Other Sports Whitlock: KU sucks

Mr. Krab · 03-23-2009, 08:58 AM

JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY

KU ready to beat Michigan State? I don’t think so

MINNEAPOLIS | It would be a shame if Kansas basketball players and their relatively small contingent of traveling fans left the Metrodome believing the Jayhawks proved this weekend they’re ready for a rematch against Michigan State.

“Sadly mistaken” doesn’t do justice to how little the Hawks demonstrated in advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen with victories over North Dakota State and Dayton.

We already established that Friday’s 10-point victory over the Bison was a product of a ridiculous strategic error by North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips.

Sunday’s 60-43 laugher over the Dayton Flyers simply confirmed what I’ve always believed about the unfairness of the Big Dance. Thanks to a flawed seeding process and a horrendous, first-round performance by Bob Huggins’ West Virginia Mountaineers, the third-seeded Jayhawks were blessed with the privilege of playing the most unskilled team left in the tournament.

Honestly, I played on and coached better-shooting intramural teams in college than the 2008-09 Dayton Flyers.

Dayton, the runner-up in the Atlantic 10, might be on par with Colorado, the last-place team in the Big 12. Yes, in November Dayton beat Auburn and Marquette on back-to-back nights. November is college basketball’s exhibition season. The results shouldn’t count.

I’ve never seen anything as pathetic as Dayton’s offense. On Saturday, I spent much of the afternoon wondering how Chris Wright, a big-time recruit, landed at Dayton. Sunday he provided an answer. He can’t finish at the rim, in the paint or on the perimeter. He’s Kansas State’s Dominique Sutton without the defensive intensity.

Wright is so raw that a vegan would put him in the microwave.
The Flyers shot 22 percent from the field.

Yeah, you can delude yourself into thinking Kansas played amazing defense. Not true. The Flyers hurled themselves into the lane and threw up shots into the outstretched arms of Cole Aldrich, who recorded what is believed to be the third triple-double in Kansas history.

Young McHale scored 13 points, snagged 20 rebounds and rejected 10 shots. I love Young McHale. If he stays in college four years, he’ll likely be one of the 10 best players in Kansas history and have a chance to be a Young Bill Walton, the last great white NBA center.

After offering that bit of context, let me say emphatically that Aldrich’s triple-double on Sunday was the least impressive I’ve had the pleasure to witness. The Flyers missed so many damn shots that $weet Lew Perkins was credited with five boards. Every time Wright sailed into the lane he gently placed the ball in Aldrich’s hands. Some of Aldrich’s blocks should have been scored as steals.

The truth is Kansas played poorly on Sunday. Oh, the Cole and Collins Show performed to rave reviews. Sherron Collins knocked down 11 of 19 shots, scored 25 points, snatched seven rebounds and avoided a turnover. Mario Little turned in an efficient 16 minutes, hitting three of four shots and hauling in six boards.

The rest of the Hawks were worthless.

Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed missed eight of their nine three-point attempts. Tyshawn Taylor was a turnover machine (six). The Morris Twins combined for two points and five rebounds in 31 minutes.

The Jayhawks turned the ball over 17 times, missed half of their 22 free-throw attempts and 13 of 16 three-point shots.

Dayton is the only team that played on Sunday that would have lost to Kansas.

The Cole and Collins Show won’t beat Michigan State on Friday.
The second-seeded Spartans, who spanked Kansas in January, looked like a national-title threat on Sunday in their close victory over a highly skilled Southern California squad. Michigan State looks better when it plays outside the Big Ten — all the Big Ten teams do. The style of play in the conference is so physical that the teams beat each other up and look bad doing it.

Against USC, an unfamiliar opponent, the Spartans appeared athletic, smooth and tough. They looked a lot better than Kansas.
So did the Missouri Tigers, who slipped past Marquette in the West Regional.

Are you getting the picture?

Good teams were tested this weekend and passed those tests. The Jayhawks have yet to be pushed.

There’s no reason for the Jayhawks or their fans to get cocky. There’s no reason to believe the Hawks can beat Michigan State.

blaise · 03-23-2009, 09:05 AM

I thought it was a bit hyperbolic when Bob Davis said, during the Dayton game: I can state, without hyperbole, that KU would beat the original Dream Team 400-16.

Spicy McHaggis · 03-23-2009, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaise

I thought it was a bit hyperbolic when Bob Davis said, during the Dayton game: I can state, without hyperbole, that KU would beat the original Dream Team 400-16.

The 16 would come with the walk-ons on the floor.

Sully · 03-23-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaise

I thought it was a bit hyperbolic when Bob Davis said, during the Dayton game: I can state, without hyperbole, that KU would beat the original Dream Team 400-16.

Friday I was listening to the broadcast, and he said,
"Sherron Collins is literally carrying the Jayhawks right now."

I nearly exploded a blood vessel.

jidar · 03-23-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully

Friday I was listening to the broadcast, and he said,
"Sherron Collins is literally carrying the Jayhawks right now."

I nearly exploded a blood vessel.

literally
I knew he was strong, but damn

**petegz28** · 03-23-2009, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaise

I thought it was a bit hyperbolic when Bob Davis said, during the Dayton game: I can state, without hyperbole, that KU would beat the original Dream Team 400-16.

WHAT? He seriously said that?

**gblowfish** · 03-23-2009, 09:08 AM

The only thing Fatlock is starving for is attention.

**Lzen** · 03-23-2009, 09:11 AM

Morningstar has two jobs. Play good defense and make 3 pointers. He failed yesterday. I counted at least 3 or 4 wide open treys that he bricked. He played like crap yesterday.

Reed missed a couple treys but also made one and he did well in other areas such as boxing out and FTs. So, I would give him a pass.

In the end, it all comes down to this. KU did what they had to do. Survive and advance. This column makes some good points but is a little over the top. I'll bet Whitlock is just trying to fire up the players that didn't play well.

DaWolf · 03-23-2009, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

In the end, it all comes down to this. KU did what they had to do. Survive and advance. This column makes some good points but is a little over the top. I'll bet Whitlock is just trying to fire up the players that didn't play well.

It's like last year, KU plays well enough to lose against Davidson, survives, and then spanks NC the next week. You never know what team is going to show up in the tourney. Most teams that win the title have at least one tourney game that they struggle in. Now let's hope that KU brings their A game against Michigan State, because that's no easy task.

But end of the day, this only goes to show what a great coach Bill Self is. This Kansas team under most other coaches probably would not have won the Big XII and made the Sweet 16...

**Buehler445** · 03-23-2009, 09:14 AM

What a dumbass article. First the stratigic FAIL as on KUs part, not NDSU by not throwing the ball to Aldrich every time, no matter what.

Second, pretty much all he siad is that KU had a bad game and Dayton sucks. I think any rational fan would admit as much.

Will they lose Friday? I'm thinking so. I said as much the first time I saw the bracket. But to say that KU doesn't deserve to be on the same floorr as MSU is a reach. Unless all he's saying is that they weren't really tested. If that's the point, so ****ing what?
Posted via Mobile Device

CoMoChief · 03-23-2009, 09:14 AM

The Dayton game was boring outside Cole and Sherron's game, KU's role players didn't play well. That game should have been a 30+ pt blowout as horrible shooting team Dayton was. There are a lot of teams that would have lost to NDSU that day. They shot well.

This is no surprise though, Whitlock loves to bash Kansas this time of year.

Spicy McHaggis · 03-23-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

The Dayton game was boring outside Cole and Sherron's game, KU's role players didn't play well. That game should have been a 30+ pt blowout as horrible shooting team Dayton was. There are a lot of teams that would have lost to NDSU that day. They shot well.

This is no surprise though, Whitlock loves to bash Kansas this time of year.

So on the other side of the coin one could say that KU is capable of winning in the tournament without assistance from their role players because they have two great players in Collins and Aldrich.

It's all how you spin it.

CoMoChief · 03-23-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spicy McHaggis

So on the other side of the coin one could say that KU is capable of winning in the tournament without assistance from their role players because they have two great players in Collins and Aldrich.

It's all how you spin it.

This is an attention whore article. Nothing more. He writes this shit this time of year to piss people off.

Rooster · 03-23-2009, 09:14 AM

Blah Blah Blah Please look at Whitlock Blah Blah Blah

Messier · 03-23-2009, 09:19 AM

I was going to bash Whitlock but this is just his thing. He knows things like this will anger KU fans, he counts on it, and he wants to sit back and read his angry e-mails and laugh.

03-23-2009, 08:58 AM	Topic Starter
Mr. Krab Big Red Nuts Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $10004900	Whitlock: KU sucks JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY KU ready to beat Michigan State? I don’t think so MINNEAPOLIS \| It would be a shame if Kansas basketball players and their relatively small contingent of traveling fans left the Metrodome believing the Jayhawks proved this weekend they’re ready for a rematch against Michigan State. “Sadly mistaken” doesn’t do justice to how little the Hawks demonstrated in advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen with victories over North Dakota State and Dayton. We already established that Friday’s 10-point victory over the Bison was a product of a ridiculous strategic error by North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips. Sunday’s 60-43 laugher over the Dayton Flyers simply confirmed what I’ve always believed about the unfairness of the Big Dance. Thanks to a flawed seeding process and a horrendous, first-round performance by Bob Huggins’ West Virginia Mountaineers, the third-seeded Jayhawks were blessed with the privilege of playing the most unskilled team left in the tournament. Honestly, I played on and coached better-shooting intramural teams in college than the 2008-09 Dayton Flyers. Dayton, the runner-up in the Atlantic 10, might be on par with Colorado, the last-place team in the Big 12. Yes, in November Dayton beat Auburn and Marquette on back-to-back nights. November is college basketball’s exhibition season. The results shouldn’t count. I’ve never seen anything as pathetic as Dayton’s offense. On Saturday, I spent much of the afternoon wondering how Chris Wright, a big-time recruit, landed at Dayton. Sunday he provided an answer. He can’t finish at the rim, in the paint or on the perimeter. He’s Kansas State’s Dominique Sutton without the defensive intensity. Wright is so raw that a vegan would put him in the microwave. The Flyers shot 22 percent from the field. Yeah, you can delude yourself into thinking Kansas played amazing defense. Not true. The Flyers hurled themselves into the lane and threw up shots into the outstretched arms of Cole Aldrich, who recorded what is believed to be the third triple-double in Kansas history. Young McHale scored 13 points, snagged 20 rebounds and rejected 10 shots. I love Young McHale. If he stays in college four years, he’ll likely be one of the 10 best players in Kansas history and have a chance to be a Young Bill Walton, the last great white NBA center. After offering that bit of context, let me say emphatically that Aldrich’s triple-double on Sunday was the least impressive I’ve had the pleasure to witness. The Flyers missed so many damn shots that $weet Lew Perkins was credited with five boards. Every time Wright sailed into the lane he gently placed the ball in Aldrich’s hands. Some of Aldrich’s blocks should have been scored as steals. The truth is Kansas played poorly on Sunday. Oh, the Cole and Collins Show performed to rave reviews. Sherron Collins knocked down 11 of 19 shots, scored 25 points, snatched seven rebounds and avoided a turnover. Mario Little turned in an efficient 16 minutes, hitting three of four shots and hauling in six boards. The rest of the Hawks were worthless. Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed missed eight of their nine three-point attempts. Tyshawn Taylor was a turnover machine (six). The Morris Twins combined for two points and five rebounds in 31 minutes. The Jayhawks turned the ball over 17 times, missed half of their 22 free-throw attempts and 13 of 16 three-point shots. Dayton is the only team that played on Sunday that would have lost to Kansas. The Cole and Collins Show won’t beat Michigan State on Friday. The second-seeded Spartans, who spanked Kansas in January, looked like a national-title threat on Sunday in their close victory over a highly skilled Southern California squad. Michigan State looks better when it plays outside the Big Ten — all the Big Ten teams do. The style of play in the conference is so physical that the teams beat each other up and look bad doing it. Against USC, an unfamiliar opponent, the Spartans appeared athletic, smooth and tough. They looked a lot better than Kansas. So did the Missouri Tigers, who slipped past Marquette in the West Regional. Are you getting the picture? Good teams were tested this weekend and passed those tests. The Jayhawks have yet to be pushed. There’s no reason for the Jayhawks or their fans to get cocky. There’s no reason to believe the Hawks can beat Michigan State.
Posts: 3,512

03-23-2009, 09:05 AM	#2
blaise In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $9989900	I thought it was a bit hyperbolic when Bob Davis said, during the Dayton game: I can state, without hyperbole, that KU would beat the original Dream Team 400-16.
Posts: 22,189

03-23-2009, 09:08 AM	#7
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO Casino cash: $16856178 VARSITY	The only thing Fatlock is starving for is attention.
Posts: 41,023

03-23-2009, 09:11 AM	#8
Lzen Banded Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Oz Casino cash: $-709308	Morningstar has two jobs. Play good defense and make 3 pointers. He failed yesterday. I counted at least 3 or 4 wide open treys that he bricked. He played like crap yesterday. Reed missed a couple treys but also made one and he did well in other areas such as boxing out and FTs. So, I would give him a pass. In the end, it all comes down to this. KU did what they had to do. Survive and advance. This column makes some good points but is a little over the top. I'll bet Whitlock is just trying to fire up the players that didn't play well. __________________ Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.
Posts: 42,485

03-23-2009, 09:14 AM	#10
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $-1635266	What a dumbass article. First the stratigic FAIL as on KUs part, not NDSU by not throwing the ball to Aldrich every time, no matter what. Second, pretty much all he siad is that KU had a bad game and Dayton sucks. I think any rational fan would admit as much. Will they lose Friday? I'm thinking so. I said as much the first time I saw the bracket. But to say that KU doesn't deserve to be on the same floorr as MSU is a reach. Unless all he's saying is that they weren't really tested. If that's the point, so ***ing what? Posted via Mobile Device*
Posts: 60,031

03-23-2009, 09:14 AM	#11
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $7672254	The Dayton game was boring outside Cole and Sherron's game, KU's role players didn't play well. That game should have been a 30+ pt blowout as horrible shooting team Dayton was. There are a lot of teams that would have lost to NDSU that day. They shot well. This is no surprise though, Whitlock loves to bash Kansas this time of year.
Posts: 39,245

03-23-2009, 09:14 AM	#14
Rooster Draft a QB Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: JoCo Casino cash: $9951689	Blah Blah Blah Please look at Whitlock Blah Blah Blah __________________ When Reno Hightower was a prick he was the best damn quarterback in the history of Kern County.
Posts: 5,753

03-23-2009, 09:19 AM	#15
Messier MVP Join Date: Mar 2004 Casino cash: $10005050	I was going to bash Whitlock but this is just his thing. He knows things like this will anger KU fans, he counts on it, and he wants to sit back and read his angry e-mails and laugh.
Posts: 7,610