NCAA Tournament 2024

[jfish26]

Fine. I'll do it for you.

.....but you'd have to chop Frank Mason's leg off for him to miss his final year NCAA tournament and last chance at a natty. The doctors would have had to stop him from playing.

None of us know if the doctors stopped him. Or at least influenced his decision heavily.

Self's wording in the interview sure made it seem that Kevin told the doctors it hurts too much to play well enough to contribute.

And this is where we get to things we can't know.

There's a difference between "eff, this is painful" and "eff, when this pain hits it causes me not to have the physical ability to do things like shoot straight".

I think everyone here has experienced both.

I, personally, choose not to assume I know where this particular one falls for Kevin.

[DeletedUser]

I, personally, choose not to assume I know where this particular one falls for Kevin.

Same (at least I am trying not to assume as much as possible). Although it's hard not to speculate for messageboard purposes.

[jfish26]

I, personally, choose not to assume I know where this particular one falls for Kevin.

Same (at least I am trying not to assume as much as possible). Although it's hard not to speculate for messageboard purposes.

Of course. And Kevin choosing to play the Houston game (along with his obvious enfeeblement in it) is, for me, a data point that supports a hypothesis that he's not playing because he's not presently physically capable of helping us win.

I'm being careful with my words on purpose - it's a data point.

[pdub]

There's a difference between "eff, this is painful" and "eff, when this pain hits it causes me not to have the physical ability to do things like shoot straight".

I think everyone here has experienced both.

Disclaimer - I completely fully understand the vast differences here but at it's core, there are similarities.

I have experienced both and have played through both.
I played through the latter up to the point I needed surgery. And then again, after the surgery and kept playing and was injured again, was recommended to have another surgery.

Again, very different worlds here - but I do think there's something about people who will play through til the end, ala what I think Frank Mason would absolutely do, and then those who won't try.

This is the biggest stage yet for Kevin.
Some would never ever be held out for that.

I don't hate Kevin, don't put me in that camp at all. I'm certainly not going to go on his socials and be a fucking tool and spew bullshit. I wish him the best in his NBA career and will follow him.

But I just respect him less and am not a fan of his decision.

[MICHHAWK]

HCBS has gotten soft. his players have gone soft.

in general, the youth of today are soft.

[pdub]

HCBS has gotten soft. his players have gone soft.

in general, the youth of today are soft.

I mean, i'm not gonna say MICH is fully wrong here.

[jfish26]

There's a difference between "eff, this is painful" and "eff, when this pain hits it causes me not to have the physical ability to do things like shoot straight".

I think everyone here has experienced both.

Disclaimer - I completely fully understand the vast differences here but at it's core, there are similarities.

I have experienced both and have played through both.
I played through the latter up to the point I needed surgery. And then again, after the surgery and kept playing and was injured again, was recommended to have another surgery.

Again, very different worlds here - but I do think there's something about people who will play through til the end, ala what I think Frank Mason would absolutely do, and then those who won't try.

This is the biggest stage yet for Kevin.
Some would never ever be held out for that.

This is the whole point though - there is nothing good (other than pleasing message board losers like us) about playing through pain if in fact the pain makes you so bad at doing your job that you are hurting your team.

If playing through this particular pain turns Kevin into, I don't know, a walk-on level contributor, then the team is better off taking its chances with the McDowells and Elmarkos of the world (and going into the game knowing that).

I have no idea where on the spectrum this pain falls for Kevin. If I knew, then maybe I would say Kevin is being soft and selfish. Or, maybe I would say Kevin is being practical and unselfish.

Absolutely, 100%, he is taking future prospects into consideration, too.

All I'm saying is that I, personally, do not feel as if any of us is in a position to know whether he "should" be playing.

Literally only Kevin can know that.

[randylahey]

HCBS has gotten soft. his players have gone soft.

in general, the youth of today are soft.

This whole country has gotten soft, but that's besides the point. When it comes to athletes, no group is softer than basketball players. But of entitled spoiled little bitches that get wayyyy too much attention from too early of an age. Coddled and pampered.

Self has gotten a little softer, because he thinks these kids can't handle it and will transfer away, which is accurate

[Overlander]

If he could play vs Houston and it hasn’t gotten worse it’s mental over physical.

He’s making a decision that he feels best for himself.
We don’t have to like that decision.

He looked to me like he was really struggling in that game, as well as the last few he tried to play.
If he were my kid, I would say get yourself better.

[DCHawk1]

I have been predicting a first weekend exit for some time now.

OMG! Good job!

[pdub]

If playing through this particular pain turns Kevin into, I don't know, a walk-on level contributor, then the team is better off taking its chances with the McDowells and Elmarkos of the world (and going into the game knowing that).

He had 19 points against better competition 2 weeks ago.

[jfish26]

If playing through this particular pain turns Kevin into, I don't know, a walk-on level contributor, then the team is better off taking its chances with the McDowells and Elmarkos of the world (and going into the game knowing that).

He had 19 points against better competition 2 weeks ago.

And that's a data point, too.

[ousdahl]

I have been predicting a first weekend exit for some time now.

OMG! Good job!

^^^

Honestly, mich predicting that makes me ever so slightly better about our chances of a final four run

[JayhawkInIowa726]

This probably isn't the place for this, but rooting for the Grand Canyon upset this weekend got me looking into Tyon Grant-Foster's numbers this year. I knew he was doing well, but didn't realize it was nearly 20ppg well!

Inferior competition and whatnot, but I can't help but thinking of all the transfers lost in past few years, he is one that seems to be contributing elsewhere at a high level compared to the rest.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... ant-foster

[InfiniteJ]

HCBS has gotten soft. his players have gone soft.

in general, the youth of today are soft.

I mean, i'm not gonna say MICH is fully wrong here.

Yeah, I was a little surprised when Bill mentioned where McCullar was mentally when it came to the injury.

[pdub]

Right.
Could be reading into it too much but Self said mentally pronounced and first before physically.

[TDub]

I know we wont....but...is there a good reason not to run an extended 3 2 against these guys? they can't hurt us down low and our guys haven't been terric on pickin up switches on ball screens all year.

[jfish26]

I know we wont....but...is there a good reason not to run an extended 3 2 against these guys? they can't hurt us down low and our guys haven't been terric on pickin up switches on ball screens all year.

I would absolutely do this (or even a 1-3-1, but you probably can't get that in overnight), if for no other reason than to keep Hunter from getting pulled out. Hunter tends to be good at avoiding foul trouble, but we can't take any chances in that regard.

[randylahey]

Man wouldnt it be nice if we kept TGF around. 6'7 elite athlete with scoring ability would have been an answered prayer on this roster

[TDub]

I know we wont....but...is there a good reason not to run an extended 3 2 against these guys? they can't hurt us down low and our guys haven't been terric on pickin up switches on ball screens all year.

I would absolutely do this (or even a 1-3-1, but you probably can't get that in overnight), if for no other reason than to keep Hunter from getting pulled out. Hunter tends to be good at avoiding foul trouble, but we can't take any chances in that regard.

I mean, their tallest guy is KJs size, they all shoot 3s....why bother having Hunter run through screens all game? push everything put away from the 3 pt line and make them beat you without taking 47 open 3s