Best posts made by Kubie

I spent Saturday at a youth camp with a few of the Jayhawks and even Sherron came down. Been doing this for a few years now and I get a kick out of watching the KU guys coaching up the kids. I also get to watch them interact with each other and shoot a bit.

Things that caught my eye this year;

They all got along well Dedric, Doke, Moore, Grimes, and Silvio were there and hung together pretty tight when they had the time. that is not always the case.

No one has told Charlie he isn’t going to be the leader. He is not an alpha dog like Frank but he has guys looking to him. He spent quite a bit of time talking with Sherron, I count that as a plus. He is very very quick has a good shot and a ton of confidence.

Doke has found a 10’ shot that actually looks decent and goes in the hoop regularly. Shocked me when I looked over and saw him knocking in down. He also shot some FT’s at better than 50% with a bunch of screaming kids running amuck around him. I was to busy to get an accurate count but his elbow was staying where it belonged. He looks lean and strong as an ox too.

Grimes is smooth, but pretty much took a backseat to the others, true freshman that he is I kind of like that.

Sherron needs to be a coach someplace down the road! The team he coached went undefeated and the way he worked with the kids was special. Talked to him awhile, he just moved his family to Lawrence, his knees are back to full health, and he is working on getting back into playing shape and make another run at playing for money.

No real insight on Silvio his enthusiasm for the game is obvious. He ran the floor with the kids he was coaching cheering them on and lived and died with each shot they took. I can’t help but like the guy and his teammates appear to feel the same way. I kind of wondered if the rumors would make him a bit of an outcast but that is not the case.

No earth shaking info there but you get what you pay for

I read that other KU site this morning, even the comments which I do at time for the comic content. This signing has created the typical level of hate and discontent that drove me away from there in the first place. What I see here is a kid with a reputation of being hard working, has decent footwork, some skill, and a lot of hustle. The type of player that can be used to push that one and done to practice and play with effort. Sometimes it is the type of player that as his body matures turns into a valuable rotation player. The kind of player that Self has turned into serious players in the past.

As far as his current ranking I’ve noticed that kids that commit early in HS are sometimes ignored a bit by the ranking services. I am curious to see what will happen now that he has been brought back into notice. I would not be surprised to see him bounce up into the mid 70’s, which for what I see as a redshirt four year player would be about right. I believe KU needs a couple of 3-4 year players. It brings some year to year continuity and leadership potential down the road.

Basically Self see’s a lot of holes opening up for big guys and he just filled his “four year guy” spot.

I expected a let down from Ochai in his second game. I was wrong, I’m jumping on the bandwagon.

I have tried to do the live chat but it distracts me from yelling at the tv.

Off topic I am on a job in Philly. When the folks here found out I was a Kansan they just went nuts about Embiid. He is damn near being worshiped around here.

The RPI is a tool to measure the capability of a team. However it is only one of many such tools and I think those that take it seriously on it’s own have a flawed view of the world.

A more balanced approach is needed. I consider W/L, RPI, and a Ouija Board to determine my picks.

That was a great second half by all the Hawks!

http://www.nba.com/kings/news/kings-sign-frank-mason

http://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2015-01-27/behind-the-rpi-kansas-jayhawks-kentucky-wildcats-virginia-cavaliers

I like the way they think, other than the fact UK kicked our rear soundly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vxqaRsdpzjQ

Franks highlights

http://www.todaysfastbreak.com/nba-west/utah-jazz/utah-jazz-should-start-jeff-withey-in-rudy-goberts-absence/

I found this interesting and thought I would pass it on.

I like his attitude, Coach could say “Mitch go play point” and Mitch would do his damned best to pull it off and then be upset he didn’t match Franks stats and let down the team!

If my memory is correct, and granted my wife claims that is doubtful, SDS wanted to come to KU which put his pimp in a bind because he had already sold him to Maryland. So much scrambling was done trying to make the Maryland payment go away which resulted in $2500 going to the pimp supposedly for a class which I have heard may not have even been needed or taken.

Now if that is in fact the way things fell out why the hate for SDS? it sounds like he was the driver to come to KU even though big money was on the line to go elsewhere. That is the one thing that leads me to believe he was not involved in the bartering for his services as he obviously didn’t go for the big bucks. Of course all the facts are not on the table, I for one am giving him (and my memory) the benefit of the doubt until the trash comes to rest. My hate is for Mr Pimp and his cronies, and ANY of the coaching staff that may be outed as taking part of this fine example of greed.

Now for Preston, I met him at a camp the summer he came to campus. I posted on here then my doubts about him, I was polite about it then, he was obviously a head case that had no respect for his teammates and little desire to interact with them. TBH him not playing was better than watching him protect the goods most the season and then try to play superstar from time to time to jack up his rep.

Yes I may be a bit grouchy this morning and perhaps had to edit this once or twice

I would probably be a nicer person to be around next season!

Got my 2nd shot Friday. Shoulder was tender for awhile but I managed to play two, bad, rounds of golf. No other issues for me or my wife.

Zach in instead of Mitch

I don’t know about all of you but I needed that second half explosion to get me through the week at a reasonable stress level.

I saw where Frank was left in to close out a close game over the warriors. Set a season high with 14 points and has the Kings fans impressed with his steady play when the heat is on. I do believe he is carving himself out a long career in the NBA.

I read that, and a few of the “expert opinions” posted in comments. They don’t give Mitch much hope so I’m hoping he reads those comments and uses them as inspiration to kick ass.

As far as I can tell all he needs is exactly what he’s getting, Hudized into a chunk of muscle. His instincts were pretty good overall even if he was lost on occasion and he appeared in the limited time we saw him to have a nose for rebounds. For the first big off the bench IMO I’m okay with a rebound orientated guy that will probably block a few shots and get better on defense as he gets more playing time.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/deaaron-fox-may-be-the-future-but-right-now-frank-mason-is-the-kings-best-rookie/

The part were Tyler says that this opportunity gives him a chance to do something out from under his dads shadow makes me think dad isn’t planning on going there, at least anytime soon. Going to a college team would have ended up with constant comparisons between the two, smart move on Tyler’s part to go to the pros for that if nothing else.

Earlier this year I commented that Mitch would be asked at some point, probably more than once, to carry the load. This was one of those nights and he stepped up and did the job. I never doubted his heart, and I always thought he had the basketball IQ I just worried about his size/strength and skill set. At this point in the season it’s just his size/strength that I see as his limiting factor on games where he settles in and doesn’t get sped up and in his own way. I think his IQ lets him overcome his size to some degree and his timing on blocks reminds me of Withey. He still tends to try to block every shot in the building and at times gets out of position in the process but overall he is getting pretty good at being in the right place at the right time. He impressed me last night and I hope he sticks through to his senior year and has a go at Jeff’s block record.

@BShark true in the past he has been a shoot first guy. What we, or at least I, don’t know is if that was the expectation and he did what he was asked. If that is the case perhaps if asked to be a pass first guard he will once more do what is asked of him.

Too soon to tell and mostly I hope he does the job well enough we don’t end up with a 40 minute a game point guard again.

Dotson forced them to call that foul we need more of those drives

His comment said he was keeping full ncaa eligibility so I would not say he was gone quite this quick. I would say he was doing the smart thing personally.

I was exited at first that Jaybate had rejoined us! Then the date sank in

Well my bracket is in flames but damn it is worth it

@kjayhawks said in Caleb Grill Hot Rumors:

Vick was probably the hardest to watch for me. He had played so well early in the season and was a first rounder in most mock drafts. He just couldn’t handle the lime light and deal with the pressure. I bet he has a ton of regrets on how he handled it. Same could be said for Giddens, Adams and Greene. But you have to live and learn a bit. I think Preston and Alexander deals were much different since the NCAA came down on them. They were going to go as OAD regardless. Best of luck to these guys and I hope they are well.

I saw both Vick and Wiggins at a camp the summer before that first season. Vick was at least as athletic as Wigs and watching them go at each other I was thinking hot damn this is going to be a year. Sadly it didn’t work out that way.

He has definitely been earning his keep and what a work ethic. I hope a lot of people look at Frank and see what the right mindset and hard work can do.

Watching him has been a pleasure. I normally only track players their first year in the pro’s. But I am very tempted to make an exception!

I was at the game and noticed something that I had seen before. When Landon came into the game the energy level of the team changed for the better. I can not tell you why but it was very evident. He might not have the skills of the other bigs but somehow he brings out the best in those around him. I for one would be happy with just that. There is an added bonus however in that the added playing time he is seeing is making a different player out of him. He is gaining in aggression and is not as likely to fumble the ball. I would say the jury is still out on Mr. Lucas’s top end and I’m eager to see where he is this time next year with his skill set.

I helped out at camps Sherron was working well after his KU days. He worked very well with the kids, all ages, and you could see his heart was in teaching them all he could in the time allowed. I figured he would be a coach someplace sometime and am tickled to see him doing so.

@DoubleDD I agree it has got annoying. Last year I upped my cable package to get as many games as I could. This year I once more was unable to watch as my only option was espn3, which of course is blacked out in most of Kansas. I have cable one as my only provider, unless I want to cut down some trees so I can have dish/direct. Soooo, I dumped all but economy cable recently, got some online packages for random stuff and basically have decided not to stress. I am also not buying anymore tickets and going up to the field house . If they don’t want want me to watch I guess I can oblige them.!

Sling TV does let me get some games, and as soon as I get an antenna installed I’m cutting the cord completely.

For some unknown reason the TV gods smiled on me and my local CBS station changed feeds so I caught the start of the game. To sum it up. - Mick won the jump and I stared in stunned joy as Self removed the leash and let the Jayhawks run and gun. The ball movement was perfection, and it looked like Baylor was in slow motion as they tried to keep up. The only negative was Mick getting 2 fouls in a hurry trying to control Gathers. At the under 16 time out it was 13-3 and I told my father-in-law I would not accept anything less than 26-6 at the 12 minute mark. Sadly I was off by 1!

Ok, so I’m not a good play by play guy. TBH I was so into the over all action I wish I could have recorded it to watch again and grasp the details.

SBNations take

http://www.rockchalktalk.com/2017/2/3/14496662/doubt-confusion-surround-ku-player-accusations-vick-jackson-vandalism-kansas-city-star-john-holt

Does anyone else see Mitch sitting on the bench with a suit and tie a few years down the road?

Svi will start tonight. If his cranium has been removed from its hiding place he might start again Tuesday. If not I am not sure he starts again this year. I believe he seriously pissed off his coach and he best make amends by playing his ass off.

Merry Christmas!

I have a friend from WV and we were chatting about the fouls this morning and both of us agreed the refs had a bad night. His opinion is that the ref’s blew a lot of calls that would have favored KU, probably as many or more then they screwed up going the other way. His take on the matter was style of play, KU was pushing while WVU was settling so the likelihood of WVU getting fouled was much lower. I believe Self made the same comment but I’m not sure might have been someone else. He’s pretty much convinced WVU is done and wishes us the best the rest of the year. See why I like the guy?

Doke is working himself into a solid first round pick. Yeah his jump shot is non existent however the vast improvement in his free throws shows his willingness and ability to learn. He’s shown moves both ways now as well, that little lefty hook wasn’t there a month or two ago and he made it look easy. I fear his upwards step into beast mode will have him moving on up sooner than I’d desire.

I got to see Charlie in a camp for a couple of days last summer. He is an anti-tharpe personality wise and hung out with the team when they had free time and was eager to help the kids. That seems trivial I know but each year I keep an eye on how the guys get along and how they participate in the camp. Last year Billy was standoffish and spent more time on his phone then anything else for example. Not that I took that as an indicator of future problems, more that it showed a lack of interest in bonding with his teammates something I rarely see so it stood out.

I can’t get a true judgment of skills of course but Moore’s ball handling sharp and very fast and he looks pretty nimble laterally. I agree with the previous poster that HCBS calling Charlie not a point guard right now was probably more motivational than accurate. He’s quick enough I am looking forward to seeing how he buys into and plays D which we all know is the ticket to playing time with Self.

Yeah but at least 2 of Dokes fouls were self inflicted on plays he should know better than to do. He has got to lear not to get so wide on screens!

Self is happy first time this year during a game

Garret has turned into a threat offensively last two games. I am both pleased and surprised. Hope it continues

I liked the way he was driving the last three games before his injury. He was getting to the rim and scoring with ease.

Block the shot, help the guy up, and pat him on the shoulder and say good try little fella and wander off smiling. Done properly it’'s as effective as standing over a guy with none of the downside.

Marcus’s shot is so much better he must have put in some serious work.

Wow!!! Way to stressful but what a comeback!

I like it. Gives Zach a year to muscle up and learn with no expectation to see the floor. At the same time if he is needed, heaven forbid, he could step in at a moments notice. Kid has some instincts but needs some polish and muscle. He is in a good place to gain both.

If I was a top recruit… ok laughter under control… I would not sign with anyone till as late as possible and let the fbi investigation run its course. I MIGHT make a verbal commitment but I would do nothing that could possibly tie me to a coach/school that might be ready to go down in flames.

Call me paranoid but I don’t think that all the chips have fallen as of yet.

Merry Christmas all