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

College Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bob Frederick--former KU athletic director.

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

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

Mike Kryzweiski--Head coach at Duke University.

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

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

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

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

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

KU-Oral Roberts: Game Summary

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

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

Poor passing from tip to finish.

It seemd like EVERY loose ball went to Oral Roberts.

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

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

STANDING AROUND ON OFFENSE all game long.

KU played with ZERO sense of urgency all game long.

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

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

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

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

Brandon Rush missing free throws left and right.

Oh wait, EVERYONE missing free throws left and right.

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

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

Sasha Kaun cannot get back soon enough.

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

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

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

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

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

Giving credit where credit is due: Russell Robinson

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

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

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

Mic

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

KU-Emporia State: Post-Game Thoughts

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

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

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

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

Mic

Late Night in the Phog 2006 Report

It was another long night. Started at 6:45, ended around 10.

Bonnie Henrickson showed up in a Ferrari that she got out of just before heading out of the tunnel onto the court. Not sure why she was in that car as it didn't really fit the skit. The women's team is YOUNG...7 freshmen. They did a video skit where the freshmen tried on all of their new Adidas gear and then snooped around the campus/basketball offices. They then snuck back into the lockerroom and the upper classwomen were there and said something like "you need to earn those stripes". It was pretty cheezy.

The women then did a dance routine that wasn't half bad.
The Harlem Wizards did some entertaining and involved the crowd. The Wizards were there primarily to fill in when the players needed to change clothes, etc.

Two of the Sonics mascots were there. Both named "Squatch". One was a blow up type mascot like Herbie Husker and the other was the mascot that looks like Chewbacca and runs around the court and then jumps off one of those deals and dunks it a few times. Fairly entertaining.

The men's team did a skit based on Dancing with the Stars. Each class did a dance with a few of the Rock Chalk Dancers and the judges (Manning, Self and Aaron Miles) voted on each group. The winner was the juniors because Self said "It's a tough decision but we're going to give it to these guys since they are already out here (on the court)" Self also took a jab at Sasha when he said "Well, 5 of you (out of 6) can dance. No offense, Sasha." That got a good laugh.

The men's scrimmage was brutal. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. And boring. Folks there were something like 16 fouls called during a 20 minute CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING clock.

Sherron Collins, the little I saw of him, is the real deal. He is a little ball of muscle (huge biceps) and is quick, quick, quick. He can get to the lane whenever he wants. He didn't always make good decisions once he got in the lane, but again it's a first practice pickup game. He's going to be very special. Darrell looked ok. Didn't do anything too spectacular (no one really did to be honest).

Just as last year, there were several cool videos, though I wasn't overly impressed as we saw many (95%?) of the same game snipits that were a part of last year's video show. I also thought they didn't have enough video clips of our current players. They once again did the "Jayhawks in the NBA" video, which I assume was meant for the recruits.

I saw the recruits from a distance, but couldn't tell how into it they were.

AFH wasn't filled to capacity, but I would guess there were 14-15,000 there. Not bad, especially with the kids on fall break.

All in all, a typical Late Night with lots of enthusiasm and anticipation for the season. I can't believe our first game is in a little over two weeks!

Mic