Quote:
Originally Posted by KC_Connection
I was wrong.
After a further deep dive into the strengths, weaknesses, and KenPom ratings of these two teams, there’s only one conclusion that can be drawn: KU is going to annihilate Arkansas.
On offense, the Razorbacks struggle significantly (73rd in offensive efficiency) while not being a particularly strong shooting (88th in eFG%) or free throw team (107th in FTA/FGA). While they have an accomplished veteran guard in Johnell Davis who led his Florida Atlantic team to a FF, KU has two of the best shut down defenders in the country in Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams who are literal national champions and one of the best shot blocking bigs in the country (Flory Bidunga, 16th in block rate) coming off the bench. KU has been an excellent defensive team all season (11th in defensive efficiency) and there is every reason to believe that they can limit the scoring of an injured Arkansas team in the absence of their best and most efficient interior scorer Adou Theiro.
On defense, while Arkansas is more known for its success in this area (18th in defensive efficiency) with one of the top shot blocking bigs in the country in Ivisic, he is nothing that the best offensive KU player in over a decade can’t handle. All-American Hunter Dickinson is an absolute force in the interior and forces teams consistently into double teams when he’s not torching opposing players in the post. If Calipari makes the same choice that many other coaches have, he’ll be giving up open threes to two of the best sharp shooting guards in the country in Zeke Mayo (41.3% from 3) and Diggy Coit (38.7% from 3) in addition to a FF-experienced wing in Rylan Griffen who rained threes down all tournament last year.
It is undeniable that KU was absolutely screwed by the committee this year with its seed but it is nothing that a team with this kind of talent can’t handle. This group took down the current betting favorite to win the entire tournament in Duke, beat another top 2 seed in MSU and had another championship favorite on the ropes after completely outplaying them all game in Houston. If this KU team plays at its top level, Arkansas will be no more than a gnat to them on the road to a historic Final Four run.
Ultimately, we are the ****ing Kansas Jayhawks. The best and winningest goddamn program in college basketball history. This is our time. Our moment. And nobody, especially not John Calipari and his flawed Arkansas team, is going to stand in the way of that.
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KU did not "completely outplay Houston in Houston."
They showed toughness, but Houston
absolutely destroyed them with 2nd chance shots and as a result took 26 more shots. That is a huge deal, and thats why they lost.
You're spot on with the KU pedigree, but this year's KU team is not of that elk.
Having said that, best of luck against Arkansas. Hope KU blows the Hogs out.