Regardless of political affiliation or passionate dogma, this visit was an honor to our hoops program, a chance meeting which fired up our student-athletes. What better site for the most prominent leader in the world to make a public show than the University of Kansas, which represents a big chunk of the origin of the game we so well cherish? Bill Self and minions were very appreciative and energized. A dandy tribute to Jayhawk Basketball. Rock Chalk!
Red Rooster, I note that you are very active this sunny but frigid Midwest New Years Day a.m. Here’s hoping all is well at your residence, and the best of health and happiness to you and yours, 2018.
This incident occurred at an especially explosive moment, as the country has been reeling from innercity mayhem involving police and black citizens. Jamari grew up on the streets (literally) in the heart of innercity Chicago. Although he has forged an almost ideal life for himself in the world of USA competitive basketball, his experiences and natural inclinations might yet draw him toward jeopardy involving late-night policing situations. Whatever happened, I wish for him the very best. I would hope that Lawrence, KS, has become a fairly safe comfortable home. It appears that members of our coaching staff have served as important role models and parent figures. Time now for him to do a bit of soul searching and reflection, adjust his offcourt friendships and activities, return quickly to the avenues which will lead him toward future security. This incident does not reek of Goofy Giddins’ latenight fiasco, or of Little’s latenight violence at his girlfriend’s quarters, or of Brady M’s reckless DUI. I hope that Self and Co. can quickly unravel details, mete out whatever punishment might be called for, and get Jamari back on track. We really have needed a more focused JamBam in our lineup. Also, as an afterthought, if the Lawrence police force or whatever law enforcement service might possibly have over-reacted, I would hope that the handling is addressed and re-evaluated accordingly. Sensitive times right now most everywhere on the dark streets of America…
In current stats, league play only, Graham: 13 assists, 0 turnovers! Mason: 16/8.
Any team but Mizzou. Invite Wichita State to AFH or Sprint Center, why not. Mizzou turned its back on a 100 year old rivalry. Shun them forever!
Seems as though every season my wife and I pick a Jayhawk favorite player. This season, Mitch is our guy. I really derive chuckles, referring to him as Lightfeet. The kid is blessed with “B” level topflight Div. 1 skill and “A++” enthusiasm. We hope he is around for 5 seasons. This program needs a Mitch Lightfoot.
@chriz Billy can’t depart. No transportation. His Dodge is still nestled outside The Palace with a blown tire hanging off a front wheel.
The way I recall it (and I do admit that my recall has begun to fade) when Shaka took the Longhorn job, moving up from VCU, he was asked how he thought he might be able to compete against the likes of perennial league champion Kansas and Coach Bill Self. I think he might have committed the grievous cheeky error of referring to his previous win over Self in an NCAA Tournament. If that did indeed occur (and I am rather certain it did), Mr. Smart might live to regret his bold slip of tongue. It appears that humility might have been a better avenue to establishing himself and his program as respectable contenders.
@jayballer54 The kid is a class act…one of the best persons to appear in a Jayhawk uniform in the past 30 years or so. Bill Self has provided the KU fan base with some top quality recruits, and Frank is among the finest. As recent past citizens of the KU campus Frank Mason and Perry Ellis are about as good as it is ever going to be. Those two certainly help cancel out a bevy of former miscreants and mischief makers.
The Alexander and Preston crap dented my appreciation for KU Hoops. Then when the DeSousa stuff surfaced I pretty much retired from daily reading and commenting on this site. With another promising season about to get underway my spirits are lifted somewhat. But I will never again buy into any semblance of belief regarding the innocence of Bill Self and the program. KU might not be as crooked as the programs of Good Ol’ Roy Boy, his mentor Dean, and Mr. Slicks at Louisville and Kentucky, but it’s a sad fact that corruption rears its ugly head at our place and evidently so many others. Years ago a relative chid me for my inclinations to believe in the amateur spirit and state of college sport. No longer do I suspend my disbelief.
For a decade our friend jaybate has consistently, insistently, incessantly brayed, “BEWARE BIG SHOE!” And now, here we are.
My longtime willing suspension of disbelief about KU’s involvement in illegal hoops recruitment is being rattled like barn tin in a windstorm. The program appeared to have done an honorable job, at least after the fact, regarding probable payoffs to the Preston family. But then the same guy who supposedly slid money to that clan is now said to have funneled dollars to DeSousa’s guardian? And KU did not smell the eventual trap? It’s either GEE WHIZ or YIKES! Has my confident fandom followed a course of ignorance? Or just stupidity?
Along tangential lines, here is a fairly simple proposal from the fairly simple mind of an avid fan. If a scholarship player transfers or departs for professional play prior to competing two years at a collegiate institution, he is legally bound to reimburse that institution the cost of his tuition, room, board and monthly personal stipends. That said, my dukes are down; lace em up and have at me.
As I have posted before I am not an X’s and O’s fan. I pat myself on the back for knowing people quite well. I have been on edge about the Lawsons from the getgo. I hope to be surprised that all works smoothly for their adjustment as solid team players, highly coachable. Loads of potential for the brothers, but…
Regarding current or incoming players, right now I feel like a white dress shirt flapping in the mid day wind, hoping no pigeons come along to perch at rest between the clothespins.
@HighEliteMajor Maybe you had best wear your old worn out golf shoes until all this Big Shoe mess is unveiled. If you plan to buy some Nikes, talk to the store manager to see if an agreement can be made to return fairly new but worn Nikes, just in case that noble outfit goes down, too. Heck, KU might even be a Nike school in the not too distant future. Or perhaps the University will go with Red Wing!
@jaybate-1.0 I would imagine that the Kansas Hoops coaching staff is bearing down on the search for a pair of such gunners. A recent LJW article appears to have tapped into that pursuit. The Nova game was indeed a shocker to the entire collegiate hoops world. At 15 minutes into that contest I just shook my head in abject wonder, figuring that the game had become something very different from most anything I had viewed in recent seasons. I know full well that Bill Self is anything but a quitter; but I think that after 30 minutes his brilliant basketball mind was already focused on designing a new type of squad for the near future. What he was seeing represented a major jolt to the strategists and tacticians who normally win so many Division 1 contests. Here’s hoping he can affect change with a core of players who can and will quickly adapt to the challenges presented by Jay Wright and Co.
@approxinfinity Aw, okay, I suppose I had best apologize for my responses on this thread. My threadiquette obviously is poorer than my eyesight. You have done a marvelous job in establishing, tweaking and managing KU Buckets. I’ve slim desire to rattle your cage. Actually, this was my first post on the Politics Category. I had not read previous spins from the general topic. Occasionally, in the past I slipped up and pitched some treacherous liberalism into the basketball entries; so I was patting myself on the back for driving in the more proper lane here. But I DO SEE that my Trump burps aren’t appropriate fits in the spirit of this specific thread. Sincerely sorry for the gaffe.
@approxinfinity Whoa! This thread falls under POLITICS and WORLD AFFAIRS. Whence comes your request?