I wasn’t expecting to well up in tears for someone I hadn’t personally met, but I did. I’ve been to four funerals of friends and family this year and was able to stay composed, but this hit me harder than expected. @RockChalkinTexas apparently holds a special place in my heart. I enjoy my bucketteers; don’t any of you dare leave!

Everyone stay safe and healthy as possible this holiday season!!!

@wissox said in My crisis of faith in Bill:

Bill Self had a phase where he recruited some questionable character guys. It really impacted this program, saddling us with the black eye of the half decade long investigation. The dude with the car accident (I’ve repressed the memory of his name and couldn’t care less to learn his name), the dude with the shoebox money (ditto my other parenthesis), Josh Jackson the most talented of all the lowlifes we brought in. The dude who raped the woman. Vick, had some issues, forgetting exactly, Jalen Wilson DUI, and the aforementioned Cliff Alexander, a victim of his own ma if I recall correctly. I might be wrong but Selfs first decade with us was his strongest and we avoided these headlines.

The original post, excellent btw @approxinfinity, and @MoonwalkMafia, was what’s happened to recruiting. Bill Self is still struggling to recover from the black eyes of the last decade.

But part of this is waiting for NCAA to work out the negativity of the NIL and portal eras. We brought in some highly ranked 5 star for next year. Normally I’d be stoked but now I’m just thinking he’s another Grady or Furphy (who had like 1 good game while he was here using us to get to the league). So while maybe the character issue has been resolved, finding loyal guys to the program who see all of the ‘trappings’ that come with being a KU player has been difficult. I laugh at guys like Grady Dick who took the money and play for a gosh awful Toronto team. Must be really fun playing in a boring league in front bored fans. He was getting paid here and would be a huge part of KU lore had he stuck around. Instead he’s an NBA afterthought. Would’ve gotten paid after this year or even his senior year a bunch.

88, 08, and 22 have forever etched themselves into my mind and make enduring these down periods a little less difficult. But I fear the aura of KU ball wearing off a little bit and always look at IU basketball, or Nebraska football as examples of programs that ruled their sport that haven’t been able to get it together since. Anyone see IU fans abandon the Assembly Hall the other day against Illinois before the first half was even done? My worst nightmare for KU right there.

Having met Jalen Wilson and seeing as he has had no other issues I take offense to his inclusion on the bad actors list. He made a childish mistake, atoned for it, and didn’t have another single issue - if I’m not mistaken. His attitude and demeanor improved drastically after that and he became a model student athlete on and off the court.

Worst case scenario- KU in line for the number one overall seed, plays no games due to a pandemic. Leaving nothing but what if’s for all.

@BeddieKU23 Yes, Kelly should’ve stayed another year, but I’m still upset that Paul Pierce left early.

I love that Bill Self is being blamed for tuning out a roster devoid of post talent and yet his team is playing the best basketball in the nation, undefeated, and ranked #2.

The warts will show, but Bill is doing a masterful job once again.

Wow. Hope he figures life out quickly. He’s blowing a couple once in a lifetime opportunities.

Just realized Buckets turned 10 years old last October!!! Thanks to all who have helped make this site entertaining!

As a Chiefs fan, Mahomes is payback for watching other teams do that to our D for years.

Win at all costs and the fans cry about not looking to the future. Sit Cliff and lose tonight with an eye on the future and fans cry. It’a a good thing KU basketball coach isn’t an elected position. The man has done nothing but win games at a historic rate. KU is 14-3 with a freshman and sophomore dominated line-up in what has been the hardest schedule in the nation. I’m estatic with the win loss record, but think there is much room for improvement in play. That’s what has me excited, KU will be better in March and even better next year.

If Bill manages to win the conference title this year it will be quite the feat with 8 teams in a 10 team conference having been ranked in the top 25. That means 8 teams have been rated in the top 7% of all college basketball. KU will have to earn this championship!

@nuleafjhawk said in Lance Leipold:

@patoh3 what’s a Dunnigan? Local bar and grille? I honestly don’t know.

It’s a place in yolo county.

https://www2.kusports.com/sports/college/football/2025/oct/27/ku-loses-high-ranked-recruit-in-2026-class/

@patoh3 TY. Hope he sticks around a bit. Seems to have a lot of untapped potential.

Who is 34? He flashed a few good plays.

@approxinfinity Hove him 5 classes before passing judgement. Switching coaches too often hinders a programs as well. All us fans (of any team or sport) just want to skip the line and be awesome, but it’s a process to build and sustain success. Hopefully that’s what we are witnessing. If not there will be another swing at it in a couple years.

Give him a lifetime contract. Changing coaches isn’t going to help KU football. It’s a moribund program. It’s like expecting the Cleveland Browns to be good - maybe make the postseason, but to truly threaten for a title - not going to happen.

I’m enjoying winning 4 maybe 5 games this year. Way better than previous years. It helps that the Big12 lost all the good football teams - no Texas, Oklahoma, Texas AM, Missouri, or even Nebraska. That’s the disappointing part for me - no good team in the Big12 and KU still can’t capitalize. I know they’re not good, but I was hoping for an inflated record due to the competition sucking hind tit.

The best thing about this football season is that basketball has started and we no longer have to pretend like we genuinely care about KU football!!!

The coach is only going to take you as far as the QB will go. The QB will only take you as far as the line will allow. The skill players have to complete the plays. None of it works without the other parts.

JD is probably maxed out - this is what we get this year. Hopefully the next QB seizes the job early and leaves no doubt.

The announcers last night said - KU is ranked 19 and Louisville 11, they’re going to have to do something about that.

Peterson 24 Louisville 30. Didn’t get that out of the PG (or any position) last year!

How does the 144th ranked recruit get his announcement televised? Might be the most intriguing thing about Barnett at this point.

Maybe he could play for KU again. How’s that NIL budget looking? lol

Apparently teams are recruiting the G league guys and somehow signing them. Spoiler alert Izzo is not happy about it. -

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/46680426/michigan-state-coach-tom-izzo-sounds-ncaa-louisville-signs-former-g-league-player