January 30: Our Daily Threads
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Also see today’s News Digest, January 30, and News Digest for Yesterday, January 29, as well as Daily Threads for Yesterday, January 29 ##Our Daily Threads for January 30:##
##FLOOR BURN AWARD: KU vs ISU - Jan 29 - @drgnslayr##
Now THAT was some exciting basketball played last night in AFH! A supercharged explosion out of the blocks for Kansas, that set the tone for the entire night; big time energy for 40 minutes! These teams like to play each other because they create a powerful synergy when they go after it.
There were many things to consider this time, when picking the winner of the FLOOR BURN AWARD. Wayne Selden had a show-stopping save in the opening minutes that might have made the Sportscenter’s Play of the Day reel had Naadir not fumbled it away trying too hard to advance the ball.
##Kansas Jayhawks… meet Oklahoma City Thunder! - @drgnslayr##
My wife must really love me. There is no other possible reason why she would tolerate me during basketball season. During this time of year, basketball rules our DVR hard drive. All other content eventually gets tossed away to make room for more game footage. Anything “basketball” gets targeted for recording; talk basketball shows, some NBA, all college ball, sometimes HS ball, documentaries about basketball, movies about basketball, vintage old games being rebroadcast, etc. etc. etc.
Often I get ideas by putting miscellaneous games side-by-side for my viewing pleasure. Last night, I caught the Oklahoma City Thunder’s total beat down on the Miami Heat and then went directly to the tip-off of Kansas and Iowa State.
##KU Player’s Studio: Video Interviews with KU Greats - @jaybate##
A few minutes ago I was writing to slayr about what a good selection Perry Ellis was for slayr’s Floor Burn Award this week. At the end, I commented that Perry seemed to me to have moved beyond trying to be aggressive and finally became aggressive. He went from acting a role to being a role. This reminded me of the Actor’s Studio TV show hosted by former Actor’s Studio Dean James Lipton, in which he interviews former students agh the Actor’s Studio that have gone on to fine careers.
Then it hit me.
###Jan 29: Extra Pass Makes Selden Crucial and Other Things - @jaybate###
JNew’s story about Embiid and doubling has triggered some opining.
How much doubling KU sees depends a lot on whether Embiid is good to go, or a gimp being used as an early decoy.
If Lucas/Black play a lot of 5, ISU is quite likely NOT to double either, until one of them proves a threat in the paint.
###Jan 29: Landen Lucas - @drgnslayr###
Landen is quickly becoming a Jayhawk favorite because of his patience, positivity and performance. He must be the best post 5th-man in college basketball.
Could he be the difference in a league game this year? Yes, he could be, and the game he could impact most will be played tonight in AFH.
###Jan 28: One Inch - @HighEliteMajor ###
One inch.
One inch decides so many things in life. Vince Lombardi famously said that “Life’s a game of inches.” And every sport is decided by inches. Against TCU, our season may have been decided by one inch. The extra one inch that Joel Embiid’s knee did not bend backwards. One more inch, Embiid’s ACL was done.
###Jan 28: 300,000,000 Hoopahs or Cha-Ching! -@jaybate###
Some times board rats wonder how Andrew Wiggins can be rumored to be awaiting some kind of mega endorsement deal.
Think about this number: 300,000,000.
That is the estimated number of human beings that play basketball on planet earth presently, according to the ever suspect Wikipedia.
###Jan 28: What if… What if… What if… -@drgnslayr###
What if Dr. James Naismith was in Springfield, Virginia instead of Springfield, Massachusetts and didn’t have peach baskets, only apple crates?
Would we be playing basketball today on a square rim?
###Jan 28: Some Ways to Get in Iowa State Fans Heads Before the Game - @jaybate###
~Insist on mis-spelling their school’s name as follows: Eyeowa Steight Psiklonz.
~Tell them that Self-Stalking is caused by GMO corn.
~Remind them that corn-based E-85 has less energy density than 87 Regular.
###Jan 28: Does the best freshman PG play in Kansas? - @TheDrunkenJhawk###
For the entire college basketball season it has been said that the best freshman point guard in the nation plays for Syracuse. Tyler Ennis was a five star recruit, and a McDonald’s All American, with offers from prominent colleges such as UCLA, Memphis, Illinois, Cincinnati, and defending national champion Louisville.
Ennis has helped the Orange to an undefeated start to the season, while starting at arguably the most important position on the floor he has averaged 12.0 ppg, 5.4 apg against only 1.4 topg, and 2.5 spg…
###Jan 28: It’s #1 Seed Or Bust: The Path To The Title - @HighEliteMajor###
Kansas now seems back in the mix for a #1 seed. Seemed improbable three plus weeks ago. But here we are. Back in the discussion. This fact may be the most important development in our pursuit of a national title.
However, with four losses and a challenging conference road ahead, a #1 seed seems unlikely, doesn’t it? Right now, there are two undefeated teams that look like locks for a #1 seed: Arizona and Syracuse. Then there’s Wichita St., who might run the table; and a host of others – San Diego St., Kentucky, Florida, Michigan St., or Michigan – for that last spot. Lots of competition with two that have beaten us head to head.
###Jan 27: 1-1-1-2/Say What! Or Out of the Cradle Endlessly Masking - @jaybate###
Though it flew under radar, as in almost no one seemed to comment, Self deployed that rarest of rare zone presses, yes, a 3/4 court 1-1-1-2.
SAY WHAT?!
Yep the one and only time I saw it was against Arizona State a few years back, when that little known Okie Baller was interim head coach and was assisted by some connoisseur of weird defenses. Both names I now forget. They ran the 1-1-1-2 and it gave KU some problems beyond simple surprise and recognition. Why?
###Jan 27: SOME POSSIBLE UNDERHANDED HOIBERG STRATEGIES FOR THE LAWRENCE REMATCH - @jaybate###
Hoiberg sends ISU stalker fan down to follow Bill around until Bill can’t sleep the night before the big game.
###Jan 26: Three Cheers for Welsh and Shroff! - @drgnslayr###
The TCU game was not the most-exciting game in Jayhawk history, but it also wasn’t the most-offensive commentated game we’ve had to tolerate either! In fact, the commentators did an excellent job!
How about a big Jayhawk shout out to Tim Welsh and Anish Shroff for doing the best commentating of a Jayhawk game in years… maybe decades!
###Jan 26: Night Hawks Waiting for Another Title - @jaybate###
Not for rebroadcast, reproduction, re-transmission or re-distribution in any form. Not intended for commercial exploitation of any kind.
###Jan 26: StubHub General Admission tickets? -@JayhawkFan1954###
StubHub is allowing people selling General Admission seats to post actual row and seat numbers and also state that “your seats will be together” even if a person buys 8 or 10 tickets…
Jan 25: THINGS TO DO IN FORT WORTH BEFORE THE TCU BEAT DOWN - @jaybate####
~Try to visit all 1,000 natural gas wells tapping the Barnett Shale formation under Fort Worth. Each well site is a bare patch of gravel 2-5 acres in size. City ordinances permit them in all zoning categories. Some wells are secured by masonry fences, but most are secured by chain link.
~Skip the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and go straight to the adjacent National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Women already in the hall of fame include Georgia O’Keefe, Sacagawea, Annie Oakley, Dale Evans, Enid Justin, Temple Grandin, and Sandra Day O’Connor. As you view the honor to Sandra Day O’Connor recall It was reputedly at the 1985 National Press Club’s Salute to Congress at 529 14th Street NW in Washington D.C. that Riggins drunkenly told Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to “loosen up Sandy baby” because she was “too tight” when the two reputedly met at dinner.[29] Riggins then reputedly fell asleep under the table.[30] The incident created a national stir.[citation needed] The next time Ms O’Connor and John Riggins reputedly met at a function years later, she reputedly gave Riggo a dozen roses.[31] {The above was found at John Riggins wiki page.}
Jan 25: tough losses by coach @lighthawk
Thinking of the TCU game last year as a heavy surprise it wasn’t a tough loss, rather it made a point and chance for coach to bring lofty team to reality, get ready for the rest of season and March in March.
Tough loss by coach: Ted Owens, Wichita State and Texas Western. Larry Brown, Oklahoma AFH & Duke Final Four Dallas Roy Williams, Arizona Elite Eight & Syracuse Bill Self, maybe it was Bill’s 5th loss against Missouri, oops my bad, played MU 19 times and only lost 4 of them, sweet!
Jan 24: HALF COURT ZONES: CORE VS. TACTICAL USE - @jaybate####
“Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man.”
–George Patton
George Patton was a general that spent most of his combat life invading places, not defending places. He had overwhelmed many fixed defenses. Thus it is not surprising that he would use his bold eloquence to say something pithy and pregnant with insight about attacking and scoff at fixed defenses.
####Jan 24: Conquering Turnovers - @drgnslayr####
Bill Self is talking about reducing turnovers -
http://cjonline.com/sports/2014-01-23/self-kus-offense-should-be-better
A high rate of turnovers seem to be the norm for a Bill Self team. That fact seems to contradict the success Bill Self brings with him every year, or does it?
Why do Bill Self teams turn the ball over at a high rate?
####Jan 23: Picking the Elite 8 - @lulufulu85####
I want to add a thread for today. Would anyone care to venture a very premature guess at this years elite 8 teams? I say that because IMO the field is still too wide open to pick just 4 teams out of the 20 or so teams that could possibly make it to the Final 4. But, there are some really good teams out there that have started to separate themselves from the pack. Back in November during the time KU played in the Champions classic with Dookie, Michigan St and Kenstinky, I made a guess that that line up could be the '14 Final Four. shakes head Nope, not gonna happen. And without further ado, but a lot of rambling because I work the night shift and I have been up since 6pm yesterday, I will start with my 8 teams whom I think at this point in the season will make it to Elite status.
####Jan 23: McDermott VS Embiid VS Wiggins - @drgnslayr####
John Gasaway, over at ESPN, wrote an op ed called “Top 25 Players in College Hoops”, where he ranked current players based on his own value system for how they impacted the college game instead of how NBA scouts rank players for draft status, based on their potential at the next level.
Gasaway concluded that the top player in college basketball is Doug McDermott. Joel Embiid finished 9th and Andrew Wiggins finished 21st.
I was unable to finish reading his story because I don’t find enough value in the ESPN media to warrant paying to read their opinions. But… I’ll go ahead and post my own ideas around this story and the rankings that came from it
#####Jan 22: Why Self Said FTs Probably Won the BU Game and Some Implications - @jaybate#####
Also see today’s News Digest, January 30, and News Digest for Yesterday, January 29, as well as Daily Threads for Yesterday, January 29
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I don’t know where this comment belongs, but it’s 5:30 in the morning so this seems as good as any.
I’ve been somewhat out of the loop for a few days - can someone please tell me why Connor was in street clothes last night? Is he injured or sick? Thank You.
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@nuleafjhawk Morning. It was reported that he had hurt his knee in practice.
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@approxinfinity What would Bill Self do with a Roy Williams team? What would he have done with the teams in 02 and 03? Those teams were offensive juggernauts. Run and gun type teams that overwhelm their opponents with offense. Im not too versed on how Ole Roy runs his offense but I know they play up tempo and like to shoot lights out.
In his last 10.5 season with KU, Coach Self is teams at their peak playing some of the best defense in the country. Our beloved 08 N.C. team had the best of both. Ranking top 2 and 1 in offense and defense per Kenpom. This year, it seems to me that this team has morphed into one of Roy’s high octane offense teams. They literally overwhelmed ISU last night. And TCU the game previous. This year KU is ranked #4 in offense per Kenpom and #30 in defense. Which team has won an N.C. in the past 11 years without a top 10 or 15 rated Defensive Efficiency?
UNC 2009. #1 offense, #21 defense.
KU looks eerily similar this year. I repeat the question. What
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@RockChalkinTexas Thank You ! I hope it’s nothing serious.
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@wrwlumpy Brilliant! I wish I had kissed Frankamp in 8th grade. LOL
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Living in South Texas and taking the family to the game in Austin. We want to get autographs and was wondering if it is possible. On the road, do they sign as they get on the bus after the game?
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PW
Last year we got to the drum(Texas) early (as in they opened the doors about an hour early) for the team for a walk thru shoot around. We were reluctant to approach /or call to the players as we didn’t want to disrupt them, but I could walk right up to the front row and baseline for photos.
My daughter was a huge Withey fan- I think he might have given us a photo an hour before the game but didn’t risk it.
My advise is arrive early, get in line early and when they open up walk down behind the KUbench.
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And I did not address autographs. Don’t know anything about that. If you know where to be or who to be with after?
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@PackyWacky Best of all, if you have a clue when the bus. Arrives at the DRUM and catch them there. RCJH
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@Lulufulu85 Don’t forget that kenpom updates the numbers after games, including the championship game. The KU '08 Champions did not have the #1 defense and #2 offense when the tournament started, only when it ended.
Frankly, if the Tournament started today we would be in the conversation for Final Four and that’s it. Fortunately for us, the Tournament starts in a month and KU is improving faster than everybody else.
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@ParisHawk Good point Paris
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@JayhawkRock78 …thanks. Hope to see lots of CRIMSON & BLUE… RCJH
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@PackyWacky just get us the W!
