Kansas Crimson

the 7 man rotation we are going to trot out tonight won't beat any BIG 12 opponent. so i think it's most likely we take a beatdown. and i get to bed at a decent hour.

If we do manage to get by Cincy, we will get smashed by Baylor ( randy would use this game as an example of a loosing record in one season vs Baylor for years! ) but I think we just barely hang on to our 4 seed.

Loose tonight?
We will be an extremely popular 5 v 12 upset.

I think we win tonight. Not looking forward to Baylor.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:41 am If we do manage to get by Cincy, we will get smashed by Baylor ( randy would use this game as an example of a loosing record in one season vs Baylor for years! ) but I think we just barely hang on to our 4 seed.

Loose tonight?
We will be an extremely popular 5 v 12 upset.

We also don't really know about Hunter and, to a lesser extent, Kevin. It is sure seeming like this will be the fifth lost year in the last six (obviously those five are NOT created equal).

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:29 am More likely to happen....DH scores 20 or Elmarko scores 20?

I'd be happy with them combining for 20. Let's be realistic here lol

Don’t expect much with two top players out on the mend. Waiting for the Big Dance.

The problem with what Self implied earlier this season, that you only need to be at your best when it matters, is that he's putting all the eggs in the NCAA Tournament basket.

Very risky Bill.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:55 am The problem with what Self implied earlier this season, that you only need to be at your best when it matters, is that he's putting all the eggs in the NCAA Tournament basket.

Very risky Bill.

But...what other basket is there?

i think we all know how this season is going to end.

The basket we won 14 times in a row.

A special performance this week without HD and KM would be encouraging. Underdog role can be a good thing for guys who have been struggling. Elmarko and Timberlake in particular. Play with some freedom, but not at the expense of focus.

Let's win 4 games for the fun of it. That's the point of sports. Well, it used to be.

"the regular season is not important"

is what you say when you are struggling. if we were in the hunt, the regular season would have been important.

If i'm Bill tonight, i'm running a tight 2-3 zone and just daring Cincy to shoot out of it.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:04 pm If i'm Bill tonight, i'm running a tight 2-3 zone and just daring Cincy to shoot out of it.

Not a bad idea in theory. Although I am not sure anyone other than Kj and DH will know how to play it....but, it's not exactly like those players thrive in man either.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:00 pm The basket we won 14 times in a row.

I guess I don't get the complaint. We rode our guys to death, clearly to do as best as we could in the regular season. That ship sailed, and I don't think there's anything at all that could be achieved this week that would justify running Hunter and Kevin out there.

If you take the things Self has said a few times this season ( don't sweat the small stuff basically ) at face value ( and I'm not so sure I do -- I think he is still extremely competitive for every game, regular season or post ) then you'd think Self doesn't really care that much that we finished as the 6th seed.

None of this regular season matters - it's just getting to the tournament and performing.

But, regarding what he did this year ( and contradicting the general take on all eggs in NCAA basket ), I actually agree that Self wanted to be great every single game despite his comments ( I don't take his comments at face )...but also think that running a more lax ship in the regular season, i.e. moving practices bc players need to make some bank, will ( has? ) come back to bite you.

( punting the B12 tournament makes sense; If Kevin can play but would benefit from a week rest, by all means, Tommy Townsend that bitch )

TLDR:
Bill Self is lying when he says the regular season/conference title doesn't matter as much.
It still matters a lot to him.
And yes, he rode his guys as best he could, they just weren't talented/motivated enough, and broke apart come end of season.

pdub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:38 pm If you take the things Self has said a few times this season ( don't sweat the small stuff basically ) at face value ( and I'm not so sure I do -- I think he is still extremely competitive for every game, regular season or post ) then you'd think Self doesn't really care that much that we finished as the 6th seed.

None of this regular season matters - it's just getting to the tournament and performing.

But, regarding what he did this year ( and contradicting the general take on all eggs in NCAA basket ), I actually agree that Self wanted to be great every single game despite his comments ( I don't take his comments at face )...but also think that running a more lax ship in the regular season, i.e. moving practices bc players need to make some bank, will ( has? ) come back to bite you.

I think it's a stretch (to put it lightly) to say that changing a few practice times is what's responsible for our record.

If anything, Self clearly did sell out for the regular season. Coulda pushed Elmarko and Jamari more, coulda rested Hunter more (what exactly was he doing out there Saturday anyway?), other things. Pretty much the only thing Bill didn't do was pull Clemence's shirt.

I'm not mad at it - Elmarko's and Jamari's play did not warrant more clock (Elmarko's play didn't warrant as much as he got, even), Hunter's injury was pretty fluky.

This was an unproven team coming into the year despite the #1 ranking. Our play (and coaching tbh) seemed to reflect a team that thought they had made it and didn't have to earn it like all the other great teams usually have to do.

Too much reading about how they were #1 even though they hadn't won a game together yet.

Bill Self is 61 years old.
Bill Self has a heart condition.
Bill Self is a wealthy man.
My guess is Bill put life in perspective this season.
Of course he wanted to go undefeated before the season started. Of course if that didn’t happen he wanted to win the Big 12 and win the National Championship.
Shit happens. Fortunately life goes on.
My guess is he still loves his job and he’s not quite ready to start walking away and live the next chapter/s in his life but I would be shocked if he hasn’t thought about what he’s achieved and accomplished and questions what else is there in regards to cementing his legacy.

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:49 pm This was an unproven team coming into the year despite the #1 ranking. Our play (and coaching tbh) seemed to reflect a team that thought they had made it and didn't have to earn it like all the other great teams usually have to do.

Too much reading about how they were #1 even though they hadn't won a game together yet.

I think it assumed many things that didn't come to pass:

* Arterio's loss wasn't going to hurt
* Jackson was going to be ready to contribute
* Dajuan would improve
* KJ would improve
* Dajuan and Hunter would make sweet P&R music
* Timberlake was going to contribute

Unfortunately lot of those things were interrelated, and so when they failed, it mattered. A lot.