The only way to travel…

I know many of you will be blasting out of here at any moment.

I just want to acknowledge KUBuckets ( @approxinfinity ) and all the awesome Jayhawk posters that made this a great season for talking up basketball!

I’ve had a great time and learned more about the game this year than any other year of my life!

You guys killed it this year!

Thanks to everyone!

This is it!

This is the “stir up” I’ve been waiting for, and I even feel like we got a bonus!

So… what am I talking about? Udunka stuffing at ease? Earning a starting spot to help lift his game? 4-guard x-axis basketball starting the game?

All good… but what I am talking about is the roles of Frank and Devonte. I have been pushing for Devonte as our PG for more than a year now. Technically speaking… hard to say if he was a PG last night or our SG. Turns out not to matter. Frank is probably our best ball handler to be responsible for getting the ball to half court. But once he crosses half court and is positioned in the middle atop the key, that is where traditional concepts are thrown out the window and the chemistry of Frank and Devonte take over.

Look at the stat book. Frank, our PG by name, scores 21 pts and had 5 assists. Devonte, our SG by name, scores 6 pts and had 11 assists. Who ran the show? Who was our real PG? I guess we will say BOTH just to avoid a senseless argument. Months ago, it was difficult for me to convince fans just how incredible Frank is at scoring… a true volume scorer. He has the aggression of a driving volume scorer and has a dead-on shot from trey when it is wide open.

I don’t think fans have thought much about how hard it is to score 21 points in a game while being the floor general. Frank can’t take full credit for this because he does have the help of Devonte. Devonte is growing as the team “play maker”… a role he needs to take and conquer. Devonte exploited the over-match last night by continuing to pound the ball to Udunka for slam after slam. That is what play makers do… something works, they keep going to it.

Now I will discuss the “bonus” I mentioned above. Coach Self is truly the “Riverboat Gambler.” In my past vision, I thought we should move Devonte into the traditional role of PG. But the guy with the cards has decided to not show his hand anytime soon. Perhaps Bill will keep it a shared role. How will teams prepare for that? Who do they put their best guard defender on? Coach’s “ace in the hole” turns out to be Devonte’s ability to step up for big offensive games. We can flip the roles and succeed, too… especially on those rare nights that we face a team with a gifted guard defender.

We are just at the beginning with this team. They are just now coming around to executing a few plays and twists, and perhaps more importantly, they are filling in their roles and starting to be held accountable. The removal of Landen and Carlton from the starting lineup was more about a message to the team. Everyone will be held accountable, even 5th-year seniors.

Udunka is now plugged in! He still has a long ways to go… but it was amazing to see him take advantage of his size, and largely do it without fouling. You can see the game is starting to slow down for him and he is just beginning to execute. Bravo! He certainly has picked up the pick and roll! Amazing how just one weapon can be utilized over and over! Imagine when he has several big weapons?!

There is always some drama on teams. And our current drama is about Landen and Carlton. Teams actually need a bit of drama. This drama should be a good thing as both players adjust to step up their games, and Christmas break is right around the corner. I expect both of these guys to really put their hard hats on during that developmental period.

Last. We have to realize who we played. It isn’t going to go this easy moving forward but at least we got a little taste of what these guys are capable of. And they got it, too! This should help them focus on a goal to play at such a dominant level on all our opponents and also away from home. We got a long ways to go, but one step at a time, and last night was a great step in our desire to climb to the top.

I am probably like a lot of others in here concerning last night’s game. The first half gave me a stomach ache… thinking back to the last few years. Our guys not prepared for a dogfight, more like a cat grooming.

But I did feel better for part of the second half, mostly in the first minutes. Perry and Wayne took over. It was great to see both of these guys awaken from their first half naps. They really need to stop napping during games. Though they did wake up in the second half for a few minutes… enough for us to create the winning gap in the score.

I am amazed at Perry’s offensive tool set. I am amazed at the positive impact Wayne can have on our guys. One or two steals, assists or baskets from Wayne seems to liven up our entire team! This is his team!

I recall many times over the past couple of years where we came out flat and we stayed flat. I’m not saying that won’t happen again, but it is encouraging to see our veteran players step up and right a wrong, all within the 40 minutes of game time.

In as much as the first half gave us a “bad sign” for things to come, the inspired bursts in the second half gave us a “good sign” for possible great things to come in the season ahead!

Perry still hasn’t figured out enough to take it to bigger defenders… but he did show basketball IQ last night by taking what the defense gave him. He is as much a threat from the outside as any of our guys because he can hit that shot consistently and is often given the gift from defenses not wise enough to guard him out there.

Regardless what happens at the C5 this year… this is NOT the same team we had last year! For many, many reasons.

Jo Jo made the historic step “out of bounds” that put black basketball players “in bounds” in college basketball.

In 1966, Kansas was in the Elite Eight game against Texas Western. In a key moment in the game, Jo Jo was called for stepping out of bounds. A crucial call leading to Kansas going down in defeat, 81-80.

As most of you know, Texas Western went on to win the National Championship. A historic game in more ways than one. Texas Western brought the first all-black starting five to the championship game and faced off against an all-white Kentucky team. In 1966, racial issues were tense in America. This game took on a different flavor than past championship games.

The Texas Western victory in the 1966 NCAA Championship game represented the final hurdle for college coaches all through America to come to an understanding that black players could be a huge benefit to their teams and worth the “risks” associated at that time for recruiting black players.

College basketball has never been the same since 1966, and Jo Jo White made the most-famous out-of-bounds play that changed the tint of college basketball all through America.

I remember that championship game. Not so much the game, but the firestorm that came afterwards. Racism was on full display during this period and there were many outlandish racial events occurring on a constant basis. Lynchings and police brutality were still common.

While our nation focused on these events and the uprising of black leaders, like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., sports became the conduit for bringing black and white people together.

We shouldn’t forget our past. Jo Jo White was a true soldier for humanity. He represented himself with tremendous dignity and was rewarded with earned respect wherever he went, including his playing days in Boston, which was infamous for race intolerance at that time. Jo Jo has always been a part of my connection to the University of Kansas.

Rest In Peace, Jo Jo White. You will be missed by many and you will never be forgotten!

We’ve been short on depth all year.

Devonte plays almost 40 minutes per game.

Yet… we look a lot fresher than most of the teams we play.

How come?

A huge part of that surely must come from the efforts of Andrea Hudy. She is the training mom of all our guys and even travels with our team on the road.

Coach Self has mentioned a new strategy of carefully controlling our players’ legs both on the court (practice) and off the court.

I’m willing to place a bet that Andrea has teamed up with Bill to coordinate this strategy of saving our guys’ legs.

Can we really state that our Big 12 Conference Title #14 shouldn’t be credited largely to the efforts of Andrea?

I don’t think so!

So… here is a shout out to Andrea for everything she brings to our program! She deserves a ton of recognition (had to describe it in weight).

Who is responsible?

Who is responsible for bringing the team ready to play basketball?

Can’t we summarize everything into that single question? There were no areas of this game we played well in and there was no energy. How can that be?

I’ve always attacked this issue. I don’t mind losing games. I do mind when the team doesn’t show up. That was humiliating… and I believe it is games like this one that kill our recruiting. I know I wouldn’t send my son off to a school who decides sometimes not to show up. This is a character flaw. Plain and simple.

I wonder… how much fundraising does Bill Self do? It sort of feels like politics in Washington… where our elected officials spend most of their time fundraising instead of working.

When I see a team that appeared to be so disconnected to their coach, I wonder about this. When I see a team that can’t muster up energy for a screaming coach, there is a disconnect. Coaches that eat, breath and sleep with their players can’t help but be connected. Everyone is in one boat. I don’t see that.

This is what bothers me most about Kansas basketball. Games where we don’t show up. That doesn’t register with me. It’s not a part of my DNA. I’ve played in over 1000 organized games of basketball (at a far lower talent level) and I can honestly say that I have never played on a team that didn’t show up for a game. I would have been arrested last night if I was on that Jayhawk team because I would have physically assaulted some of those around me. I wouldn’t accept that kind of humiliation. Ever.

(Courtesy of KUSports.com)

We can examine shot forms, offensive sets and defensive toughness. But this is the engine that drives the train.

I’ve never seen Perry Ellis’ back molars before… until now.

As of Monday, Kansas will be uplifted in the National polls to #1. Usually, that is a curse. Players get over-confident, media chaos infects the focus of our team like a flu virus.

But this team is different. It has worked hard, including battling abroad in Korea, to find a true team identity.

What will carry this team forward has yet to be covered by sports media. Their focus is the allure of our perimeter shooting.

The secret sauce for Kansas in 2015-2016 is their “team focus” and to find “team happiness.”

Now that is something substantial, sustainable, and a REAL FORMULA for a destiny taking us all the way into April! (hint)

Carlton… Is That You?

Read some negative comments on various sites from KU fans blasting Carlton.

Disturbing to say the least. Carlton has been thrown under the bus, I hope he can hide under there until this is resolved after he gets to defend himself.

There used to be a valid statement “innocent until proven guilty”… but that appears irrelevant today with public opinion.

I just want Carlton to know that there are many of us who haven’t convicted him yet and believe he is innocent until proven guilty.

I’m a happy camper today.

There was some very nice signs we can take away from last night’s game.

D E V O N T E !

I noticed he stepped up big in the Baylor game, just had an off-night from the field. That same intensity he brought to Waco was back on display in AFH last night.

The THREE AMIGOS are getting it together for March!

C A R L T O N !

How great was he last night? Wasn’t this the Carlton we were expecting this year after his respectable freshman year? I loved his energy last night. His hands were good (meaning, his focus was there), and he had plenty of bounce in his game. Bravo!

I’m not worried about our depth in March. I have worried about “hitting on all cylinders.” As long as our top 7 guys all play to their capabilities, we will be just fine in March.

We really needed a game like this and it came at the right time. The game looked grim for a while. Josh went down with an ankle sprain while Landen was in foul trouble. There goes our depth! But wait a minute, not so fast…

Our justice system is built on the basis of due process. Once again, I think the NCAA is digging themselves a deeper hole by thinking somehow the IARP will invoke tactics possibly beyond those used by the Justice Department.

Kansas must stay true to their guns and stay safely in the role of victim.

The fact that Kansas doesn’t dispute an action from Adidas is exactly how they should respond. Kansas is not Adidas, and disputing any action from Adidas would imply Kansas and Adidas are one. It’s not KU’s job to challenge any potential action of a 3rd party.

Bet those Wildcats are anxious for the social distancing to stop so they can get back to life as usual:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/us/university-kentucky-cheerleading/index.html

Even when MU sucks it is still good for us to have another big emotion game on our schedule.

They’re back on the schedule this season.

As if we don’t have enough on our plate…

@Bwag

I think Self and crew are legit. That didn’t change with the “are we cool?” statement and other stuff. D1 is corrupt. Self and crew are trying to compete. What are they supposed to do? There exists a host of miscellaneous questionable leeches hanging around all top recruits. It’s all part of the game.

We haven’t been caught with our hand in the cookie jar and we pulled players off the court when there was a problem. Everything else is about optics.

I realize the feds calling us victims most likely helped them do what they wanted to do… go after Adidas. But if they had discovered hard evidence pinning us to the crime then we would fall, too, because that would enhance the conviction.

The NCAA is in deep if they take the “Adidas is a booster” path. Where does that stop? Pretty much makes all businesses associated with the game a booster.

I consider their pushing us to say Adidas is a booster in order to bring back Silvio EXTORTION! They pushed us into stating something we don’t believe in (we can back that up) in order to release the strong arm on Silvio.

We should file that with the DOJ and push for a criminal prosecution.

@Marco

Very possible. I believe there is a concept that if there is a partially (or fully) intoxicated individual, automobile and keys in the same location, the possibility of disaster is probable and hence warranting conviction. Would be nice to hear from someone who knows what happens when these cases are brought into a courtroom.

I believe an automobile with no keys present is seen as dead weight. Once the keys are present the potential risk is there.

Here’s a twist. What if that individual doesn’t even possess a driver’s license and never did? How far will we convict based on projection (assumption)?

This is an area that has been dominated by social pressures from MADD.

Look at how gun laws, the 2nd Amendment, and gun owners have created such a hot topic. People who push for more gun control are met with stiff defense. Is that strictly paranoid behavior by gun owners who think “give them an inch and they’ll take a mile?”

BTW: I’m not stating my position on gun laws. No way!

My point is that making laws is only one element in creating control. Interpretation and execution is often impacted by social pressures. That’s a big reason why we need a court system on levels leading up to the Supreme Court.

There is no court system on levels within the NCAA. It is a very one-sided structure of justice. Power is held by one body… the prosecutor and judge, with no higher court overseeing direction and power.

“A school or an individual who has been found by a Committee on Infractions panel to have violated the NCAA constitution or bylaws may appeal to the Infractions Appeals Committee. An appeal is not a new hearing that provides a second chance to argue the case.”

~ http://www.ncaa.org/about/who-we-are/membership/2017-division-i-infractions-appeals-committee-year-review

So a banana court should govern a nation? The rulings from this institution impacts every citizen of our country, either directly of indirectly. Not just D1 fans.

Kind of surprised no thread on Zach yet. He should be a welcome addition to our future!

Suddenly the 4-star guys may clearly be the way to go now. Imagine investing in a bunch of OADs now? Quite possible no season this fall (or whenever) and how do you know if your OAD just walks off campus and signs up for pro ball? I don’t know… maybe more OADs stick it out longer if they can make some cake with endorsements. What a confusing time for young players!

Size and range and will be around for several years, maybe 4 or 5! I agree with the concept of going “positionless” mimicking the NBA game. Find big guys with range, speed, hops and handles!

Welcome, Zach!

I wonder what institution has the stomach to face federal court after the virus wipes out their bottom line? Don’t forget to ask this question of the NCAA, too. Their March Madness payday expired!

Typical court scenario appearing: who has the deepest pockets wins!

@HighEliteMajor

I know I’m not an unbiased source here. I openly admit that. If this forum was for official purposes my response would be buffered and I would attempt to be less opinionated. This is a place to “let it fly!”

What I want is fairness. And that simple comment opens a monster can of worms. I want fairness to schools, fans, coaches and most, the student-athletes. You are right, that we are a part of this and the development there of. I attack the NCAA often in areas I feel are unfair. It’s hard not to do after reading info about Zion and others and what appears to be an unfair approach to evaluating fairness on a broad scale.

It is important to see “how we got here.” And use that as part of the reasoning for where we go next. This is a transformation away from something that started simple but grew into complexity and required constant patching. It’s like a bad piece of software where the approach was to patch and patch and patch. At some point, it’s time to start from scratch and build something new. We are at that point.

The NCAA “using” situations to posture their position is an idea widely believed. And to those fans from schools selected, it always feels unfair. It builds an environment of distrust, anger and a desire to rebel. That’s not a system working well.

Maybe it’s about the punishment. Is it fair to hurt so many people that are totally not involved in the “crime?” Punishing a university (in it’s entirety) with bans from post-conference participation, reducing scholarships, public condemnation and humiliation, etc., hurts a lot more innocent people than those committing the crime. When a school is leveled with the dark cloud of conviction, that impacts pretty much all areas of the university, including a huge impact to academics. Think about the impact on endowments (for example). Connecting the dots between NCAA sanctions and the development of a new research wing to the university is just one of the many areas that need to be considered and screams for this to reach a federal courtroom, because our society is heavily impacted by the decisions made by this private organization.

Imagine someone commits murder in your city/town. The person is caught. Should the entire community be punished for that? In some ways, the harm has already been leveled in many areas… but should there be a bigger penalty applied to community as a whole? No. Punishment should be directed to those who commit the crime. And in some cases, there can be fault in the system, too, and that should be exposed and addressed, too.

Punishment should be directed specifically to those who are convicted. And because of that specificity of punishment the level of proof must meet a reasonable standard. Perhaps the NCAA needs to be in contract directly with coaches, ADs, etc., to create the ability to regulate with pinpoint accuracy by laying down the law. This is where the college system may be better served by federal control, because those contracts are not necessary.