Posts made by oldhwkfan

If anyone has already seen this and posted it, I apologize for repeating it. I’ve been trying to figure out how to link it to this post for 20 min. and don’t know how, so one of you smart people may take over and link this article to a post to make it easier for everyone to read. In todays NY Times is an article “Basketballs Birth, in James Naismith’s Own Spoken Words”, about the discovery of an audio recording of a radio broadcast he did regarding the first basketball game ever played. Very interesting.

@BeddieKU23 You’re right. According to Sporting News, the pre-game dunking rule was lifted, and is no longer a technical by NCAA rules. And according to FIBA rules, its a technical to hang on the rim, but no mention of dunking during the pre-game warm-ups.

@ParisHawk Agreed

@JayhawkRock78 I think you have your history a little bit backwards. Nixon resigned. He wasn’t impeached, though he most likely would have been, had he not resigned when he did. Clinton didn’t get a free pass. He was impeached by the House, but not convicted by the Senate. And what Nixon tried to do to our political system was just as corrupting, or more so, as jaybate’s hypothetical corruption theory in college basketball. Clinton got a blow-j**. Big deal. But heaven forbid we should have another political discussion on a basketball thread.

On the old website someone stated that Coleby had signed a “grant and aid”, and speculated that that may leave a scholarship open for Chukwu. What is the difference between a “grant and aid” and a scholarship? And does that make a difference as to the number of open scholarships?

I think some of you are being a little too hard on Dean Smith, blaming him for Roy Williams leaving for North Carolina. Dean Smith may have provided a pathway for Roy to leave, but Roy clearly says in “Beyond the Phog” by Jason King that Al Bohl was the reason he left KU. He talks about how unhappy he was because of the lack of support from Bohls and that every day was a battle. He also says that if Bohls had been fired 6 months earlier, he may never have left. Also, both his dad and his sister were in bad health and both died within 2 years of his return to NC. Dean Smith may have provided the way. out, but I doubt he provided the motivation. Remember, he turned Dean down 3 years before.

@Crimsonorblue22 I didn’t name names! That was a generic “gals” to avoid sounding sexist.

Gee, I thought I was an old fart, but now I see a few of you guys (or gals) really ARE old farts. I was born in 1949. I guess I’ll have to change my name from “oldhwkfan” to “notquiteasfaroverthehillasIthoughthwkfan” or maybe just “springchickenhwkfan” to make it simple.

@DoubleDD

What a fantastic off season fix! And what a great documentary. One thing is for sure: There is absolutely nowhere else in the world that the rules should be but KU. And to think what a travesty it would have been had some Duke guy outbid David Booth.

Bruce Springsteen must have been reading this thread in a time warp when he came up with the idea for “Glory Days”

@JayhawkRock78 That was a West Virginia player that made that statement, not a WSU player. Freshman guard Daxton Miles.

@Statmachine Maybe KSU fans have jumped on the WSU bandwagon because WSU is from Kansas? I haven’t lived in Kansas for 35 years but I’d sure as hell rather see a team from Kansas win than Kentucky.

@Crimsonorblue22 Mine too, but Saul runs a close second.

@drgnslayr “The point I’m making is about motivation. Everyone is on a delusional defense of Self”

In my original response to you, I stated I agreed with HEM that Self’s coaching has hurt us since the TT game, so I’m not defending his coaching. What I disagree with you about is motivation and legacy. I’m not a research guy so I don’t know the answer to this question, but I would ask- “How many coaches who have won the NC went to the schools they coached?” I doubt that there have been that many, but those who won and didn’t go to that school apparently were able to motivate their players well enough to win. He doesn’t have to pull stories out of his hat about KU to motivate his players. That only wins games in the movies…“let’s win one for the Gippper.” Sure motivation is important, but so is strategy and in-game adjusting, and a host of other factors.

I’m just saying Self has his faults, but being from Oklahoma is not one of them. And as far as Self choosing to be a Cowboy or a Jayhawk, if my failing memory serves me correctly, Okie State and T Boone Pickens made a strong offer to Self after KU won the NC to get him to come back to OSU, and Self said, “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m happy being a Jayhawk now.”

@drgnslayr Then I guess it’s a good thing we played Memphis for the NC, and not Okie State, huh? I’ve been reading your stuff for several years now, and I have to say, I think your opinions are sound even if I don’t necessarily agree with every word. However, in this instance I’m going to have to go with Crimsonorblue22 and say 'Well, I disagree!" “Legacy” is just a word that makes for a good story in the newspaper. Bob Knight wasn’t from Indiana, and John Wooden wasn’t from California, but they certainly gave their teams the magic and motivation that you refer to. Self may not get us to the Promised Land as often as we’d like, but IMHO he bleeds the same crimson and blue as every poster on this board-whether he’s from Oklahoma or Timbuktu.

@drgnslayr “Self isn’t a Jawhawk” Are you serious??? I’m in complete agreement with HEM that Self’s coaching philosophy and his Fools Gold comments have hurt us since the TT game, and he deserves a hefty share of the blame for our current problems, but “he’s an outsider” and “can he really relate to what Kansas basketball is all about?” Are you SERIOUS??? I’m just kidding you, but maybe you should double up on your blood pressure medicine or something.

@drgnslayr I don’t know if you caught this Tue nite or not, but on ESPN right after the WVU game was over, Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg were discussing what a great accomplishment 11 consecutive Big 12 titles was and what a great coach Self is. As the show was ending and they were cutting away, Jay Williams asked Seth Greenberg, “do you think Kansas can go deep in the tournament?” And Greenbergs response was “No way” Also, a week ago, they had Joe Lunardi on during the game talking about seeding, and he was asked if Kansas might move up to a 1 seed if they won out. His answer was “No, they just don’t pass the eye test”

None of these guys are KU haters, so I can’t just blow off their opinions as anti-KU bias. And if I take off my crimson and blue glasses, the only game I remember when KU really played fantastic for 40 min. was the first UT game. It’s usually one good half and one bad, letting inferior teams hang around and then we pull out a narrow victory at the end. Thats not a good formula for success in the tournament. I may get criticized for being negative, but I just don’t see KU getting to the FF this year. Sweet 16 might be more likely. Nevertheless, 11 straight Big 12 titles is a hell of a feat regardless of how far we go in the tournament.

jaybate 1.0 I don’t have the slightest idea in the world what you do for a living, but if you’re not a writer—you should be. It makes no difference whether I agree or disagree with you. You should be getting paid for this. And I Love the concept of the Living Myth!

@jaybate 1.0 Is it possible you would consider attempting a Vulcan mind meld with Self?

I picture all you guys as 6’5’’ or above except @jaybate who’s a 7 footer

“What will you do to replace Jayhawk basketball for half a year?”

1. Watch all of the KU games I have recorded on DVR.
2. Watch my SI dvd of the 2008 Championship (which I have to brag and say “I was there and I saw it in person”)
3. Watch the new SI dvd of KU winning the 2014 Championship (and I hope I get to see it in person)
4. Get on KU Buckets everyday, just like I do right now, and read Jaybate, Slayr, HEM, and all the other great posters and wait for November

@icthawkfan316 We seem to have a totally different perspective about WSU. Maybe it has to do with age, or maybe things have actually changed in the 30+ years since I left Wichita. I’m 64 and, like you, I also grew up in Wichita, went to public schools. I graduated from West. And also like you, I have loved the Jayhawks for as long as I can remember- and I can remember listening to KU football games on the radio as a kid when Gayle Sayers played- so that goes back a ways. But unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for me to go to KU and I ended up at WSU. I got a good education, but it wasn’t KU. Anyway, as far as the WSU fanbase being bandwagon fans? I’d have to respectfully call BS on that one. About the only fans I know of that are rabid even when their teams have been lousy for decades are the Cubs and the Red Sox. But winning creates excitement, and brings the fans out in droves. It’s that way in all sports. Look at the Royals in the 80’s, the Chiefs now, the Mavs after Mark Cubin bought them, etc. Do you actually think that Kansas fans would be as rabid if they just had a mediocre team year after year? Do you think AFH would sell out every game year in year out if they didn’t win? I don’t. Yes, WSU fans are excited now, because they have something to cheer about. They are excited because they’re winning. KU has been winning for generations- like about a hundred years. They know what its like to win and they’re smug about it. (recall the discussion about rushing the floor after a victory) So maybe Shocker fans don’t know how to win with grace, but the kids who go there now have only known one year of success. I guarantee, if you get off this board (with the most intelligent posters anywhere) and get on someplace like ESPN, you will see that KU fans can be idiots too. I used to live in Dallas, and I can tell you that when the Cowboys or the Rangers or the Mavs are winning, EVERYONE is a fan, driving around with pennants out their car windows, etc. But if they’re not in the title hunt, it’s only the diehards who care.

When I went to WSU in the 70’s, it was a commuter school. Not too many kids lived on campus. I didn’t. I was married and had a kid, so the atmosphere is totally different than in Lawrence. In Lawrence, kids are totally immersed in the University and school life. They ooze school spirit. At WSU, kids go to school as a job. They live at home with their parents or live off campus, but their lives don’t revolve around school. Lot’s of people worked full time and went to school around work. I did. Maybe things are different now. Certainly, things could have changed in all this time, but I think the difference between “commuter school” and “college town” is significant.

And “respect for tradition”? How many young people do you know who know anything about history? Any kid at KU who read one of Jaybate’s posts about how this basketball season relates to the invasion of Normandy would say “HUH?” The reason KU students know about tradition is because they walk in to AFH and see banner after banner after banner. Kids could care less about history, To a kid, history is yesterday. Unfortunately, I’m old enough to remember when WSU was only WU, and I can vaguely remember Ralph Miller, (although that’s probably mostly a memory of my dad talking about him), and those who followed him. But I do have a theory about why WSU can’t sustain success, and thus, build tradition.

WSU has always been a mid-major, so coaches come to Wichita as a stepping stone to a big name job. The good ones move up (Ralph Miller to Oregon, Mark Turgeon to TxA&M, and Gene Smithson, in between) and the losers just move on. But it would be pretty rare to find someone like Marshall who would turn down UCLA to stay in Wichita. Wichita doesn’t have the prestige, money or environment to keep someone who could make the big bucks at a big name school. So they get a good guy for awhile, he wins, then he goes somewhere else and the process starts all over again.

So how do they get out of the rut and start to build a tradition? Seems like a pretty difficult proposition to me. They don’t have a football team so that hurts them, since football is the cash cow driving the bus. And I don’t have nearly enough knowledge about conference realignment to suggest what other conference might want them. So they’re left with trying to find big name schools to play them, who have no incentive to do so. It seems to me if they can’t get out of the Valley, they’re screwed. And they will never get the opportunity to build a tradition so they can have smart fans who appreciate history. So, fortunately for me, I love KU. But I wish WSU could get a little of the same magic KU has. And I’m glad to see Wichita be famous for something besides BTK. And I do honestly mean that I “respectfully” disagree with you. I hope I didn’t come across otherwise.

@justanotherfan Right on! And I would add: if I remember correctly from geography class oh so many years ago, Wichita is in the state of KANSAS, while Syracuse is in the state of New York, and Arizona is from where? Hmmm. I haven’t lived in Kansas for over thirty years but for those of you who do, how could you not get excited about the possibility of a NC between 2 schools from Kansas? And why would anyone who loves KU not be excited by the possibility of KU knocking off the only undefeated school in the country? As JayHawkFanToo pointed out above, the chance for Syracuse or Arizona to go unbeaten the rest of the year is small. If anyone watched last nights game between Syracuse and Maryland, they saw Cuse almost get beaten again, by another unranked team (with a coach from KU). So my point is, KU doesn’t have to take WSU’s #1 seed. If KU can win out, and Cuse or Az (most likely Syracuse) falls, KU and WSU could both get #1 seeds, and maybe compete for the NC. Personally, I think that would be pretty cool, and I would be screaming my head off for KU. And as a final thought, I would love to see a title game without a school from east of the Mississippi.

I don’t think Tharpe sucks. Not at all. But what drives me crazy about him is his inconsistency. He can play fantastic or terrible and you never know which it’s going to be. I have to agree with AsadZ that our other stars have also disappeared at times, but slayr is right that Tharpe is a junior and should be held to a higher standard. I also think his defense lacks against anyone with speed. Not “can’t defend” but he seems to get beat off the dribble too often. Again, I don’t think he sucks, I just mostly wish he played better D. And as far as a freshman coming in and taking his starting job, it seems to me most freshmen take quite awhile to learn to play defense to Self’s standard.

They may not be in the same class as Oakville, but as long as you’re trying to get old posters back on the board, I think you ought to shoot for AlohaHawk and BayAreaHawk too. I don’t remember seeing any posts by them since the move to KU Buckets and I always thought they added intelligent opinions to the discussion.

@icthawkfan316 just received on my phone from Team Stream-“Brannen Greene will not play today due to ‘pattern of irresponsible behavior’”

As far as why Syracuse is the dominant zone team year after year, I could only ask, why is KU a dominant man to man team year after year? I guess because Self is one of the best coaches ever and thats the defense he teaches. I don’t love Boeheim, but there is no denying he is an excellent coach. They are near the top year after year and zone is what he teaches. And he teaches it well. I realize thats a really simplistic answer, but for a more technical analysis the experts on this board will have to speak. But for the second part of your question, whose going to win it all this year, (assuming we leave KU out of the picture), I’m going with Wichita State. I live and breathe KU basketball, but the truth is, I graduated from WSU. But besides that emotional attachment, which is really pretty small, I just think they deserve their ranking and I think they are capable of winning it all. I know there are plenty of WSU detractors out there on this board, and I know their SOS is not as good as any of the other highly ranked teams, but they play tough. After reading the USA Today story on Greg Marshall, I think you can understand why. They made it to the FF last year and I think if they continue to play the way they are playing right now, they can do it again. I’ve looked at several of the stat sites and WSU is right in the ballpark with all the other top 10 teams, again excepting SOS. But the interesting thing is Syracuse doesn’t have a great SOS either, and no one ever talks about that. Depending on the source, Syracuse’s SOS is 71, but no one is saying that will cause them problems in the tournament. I could quote a lot of figures, but to me, the figures lie. KU can have the best SOS and RPI, etc, etc, but still lose on the floor. WSU may not have the best numbers, but again, they play with the personality of their head coach, and that is “never quit”. They may not get back to the FF this year, but I’ll be pulling for them.

Actually, the first one should have been sports-reference.com

Sports Reference Link

Team Rankings Link

www.sportsreference.com and www.teamrankings.com----I was trying to look up stats for conference rankings last week because I kept hearing that the Big10 was the best conference in the country, and I came across these 2 websites, which are both free. As of last Thursday, the Big 12 was 0 .1 point behind the Big 10.

@jaybate 1.0 What a spectacular idea! I’m sure it would be valuable for the players, but it would also be incredibly interesting to me, the avid fan who can’t get enough of KU basketball. I hope you know someone on the inside who could put such a great idea into action. Or maybe even you could do it yourself.

@HighEliteMajor I thought the team doc was Larry Magee? Just curious, what happened to him?

@wissoxfan83 Right. But the question is, Why? He was a superstar at KU. Why did that not transfer to the NBA? I asked a scout for the Mavs that exact question once years ago, and his best answer was “I don’t know”

@drgnslayr Just curious as to whether you would put Raef LaFrentz into the “journeyman” category? I expected him to be a superstar in the NBA. #2 all-time points and rebound leader at KU, drafted #3 in the first round, and he had a 10, or so, year career but obviously never came near the level of Paul Pierce. I’m amazed that on some of the other threads where people have listed past KU greats, his name seems to be forgotten. He’s definitely on my list.

Practically next door to the Kimble is the Amon Carter museum. Also excellent. And if you like cowboy art, they have a great collection of Charles Remmington sculptures.

If you’ve only got time for one bar, it’s J&J’s Blues bar over Billy Bobs, hands down.

@icthawkfan316 RE: Aaron Craft. I didn’t realize there were 2 camps with him. My wife is from Ohio and loves Ohio State as much as I love KU, so we watch Ohio State whenever they’re on. I’ve been watching Craft for the last 3 years now and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with more hustle than him. If he played baseball, he’d be Pete Rose (Charlie Hustle), minus the gambling problem. I agree that he is not a great shooter, but he brings so much more to the game. Besides his hustle, he has a great attitude, is unquestionably the team leader on the court, has excellent stats, and is the PG equivalent of a spark plug. He certainly makes those around him better. As far as losing 4 in a row, remember what happened to KU in Feb. last year. It was a team issue, not something to lay at the feet of one person. I guess I would definitely have to be put in the “love him” camp.

As one who is a fan and not a player, I have a question for some of you guys out there who are obviously former players. When you’re shooting ice cold, and can’t even buy a basket, how do you turn that around during a game? We obviously have some excellent shooters-sometimes we’ve shot over 60% during a half, and most games we shoot over 50%. But yesterday I kept thinking, “sooner or later we’ll get hot”, and of course, it never happened. Is that just a confidence issue, or what? Also, as badly as they played yesterday, I never felt like they quit. They were in it to the end, and barring a couple of bad calls, things could have ended differently. ( I don’t mean to say the calls were the reason they lost.) Lastly, I know ESPN has some lousy announcers, but nobody can compare to that idiot Gottleib! He may have said a couple of nice things about KU and Allen Fieldhouse, but his calling of the game was just terrible IMHO.

I’ve never posted anything before, and I probably never will again, but I have to agree 1000% with HEM and VailHawk. I’ve been reading all you guys for a couple of years now and I can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading all your posts, but Jaybate, you are the best. I enjoy reading your opinions but you also make me laugh my a** off. I’m glad you’re back.