Tell me again how Kansas had two "#1 picks" and did not win the title?

[boba]

We lost in the tournament without Embiid. It happens. We did win our 10th straight conference title, so saying that Kansas was not very good is a very dumb statement.

It's, it's, it's alive! Hoping you'd come back. Hope everything (health, wealth, stealth) are going OK. You need to show up more often if only to keep Fishy from punching the throats of some of our dimmer lights. You know Fishy has a soft spot for you, and he mellows out when you're around...

 

[Jerry1714]

Queue up all the wannabe NBA insiders telling you Embiid is the next Hakeem.

Queue up all the wannabe NBA insiders telling you Embiid is the next Thabeet.

Neither of them know.

 

[Jerry1714]

If you are an NBA scout and run into a big man with with foot problems in college, you run in the other direction.

By the way, the premise of the original post is correct. If a college team has two Top 5 picks and wasn't that good as a college team, either the rest of the team really, really sucked (it didn't), the team badly underachieved (maybe), or at least one of the 2 "Top 5" players is badly overrated (ding, ding, ding).

The 76ers may have pissed away two Top 5 draft picks in consecutive years. Nice work.

Or may have Duncan and Robinson. Nobody knows right now. No one.

They may have walked away with the 2 best players from the last 2 drafts without having the 1st pick in either.

 

[otp85]

The Big 12 was horrifically overrated this year, but they were still pretty good.

The Big 12 has been horrifically overrated since right after Durant/Beasley. It's Kansas, a rotating contender, a surprise and a few bubble or slightly better teams that don't particularly scare anyone. Plus usually 2 of the worst teams in major conferences, did TCU win a conference game?

If Mack Brown can resurrect Texas and The Mayor can keep it up at Iowa State then who knows? It always changes. The one certain is Kansas will always contend because that's just the way it is.

 

[dsturdy5]

Embiid would have been #1 w/o the foot injury right?

Sidenote, was the foot issue a smoke screen so he would drop to the Celtics or Lakers? He did not look happy when drafted by the Sixers.

Embiid's agent gave his medicals to Cleveland, Milwaukee, Philly, Boston, and LA. I don't think he was shocked to be going to philly.

 

[otp85]

Because Embiid is incredibly overated

Disagree. The strides he's made in the past 3 years alone are staggering. If he's healthy he's a game changer.

 

[beakumhawks]

The Big 12 has been horrifically overrated since right after Durant/Beasley. It's Kansas, a rotating contender, a surprise and a few bubble or slightly better teams that don't particularly scare anyone. Plus usually 2 of the worst teams in major conferences, did TCU win a conference game?

If Mack Brown can resurrect Texas and The Mayor can keep it up at Iowa State then who knows? It always changes. The one certain is Kansas will always contend because that's just the way it is.

And you saw the Big12 play just how much this year? Granted, TCU was gawdawful and Tech was not good at all, but 8 out of the ten teams in the league were pretty damn good, and a couple were better than bettter than pretty damn good. And anyone who doesn't think that Embiid is a player obviously never saw him play. When healthy the guy is amazingly good.

 

[Kitaman]

We lost in the tournament without Embiid. It happens. We did win our 10th straight conference title, so saying that Kansas was not very good is a very dumb statement.

I hear you. Injuries suck, especially to your star player(s). If we lost Bazz or even Boat we're not Champions.

In fact UConn received the benefit of timely opponent injuries on the road to our Championship.

 

[otp85]

And you saw the Big12 play just how much this year? Granted, TCU was gawdawful and Tech was not good at all, but 8 out of the ten teams in the league were pretty damn good, and a couple were better than bettter than pretty damn good. And anyone who doesn't think that Embiid is a player obviously never saw him play. When healthy the guy is amazingly good.

I watched the Big 12 play alot. Do you assume I only watch UCONN play? We aren't on all the time. Also, read the post right before yours, I am not knocking Embiid, I think if he can stay healthy he can very special.

That said, I still think the Big 12 was overrated, no disrespect to Kansas. Iowa St is scrappy and on the rise and I can say I was scared of then (contender). Texas over achieved but no one was scared of them(surprise). Kansas St was Marcus Foster and Ok St was Marcus Smart, Baylor was a collection of talent with no identity (few bubble teams). WVU was NOT GOOD they beat no one of worth until they got into their conference schedule, same for Oklahoma, who may have been the worst 20 win team I've ever seen. I'm not even gonna talk about TCU or Tech.

5 of 10 were good. Tops.

 

[60'sfan]

Embiid would have been #1 w/o the foot injury right?

Sidenote, was the foot issue a smoke screen so he would drop to the Celtics or Lakers? He did not look happy when drafted by the Sixers.

Because it is a team game. The most talented teams don't win unless they learn how to play together and are willing to sacrifice individual achievement for the good of the team. Uconn has had three NC's but arguably, only once did they have the most talented team. That was in 2004. Their most talented team lost to George Mason.

 

[B1GEast]

in 06 we had 4 nba draft picks and didn't win the title

 

[johnhuskies95]

And you saw the Big12 play just how much this year? Granted, TCU was gawdawful and Tech was not good at all, but 8 out of the ten teams in the league were pretty damn good, and a couple were better than bettter than pretty damn good. And anyone who doesn't think that Embiid is a player obviously never saw him play. When healthy the guy is amazingly good.

I'm not one who believes that the NCAA tourney is the end-all be-all, but it is pretty telling that the Big 12 didn't have a single team in the elite eight, and only two in the sweet 16. And that's after we had to hear all year about how good the conference is.

I'm not seeing the 8 "pretty damn good" teams.

 

[champs99and04]

I'm not one who believes that the NCAA tourney is the end-all be-all, but it is pretty telling that the Big 12 didn't have a single team in the elite eight, and only two in the sweet 16. And that's after we had to hear all year about how good the conference is.

I'm not seeing the 8 "pretty damn good" teams.

To be fair, the conferences two best teams (Kansas and Iowa State) lost crucial, if not irreplaceable players at the worst possible time. Those two were definitely capable of getting to the final four. Unfortunately, Iowa State lost Niang and then had to play the eventual champs in their back yard. I'll agree with you on the other teams - Texas and Oklahoma were both a year away, and Baylor and Oklahoma State were very underwhelming (particularly Oklahoma State). As a whole, it's tough to argue that it wasn't at the very least the second best conference last season top to bottom (behind the Big Ten).

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Embiid's numbers are underwhelming, and, as I said before, the number of big men who had long careers after developing foot problems is pretty short. In fact, while I am sure there are some, I can't think of any off the top of my head. Embiid is a 7' athlete with some athleticism, but nothing here justified a draft pick this high. And he has a back problem to boot.

And it wasn't like Kansas was dominant with both Wiggins and Embiid on the court together. They were a very good team, but there were a lot of very good players on the team in addition to those two. An Okafor or even a Thabeet, in their final year at UConn, would have lost 3-4 games with a supporting cast like the one Embiid had. Not 10.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't know how did UConn take a roster of NBA picks and lose to George Mason?

Because George Mason played really good like they did against every other good team they beat, they were on a run much like the one's we should know about!! Not so much for them in the FF when teams had a week to prep!…….held off great Husky rally and figured out a way. Couple of good bounces and their bigs played out of their collective as**es………happens!

 

[intlzncster]

Because it is a team game. The most talented teams don't win unless they learn how to play together and are willing to sacrifice individual achievement for the good of the team. Uconn has had three NC's but arguably, only once did they have the most talented team. That was in 2004. Their most talented team lost to George Mason.

People always say this, but, if everyone was playing at their best, I'd rather have had the talent from 2004 than 2006.

 

[intlzncster]

Embiid's numbers are underwhelming, and, as I said before, the number of big men who had long careers after developing foot problems is pretty short. In fact, while I am sure there are some, I can't think of any off the top of my head. Embiid is a 7' athlete with some athleticism, but nothing here justified a draft pick this high. And he has a back problem to boot.

And it wasn't like Kansas was dominant with both Wiggins and Embiid on the court together. They were a very good team, but there were a lot of very good players on the team in addition to those two. An Okafor or even a Thabeet, in their final year at UConn, would have lost 3-4 games with a supporting cast like the one Embiid had. Not 10.

But that IS juniors vs a freshman. Embiid as a junior would be a whole diff story. Especially since he'd redshirt this year.

No idea how he'll turn out health wise. The back injury was no big deal by itself, but the foot.... not so much. All his time off for this foot will heal that overuse back injury, but who knows how that foot will heal?

 

[Gurleyman]

People always say this, but, if everyone was playing at their best, I'd rather have had the talent from 2004 than 2006.

Yeah. And not even close. I'd say 1994, 1995, 2002, 2009 were all more talented as well (although 2002 was young). None of the talent in 2006 stuck in the NBA, besides Rudy.

I would also say that the 1999 team, even if arguably less talented, beats 2006 nine times out of ten. Ricky on Marcus? Game over.

 

[boog204]

Embiid's numbers are underwhelming.

11pts, 8reb, and 2.6 blk in 23 minutes is pretty damn good in my book. 64% from the floor, too. I think the guy has the potential to be a monster. The injuries are a huge red flag but if he stays healthy I see a young Olajuwon. That alone makes him worth the risk.

 

[Kitaman]

If Embid played at UConn he wouldn't get so much negative discussion. Drummond's numbers weren't that mind blowing either.

Just sayin.

 

[pj]

I watched the Big 12 play alot. Do you assume I only watch UCONN play? We aren't on all the time. Also, read the post right before yours, I am not knocking Embiid, I think if he can stay healthy he can very special.

That said, I still think the Big 12 was overrated, no disrespect to Kansas. Iowa St is scrappy and on the rise and I can say I was scared of then (contender). Texas over achieved but no one was scared of them(surprise). Kansas St was Marcus Foster and Ok St was Marcus Smart, Baylor was a collection of talent with no identity (few bubble teams). WVU was NOT GOOD they beat no one of worth until they got into their conference schedule, same for Oklahoma, who may have been the worst 20 win team I've ever seen. I'm not even gonna talk about TCU or Tech.

5 of 10 were good. Tops.

Maybe, but if Iowa State doesn't lose Georges Niang and Kansas doesn't lose Embiid, either team might have won the championship. Sagarin rated the B12 the #2 conference, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/sagarin/2014/conference/.

 

[pj]

The 76ers may have pissed away two Top 5 draft picks in consecutive years. Nice work.

When you're bad, that's the time to take a gamble on a high-risk high-upside player. If he doesn't work, you're back at the beginning of the lottery and all you've lost is one year, you are in the same position. If he works out, then you've gotten more than you could have had with a low-upside low-risk player.

 

[Gurleyman]

Maybe, but if Iowa State doesn't lose Georges Niang and Kansas doesn't lose Embiid, either team might have won the championship. Sagarin rated the B12 the #2 conference, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/sagarin/2014/conference/.

Neither team would have won the championship. Being healthy wouldn't have eliminated their biggest obstacle - they would have still had to play us eventually.