Kansas Post Game Thread

[Marat]

Look at the games today. This is going to an interesting year. Purdue loses to NU. Marquette loses to Wisconsin. There are a few big name ACC teams struggling on the road. We may have lost but there is a chance we don’t drop much if at all. Of all the other loses and potential loses ours is the least harmful from a metrics (kenpom) standpoint.

Tells me this is another year without juggernauts. It's wide open, and so we have a shot to repeat.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Tells me this is another year without juggernauts. It's wide open, and so we have a shot to repeat.

Oh yes we have a shot to repeat.

 

[HooperScooper]

You type like a 12-year-old.

Spells Tristen like one too.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I wonder if Solo Ball could drive more. I had the sense he could easily take his guy but it's also clear they don't trust him to do that.

The way to loosen up the tough D is to have your 4th and 5th guys take that space. Maybe Dickinson inside prevents that from happening, but Diarra was very willing to take him on, Ball much less so.

Anyway, I want to know if this kid can drive.

Agreed but Kansas isn’t the game to start doing this. UNC probably isn’t either.

Next cupcake we play he needs to get reps taking it to the rim more though.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I don’t get this argument, how does losing a big game on the road pay off over time? Did losing at creighton or at Marquette prepare us for the tournament last year? We won cuz we got on a roll and got out of the BE BS

How does playing any game make you better?! You gain experience and learn to perform against a variety of competition, defenses, in hostile environments. Every game you play makes you better. I think most players & coaches would agree that losing is worse than winning is good. The benefit of that is the lessons from a loss are kind of 'seared' into your learning & motivation going forward, specifically:
1. 1st road game in toughest road arena in country - obviously this pays dividends on BE road games coming, nothing will be as loud as Allen Field House. Win or lose this pays off over time.
2. Kansas' switch everything D: Helps team prepare for other athletic defensive units, prob will see none tougher than Kansas, yet it is a learning experience to see your offensive sets fail and know that you need to execute everything about it even more crisply, cut harder, passes sharper, picks stronger, spacing important etc.
3. Last shot execution: Teams practice this all the time, but nothing like a game on the line situation to see where the rubber meets the road. Team may have learned they collectively want/need/must get the ball to hot hand or I bet Cam steps into his shot more aggressively if he gets a game similar opportunity down the road. Experiences taking big shots make or miss help down players down the line to make it when given another opportunity.

 

[navery12]

All of your questions that you presented here have gone through my mind and yes I’m doubling down on my suggestion. I think it may have worked. I am not saying for sure I personally would have liked to see him experiment with it. I am aware he just won a national championship. Doesn’t mean I have to worship every game decision he makes as all perfect.

Let’s not over complicate this. All I’m saying is try the freshman in a big game where a starter is clearly injured. That’s it. Nothing more and nothing less. We can agree to disagree.

There's been a lot of crazy ideas and takes thrown out in this thread but this is just so far above and beyond. Yes, let's just throw out the freshman who have barely even been able to see the floor against cupcakes successfully, and hope they can suddenly perform on the road against a top 5 Kansas team. This place never gets old

 

[ctchamps]

'Castle would have enabled Clingan and Samson under the hoop. I've never seen the paint abandoned for so long.

Without Castle we had three ball handlers - Tristen, Cam and Hassan. Apparently Cam started the game with reduced mobility and early in the Kansas run at the start of the game he sustained a second injury. That took him out of (or significantly reduced) his ability to be a ball handler. We couldn't afford to put Hassan in a lot with Tristen because he was needed as a backup to rest Tristen or in case Tristen got in foul trouble.

So knowing Castle isn't playing, Cam had an injury and the style of defense Kansas runs Hurley and the coaches game planned the bigs to set screens on the perimeter to help our playmakers and shooters get free.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

View attachment 93596

I haven't had a chance to put in my two cents. I was proud of our boys. Some of you correctly pointed out that this game would be tough for Alex, and it was. Alex is not ready to see an 'Adams' type of athlete' each and every game. And that is okay. I believe that he will get there in time. But he competed his ass off on Friday night. He did not back down, and that makes me proud. Clingan fought hard. He was the alpha center on Friday night. He needs to work on his back to the basket game. As of right now, my take is that both of these guys could use another year in college. Tristan is awesome. Ball competes. Spenser is a baller. But where was the bench? Our team is very thin if we have an 8 man rotation. Let's go get NC tomorrow!

 

[JohnnyJr]

How does playing any game make you better?! You gain experience and learn to perform against a variety of competition, defenses, in hostile environments. Every game you play makes you better. I think most players & coaches would agree that losing is worse than winning is good. The benefit of that is the lessons from a loss are kind of 'seared' into your learning & motivation going forward, specifically:
1. 1st road game in toughest road arena in country - obviously this pays dividends on BE road games coming, nothing will be as loud as Allen Field House. Win or lose this pays off over time.
2. Kansas' switch everything D: Helps team prepare for other athletic defensive units, prob will see none tougher than Kansas, yet it is a learning experience to see your offensive sets fail and know that you need to execute everything about it even more crisply, cut harder, passes sharper, picks stronger, spacing important etc.
3. Last shot execution: Teams practice this all the time, but nothing like a game on the line situation to see where the rubber meets the road. Team may have learned they collectively want/need/must get the ball to hot hand or I bet Cam steps into his shot more aggressively if he gets a game similar opportunity down the road. Experiences taking big shots make or miss help down players down the line to make it when given another opportunity.

We could have learned those lessons winning the game as well. We had a chance at the end but that also took a heroic performance from Newton as well as a bunch of buzzer beaters to get there. Some people seem to be making the argument that you learn more from losing and I don’t buy that.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

There's been a lot of crazy ideas and takes thrown out in this thread but this is just so far above and beyond. Yes, let's just throw out the freshman who have barely even been able to see the floor against cupcakes successfully, and hope they can suddenly perform on the road against a top 5 Kansas team. This place never gets old

Seeing as Cam was on a bad ankle that could’ve hurt him on defense, Ross may have been good here and there for minutes to help out on that end.

In Craig Austrie’s first ever big game as freshman, he was forced to start and did this on one of our most stacked rosters ever.

Connecticut vs. Arizona Box Score (Men), November 22, 2005 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Connecticut vs. Arizona Box Score (Men), November 22, 2005

www.sports-reference.com

Just to show it’s possible and you don’t have to be a super talent either.

 

[SeattleHoop]

There's been a lot of crazy ideas and takes thrown out in this thread but this is just so far above and beyond. Yes, let's just throw out the freshman who have barely even been able to see the floor against cupcakes successfully, and hope they can suddenly perform on the road against a top 5 Kansas team. This place never gets old

The idea that throwing in one or two Top 100 freshman in a game for couple of minutes, and when we are expected to lose anyway with two starters injured, isn’t crazy at all.

I remember a certain coach who used to do this all the time, especially when his starters weren’t playing up to par, what was his name?
I think he might be in the hall of fame actually.

 

[navery12]

Seeing as Cam was on a bad ankle that could’ve hurt him on defense, Ross may have been good here and there for minutes to help out on that end.

In Craig Austrie’s first ever big game as freshman, he was forced to start and did this on one of our most stacked rosters ever.

Connecticut vs. Arizona Box Score (Men), November 22, 2005 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Connecticut vs. Arizona Box Score (Men), November 22, 2005

www.sports-reference.com

Just to show it’s possible and you don’t have to be a super talent either.

Now go look at Craig Austrie's previous 2 games and you'll see why that comparison is meaningless. He was already playing big minutes, and contributing

 

[HuskyHawk]

There's been a lot of crazy ideas and takes thrown out in this thread but this is just so far above and beyond. Yes, let's just throw out the freshman who have barely even been able to see the floor against cupcakes successfully, and hope they can suddenly perform on the road against a top 5 Kansas team. This place never gets old

I agree. No sense second guessing this one. Cam was right in front of me on the shot he missed. Good, clean look from our best shooter and it would have won the game.

 

[SeattleHoop]

There's been a lot of crazy ideas and takes thrown out in this thread but this is just so far above and beyond. Yes, let's just throw out the freshman who have barely even been able to see the floor against cupcakes successfully, and hope they can suddenly perform on the road against a top 5 Kansas team. This place never gets old

Also, would love to see if you come back on here and call my idea crazy if and after Stewey gets a couple minutes vs UNC tomorrow.

 

[SeattleHoop]

I agree. No sense second guessing this one. Cam was right in front of me on the shot he missed. Good, clean look from our best shooter and it would have won the game.

Okay, so who in here said anything about Cam not taking the last shot or not being in during crunch time? It’s interesting how an idea is conflated into another idea of something that is completely unrelated on this board.

 

[CL82]

What is that guy doing behind Murray?

When you're a high major men's basketball assistant you don't have time to schedule prostate exams. Got to squeeze them in when and where you can.

 

[CL82]

It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that we will be in the NCAA tournament this upcoming March

 

[superjohn]

We could have learned those lessons winning the game as well. We had a chance at the end but that also took a heroic performance from Newton as well as a bunch of buzzer beaters to get there. Some people seem to be making the argument that you learn more from losing and I don’t buy that.

You realize we were down Castle, Spencer was playing on a bad wheel, the game was at Kansas and they shot 64% from three to our 39%?

Everything favored Kansas in that game and we still had a clean look for the win. Anyone paying attention can tell who is the better team with more upside if both are healthy.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Okay, so who in here said anything about Cam not taking the last shot or not being in during crunch time? It’s interesting how an idea is conflated into another idea of something that is completely unrelated on this board.

You are second guessing the decisions that lead to that moment. Maybe we play Stewart and McCullar just completely owns him and we're down 7 at that point.

As for tonight tomorrow, given that Cam may be injured and Castle may or may not play, Stewart could possibly start. But that's irrelevant to what happened on Friday.

 

[superjohn]

You are second guessing the decisions that lead to that moment. Maybe we play Steward and McCullar just completely owns him and we're down 7 at that point.

As for tonight, given that Cam may be injured and Castle may or may not play, Stewart could possibly start. But that's irrelevant to what happened on Friday.

Tomorrow night. Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.

 

[navery12]

Also, would love to see if you come back on here and call my idea crazy if and after Stewey gets a couple minutes vs UNC tomorrow.

Yes, still crazy. Stewart should get minutes tomorrow, and I expect him to be in the rotation all year. But the margin of error in a game on the road against a top 5 Kansas team is razor thin. Especially when you're already down double digits and trying to cut into the lead. All it takes is 2 minutes to have their deficit balloon and cost you the game

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Now go look at Craig Austrie's previous 2 games and you'll see why that comparison is meaningless. He was already playing big minutes, and contributing

Should’ve probably did more of that during the cupcakes to prepare. Was kind of surprised we didn’t see either Stewart or Ross come in to give Karaban a blow.

 

[JohnnyJr]

You realize we were down Castle, Spencer was playing on a bad wheel, the game was at Kansas and they shot 64% from three to our 39%?

Everything favored Kansas in that game and we still had a clean look for the win. Anyone paying attention can tell who is the better team with more upside if both are healthy.

We definitely have more upside and it would have been a different game with Castle. We had things go our way and go against us, I still wish we came out with a win. Our 3 point defense has been an issue it’s not just one game.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Tomorrow night. Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

The idea that throwing in one or two Top 100 freshman in a game for couple of minutes, and when we are expected to lose anyway with two starters injured, isn’t crazy at all.

I remember a certain coach who used to do this all the time, especially when his starters weren’t playing up to par, what was his name?
I think he might be in the hall of fame actually.

I’m not going to ruin this thread over it. But yeah it’s bizarre to me how we can’t find better ways to utilize some of these talented young guys we have.

Especially those two who are at a position of need.