The Only Way To Travel...
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@drgnslayr I agree! Thought it was funny, seems like nobody noticed. I said something during our game blog.
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@drgnslayr You may be right: flopping, especially practiced and skilled flopping is part of today’s college game and may win a game for a team. I disagree that our players should improve their flopping skills and employ them more often. The Big 12 and it’s officials can solve flopping by implementing a new rule that starts with a warning, then a technical foul. The flopping on charges and 3 point attempts has been around for years. When the NCAA instituted the flagrant foul for contact above the shoulders, we quickly saw some players jerking their heads around like Linda Blair trying to fool the refs into making a flagrant foul call. Some of our players are guilty too.
Instead of joining the cheaters, let’s lobby the Big 12 to put a stop to flopping. I don’t usually advocate more rules, but flopping evinces poor sportsmanship and is bad for the integrity of the game we love.
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@stoptheflop you are right!
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I think the problem is vernacular.
I’m not suggesting we become the next Duke.
Let’s just call it “expressive.”
“Landen was expressive on that play.” (versus) “Landen flopped on that play.”
If we overdo it, it backfires. And we are not really trying to change the game and trick refs.
Being “expressive” is not exaggerated enough to turn an obvious defensive foul (or no-call) into an offensive foul.
All we want to do is be treated fairly, and basketball officiating today is not fair. We can “boo-hoo” about calls or we can step up and adjust to how the game is being called.
The game-calling today is based around “sensitivity.” It is like the refs are prepping for a game by watching a Jay Bilas video demanding that no players ever have contact. Powder-puff basketball.
Calling technical fouls on flops is interesting and may be a bit helpful. But it also opens up a new can of worms. Then we will have big time controversy because the level of flopping has to be standardized to punish like that. We never want the refs to have rules that totally decide games. Just imagine our game with KSU, and some purple kitty stepping in front of Svi on the game-winning drive… Was it a flop, or not? Technical? Warning? I think there will be quite a few problems with this, but hey, maybe I am over-hyping this and players would stop it.
I’m not sure players CAN stop flopping. You have to look at the entire game and what has changed. The safety circle under the basket is also baiting players into more flops.
So, let’s be “expressive” like an artist and let Duke “flop” like a con artist… we can’t afford to give away calls because we aren’t willing to play with expression.
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Svi has enjoyed all of the funny tweets.
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@Lulufulu Agreed. I do think JJackson tries hard on D, better than most frosh Self has ever recruited. Personally, I have no problem with Josh Jackson, I like his fire (still learning to not get the T…), easily the “best” freshman player we’ve ever had: Why? Because he actually makes the team better, and he’s a statsheet stuffer with rbds, ppg, assists. He brings an attitude that Self loves. He is more impactful than Wiggybaby or Embiid. There’s several reasons he’s replaced Bragg at the 4. Basically, he has replaced Ellis nicely.
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@ralster if he can stay on the court
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Was it just me, or was Fran Fraschilla positively AWFUL in that game commentary? He’s mediocre most days, but seemed to suck more that game. Or maybe it was KU’s laccadaisical play…?
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I believe Fran was sick, and was also a late replacement for Miles Simon due to a death in Simon’s family (his dad I think). They mentioned it briefly during the telecast.
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I still think his kid wanted to walk on at KU and was rebuffed and ever since Fran has had it for KU. He used to be a decent and fair analyst…no more.
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@JayHawkFanToo I saw Jordan Juenemann basically break Fraschilla’s son’s nose (or face) during mop up minutes a few years ago. He seemed to be 5’10 and 150lbs? Tyler Self, Jeremy Case, Evan Manning, Niko Roberts… would all wipe the floor with Fraschilla junior.
And poor Fran’s woody for IowaState is getting old as well…
At least Frank Mason made Fran eat crow on-air about him (earlier this season, during game live commentary).
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@justanotherfan yeah he was sick, actually an excuse THIS time!
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@ralster and Fran also thought Self would be ok w/sutton taking his hof nomination. Piece of
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I agree, that is beyond moronic…
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@JayHawkFanToo Self wouldn’t reject that kind of player. Fran’s kid was always going to be a walk on so he eas never going to take a scholarship or roster spot from someone more deserving. If James Frascilla wanted to go to KU, there wasn’t any real reason to to turn him away.
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It is not about scholarships or roster spots; there are only so many players KU can take…even if it only offers 13 schoolies. All the walk-on players that I can think of were better than James Fraschilla who in 4 years played a combined 41 minutes and scored a grand total of 8 points, 13 minutes and 0 points in his senior year and only 6 of them in 3 conference in blow out games…Tucker Vang has played just about as many minutes so far in his freshman year.
I get what you are saying but I am sure KU has turned down a lot more talented players than James Fraschilla. I am not saying that he is not a good kid or a hard worker; however, not everybody can make it academically to Harvard or play for KU basketball.
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@JayHawkFanToo James Fraschilla was a preferred walk on. There’s no limit to how many walk ons you can have. Coaches, including Self, have been known to give invited walk on spots, of which there is no limit, to kids of friends. Niko Roberts came to KU before his dad came back. Niko could’ve gone to St. John’s as a walk on with his dad or he could’ve gone to a small school on scholarship.
Had Fran asked Bill if James could’ve played for KU as a walk on as a favor, there was no reason for Self to say no. James wouldn’t have taken a scholarship and he wouldn’t have prevented someone else from walking on at KU either.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 You helped shoot down the theory above that Fran’s had it in for KU ever since his son may have been denied to be a walk-on? Then why is Fran critical of KU? Need a better theory, as it’s certainly been noticeable (Fran’s attitude)…
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@ralster I don’t think Fran is overly critical of KU. There are posters here who lament KU’s failures and discuss underperforming in the tournament as regularly as a metronome, but they aren’t seen as biased against KU because we recognize other things said as well.
I have listened to a number of broadcasts where I have heard lavish praise for KU players from Fran, with a couple of caveats and mistakes also pointed out. Then, here, in the game thread, it is only the negative that is remembered or pointed out. Okay, he isn’t a KU fan, but he isn’t supposed to be!
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@ralster I don’t disagree that Fran’s attitude towards KU has changed in recent years. I’m just simply asking where is there proof Bill Self denied James Fraschilla an opportunity to walk on at KU version of the reason you’re trying to pass off because I don’t buy that theory at all.
I just look at Self’s past history of invited walk ons like Niko Roberts, Chase Buford, and Brennan Bechard and see no logical reason for Self to have declined a walk on spot for James Fraschilla had he wanted to come to KU.
So while I agree about Fran’s attitude towards KU changing, I just don’t see any evidence of it stemming from Self rejecting James as a walk on being the cause because I don’t see any evidence that Self rejected James as a walk on.
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You are correct in so far as there is no technical limit on the number of walkons a program can have but there is a practical limit and every player that is part of the program has a role on it, be that as a star player or a scout team or practice player. While a walk on might not get the full tuition cost, it costs the program a fair amount of money, including uniforms, use of facilities and trainers and travel expenses just to name a few and this is why most programs normally cap the total number of players at 15 or ocassionally 16; on ocassions they will even use student assistants rather than to take on more walkons. As far as I know, all players including walkons live in the basketball dorm and there is a limited number of slots available.
As far as I know, every walk on has to justify the invite and earn the slot, after all it is KU and not a mid major program; every walkon at KU would start for a smaller program. Teahan was the player of the year in Missouri and only could get to KU as a walk on. Being Fran Fraschilla’s son does not entitle him to walk on at KU.
No big deal, we just agree to disagree
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@JayHawkFanToo What did Chase Buford or Brennan Bechard do to justify their roster spots other than who their dads are? Neither one received any D1 offers even from the lowest of low major teams and only got to play for KU because of who their dads are.
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I think of KU walk ons as Clint Normore, Dr. Moody and Conner Teahan
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I’m not disagreeing. What did TJ Whatley do for KU? Walk ons are an important part of the practice squad and help build team GPA. It never hurts to have a NBA GM’s son on your team either. I’m pretty sure that was a recruiting tool in and of itself. It’s not like KU missed on any recruits because of these guys.
It does always seem as though Fran is rooting against KU. I’m not sure when or why this happened. He couldn’t hardly say a good thing about KU without choking in the last game (KSU). Saying nice things about KU was sooo hard on him he lost his voice.
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@dylans said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 I’m not disagreeing. What did TJ Whatley do for KU? Walk ons are an important part of the practice squad and help build team GPA. It never hurts to have a NBA GM’s son on your team either. I’m pretty sure that was a recruiting tool in and of itself. It’s not like KU missed on any recruits because of these guys.
Your last line is why I’ve never understood the negative reaction from people to Self giving a walk on spot to guys like Buford, Bechard, or a guy like Clay Young on the current team. These guys have no impact on recruiting because they’re never going to play meaningful minutes at KU unless a lot of really bad things happen.
Your point about having the son of an NBA GM on the roster (Chase Buford) is probably the closest comparison to James Fraschilla. We all know Fran has been a Big 12 basketball commentator for years, but he’s also one the top international scouts at ESPN. During draft season, he’s the person ESPN interviews about Euro prospects because that’s his other primary role. Having someone who has a lot of connections to prospects in Europe connected to the program would’ve helped KU in international recruiting quite a bit most likely.
@wrwlumpy Don’t forget that the only reason Christian Moody had the opportunity to walk on at KU was because his dad was friends with Roy. No different than Self letting Chase Buford, Brennan Bechard, or Niko Roberts walk on at KU. When Niko came to KU, Norm was still at St. John’s and not KU.
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I’ve always felt like walk-ons are very important to the development of a team. They do a lot of the ugly work that largely goes unthanked, but in return they get to have an amazing experience during their college days. And if they show an interesting in a career in sports, like coaching or administration, their experiences as a walk-on give them a notch up on others.
Sometimes their appointment may be politically motivated, but they still have to do their role to help keep the team running. A spoiled brat kid that gets in because of daddy is highly unlikely and can hurt a team. James Fraschilla most-likely had his dad’s weight behind getting on… but he had to “play ball” and fulfill his obligation. That is the only thing certain in all of this. James had to be responsible to hold on to his spot on the bench.
