@JayHawkFanToo Amazing the difference a single year can make in terms of perception. A Final Four run this year for KU likely removes the bitter taste from many a mouth for a few years. A NCAA championship for KU this year, and sculptors will be submitting bids to the university to work on the Bill Self statue.
I don’t even want to contemplate the aftermath of something else at this point because I have enough other BS to be upset about.
@tis4tim Here is the obligatory BWAHAHAHAHAHA for ya.
I’d expect this meme to apply to every home game this year, except for UK, which will be full of people from BBN.
I don’t think it’s fair to conflate analysis and hard truth with pessimism. I’m not accusing anyone in particular of doing this, I just think it’s human nature to read harsh criticism of something or someone your care for, and react defensively to it. I know from experience, cuz I do it all the time.
I love this site because I can come here to read posts from people that know way more about hoop than I do, and get the truth, or at least some very keen analysis. Having access to this knowledge and insight has allowed me to watch Jayhawk games with a much better understanding of what is happening on the hardwood, and what might happen in future games.
On the flip side, I don’t think it’s fair to accuse anyone that might be defensive over harsh criticism as being guilty of “blind homerism”. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, and believe that they know where flaws with the team exist, and that they have faith they will be worked out on time, they just might not want to hear about it.
It would be a damn shame if this website became a bastion for one sided discussion, which I do not think it is in danger of becoming.
For anyone that might see our team’s future as bleak for the 2016 season, I liken the WVU game to a turning point in my personal fandom of the team. This turning point was the away game at Gallagher - Iba in 2008. To me, and I am sure for the rest of us, our hopes for KU hoops that year was National Champs or bust. The team was just stacked, and I expected them to win every game they played. I knew the game at UT would be tough because they were a legit opponent, and I knew some shenanigans would happen in Craphatten due to the Michael Beasly hype. However, I was apoplectic after the OSU game. I couldn’t believe KU lost, as the Jayhawks out talented OSU in hoops like Daniel Day Lewis out talents Tommy Wiseau at acting. I logged online and wrote all sorts of vitriol about the coaching staff and the players after the game was over, under an anonymous screen name back when ESPN let you do that. I was ready to give up cheering for the team after I felt disrespected by their effort.
On April 7th, 2008, I realized what a true moron I was for being so fickle.
I think that WVU loss can be tantamount to the loss at OSU in 2008. If KU can fix some of the problems that have been accurately addressed on this site, there is no reason not to believe the sky is the limit. The team has two choices right now, to stay the same and lose almost every road game or neutral court game to championship caliber opponents, or to get better and collect the inevitable hardware that a team this talented should collect.
@Texas-Hawk-10 said:
@drgnslayr It was Ellis. Without his efforts tonight, KU loses this game by 25 at least. He wanted redemption for last year and he absolutely played like a man tonight. For all the crap he’s gotten the previous 3 years for being softer than Charmin, Perry Ellis has grown up this year.
This is why I love having seniors on the team. Not because it always translates to more wins, and fewer losses, but because it’s fun to watch players mature (or not in some cases) over four years. Thus far, this season, I am very proud of Perry, and will definitely miss seeing him in crimson and blue. Seeing the players get better over the years, observing the changes in their demeanor and attitude towards the game of basketball and the program can really take the sting out of some bad losses.
Perry’s play tonight is perhaps the only positive from the game, and I’m thankful that we at least have one positive to look at.
@Texas-Hawk-10 said:
KU is simply playing undisciplined basketball right now. Ellis is the only one playing under control right now. Everyone else is playing really sped up right now.
And KU is letting one mistake lead to another. Not only is Perry the only guy with a sense of discipline on the court in blue, he is the only guy with confidence. Anyone else gets their hands on the ball there is no fluidity, no plan.
@KUSTEVE said:
how many f*cking times are we going to hear “they’re not intimidated”…
Or the new buzzword for Fran, deflection?
@jaybate-1.0 said:
Svi has got to make some shots!
If I hear about his “potential” the rest of the season, I will have to fight the urge to vomit. What in creation leads anyone to think this guy would be drafted this year?
Perry Ellis is the only thing working offensively in the half court. WVU has no reason to play honest defense on anyone except the ball handler at the moment, and even on the possessions where the ball doesn’t stick, and KU has an open shot, it’s brick city.
Kansas has looked better than last year breaking the press, but they somehow look worse once they have crossed the time line.
I like the giant Jayhawk because KU has a very unique mascot. The Kansas Jayhawk is never confused with any other school’s mascot, hence it makes a great image four Naismith Court.
If it were to be changed to anything, I could stomach a silhouette of the KU campus skyline, since the campus is gorgeous, and the image of Fraser Hall is easily recognized.
The color scheme obviously needs to be worked out, but I love the image of the imposing Fraser Hall.
@DinarHawk said:
@HighEliteMajor actually, after re watching part of Duke vs Butler again, it appears Thomas started at the 4 with Singlar at the 3. The three guards, Smith, Scheyer, and Singlar, really carried the load offensively for that team.
Question for ya… after watching the Duke - Butler game, did it appear Zoubeck was getting away with every damn thing? My memory tells me the officials would absolutely not call fouls on that kid, and he was mauling anyone in a black jersey, but I might be wrong.
@wrwlumpy said:
Making Jokes about a certain Big 12 Coach.
Pure gold man! I can’t up-vote this enough.
@wrwlumpy I think it would be cool if it did happen, because I imagine the outcome of the game this year would be way different. Maybe someone can destroy Fred’s beak while they are at.
Glad you posted pictures of the dust storms. I was going to post this one myself:
I work in the asphalt construction industry, and a lot of my travel takes me all over Texas. Lubbock is by far my least favorite place to visit, and you can see why. Anyone who complains about I-70 in West Kansas being too flat, has never driven I-27 from Lubbock to the South end of Palo Duro Canyon. Amarillo fares much better than Lubbock in terms of dust, because the Amarillo area at least has some of its natural grassland in tact.
@Crimsonorblue22 said:
@Hawk8086 think we’ll have a chip going to ksu? I don’t think I’d be very nice!
What KU needs to do in this game is build up a big enough lead so that Jamari can come in in garbage time, and do what EJ did to ISU, to the Cats. Hell, dunk on em twice if possible, and spike the ball on the court at the final horn. After taking that hip check during the storm from that nozzle last season, Jamari deserves every chance he can to shit all over those fans (within the boundaries of the game).
The downside to that game is you know that KSU will have to beef up secure-i-tay for the game, and if they somehow miracle their collective ass to a win, the only thing we hear from then on is how KU griping about the cluster from last season ruined the “good natured fun” for the KSU fans and students. Short of having a player miss games or a coach hospitalized behind this stupidity, loser fan bases like KSU and ISU will continue to shrug off responsibility for their actions, deflect blame, and bitch and moan to whoever gives them a soapbox.
TL;DR - If you are not a part of the team, you don’t belong on the court at any point before, during, or after a game, unless you were invited there by the people running the show. You step onto the hardwood when you shouldn’t, don’t be surprised about some harsh consequences.
@Bwag said in Looking Ahead- Trap Games:
Have our Tech struggles dried up since Billy G is gone or have there been up and downs still with Tubbs at the helm?
Tech played ISU relatively tightly, though not enough to cause sweat.
KU is 5-0 in the last five, and 9-1 in the last ten against TTU, so whatever woes the Jayhawks incur on Saturday, are due to the improvement of the Red Raiders, or the let-down form Kansas. Don’t think a lot of history plays into this anymore.
Hopefully the Royals have enough cash left to sign one more player, either an upgrade at second base if prospects are not ready to take over for Omar, or decent starter. Rotation currently has Young, Volquez, Ventura, Duffy, and Vargas. I think Ventura pitches better this season, Volquez and Young stay about the same. Duffy and Vargas are question marks to me. I think Yovany Gallardo would be a good fit, and he would usually not go deep into games, but was effective in the 5.0-6.1 or so innings he averaged per start. This would synergies well with he KC bullpen.
@JRyman Tech. They have a longer shared history with the KU program, and likely hate the Jayhawks more.
I know that with thiamin, it seems like you either love him or hate him, but I have always been one to enjoy his radio show while traveling for work. Here is Jim Rome’s take on this situation, he makes some very good points:
"The Phoenix Suns are one of the worst teams in the league, but their owner is keeping up one of the great traditions in human history: Older folk believing that the younger generation is taking the whole world to Hell in a hand basket.
Gen X. Gen Y. Baby Boomers. The Greatest Generation. Has there ever been a single generation that hasn’t thought the next one was a bunch of idiots? Not Robert Sarver’s generation.
Because the Suns owner told the Arizona Republic he wonders if power forward Markieff Morris isn’t living up to potential because he’s a Millennial. “I’m not sure it’s just the NBA. My whole view of the millennial culture is that they have a tough time dealing with setbacks, and Markieff Morris is the perfect example.”
**Let me toss in some less than perfect examples: Steph Curry. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard. Anthony Davis… Damian Lillard. All Millennials. Over half the league is Millennials, Bob.
You know who might even LEAD the league in millennials? The Lakers. You know, the team of those young, privileged, entitled, self-important millennials who just housed your guys by 20 points.**
The youngsters can’t deal with setbacks? Bob, you just responded to a terrible season by blaming it on the nature of the young generation. Who can’t deal?
Look – we all feel it a bit. Anybody older than about 26 who says they don’t get annoyed with millennials who share everything, make their personal lives public and can’t go 6 seconds without a snapchat… Is lying. But the Suns don’t have one of the league’s worst records because they have too many millennials. It’s because they don’t have enough good players.
Old people blaming young people for their problems is the oldest take in the world.
Bob- my advice, hit Spotify for some Tay Tay and Kanye, then pick the perfect filter to Insta your no-whip soy latte…oh and, don’t forget to tag me. You’ll feel better."
Texas Hawk said it well. The owner comes across like a total moron, but there is probably a reason Rome didn’t add either Morris to the list in bold above.
@BeddieKU23 KU’s ball handling / movement is so much better than it was the two previous season that the WVU game doesn’t have me all that worried. Those last two seasons, when a team would break out the full court press against Kansas, the Jayhawks looked pretty damn bad against it, and even when they got to scheme against the press, such as when WVU was coming up on the schedule, it didn’t go well. I haven’t tallied the results or anything, but this year, it seems like when a team tries to surprise KU with the press it has led to easy buckets for KU. They win in Morgantown is my prediction.
TT on the other hand, since it will be the first game after the big game against the Sooners, and Self has had his share of trouble playing in Lubbock, I see as the tougher game. Just call it a hunch because I have nothing else to base that assumption on.
@jayballer54 As others on this site have pointed out, the NBA drafts on potential as much as past production, and I believe Cheik is slotted just outside the lottery at the moment. Id say the chances are a coin flip right now. If Cheick is content going late in the first round, he’s as good as gone. If he is dead set on being a lotto pick, he stays.
Of course this all changes if he shows marked improvement from now until the end of the season.
@wissoxfan83 My Keys/Questions/Analysis: 3. This game showed the incredible strong will of the team with how they were able to overcome so many things stacked against them. It was a perfect storm with the refs
Thank you for bringing this up. I think I called it during the live chat that after Self’s T, if KU had any call go their way from that point on (which a few did), and managed to win the game, the only thing that would be talked about on national social media would be “home cooking” for the Jayhawks. And sure enough, that’s exactly what I am witnessing. It’s why I’m glad y’all made this site so I have a place to discuss hoops without having to submit to the Great Satan of Facebook, and then having to sift through all the noise.
@Hawk8086 said:
@Mikey-P Devonte had a tough first half…played better in the OTs.
Definitely agree. Apologies for how I put it because I didn’t make it clear how I felt (I was too amped form the game and definitely intoxicated on adult beverage). I felt like if KU has first half Graham, it’s going to be tough for them to win games against legit opponents. When second half Graham showed up, KU was able to erase a lead against a legit opponent. It was a pretty good example of how important he is to the teams aspirations.
@RockChalkinTexas said:
I’m having a hard time focusing on work today. Let’s do a Caption Contest for this one. Look at Wayne Simien in the background yelling (behind Fred).
That call was BS and you must be FNG blind as a bat.
You could use any line Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket used for Bill Self. J Howard looks like he shouldn’t have trusted that fart.
@RockChalkinTexas said:
Once a Jayhawk, Always a Jayhawk for Life:
Love to see the reaction from Cliff. I’m really bummed he never got a chance to have a legit year at Kansas.
Hield and Woodard combine for 70+ and add to that the ten point swing from Higgins and Co. in the first half, winning this game was Battle of Midway’esque. Guaran-damn-tee this is planned for in the trip to Norman (lame as it is).
D’vonte Graham has to have his shit together for us to cut down nets. If this wasn’t evident in the first half of this last game, I have nothing to say to you.
Perry is gonna go out like a true warrior. Every time I think I have never been more impressed by him, he surprises me. Tonight will be very hard to top.
C5 still an enigma. It made great plays when you didn’t expect, and biffed it when you thought it would close out the game. Maybe not playing POY Hield will help, but damn,
The chemistry, and solidarity between Graham Mason and Selden will be what decides this season fro KU. Perry Ellis will be the beneficiary of their due diligence.
Self letting em loose! They gonna be at all the “good” spots tonight. Jayhawks PR team needs to be out in full force to prevent all the nefarious BS we’d expect after a game like this.
If I were in Lawrence, meet me at the freaking Replay for some cheap beer and head banging!
@DoubleDD Funny thing i if the Ref with the boner doesn’t T Self instantly, this is just another case of KU doing what KU does. If the whistle is remotely fair in Norman, KU wins there too.
@brooksmd said:
@cragarhawk KU fans showing class by giving Buddy a hand after his interview on ESPN.
K-State fan after that game gets tazed… bro.
Give Hield the Steph Curry treatment right now. Anyone but him.
@Texas-Hawk-10 No one has stopped Hield, why should we expect Greene to do it? He should be in the game now to put this thing away.
Hield tired, Selden not, 4 pts please.
Perrrrrryyyyyyyyy! I cannot put into words how pumped I am for him right now. You cannot lose after Perry put forth this effort so far.
FFS, the flat rejection again, where is the kick out to a shooter?
Ohhh Damn, AFH, you never disappoint.
@wissoxfan83 Ya know the phrase, “perception is reality”. Just wondering what in the hell the perception of OU is at this point. Soooooo frustrated.
@wissoxfan83 Wondering if this is a product of how KU has played in the past… KU known for pounding it inside, they don’t this year and when the identity changes ever so slightly, they get zero calls when they drive and get banged the f’ up.
Im am absolutely stunned at how focused OU looks. They are not screwing themselves over like KU is. If this is what @jaybate-1.0 meant by coaching duel, then yeah, Lon be winning right now.
Graham playing out the conclusion to Tiananmen Square!
This is why I signed up for this site to be honest. Having to type out my frustration helps me not throw out my frustration with heavy objects into soft walls…
@jaybate-1.0 If coaching duel is code for one team depending on one guy being on fire, while said guy’s team is get every freaking whistle (good and bad), then yeah, it’s coaching. Sadly, the worst part of all of this, if any questionable calls occur in the second half and KU wins, no one will remember the happenings of the first half.
Half time adjustments:
Dickie, that wasn’t Spangler, that was a vacuum of KU bigs boxing out. OU looks like Hield, Higgins, and some dudes that couldn’t impress Bob Stoops. Graham fixes his game, KU hits the glass better, and gets the win.
If I will give Self for one thing and one thing only this season, it is him not using the quick hook on Greene. Dude has grapefruits when he is shooting the three.
Sigh… wish the students didn’t take the page out of the KSU book with the Bull-Shit chant. What is that now, four points off of second chance whistles, err, shots? That Diallo foul, if it was one, was well after the shot.
Perry isn’t Collison in the post, and he isn’t Rush on the wing, but how in the hell do you not like this dude’s game?
@wissoxfan83 That last whistle a head scratcher.
BG showing us why he is getting the minutes over Svi right now.
Ugh, Hunter!!! Gotta have two points there!
@brooksmd Would it kill ESPN to stagger their hoops broadcast by say thirty minutes? FOX NFL started doing this with the game of the week, which now starts at 3:30 Central. It’s so nice for many reasons: actually knowing when the game will start, not having to look for URL’s you never knew existed, cable channels you may or may not have, and you can enjoy the current game with the ease of mind that it isn’t interrupting the one you actually want to watch. We all know ESPN think the world of their on air personalities, so surely they could give us 5-25 minutes of BS between games. Done ranting until Musberger gets me riled up 
@jaybate-1.0 Sounds like a couple of posters on this thread have carnal knowledge of the Oil and Gas industries. It would be really weird to discover they happened to be professors of mine while I attended school.
@JayHawkFanToo Imagine that… the rules changes, when actually enforced, drastically affecting teams like Huggy Bear’s. Makes one think back to the 2007 game against the Salukis when the internet was awash in tears of people claiming the Jayhawks had the favorable whistle that game. Maybe I should add hand checking to my signature?
TCU winning any games helps the Jayhawks on the quest for XII straight.
