Reality check from the land of Trust in Bill Self



  • I decided to repost this in a new thread because the “sucked” thread’s name really bothers me. I think lots of fans probably won’t even read that one, since it is premised on faulty logic designed to find flaws without solutions. So, here is my take on the wholesale attacks on HCBS based on the fact that he has, boo hoo, lost so many games in the Elite 8:

    For everyone saying things like, “the 2-5 record speaks for itself” please consider that it is not so unlikely that it is just a statistical outlier. If we had a 50% chance of winning each game, the Self record could have occurred 21 times out of 128. Unlikely, but not impossible. That is about a 1 in 6 chance.

    In perhaps more familiar terms, you would have a 1 in 4 chance to flip a coin and come up heads twice in a row, and 1 in 8 for it to be 3 times in a row. So, the statistical probability of this type of record is between that of 2 heads and 3 heads in a row.

    Anyone who ever flipped coins knows you can have streaks far greater than 3 in a row without something being wrong with the coin. Same with roulette: people lose really big thinking a black or red streak of 5, 8, or even 10 in a row means something about the wheel’s characteristics.

    For anyone to conclude that Bill’s record in EEs is indicative of a flaw is just simple-minded at best and willfully ignorant at worst. Just consider the fact that if we made about 7 more baskets in a total of about 3 tournaments (especially a rifldiculous number of bunnies in a couple years), the record would be reversed (remember, the final scores sometimes reflect desperation fouls at the end).

    A wholesale change of coaching philosophy is not mandated by the fact that players miss some shots, or stumble, or make a couple of dumb mistakes.

    Lighten up people. Bill’s record reflects more opportunities because of greater coaching ability, not lesser due to unpredictability of outcomes.



  • @mayjay Appreciate the approach. I will say that the analysis not only involves the record, but also the performance of our team. I saw a post with our offensive output in each Elite Eight game, as well as the output of prior Bill Self teams. It’s pretty stark. A number with the lowest offensive output for the season, if I recall. Further, there is also the “second game of the weekend” issue. This relates to how a coach has his team ready to play on a short turnaround vs. an unfamiliar opponent.

    This is not the roulette wheel, or a flip of the coin. It’s basketball. It’s not a game of chance. There is an element of chance/luck to be sure, but it’s just one of many elements.

    We must also be sure not to view the Elite Eight/2nd game of the weekend record in a vacuum.

    One might also say that Bill Self’s overall record speaks for itself, the conference title streak speaks for itself, etc. They certainly do.

    Bill Self owns the tourney issues. I don’t hear him running from it. We saw him change quite a bit this season. My guess is he’s going to self-reflect even further. And it’s nothing winning two titles over the next five years won’t cure, or even one in the next few seasons.

    My view is we are in this together. Meaning Bill Self is one of us. He’s a brother. He’s not someone to be cast aside because we may have certain issues, with certain things.

    To critique tourney performance is much different than calling for his head. I think that is what a clear majority have done with their comments – critique and discuss. Some have gotten a bit irrational (just a few), but after a big tourney loss, extending a little rope (not to hang themselves, but to permit venting) is probably reasonable.



  • @mayjay Bill Self is the man, according to LaGerald Vick and that’s good enough for me!



  • @HighEliteMajor said:

    This is not the roulette wheel, or a flip of the coin. It’s basketball. It’s not a game of chance. There is an element of chance/luck to be sure, but it’s just one of many elements.

    Absolutely agreed. The variables in bb are much different, and I should have acknowledged that in my post. I was only responding to the posts that expressly said the numbers alone had meaning.

    Finding other reasons for losses is different. I happen to think there are different reasons each year, not a single overriding reason that causes Self to “fail.” I specifically reject the “pucker” complaint. The players may miss because they try too hard, but the coaches aren’t shooting.

    For example, this year against Ore we kept feeding it inside despite a shot bocker deluxe having a feeding frenzy. I think we should have slowed down in the first 2 minutes rather than sped up because too many players were hurrying too much. I would have called more plays for Svi, who was their 4th threat to defend. I would have tried two bigs at once just for awhile when Josh went out. I might have pulled Josh in the first half on his first foul because he has a tendency to get too amped and out of control.

    Maybe I would have tried all these things and lost by 40. I don’t know, however, if Bill tries things and the players don’t execute, so I can’t say as some have that he doesn’t adjust. Sometimes the adjustments don’t work.

    The fact remains, though, that less than 10 missed shots over 5 EE losses are the difference between this conversation and an entirely different one. And that number can indeed reflect the luck of bouncing balls rather than the coach.



  • Does anyone know (or care) what Gonzaga fans blamed Mark Few’s curse of the Sweet 16 on?

    He had only reached the Elite 8 once before this year with 6 apparences in the Sweet 16.

    This is in 17 total apparences before this year.



  • @mayjay It’s just the annual pity party. A bunch of “super” fans melting down because of a loss. Unfortunately KU wasn’t good enough to overcome a terrible shooting night. Nothing more, nothing less.

    Bill Self is one of four finalists for Naismith Coach of the year. That’s clearly a guy who should be fired.



  • @HighEliteMajor said:

    This relates to how a coach has his team ready to play on a short turnaround vs. an unfamiliar opponent.

    Just a thought about this, because it has been mentioned a lot. Does this reflect a flaw in short-turnaround coaching by Self but his 12-5 record in the second round with that same turnaround does not mean the opposite?

    I guess I am not willing to make very firm conclusions or find patterns where these things are based on info so highly selective.



  • @mayjay You can say it’s a statistical outlier, but when it’s the same issue that’s popped up in 5 of Self’s 7 E8 appearances, that’s not an outier, that’s a trend and the 2004 and 2012 E8 games become the outliers.



  • @dylans That poor shooting night happens just about every time KU reaches the E8 though. Self and his staff need to figure out why this is so instead of just going “oh well, we’ll get them next year.”



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 Could be the players want to be the ones who get coach over that hump and out the pressure on themselves?

    They get tight. They get “puckered” (which seems to be the word of choice around here). They try to hard to get coach the next Final 4.

    Look at how they have played this past season. Once Number 13 was wrapped up it seemed the guys were a little more relaxed. You hear them and coach talk about how non of them want to be the team that snaps the streak of conference titles and they put that pressure on themselves.

    Maybe the same can be said about the players wanting it so bad for coach in the Elite 8 that they put the pressure on themselves.

    And once shots stop falling you tense up a little more to try to get the next one in and so on.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 said:

    Self and his staff need to figure out why this is so instead of just going “oh well, we’ll get them next year.”

    Here is the thrust of my complaint: you are setting up a straw argument. Yes, Bill needs (as does every coach) to try to figure out how to be more successful.

    But, no, there is no evidence that your post contains any information about what he does or doesn’t do in accomplishing his job. Yet your last line seems to reflect a sense of triumph that you have it figured out and that he doesn’t even try.

    Question: overall, how do most teams fare in shooting percentage in the regional finals compared to their regular seasons (not the early rds b/c those are distorted by playing much lower seeds early)? This has to be analyzed over several seasons to control for rules changes, etc, And how well do EE winners perform than losers?

    I suspect two things: first, that more often than not, shooting percentages of most teams go down because teams are facing generally better defensive teams as they advance than they likely faced in most regular season games. And second, that more often than not, the winning team has a 5 to 10 FG % advantage over losing teams in the EE game.

    There is a common cause if my suspicions are correct: losing teams shoot more poorly than they have done previously.

    That does not mean that all those teams have coaches who do not know how to prepare.



  • @mayjay I posted this in the thread that brought me to this site earlier this morning.

    “Complaining about a problem without a solution is whining” President T. Roosevelt

    I had this quote in my classroom and locker rooms through my time.

    I had a junior player come up to me in my 3rd as a coach and ask me why a freshman was getting more time at practice with the 1s. At first I tried to tell him that this other kid was a better player without saying that to him. Then I remember this quot, and I asked him if he knew why and what he could do to change that? I asked him to come up with a solution by the next day and let me know and we’d talk about it.

    He wrote out a list of five solutions.

    1. Work harder in and out of practice.
    2. Become a better student if the game.
    3. Become a better teammate.
    4. Do what is needed to help the team.
    5. Get #14 kicked off the team. Sorry coach that’s just a joke.

    That kid became an assistant for me 6 years later and replaced me as head coach after I retired. It was that note that made me want to work with this kid. He didn’t whine. He didn’t quit or make excuses. He tried. He learned and now he’s winning not just at basketball but teaching and life.



  • @FarNrthJHwk Sounds like he was the fertile ground and you found the perfect seed to plant for his potential to sprout and thrive. What a nice feeling it must be to have the memory of that successs.

    Of course, there are people here who think saying “Bill just doesn’t get his teams up for EE games” is both analytical and dispositive. Any way you can send them off to compose a list of actual solutions? Without kicking #14 off the team, of course, since Bill already tried that last year by getting rid of Brannen Greene, and it didn’t work!



  • @mayjay of course, since Bill already tried that last year by getting rid of Brannen Greene, and it didn’t work!

    That’s funny. Well played.

    Those two kids became pretty dynamic the next two years as teammates. They pushed each other to be better in the summer and just fed off of each other’s energy.

    #14’s dad asked me what I said to him after his freshman season to make him work even harder. This kid was talented as a pg. handles for days. Court vision and a good shoot. Natural leader. I told his dad it wasn’t me. Wish I could take credit but it was his competition onnthe team. Unfortunately after his junior year he tore his Achilles heel and ACL in a bad wreck and was never able to play any more. His leg was orettt screwed up.



  • @HighEliteMajor said:

    To critique tourney performance is much different than calling for his head. I think that is what a clear majority have done with their comments – critique and discuss.

    Exactly. I’m in the camp of “dammit, Bill, figure this thing out”. He’s at a top 4 school, gets paid a lot of money, and the tournament is kind of a big deal.

    At the same time, would I rather have another coach? I can’t think of one of rather have. Of course it kills me that Roy could win his 3rd title in 13 years at UNC. Tough comparison there though as it’s obviously much easier to recruit to UNC than it is to KU.

    The 14 in a row is an incredible achievement. But I’d rather multiple NCAA titles by now. Give me even one more title and you can have the streak.

    I don’t want to fire Bill. I just see a 2-7 Elite Eight record here and hope he figures it out.



  • @FarNrthJHwk said:

    Does anyone know (or care) what Gonzaga fans blamed Mark Few’s curse of the Sweet 16 on?

    He had only reached the Elite 8 once before this year with 6 apparences in the Sweet 16.

    This is in 17 total apparences before this year.

    With less talent because it’s Gonzaga, not KU.



  • Yeah I don’t think anyone here has called for Self to be fired or even on the hot seat but it’s quite possible I missed a post as I haven’t been reading everything.



  • @mayjay said:

    Just a thought about this, because it has been mentioned a lot. Does this reflect a flaw in short-turnaround coaching by Self but his 12-5 record in the second round with that same turnaround does not mean the opposite?

    I’d expect better results against teams that aren’t considered to be a top 30 team.



  • @chriz wasn’t comparing the two teams but more of the fan bases.

    Do you think their fans had lots to say as to why he wasn’t getting past the Sweet 16?

    We’re the blaming it on lack of talent? Need to recruit better?

    Kinda seeing that here from a few folks.



  • A couple of months ago, I posted the message below about Bill Self’s change in demeanor come tournament time. It seems appropriate to bring this up again now that we are repeating our Groundhog Day for KU fans.

    In light of the comments below, if the game against Oregon was a conference game, say against Oklahoma or KSU, Bill Self would’ve called an early time out and tore into the team for the sluggish start. Instead, he coddled them and didn’t coach them the same as he does during conference.

    Previous Post:

    Have any of you noticed that Coach Self seems to have different ways of motivating the team when it comes to tournament games relative to conference games? Not sure if it’s my imagination or not, but when it comes to tournament time, Self spends a lot of time talking (publicly anyway) about how the team needs to “play loose and with a free mind”.

    We rarely, if ever, hear him say something like that during the regular season. Instead, he says things like he did this week where he called out Vick and Bragg in the locker room before the game. During conference he prefers to put pressure on the players in a masterful way so that they are peaking for the difficult road games and turning down the intensity before easy home games. Sorry I don’t have more specific examples to cite here at the moment, but over the years I have noticed a definite shift in his coach-speak when the tournament starts up.

    I don’t know if I would call it coddling and I also obviously don’t know if his “play loose” comments are just for the media/public while he is coaching them in the locker room and practice like they are going into Manhattan with the B12 championship on the line. Whichever, he doesn’t seem to be able to get the team anywhere close to the killer instinct that the team possesses both at home and on the road during the regular season.

    If somehow Coach Self could get the team to believe that the jerseys on the opposite team read K-State, Baylor, or West Virginia, you can bet many of those disappointing losses in the first or second weekend of the NCAA tournament would have been W’s.

    I’ve also noticed that his sideline demeanor changes and is more mild mannered during tournament games. He smiles more at the players and goes easier on them in the huddles. Again, maybe trying to get them to not play “tight” but actually sending the message that it’s OK to lose. During conference games, he almost never smiles and is always chewing someones butt, even if they are winning by 10 points.



  • For @kjayhawks Posting a reply to you over here instead of the Calipari thread.

    Your question gave me pause. Why the trouble with one round (EE) more than others?

    Okay, no doubt about that: in Bill’s 19 tourneys, 2 losses in 64, 5 in 32, 3 in Sw16, 7 in EE, 1 in Championship game, and one tourney with a Championship (no losses).

    Please bear with me. Hypothetical: would we be upset so much if by chance Bill’s teams had been seeded differently, say 5-8 in most years, so losing in the Sw16 or EE would have been seen as exceeding expectations? Now, I know that we were seeded much higher, but what if? What if we were not viewed by media as an elite team every single year?

    I think people would be frustrated about the inability to break through into the elite level, but I also think we would be delighted that he took teams as far as he has with this exact same record.

    So, is the problem Bill’s coaching? Or is it people’s expectations – which, as I have pointed out many times before, is caused solely by his excellent coaching throughout the regular season?

    I happen to think we won a statistically unusually high number of really close games this year, distorting our record, and if a few breaks had gone the other way we would have easily fallen to a 2, 3, or even 4 seed this year. Living on the edge, it was called by many of us, by falling behind and having to come back behind our POY.

    Look at what Bill has done in regular seasons, winning those 13 straight (thrice with all new starters), fighting off Nat’l POYs in conference opponents, overcoming NCAA crap, injuries, criminal mischief, family interference, adverse media scrutiny, drugs suspensions… I call that overachieving.

    And overachieving during the year means that you get better seeds, but it is less likely you can perform to them.

    More complicated to see it this way than to just fixate on our disappointments, but it is, I think, a much better explanation than some unlikely explanation that HCBS cracks up somehow in the EE but didn’t in the F4 where there is so much more pressure.

    Bottom line, it is really the NCAA committee’s fault for overseeding us, creating a bunch of fans and media members who cannot see past seed numbers to understand how fragile a record for a #1 seed can be.



  • @FarNrthJHwk said:

    @chriz wasn’t comparing the two teams but more of the fan bases.

    Do you think their fans had lots to say as to why he wasn’t getting past the Sweet 16?

    We’re the blaming it on lack of talent? Need to recruit better?

    Kinda seeing that here from a few folks.

    I hear ya. I’m not one of the ones calling for Bill’s head (can’t say I’ve actually seen anyone on here calling for his head, doesn’t mean they don’t exist though.)

    If I’m a Gonzaga fan, I cut the coach some slack because I’m not in a power conference and I can’t get the same talent as the blue bloods. KU on the other hand, with all of the talent we’ve had, surely has to have been one of the top for teams in the country more often than we’ve been to the Final Four.



  • @chriz would agree with that



  • @mayjay I’m just curious as to how many schools/fans would wet themselves to have the opportunity to have 7 chances at the elite 8? win or lose? - - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @dylans Great point. - - Couldn’t be said better, anytime after a loss people gonna be fired up - -looking for reasons as to why we lost, a lot of times other then the real reason - -we just got beat, a lot of factors come into play, pretty much just a bad night shooting. - -Ya Oregon came out fired up, I mean a lot of things could have inspired them, just like I heard people giving them NO CHANCE, that’s bound to inspire, wanting to prove that they too belonged, that they too had a good team which they do. - -It was just one of those nights. - - -ROCKCHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • If Self won all those EE’s would he lose all the next games of the f4?



  • @chriz said:

    can’t say I’ve actually seen anyone on here calling for his head, doesn’t mean they don’t exist though.

    There are a bunch of quotes on an Oregon site.



  • How bad does Bill Self feel today? He has to feel worse than anyone in this forum. In his life, he doesn’t have time to sit around and worry himself to death. He has to find out which players are staying, which are leaving and which players does he need to come here that gives him the best chance to compete for a National Championship. He will also make time to have a Team Banquet and personally thank each member for their role in another great season. It may not be the ultimate season, but reaching the Elite 8 is a great accomplishment.



  • http://es.pn/2n94ST1 Cal getting it from National media for not winning it all enough.



  • All valid thought on this thread.

    We are going to continue to live with this reality of KU-should-at-least-be-a-FF-team-every-year expectations because of the excellence of our coach and the program. It doesn’t look like anytime soon KU will be in a prolonged downswing in terms of basketball prowess.

    Now, there can be an argument made (as has been make hundreds of times on this site) that perhaps recruiting more quality players will help us come tournament time. NC this year was not thought to be a front runner early in the season, but they seem to be gelling at the right time, and of course they have lots of talent in all positions. Nike school 😒

    In terms of pure coaching, honestly, I really don’t see other top tier coaches being any better than Self, and Self went with the flow this year and adapted. Almost all his players seem to love respect and revere him, because he is tough as hell but fair.

    Can he figure out how to be a better motivator come tourney time? Yes in my opinion… I’m guessing he is pondering that right now. But honestly, the guys we had this year really didn’t need motivating, they knew how take care of business in all kinds of hostile environments. I am somewhat shocked that the Oregon game wasn’t closer at the end, because that was our stock in trade this year.



  • Stephen A is a dodo. Does Calipari have 3 FF in 9 years at Kentucky? Two national title trips and a championship? And he does it with a brand new roster every year. Had he found a way to be UNC yesterday, he would be on his way to another title, imo.



  • @mayjay There’s no evidence because we the public don’t get to follow Self around on a daily basis from October when practice starts to the final game of the year. If we were able to, I’m sure something would stand out. So no, it’s not a straw argument because there’s enough data points to say that tgere is something going on that consistently makes a Bill Self coached team play their worst offensive game of the year in the E8. What we don’t know is the variable that changes.

    Playing better teams, sure, a below average shooting game sounds reasonable enough for that situation. But it still doesn’t explain why that round is consistently KU’s worst game of the year.

    A hypothesis I would counter with is that Self in the past has admitted to reviewing game tape from KU’s final game of the year. Bill Self has been in 18 NCAA tournaments, he’s made the E8 half the time (9), but has only won in this round twice. Why would a coach not review game tape when it’s consistently the same cause for losing? This is where I would start from in figuring out why Bill Self struggles so much in the E8.

    The other place I would go is the November tournaments Self has participated in. KU hasn’t won many when there’s been a fellow top rated team in them. That’s another possible correlation as well.

    So while there’s nothing we can do to get all the information needed to determine the cause since we can’t follow Self around during practice and other basketball related activities, we have to look at what’s available through quotes and observable pieces of information available.



  • @FarNrthJHwk said:

    @Texas-Hawk-10 Could be the players want to be the ones who get coach over that hump and out the pressure on themselves?

    They get tight. They get “puckered” (which seems to be the word of choice around here). They try to hard to get coach the next Final 4.

    Look at how they have played this past season. Once Number 13 was wrapped up it seemed the guys were a little more relaxed. You hear them and coach talk about how non of them want to be the team that snaps the streak of conference titles and they put that pressure on themselves.

    Maybe the same can be said about the players wanting it so bad for coach in the Elite 8 that they put the pressure on themselves.

    And once shots stop falling you tense up a little more to try to get the next one in and so on.

    That still comes back to Bill Self though because part of his job is to make sure his players are ready to play and to make adjustments when something isn’t working. So if the team is putting pressure on itself, that’s still on Self to try and find a way to loosen them up.



  • CJ Moore‏Verified account @CJMooreBR 1h1 hour ago

    Bill Self has a better tourney win% than Knight, Rupp, John Thompson, Boeheim, Tark & Iba. If he makes E8 next year, he’ll pass Dean Smith.



  • It’s funny how FF is an arbitrary accomplishment that becomes a measure of success. When I was a kid growing up in Illinois going downstate was the goal in basketball. To accomplish that you had to make the Elite 8. If you did that, you had accomplished a lot and everything was judged on that, almost like winning it all was just gravy.

    Making the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament is a nice accomplishment and when we lose in the Elite 8, we are losing to a team that has made the Final 4. Losing in the Elite 8 sucks, but it doesn’t suck in a Bucknell or Bradley kind of way, or even in a Northern Iowa kind of way. It means we won three tourney games, pretty exciting, but of course we want to win 6 games each March, not 3.

    It’s interesting that Jay Wright has had a much worse March record than Bill Self, but right now he is on the list of really good coaches because he won the darn thing last year. Then he comes back this year and goes right back to form with an upset loss, a very regular occurrence in Philly for his teams.

    And totally unrelated, but if UNC doesn’t pull that one out yesterday then we’d have to endure the awful reality of TWO SEC teams in the FF.



  • @FarNrthJHwk it is never on the players apparently when KU loses. It is always Self got out coached or failed to adjust. It can never be that the opponent played a better game that day.

    Unfortunately this happens to every team that happens to be the favorite in said game.



  • The team that lost on Saturday was comprised of players with the following recruiting evaluations:

    • 5 stars Jackson, Bragg(Didn’t see the floor)

    • 4 stars Mason, Graham, Svi, Vick

    • 3 stars Lucas, Coleby

    Our front court was basically mid major level. Coaching isn’t the problem, missing on key recruits is. Imagine the team this year with Jarrett Allen. I always go back to Morningstar and Reed being starters that make an Elite 8. That isnt a disappointment that is called MAXIMIZING talent. But at Kansas those guys should have been role players.



  • @BigBad What was the ranking of the Oregon players?



  • @wissox

    247 composites

    Bell #101 Brooks #97 Dorsey #28 Prtichard #54 Benson #187 Dylan Ennis NR!!



  • @BigBad is right. KU’s front court this year was midmajor level. It’s just a fact. Nothing against Landen he played his butt off.



  • @BShark Landon is what he is. It was Bragg’s lack of development that really hurt.



  • @BigBad

    Bragg was pretty overrated as it turns out. I admit I was very wrong about him I thought he would be a good player. But at this point, he looks like he should transfer to a team in the MVC. Probably best for Bragg and KU. I wish him the best if he transfers.



  • @BShark He is a PERFECT fit at the 4 for the Hi Low. His back to the basket moves are lagging and we went 4 out this year so that hurt. Then the off court stuff…



  • Found this kind of interesting. - - It was said, Yes Bill Self is 2-5 in the elite 8 - -that means we as in KU has made the elite 8 50% of the time since Coach Self has been here, Also said that they bet chances are all but a few of the 351 other Coaches would rally like to be in this position. - -Hmmmmm., this from a Coach that is getting questioned for making adjustments.

    Also read: Self has lost twice in the 1st round: - -Bucknell - - - & Bradley.- - Three times in the 2nd round: - - Northern Iowa - - -Stanford - - -& Wichita State. - - -Twice in the Sweet Sixteen- - Michigan State & Michigan. Five times in the elite 8: - - Georgia Tech - - UCLA - - VCU - - Villanova - - & Oregon - -Once in the Title - -Kentucky. Well hmmm, let’s see is it because Self didn’t make adjustments OR was it that on this particular night that the other team might of just been better? - - A lot of things go into a win. - -BUT let’s look at this another way.

    Bill Self is 12-2 in the 1st round - - - -Bill Self is 9-3 in the 2nd round - - -Bill self is 7-2 in the sweet sixteen - - -bill self is yes 2-5 in the elite 8 - - But Bill Self is 2-0 in the Semi’s - - -&- - -1-1 in the Title game.- - - -He is 33-13 in the NCAA tourney games - - let me say that again - - Bill Self is 33-13 in the NCAA tourney games - - that is a 71 .7 winning %- - - now I’m kind of curious - -I wonder for a guy that can’t or won’t make ajustments I wonder about ALL these other games - Coach didn’t make adjustments at any point in any other all these other games? - -Kind of odd, so ONLY in the elite 8 games he won’t make adjustments? - -I find that kind of odd. - -In all these other games even the ones he has won in the NCAA that he made no adjustments in any of them things tha t make you go hummmm.

    Only two other coaches have been to more elite 8’s then Coach- – Calipari with 9 - -three of those with Memphis - - -Williams with 8. - - One other thought - -you do realize that since 1979 ONLY 25% of the # 1 seeds have made it to the final 4 – Let me say that again. Since 1979 - -only 25 % of the # 1 seeds have made it to the final 4 - - -25 % - - hmmmm. - -Wonder why they didn’t make it any more then that? -was it because their coach couldn’t/wouldn’t make adjustments? - -OR maybe just maybe - -the shots just wasn’t falling -maybe it was just that the other team was just a little better on that particular night? - -Someone please tell me if we were to play a best out of 7 against Oregon who you think would take that series? - you know - -I know - -would it be because we are truly the better team? Anything can happen in a one game scenario - - such as shoots just not falling, not being in proper defensive position, not getting that key rebound - -So in this 7 game series that we know we would win - -Coach Self not making any adjustments OR are we hitting those same shots, better defensive position, getting key rebounds? - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jayballer54 How dare you look at the big picture! 😉



  • @BigBad LOL, Ya I know lol, - - - I’m sorry- - - -my bad - -😃 ☺ - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jayballer54 If you are a member of the kusports posters, or @Texas-Hawk-10 I think I see your name pop up over there sometimes…

    Maybe we should have some investigative journalism and interview players from all elite eight teams that lost, and maybe even the ones that didn’t lose and see if there is a common theme that can be discovered.

    It doesn’t look like Jesse Newell is on here any more. Maybe somebody here knows Keegan, or Tait. Maybe a good piece to work on in the offseason.



  • @Blown

    • 2004: No. 3 Georgia Tech 79, No. 4 Kansas 71 - Roy’s boys coached by Self. Giddens was horrible on D, miles couldn’t shoot. Jarret jack went off. Played to our seed

    • 2007: No. 2 UCLA 68, No. 1 Kansas 55 - Kansas full of young talent and ran into a talented UCLA squad in San Jose

    • 2008: No. 1 Kansas 59, No. 10 Davidson 57 - Self’s most complete squad squeaked out win against Stephen Curry

    • 2011: No. 11 VCU 71, No. 1 Kansas 61 - Sorry but I myself believe Kansas had a flawed roster. Selby not developing and relying on Morningstar and Reed from the outside is meh…team couldnt shoot that day.

    • 2012: No. 2 Kansas 80, No. 1 North Carolina 67 - Maybe we get lucky because UNC was missing their starting PG

    • 2016: No. 2 Villanova 64, No. 1 Kansas 59 - Wayne Selden lays goose egg from outside

    • 2017: No. 3 Oregon 74, No. 1 Kansas 60 - Devonte Graham lays goose egg from outside

    I was most disappointed in 07 and 16, the rest were flawed rosters that were finally exposed.



  • @Blown that would be an interesting idea, now see once again I learn something from here like most days -I never knew that Jesse Newell was on here. - -Wish someone could - -take a lot of work lol. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



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  • @kjayhawks saw your tag line. Maybe somebody needs to send a #BIFM shirt to Frank Martin?


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