches.
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UK has Jamal Murray that is probably better than Ulis…just sayin’
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This headline reminds me of Christopher Walken’s line from True Romance, “I haven’t killed anybody since 1984…”
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Murray is the better player. Ulis is, for this UK team, the better PG. He can get and keep everyone involved. Murray will be a great NBA player, but he doesn’t do as good a job getting all of the pieces going, which keeps everyone happy.
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I respectfully disagree. Did you watch Murray at the Pan American Games when he played for Canada or any recent UK games? He is a much better player than Ulis and he is now in all the recent draft projections as a Lottery pick where Ulis is not even listed. Murray is the real deal and he is the player I fear the most when UK comes to AFH. Just my opinion.
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@JayHawkFanToo Do you not understand @justanotherfan’s point? He said Murray was the better player, but Ulis is the more important player for Kentucky which is an accurate.
The best player on teams are not always the most important players. Is there anybody that would argue Jamaal Charles isn’t the best player on the Chiefs? That said, look at what they’ve done without him this year. Alex Smith is the most important player on the Chiefs.
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Murray and Ulis are both outstanding players.
The guy I really fear this year is Murray. He just seems to have 'GREATNESS" written all over him.
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Again read my post…
If you watch UK play, you would know that Ulis and Murray are, much like Mason and Graham, pretty interchangeable at the PG and both can distribute the ball equally well. Again, the point was made about Ulis being the better PG and I don’t agree with that. Calipari wants to have both players on the court since they are both very good; however, Ulis cannot play SG while Murray can play both positions and, in my opinion, he is better at both, but in order to have both players on the court Murray plays the 2 but has no problem playing PG when needed. Murray played PG for the Canada National Team and he will play PG in the NBA, Ulis at 5’-9", probably will not. It is really that simple…and yes, I do understand.
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Murray is better than Ulis. Absolutely, agree 100%.
However, Murray playing PG means that he has to distribute the ball in addition to being their best or second best scoring option. That’s a huge burden to carry.
On the other hand, if Ulis is playing PG, Murray is free to score when the opportunities are there. Ulis playing the point makes Murray a better scorer because Ulis can set Murray up as opposed to Murray having to get his own shots.
Because of that, this particular UK team is better with Ulis at the point, not because Ulis is better than Murray, but because Murray can have a bigger impact if he doesn’t have to play the point and get everyone else involved.
Long term, I would take Murray every single time without hesitation. But for this season, if I were Kentucky, I want Ulis playing point so Murray can unleash havoc as a scorer or distributor from the perimeter, so that if Murray starts going off, he doesn’t have to also worry about whether he is getting his teammates involved or not.
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In the context that you present it I agree. If UK would have another player than can play the SG close to Murray, I would not hesitate playing Murray at the point instead of Ulis; I really believe Murray is a better .and taller PG than Ulis…not that Ulis is not good, he definitely is, but Murray is better.
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Kentucky isn’t the same when Ulis is out. At least, that’s what their fans think,
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@justanotherfan and @JayHawkFanToo
Your little debate means nothing. If KU plays their game UK gets rolled KU cuts down the conference championship nets, the conference tournament nets and the National championship nets.
Not to be rude.
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This is what this forum is for…right? We disagree, try to make our case, agree to disagree and move on…
