KU Sports: To Blog or Not To Blog?

That was the question I had to ask myself a couple of years ago when a friend of mine kept telling me that blogs were the future and that I should start my own Jayhawk blog to share my passion of KU basketball with others. Don't get me wrong, I'm a KU football fan too, but honest enough to say that basketball is my first love. Always has been. Growing up, I had the build to play football, so I did, but I went out for the basketball team too in hopes that they would have a need for a 5'11" "big guy" that thought he could shoot the 3. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but my passion for basketball continued and reached a whole new level as I experienced game after game in Allen Fieldhouse my freshman year: 1990.

Over the last several years, I've been on various Jayhawk boards and written articles for a couple of Jayhawk web sites. Each had their own advantages and disadvantages, so I decided to start my blog, Jaytalkers.com, so I could have a place to share my thoughts and opinions with others. Mind you, I’m not trying to CHANGE anyone’s opinion or force my beliefs on them. I’m just sharing one man’s view of all things Jayhawk.

So while Jaytalkers.com will continue and has some of my historical blogging for those that are interested, I now enter a new venture with The Topeka Capitol Journal and will be blogging for them on KU Sports at least a couple of times a week during the football and basketball seasons.

To give you a little more info on how I view things as a Jayhawk fan:
*I LOVE Jayhawk Basketball. The amount of time and effort I put in watching, reading, writing and talking about the games during the season can only be described as “fanatical”. My wife may choose a different phrase. Thankfully, we just celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary, so I think I’m ok. Hey, look, she knew what she was getting into when she married me (She’s a Jayhawk fan too. We met at KU. But she’s just not a freak about it like I am.)
* My approach as a fan, after years of getting my hopes way up only to have them inevitably crushed, is to take the games one at a time. I know it's cliché, but I'm not going to walk around with my chest pumped out as though we are taking over college football (or basketball for that matter) because I've seen way too many fans from MU and KSU look ridiculous for doing that very thing only to have the bubble explode in their faces for the nation to see. (Note: KSU Nation is ALREADY doing it with the ridiculous over-hyping of Michael Beasley. I’m not saying he won’t be a good, or maybe great, player, but let’s wait to see him actually PLAY A GAME IN COLLEGE before we start comparing him to LeBron James or Kevin Durant.)
*In the end, as much as I want to go "all in" and believe that KU, in football and/or basketball, is a team of destiny, it just hurts too much to set that expectation in my mind/heart only to have it burst. IF KU were to win a national title in either sport, I would celebrate to the point of exhaustion and, most likely, tears. And I’m not joking.
But until then, I don't get too high after wins and I don't get too low after losses. I haven't always been that way. That approach has been molded after years of heartbreak after getting too emotionally invested. It's like putting your heart and soul into the relationship with your first love....and then finding out later she cheated on you. The pain is just too great. So, if I were to label myself as a Jayhawk fan, I would say that I am predominately CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.

At the end of the day, I bleed Crimson and Blue and always will. I hope that the readers of the Topeka Capitol Journal enjoy reading what I write and I look forward to fine-tuning my own fanaticism with the combined wit and intelligence of the KU fan base.

Keep Rockin’ and Chalkin,

Mic
kumic94@gmail.com

TEAM. TEAM. TEAM.

After re-watching the game last night one thing that sticks out to me is how much of a TEAM effort yesterday's win was.

Several players stepped up at various points in the game. Russell Robinson hit some big 3's early in the game and his finger-roll-with-spin layup was huge later in the game, not to mention his FT that sealed it. Mario launching 3-after-3-after-3-after-3-after-3. Sasha going on a nice spurt where he hit the boards hard and got a couple of putbacks. Brandon hitting a couple of big 3's. Julian Wright was everywhere, blocking, dunking, passing. Darrell Arthur while silent most of the day offensively had a nice 2-pt bucket in the second half. Sherron, while scoreless, had a few nice passes that led to buckets. Darnell had that sweet alley-oop dunk and a few other strong plays inside.

TEAM, TEAM, TEAM.

I turned to the guy I was with at several times in the game and said "we've got to attack on offense" and that is exactly the mentality that the team took on.

The other thing I was thinking about is: Think about how easy it would have been for our team to mentally fold the tent down 12 at half with Durant and co. completely on fire.

Folks, that shows toughness. A toughness that I don't think any team before this one under Bill Self has fully grasped. It will serve us well in the postseason.

I wish I didn't have to wait 5 days for another KU game!

Mic

1900 Wins & Big 12 Champions

Just returned from Lawrence.

WOW...what a GREAT game and an INCREDIBLE experience!

Below are some of my thoughts as well as a link to some pictures of the day's events.

1. I am so thankful for friends like Mark Robinett, who offered me a ticket a few days ago. Thanks Mark. It was an awesome experience.
2. Kevin Durant is the National Player of the Year. End of story. His first half was one of the best I've ever seen from any player against KU, much less a freshman.
3. UT played one of the best first halves that any opponent has ever played in Allen Fieldhouse. They were mindbogglingly proficient.
4. Even though KU was down 12 at the half, I had a good feeling that our guys were going to find a way to get back in the game. I was THRILLED when they started the second half with a 22-7 run.
5. I've been to a lot of games in Allen Fieldhouse. I'm not sure I've ever seen the Fieldhouse rocking more than it was today. Every single fan was into it and helped WILL this team to the outright conference championship.
6. I am so happy for this team and for Bill Self. Watching them celebrate after the game and cut down the nets will forever be a great memory in my mind.
7. It was really cool being in Allen Fieldhouse for win #1900.
8. 50 Conference Championships in 100 years. Are you friggin' kidding me?
9. It was great to see so many Jayhawk friends today, both in Allen Fieldhouse and at the Salty Iguana post-game.
10. Allen Fieldhouse: There is not a better place in the country to watch a college basketball game.
11. When Kevin Durant rolled his ankle, I took a moment to thank the ghost of Phog Allen.
12. As I waited in the line outside of Allen Fieldhouse before the game, with Phog Allen's statue just a few feet away, I mentioned to the group I was with that I knew the EFKAN paver was somewhere nearby. Sure enough, I look down and my right foot was standing right on it. Check the pictures for a shot of the paver.
13. For all of those KU fans that criticize Bill Self for losing in the first round of the NCAAs the last couple of years, please take a moment to kiss my ass. He is the right man for the job and is an excellent representative for the University of Kansas. Plus, he doesn't have two DUI's like the guy that coaches in Allen Fieldhouse West. (congrats to K-State, by the way. I think they locked up their NCAA tournament bid with a win today over OU in Manhattan).
14. Shame on CBS for assigning two no-name announcers to the battle for the Big 12 Title with the #3 team in the country and the likely National Player of the Year.
15. It takes a lot of guts, determination and toughness to bounce back from a first half like the one our Jayhawks faced today from Texas. They pulled together and got the job done. This team has learned a lot about themselves with the last two close games. Hopefully that experience will help them in the postseason.

Click the link below for the pictures.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=wb94q1i.31mm9y5a&Uy=-8eyr09&Ux=0

As a wise man once said: "Every day is a great day to be a Jayhawk, but somedays are a little bit better."

Rock Chalk,

Mic

KU-KSU: Game Thoughts

So what about next year? Will Bramlage have a PINK OUT?

Hey, Huggie, take your prediction about Feb. 13th and SHOVE IT. It's STILL not a Rivalry.

Do you know what my favorite show on tv is?---24

How many years in a row is that in Manhattan?--Why, it's 24.

Last 35 games: KU 34 KSU 1: Hey Huggins, welcome to the "rivalry".

Great win. Just a great win and a team effort. Loved seeing our guys pick each other up.

The 3rd foul call on Rush (against Bennett of all people) was a joke. I could listen to an argument that it was a close call. But it wasn't close enough to go against KU.

Sherron Collins has balls of steel that would make Superman blush.

Here's a link to the box score: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=kusports&page=cbask/scores/final/boxscore.aspx?GAMEID=29879

Mario stepped up big time.

Darrell Arthur--13 pts., 12 rebounds. He is a freshman no more.

I loved seeing Huggins get T'd up. It wasn't the first and it won't be the last. And boy does he cuss up a storm. I think I saw Bill Snyder blush.

MAJOR props to Brandon Rush for playing the entire second half without picking up his 4th or 5th fouls.

KU made some dumb mistakes toward the end of the game. And on a few occasions played too fast and out of control. Hopefully they will learn and we'll see less of that going forward.

How does an official not see Bill Self dancing on the floor and screaming for a timeout and instead call KU for a 10-second violation?

Nice to see we can go into a hostile environment and have Rush (11 pts), Wright (4 pts), Kaun (3 pts) and Robinson (3 pts) play forgettable games offensively, go 5-for-21 from 3-pt range (that's too many 3-pt attempts by the way when you are playing a team with no inside presence), turn the ball over nearly twice as much as our opponent, and still come out with the W.

Wildcats fans snuck live chickens into Bramlage Coliseum and released them onto the court as KU’s starting lineup was announced. Boy, y'all r shur creaytiv.

The average KSU fan must not know shit about basketball. They sounded like the MU fan base, booing at every call, even if it was the right one.

Everyone in black while their court has purple all over it looked just stupid.

Did you see those Kansas State Proud t-shirts? Proud of what? That you haven't beat your rival in your own town for 24 years and you hired an alcoholic cheater to lead your program?

If there is a word that combines the words buffoon, moron, pathetic, slow, dork, and dead weight...well, then that's what Jason Bennett is.

Other important numbers: 39-20. Oh wait, that was the score of KU's asskicking off KSU on the gridiron.

It's always nice to shut a "rival" fan base up. MU and KSU fans will be quiet for another year after getting SWEPT by the Jayhawks.

I wonder if Huggins is having a few drinks with his designated driver in Aggieville right now?

Mic

My Perspective on Bill Self

I shared this with a friend of mine and thought I'd share it with visitors to Jaytalkers.com.

Mic

You and I, (insert name here), do have a philosophical disagreement. You say it's "what have you done for me lately", which I believe is the type of spoiled viewpoint of many KU fans. The funny thing is, Self has only been at KU for nearly 4 years. He inherited the angst and frustration that Roy left behind when he "jilted" the KU fan base...a fan base that IMMEDIATELY felt betrayed. I personally don't think it's fair to Self. Roy was given 15 years and never won a championship and, it could be argued, lost a couple (Syracuse, the 97 team that lost to Arizona), but KU fans, for the most part, adored him. And Self has done an awesome job at KU in terms of recruiting, wins and losses, etc. But because of TWO games, albeit tournament games, he has the wrath of some in the KU Nation and they are unendingly and unfairly impatient with him. So my take isn't "what have you done for me lately", it's "what will you do for me over the course of your career". I understand that there are going to be ups and downs. I enjoy the hell out of the ups and I cope with the downs. I try very hard not to overreact to the short term pain that comes with losing tough games, be it during the regular season or during the postseason. It's what Self does over the long haul that determines how he will be viewed by Jayhawk Nation and the greater college basketball community.

Jayhawk Basketball: All for one and one for all

I've read and heard many things in recent weeks from KU fans and KU-related articles like:

"We need Sasha Kaun for a run in the tournament"
"As Julian goes, so goes this team."
"As Brandon goes, so goes this team"
"Sherron Collins is going to be key in March."
"We need Darrell Arthur to step it up if we're going to make a run in March."
"We're going to need Mario to get out of his shooting slump before the postseason"
"Russell has been playing well. We're going to need his calming influence to make a run in March."

The talent on this team is spread out. It's one of the most balanced teams in KU history.

There is not one, consistent go-to guy.

There is not one "key" for this team to make a postseason run.

It's going to take consistent, unselfish play from everyone on this team to get to the Final Four.

Folks, I think we have the pieces.

And I think the pieces are really starting to understand their roles on this team and they know that no one player is more important than the other.

They know they need each other.

They know when one piece of the puzzle is missing on a given night, that someone else has to step up. The good news is almost every one of our core players has stepped up at different times.

They are coming together as a team right before our eyes.

They know what it's going to take to be a great team and they are making progress towards that goal as the conference season goes on.

They are learning.

Their basketball IQ's are catching up to their natural athletic talent.

March is going to be a helluva lot of fun.

Mic

KU-A&M Game Thoughts

Just got back from Lawrence....

Positives:
*We stayed at The Eldridge and had a wonderful dinner pre-game and several drinks post-game.
*The atmosphere around Allen Fieldhouse was electric with Jayhawk fans and ESPN Gameday.
*Since I was at the game, I didn't have to listen to Dick Vitale all night.
*Saw Dan Schulman at the bar at the Eldridge. Dude is much bigger than I thought he was.
*Saw Erin Andrews in the Eldridge lobby. Dudette is even more attractive in person.

Negatives:
*Kaun and DA played a game that would make Eric Chenowith proud. They should be ashamed.
*The officiating, especially by the grey-haired official, was horrendous in the early part of the game. I would guess that the officials alone cost us 10-12 posessions.
*I like Bill Self, but he made some moves yesteray that cost his team the game. Make the South 1-31 in Allen Fieldhouse. If you aren't doubting Bill Self after Bradley, Bucknell, DePaul, Oral Roberts and now A&M after an 11 pt lead, then you can call yourself a pollyanna.
*This team is one of the most frustrating KU teams I've ever watched. As I've said before, you have no idea which team, or which players, are going to show up night in and night out.
*The entire country got to see KU lose at home on a day when ESPN gives us more publicity than we could ask for.
*My WWF is always 10 with this team, no matter how Mark breaks it down.
*I still can't believe we gave up a 17-4 run to end the game. Bill Self, his staff and this team should be embarrassed today.To call it a chokejob would be a compliment.
*A&M is a damn good team and Billy Gillespie is a damn good coach. 0-16 three years ago and Billy Gillespie has them playing better than his mentor's team of McDonald's All Americans.
*This team is not tough mentally. This team is not tough physically.
*We have all of the "talent" a coach could ask for, but I honestly don't think Bill Self knows fully yet how to coach this much talent.
*I believe this team will win their first round NCAA tourney game and then "relax" because the pressure is off and lay an egg in a second round loss.
*It appears the best coach currently in Kansas wears purple every game. I can't believe the success Huggins and KSU are having right now. They are playing consistently better basketball than our very own Jayhawks.
*Words cannot describe how deflated the Jayhawk fans and AFH were after that loss. It was one big bowl of depression. And I'm still depressed.

KU-MU Game Thoughts/Stats

*KU 80 MU 77
*It wasn't a great win. It wasn't a pretty win. It wasn't the win that anyone expected. But it was a win. And it counts as a W. I am thrilled that the guys found a way to win another close game. But it didn't stop me from almost having a coronary.
*Sherron Collins was HUGE tonight. He picked the perfect time to have his coming out party and the Jayhawks needed every one of his 23 points. I am both ecstatic at the performance and concerned that it took that kind of game from a freshman to barely beat our unranked rival on our home court.
*"Coach Kurtis Townsend and I, that's the Sherron Collins we recruited," said Self. "It takes guys awhile to get comfortable. This was a big game for him going against Stefhon Hannah because they had a rivalry back in high school. As good as Hannah was, as good as Lawrence was and as good as Marshall Brown, I thought he was great, as good as those three were, Sherron was still the man tonight."
*I just watched two video clips from today's KC Star Sports page. Both Jason King (KU beat writer) and Mike DeArmond (MU beat writer) said that this game was going to be a blowout and wouldn't be worth watching. So much for that idea.
*It is becoming increasingly clear that we have no idea which KU team is going to show up on a given night. This team can beat anyone in the country and lose to anyone in the country. I've had visions of Bradley and Bucknell dancing through my head the last two games. The difference is that this team found a way to win the last two games. I can only hope and pray that the experience carries over into the rest of the conference season and postseason. But if any KU fan goes into any game thinking it's going to be a walk in the park, think again. This team can look amazing and they can look unbelievably mediocre.
*Even though these last two wins haven't been impressive, we can, at a minimum, take heart in the fact that Rush stepped up against ISU and Sherron stepped up tonight. As long as SOMEONE steps up each night when they play like this, we'll have a chance.
*I'm seriously questioning our #5 ranking.
*I'm shocked at the calls that MU got in Allen Fieldhouse. I don't expect the favor to be returned when we go to Columbia.
*MU outrebounded KU 43-42. This was the same MU team that got outrebounded something like 51-17 against K-State. I'm trying to do the math, but it doesn't add up even if I use a calculator.
*Brandon Rush, in the last two games, has been 9-of-30 from the field. If that keeps up, expect him back for his Junior year. In fact, unless something dramatic happens, we can expect pretty much the entire team back next year.
*KU had 17 turnovers tonight and 16 against Iowa State. (MU had 12, ISU had 10) That's one way to keep a less talented team in a game.
*MU had 16 more shot attempts than KU, 73-57, and nearly double the offensive rebounds (13-7).
*KU had 2 players (Rush, Collins) in double figures.
*KU sent a resounding message to the rest of the league when they destroyed Oklahoma State in Allen Fieldhouse. In the last two games, ISU and MU have sent a message to the rest of the league. They are better than people think they are and KU isn't as good as people think they are....yet.
*I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hands down, the biggest coaching challenge Bill Self has is to try and figure out how to get this team to take every opponent seriously. That is the only explanation I can think of for the repeated lack of focus and execution we've seen from the Jayhawks at times this season.
*It sure didn't "feel" like it as I watched the game, but MU hit only 23% from 3-pt range, 7 of 30. The saying goes "live by the three, die by the three". The scary thing is, even with that horrendous shooting from deep, they only lost by 3 and had a chance to send it to OT.
*MU starts Big 12 Conference play at 0-4 for the first time in their history. That's always a good thing.
*Even though we've seen the Jayhawks play some great defense this year, they also gave up a 15-2 run to MU, so there is plenty of work to do to become a truly dominant defensive team.
*It is clear that the Jayhawks have not yet learned how to CONSISTENTLY execute over a 40 minute game. I would say, on average, our proper execution is around 50-60% of the game. Good teams take advantage of those self-inflicted errors and that helps them keep the games closer than they realistically should be.
*Here's a link to some postgame quotes from coaches and players: http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/011607aaa.html
*Onward and upward. Let's hope the guys come out a little more focused and execute a lot better in Lubbock, TX on Saturday against the Red Raiders. It will be another rowdy road crowd and another ESPN game.

Keep Rockin' and Chalkin',

Mic

KU-South Carolina: What makes this win even more impressive

...than it already was is the several things that jump out when looking at the stat sheet.

http://www.rockchalk.com/games/g200715.sht

KU was outrebounded by 9 in the first half and ended up winning the rebounding battle 31-28. That's a very impressive halftime adjustment.

KU wins by 16, but is outscored by 12 from 3-pt range and 14 at the free throw line (KU was whistled for 9 more fouls than SC). When was the last time KU only got 5 FT attempts?

The "depth" factor and wearing down SC was discussed, yet KU had 4 players that played 30 or more minutes (SC had 5) and DA was only 3 minutes shy of 30 minutes.

I also don't think our defensive effort has gotten enough play. Our guys played some suffocating defense tonight, holding SC to 38%, Tre Kelley to 3-of-16 (and SIX turnovers) and Bryce Kelley (who someone mentioned could light it up) to 1-of-6.

As I've said before, this team has played at a very high level defensively this season. Once the offense reaches that same level, and today was a step in the right direction, this team will be awesome.

Another tidbit: I read on an SC board where one of their fans said that 40%....FORTY PERCENT!...of the building today was filled with Jayhawk fans. That is INCREDIBLE, folks. We get more fans travelling to non-conference road games than most teams in the Big 12 get for home games. Again, simply incredible.

Finally, as I re-watched the game, I have NEVER seen Bill Self as fired up as he was early in the game when he got the technical. And I noticed him on his feet on several occasions during the game. From my recollection, in many games, he's spent a lot of time sitting on the bench, sometimes emotionless, but that certainly wasn't the case tonight. He had his game face on and his team completely fed off of his intensity.

On to the conference season. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

KU-Boston College Game Thoughts

*KU 84 Boston College 66
*The first half was the best, and most complete, half of team basketball that KU has played this year. Right there with the first half of the Florida game.
*The second half included what has become a disturbing pattern for this team: When the opportunity is before them to go for the kill and put a team away, they let off the gas, lose focus, and let an inferior team stay in the game.
*Mario Chalmers is a STUD and is, hands down, the MVP of the team thus far. He is the only one who consistently brings it, night in and night out, on both ends of the court. He finished with 22 points. (9-16 FG, 3-6 3PT);*Pass it on: CBS SUCKS. Not only was the game not broadcast in HDTV, but a good portion of Jayhawk fans across the country didn't get to see the game because CBS didn't send the feed to DirectTV. And, before the game was even over, CBS breaks away from regional coverage and shifts the country over to A COMMERCIAL break during the Ohio State-Florida game, which was tied 2-2. Think CBS Sports, who is headed up by a Duke grad, would have done that if it was a Duke game being broadcast? Yeah, me either.
*The Jayhawks were very aggressive offensively from tip to finish.
*The officials in this game were brutal. They routinely stopped the momentum of the game and called several "ticky tack" fouls. There were 21 fouls total called in the first 12 minutes of the second half. 'Nuf said.
*The Jayhawks still need to work on finding that killer instinct. After having a 26 pt. lead in the second half, they let BC get within 13.
*Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur were as physical and aggressive as I've seen them this year.
*The 4-on-1 fast break in the first half that ended with a Rush dunk that was one of the prettiest fast breaks you'll ever see. Perfect execution.
*The Jayhawks played VERY tough defense in this game (particularly in the first half) and forced Boston College into a bunch of turnovers.
*The crowd in Allen Fieldhouse was amp'd up throughout the game. Nice job, KU fans.
*This game was a blowout early and stayed that way for most of the game. Of course a big reason why is because BC is the first quality team KU has played that didn't hit 3-pointers like they were born to do it. They ended up 4-of-19 (21%) from deep, while KU was 5-of-15.
*KU won the rebounding battle 44-34. 18 of those rebounds were on the offensive end. Rebounding is about EFFORT and POSITIONING. KU did a solid job on both today.
*The key from here is whether the Jayhawks will build on this win/momentum and play with this type of energy every game. Or will they rest on their laurels of a good win and have a letdown? I'm not yet convinced that this team has the mental strength they need to win night in and out.
*A friend of mine, commenting on KU's sluggish second half, said "This team loses focus very quickly." I believe that one sentence perfectly summarizes KU so far this season. When focused, they are one of the best teams in the country. When they lose their focus, the are an average, and at times, below average basketball team. The most frustrating thing for KU fans is the team's focus seems to change about every 5-10 minutes during a game.

All in all, a good win over a quality ACC opponent and a nice Christmas gift for KU fans.

Keep Rockin' and Chalkin',

Mic

KU-Winston Salem State

This game was a yawner. I was going to post my thoughts about it, but then I read Gary Bedore's thoughts from the LJWorld and figured I couldn't say it any better myself.

That being said, I don't agree with him that WSSU hitting more threes is a "concern" because that was the only thing they could do offensively. They were just too small and not athletic to establish any kind of inside game.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic


Gary Bedore, Journal-World KU men’s basketball beat writer

“There was nothing to be learned from this one, the opponent was so inferior. I did see fans smiling on the way out of Allen Fieldhouse, however, which I guess is a good sign. Folks enjoyed seeing a bevy of KU dunks and the return of the running game. Winston-Salem State did hit more threes than the Jayhawks, which probably is a concern. Again, however, nothing can be learned from this. If the fans in attendance enjoyed the rout, good deal, but really it meant nothing. Add a ‘W’ to the win column and move on.”

Why are KU basketball fans so negative right now?

This question came up the other day and below is my response:

My thought is what I've said several times before "There are ignorant fans in every fan base. MU just has a larger percentage."

It is TOTALLY hang over from Bucknell and Bradley mixed with a couple of ORU and DePaul cocktails. And for Average Joe KU fan, it doesn't help that KSU fans are overreacting with joy and glee to the hire of Bob Huggins and every recruit he signs, or having to listen to all of the "MU is 9-1 and better than expected" talk, or knowing that WSU has a better record and ranking right now while playing better team basketball than the Jayhawks.

Couple all of that with the fact that all of the above mentioned schools also have ignorant fan bases who relish the idea that KU is slipping, choke in the tournament, etc, etc., and they just flame the fires of an already frustrated fan base.

And, for the cherry on top, you have 2 players listed as the preseason conference players of the year, one player as a preseason All American, talk about losing 2-3 guys to the NBA after the season, returning five starters from last year while losing two walk-ons and adding two McDonald's All Americans...all of that leads to very high and typically unrealistic expectations.

The average KU fan doesn't think about all of the success we've had (Bill Self has 1 Elite Eight appearance, 2 conference championships, 1 conference tournament championship, a 75% winning percentage, in 3 years at KU), they just focus solely on recent tournament losses and a couple of early season unexpected losses. And the reaction is to "freak out" and think the sky is falling. Actually, that's the reaction of an ignorant fan.

The rest of us know that KU basketball will continue to be successful and be one of the best programs in the history of college basketball.

Just my $.02.

My Attempt to Understand the Jayhawks, Self

Here are some thoughts I've had lately as I've tried to get my arms around what is going on with KU and Coach Self.

*I don't really know what to think about this team. I saw what we could be against Florida, so I haven't completely given up hope yet. The bottom line is that, currently, this team can beat anyone and lose to anyone.

*I think there is an internal struggle between what Self is telling these players to do vs. what they think they need to do. Right now, they are doing it their way (thinking they are more talented and that will give them the win, backing off on aggressiveness, taking opponents lightly, etc.) Eventually, hopefully they will listen to what Self and the coaches are telling them and start doing what he is asking of them on a consistent basis. Self deserves a lot of the blame because it's his job to get them there, but the players deserve much of the blame too at this point.

*Self took a 3-4 team last year and won 16 in a row. I think this team is confused, lost and searching for an identity and a leader. I think Self should be tougher on them and drill into their heads that their current bad habits will no longer be tolerated.

*Again, I'm far from ready to throw in the towel. It's a long season. We have a lot of talent. We also have a lot of holes. Over time, those holes will start to get filled and the guys will start playing better team basketball. It won't be because Self suddenly became a better coach. It will be because the players started, as a group, to buy into what he's telling them day after day..and they will start executing the way he wants them to on a consistent basis.

*Self has said the players haven't been practicing well. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm assuming there has been a lack of focus, energy, execution, etc. Again, Self should make them run until they puke to get the point across, but a lot of the responsibility for bad practicing falls on the shoulders of the players.

*Lack of a killer instinct. One of the players was quoted as saying "we didn't put our foot on their throats", which is one of Self's sayings. The players "eased up" when they were up 14 and thought they had won. Again, it's Self's job to stop that from happening, but the players are the ones who have admitted that they let DePaul back in the game. Honestly, and this may be far fetched, I think Self likes to put players in these situations and see how they handle it. And I honestly think he may be willing to take a loss, or a very close game, so that he has examples to use for the players when they try to win a game THEIR way. For this year's team, he can now point to ORU and DePaul as games where guys didn't come ready to play, didn't execute what the coaches were telling them, didn't buckle down on defense, didn't take their opponent seriously, etc. Of course that theory somewhat goes out the door when you consider that Self still has Bradley in his back pocket as a reminder. I would have figured that game alone would have prevented an ORU or DePaul situation.

But listen to Julian Wright: “We just came out too timid,” Wright said. “We didn’t attack. We just waited.”

*Lack of leadership. There have been flashes (Wright, Robinson) of leadership on this team, but no consistent on-the-court leader has emerged. That is not something Bill Self can control. Again, I think he wants the players to figure it out.

*Of Rush, Self said: “Really good players have to figure out a way a little bit and he’s got to do a better job of that,” Again, I think this is another example of Self putting the onus on the player. I think he helps coach and guide Rush, but he wants that inner pride/drive from Rush to emerge instead of pulling it out of him.

Again, I don't say these things to absolve Self of what has occurred. But I'm trying to understand why he coaches the way he does and what his possible motives could be in his methods.

Mic

KU-DePaul Game Thoughts

Well, exactly what I hoped would not happen happened today as KU blew a 14-point 2nd half lead to DePaul, losing by 7. I'll do the math for you: That's a 21 point swing to a 2-4 team whose 2 wins came against Eastern Illinois and Chaminade.

I was afraid that the players would get up for Florida and play out of their minds, which they did, and then think "we're back" and go back into "coasting" mode. And unfortunately that is exactly what happened today.

I watched the game in a crowded bar because TimeWarner and ESPN SUCK and therefore I won't be able to break the game down as much as usual because I don't have the benefit of watching the game again (or maybe I'm lucky that way?) because I couldn't DVR it.

That being said, here are a few thoughts. And I must warn you ahead of time that I tried my best to not be overly critical of what I witnessed today. That being said, sometimes the truth hurts. And sometimes the truth hurts more than I am able to rationally express after watching the team I love play like complete crap.

*50/50--At this point, my take is that 50% of the fault for KU's current situation is on the players and 50% is on Bill Self and his coaching staff. I honestly don't feel as though Self and his staff know what buttons to push with these players, with this team, at this point in the season. They are still trying to figure it out and their inability to figure it out thus far has led to the roller coaster up-and-down, turn it on, turn it off, mentality of this team. The players also don't know yet, as a team, what to expect of themselves and each other and think they can just show up against most teams and win on talent alone. They have bought into the hype of everyone telling them how good they are and aren't listening to the coaching staff as much as they should be. Anyone want to talk about this team's mindset now?

* "Our offense was terrible, and our defense wasn't any better in the second half," said Self. "It was a poor performance. We played nervous. Panic is not the right word, but we haven't showed any poise. We showed poise against Florida and we can't show poise against DePaul on the road in a crowd that's 70-30." Again, 50% on Self, 50% on the players.

*Lack of effort/lack of energy/lack or urgency--All season long, with the exception of the Florida game, this team and these players have been guilty of all three. This team can win on talent alone against some teams, but in this day and age of parity in college basketball, talent will lose out 8 times out of 10 to a team that plays as a team with effort, energy and enthusiasm. I, as a fan, don't mind as much when our team gets beat by a more talented team that plays a great game, but I cannot accept it when our players fail to do the "little things" because they think they can win on talent alone.

*Officiating: I don't recall all of the questionable calls throughout the game, but the foul called on Russell Robinson on the 3-pt attempt by a DePaul player (who then hit 3 straight free throws) was complete BULLSHIT.

*Lack of Leadership: I THOUGHT Julian established himself as a leader when he called the meeting in Las Vegas before the Florida game. And I THOUGHT Julian was going to put this team on his back and be more consistently aggressive offensively. I was wrong. This team has NO leadership. And it was glaringly obvious in the loss today.

*PRIDE: This team either has too much of it or none of it. I can't figure it out. They don't have the respect for the uniform that teams before them have had. If there was an excuse for the way they played against Oral Roberts (overconfidence?), there is NO EXCUSE for playing down to their competition again as they did today. They should, to a man, from the players to the coaches, be ashamed of how poorly they represented themselves and the University today.

*I wish this team would fall out of the top 25. Maybe THAT would send a message to them.

*I realize it's early in the season. I don't think the sky is falling. I am not pulling my hair out. But this team sucked today. And they sucked against Oral Roberts. And, with all of the talent they have, there is absolutely no excuse for it.

*I hope Self has these guys running line drills right now in some high school gym in Chicago. And they should keep running until every last one of them pukes or collapses, or both.

*DePaul outrebounded KU by 10=Lack of effort/energy and ZERO focus on blocking out.

*Anyone else notice us WALKING THE BALL up the court with about a minute and twenty seconds left while down by 5 or 6? What the hell is that?

*Brandon Rush looks as much like an All American right now as much as I do. 1-of-8 from the field, 1-of-3 from 3-pt range for a total of THREE points. Brandon's first, and only, points came when he hit a 3-ptr to tie the game at 5-5. He then disappeared the rest of the game. Brandon should spend the next week looking in the mirror until he sees a basketball player looking back at him. That line is embarrassing for someone of Rush's overall ability. For all the progress I thought he made in taking, and making, the game winner against Florida, he regressed just as much, if not more, with today's pathetic effort.

*Free throw shooting: Brandon and Russell miss the front end of 1-and-1's late in the game. One word: CHOKE. This team is simply not consistently mentally strong at this point.

*Bill Self needs to do some serious soul searching. His team has been the laughingstock of college basketball for losses to Bucknell, Bradley, Oral Roberts and now DePaul. It's not just the players. He must look deeply within himself and his coaching philosophies and beliefs.

* "When we learn to share and when we learn to become a team, I think we will get a lot better," said Self. "We are going to be a good team, but we aren't there yet. We are not a good team yet. We have a lot of holes. Guys have to really have some good things happen days and days in a row to create habits, and that hasn't been the case," he added. "We've got to coach them better. Today was very poor. They played great down the stretch and we didn't respond. We let this one get away."

* Sammy Mejia scored 23 points for DePaul. So much for Self being a defensive coach. At this point, I think Sammy Davis Jr. could score 23 points against the type of defense these Jayhawks are playing.

*Which team will show up on Monday vs. USC? More importantly, how many fans will be there?
Mic

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