Who knows, but I doubt this very much. They play and practice so much in the NBA, it all becomes routine and the lights disappear. I think they care about size and talent. McLemore has both in droves.

Kansas opens -1.5 over Michigan

Hardaway just jacks shots. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't. The only thing you can really do is stop him from getting open ones and hope he goes cold. Burke, on the other hand, does pretty much everything for that team. He creates their entire offense. In my mind, if there was a MVP award in college basketball, he might be right at the top of it (Withey would be there too). If MU didn't have Burke and KU didn't have Withey, they would struggle to be top 20.

Withey's defense will be the most important part of the game...as it usually is for this team. If there's a team that can limit Burke's slashing and shot creation, it's this version of KU I think.

When you're dealing with teams this good at this stage of the tournament, the games are pretty close to 50/50 (although some are lucky enough to play teams like FGCU and La Salle).

As for McLemore, they should be able to get shots for McLemore against Michigan's D, He just needs to start making them like he can and I don't see any reason he wouldn't.

Tournament doesn't start until the second weekend. This tourney has so many storylines it's ridiculous.

Somebody should have told Gonzaga and Georgetown.

McLemore doesn't create his own shots. He hasn't all season. If he's struggling, it's generally because the team is struggling to get him shots. He isn't some Carmelo Anthony type freshman who can just take over and impact games in a huge way without help.

Although today I do have to say that he had several open ones and missed anyway...it was probably his worst game of the season.

Bet that goes down in the next few days. KenPom has Michigan winning by one point (51% winning percentage).

Can't believe ku isn't favored by 3. Mich didn't do much these past three weeks but beat VCu


Pomeroy isn't looking all that hot in this tourney as it is

KU got blown out by Baylor and nearly got beat by WKU in the last two weeks. They haven't exactly shown great consistency in their level of play.

Actually, eight of the system's top 10 are still in (as well as 11 of the top 15). So it's actually doing quite well by that standard.

my biggest fear of Michigan is Glenn Robinson has really played well in the tourney thus far...

but KU has shown up for almost every big game this year I don't expect that trend to suddenly stop now

McLemore needs to have a big game.

Right now Perry is more valuable to this team than Ben.

...weird.

LOL @ Withey's hair.

I fully recognize that. But I'm more confident we can handle Burke than Hardaway. Maybe he has done much more poorly in the games I haven't seen, but Hardaway can really light it up and demolish a team.

Sunday, March 24, 2013
Notebook: Bill Self says team ‘fortunate’ to have three-game NCAA win streak over UNC

By Gary Bedore


http://worldonline.media.clients.ell...6f48523261b548
Photo by Mike Yoder
Kansas coach Bill Self cheers from the sidelines in the second-half of the Jayhawks 70-58 win against North Carolina Sunday, March 24, 2013 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.





Kansas City, Mo. — Current Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self wasn’t gloating on Sunday after leading the Jayhawks to their third victory in as many tries against his predecessor Roy Williams’ North Carolina Tar Heels.


“We’ve been fortunate the three times we played them since I’ve been at KU,” Self said after a 70-58 victory in Sprint Center. A year ago, KU won, 80-67, in an Elite Eight battle in St. Louis. In 2008, KU prevailed, 84-66, in a Final Four semifinal in San Antonio.


“Last year was a coin-flip game that we made all the plays in the last four minutes. One-point game. We watched it today. Of course, we played great in 2008. Today was not one of those games.


“I don’t think it’s coach Williams at all,” Self added. “I think it would be anybody that’s on the other team, coaching the other team. When things don’t go well, you can’t allow other teams to play well. I thought that’s what happened tonight. Even though we played miserably the first half (in falling behind 30-21), I thought they could have played better, too. At least we kept ourselves within striking distance.”


Solid defense: KU senior Travis Releford held UNC’s Reggie Bullock to five points off 1-of-7 shooting.


“He did a great job on Bullock,” Self said. “The guy he’s checking who is right there as their leading scorer, gets five (points) and Travis gets 22. Of course he’s so steady and he’s a rock. He doesn’t get tired. He can play all day.”


Releford, who had 13 second-half points, hit KU’s first three-pointer of the NCAAs in a second-half opening 11-3 run that stretched to 29-8.


“I was wide open, stepped into it and took the shot,” Releford said of the bucket that cut the deficit to 30-26. “I wasn’t thinking, ‘We need the shot, need to make it.’ I was just focused on the game right then.”


Of Releford, KU center Jeff Withey said: “He put the team on his back tonight for sure. He played great defense. Offensively he was a stud.”


Next: KU will meet Michigan in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Dallas. “Michigan’s a great team, like North Carolina is a great team,” said freshman Perry Ellis, who scored three points with two boards in eight minutes. “It will be fun playing in the Sweet 16 for sure.”


KU’s Withey on falling behind, 30-21, at half: “We made some bonehead plays, especially me. I had six turnovers myself. A lot of that was just throwing it right to the defender. But second half, we kind of got a better feel for them, knew what they were going to do. We knew they were trying to gamble and trying to steal the ball every time. So we just played to that.”

Wesley hurts foot: KU junior forward Justin Wesley suffered a severely sprained right ankle at practice Saturday. He was on crutches and wore a boot on his foot while not suiting up for the game.
Self said there were no broken bones.


“X-rays were negative. We hope he’ll be able to participate in practice (this week) but there’s no timetable now,” Self said.


Self on experienced players helping the team advance: “I thought experience was important. I don’t think we demonstrated experience much during the first half. I thought our leadership wasn’t as good as what it should have been on the court. Second half, seemed like we communicated more, more energy. We came in the game ready to play. We came in the game playing with energy. We came in the game with the right mindset. But when things didn't go well, (it) kind of got away from us.
"Second half, after the game settled down, I just thought we got pretty good. Of course, the seniors were the huge reason why.”


This, that: KU has advanced to its 30th NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, including its sixth under head coach Bill Self. ... UNC leads the all-time series, 6-5. ... For the second straight game, and just the eighth time this season, KU trailed at the break. Kansas trailed 30-21, matching the Jayhawks’ largest halftime deficit of the season having trailed both Baylor and TCU by nine in road losses. It was the largest deficit overcome by KU this season as the Jayhawks evened the tally at 4-4 when behind at half. ... KU shot 25 percent (7-for-28) in the first half for its lowest field-goal percentage in a half in NCAA Tournament play. Kansas’ previous shooting low for a half was 28.6 percent in the second half against UCLA in the 1974 Final Four. ... KU had a season-high-tying 50 rebounds. The total was most in a regulation game this year, as KU had 50 boards in a double-overtime win at Oklahoma State. ... KU had a season-high 22 turnovers.


Individual notes: Travis Releford has 949 points in his career. ... Jeff Withey blocked five shots and topped his own KU single-season record set a year ago (140) with 141, while pushing his Big 12 and KU career record to 306 blocks. Withey’s blocks moved him past Duke’s Shelden Williams (39), Florida’s Joakim Noah (41) and Duke’s Shane Battier (42) into second place for career blocks in the NCAA Tournament at 43. Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan leads the all-time list with 50. Withey has blocked 11 shots in two games during this year’s tournament after setting the NCAA single tournament record with 31 a year ago.


http://www2.kusports.com/news/2013/m...ens_basketball

Don't tempt the flow....

In case this hasn't already been posted, here's what the seniors said in the locker room at halftime. This is why it is an advantage (all other things being equal) to have veteran leadership. I especially enjoyed seeing Withey's comments.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2013/m...ens_basketball

BTW, Bill Self got his 300th win at KU yesterday. That's an average of 30 wins a year. That is amazing. :thumb:

Only 10 short of UK all time now. What a year.

“Jeff motivated us going down the line saying, ‘This isn’t going to be our last game. He asked Ben (McLemore), ‘Is this going to be your last game?’


He probably said "No. That's why I'm gonna ride the pine the entire second half so we don't"

So who was the crying kid during the UNC game? Click here to find out:


http://www.news-leader.com/interacti...nclick_check=1

Bill was just being humble. He's got Ol' Roy's number.

You know what I am missing today...

ISU fans booing for bad calls

KSU fans telling the world that they are title town

MU fans telling the SEC that they are busting in with a championship tradition

Such a quiet day.

Eye on College BBall ‏@EyeOnCBB 20m
Florida, Marquette, Ohio State, Kansas: only teams to make S16 the past three years.

All I hear is the echo of a recently spoken Rock Chalk chant lingering in the wind.

FYP...Not all of us are yelling SEC.

I'm sure there is a lot of this. National radio today was talking about Iowa State getting jobbed on that Craft call.

Damn it feels good to be a Jayhawk fan.

http://proxy.storify.com/?url=http%3...ubCQAAV0sB.jpg

ROFL

Sam Mellinger: "KU aura gone, they're jsut not very good" (6 weeks ago)


http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/09...oks-a-lot.html

Nearly 10 years ago, the hunt for Bill Self was on
 

That was a crazy couple of weeks, probably more so for me because I was working at the KU newspaper when that whole thing went down. One Monday we lose to Syracuse, the next Monday Roy leaves (and you would have thought a terrorist plane hit downtown Lawrence; you couldn’t leave your house without hearing about it and feeling the sadness), the next Monday KU hires Self and he stutters through his introductory press conference. I never thought he would have been able to touch Roy’s winning percentage, but a lot of fans were upset because they were losing the style of play that they had gotten used to and took pride in. Props to KU’s staff for nailing that hire (even after Duke Vitale told him to pass on the job).

I remember being a bit concerned about Self's style and that we weren't going to run and gun like Roy's teams were so good at doing. I'm glad we ended up with Self. He is obviously a better overall coach.

Dickie V. can go DIAF!

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...sly-ran-by-roy

Line has moved to Kansas -2

It opened 3 or 3.5 in most books Wicked. It wasn't -1 at open. It has moved towards Michigan, not away.

No surprise. I'm thinking KU might stay a slight favorite due to the game being in Dallas.

Why would the location matter? Domes don't give anyone any advantage. Plus Michigan's fanbase nationally is much bigger than ours is. We do have some alums in Dallas but I think it's over-stated much of the time. I bet we have similar turnouts which doesn't matter anyway in that cavern.

I need some help.

I am wanting a KU win this Friday. But I still think Michigan wins.

Is there any reason NOT to believe Michigan beats KU?

No, no reason. Just skip the game, outcome already determined.

That's all I have to do?

Wow, thanks. Seems pretty simple.

Michigan struggles against teams with size. We have one of the best
big men in the country. We have a great defender with size. And our
defense has been pretty consistent this year.

And lastly, we have the best coach in the country.....

Not saying we win, but I like our chances.....

I wonder if we could go even bigger against Michigan and cause them some problems

Tharpe,Releford,Ellis,Young,Withey

Both Ellis and Young can defend against smaller guys.

Loving how many people think that Michigan is so much better than us.

If this game is lopsided, it will be because we kicked their ass, not the other way around.

Yeah, given 4+ days to prepare, I'll take Self over just about anyone. I haven't watched Michigan much, but I think it'll be a fun game. Michigan's kenpom adjusted defense is 41st, and UNC's is 44th.

Hopefully McLemore's response to being benched is similar to EJ's response to "this team doesn't have a point guard," but playing in the Jerry dome, I'm not holding my breath.

I never said it would be a blowout, or a lopsided win for Michigan.

Yep, I would not trade places with Michigan right now.

Michigan has simply has to travel further than KU to a place where they will likely have less fans than KU. The difference is pretty negligible, but I think it will be enough to keep KU a slight favorite.

I didn't say you did, nor was my comment directed towards you, or anyone on here for that matter

Been listening to the radio and reading stuff online. Funny how Michigan is a juggernaut all of a sudden that should have been the overall #1 and can't be stopped.

Michigan has been choking close games away all season. KU plays a lot of close games (and usually comes out on top of them). Is that enough?

We will be a slight favorite because we are 6-1 agasint top-50 teams while they are 8-6. That's the only discernible difference between the two teams this year. Everything else is dead even.

McGary's presence also means they can't pull Withey away from the basket, which means KU can play their brand of defense that impacts games so significantly. This isn't an ISU situation.

That helps a little bit.

How about that there's a myth that teams shoot worse in domes, a myth that could get in MU's shooters heads, thereby reducing the possibility they could beat us through threes. :)

I appreciate the help.

But, I always get like this once the S16 starts.

I think the hardest opponent for KU to play would be a great Defensive team such as Michigan State.

I have us beating them in the championship by 8....:p

I have Duke rolling them in the final four. Ryan Kelly is going to be the difference in that game. A big man who can shoot it outside is a huge zone buster, just behind a point guard that can drive and finish in traffic.

You mean rolling them in the next round Friday night.

No it opened -1.5

Still is on some sites...

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...013-03-29&pg=1

The line for Florida & Louisville games are betting games, they will be closer than that.

LOL....MuRON Bitch Slapped by HCBS....

Bill Self on Fox Sports Radio

Self was just on Fox Sports Radio. One of the hosts is a Mizzou grad and he goes (I'm paraphrasing) "it pains me to say this because Mizzou had a chance to hire you before you went to Kansas, but you have 300 wins at Kansas in 10 years... that averages out to 30 wins per year."

Self interrupts him and goes "Considering you're a Mizzou grad, I'm impressed you were able to figure that out."

You have to root for FGSU!!! What a story.

And by the way Brett Comer is from Kansas City Missouri!

Oh wow, that's amazing. Well played, Bill.
Posted via Mobile Device

Sure. I'll root for them to pull off some miracle against Florida. Provided Kansas beats Michigan, I'd much rather face them than the Gators.

Won't happen though.

Im on the FGCU bandwagon.. They are playing as good as anyone.

Kansas almost lost to Western Kentucky and Im sure FGCU is 10x better than WKU..

Good for you. Don't be surprised when Florida firebombs that bandwagon, though.

It's a nice story. Beating a perennially over-rated and under-coached G'Town squad and SD State is a good start, but Florida is a different kind of beast and FGCU is about to find that out.

And FGCU lost to Shit**** State in conference play, which means Shit**** State is possibly ten times better than KU!!!!

Get out of here with that garbage.

Its the tournament!! Anything can happen..

Thats what is so great about March Madness.

Anything can happen!!

Yeah, I guess.

Better buy your FGG gear and a ticket to Atlanta!!!

Final Four bound for sure!!!

That's not the point. KU can absolutely lose to FGCU. But rationalizing it by comparing the past two games played by both squads is a waste of time and complete idiocy.

anything can happen in the Tournament (yeah exept anyone but a 1 or 2 winning it all)

KU can lose to FGCU but then again they can lose to just about anyone.

*cough*TCU*cough*

but the can also beat anyone

UNC game was a pretty good example ... 1st half = stank ass/2nd half = rolling

It helped that Roy was too stubborn/stupid to press and trap.


tbh they didn't even play all that well in the 2nd half, the just shot decent.


Jayhawks will go as far as their shooting takes them.

anything can happen...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5hzgS9s-tE8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Realistically we probably only have about a 10% chance to win it all. Vegas is putting it closer to 8%

KUWBB has made it to the sweet 16 now in back to back years.

no1curr

pretty impressive considering they were double digit seeds both years.

I'm all for more programs at KU succeeding.

Nate Silver puts it at 4.5%. It's dropped since the start of the tournament with KU's poor play in the first game and the fact that Florida and Louisville rolling along (and with Florida getting to play FGCU).

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...cket.html?_r=0