I'm back! Made it through the gauntlet. Can't get rid of me that easily!

@nuleafjhawk

We just can't escape the elephant in the room... This young man is a walking Fort Knox. It is likely he will make over $100 million in his career.

I don't care if he sprained a toe nail. The guy should sit as long as needed. And he will basically have to walk out on the court to earn his old job back.

And if it's me being replaced for some minutes, I'm cool with it. If I want to keep my minutes, I better go out there and outplay him.

Just my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

This is a pretty accurate look at Hurley:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me8cMqSvpEQ

I do see him as a savant, a lunatic, and often, a dickhead.

He shows us all... that we need to have more in our life than basketball. Dan does not. Someday he will be recognized as one of the basketball coaching greats... from his mental ward.

Two years ago, I made an absolute fortune picking UCONN winning the nattie... so I can't say even worse things about him.

There is some really dark ideas going around... like he has eligibility issues. Or others saying he won't return. This all needs to stop...and let this play out.

I still have confidence in his return and this is all a legitimate concern about his health.

I could be wrong... but I'm thinking Elmarko is the only one on our team (and maybe on both teams) that understands this rivalry and what it means to both schools.

After seeing him become a one-man wrecking crew against Tenn I know he has it in him to go f some teams up if he is inspired to. (actually, he got Melvin going, too)

Elmarko is my Hawk to rock. By a landslide.

To be honest, I'm relieved he isn't going to play tonight. I believe it would risk too much on a game that really won't turn out to be so important in March or any impact on league play.

This puts more pressure on UCONN to win in AFH. To lose to a team missing their star player is not a positive narrative for them.

This will be HUGE if we win! And it will do nothing but propel our guys into a great attitude to carry forward!

The risk with DP playing tonight is not only for him to aggrevate his health situation and likely risk being out for the rest of the year, but it also looks bad for us if he comes back and we get smoked. There is as much risk bringing him back in a game where he would have to produce big for us to win... and if he didn't, he would most likely slow down the rhythm we are on!

I'd like to see him come back for Towson or Davidson... games probably not necessarily played at the highest level, and with less pressure.

I read on another post somewhere the concerns of a Jayhawk fan, who stated, "what bothers me is our homecourt advantage seems to be slipping away. Teams come into AFH now and have confidence they can leave with a win." I concur, totally.

What has changed? Is it Self? Has he become softer since facing illnesses? Is it the crowds? Becoming more passive and quiet? Or is it opposing teams are just tougher? Maybe we are playing more competitive teams now at home? What about our own team... are we as competitive as we used to be?

I put most of the blame on our own teams. Since we've started losing more at home, we are also losing more often away, too.

If you went back a few years ago... I feel like any of those teams would have won this UCONN game. Being close down the stretch used to always spell victory in the old days.

Why was that? My perspective is that we had more players that were true Jayhawks. They bought in to the legendary status of Kansas basketball. They walked the halls and they read the history and why it is so important to maintain tradition. And Kansas tradition was to WIN IN AFH!

Maybe I'm spouting nonsense... too much caffeine this morning! lol

@approxinfinity said in Kansas Jayhawks Vs UConn Huskies Game Thread 12/2 8PM CT:

nice. Lots of the usual suspects. Hopefully everyone else keeps trickling back in

Still shows me with a red dot. I am trying to post an image, but says I'm not authorized.

I felt like we should have won. It seems we went a little soft in the second half. UCONN wanted it more.

We really need more out of Tiller. I'm thinking I'd cut into his minutes and give Elmarko more time. He's starting to play much better and he needs all the positive reinforcement he can get!

@approxinfinity

Our society has become maybe too transactional.

That is definitely the case in college basketball. You pay the money, you get the player. Temporarily.

@approxinfinity

I see it as the perfect tool for the corporate model. The corporate model is all about shareholder profits. Those go up when you can cut your workforce substantially without a loss, or possibly an increase, in production.

I've spent the last 3 months working most of my time on several AI applications. It helped my productivity big time.

I have to admit... I envy Hurley and Sampson. Hurley isn't mentally sound. But when it comes to basketball... his direction, and Sampson's, is truly about player development. This is what I've been preaching in here for years, and we are just now starting to address it by hiring Vaughn. I already see a big difference in our play because Vaughn is cleaning up a lot of our play. This is a guy who really understands the game and I'm completely high on this guy and hope he becomes our next head coach, even if he isn't super young.

We are on the subject of transactionalism in college basketball... what is it worth to offer the very best player development? I know many think negatively about youth and they are just looking for a fast, easy buck. That hasn't at all been my experience with youth players, especially the good ones. Most of these kids had to have some level of quality management to reach their current level. They also realize how they got there through hard word and development (good coaching). It's never too late to turn our basketball program into one focused on development, even if we are trying to recruit 5-star recruits. I guarantee everyone here, that DP is grateful for being able to develop with Vaughn.

I know there are other guys out there. But I've always been high on John Lucas. I've experienced what he's done for many players, including our very own Tyshawn Taylor. We probably missed the boat a few years back when we probably could have hired Lucas for development, and brought his basketball to Lawrence. He is now very wedged into the Houston basketball community. But had we brought in Lucas, I doubt we would have signed Vaughn later. It is possible... that Vaughn is the next Lucas!

First... I don't put our game with UCONN into any real context; UCONN is an aberration from the norm... I'd also, maybe put Houston in that same category. Those two coaches aren't standard issue... especially Hurley. Hurley is able to recruit a very specific player, just like Houston is with Sampson. I don't care how much money is offered... you won't go to UCONN unless you can stand the heat from Hurley. And your NBA draft stock will fall if you can't meet your commitment with him. You go to UCONN if you want to eat, breath, sleep, basketball. It isn't vastly different at Houston, but with a twist. Sampson looks for guys willing to fight if necessary. I'm not talking redneck basketball. I'm talking about guys who refuse to lose a rebound to anyone.

College basketball is also a victim to our society. Even AI plays a part in this and probably more than I'm mentioning here. AI is quickly creating a world where college education doesn't mean what it used to mean. Half or more of the jobs that used to be available for college grads are vanishing and replaced with AI. So one of the transactional offerings of a school used to be the quality of education. And that may not be a consideration for 5-star recruits... just below that, it used to matter. Scratch that consideration. Get prepared, fans... college basketball will take yet another turn in the not to distant future when college admission standards are lowered to attract students because their enrollment numbers are about to crash. This also means, college sports will open up to a lot of players that previously couldn't make it past the academic bar.

I could be wrong... but I'm thinking Elmarko is the only one on our team (and maybe on both teams) that understands this rivalry and what it means to both schools.

After seeing him become a one-man wrecking crew against Tenn I know he has it in him to go f some teams up if he is inspired to. (actually, he got Melvin going, too)

Elmarko is my Hawk to rock. By a landslide.

@approxinfinity

Our society has become maybe too transactional.

That is definitely the case in college basketball. You pay the money, you get the player. Temporarily.

I read on another post somewhere the concerns of a Jayhawk fan, who stated, "what bothers me is our homecourt advantage seems to be slipping away. Teams come into AFH now and have confidence they can leave with a win." I concur, totally.

What has changed? Is it Self? Has he become softer since facing illnesses? Is it the crowds? Becoming more passive and quiet? Or is it opposing teams are just tougher? Maybe we are playing more competitive teams now at home? What about our own team... are we as competitive as we used to be?

I put most of the blame on our own teams. Since we've started losing more at home, we are also losing more often away, too.

If you went back a few years ago... I feel like any of those teams would have won this UCONN game. Being close down the stretch used to always spell victory in the old days.

Why was that? My perspective is that we had more players that were true Jayhawks. They bought in to the legendary status of Kansas basketball. They walked the halls and they read the history and why it is so important to maintain tradition. And Kansas tradition was to WIN IN AFH!

Maybe I'm spouting nonsense... too much caffeine this morning! lol

This is a pretty accurate look at Hurley:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me8cMqSvpEQ

I do see him as a savant, a lunatic, and often, a dickhead.

He shows us all... that we need to have more in our life than basketball. Dan does not. Someday he will be recognized as one of the basketball coaching greats... from his mental ward.

Two years ago, I made an absolute fortune picking UCONN winning the nattie... so I can't say even worse things about him.

There is some really dark ideas going around... like he has eligibility issues. Or others saying he won't return. This all needs to stop...and let this play out.

I still have confidence in his return and this is all a legitimate concern about his health.

I felt like we should have won. It seems we went a little soft in the second half. UCONN wanted it more.

We really need more out of Tiller. I'm thinking I'd cut into his minutes and give Elmarko more time. He's starting to play much better and he needs all the positive reinforcement he can get!

@nuleafjhawk

We just can't escape the elephant in the room... This young man is a walking Fort Knox. It is likely he will make over $100 million in his career.

I don't care if he sprained a toe nail. The guy should sit as long as needed. And he will basically have to walk out on the court to earn his old job back.

And if it's me being replaced for some minutes, I'm cool with it. If I want to keep my minutes, I better go out there and outplay him.

Just my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.