Reflections in the afterglow
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Agree Och won it on his name.
Doesn’t mean he didn’t contribute to the victory because he did. He started the game with the 3 and his defense was good all night. He also had Leaky Black in foul trouble & because of the attention placed on him it opened up the floor for others to make plays which they did. It wasn’t an MOP performance in the Finals but he did put up the big game in the Final 4 making 6 3’s so perhaps that weighed just as heavy with voters. There’s no question Dave won the game for us late and was just as good against Villanova so he did deserve the award. I kinda wish they could have just made the 7 guys who played 99% of the minutes co MOP’s because really every single player laid it all out on the line to get that Championship. Does KU win without Remy’s 3’s or that block on Caleb Love with 50 seconds? Does KU win without Braun’s driving to the basket in the early 2nd half that set the tone + his defense on the last shot forced an airball. Does KU win without Harris’s pesky on ball defense going over screens and forcing their guards into turnovers or disruptive sets? Does KU win without Jalen Wilson’s 2nd half play where he had two And 1 drives to the basket? And it seems like the list keeps going until its really just every player earned MOP.
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Excellent post by the way. Really enjoyed it
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@BeddieKU23 Don’t recall if I posted this here but…
https://twitter.com/BShark5/status/1512238106371665925
Dave was definitely our most critical player in the FF.
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He was dominate on both ends. Played to his size, played with poise, played with toughness and played to every single skill he had. It took 4 years but in one weekend he finally did EVERYTHING fans had praised or criticized him for. It’s really remarkable that it happened the way it did
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@bskeet My guess is that both of them would say - just pronounce my name - Winner
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IMHO Dave earned MOP in the final four, but Ochai got it for being the best player on the best team.
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@bskeet said in Reflections in the afterglow:
Thinking back across the season, and the tournament, I’d love to hear your reflections.
Big 12 Officiating
I will start my reflections with penance for my criticism of the Big 12 officials. I declared, right here in this community, that the physical style of game that B12 officiating allowed was going to hurt us in the tournament.
I was wrong.
That crazy crew created a crucible that forged two National Champions (Baylor and Kansas) in two years.
The officiating this year was a mess for everyone. It was not limited to the B12. I have no idea what is a block and a what is a charge… I had friends over for the NC with kids and I lost it with some f-bombs in the second half. Not proud of that.
But, it appears to have made the B12 strong and prepared KU well for the epic run. Even Iowa State, who was really not at the level they’ve been in the past, was well prepared to play incredible defense which allowed them to make a run.
If It Weren’t For Bad Luck, I’d Have No Luck at All
After all the years of bad luck in the tourney, this year was different. Things broke our way. And this is not to take away from the team and their amazing efforts… but sometimes thing just work out.
Our regional was the best setup I think I’ve ever seen. The matchups were, for the most part, favorable. Injuries made competitive teams (Creighton and Villanova) weaker and upsets removed a few challengers (Iowa LOL, Wisconsin and Auburn) out of our path. But no Kentucky, no Gonzaga, no Duke, no Purdue, no Illinois, no UCLA and no UNC.
Plus, we benefited from the Coach K drama combined with the typical march madness upset drama that overshadowed KU and allow us to stay “under the radar” all the way to the NC game. For a team that always has a target on its back, that target was a bit smaller and a bit more faded than normal.
Remy and the Immaculate Vibe
Let me start by saying the Championship was a Team Effort with a capitol T.
That said, WTF. The dude doesn’t really play for the conference regular season. When he’s in, it looks like he is out of sync with everyone else. Even as recently as the B12 tournament, there seemed to be confusion when he was on the floor. I recall more than once him looking for direction to the bench or Och pointing to where he’s supposed to be.
We are left to wonder: Does he know the system? Is there friction with the other players? Can he, WILL he, ever play defense? What about that injury?
And then, suddenly, he began to fit with our offense or vice versa. Suddenly, our team had two gears. Two very different, distinct styles to the offense. This gave KU a unique advantage: teams trying to scout would look at most of the season and see a monster car. But then they would see the most recent games and see that we could mutate into a race car.
On a dime Remy could flip the switch. I’ll be darned if that isn’t a reflection of how this team flipped the switch in the second half against Miami and again against UNC.
We don’t get past Creighton or Providence without Remy. And we don’t beat UNC without Remy. He took the shots – and MADE the shots – that others were either unable to because the defense was keying on them or they deferred (afraid). Remy personified confidence and courage.
I have always hated hearing Rafferty say “ONIONS” when someone makes a clutch shot, but Remy delivered the quintessential example of that phrase. He forced tough, contested shots at absolutely crucial moments… and nailed them.
This is not to take away from Ochai who is THE MAN and did this multiple times in multiple games throughout the season.
But, consider this as context on Monday’s performance: Remy shot 4/6 from 3; Mario shot 3/7 from 3 in the 08 NC. The drama of Mario’s one shot is undeniable, but the stats should help us appreciate Remy’s performance in this NC. Self — who so values blood, sweat and tears — seemed flummoxed and hesitant to shower adoration on Remy because he defied the formula; Remy still, absolutely crushed it even though he was coming off more than a month of lost practice and playing time.
Come to think of it, back to the luck theme… let’s put Remy choosing to come to KU last summer in that category. This is the conclusion we all dreamed was possible when he said he was transferring here. But I don’t think anyone could have imagined Remy’s journey.
Team, Toughness and Treasures
I heard one talking head on Tuesday credit the 2nd half comeback to “the law firm of McCormack, Martin and Braun.” That sounds about right. Big Dave (Good Dave) finally gets the spotlight he deserves. Jalen Wilson was a rock throughout the tournament. Dave and Jalen are a perfect reflection of this team: under the radar all year. Part of that was their own doing. But midway through the B12 season, there was no reason for anyone to sleep on Jalen or Dave. They both did all the dirty work.
And speaking of dirty work, Dejuan: how I underestimated thee. (I’m so glad we don’t need to talk about the final 4 seconds). The team credited his defense as the spark for the 2nd half run. And why not? Runs can’t happen without stops, and his steals and energy triggered the comeback.
Finally, what a treasure to have kids that grew up wanting to be Jayhawks. Christian Braun, hailing from a small town in Kansas is the classic Jayhawk. Toughness incarnate. Mitch and Ochai fall in this category.
Again, how lucky are we that we had so much experience and so much love on this team? And how lucky are we to have this forum (thx @approxinfinity) and this community to share our love of the team and the program throughout the year.
Rock Chalk.
Ok, TLDR:
I apologize to the B12 officials. Remy delivered in the most heroic way. Jalen and Big Dave (Good Dave), flying under the radar, overshadowed, delivered again and again. I underestimated Dejuan. And FINALLY… KU had the stars align just a bit. Nice way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our first championship.
PS:
Why couldn’t the national announcers get the names of our players right (Braun, pronounced: Brown, Ochai Agbaji, pronounced Oh-chi Ah-bah-gee.) They had 3 weeks and 67 games.
That’s truly great analysis. Remy was the hidden star- the guy that changed the whole makeup of the team. He was much better than any of us realized, and he flat cooked tournament time. How many times did he make a basket when we were tied, or struggling? The passing he displayed was otherworldly at times. It’s just a shame we didn’t have him for his whole career. I certainly hope the NBA can find a place for him, although his height is going to be a minus.
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Reflecting on the recruiting that got us to this glorious championship. Bill stopped star chasing and brought in the “gems”, local “gems”. Some of that was influenced by what was going on with the NCAA/FBI case. He gets Ochai from KC, Braun from Kansas then his best buddy Harris who was committed to Missouri St. Dave was highly rated in a down class but he was a hard worker with skill to work with. Jalen would have been a Wolverine if it wasn’t for their coach bolting to the NBA. Does Self pursue Remy Martin if he hadn’t beaten KU in Allen Fieldhouse off his heroics? Mitch was an unheralded recruit that soaked up every once of the College experience here, redshirting, covid year etc.
Besides Remy Self is directly responsible for the Top 6’s development over several years.
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Overheard in North Topeka Dillons/Kroger today
“I’m so done with these KU shirts. I hope they don’t win again any time soon”.
Must have been a Kstater HA.
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@BShark said in Reflections in the afterglow:
Overheard in North Topeka Dillons/Kroger today
“I’m so done with these KU shirts. I hope they don’t win again any time soon”.
Must have been a Kstater HA.
Or Duke, Fizzou, WSU…
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@BShark said in Reflections in the afterglow:
Overheard in North Topeka Dillons/Kroger today
“I’m so done with these KU shirts. I hope they don’t win again any time soon”.
Must have been a Kstater HA.
LOL! Hope they have to get used to it!
My shirt arrived (in San Jose, CA) from Lawrence yesterday. These make up for that smiley scissors thing.
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https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article260165575.html
Article about the play to open the 2nd half, Jeremy Case etc
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Voting was definitely before Dave’s last 2 shots. I suspect there was a big split between Och and Bacot. Och got KU started right in both F4 games, and played good defense with some crucial plays in the NC game.
I would have been ok with any of the 3 of them winning with the current premature voting system. But the vote should be after it is over—then, Dave.
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I can’t pick a MOP because I can’t take a single thing away from any player on this team! (even though it doesn’t)
We can start chatting about any of them and we can start picking out their contributions… and they are many! I’ve never seen a KU team this balanced, though 2008 is in that conversation.
At this very moment… I’m thinking about CB and all he did in the UNC game. HUGE!
This one game, and bringing home the trophy, validates my complete life as a Jayhawk fan! I’ve never said that about any team/sport, and doubtfully ever will!
Words will never explain what is in my heart for this team, coach, and Jayhawk fans everywhere! This was not just another championship…
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It’s Dave. We don’t win w/o him. +41! Absurd!
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Been thinking about Remy and Self all day. What a beautiful thing for Self to recognize how much we needed Remy and to trust him and for Remy to deliver.
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Article in the KCStar today covering all the details of the MOP voting. Voters were told voting would be closed 2 mins before game ended. 25 voters, Och got 5 more than Dave. Didn’t break down anyone else.
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https://twitter.com/kuhoops/status/1512797646842433543?s=21&t=nFbditan5TXLnVHmPZUA6w
Parade being streamed
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I have serious doubts that we could have won it all without any of our top 7 players. I don’t just consider the UNC game. We had to play the other games to get there.
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Amen @drgnslayr
Hey, we squeaked by Creighton. Let’s be clear about it. Our shooters were tentative and passive with the very extreme exception of Remy.
Without Remy – every Remy shot – it’s a second round exit. The margin of error in this tournament is insane… maybe even more so than usual this year.
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My new favorite song:
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@approxinfinity said in Reflections in the afterglow:
Been thinking about Remy and Self all day. What a beautiful thing for Self to recognize how much we needed Remy and to trust him and for Remy to deliver.
Remy was my Tournament MVP for us, followed closely by everyone else. Great team effort, but Remy was the star of the show. The only reason he didn’t go off on Villanova is because we were in control of the game, and he didn’t have to. We lose to Creighton and Prov w/o him. His offense in the national championship game is now legend. Give Dave the FF MOP ( or Ochai), but the 6 game MVP award goes to Remy hands down.
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Funny that there is no 6 game MVP. I was surprised when I first learned that.
Maybe with a 200 to 300 million dollar donation to the NCAA you can get them to start one, and it can be called The Remy Award!
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@Jethro said in Reflections in the afterglow:
@approxinfinity said in Reflections in the afterglow:
Been thinking about Remy and Self all day. What a beautiful thing for Self to recognize how much we needed Remy and to trust him and for Remy to deliver.
Remy was my Tournament MVP for us, followed closely by everyone else. Great team effort, but Remy was the star of the show. The only reason he didn’t go off on Villanova is because we were in control of the game, and he didn’t have to. We lose to Creighton and Prov w/o him. His offense in the national championship game is now legend. Give Dave the FF MOP ( or Ochai), but the 6 game MVP award goes to Remy hands down.
I would split Remy and Dave as our tournament mvps. Both completely saved us at times. Plus the drop off to Mitch was particularly staggering in the FF.
I fully expected Remy to more or less be a non-factor against Nova. But not because I expected the game to be in hand or w/e, but because Jay Wright is a great coach. He wasn’t going to have his guys IGNORE REMY like ole Dougie McD.
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KU advanced stats from Feb 1st until end of the season…
ADJO #4 ADJD #4 Overall…you guessed it… #1. Just ahead of the Zags. Funny enough Iowa was 5th overall in this time frame but Fran gonna Fran.
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@BShark Don’t know if you know the answer to this, but I’m curious about the adj O and D when they are calculated through the end of season.
I’ve been curious if those calculations end up biased to favor the team that won last (perhaps rightfully). Is there anything to that? It seems particularly possible in a case like Gonzaga and KU where Gonzaga’s last game is a loss, so that probably hurt their stats and KU played 3 more games, all wins, that probably helped their stats. Of course, the stats may also be biased when comparing the stats of Gonzaga’s performance against teams in a lesser conference compared to KU, so maybe it all is a wash.
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@bskeet said in Reflections in the afterglow:
@BShark Don’t know if you know the answer to this, but I’m curious about the adj O and D when they are calculated through the end of season.
I’ve been curious if those calculations end up biased to favor the team that won last (perhaps rightfully). Is there anything to that? It seems particularly possible in a case like Gonzaga and KU where Gonzaga’s last game is a loss, so that probably hurt their stats and KU played 3 more games, all wins, that probably helped their stats. Of course, the stats may also be biased when comparing the stats of Gonzaga’s performance against teams in a lesser conference compared to KU, so maybe it all is a wash.
Ultimately if you keep winning your numbers will typically go up because you are playing good teams at the end. Ironically we probably underperformed a bit in the NC. The shot quality thing had KU winning that game by 11 with an 83% win probability based on shots taken. It’s not the best gauge in the world but there is some truth to it. I believe KU dropped a bit in KP after winning it all.
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https://twitter.com/GaryBedore/status/1513246774198214661
Dave to the rafters lets go
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I’d like a banner flown that has our whole team on it.
How friggin’ cool would that be? Talk about instilling team play! Put the MVPs up there separate, too, because they deserve special recognition. But this championship was won by the team!
Might even help us recruit and should definitely help us win more National Championships. Imagine the play of our guys when they stand to have their names hung with the greatest!
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@BShark said in Reflections in the afterglow:
https://twitter.com/GaryBedore/status/1513246774198214661
Dave to the rafters lets go
Nice!
