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Ugly win.

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10 months 22 hours ago #32073 by NotOstertag
I'd have been more ok with last night's win if we'd have been playing a ranked opponent, but this game was waaaaay to close. Our guys can't seem to finish and Cinci was NEVER out of it. Furphy's 3 with 2 minutes left put us up by 10 and then we gave back 4 points in 30 seconds. Just ugly to watch.

Furphy was the only bright spot and our "stars" didn't look like it. McCullar did have 20 points, but he seemed to be missing more than he was hitting, and he missed 4 FTs. He also seemed tired or possibly dinged up. Dickinson, however, just looked like he was checked out. 6 rebounds? It's no wonder Cinci outrebounded us 40-29, almost all of which were on the offensive side. Thankfully, Cinci didn't convert at a high rate on those 2nd chances.

Searching for good news, KJ continues to be a solid performer, and Coach has 4 days to whip these guys into shape before we have to go to Ames where it's ALWAYS a struggle. ISU will certainly smell blood in the water.

I get it that we've seen these kind of mid-season doldrums before, but there's very little margin of error this year.

Side note: Line of the night went to HCBS who, when informed of Joel Embiid's 70 point game, took credit (tongue DEEP in cheek) for Embiid's big night by saying that he taught Embiid everything he knows during his 8 months in Lawrence. Well played, HCBS.

"When I was a freshman, I remember Coach Naismith telling us how important it was to play good defense." - Mitch Lightfoot
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10 months 21 hours ago #32075 by Riverhawk
I thought the guys played much better defense the second half, but this is a tired team. Two games in three days, and Self almost always plays his starters too many minutes (especially his point guard). And then after the game he "calls out" the bench guys. I believe he played McDowell and Nick two minutes each. And he's publicly told Jackson to "drive to pass, not drive to shoot", even though Jackson has shown a nice pull up jumper. Can't have it both ways, Coach. If memory serves, it was the Oklahoma game where McDowell came in, quickly committed a turnover and was immediately yanked. And Nick played very well recently. That's Coach's MO to have a short leash, but don't complain about the bench if they don't hardly get any minutes.
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10 months 21 hours ago #32076 by KMT
Probably my only, small critique of Self. Quick yanks don't allow them to gel, or learn, in game-time situations and learn.
I always wonder if this will contribute to more transfers now that the portal is a viable option for these players.
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10 months 19 hours ago #32077 by NotOstertag
Good point, KMT. I'd counter that we see about 4 hours a week of the team (2 games, couple hours each). That's a small fraction of the ACTUAL time the team is together. It's likely that somebody would be disappointed if they get benched quickly, they might be equally excited that they got to play at all. Just saying it's hard to draw a conclusion about any player's happiness level based on a very small data sample.

Just 2 cents.

"When I was a freshman, I remember Coach Naismith telling us how important it was to play good defense." - Mitch Lightfoot

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10 months 9 hours ago #32079 by replayloungehawk
I understand Self likes to settle on a rotation but McDowell, to me, played well in Maui. He was actually a very solid contributor and then he just disappeared. Basketball is so much mental that when the guys become afraid to do things because they fear they will be yanked I feel it then makes them play even worse. Self always talks about playing loose but doesn't let the guys actually get loose. Or so it seems to this arm chair QB.

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9 months 4 weeks ago #32082 by NotOstertag
I don't disagree, but still contend that we're working in a vacuum of info by not attending practices.

We don't see what McDowell is doing well or poorly in practice. For all we know, he has major flaws that Self sees in the gym that are keeping him on the bench, or at the very least, on a very short leash. Self has admitted that the bench is a big problem, but also says that we can't have a major dropoff in effectiveness when we go to the bench. I'd wager that Self honestly feels that going to these guys results in too big of a dropoff. Take McDowell's quick return to the bench. We might see it as one fairly insignificant mistake. Self (by seeing him practice) might see it as a CONTINUED problem that is a point if emphasis for him. When that "I told you to do just one thing" thing fails right away, I can't blame Self for cutting it off quick.

One idea that MIGHT be helpful would be to pay Furphy's parents to come to every game for the next few months. Seems their presence gave him a boost. Hell, invite the whole Furphy famly...aunts, uncles, whatever.

"When I was a freshman, I remember Coach Naismith telling us how important it was to play good defense." - Mitch Lightfoot
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9 months 4 weeks ago #32084 by HawkErrant
First, Furphy must start or KU won’t be going anywhere this time around.

Second, the bench is really just Braun, Jackson and McDowell.

Parker is the only one of the 3 who has basically played to expectations. His role is to give Hunter 5-10 minutes rest every game without hurting the team, and he has done that.

Nick has improved on defense so he is not the defensive liability he was earlier this season. If he can find his offense — which is the reason he was pursued by KU — Bill has a huge part of his answer. If Nick fails to become the scorer we had hoped for, this season is essentially a second rate season for KU.

Now to be fair to Nick, Elmarko — who has been playing out of position all season (he always played PG, not 2G before KU) — is another hoped for contributor who has not contributed. EJ needs to find his scoring mojo if KU is to make any real noise.

If BOTH of them can find their offensive mojo, KU can go far. If neither one, or only one finally click, it’s going to be a rough road over the next 12 Big 12 games and into the postseason.

I have not given up on our guys yet, but my hopes and expectations have been significantly reduced because of our guys not playing to expectations. Here’s hoping things start to click for them.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain "Innocents Abroad"
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9 months 4 weeks ago #32086 by hairyhawk
I just want to comment on the thought that " our guys not playing to expectations." I just want to say so far Mr Furfy has been better than I had thought he would be. His rebounding has been very important.
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9 months 4 weeks ago #32088 by porthawk
I can see Jackson having an end of season improvement that will match something like Malik Newman in the '17-18 season.

I could even see having a monster game during the tournament that will propel the Jayhawks to victory. I'll even be more specific to say that it'll happen in the second round or Sweet 16. (Newman's game came in the Elite 8 against Duke).

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9 months 4 weeks ago #32090 by HawkErrant

hairyhawk wrote: I just want to comment on the thought that " our guys not playing to expectations." I just want to say so far Mr Furfy has been better than I had thought he would be. His rebounding has been very important.


I was thinking of several players- EJ for one, but particularly of Nick and Harris - when I wrote that.

Furphy has been a difference maker as a starter. He is the one player truly *exceeding* expectations.

I am a big Harris fan, but he has been frustrating this season. Not even close to the caliber of performance he has displayed in the past.

Nick is slowly improving, but he has not been anywhere close to expectations. His “forte” has essentially been nonexistent.

EJ suffers from not meeting the hype. For the worst, he was built up and he has not delivered. But as I wrote before, in the 3+ years he has seriously dedicated himself to playing hoops, he’s always been a PG with the ball in his hand. He’s never played off the ball, and suddenly he’s put in that role. I’m hoping he’ll be a contributor by the time March rolls around.

Even Hunter has not lived up to expectations these past few games.

At this point I’m hoping for the best, but sadly not expecting it. I’m rooting for them every game, but I've steeled myself for disappointment this year. May they prove me oh, so wrong!

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain "Innocents Abroad"

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9 months 4 weeks ago #32094 by USAF Jayhawk

hairyhawk wrote: I just want to comment on the thought that " our guys not playing to expectations." I just want to say so far Mr Furfy has been better than I had thought he would be. His rebounding has been very important.


I believe that should be spelled Phurphy :)
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