2024/2025 Lineup

[DCHawk1]

I don't think Joel is a bad person.
I think he was a bad teammate for the last month of his career at Kansas.

That was meant for Mich.

I tend to think that guys like Joel and...well...ummm...Wilt do more for KU as MVPs than they could ever have done in the tournament.

But then, Mich eats crayons.

[pdub]

"But what should be expected of anyone - any of us, even - in a situation where what's at stake is this significant?"

To focus on the present, be a good teammate and try and win.
I know what I would do - otherwise i'd be a hypocrite for criticizing him.

[DCHawk1]

I know what I would do - otherwise i'd be a hypocrite for criticizing him.

Fair, but then you're not an immigrant from the poorest continent on earth w/the potential to create generational wealth, not to mention fame, if you can avoid hurting yourself any further.

[hoopla]

they're getting paid these days, right? not the same as when Joel was here.

[pdub]

If my brain got transplanted into his the day after the injury ( was it against Texas ) I am confident my choice would remain the same - I would play. But yes, if my experiences as a consciousness were exactly the same as his since birth then of course there would be no logical choice but to do exactly what he did because I would be him.

[twocoach]

If he did do that, which I don't find wildly far fetched, and shutdown pre March Madness to stop the bleeding, I am saying that makes him a bad teammate, without a moments pause.

I think it's complicated.

What is fair to expect of someone in this situation, where the short-term risk is measured in seven figures, and the medium- and long-term one potentially eight?

If your answer is that we shouldn't want guys with pro aspirations playing college basketball at all...I'm not looking to reopen that front, and so I'll let my prior opinions speak for themselves on that. Truly not looking to refight old and worn battles.

But what should be expected of anyone - any of us, even - in a situation where what's at stake is this significant?

Do you really think that a minor dip in his shooting percentage due to fighting through a knee injury to try to achieve his and his team's goals would be a seven-figure risk?

No one seriously believes that do they?

[jfish26]

"But what should be expected of anyone - any of us, even - in a situation where what's at stake is this significant?"

To focus on the present, be a good teammate and try and win.
I know what I would do - otherwise i'd be a hypocrite for criticizing him.

Ok.

I don't believe that most people, in this context* and faced with the sort of stakes McCullar is facing, would risk what McCullar would be risking to play.

* High-major college basketball (especially at places like KU) being a stop between high school and the NBA; the fact that this team was drawing dead in March anyway unless he was his pre-injury self.

[jfish26]

If he did do that, which I don't find wildly far fetched, and shutdown pre March Madness to stop the bleeding, I am saying that makes him a bad teammate, without a moments pause.

I think it's complicated.

What is fair to expect of someone in this situation, where the short-term risk is measured in seven figures, and the medium- and long-term one potentially eight?

If your answer is that we shouldn't want guys with pro aspirations playing college basketball at all...I'm not looking to reopen that front, and so I'll let my prior opinions speak for themselves on that. Truly not looking to refight old and worn battles.

But what should be expected of anyone - any of us, even - in a situation where what's at stake is this significant?

Do you really think that a minor dip in his shooting percentage due to fighting through a knee injury to try to achieve his and his team's goals would be a seven-figure risk?

No one seriously believes that do they?

But that's what I'm saying - I think his true talent level is much closer to 22-23 than it is to pre-injury 23-24, and that talk of him as a first rounder was quite reliant on shooting figures that were probably a mirage in the first place.

[randylahey]

With a 80% McCullar I think there's a slight chance we beat Gonzaga.
We stayed in it ( were winning! ) in the first half.
But we weren't beating Purdue.

We weren't beating Gonzaga. It took one of our best shooting halves of the season to stay in it with them in the 1st

If you watched 80 percent mccullar you know he couldn't shoot from outside for shit

And nobody who else was on the floor, their game plan was to abuse dickinson in the pick and roll, which they did to perfection, leading to open 3s and dunks.

I don't think we beat them with 100% mccullar

[pdub]

I disagree with you.
I think we would have had a slight chance with McCullar.

[randylahey]

The idea that mccullar is a bad teammate for not risking his health/future to try to help KU win some tournament games is wild.

We all know this KU team was a Longshot even with him healthy

Any fan making mccullar out to be a bad teammate is the one that's actually selfish. Yeah it sucks he had an injury. But mccullar was a hard worker in his time at KU, who's game pretty much embodied team first. He was a very willing passer and one of the best defenders self has ever had here

[randylahey]

I disagree with you.
I think we would have had a slight chance with McCullar.

A better chance, yeah. But it wouldn't have changed their game plan against us one bit. They thrived off of dickinsons inability to guard pick and rolls, that doesn't change because mccullar is out there. In fact we might have been worse offensively with him out there at 80 percent. His shooting wad horrible post injury

[pdub]

"But what should be expected of anyone - any of us, even - in a situation where what's at stake is this significant?"

To focus on the present, be a good teammate and try and win.
I know what I would do - otherwise i'd be a hypocrite for criticizing him.

Ok.

I don't believe that most people, in this context* and faced with the sort of stakes McCullar is facing, would risk what McCullar would be risking to play.

Great.
That changes nothing for me.

[twocoach]

The idea that mccullar is a bad teammate for not risking his health/future to try to help KU win some tournament games is wild.

We all know this KU team was a Longshot even with him healthy

Any fan making mccullar out to be a bad teammate is the one that's actually selfish. Yeah it sucks he had an injury. But mccullar was a hard worker in his time at KU, who's game pretty much embodied team first. He was a very willing passer and one of the best defenders self has ever had here

The question is whether or not he would have been risking his health and his future. I think you would be hard pressed to find a doctor who would state that either of those things were at risk.

It was a bone bruise, not a partially torn ACL or some sort of heart issue. Good grief, people.

[pdub]

A bone bruise could have a slight chance of leading to a fracture.
But he had been playing on it all the way up to that point and, if you're going to listen to what Self said, the doctors said nothing had gotten worse.
So I lean with twocoach here -- I think the risk of something long term was extremely minimal.

[MICHHAWK]

km and teamkm shut km down. KU. KU med. HCBS. did not. we all know that.

[pdub]

its tough. sometimes. to be able to read. what you post. here.

[MICHHAWK]

makes you think. doesn't it.

[jfish26]

A bone bruise could have a slight chance of leading to a fracture.
But he had been playing on it all the way up to that point and, if you're going to listen to what Self said, the doctors said nothing had gotten worse.
So I lean with twocoach here -- I think the risk of something long term was extremely minimal.

I certainly agree with this, in terms of his physical ability.

I just think he had more than a little imposter syndrome going on, and probably (in my opinion) for good reason. I don't think he is really as good of a shooter as his pre-injury numbers reflected...but those pre-injury numbers are a GREAT story for him to be able to tell.

[twocoach]

makes you think. doesn't it.

Yes, it makes me think about how enjoyable it is to read complete sentences.