Official KU vs Villanova Game Thread

[twocoach]

That is not the goal, nor my expectation. The goal is to progress towards your peak with that peak occurring in the tourney. The skills and talents of the individual players, as well as their combined synchronicity, defines how high that peak is.

I dont give a crap about losing a road game at Nova in December. I worry that the reasons we lost it may be issues that they seem to be struggling to get better at.

Dok isnt getting any better at free throws. Dotson isnt getting better at taking care of the ball vs. good teams. No one is developing into a reliable three point weapon vs good teams. Most of the team seems utterly disinterested in even taking a three, which makes Dok a lot easier to guard and the lane a lot more clogged to drive and dish. Garrett now has another gimpy ankle and this group desperately needs his defense and communication on the floor.

Can those things take a rapid jump and no longer be deficiencies between now and the tourney? Absolutely and I hope they do. But the full season, from the time practice started to the tourney, is halfway over now. It's time to start progressing towards that peak.

[Deleted User 89]

my only concern with this team is ball security

turn it over less than 10 times, they beat anybody

[CrimsonNBlue]

I think it's time to play Udoka/Big Mac together very sparingly. It's not doing much for us against the good competition.

Braun and Enaruna handled their minutes very well last Saturday. They grew up.

Getting Garrett back will help, too, and we're going to see 4 perimeter player rotations with Udoka/Big Mac getting the minutes in the middle and De Sousa sadly barely used.

[twocoach]

But I am sure everything will be fine.

[NewtonHawk11]

I think it's time to play Udoka/Big Mac together very sparingly. It's not doing much for us against the good competition.

Braun and Enaruna handled their minutes very well last Saturday. They grew up.

Getting Garrett back will help, too, and we're going to see 4 perimeter player rotations with Udoka/Big Mac getting the minutes in the middle and De Sousa sadly barely used.

I agree with this. Not that upset with the loss because Enaruna and Braun were freaking outstanding and really, like you said, grew up.

But yeah Bill will have not choice but to go Dotson, Moss, Garrett, Ochai and Udoka as starters. DMac, Braun and Enaruna as primary rotation and Silvio used for foul trouble purposes only.

[twocoach]

I think it's time to play Udoka/Big Mac together very sparingly. It's not doing much for us against the good competition.

Braun and Enaruna handled their minutes very well last Saturday. They grew up.

Getting Garrett back will help, too, and we're going to see 4 perimeter player rotations with Udoka/Big Mac getting the minutes in the middle and De Sousa sadly barely used.

Any updates on Garrett or are we still at a maybe/maybe not for this Saturday?

[NewtonHawk11]

Self said last night he's at around 75%. If he keeps improving, he'll play Sunday.

[CrimsonNBlue]

I have to think our C+ game beats Stanford, so what is the point of bringing him back?

He is way more valuable to this team than I would have liked to admit prior to the season starting.

[TDub]

I think it's time to play Udoka/Big Mac together very sparingly. It's not doing much for us against the good competition.

Braun and Enaruna handled their minutes very well last Saturday. They grew up.

Getting Garrett back will help, too, and we're going to see 4 perimeter player rotations with Udoka/Big Mac getting the minutes in the middle and De Sousa sadly barely used.

I agree with this. Not that upset with the loss because Enaruna and Braun were freaking outstanding and really, like you said, grew up.

But yeah Bill will have not choice but to go Dotson, Moss, Garrett, Ochai and Udoka as starters. DMac, Braun and Enaruna as primary rotation and Silvio used for foul trouble purposes only.

If were going that way I'd switch moss for enaruna. If moss doesnt hit his shots he doesnt add much to the team. Enaruna is long and disruptive and can be a great rebounder.

[NDballer13]

They just cant have their leading scorer, who is also their primary ball handler, gagging it up so often.

This is what I mean. He's turning it over at a lower rate than guys like Cassius Winston, Tre Jones, Ashton Hagans, and Ty Haliburton (who is supposed to be the best in the country at protecting the ball). Would you say those guys have turnover issues?

Roughly 75 possessions a game. Assume he handles the ball for 70 of them. For being the only ball handler, playing the amount of minutes he plays, the number of possessions in a game, is 4 times really "gagging it up so often"?

Dotson will be fine.

Three of those 4 guys are on pace to lead their team to the NIT if they dont get their act together so maybe not the best examples...

Dotson's turnover rate is 14.7. The rest of the Top 10 teams starting/primary handlers are:

Ryan Woolridge - 20.3
CJ Walker - 21.1
Tre Jones - mentioned
Darius Perry - 29.1
Jared Butler - 13.4
Payton Pritchard - 16.2
J'Von McCormick - 14.4
Colin Gillespie - 15.6
Boogie Ellis/Alex Lomax - 11.2/26.2 Lomax doesn't start but plays equal minutes and is more involved in the offense when he is in the game.

Are those better examples?

[NewtonHawk11]

I have to think our C+ game beats Stanford, so what is the point of bringing him back?

He is way more valuable to this team than I would have liked to admit prior to the season starting.

Yeah Stanford stinks. Good record but beating some bad teams by single digits.

I think Bill sits him, in my opinion.

[twocoach]

Sounds like he is starting on Sunday.

[NDballer13]

When did ABC start doing college basketball games again? I thought it was weird seeing them on FOX last week instead of FS1, but this one is even more bizarre, lol.

[randylahey]

andy katz looked like shit. hair was fucked

[NewtonHawk11]

I think they were on last weekend or the weekend before that maybe. The UCLA/Notre Dame game. Bill Walton was on the call.

I think they just rebooted on ABC this year though.