I like our chances in Rupp. Throttle? I don’t see us doing a huge point win, but I could see us controlling the game most of the time. I think a really big win would be if we could come out of there with a 10-point win.

I just think back to our Elite Eight game with Duke. Doke was still not himself and we were relying heavily on Silvio to guard the paint.

Why wasn’t Duke attacking us in the low post? They had the best big men tandem in D1.

Go back and watch that game again. Carter was frustrated… a bit too much from just his foul calls. Truth is… Coach K has never really been a great coach for low post players. K should have utilized his huge advantage in the post all year and especially against us since we relied on a half-season green wood (Silvio) in the low post.

Carter’s story should be a warning sign for all big men who are considering Duke.

This is one of those “Self moments.” This is one more action showing Self has his players’ back. He pretty much wrote off Vick, and not just because Vick announced he was leaving. Vick didn’t seem to relate to Self last year… we all saw that. Not only did Vick hurt himself, he hurt his teammates because he wasn’t playing anywhere near his capabilities.

I’m optimistic about this move, and I’m glad to see our last scholarship go to Vick. Yes… he didn’t step up last year. But he’s young and young players often need time to sort themselves out. Vick really didn’t need to sort his game out much, it was mostly himself that needed the help!

As much as Self wants to help his players, I don’t think he would have taken back Vick if he didn’t feel very sure that Vick was 100% reformed!

I’m pretty sure I have an idea on how Self left things with Vick when he left. Self told him what he would need from him if he wanted to come back. What he needed from Vick was for Vick to grow up considerably. A tiny taste of the big world outside of the fairytale of Lawrence, along with the harsh reality that he hasn’t created a solid path to make a living in basketball yet surely helped Vick see the light.

This may be the news that will help us make the Final Four two years in a row! Who knows?! But I have faith in Self that he is bringing Vick back under the right conditions.

We will be looking for offense this coming year, especially from trey. If Vick really gets near his capabilities, he could very well lead the team in scoring!

Welcome back, Vick!

Svi is living the American dream… baseball, apple pie and soon-to-be financial success!

Someone needs to show him how to throw a baseball!

I thought Duke totally underutilized Wendell.

This is where I’m liking what I see in Self. He’s been changing his strategy the last few years based on his players.

Just look ahead to November. Coach K had to deal with 2 capable bigs. We have to deal with 4. We know Self is anxious to go back to two bigs in the lineup. I’m sure there will be a time or two when we even see 3 bigs in the game at the same time!

But for Wendell… it wasn’t just PT. They ran offense through Bagley, not him. Their sets weren’t right to give them a double-impact in the post (at the same time).

Anyways… should this be a story? I’m not sure. There will always be some parents who want to go after their coach…

I think this team’s success will be based on their ability to defend. It’s the one area that doesn’t change every game. The only reason to be “cold” at defense is if our guys aren’t hustling and focused. Defense should be a constant that gives us an edge, especially with our potential lineup and depth.

If we can’t defend, we become another potential Cleveland Cavs; able to produce easy buckets in the paint but just can’t stop the offense (especially from trey) of Golden State.

What I want to know… are we going back to BAD BALL again? Actually, this is the team to do it!

What if next year we have another 30-win season but we average scores in the 50-60s?

Curious what the expectations are of others in here…

I think Jesse built some graphics showing how Self has focused more on bringing offense in these last years. Was that just Self taking advantage of what tools he had?

Just how far can a coach shift the perspective of his players? How many players go to college with their offensive-mindedness, and leave focusing more on defense? That percentage is surely microscopic.

What’s the answer for guys like Jay Wright? Might he just be different on what players he recruits? More the “buy in” type and less the super star HS players busy building their own stat sheets?

So WHY don’t most Kansas players draft higher?

Might it be that Self is too good of a coach?

Huh?

Think about that. Maybe Self is getting his players to reach closer to their potential, so there isn’t enough perceived upside left. NBA largely recruits based on potential.

That’s my guess for today. I’ll make another guess later…

I’ve heard Self’s coaching is a plus for NBA execs. They know his players can handle discipline and have been taught more defense over most D1 coaches.

I think this is one of our more talented teams, but success will be determined by many factors… most… .how these guys come together as a team. The game isn’t played on paper. We simply never know our real potential until they start playing. How will they respond when being down by 15 in the first half?

I’m optimistic about what I’ve seen and read about our new players. And the returning players are quality. Doke is going to really explode this year!

Malik should look at his International options. He’s the right profile for world ball… physical!