It was and is not to our advantage and it was exactly what Arkansas was hoping to do. The refs ended up calling only 2 less fouls on KU (23 to 25) than Arkansas (despite us being a team that fouls WAY less than Arkansas on the season and definitely less than Arkansas yesterday). This is generally how refs maintain the game at this level, though, they try to keep the totals equal regardless of what may actually be happening on the floor.

It ultimately led to our only two playable bigs having to be put on the bench for a significant stretch of the 2nd half and resulted in an 11-0 run against KU that the team never recovered from.

Foul trouble was always going to be the thing that likely ended this season with our depth (see losses against Tenn and KSU this year where it happened) and we were unfortunately “drawn” against a team whose entire strategy is to pull another team into a war of fouling attrition.

Players are going to miss foul shots. We shot at exactly our season average yesterday of 72% yesterday so that can’t exactly be a source of complaint.

There was also nothing wrong with going for quick 2 in that spot to extend the game either. Wilson just took too long to get a shot off.

My problem with it is that it wasn’t a quick 2. He essentially ended the game by having a really poor internal clock on that one.

Sucks to see a great player go out like that.

I knew we weren't going far without Self, really hoping he's back but wouldn't blame him if he decided to move on and chillax from here on out.

Wilson did not do a good job managing it, no. Strategically I had no issue not taking a 3 though. At this level, so much can happen if you get a quick 2.

It was fun to talk Hawks with you all this year. Still a very fun team and season, just a crap ass ending.

Thinking about that 11-0 stretch again, Norm probably should have just played Udeh during the middle of it and taken his chances. It’s not like you can play both KJ and Udeh down the stretch anyway.

That was probably a mistake to just watch the team fall apart with Zuby out there and not do anything until after it was over but I do get his inclination. The way they were calling that game, Udeh would have likely fouled out within a minute of entering it. Basically any screen set or movement with his arms was a foul yesterday.

We do need to fire the Screens Coach btw

Going small in that situation (Wilson at the 5) may also have been something Self would have considered too. He hadn’t done it this year other than one time that I recall, but drastic situations call for irregular solutions sometimes.

Unfortunately we will never know.

His Triangle and 2 that he surprised UNC with in 2012 may have been effective.

Put Harris/McCullar on Council/Davis. Dare someone else to shoot and have 3 guys around the basket for the board.

Yeah, Self has a history of just pulling weird adjustments out in big games that can **** with a team just enough to make a small difference. Oh well.

Self is very much an Andy Reid level coach. He has a thousand things that he works on all year and never uses until he needs it.

Kinda like some of the trick plays around the goal line that lead to wide open TDs. You can’t make an entire offense out of it, but getting a freebie here or there can be the difference in a close game.

Missing a front end is going 0-2. So add two extra misses to get our “effective” FT percentage

I knew Kansas was gonna lose when they called that 10 second violation on Harris.

The announcers did a good job saying what I was thinking, that under 20 you don’t have a good case not to get a 3. With 16 left, it’ll take at least 4 seconds to get a bucket, best case. As in: you can make a move to the basket and have a direct line.


Best case it’s 12 left, worst case is 8 which is what we got. And you ARENT even guaranteed to get a two anyway. They made Jalen earn it at the stripe.


TLDR: three to tie, vs quick bucket + foul + miss FT (at least one) + score again. My gawd which one is more likely????