KU-Florida: Game Thoughts

I finally found some time to watch my DVR'd copy of the KU-Florida game.

Here are some thoughts:

*This game was WAY better in person. :)
*Even though I knew the outcome as I watched the game again, I got butterflies in my stomach. What an incredible game.
*Our guys showed a helluva lot of poise and maturity in beating the defending national champion that starts 4 juniors and 1 senior. Every time Florida punched the Hawks punched back.
*Al Horford travelled nearly every time he caught the ball in the post.
*Joakim Noah shoots one ugly free throw shot.
*JULIAN FRIGGIN WRIGHT: What can I say that hasn't been said already? One of the best all around performances ever by a Jayhawk in a big game. He flat out embarrassed Noah on several occasions and dismantled Florida's attempt to shut KU down by playing zone.
*Boy that Jayhawk crowd was incredible, though television didn't do a very good job of showing just how loud they were.
*Vitale is so annoying to listen to throughout an entire game. I don't know how Dan Schumlan deals with that night in and out. At one point Vitale was petitioning for sideline reporter Doris Burke's husband to get an AD job. Are you kidding me?
*Darrell Arthur is a complete stud and should, without question, remain in the starting lineup regardless of Sasha's health situation. As I've said before, I believe he will go down as one of the best freshmen in KU history when it's all said and done. And he was the loudest cheerleader on the bench when he wasn't on the court. Oh yeah, and how about his calm, smooth free throw stroke with the game hanging in the balance? CLUTCH.
*I can't believe I had to DVR this game on ESPN2 in non-HD. TimeWarner Cable.........grrrrrrrrr.
*KU did a nice job for most of the night in handling Florida's press/trapping. I absolutely loved watching the Hawks ATTACK the press and getting some emphatic dunks in the process.
*Darnell Jackson has a good amount of room for improvement. He makes mistakes that are those of a guy that hasn't played many real minutes at the college level. The good news is that he has a strong upside and could be a consistent, solid contributor as the season goes along.
*Bill Self talks a lot after bad games how the ball "sticks in our hands" and guys aren't passing the ball quickly. That one nugget is a critical factor in how effective this team is offensively. If they are moving the ball quickly, good things happen. If not, they don't. Simple as that.
*Sasha Kaun is big, but he looked like a little kid next to Al Horford and Chris Richards. Sasha absoultely positively MUST get more physical and aggressive in the paint, both offensively and defensively. He was very close to being a liability in this game. His foul with under 20 seconds to go gave Florida unnecessary life by stopping the clock and allowing them to hit two free throws.
*The "chicken arm" offensive foul called on Mario Chalmers in OT was BS, particularly because Horford did the exact same thing (maybe even more obvious) early in the second half and was not called for it (He actually dunked it and KU got the foul call).
*SHAME ON ESPN for (1) TWO inexplicable blackouts that occurred during the second half, and (2) repeatedly incorrectly identifying a woman in the crowd as Darrell Arthur's mother.
*Mario Chalmers hit some CLUTCH shots throughout the game. His 3-pt shot is silky smooth.
*Give Florida credit. They have one helluva team and are extremely resilient.
*Understatement of the night from ESPN's Dan Schulman: "Boy, Chalmers is quick."
*Understatement of the night #2 from Duke Vitale: "Basketball, Mr. Schulman, is played collectively as a unit."
*The Orleans Arena is a really nice facility. It seats about 8500, has plenty of bathrooms, has plenty of concessions, every seat is a cushioned chairback, flat screens everywhere, and of course they serve alcohol. I was reminded of Kemper Arena, circa 1988.
*Russell Robinson's block of Corey Brewer on the breakaway was a thing of beauty. I was also impressed with Robinson showing some serious emotion after Darnell Jackson didn't convert on the other end (blocked by Horford). You rarely see any kind of outward emotion from Russell, so it was a welcome site to see him get fired up.
*Give Brandon Rush credit. While he has struggled somewhat to live up to the Preseason All-American hype, he stepped up, took, and hit the game winner with a very acrobatic move for a baseline layup.
*COMPLETE BS NO-CALL OF THE NIGHT: No foul called when Rush got the rebound and three Florida players surrounded him and ripped the ball out of his hands and then put it in for two points.
*COMPLETE BS NO-CALL OF THE NIGHT #2: No foul called near the end of regulation as Russell Robinson got hacked dribbling between Corey Brewer and Taurean Green. Vitale and Shulman said "you won't get a foul called out there". Why not? Is it not a foul when the defensive players hack you to send the game into OT?
*Again, what an amazing game and a great confidence builder for the Jayhawks.

This is going to be one fun team to watch grow and develop as the season continues.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

College Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

(Click the title of this post to see pictures from the event)

As some of you may know, the first-ever College Basketball Hall of Fame is being built in downtown Kansas City. On Sunday night, I was fortunate enough to attend a reception and the inagural Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

The inagural Hall of Fame class was represented by 5 men whose names are synonomous with college basketball success: James Naismith, John Wooden, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Dean Smith.

It was an amazing event and I was a kid in a candy store surrounded by so many great college coaches and players.

Below are some notes/highlights of the evening for me. Also click the photo album below to see some of the pictures from the night.

It was a great evening and a night this Jayhawk, and college basketball, fan will never forget.
Rock Chalk,

Mic
John Wooden--96 years old, but still amazingly sharp-minded. Being around him was awe-inspiring. I was also fortunate enough to get him to sign my program (along with Dean Smith and Bill Walton). He won multiple National Championships at UCLA.

James Naismith's grandson--Did a nice job speaking on behalf of his grandfather and illustrated how important it is for the Naismith family to be a part of the event. The Naismith family also has a foundation that helps get children interested in and involved in sports.
Bill Russell--played college basketball for the University of San Francisco and then played several years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. Was a part of a high school championship, two college national championships and ELEVEN NBA championships.

Oscar Robertson--played for the University of Cincinnati and later in the pros. Is the only player to have averaged a triple double (points, assists, rebounds) in a college season.
Dean Smith--grew up in Kansas; played at KU under Phog allen; currently the coach with the most wins in NCAA history.

Billy Packer--CBS analyst; he was the emcee for the evening and did a nice job and was very complimentary of Kansas City's roots, history and tradition as it relates to college basketball.

Bill Walton--introduced John Wooden with a very long and funny speech--played for Wooden at UCLA, played in the NBA, and now is an NBA broadcaster.

Max Falkenstein--Recently retired KU broadcaster. Had called KU games on the radio for 60 years. A KU icon.

Larry Brown--Led KU to the 1988 National Championship. The only coach to have won a championship as a coach in college, in the NBA and in the Olympics.

Bob Frederick--former KU athletic director.

Christian Moody, Patrick Richey--former KU basketball players.

C. M. Newton--former Athletic Director at the University of Kentucky.

Mike Kryzweiski--Head coach at Duke University.

Bobby Knight--Former head coach at Indiana University. Now the coach at Texas Tech.
Denny Crum--Former Louisville head coach.

Steve Lavin--Former UCLA Bruin head coach. Currently an ESPN analyst. He made a funny comment about Bill Walton, saying "I owe a lot to Bill Walton. He helped me get a job at ESPN after UCLA handed me my pink slip. He never liked me when I was coaching at UCLA, but he helped me get a job during a very difficult time."

Mike Jarvis--Former head coach at George Washington University and St. John's University. Does some tv broadcasting.

Johnny Dawkins--Assistant Head Coach at Duke University and former Duke player.

Also, there were video excerpts from Dick Vitalke, Roy Williams and Wayne Embry and the night ended with a song by legendary KC blues/jazz singer Ida McBeth.

KU-Oral Roberts: Game Summary

Here's the summary of the game for those that weren't "fortunate" enough to watch it live:

Poor shot selection from tip to finish.PISS POOR officiating.Poor execution in transition. KU failed to convert on a FOUR-on-ONE and a FOUR-on-TWO fast break.

Poor passing from tip to finish.

It seemd like EVERY loose ball went to Oral Roberts.

Too much trying to make the "sexy" play instead of making the fundamental play.

Julian Wright taking way too many shots and getting way too fancy with his dribbling, which led to numerous turnovers.

STANDING AROUND ON OFFENSE all game long.

KU played with ZERO sense of urgency all game long.

If you are looking for a leader on this Jayhawk team, you won't find one.

Remember the talk from the players saying that they can "run all game long"? Uh, yeah, scratch that.

Darrell Arthur played like a man among boys. Freshman of the century?

Horrible defense. We routinely double-teamed the post, leaving ORU guards wide open to swish a 3-pointer. Eerily similar to the Bradley game last year.

Brandon Rush missing free throws left and right.

Oh wait, EVERYONE missing free throws left and right.

Brandon Rush deciding to take a nap for the first 15 minutes of the game. Pre-season All-American my ass.

Darnell Jackson looking like a guy that was forced to start, but doesn't deserve it.

Sasha Kaun cannot get back soon enough.

KU's crowd sounded like the MU crowd tonight, whining and booing about every call.

Note to the players: Quit thinking you should win just because you have KANSAS on the front of your jersey.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Bill Self's biggest challenge this season will be getting this team to take EVERY opponent seriously. He failed tonight and was outcoached from tip to finish.

One of the MOST EMBARASSING losses in the history of KU basketball. Right next to Bradley and Bucknell.

We very well may get boatraced against Florida in Las Vegas. And at least that game is on national TV.

Giving credit where credit is due: Russell Robinson

Can I just inject for a moment how much of a fan I am of Russell Robinson? After such a tough adjustment during his freshman season (remember the talk about him transferring), he has become a rock solid point guard and has matured so much on and off the court. He has been the pulse for this team and will continue to do so this season. He doesn't get near the credit he deserves because he doesn't have the "flash" and the preseason awards and the NBA talk, but he is the glue of this team.

Congratulations, Russell. You've become a man right before our eyes. And you deserve to cut down those nets in Atlanta.

This Jayhawk fan will be rooting hard for you to do just that.

Mic

KU wants Robinson to be its voice
BY RICK PLUMLEE
The Wichita Eagle
LAWRENCE - If you see Russell Robinson's jaws moving more on the court, along the sideline or whenever he's around his Kansas teammates this season, then you know a leader is blossoming.
Not that leading is all about talking.
But in Robinson's case, the junior point guard has all the leadership qualities except the words.
"I'm not vocal," Robinson said, "but I'm working on it."
As the No. 3 Jayhawks open their season tonight against Northern Arizona, they have some nice pieces that could fit together for a remarkable year.
What they need most of all to make it work is a leader. This is also a team that doesn't have a leader in the most complete sense.
"You see the really, really great leaders -- the Larry Birds, Magic Johnsons and Michael Jordans of the world -- they all do this," KU coach Bill Self said as he made the motion of flapping jaws with his fingers and thumb. "The really great leaders all talked."
OK, so the Jayhawks don't have a Bird, Johnson or a Jordan. But they do have Robinson.
"Of all the players, they'll look to Russell more than anyone else," Self added. "They'll look to him when times are tough.
"Nobody is the pulse of the team or more valuable to the team than Russell. He is a leader. But he would be a better and more effective leader if he was more vocal. We've talked about that a thousand times."
And Robinson can just about recall every one of those conversations.
Running the offense, stealing balls, scoring as needed. That's his game. Off the court, he hangs out with his teammates. Movies, video games and so on.
But talk?
"That's not the first thing I want to do," he said. "I'm more leader-by-example guy, but lately I've been more vocal."
Brandon Rush agreed.
"In practices, Russell is starting to speak up when we don't get things right," the sophomore guard said. "He used to leave it up to the coaches to chew us out."
KU has its talkers. Forward Julian Wright, for example. But like his game, sometimes his words tumble out at such a fast pace that you're not sure where he's going.
Plus, it works better if the leadership comes from a guard. Although Robinson grew up in New York City, the land of too much talk, Robinson arrived at KU shy and quiet. He's gradually climbed out of that shell and is far more communicative now.
"Russell is about leading by example, not words," junior forward Darnell Jackson said. "We all respect that. But sometimes you need one guy to speak up."
Robinson was the team's leader last year, so it's not exactly a new role for him. The only question now is whether he can upgrade as a leader.
His game already speaks volumes.
"He's not going to average 15 a game, but he could get 20 in any game," Self said. "You should always judge Russell on whether your team has more points than the other team at the end of the game, because that's what he's about.
"He's become a good basketball player. He's older, wiser, tougher and a competitor. And he's talking more. He just needs to get more comfortable doing that."

KU-Emporia State: Post-Game Thoughts

I was at the game last night and walked away with these few observations:

*Our guys have a long way to go, as to be expected, on playing great team defense. At times, I would say they have a ways to go on playing even good team defense.
*Sherron's shot is definitely not "pure" as a friend of mine pointed out last night, but the end result, particularly from 3-pt range, is all that matters. If he becomes a consistent 3-pt threat to go with his ballhandling, penetrating, passing skills, that will make us that more dangerous. Not to mention that he is playing tentatively right now and you can tell the game is still a bit too fast for him. Once it slows down, he will be scary good.
*I really expected to see Brandon being more assertive on both ends of the court this year. Additionally, I expected to see more vocal leadership from him. To this point, I've seen neither.
*Ditto on vocal leadership from Russell. He still seems to be that quiet, even keeled player he was last year.
*This team really missed Sasha inside presence and muscle. The saying "You don't know what you've got til it's gone" comes to mind. Darnell and DA got shoved around and gave up way too much space when Emporia State players were backing them down into the lane.
*Mario Chalmers being out was another "you don't know what you've got til it's gone" situation. It makes me appreciate even more how much havoc he creates defensively, how that creates offensive opportunities, and how his ability to score gives the team overall energy.
*We never really committed to trying to get the ball into the paint last night and settled for numerous jumpshots.
*I didn't see much overall intensity from KU last night, particularly in the first half.
*A friend mentioned this to me last night and I hadn't really thought of it until his comment, but I completely agree: "This is Julian Wright's team. Period."
*Matt Kleinmann is a poor man's Christian Moody and has a looooooong way to go. I hope we don't need him to play at all this season other than to go foul someone.
*Darrell Arthur didn't look like the "freshman of the century" last night, but he is still going to be a monster this season as he gets more and more experience. He played somewhat timid last night and I imagine the game and remembering what the coaches have told him is still slowing him down. But, as with Sherron, once that stuff becomes second nature for him, he is going to be beyond scary good.

Overall, good to get some playing time for everyone and good to get our injured players some rest.

All of that said, I'm much more nervous about the Florida game that I thought I would be.

Mic