***Official '22/'23 Defending Natl' Champion KU Men’s Basketball Repository Thread***

[cmh6476]

The Team:

https://kuathletics.com/sports/mbball/roster/

The Schedule:

https://kuathletics.com/sports/mbball/schedule/

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

It really makes you appreciate what a miracle it was for Remy Martin to appear 80's movie style in the Big 12 tournament and give us exactly what we needed to take us over the top in the tourney last year.

It was pretty remarkable to just step in after basically two months on the shelf. But he had both the major talent and experience to make a huge difference. It was kind of like making a late season trade in the NBA.

If we're completely helpless against Oscar this weekend it'll make me think we'll have an expiration date in March to whoever has a competent big down low -- just haven't seen us have a true counter for that other than Dick being scalding hot from deep.

I don't believe we've done an extended look of Wilson at the 5 yet, gone completely small, and just jacked threes all game. Of course, with our depth, that would mean having to play Yesefu as well who has significant defensive shortcomings (Harris/Yesefu/Dick/McCullar/Wilson). It would also mean probably even worse rebounding (not that KJ Adams is any good at picking up defensive boards as it is). There's no perfect solution to that issue.

[KC_Connection]

Kenpom now projects the league champ to go 11-7 in the Big 12, and for it to be a four-way tie with TCU and Baylor just one game behind at 10-8.

The league is always good, but this top six is insane. Any of them could win it and I wouldn't be surprised.

— CJ Moore (@CJMooreHoops) January 24, 2023

[SithCeNtZ]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Harris is going to need to get whatever is going on with him figured out if we're going to start winning again. He was one of the best players in college basketball for the first two months and now he's awful.

I'm standing by my argument that his game is being exposed now that things aren't going as well. The fact that people had echoed your statement that he was one of the best players in all of basketball earlier in the year shows just how he gets over hyped due to everyone else doing better.

Here's an example to show what I mean. Heres three different games and you tell me which ones were in the first half of the season and which of the other is in our recent losing streak.

Game A: 6 points 9 assists 2 rebounds 2 turnovers 2 steals
Game B: 3 points 11 assists 2 rebounds 4 turnovers 2 steals
Game C: 5 points 7 assists 3 rebounds 4 turnovers 3 steals

Are any of these stat lines wildly different? Not really. Yet the narrative around them is vastly different. Game A is a blowout of Mizzou where everything was sunshine and rainbows, Game B is the Kstate game, where he certainly shoulders some of the loss, and game C is a miracle pettiford layup as time expires to give us the win which was deemed a "gritty win". Three of our biggest games of the year and 2 of those games he was "one of the best in the country" and the other is "what's wrong with Harris". But really the only difference is how his teammates played and who else came through.

The first 2 months we played 13 games. He scored 6 points or less in 8 of them (62%). In no world does someone scoring this little get the title of "one of the best in the game", but he gets a pass because we were winning and usually big so people could just write it off as him staying in his lane and doing exactly what he's told. Now that the competition has increased and we aren't blowing people out, suddenly it's "why isn't he scoring? So weird, must be the head injury". Except he's never scored this season. He has 3 games all year over 11 points. Except no one really noticed or cared when we were playing Texas southern.

But what about the turnovers, they say. Did you see those passes He just missed against TCU? Something's wrong. Head injury probably or fatigue. But the fact is he handles the ball a ton and it happens. 11 turnovers in the past three games is "Harris really isn't handling the ball well and that's hurting us so much". Yet this isn't his first time doing this, he did it in his amazing first half everyone talks about, having 11 turnovers in the battle for atlantis tournament, which was actually worse considering how little he played against Tennessee. He actually had that many in 25 fewer minutes of game action. But we went 2-1 and Tennessee was "just one of those days". So he gets a pass and people were comparing him to legendary KU point guards anyway.

I'm not here to say he sucks or anything, but he's honestly the Alex Smith of PGs. When he has talent that's executing and playing great defense and he can get highlight reel fast break passes and we get the win then he's awesome and everything is great. But when things aren't going well and you need your PG to absolutely pull one out and be the leader, that's not usually him. He's not Mason or Dotson or Collins and he's certainly not one of the best guards in the country as an all around player.

[Meatloaf]

Originally Posted by SithCeNtZ

I'm standing by my argument that his game is being exposed now that things aren't going as well. The fact that people had echoed your statement that he was one of the best players in all of basketball earlier in the year shows just how he gets over hyped due to everyone else doing better.

Here's an example to show what I mean. Heres three different games and you tell me which ones were in the first half of the season and which of the other is in our recent losing streak.

Game A: 6 points 9 assists 2 rebounds 2 turnovers 2 steals
Game B: 3 points 11 assists 2 rebounds 4 turnovers 2 steals
Game C: 5 points 7 assists 3 rebounds 4 turnovers 3 steals

Are any of these stat lines wildly different? Not really. Yet the narrative around them is vastly different. Game A is a blowout of Mizzou where everything was sunshine and rainbows, Game B is the Kstate game, where he certainly shoulders some of the loss, and game C is a miracle pettiford layup as time expires to give us the win which was deemed a "gritty win". Three of our biggest games of the year and 2 of those games he was "one of the best in the country" and the other is "what's wrong with Harris". But really the only difference is how his teammates played and who else came through.

The first 2 months we played 13 games. He scored 6 points or less in 8 of them (62%). In no world does someone scoring this little get the title of "one of the best in the game", but he gets a pass because we were winning and usually big so people could just write it off as him staying in his lane and doing exactly what he's told. Now that the competition has increased and we aren't blowing people out, suddenly it's "why isn't he scoring? So weird, must be the head injury". Except he's never scored this season. He has 3 games all year over 11 points. Except no one really noticed or cared when we were playing Texas southern.

But what about the turnovers, they say. Did you see those passes He just missed against TCU? Something's wrong. Head injury probably or fatigue. But the fact is he handles the ball a ton and it happens. 11 turnovers in the past three games is "Harris really isn't handling the ball well and that's hurting us so much". Yet this isn't his first time doing this, he did it in his amazing first half everyone talks about, having 11 turnovers in the battle for atlantis tournament, which was actually worse considering how little he played against Tennessee. He actually had that many in 25 fewer minutes of game action. But we went 2-1 and Tennessee was "just one of those days". So he gets a pass and people were comparing him to legendary KU point guards anyway.

I'm not here to say he sucks or anything, but he's honestly the Alex Smith of PGs. When he has talent that's executing and playing great defense and he can get highlight reel fast break passes and we get the win then he's awesome and everything is great. But when things aren't going well and you need your PG to absolutely pull one out and be the leader, that's not usually him. He's not Mason or Dotson or Collins and he's certainly not one of the best guards in the country as an all around player.

Really nice assessment, Sith, and you do make a good point. However, do you not feel that "something" is kinda off with him? I can't put my finger on it, but he just doesn't seem as assertive now as he was in prior games. Of course your take, that the guys around him ain't doing it, seems valid too. Hmmm.....

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Meh...We are in a funk. Every team in the B12 will hit one at some point this season. This is ours.

You don't hang banners in January and you don't lose sleep over loses in January.

[Prison Bitch]

“They’re so much better than us.”
- Bill Self pic.twitter.com/Os8ukweHyG

— Eric Steyer (@EricSteyer) January 24, 2023

[Mr_Tomahawk]

LOL

[farmerchief]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

It's too late to really develop Udeh on the fly in games of this kind of intensity and MJ Rice is an absolute disaster any time he touches the floor (he doesn't seem to know how to switch on defense and doesn't run the offensive plays properly). .

In my opinion, Udeh needs to be on the floor and should have been on the floor in all games earlier. KU needs a big in the middle and we dont have one, not on the floor anyway. He's got to play to gain the experience. Depends on what Coach Self wants. Does he want to scrap, and scratch, and play the guys hes been, in order to try and win the Big 12? Or does he want to give players like Udeh the experience to be able to help them in the Big Dance?

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

“They’re so much better than us.”
- Bill Self pic.twitter.com/Os8ukweHyG

— Eric Steyer (@EricSteyer) January 24, 2023

[kcjayhawks5]

Harris is definitely off since his hard fall against KSU in Manhattan. Maybe it started before then, though?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by SithCeNtZ

In no world does someone scoring this little get the title of "one of the best in the game", but he gets a pass because we were winning and usually big so people could just write it off as him staying in his lane and doing exactly what he's told.

Strongly disagree on this point. There are players that can make a massive impact on the game of basketball without scoring. Look at Draymond Green's HOF career for example. Harris has been one of those players at the college level, particularly the last two seasons.

And my recent criticism has nothing to do with his inability to score. Harris is never going to score very much no matter what he does. It has to do with his decision making (which is generally flawless) and his defense (which is elite). Both have dropped off the past few weeks to levels we haven't seen with him at KU.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by farmerchief

In my opinion, Udeh needs to be on the floor and should have been on the floor in all games earlier. KU needs a big in the middle and we dont have one, not on the floor anyway. He's got to play to gain the experience. Depends on what Coach Self wants. Does he want to scrap, and scratch, and play the guys hes been, in order to try and win the Big 12? Or does he want to give players like Udeh the experience to be able to help them in the Big Dance?

Well we know the answer to that is going to be try and win the B12 based on Self's track record.

The problem at this point is that if he plays Udeh for extended minutes we're going to lose literally all of these conference games. Udeh is a bad college player right now. Only more experience will change that, but that's probably going to have to come more next year.

[BWillie]

Of course Udeh and Rice are bad. They haven't been given adequate minutes early in the year. Some players learn by actually doing it. Some can learn in practice. It's always been one of Selfs weaknesses. He wants to win every single minute, every single second compared to playing a guy through mistakes. And now its too late. You have to play Adams way too many minutes and watch Yesefu throw up bricks.

[Prison Bitch]

Rupp is a tough environment, esp for a freshman. Dick needs to show balls

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Rupp is a tough environment, esp for a freshman. Dick needs to show balls

You've got a bunch of these cocked and loaded.