I still have faith in Bill. Going to zone against Ark almost won him the game. I think Harris, Hunter, and KJ leaving will unlock some more more clarity for him. The ultimate team killer these last 5 years was Harris and Bill sticking with him as long as he did. He killed any chances the team had to go far and he seemed to get worse every year. He was very strong on defense early in his career and that even went downhill. He brought nothing to the table and took dimensions away from a team that is normally dynamic. Bad shooter, bad passer, doesn’t value the ball, doesn’t lead vocally, average at dribble penetration. I’m so happy to see him gone. What bothers me the most are the small things, how come we don’t have real leaders on the team? Think back to Devonte Graham. He would be pulling the team together on the floor for quick huddles, arms around each other, etc. Positive reinforcement, etc. These guys just play with emotionless faces which is a reflection of Harris’ demeanor whether they are up 30 or down 30, its the same. As PG and senior, he sets the tone and it has been horrible for so long.
Another thing that I think reflects on Bill is the team doesn’t run anymore. They used to be able to run fast break over and over and utilize elite athleticism and beat other teams down the court for layups. If that happens 5-6 times per game (which is usually on the low end) thats 10-12 easy points of an advantage over the other team. Any missed shot was a fast break, even after some makes. With Harris running the show it was always a slow dribble up the court and start running the most vanilla offense I can recall seeing. There are very few run plays. And when they do, they run them slow and with bad passes. Its terrible. PG needs to set the example for everyone else and his example has led to this steady decline. Hopefully we get back to real KU basketball starting next year with guys in the mold of Dotson, Frank, Graham, etc. Harris era has been a disaster.
