JAYTALKERS

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?

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.

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/

KU-Villanova: Let’s hope the refs let ‘em play

Not sure if folks have seen this article from ESPN on the Sweet 16 teams. According to the article, KU’s biggest problem is FOULING. (I don’t agree, by the way. Overzealous officials are more likely to blame. I think KU’s at-times inconsistent energy level is their biggest problem)

And Villanova’s biggest problem? You guessed it: FOULING.

If this game turns into a foulfest and the refs screw us over like they did A&M in the loss to UCLA, all Jayhawk fans will have a right to be furious. Those officials better let the guys play and not make this game closer than it needs to be by calling 45-50 fouls. And that goes for this game or any game we play the rest of the way. The players and coaches work too hard to let the season end because some officiating crew (Hear that, Curtis Shaw?) thinks the game is more about them than it is the players. Just ask A&M.

IF the officials let them play on Friday night and call a “normal” type of college basketball game with pretty much even foul calls and free throw attempts on both sides, KU will win by at least 12-15.

If it turns into a foulfest with repeated interruptions in the flow/pace of the game, it’s a toss up.

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/columns/story?columnist=glockner_andy&id=3306176

Midwest Regional
No. 1 Kansas (Beat No. 16 Portland State 85-61; No. 9 UNLV 75-56)How they got here: The Jayhawks cruised past Portland State and UNLV, not really being challenged in either game. Statistically speaking, that wasn’t a surprise. Neither team was close to Kansas’ caliber.

Biggest strength: Diversity of quality weapons. Kansas has shown its lethal depth in each of the first two games. The Jayhawks had five players with at least nine points against the Vikings and six with at least eight points against the Rebels. They’re also shooting a searing 62-of-111 (55.9 percent) from the floor, including 17-of-38 (44.7 percent) from the arc. This level of performance conforms with Kansas’ season-long offensive effectiveness. The Jayhawks had the most efficient offense in the nation at almost 1.19 points per possession and ranked in the top 10 in both 2-point and 3-point shooting. And outside of Darrell Arthur, the rest of the KU rotation players use roughly the same percentage of the team’s possessions and take shots at similar rates. Even though Brandon Rush has evolved into the top scoring option, you can’t key on any one player.

Biggest weakness: Fouling. The Jayhawks sent UNLV to the line 34 times in the second round. The Rebels made 27 of them, which helped them stay for awhile in a game in which they shot 12-of-45 from the field. KU has a tendency to put teams on the line a decent amount. In the Jayhawks’ three losses this season, opponents went to the line 24, 28 and 27 times. None of the three victors (Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma State) shot even 43 percent from the floor in the wins, so the free-throw production was pivotal. Why does this matter? Undersized Sweet 16 foe Villanova shoots 72.7 percent from the line.

No. 12 Villanova (Beat No. 5 Clemson 75-69; No. 13 Siena 84-72)How they got here: The Wildcats rallied from 18 down to take out No. 5 Clemson and then jumped on No. 13 Siena early and confidently closed out the upstart Saints. As it always seems, good guard play has driven the Cats to their third Sweet 16 in four seasons.

Biggest strength: Sweet shooting (for now). For two games, the Wildcats have seared the nets, making an even 50 percent of their shots against Clemson and 53.6 percent against Siena. They’ve also connected on 13 of 26 3s in the two games. Can it last? This type of shooting is in direct contrast to Villanova’s season performance, in which the Wildcats weren’t even in the top half of Div. I in either 2-point or 3-point field-goal percentage. They probably can count on leading scorer Scottie Reynolds to carry the scoring load against Kansas, but will the Cats get enough from the supporting cast to threaten the Jayhawks? They’ll have to, because this could be a huge mismatch inside with KU’s terrific frontcourt depth.

Biggest problem: Fouling. The Wildcats were one of the 20 worst teams in Div. I in terms of defensive free-throw rate (opponents’ foul shots as a percentage of field-goal attempts) and it hasn’t gone much better in the NCAAs. They put Siena on the foul line a whopping 39 times on Sunday and allowed 23 against Clemson. The Tigers are so bad at the line, that might have been a good thing, and Siena was so far behind most of the day that it didn’t really impact the result. KU shoots over 70 percent from the line as a team, so that MO probably won’t go over so well on Friday. Fouls also equal foul trouble and the Wildcats don’t have the depth, especially in the frontcourt, to deal with Kansas that way.

4 Days at The Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City

Here are a bunch of pics from the last 4 days at the Big 12 Basketball Tournament in Kansas City.

The Sprint Center was great. The KC Live! Entertainment District was awesome.

And of course the Jayhawks are Big 12 Champions…..AGAIN! The senior class has won 4 consecutive Big 12 conference titles and 3 consecutive Big 12 Tournament titles. Simply incredible.

As for the KU-Texas game, Bill Self said it better than I could: “This was one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of.”

Keep Rockin and Chalkin,

Mic

Click the link for photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=wb94q1i.3bsz1otu&Uy=5mi5br&Ux=0

KU-KSU postgame: Thoughts and Observations

Thoughts and observations after KU’s 88-74 win over K-State in Lawrence on Saturday.

-I call it effort. Bill Self calls it energy. Whatever you want to call it, it has been frustratingly absent in KU’s three losses and even in some of our wins. But you saw Saturday night just how good this KU team can be when they bring it. They can be Big 12 Championship good. They can be National Championship good.

When they don’t bring it, the can be incredibly average. That is why the question I just can’t get out of my head is: “Will they be able to bring a high level of energy/effort consistently?” I want to believe they’ve turned the corner. I really do. But color me cautiously optimistic. Consistent high energy/effort is what separates good teams with potential from great teams with championships.

Of the Jayhawks, Michael Beasley said: “They played with a chip on their shoulders. They played with a vengeance. They just came out and played relentlessly.” Hopefully the Jayhawks now finally realize that, if they want to make it to the Final Four and win the National Championship, they will need to play every game with a high level of energy/effort. No exceptions. No excuses. No B-games. There is no margin for error.

All of Jayhawk Nation is hoping and praying that just as the loss to KSU in Manhattan drained this team of its energy, that this win will give the Jayhawks the energy boost they need to start, maintain and finish Big 12 and NCAA Tournament runs in March.

-Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins’ mothers need to be at every game. Amazing how kids perform when mom is watching, isn’t it?

-Brandon Rush played aggressive offensively for (Are you sitting down?) an ENTIRE GAME! Rush’s 21 points and 5 three-pointers were season highs. We all knew Brandon had the “go-to guy” athletic ability and basketball skill-set, and for one night he had what he’s been missing his entire career: The mentality it takes to be the go-to guy.

Brandon said he heard that people were talking about how KSU’s Dominque Sutton shut Rush down for the 2nd half of the game in Manhattan. Not sure that’s entirely accurate as Brandon is usually the one that shuts himself down. At any rate, Rush didn’t like hearing it and it motivated him.

Note to Bill Self: Please tell Brandon before every game that someone shut him down. Tell him in front of the whole team. Make the team watch video of Brandon being shut down. Whatever it takes so that he won’t go back into his non-aggressive offensive shell.

Of his performance, Rush said: “Tonight I think I proved a point. I played both halves.” I’m sorry, Brandon, but the only thing you proved on Saturday night is that you played both halves in ONE game. I’m going on record right now: I don’t think you’ll be able to do it consistently. I don’t think you have it in you. And I stand by my earlier comments that I think your
non-aggressive mentality will prevent you from playing significant minutes in the NBA. I dare you to prove me wrong. And if you do, I’ll happily be the first one to admit it.

-Sasha Kaun played with an aggressiveness and toughness that I don’t recall ever seeing from him, tallying 9 points and 7 rebounds. Sasha: Your playing career at KU is coming to an end. You’ve set a new standard for yourself from an energy/effort standpoint. Keep it up.

-Rebounding: KU had 23 offensive rebounds. That is not a typo. A season-high TWENTY-THREE OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS! They had more offensive rebounds than they did defensive rebounds. If you want to know how it happened, see my previous point about effort/energy.

-Darrell Arthur can score pretty much whenever he wants to. Against KSU, he had 10 points and 5 rebounds, with a couple of gorgeous moves down low. I love watching him back a player down, make a quick move and shoot right over his defender. It’s a thing of beauty and something the Jayhawks better go to a lot more in March.

Unfortunately, Darrell continues to struggle defensively, committing 5 fouls and limiting himself to 23 minutes. Danny Manning has said that Darrell doesn’t know how good he can be. If Shady wants a National Championship ring, he better figure it out soon.

-The real Sherron Collins showed up last night (18 pts, 4 assists, 4 steals, 3-for-7 from 3-pt. range) instead of the injured, hobbled “his legs aren’t firing” Collins we’ve seen for most of the season. Of his play, Sherron said: “Once you get the adrenaline going and flowing, you can get around a lot of stuff, especially injuries. It was just in my head. I felt like nothing was wrong with me.”

Sherron: KU’s postseason hopes ride on your ability to get your adrenaline going night in and night out. You can be THE difference maker for this team.

-“Mr. 3-pt. Shot, it’s nice to see you again.” 3-pt. shooting might not have not been THE difference in the game, but it was a huge factor. KU won by 14 points and outscored KSU by 15 points from the 3-pt line. KU not only did a better job of making their 3-pt shots, but more importantly did a much better job of setting guys up for wide open looks. It was really nice to see KU raining 3’s on an opponent instead of vice versa.

–“Hey, Mr. Forced Turnover. Welcome home.” KU had 15 steals in forcing 20 KSU turnovers.

–When did KSU’s primary color become black? We all agree that purple isn’t much better, but KSU’s black road uniforms just don’t make sense.

-BALANCE: How many times have we heard people talk about KU’s balance and depth? This was truly a team win. There were spurts where Arthur was the man, then Darnell, then Rush, then Mario, then Russell, then Sasha, then Collins. 5 players scored in double figures in leading one of the most well-balanced attacks of the season.

-It’s not just KU, folks. The phenomenon in the Big 12 this year where a team looks like world beaters on their home court and then like egg beaters on the road is one of interesting stories of this Big 12 season. Look no further than Texas Tech, who suffered the worst loss in their history against A&M in College Station, TX and then three days later played the best game of their season in beating conference-leading Texas in Lubbock, TX. K-State is another example. They were a shell of the team that beat KU in Manhattan this year.

-“Hi Mr. Zone. You’re looking good.” Bill Self actually let his team play zone and get this: It worked. Coach Self has said “We’re not a zone team. We’re a much better man team.” Coach Self, with all due respect, any intelligent Jayhawk fan knows that. We’re not asking you to be a “zone team”. We love the aggressive man-to-man defense your team is capable of playing. We love the toughness it takes to play man-to-man defense.

But you know that playing zone helps limit dribble penetration, helps protect KU’s big men from foul trouble, makes it tougher for studs like Beasley to score inside, and, at a bare minimum, gives your opponent a different look and something else to prepare for. We know you don’t like it when an opponent “busts” a zone with 3-pt. shots, but that has also happened when your team is playing man-to-man. We’re not asking you to use zone defense as your main weapon. We’re asking you to use it as a compliment to your man-to-man defense.

The zone DID work against KSU and if it helps you win games (which it did and can), then why not continue to use it periodically, particularly when an opponent has a dominant force (Beasley, D.J. Augustin, etc.)? KSU played zone and KU went around 4 minutes without a field goal. The bottom line is this: If zone works AGAINST your team, it can work FOR your team too.

-Stop the debate. Michael Beasley is the best player in the country and is better than Kevin Durant. Some people have talked about Tyler Hansbrough, who is a great player and helped North Carolina tremendously when point guard Ty Lawson went down with an injury. But put Michael Beasley on North Carolina’s team and it’s scary to think just how good he could be. Against KU, Beasley played only 12 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and still ended up 39 points and 11 rebounds. He wasn’t playing against Colorado. He was playing against KANSAS, one of the best defensive teams in the country with so many McDonald’s All-Americans they could start a franchise. Also, you have to give credit to Beasley for getting 2 fouls early, staying in the game mentally, and ending the game with those same 2 fouls.

-Stop the debate, Part II. Some have said KSU is on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. I disagree. Unless they drop their final two to Colorado and Iowa State (not likely), they are in. Heck, Beasley could probably beat those teams by himself.

-I thought KSU head coach Frank “Psycho” Martin did a great job of squeezing the most he could out of Beasley during his first half foul trouble.

-The Big 12 is proving to be one of the toughest conferences in the nation. I think talk of the Big 12 only getting 4 teams into the NCAA Tournament is ridiculous and yet another example of how very real that east coast bias is towards anyone not in the ACC. Oh, and people are talking about the PAC-10 too as maybe being the toughest conference. KU beat Arizona and USC. K-State beat Cal. Nebraska beat Oregon. Texas beat UCLA. Any questions?

-The Allen Fieldhouse crowd was incredible on Saturday night and during ESPN Gameday festivities. The ESPN Gameday exposure is wonderful for the program and we’re very fortunate that Rece Davis, Hubert Davis, Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas have fallen in love with KU and Allen Fieldhouse and truly appreciate it for what it is.

-The balance of power has been restored to it’s rightful place and KU still has a shot at a 4th consecutive Big 12 Championship. No doubt we will take care of Texas Tech on Senior Night, but the A&M game will be a tough test. Not necessarily because it’s A&M, but because it’s on the road and nothing comes easy on the road in the Big 12. Surely former KU guard Mark Turgeon wouldn’t want to stop his alma mater from getting a 4th straight Big 12 Championship, would he?

Of course Turg’s team went 0-for-16 in the final 12:51 of the first half in their game against Oklahoma, ending the half with an unbelievably pathetic 10 points. I guess Turg probably has bigger issues to worry about.

-As many Jayhawk fans know, this year KU had the 20-year celebration of the 1988 National Championship. Anyone remember how many points KU scored in the win over KSU? Hmmmmmmmm.

Keep Rockin’ and Chalkin’,

Mic
http://www.jaytalkers.com/