Jan 18 Game Day: Jayhawks focus on OSU; media focus on Wiggins
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@jaybate 1.0 You really need to fix your avatar … things don’t feel aligned.
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@HighEliteMajor-Ford knows they don’t have an answer or a prayer with Embid on the floor, so your assessment is probably plan A for OSU.
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@HighEliteMajor–wow, that’s a nice potential basketball grail image. I would like to use that. I wonder: is it in the public domain?
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@jaybate 1.0 Doogie…love it!!! I have a visceral reaction to Doogie, much like many do with Dicky V. . When he tweeted out the KU slam after we beat the Clones on their home court, I was waiting for him to show himself to be a Cow Patty homer. You are probably right about the sportscasting teams choosing up sides, but I’m sure they didn’t have to twist Doogie’s arm to take his beloved Cow Patties.
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@jaybate 1.0 yep, just googled “cup of the carpenter images” and there it was … I bet you could right click on what I have and it would be all yours.
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I wish Keegans article described the five games a little more in detail that Wiggins had top games against ranked teams. I know Duke was one, Florida was one, KState and Iowa State. San Diego State was the other I think. 3-2 record in games Wigs shines, and 9-2 I think in the other games where he blends into the team a bit more.
So does KU play better when Wigs is not the star?
I’ve shown here before where Mason’s 4 best games are all KU losses, which are basically Tharpes worst games.
I hope instead of a flip today that Smart does a flop.
I hope the game is on here in SEC country instead of SEC basketball.
I don’t get worked up about announcers too much. I enjoy just about all of them, except Brent Musberger, who doesn’t work for CBS anymore, so I think we’re safe today. I do have to tolerate him every time I watch the 88 championship game.
I always liked Billy Packer until I watched the 08 game and realized he was blatantly cheering for Memphis for some reason.
I believe that we need better bench production. I noticed the ISU game, obviously a success, but nonetheless, a success only from the starters and Traylor. The rest contributed almost nothing.
Black fouled out with a total of 5 minutes playing time. Do the fouls per minute math on that one.
I, and most of you as well, better enjoy the Joel show while we have it. Man I hate this OAD garbage. We deserve better, as do the fans of the other OAD schools, even Kentucky.
Because when you think about it, Kentucky might be looking at an UCLA style dynasty if Davis and company had stuck around. Not that we’d want that, but 30 years from now people are going to recognize Florida because they won back to back championships because guys stayed when they didn’t have to.
And we could be looking at an UCLA style dynasty should our stars stay put. I have no illusions that will happen.
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@wissoxfan83 do you think Self has any real faith in his bench?
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@HighEliteMajor I know you don’t think so, and you’re getting to me and I’m starting to wonder as well. I think what we miss is knowing what happens in practice and maybe these guys aren’t performing what coach is practicing with them.
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@HighEliteMajor: got to agree with you that KU nation expectations, further primed by media hype re-inflation, are leading us to underestimate how tough it is to beat a team with a great, experienced point guard, like Smart. I was among the first to say that Cobbins loss to OSU marginalized OSU from serious contention, but I think OSU is a very dangerous team today. Travis Fiesta sits in a hair triggered ejection seat in Pickensville. If he doesn’t make some hay with this team, he could be termed a failed experiment in going short at head coach. Thus, OSU Coach Fiesta is going to be willing to pull out all the stops today for a road win against KU to give the Pokes an edge at least against other challengers to KU. Further, Coach Fiesta is not going to forget that Kevin Young contact on Smart last season. Since the recent trend seems to be that you can cheap shot with a forearm and not get ejected, I look for OSU to come out cheap shotting. Further, I think there is some chance that Self is going to be tempted to send them out flat today, and to substitute massively the first 30 minutes, in order to try to prepare to win the Baylor game Monday. The possible combination of take no prisoners by OSU, plus Self trying to steal one the flat way, makes me do a little dry washing, even though I too expect KU to win.
We are going to learn a bit about which coach–Travis Fiesta, or F. Scott FitzDrew–Self respects the most. Self needs to win these two home games in order to avoid having to go on the road for a win against either. At the same time, he tends to only amp for one game. Since Baylors seems to have the greater depth of talent, coaching being equal, Self would likely elect to play OSU flat and amp for Baylor. If he amps for OSU, then it would seem Self thinks Travis Fiesta is the tougher coaching challenge, and F. Scott FitzDrew the softer one.
Whatever, it is a great Saturday-Monday to be a basketball fan; that’s for sure!!
Rock Chalk as always, HEM,
P.S.: I am continuing to get a lot out of your posts. I have tried to do what I can to contribute to the site, but, without my fastball, the best I can do now is try to be a control pitcher and concentrate on middle inning relief. its okay. Regardless, the game’s the thing and its damned good to still be alive.
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Coach Self must see something in Black. If Black were a Freshman or Sophomore at KU, would he play over Lucas?
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@KansasComet: Self sees something, and Black is giving it inspire of his foul problems. Black hung 17 points in one game; that is what he can do under certain circumstances and that’s darned good. But what Black brings to every practice and game, however long or short he is on the wood, is an example of how to play in tandem with another big man. Black is teaching all of KU’s big men how to play in a tandem. I know Embiid and Perry have to start, but Embiid in particular still is not savvy about playing in a tandem. Every minute in practice and in a game Embiid sees Black play he is getting the right way to play in tandem modeled for him. This is worth a lot. Black is also modeling the same thing for Traylor, who came to the game late and has also never really learned how to play in tandem. Jam Tray was born exploding out of position, but he has never quite gotten how to play together with another big. He has come far under Black’s tutelage this season. Really, watching Jam Tray and Black grow into dance partners has warmed my heart as much as any of the other good things that have “developed” on this young team. When Black gets fouled up, we don’t get to see much of it, but when he doesn’t, then Jam Tray and he are starting to move as intuitively with each other as two bigs are supposed to do. They may never get to Marcus-Kieff levels of intuition, but then they were twins and played together a lot of years. What we have to hope is that Black can stay on the floor longer, and that Embiid/Ellis begin to master the tandem dance step. So far, Embiid and Perry have been like two ships passing in the night doing what they do with out much coordination or ability to anticipate the other. Perry is kind of an internal type. And Embiid just has played long enough to intuit how to play with Perry. As a result, neither one is getting any leverage from playing with the other. They just both have lots of talent and are more or less doing their things separately; this is like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis alternating between solos without the bridges that cause the band to take off to something greater than the sum of the parts. I know it would probably be considered “weird,” but it might be good to have Perry and Embiid take a ball room dancing class and take turns leading and following just to force them to get attuned to what the other is doing. Another less gender charged approach might be to put them both on skates at a rink and tie a rope between them and take turns having them skate ahead, behind and beside each other. Really, Embiid and The Designer could make beautiful music together once they BOTH know their partner and where he will be when.
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@wissoxfan83 - The practice thing is completely legitimate. That’s our missing piece. I will say that Self has made reference to practice before on players. I’ve listened to his comments this season and he hasn’t made comments detrimental to White, Greene, or CF, for example. He has made a point of saying that Black was the best player in practice a couple times. Black seems like the absolute perfect first big off the bench for this team – except the fouling. When he can play for stretches, it’s usually positive. Last game it appeared that Self had no concern about Black’s availability, meaning he didn’t pull him really to protect him from fouling out. The practice explanation on the Lucas vs. Black thing is probably the best – but all that counts is what happens when the lights come on. So far, advantage Lucas. But it’s what Self is looking for, that’s important. Seems like Black is the guy.
@jaybate - I don’t know, jb, still seems like Cy Young stuff to me. We are simply crimson and blue soldiers here, and glad to have the general back. RCJH back at you. Take care of yourself.
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@jaybate 1.0 I get what you are saying. What is your take on Lucas?
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@jaybate 1.0
Black had 17 point in a game where referees allowed an inordinate amount of fouls and basically swallowed their whistles; this is not the norm and most every other game this season has been called the other way around.
Unfortunately for Tarik, the change in contact rules have taken what is/was one of the more important part of his game, i.e. physicality. Unless we run into a refereeing crew like the one at the Georgetown game, the chances of Tarik having another big game are pretty slim.
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@wissoxfan83 2AD = more good players for everyone. There are only so many roster spots. It would be great for college basketball, but it’s an NBA rule not NCAA.
All the NCAA could do is penalize the schools, maybe by requiring a minimum number of years per scholly awarded (i.e. 2 years). That way if a player left after one year the school is down a scholarship the next year. This would deter most schools from being OAD factories due to the inevitable down year. I don’t think Calipari would care. However, this would penalize schools like KU who have an unexpected OAD in Embiid.
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Rodgers visits KU…
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I thought my brother in law was full of it when he said he saw Rodgers in Lawrence last night. hmm
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It’s time to thump OSU… unless we get into extreme foul trouble!
Watch the fouls today, boys!
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Doogie Snotlieb is butt hurt over his Cowpokes taking a beating from the good guys. He was reduced to babbling about San Diego State in his effort to not give KU credit for smashing his alma mater in the first half.
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@KansasComet: Lucas is a fine player and will assume Black’s role next year. Right now, Black is coming on and Jamari and he are learning to play together. Its a numbers thing. Lucas could do fine. But Self is honoring Black’s last season, and Jamari is coming around as a 4, after having played the five the last two years. Jamari is not pretty on offense, but he keeps getting it done in most other ways and brings that explosiveness. Landen is just one injury away from being on the line of fire and he will do well, if needed. Frankly, he moves around the floor the best of all our bigs, even Embiid and Perry. He just doesn’t have Perry’s gifts around the hole and Embiid’s twinkle toes. Landen will not be smoked out by the incoming frosh either. He will be hard to beat out, even though Self probably will bring him second. Landen is a player.
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@jaybate 1.0 Thanks. I can dig it. Good points.
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@JayHawkFanToo To me (bears fan) that’s like seeing coach with a Missouri Tiger.
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@wissoxfan83
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Sometimes I hate it when I call it right. I though that Forte might be the x-factor and darn it if the smurf-on-steroids part-deux (Keiton Paige was the original one) didn’t almost single-handedly steal the game.
Gotlieb is a douche and the bag it came in. When Seth Davis indicated that KU is a legitimate final four team, Dougie started to whine and bring up the SDSU game. Davis gave him a look that basically said…you are moron, and told him…see you in March. Dougie tried to backpedal and looked even more pathetic.
Doug Gotlieb has officially " Jumped the shark." The older posters will know what I am talking about.
