One article....

Jayhawk fans, if you read only one article, make it this one from one of the best journalists there is, Joe Posnanski: http://ow.ly/1p0nI

He summarizes perfectly, and exactly, how I felt all season long about this team. I never knew the exact words or phrase to describe it. I never knew how to say what I wanted to say without it sounding negative or pessimistic (even though I knew I wasn't). But it was always there and I literally felt it every single time I watched KU play, even as they won game after game, the Big 12 regular season, and the Big 12 Tournament.

I loved that they were winning and I enjoyed countless great moments throughout the season. But I also couldn't ignore what I saw time and again with my own two eyes. Something wasn't right. Something was missing. I referred to it as a lack of killer instinct, as playing down to the level of competition, as playing only 15-20 minutes of good basketball every game and how that was good enough to beat most teams. And no matter how many times I tried, I was never able to find the right, and most eloquent, words. All season long I had an overwhelming feeling of calm before the storm....and Northern Iowa was the storm.

Many of you know how deep my passion is for KU, and more specifically, KU basketball. I'm in mourning and will be for awhile. I'm not looking forward to the 5 stages of grief. Jayhawk fans have been here before and it hurts the same every time. If you want to experience the highest of highs, you have to experience the lowest of lows along the way.

This team gave us many great memories....the feeling of loss and missed opportunity with this Jayhawk team is one that will be felt for years to come....but only one team and one fan base will be happy when the season is over. That's the way it goes.

As we all know, sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to. When life gives us lemons, we can choose to make lemonade. I'm going to my first-ever Final Four this year....and this definitely isn't what I had in mind.....but I'll be proudly wearing my Jayhawk gear every single day I'm in Indianapolis.
And no matter what, I will Keep Rockin' and Chalkin'....FOREVER.

Mic

KU-Oklahoma State: "We Sucked"

"We sucked"--That was the quote from Bill Self in the post-game and, once again, I completely agree with him. He tells it like it is, win or lose. If there is one thing we know that pisses Bill Self off to no end it's when his teams don't play tough. He said they were a soft team today and you could tell he was fired up. I'm guessing he lit into them pretty good in the locker room. And they deserved it. Every bit of it.

*This is exactly the game I've known was coming was coming. I've been talking about the potential of this all year long because I've never been blinded by how KU's record has masked some of their deficiencies. That said, if I had to pick a game to lose...and a time to lose....this is the perfect time. The Jayhawks learned today that they can be beaten when they only play well for a total of about 10 minutes (which they have done in several games this year). That has sufficed most of the season, but it caught up with them today. This is why I've been looking for holes in this team....to find those things that could cause them to lose in the postseason. Today, we saw exactly the type of game that could happen during the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully they got it out of their system just in time.

*Let me be clear. I'm not pissed about this loss. Again, I felt like this has been coming for weeks now and I really sensed this team was starting to believe they were invincible. This loss will get their attention. And I guarantee you that Bill Self will get their attention. I expect a very focused team on Wednesday vs. KSU (and Saturday vs. MU) and I'm eager to see how they bounce back from an ass-whoopin.

*Oklahoma State, who was undersized in the paint compared to KU, outrebounded the Jayhawks 36-26. THAT is the most telling stat of the game. That is about effort. That is about energy. That is about toughness. That is about playing with passion. And, for a team of KU's caliber, it is inexcusable.

*Sherron Collins was horrible in the first half (reminded me of some of his shooting spree games last year where he kept shooting and shooting and the rest of the team sat around waiting for him to take over the game) and recovered very well in the second half. (18 pts and 4 of 5 from 3 pt range)

*Officiating....don't get me started. It's hard to win on the road in the Big 12. It's even harder when you have to deal with a crew like that.

*I thought the overall energy of the team was horrible. Our body language was as bad as I've ever seen.

*We shot way too many 3's early. Going into the game, we were projected to have an advantage inside and for some reason we ignored it. That is mindboggling to me.

*Bill Self needs to utilize the fullcourt press more often. I know he likes to pick his spots, but he needs to pick more of them...because when we press, we force turnovers. Doing something with those turnovers is another story, however.

*KU had 6 points off turnovers to 18 pts off turnovers for OSU. (As a reminder, against OU we had zero pts off turnovers). Not being able to convert off of turnovers is something to keep an eye on heading into March.

*I thought our entire team looked hung over today. Flat. Flat. Flat.

*I'm really starting to wonder if Sherron will be on the All Big 12 first team. He has not had a stellar Big 12 season...and a lot more people than just me are talking about it.

*Keiton Page did his best Jerry McNamara (Syracuse...National Championship game...2003) impression today. It made me sick to my stomach to watch that little munchkin nail 3 after 3.

*I can't believe KU only made 2 fewer (8) three pointers than OSU did (10). It seemed like OSU hit about 30 of them.

*Our defense was horrible today. OSU definitely hit some tough shots, but ended up shooting 60% from the field and 52% from the 3-pt line. I'm guessing both are close to the best percentages a team has ever shot against a Bill Self-coached KU team.

*OSU fans stormed the court again (they also did it in 2008 when they beat KU 61-60 in Stillwater). It's a compliment that fan bases feel the need to storm the court anytime they beat KU. That said, it's also pretty sad for an OSU program that has a solid basketball history. I guess I can understand, though. That is OSU's first win over a #1 team in 20 years.

*Cole Aldrich regressed tonight. A passive (5 rebounds) effort and more touch-less shots than I cared to count.

Oh well, moving on to K-State this Wednesday. A huge game for both teams. My money's on the home team, in spite of what happened today. Sherron Collins will not allow his last game in Allen Fieldhouse to be a loss.

Here's hoping there's a players-only meeting at Henry T's very soon. We need all of the 2008-karma we can get our hands on.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

KU 81 Baylor 75 - My Thoughts

I'm not sure I have a word for it, but I know KU played much better
tonight and, once again, ran into a team that played very well and had
an extremely hot shooter...and who, as a team, shot over 50% the game, ending the 92-game streak KU had going of holding opponents to under 50%.

We definitely got the ball inside a lot more and I was thrilled with
that. Our first 6 pts were in the paint.

Once again, Marcus Morris came to play and 1 of the 3 sophomores was a
big difference maker.

What did everyone think of Tyshawn buried on the bench for the first
half? I think it's clear Brady was out there because of experience and
his defensive skills. But Tyshawn wasn't much of a factor when he was
in there.

Sherron played great and penetrated much more consistently tonight,
though I'm still not comfortable with him having to score 20+ a night
in order for us to win. That said, he's doing it because Xavier
continues to defer too much offensively and settle for 3 pt shots.
It's maddening seeing him ignore a wide open baseline and instead take
a contested 3 over a guy that's 6'10". He did go to the hole a couple
of times, which is a couple more than he usually does, so maybe he's
taking baby steps.

I thought Brady played well and did a good job defensively even though
Dunn was in the zone.

KU played with great energy for most of the game and the ball didn't
"stick" as Self likes to say.

I would still like to see more hunger on the glass from this team.

Thomas Robinson has regressed. You can tell he is thinking way too
much out there and plays tight every time he's on the floor...earlier
in the year, he was a lot more carefree, but he's clearly struggling
with implementing what he's learned in practice.

The one official that called the foul on Brady when he cleanly stole
that ball was brutal all night. I think he's also the one that called
a foul with 3 seconds to go and the game decided.

Baylor impressed me, especially how well they battled in that
environment with foul trouble.

I thought the crowd was average at best and missed some opportunities
to give the team energy. They shouldn't have to wait for Sherron to
wave his arms before getting off their asses...er, fat butts.

Overall, a very good win over a hot shooting team that has a lot of
talent. It was close for longer than I hoped, but we closed it out.
This team doesn't have a dominant edge yet, still doesn't play
hungry/angry, is still learning to lock down defensively, and
continues to struggle to find an identity they can hang their hat on. I hope those
thing come sooner rather than later because the Big 12 is looking
tougher every week.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

Dear Tyshawn....

Shut your mouth.

Love,

Bill Self

This also confirms one of the suspicions I've had all season long. That Bill Self and his coaching staff can yell and scream and say whatever they want...or make the team run sprints until their feet bleed....but a LOSS is one of the few things that would get this team's undivided attention.

"Now we know that we've got to be ready to play every night. We can't take anything lightly." - Tyshawn Taylor

Wait until you see what Bill Self had to say in response to Tyshawn's other comments. Something tells me Elijah Johnson is finally going to get back out on the court in Lincoln tomorrow. I, for one, welcome it. Tyshawn needs an attitude adjustment. And Bill Self is going to give it to him.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2010/jan/12/taylor-says-times-hes-unsure-his-role-deep-talent-/

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

KU-Tennessee: My Thoughts After a Second Look

I watched the KU-Tennessee game again, this time with the benefit of the DVR rewind feature and with no bar noise in the background.

I'm not intentionally being negative here and I am not down on this team or do I think the season is over or that the world is coming to an end. It's just there were a lot of negatives in this game, especially when I got a chance to watch it more closely.

*Tennessee really hit some timely 3's and they and their crowd really
fed off of them....reminded me of the same type of energy MU always
gets in Columbia when they hit 3's against us. Likewise our team
really looked overly deflated/defeated after several of those 3's.

*I love Sherron, but he took some very poor shots and took several
defensive plays off. He's playing a ton of minutes and having to carry
the load offensively and it's taking a toll on him big time.

*I may have counted wrong, but I think X only took the ball to the
hole off the dribble twice the entire game. He is becoming eerily like
the Brandon Rush we saw for much of the 2008 season...camping out on
the perimeter and not attacking the glass. His offensive game has to
become less predictable.

*Cole looked tired on many occasions. He works his tail off defensively
and then "rests" many times on offense, which is one major reason why
he isn't scoring.

*How did we lose this game with Chism and Prince on the bench with 4
fouls each at the 13 minute mark?

*Tyshawn is a bad pass waiting to happen and he goes through the
motions a lot on D. After a few good games, he's regressed to the form
that got him benched for Elijah "MIA" Johnson.

*This team makes A LOT of lazy passes.

*We did a very poor job of getting back defensively with several
instances of players backpeddling downcourt instead of turning around
and sprinting.

*The timeout that Pearl Jr. got on that held ball was a ridiculously
horrible call.

*As much as Self hates it, we should mix in zone more often.

*There was a time where Lew Perkins had his head sitting in his hands.
He looked like he'd just heard that Mangino's son proposed to Perkins'
daughter.

*The Morris twins looked like scared, confused freshmen. So did Robinson.

*I'm wondering why we waited so long to full court press?

*How did we only get 3 steals?

*I would say in the last 2 games that this team has had to rely on
Collins about 70% of the time offensively and defensively/rebounding
we've had to rely on Cole about 75% of the time. It's draining both of
them to where other parts of their games are suffering. The rest of
the players have, for the most part, been casual
observers...especially late in the game.

*I hope Royce Wooldridge is as good as his half brother.

*Bruce Pearl should get coach of the year for beating the #1 team in
the country with 6 scholarship players, 4 walkons, and 2 players
fouled out.

*That McBee 3 made me throw up in my mouth. What a fluke shot to seal
the game. That kid didn't even know where he was. Damnit.

*I like that Tennessee threatens admission to future games for anyone
that rushes the court. That should be mandatory at all schools.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

Thoughts on the Turner Gill KU Press Conference

Here are my thoughts and first impressions from watching the press conference introducing Turner Gill as KU's next head football coach.

1. At the start of the press conference, Lew Perkins had current KU player Brad Thorson read a note that he (Thorson) received from a current University of Buffalo player. That was cool and very supportive of Turner Gill as a coach and person. Obviously a PR technique by Perkins and I think it played well.
2. Perkins gave flowers, hugs and kisses to Gill's wife and two daughters. Kinda cheesy and a bit awkward, but a nice gesture that was obviously also a PR technique.
3. Turner Gill seemed pretty nervous during the interview, which is to be expected. Some of his comments and responses to questions were a bit awkward. One reporter asked him what he would say to sell himself to KU people that are doubting his ability to take over a program like KU. Honestly, I thought his response was somewhat underwhelming.. as though he didn't anticipate getting that question. Another reporter asked him what he knew about KU and the current players and, again, it seemed like he wasn't really prepared to answer that question. I am chalking this up mostly to nerves because I'm guessing this was a pretty intense experience for him.
4. He confirmed he has Chuck Long as the new Offensive Coordinator and Carl Torbush as the new Defensive Coordinator. Also said he's bringing a Tight Ends coach with him from Buffalo.
5. Perkins said the only person he ever offered the job to was Turner Gill. Said he did not offer it to Harbaugh. I'm not sure I believe him, but it doesn't matter at this point.
6. I definitely thought Gill lacked some polish in talking to the media. You can tell he's not used to having so much interest and media around him.
7. His honesty and sincerity came across and I feel that he is definitely a good quality person. That is consistent with everything I've read or heard about him. There is no debating that Gill's communication style and personality are considerably different from Mark Mangino.
8. Time will tell whether Gill can recruit the kind of players we need and what kind of program KU will be under him.
9. There is always optimism when you have a new coach. I'm excited for KU and excited for Turner Gill. I really hope it works out. For now, as a fan, I'm going to be a rational optimist. I'm encouraged by what I've seen, heard and read....but the proof will be in the pudding....and the pudding is how his teams play on the field and handle themselves off of it.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

Tour of Allen Fieldhouse, Meeting Bill Self - A Day I Will Always Remember

A friend of mine's father is connected to the KU Athletics department and arranged for a tour of Allen Fieldhouse, which went through several renovations recently, including new offices for the men's and women's basketball coaching staffs, a new basketball-only facility, a donor atrium, new locker rooms, a new player's lounge, and more. I was totally a kid in a candy store and was thrilled at the opportunity to meet Bill Self. It was a day I will always remember and it makes me wish even more than I would have been a 6'8" basketball playing stud coming out of high school. Alas, I'm 5'11" with a 6'3" wingspan...but I love KU basketball...and my blood is crimson and blue.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40110&id=1045691909&l=df395d97d5

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

Mark Mangino: Not being able to say "I'm sorry"

A friend shared a link to the story below and my take on the Mangino situation, based on what I know today, is below.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

On Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 8:37 AM, friend wrote:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/11/29/mangini.mangino/index.html

Starts off talking about Mangini but transitions into Mangino. Interesting
take. I agree that some of the stuff he said may have been over the line,
but then what coach hasn't said something he shouldn't have at some point
in the heat of a game or practice. Heck, which of us hasn't said something
over the line once or twice. I loved Mangino's quote at the end of the
story.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mic Johnson

Thanks for passing that on. A great article by Posnanski once again.

The issue is pretty clear for me still on Mangino: IF he said the things about alcoholic fathers and being shot like your homies and IF he didn't apologize or show any contrition (and by the sounds of it, Mangino doesn't think he's done anything wrong or needs to apologize), then if it was my decision, I would fire him. That type of behavior isn't acceptable by anyone....Mangino, your father, your mother, your friend, your children, your boss, the Pope....anyone...as far as I'm concerned. Mangino says that all of his players respect "the effort" he's put in as coach. That is commendable. But will those same players who his personal attacks were directed at say they respect the man himself? I'm guessing the answer is no. And, in the end, isn't the latter more important?

There is a right way to treat people and a wrong way to treat people.....and in their heart of hearts, 95% of people know the right way from the wrong way.....and we probably all have been at or near crossing the line at some point in our lives. That shows we're human. What shows we're adults is being willing to HONESTLY say "I'm sorry" when we've offended someone or personally attacked them or their family.

NONE of this would be coming up if Mangino blasted a player with personal attacks in front of the entire team....and then later came back and explained himself and apologized to that player in front of the entire team. THAT is what being a man is about. And Mangino needs to learn that lesson. For himself...for his family.....and for his players. Maybe losing his job will help him learn that lesson. My guess is it won't. Again, it's a certain personality type. I don't think Mark Mangino thinks he's done anything wrong. I don't think Bobby Knight thinks he's ever done anything wrong. I don't think Bill Belicheck thinks he's ever done anything wrong. And they will keep thinking that until they are consistently called on their bull$hit. Until then, it's actions without consequences...so why would they change?

Mic

Jaytalkers Vlog 11/4/09: KU Football 3 game losing streak..KU Basketball tips off

KU Football: Thoughts after 4 games

Are you ready for some football?

Sitting here on a rainy summer Sunday morning and thinking about this upcoming Kansas Jayhawk football season.

There are few places that I'd rather be on a cool, fall day than in Lawrence, KS on gameday. I love the sights, smells, sounds, the children playing on the hill, everyone in their favorite Jayhawk gear, the cold beverages, the buffet spreads.....I love it all and it reminds me of just how great life can be when you slow down to appreciate it.

This Jayhawk season begins with a lot of promise and expectations, with Todd Reesing, Jake Sharp, and Kerry Meier entering their senior seasons, with hopes that Dezmon Briscoe will have the best season a KU wide receiver has ever had, with a defense that should be more stout, with more depth at every position than KU has had for quite some time.

My plan this year is to enjoy the ride, one game at a time. Of course I hope for a Big 12 North Championship, a Big 12 Championship, record-breaking seasons for Reesing, Meier, Briscoe, Sharp and others....but I also realize that sometimes things don't turn out the way we want. So instead of getting hyped up for what might be, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy what is.

I enter the season with optimism partnered with a building enthusiasm of simply being in an environment that feels like I'm reconnecting with a best friend.

Are you ready for some football? I know I am.

Keep Rockin' and Chalkin',

Mic

My take on Mike Anderson, MU

On Mike Anderson....

I like him.

He's a good guy.

He's a quiet guy.

He doesn't draw attention to himself, positively or negatively.

He does his job and he does it well.

He isn't arrogant.

He doesn't have red-headed step child disease.

He doesn't feel like he or his team are constantly getting screwed.

He seems ethical and moral.

In other words, he doesn't fit the typical MU mold which is why they were VERY slow to accept him or even care about him or his basketball team. I think the Paige was only sold out for the last 5 or 6 games of the year....and this was THE BEST SEASON IN THEIR HISTORY.

One can only hope that Mike Anderson raises the game of the average ignorant Missouri fan and illustrates to them what it means to be professional, what it means to have class, what it means to "act like you've been there before", and to not get caught up in obsessing over the younger, hotter, sexier team across the border.

Hey, a guy can dream, right?

From the Sweet 16 to Spring Football Practice

As we look at this year's Sweet 16 Kansas Jayhawk team, I think we were all thrilled with how the season played out with the team winning the Big 12, Cole and Sherron on the All Big 12 team, Sherron as a 2nd team All American, and Bill Self as the National Coach of the year. It was frustrating to lose to Michigan State when we were up by as many as 13 and up 5 with 3 minutes to go. We had the game in our hands and Sherron had used up all of his playmaking ability in this tournament. It definitely was sad and frustrating to see the rest of the team fail for the 3rd time in the tournament to rally around Sherron and Cole. It really highlighted, if we're honest with ourselves, just how young this team was and how we had a couple of guys (Morningstar and Reed) that are, at best, 12-15 minutes a game type guys that were asked to do a lot more because of Mario Little's injury and lack of development as the season wore on. Our young guys pretty much hit a wall and never really were able to take it to that next level, however they got tremendous experience this year that bodes very well for next year and following years. With, in my estimation, both Sherron and Cole coming back, and a recruiting class that includes 7-footer Jeff Withey (transfer from Arizona), guard Elijah Johnson, 6'8 stud Thomas Robinson and very likely soon to be announced big-time player Lance Stephenson, the future looks very bright for another National Championship-caliber team next year.

Now it's time to focus our attention to Spring Football practice and what looks to be a very promising year for the gridiron version of the Jayhawks.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

My concerns going into the NCAA Tournament

Our players are pissed right now. Self is pissed right now. They are going to be practicing their asses off the next couple of days. Their pride is hurt. They are embarrassed. They are humiliated.

All of those things bode well for KU and don't bode well for our opponent in the first round of the NCAAs, which is why I'm not worried about THAT game.

But what I am worried about is our SECOND game.

The same scenario played out when KU got humiliated in Lubbock, bounced back against Texas, and then got comfortable/cocky and got their asses handed to them by Baylor.

So will this team learn from their mistakes or make the same mistakes again? The answer to that question will be the difference between a 2nd round loss and a run to the Sweet 16 or possibly beyond.

All that aside, I can't believe how flat KU came out yesterday and I think, based on the quotes I've read, that Bill Self is absolutely disgusted with the lack of effort/energy his team played with yesterday, especially defensively.

I get that these guys were thinking they were better than they were...and then Texas Tech totally embarrassed them. But their memories must be pretty short to put up such a sad effort just a week after that debacle.

I would attribute a large portion of that to youth, but Sherron and Cole definitely have to shoulder the blame too. I've been somewhat down on Cole for awhile in that, when Sherron struggles, Cole doesn't take over. He needs to DEMAND the ball and not just say after the game "our guards just have to work to get the ball inside". Quit being so nice, Cole. Get pissed off. DEMAND the ball and take some pressure off of Sherron. If you don't, your season is going to come to an end sooner rather than later.

KU-Texas: Big 12 Champions for the 5th Consecutive Time!

What a great way to spend a day, hanging out with one of my best friends in Lawrence, eating some pre-game BBQ at Bigg's BBQ, and then taking in yet another great KU-Texas game. The Jayhawks come back from down 14 and win by 10, clinching SOLE POSSESSION of first place in the Big 12 and wrapping up their 5th consecutive Big 12 Championship. Sorry OU and MU. Get in the back of the line. Again.

Now it's on to the Big 12 Tournament and then the NCAA Tournament....This is hands down the best time of the year for college basketball fans. Let's hope the Jayhawks make some noise in the postseason.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

DETOX: KU-TEXAS TECH

I'm assuming some of you are like me and have tried or are trying to process what happened last night in the KU-Texas Tech game. Here are my thoughts, in no particular order. Let the healing begin and, as always, we will....

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic


THE BAD NEWS
*KU literally played their worst game of the season and one of the worst ever under Bill Self. From KUSports.com: "KU suffered what is believed to be the fourth-worst loss in coach Bill Self’s six years at KU. KU lost by 25 to Texas in 2006, 21 to Villanova in 2005, 20 to Oklahoma State in 2004 and 19 to Nebraska in 2004."

*Texas Tech literally played their best game of the season. Of Tech's 3-pt shooting, Self said: “Playing H-O-R-S-E, 15-of-27 is pretty acceptable. Cause that’s what they were playing. If defended, 15 of 27 is unbelievable. It’s as good as a team can shoot."

*Sherron Collins arguably played the worst game of his KU career. 3-of-19 from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-pt. range. KUSports.com's Tom Keegan said it best: "Collins regressed to the days when he trusted himself far more than he trusted teammates. When Collins is on, he’s all-world and makes everybody better. When he’s not, he’s the last to know it."

*Jake Voskuil of Texas Tech literally played the best game of his career. He had a career high 35 points on 9 of 14 shooting from 3-pt. range.

*Cole Aldrich summed it up best: "We couldn’t buy a shot, and they couldn’t miss. I missed shots tonight I make 99 percent of the time. It was really frustrating all the way around.”

*It's hard to win on the road in the Big 12, even vs. Texas Tech, especially on Senior Night. Strange things happen to teams and players on Senior Night.

*Bill Self Quotes of Note:
---"I really believe that maybe we read our press clippings."
---"Yeah, I'm ecstatic," Self deadpanned. "I said congratulations we won the league and got beat by 19. It's pretty remarkable a team that played this poorly tonight could go 13-2 in the league."
---"I didn't think we had that emotional edge when (you know) this team will come out and beat your butt if we aren't right."
---“Our whole team collectively played very very poor. All around, coaching, execution, everything was poor,” Self said. “They whipped us in every capacity.”

*Technical fouls on Bill Self and Marcus Morris. Dumb...and Dumber.


THE GOOD NEWS
*KU has won 5 consecutive Big 12 titles and 9 of the 13 Big 12's titles since the league was formed. No other team IN THE COUNTRY can say that.

*Sherron Collins: "We got knocked off our high horse. I think if we lost we needed one like this. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves. We have to get back to work and try to win it outright on Saturday.” (This is a GOOD thing for this team and for Sherron, who I think was one of the people Self was referring to when he said "I really believe that maybe we read our press clippings." Texas Tech player Jake Voskuil also commented about a quote from Sherron Collins earlier this week about celebrating a conference title in an opponent's lockerroom and that got Texas Tech fired up. Sherron should know better.)

*KNOW THIS: As Sherron Collins goes, so goes this Jayhawk team. PERIOD. He is very much like Todd Reesing is for the football team. There are other players that are important and make contributions, but Sherron (and Reesing) are the engines of their teams. If the engine is sputtering, the whole car breaks down. I told a friend of mine yesterday that Sherron had been playing great, but I felt that he was due a bad game or two before the season was over. Last night was one of those games. I have to believe that if and when KU loses in the NCAA Tournament, that will be the second time that Sherron doesn't play well.

*Not far behind Sherron is Cole Aldrich. If he's in foul trouble, KU is in big trouble. Period. They don't rebound well when Cole is on the bench and the inside presence virtually disappears. If Sherron is the engine, Cole is the tires.

*KU senior Matt Kleinmann and sophomore Tyrel Reed were named to the first-team Academic All-Big 12 basketball team. Cole Aldrich is on the second team.

*Matt Kleinmann is believed to be the first player to ever be on 5 conference championship teams (He redshirted one season). Pretty friggin' cool for a walk on.

*Self is PISSED right now, which means the players will be PISSED and focused on Saturday vs. Texas. A humbled Jayhawk team is a dangerous Jayhawk team. Always has been, always will be.

*Cole Aldrich and Tyshawn Taylor's injuries appear to be minor: “I jammed my left big toe when I hit the floor. It’s fine,” said Taylor. Cole Aldrich, who has been wearing a boot on his left foot of late, sprained his right ankle late. “It’s fine. It’s another little thing. I’ll get treatment and be back on it,” Aldrich said.

*If you want the truest definition of this year's team, listen to Bill Self: "We’re a good team that can play great.”

*No matter what happens the rest of the way, this team has already surpassed the expectations of any logical Jayhawk fan. I started the season just hoping to make it to the NCAA Tournament. I had ZERO expectation of KU winning the conference.

*Even in "rebuilding" years such as this one, where KU replaced 8 players and all 5 starters, our conference opponents' fan bases still feel the need to have white outs, black outs, purple outs, yellow outs and to rush the floor when they beat us. No other team in the conference comes close to garnering that kind of respect/envy.


*P.S.--On a side note, I am thrilled with all things Jayhawk right now. My only fear is that the NBA will come calling and Bill Self will answer. As some of you may know, Self's good buddy is the GM of the San Antonio Spurs. If you've noticed, Self has NEVER (ala Roy Williams) said that he would finish his career at KU. He has also never said unequivocably that he doesn't want to coach in the NBA. Unfortunately I think the idea is more than just an unfounded fear. The current coach at Oregon State, Craig Robinson, randomly had this to say the other day (I pulled this from KUSports.com) when asked if he'd ever leave Oregon State: “Of course, if somebody said Bill Self has decided to go pro and Kansas wants you, you have to say, ‘OK, let me talk to them’ ... you know what I mean? But I’m not (looking) ... it would be hard for me to keep hopping around.” Pretty sure Coach Robinson didn't magically pull that example out of thin air.

Anderson Family Football Complex Photos

KU had an open house tonight (Wednesday) of their $31 million dollar football complex, located just outside of Memorial Stadium. It is very impressive and Coach Mangino tells me his new plush office is much nicer than his old office, which was, in his words " a sweatbox". He also said that he doesn't get to enjoy his 60 inch plasma tv in his office that much because he's "got a lot of work to do". All in all, it was a great night and KU fans should be proud of this complex. It is DEFINITELY going to help in recruiting.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin!

-Mic

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=wb94q1i.70t6xinu&x=0&y=dzztzy&localeid=en_US

Want to Turn Around Your College Football Program? Get a Playmaker at QB.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: THE key to a college football team's success starts and ends with the quarterback. I'm not saying coaching, offensive line, defense, special teams, WR's, etc. aren't important, but if you want to get on the college football map, and stay on it, you better have a QB that can make plays. Think about it:

When did K-State really put their stamp on the college football landscape? When they got QBs (Ell Roberson, Michael Bishop, etc.) that could make plays.

When did MU put their stamp on the college football landscape? When they got QBs (Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, etc.) that could make plays.

When did KU finally take that next step and put their stamp on the college football landscape? When they got QBs (Bill Whittemore, Todd Reesing) that could make plays.

The interesting thing is, and this may end up playing out with K-State's Ron Prince too, all of the coaches are criticized by the media and their fan bases until they get that QB. Tons of MU fans wanted Pinkel gone until Chase Daniel started to make plays. Mangino was considered to be on the hot seat until Todd Ressing started making plays all over the place.

So those QB's start making plays and now both Pinkel and Mangino are seen as quality Big 12 coaches..as winners....as Coach of the Year....because they recruited QBs that panned out. So will Josh Freeman start making more plays and become the QB that Ron Prince and KSU Nation thought (are praying) he could be?

The perception of Prince, and perhaps his job, will ride on that answer. If Josh Freeman comes into his own and becomes a consistent playmaker, then suddenly people will talk about KSU's turnaround and how Prince is doing a great job. If Freeman throws a bunch of interceptions and is just an average college QB, then KSU fans and media will think Prince isn't the right guy for the job. (some clearly think that already)

You've heard the saying "It's all about the Benjamins". In college football "It's all about the quarterbacks". Especially for college coaches fighting to save their jobs. Finding the QB that can make plays can mean millions to college coaches and athletic departments. Just ask Mark Mangino. Just ask Lew Perkins. Just ask Gary Pinkel. Just ask Mike Alden. I'm not going to add Ron Prince to this list yet. We have to wait and see how Josh Freeman plays this year before we know whether Ron Prince is the next former KSU coach or the next coaching "genius" (aka the coach that hit the jackpot in recruiting and found a playmaking QB).

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

2008 National Champions: Thoughts and Observations

The Kansas Jayhawks are National Champions.

How great does that sound?

I will never get tired of hearing those words. Never. Ever. Never. Ever.

The Kansas Jayhawks are NATIONAL FRIGGIN’ CHAMPIONS!!!!

I could write a book about all of the great moments from this season (hmmm, there’s an idea), but for now I want to share some of the dominant thoughts that run through my mind when I think about this Kansas Jayhawk team and this National Championship season.

--It is difficult to put into words how passionate I am about Kansas Jayhawk basketball. Do you know how your heart jumps when you are in love for the first time? Do you know how excited you get when anticipating that big vacation? Do you know what pure bliss it is to enjoy your favorite food? Add those feelings together, multiply by 100, and you’ll get close to understanding my passion for Kansas Jayhawk basketball. I am happy when the Jayhawks are happy. I hurt when the Jayhawks hurt. After the National Championship game, I hugged my wife and literally broke into tears of unbridled joy. I still get choked up when I think about it.

You could ask my friends and family about how I read nearly every article on the team, how I have regular email conversations about the team, how my home office is overflowing with Jayhawk memorabilia, about every Jayhawk-related Christmas or Birthday present I’ve received, about how I never miss a game, about the hours and hours of time spent debating/discussing with people, and on and on.

Some people say I shouldn’t care so much about a basketball team. Those are typically the same people that are missing passion in their own lives. A true passion takes you to emotional heights you could have never imagined.

The bottom line is this: I can’t help it. It’s in my crimson-and-blue blood. It’s woven into the fabric of who I am. Being a passionate Kansas Jayhawk fan is in my DNA and that will never change.

--Unfortunately this season I only got to attend the Senior Night game vs. Texas Tech and the Big 12 Tournament games. I had tickets to the Final Four, but then my grandfather passed away and his funeral was on the day of the KU-North Carolina game. While I would have given anything to be at that game, the memory I will have for the rest of my life of speaking at my grandfather’s funeral, watching the KU-North Carolina game with most of his grandchildren, and later raising our glasses toasting a Jayhawk victory and my grandfather….well, you just can’t put a price on that. I kept saying, “I know grandpa is going to pull some strings for us up in heaven.” You can believe whatever you want about why the Kansas Jayhawks won the National Championship. I choose to believe it was my grandfather’s final gift to his grandchildren.

--Darnell Jackson: I wrote an article earlier in the year called “Darnell Jackson: I Have A Confession To Make” where I basically told Darnell I have a man-crush on him. After the senior season he put together and the adversity he has overcome in his personal life, I’m not sure I could be more proud of any Jayhawk player. (Darnell: It was a pleasure watching you play and grow as a person. You have been a tremendous role model to thousands of Jayhawk fans, young and old. Best of luck to you in all that you do. I am absolutely certain you will succeed in whatever you do in life.)

--Brandon Rush: I still remember people talking about Brandon Rush before he got to KU and wondering if he’d be selfish and hurt team chemistry with his “one and done” attitude. We couldn’t have been more wrong. Brandon was almost too unselfish during his KU career , but he was better than advertised as a player and as a person. It turns out that tearing his ACL last year before the NBA Draft was a blessing in disguise for him, for his team, and for Jayhawk Nation. A lasting memory I’ll always have of Brandon is his alley-oop-off-the-backboard-dunk during the NCAA Tournament. (Brandon: Good luck to you in the NBA. You deserve it. Just remember to STAY AGGRESSIVE!)

--Rodrick Stewart: Rodrick worked his tail off last summer to get into the best physical condition of his life. It turns out that was critical as he started while Brandon recovered from ACL surgery. Rodrick will always be remembered for working hard, not complaining and summoning the spirit of Archie Marshall to be the team’s inspiration as they drove toward the National Championship.

--Sasha Kaun: Who would have thought that Sasha Kaun would have made the Midwest Regional All Tournament Team? Not known for his offense, Sasha came up with huge plays throughout the tournament in key moments. With as much talent that was on this year’s team, I think it’s going to take time for people to realize just how valuable Sasha’s strength, determination, hustle, work ethic, defense and consistent effort played a key role in the team’s success all year long.

--Russell Robinson: During his freshman year, RussRob turned down Coach Self when Self wanted him to go into a game. Russell was upset with his playing time and later thought about leaving KU. Now he’s a National Champion and was the “glue” for the team. Russell has learned a lot about basketball and about life during his 4 years in Lawrence and will always be remembered for his smile, his competitiveness, his willingness to do what is best for the team even at his own expense, and for epitomizing what it means to be a multiple Mr. Jayhawk award winner.

--Jeremy Case: The last remaining player recruited by the former coach (What was his name again? It’s escaping me.), Jeremy Case was never able to garner significant playing time during his Jayhawk career. We will always remember Jeremy for his smile, his leadership, raining 3-pointers on Senior Night, and being one of the most unselfish players in Jayhawk history. Jeremy was dealt a tough hand and always had a few more players ahead of him, but he didn’t complain, took it like a man, and worked hard to make everyone better. (You’re a class act, Jeremy Case, and will make a terrific head basketball coach one of these days.)

--Sherron Collins: When Coach Self recruited Sherron, he told him he was the missing piece to a National Championship. Sherron’s steal, follow up 3-pointer, and assist to Mario Chalmers on “the shot” in the National Championship game were amazing. Nice call, Coach Self.

--Darrell Arthur: Darrell had a solid season and came up big in the National Championship game, outplaying Joey Dorsey while scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. When I think of DA, I always think of him playing big in big games, but getting in foul trouble and disappearing in other games. Danny Manning says DA doesn’t know how good he can be. I still don’t think he does. Unfortunately for Jayhawk Nation, I’m afraid we’ll have to hope that DA can figure it out in
the NBA next season.

--Mario Chalmers: Mario is KU’s Player of the Year. He was consistently the most aggressive and most clutch player on the team. I don’t think Mario fully realizes how he will forever be immortalized in Lawrence and among Jayhawk Nation for hitting “the shot”. It was the most memorable moment of the tournament and on the biggest stage. Maybe being around Danny Manning gives Mario the sense of how he will be adored by Jayhawk Nation for the rest of his life. I also thought it was interesting that the two key figures in the last two Jayhawk National Championships had their fathers on the KU coaching staff, first Ed Manning and then Ronnie Chalmers.

--Cole Aldrich: The future is very bright for the freshman that had a coming out party like no other, outplaying National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough in the Final Four.

--Henry T’s Bar and Grill: When Bill Self asked the seniors if they planned to get together to talk as a team after a depressing loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK, the players said they hadn’t planned anything. Self suggested that it would probably be a good idea. So instead of meeting someplace quiet and away from it all, this team decided to meet at Henry T’s Bar and Grill over chicken wings and burgers. Over the years I’ve heard of plenty of teams having “players only” meetings thinking that it would be the key to turning around their season. This time it was. The Jayhawks didn’t lose another game after that meeting at Henry T’s and it was THE turning point of the season. I would like to suggest that all future “players only” meetings at KU should be held at Henry T’s.

--Do you hear that sound? It’s the collective hush created by all of the Bill Self-haters/bashers that punished him waaaaaayyyyyyyyyy too much for two first round NCAA Tournament losses. I hope each and every one of you enjoy helping after helping of crow. You deserve every morsel.

--The circle is complete with Roy Williams. After KU beat Roy and his North Carolina team on its way to the National Championship, most KU fans will put any leftover resentment behind them. Of course Roy got one fan base off his back and immediately put another one (UNC fans) on it as he wore a Jayhawk sticker during the National Championship game. Roy was quoted as saying that, after 5 years, he hopes KU fans will “get over it and move on”. I think Roy needs to have that exact same conversation with the mirror.

--Why did Bill Self stay at Kansas? There are many reasons. How about this one: Bill Self could end up being greatest coach in the history of Kansas basketball. Think about it.

--The Big 12 finally gets a National Champion. Do you think this will finally end some of the media bias on both coasts? Do you think Dick Vitale will finally stop slobbering all over North Carolina and Duke? Yeah, me either.

--I’m not sure the average KU fan understands how much mental and physical toughness it took to beat Cinderella Davidson to get Bill Self his first Final Four, and then beat “mighty” #1 ranked and #1 overall seed North Carolina, and then finally beat a Memphis team that has the most wins in NCAA history and that completely dismantled Big 12 Co-Champion Texas and PAC-10 Champion UCLA. More importantly, I’m not sure people appreciate just how well our team played defensively in those games. It’s going to take time to realize the true greatness of
this team.

--Well, now we know what type of team Bill Self has in mind when trying to build a National Championship-caliber team. I’m sure some KU fans are nervous/excited about next year’s team as we bring in several new players. Coach Self said “we’re going to be pretty good next year”. Anyone here doubting him?

--Anyone else want to make KU an underdog? Pretty please?

--I was in Lawrence for the National Championship game. We watched the game at Jefferson’s and then partied in the streets with 40,000 of our closest friends. I’m not sure I could have more fun in one evening. Well, ok, maybe that’s stretching it. But it was a helluva good time.

--Remember when everyone was worrying, myself included, about our poor free throw shooting at the beginning of the year? KU was 14 of 15 from the free throw line in the National Championship game.

--In what is arguably the most talented Final Four in NCAA Tournament history, with all four #1 seeds, the Kansas Jayhawks were the best of the best.

--The “One Shining Moment” song and video keeps replaying in my head. I hope it never stops.

Keep Rockin’ and Chalkin’,

Mic
www.jaytalkers.com

Self-Realization for the Self-Doubters

Bill Self got his Final Four. I am so happy for him and the players and of course I'm ecstatic about making the trip to San Antonio to support the Jayhawks. This will be my first Final Four and I'm going to soak it all up, even if getting tickets is like getting all of those Jayhawk fans that doubted Self to own up to the fact that they were just plain wrong.

And that leads me to the point of this article. I've had numerous debates over the years, some very heated, with one person in particular (whose name will not be revealed, but who we will call Mr. Self Doubter) about Bill Self and what a great coach he is, what a great representative he is of the University and what a class act he is. But Mr. Self Doubter couldn't get over the first round losses in the NCAA Tournament and nit-picked every little thing Bill Self did. He focused way too much on Self's "failures" and way to little on his successes.

So it is with great joy that I share the following comments with you. You see, Mr. Self Doubter did a complete 180 and finally came around on Bill Self. I wanted to write an article to all of those Jayhawk fans that doubted Bill Self for petty reasons and leftover resentment of Roy's departure. But Mr. Self Doubter beat me to it. Since I'm not big on reinventing the wheel, I wanted to share with you what Mr. Self Doubter had to say.

Without further adieu, below is the actual email I received today from Mr. Self Doubter. It's a beautiful thing when a Jayhawk fan sees the light. Hopefully all of those other Self Doubters out there can learn a thing or two from my recently converted friend, who I can now call Mr. Self Lover.

"Let me say the following which will hopefully bury a lot of hatchets we’ve had going on over the years. I would like to officially exclaim my pure excitement for Bill Self for finally achieving the Final Four that every coach desires. But it didn’t take a Final Four for me to start realizing we have a solid basketball coach at the helm of Kansas basketball.

It is obvious to me that my past disapproval of Self was wrong, and all of my negative comments were nit-picky little things which I would have with any coach (e.g., I had many of those with Roy too). You may remember when my disapproval of Self started. It wasn’t necessarily in his first season, although I had a glint of doubt because of the way Miles/Langford/Lee/Simien didn’t necessarily “mesh” with Self’s system.

The doubts officially began in his 2nd season, when there was obvious rebellion going on within the team, where the freshmen were benched and never saw the light of day, etc., ultimately resulting in a downturning season ending with the Bucknell loss. Immediately after the season, Padgett transferred. Giddens eventually transferred in the off-season. That season’s demise put big doubts in my mind.

This carried over into the next season when we had an extremely young team who struggled from the outset, as most freshmen/sophomore-laden teams do. Guys like CJ Giles were disappointments. Freshmen like Julian Wright were being benched, and memories of the freshmen-benchings from the previous season kept coming up.

The season ultimately ended with the 1st round upset to Bradley. And then Giles transferred in the off-season. Sometime during this 15-month timeframe of events, Mic and I started and continued having our heated arguments about Self. But it is now obvious to me there were reasons for all of these events. The difference now is Self has HIS players, and they are experienced.

That’s what a coach needs to succeed: Players who are adhering to the coach’s set system, and who have the experience and talent to execute the game plan, the offense, the defense, etc. I look back and realize Self didn’t have that before the Bradley loss. In his first 3 seasons, the first 2 were with Roy’s players, and the 3rd was with an extremely inexperienced bunch who have grown into the group they are now, and a group future players can draw from.

A group who wins basketball games at an impressive clip, who wins Big 12 titles (regular season and Conference tourneys), who took us to the Elite 8 last year and now the Final 4 and hopefully beyond this year, a motivated bunch who have accumulated a 35-3 record this year despite some accusations they’re not motivated, a complimentary group who Self deserves credit for building, who will be tough to replace, who I hope will reach the culmination of everything basketball, by winning the National Championship this year.

I wanted to write this e-mail to give you some insight into what I’m now thinking about our coach; that he is an excellent basketball coach and recruiter and a remarkable representative to have at the University of Kansas. Like I said, the light didn’t flip on only because of the Final Four; I’ve been thinking about this for awhile now. Of course the Final Four never hurts though! One of those rare situations in life where you’re absolutely elated you were wrong."

Thank you, Mr. Self Lover. I literally couldn't have said it better myself.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic
http://www.jaytalkers.com/