It looks like our games without DP... We really count on White, Council, and Bidunka. I think we have little margin of error. If one of these guys has a bad night, someone else has to pickup the stats. So far, I'm not feeling comfortable thinking the rest of the team can definitely take up the slack. I hope we get more consistency out of others. My first focus is on Tiller. If he can become just a bit more consistent on the stat sheet, it will help us tremendously!

I'm for him staying out until Big12 play

JMO... I don't think DP tweaked anything. I think he's just super sensitive to tightening and Self put down a rule on the max he can play in a game, plus, the option to pull him if he sees him labor. I think the media is just looking for a story.

Also... this does open up an easy path to keep him out of our upcoming cupcake games in preparation for Big12 play.

Yes.. he didn't go full tilt against NC-state... but an 80% DP is better than anyone on the court. As I mentioned long ago, we have never seen him play 100%.

I suspect, if everything goes well moving forward, we will have spurts of him going full tilt, but will never see him laying out there 100% for 35 minute game.

Just my opinion.

I'm okay if we go ahead and win out from here on out... with a different guy having a career night each game. Hmmm.... let's see... who is next? lol

@BeddieKU23

Nice post!

Yes... I think he is sort of next year's Bidunka we need to retain.

He doesn't have Bidunka's energy, which will be sorely missed, but he has a lot more offensive skills. I just saw an interview with him where he mentions they are trying to get him to play more aggressive, and push most into the paint for his baskets.

Bidunka is still very rough on the offensive side.

I think his draft stock is still pretty low. I expect him to stay in college another year or so.

I'm not even sure about Bidunka's draft stock. It's going to be a competitive year this year, and next year should not be this competitive (but who knows).

I also discovered we might challenge Mel's eligibility to try to keep him another year! Wow!

I'm excited to see us play NC-State. I do business with a lot of Wolfpack grads... so we better win! It will come down to perimeter defense, and with the speed we have we just need to put in a solid effort to limit their 3 percentage.

Tiller - I'm not expecting him to heat up from 3 soon, unless some things change. As I'm thinking back to the Duke game where he got hot, I think that was from the top of the key, where he usually isn't taking 3s now. He has an issue on his shot. When he catches the ball from a side, he makes it one motion with his shot. Even though it will take just an extra split-second... he needs to gather a bit. Bring the ball into his body, align on the basket, then go up and shoot. If he learns that, he will become a solid 3 shooter. I just don't see it right now with his current method.

@ROCKCHALK2025 said in Kansas Jayhawks @ NC State Wolfpack Game Chat Sat. 12/13 4:30 CT:

Conclusion? -- - should be easy enough to remedy -- three keys : Take care of the ball , we have done pretty good with that only 10.9 per

I'm 99% certain that has to do with having Vaughn on the bench.

This team doesn't play like any other team we've ever had, and part of that is how they are learning how to take care of the ball. Self always focused on aggressive defense and never really specifically focused on taking care of the rock. The reduction in TOs is because of Vaughn. He's teaching them how to pass... like... how to pass out of a double-team.

@Jayhawk_69 said in Kansas Jayhawks @ NC State Wolfpack Game Chat Sat. 12/13 4:30 CT:

Reportedly, Bill Self has said that Melvin Council has been "hands down" the MVP of the team so far. Thoughts?

Personally, I like Melvin a lot but I would give the nod to Tre.

I think Tre likes to be the silent assassin. Teams aren't focusing on him with double teams and their prime defender, so he can go get his almost at will. He's the best rebounding guard I think Kansas has ever had. And he's one of the few Jayhawks who understands how to draw fouls in our entire history. I acknowledge Frank and Devonte as being good at this, too... but not like Tre.

Mel is an energy/emotion guy! He turns it up most when receiving praise. And he does deserve plenty of praise!

I still can't get over Fran Fraschilla criticizing this group Self recruited from the portal. He always has to find something wrong with KU.

This will be a good test. Are we ready to start a new trend of winning on the road? It's one thing to win on a neutral court... and something completely different on their court.

We will have had several days rest and prep for this game, including the mixing of DP in the lineup. Just from the little bits of DP we've seen... he isn't going to be our quarterback. That position clearly goes to Melvin, who creates plenty of action to build his assist numbers. We need DP to score. There is a good article about Mel on kusports and how he has been the mvp of this team so far. I think DP will become that title eventually if he stays healthy because he'll get more pt and will get properly integrated in this team. Still... it will be close between these guys, while Tre does Tre. I said this weeks ago... he is our "silent assassin!" Melvin barks like a dog.. Tre bites! lol

@BShark said in Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri Tigers Game Chat 12/7 12:00 CT:

@drgnslayr It's kind of wild but I feel pretty good with Jamari being the 6th man.

I do, too. Jamari still has upside left in the tank, too. As his confidence grows, so will his game. I love his threat as a trey shooter. Teams will always give him that, thinking he can't make it. He can. I also think everytime he hits one of those the whole team gets excited about it.

People aren't really talking about this... but I see a team REALLY COMING TOGETHER as a team! These guys get excited for each other, and are unselfish. DP is expected to shoot often, but even he is unselfish.

If we can stay healthy and keep with this trajectory, we will be scary come March!

@Tallturd1 said in Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri Tigers Game Chat 12/7 12:00 CT:

@drgnslayr White as a guard getting a lot of boards and not just this game shows a player who is not afraid to stick his nose in where the rough places are.

He makes it hard for others to argue that we don't have enough height to be a strong rebounding team. The guy is a vacuum cleaner on the boards!

I sure didn't mind watching "DP lite" go off for 17 points. Wow... just coming back, battling a bug, and still offered us an upgrade!

I think our bigs, Tiller and Bodooongo (sarcasm), need to give us a lot more punch, especially on offense. Tiller needs to drive the paint, and Baduunga should run more pick and roll, and less back-to-the-basket stuff.

Tre was back in beast form... and then Fran criticized him like he wasn't a big catch for us in the portal. What a schmuck.

#1 stat... sticking out big time... Tre 13 rebounds! And man can he draw fouls!

Melvin... still learning how to be most effective, but getting there.

Kohl... not many minutes left for Kohl. He'll have to battle for those minutes on and off the court to get them back. That's a good thing!

Elmarko... stay positive, dude, and bring the mojo!

Overall - we started slow but that's usually when we play our best games. I'm a happy Jayhawk!

@kjayhawks2.0 said in Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri Tigers Game Chat 12/7 12:00 CT:

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kjayhawks2.0
about 11 hours ago

@drgnslayr I’m still mad we didn’t show up til 8 minutes to go in Columbia last season. A senior led team that had no desire to fight but just roll over when the game was on the line.

It seemed like our overall team attitude sucked from day 1 with Hunter in the paint.

@bskeet said in Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri Tigers Game Chat 12/7 12:00 CT:

Pounding Missouri is occupying 100% of the space in my head for basketball right now.

As it should.... for all of us.

It's the suffering part of being a Jayhawk... with hopeful relief on Sunday afternoon, followed by ecstasy, followed by a year of not having to think of this again until it's back on the radar.

KSU is on an island. There only rivalry is with us. Meanwhile... we have developed history and relevance with many programs, creating a rivalry relationship. We have rivalries with Mizzou, KSU, several blue blood programs, small rivalries with other B12 teams, like ISU, etc etc etc.

KSU has us. lol

@approxinfinity

Looks like you PMd me, but it wouldn't let me access it.

@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.