***** Official '23/'24 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 Bearcat

Yeah, and when someone like Patrick Mahomes sleepwalks through games, everyone knows (or should know) they'll just flip that switch and know exactly what to do in high pressure/tough/close games, because they've done it many times over.

If that was truly the case with this team though, it just comes off as naive and lacking heart... it's hard to say these guys don't have anything to work on during the regular season, so yeah just **** around because you've got this now.

I would generally agree. There were comparisons of this team to the Chiefs a few weeks back through the media on this point, but I don't think that's in any way fair to Patrick Mahomes (who is the greatest playoff performer in the history of his league) or his running mates in Travis Kelce/Chris Jones who clearly just wait to the playoffs to play their best football each season now.

Dickinson, McCullar, Harris, and KJ don't have that kind of track record to simply make the assumption that they'll just enormously raise their game in a week and a half. It does however remain a possibility though and I'll take that.

[Al Czervik]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

I would generally agree. There were comparisons of this team to the Chiefs a few weeks back through the media on this point, but I don't think that's in any way fair to Patrick Mahomes (who is the greatest playoff performer in the history of his league) or his running mates in Travis Kelce/Chris Jones who clearly just wait to the playoffs to play their best football each season now.

Dickinson, McCullar, Harris, and KJ don't have that kind of track record to simply make the assumption that they'll just enormously raise their game in a week and a half. It does however remain a possibility though and I'll take that.

I hope they can go on a run.....
But this team has too many HUGE warts....

Turnovers
Offense that has only 2 scorers
Shit defense that leaves wide open 3s
Free throw %

Those warts have been there all season.
Expecting to change during the tourney is wishful thinking.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Al Czervik

I hope they can go on a run.....
But this team has too many HUGE warts....

Turnovers
Offense that has only 2 scorers
Shit defense that leaves wide open 3s
Free throw %

Those warts have been there all season.
Expecting to change during the tourney is wishful thinking.

I don't think any of those things necessarily have to change for them to win tournament games (at least against most teams). If their 5 starters are healthy, don't get in foul trouble and are able to stay on the floor for 35+ minutes a game, they'll be pretty hard to beat regardless of their flaws.

The biggest issue of all for this team is always when Timberlake, Elmarko or Braun step foot on the court, which unfortunately by necessity happens quite often.

[Al Czervik]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

I don't think any of those things necessarily have to change for them to win tournament games (at least against most teams). If their 5 starters are healthy, don't get in foul trouble and are able to stay on the floor for 35+ minutes a game, they'll be pretty hard to beat regardless of their flaws.

The biggest issue of all for this team is always when Timberlake, Elmarko or Braun step foot on the court, which unfortunately by necessity happens quite often.

Hope you are right on your first statement...
Totally spot on with your second....Just a garbage bench.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

We are already gonna be losing McCullar and Furphy from this team, our two only decent shooters on the entire team. I’ll wait to see what happens with the portal but I don’t have an optimistic outlook for next season, no.

Assuming McNeeley commits (seems likely), I'd say they have plenty to build on for next year.

Harris
McNeeley
Adams
Dickinson
Bidunga
Passmore
Philon
McDowell

I've heard that Elmarko plans to transfer and Furphy is probably going to the draft, so I'm not including them. But if Furphy stays, bonus.

Passmore might be the best athlete KU's had in years and can also shoot. Bidunga is the highest-rated recruit KU's landed since Josh Jackson. McNeeley's an amazing shooter. Probably better than Dick.

Find an experienced guard who can shoot, and maybe a wing, and that roster's looking as good as any in years.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

I would generally agree. There were comparisons of this team to the Chiefs a few weeks back through the media on this point, but I don't think that's in any way fair to Patrick Mahomes (who is the greatest playoff performer in the history of his league) or his running mates in Travis Kelce/Chris Jones who clearly just wait to the playoffs to play their best football each season now.

Dickinson, McCullar, Harris, and KJ don't have that kind of track record to simply make the assumption that they'll just enormously raise their game in a week and a half. It does however remain a possibility though and I'll take that.

I think the comparison's valid in the sense that you know KU can beat anyone when healthy-ish and focused. Just like everyone (should've) known that KC was capable of beating anyone when focused.

If you're 3-1 vs 1 seeds, your ceiling isn't the Sweet 16. That's crazy. I won't be surprised at all if that's where they lose, but it's not the ceiling.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

Assuming McNeeley commits (seems likely), I'd say they have plenty to build on for next year.

Harris
McNeeley
Adams
Dickinson
Bidunga
Passmore
Philon
McDowell

I've heard that Elmarko plans to transfer and Furphy is probably going to the draft, so I'm not including them. But if Furphy stays, bonus.

Passmore might be the best athlete KU's had in years and can also shoot. Bidunga is the highest-rated recruit KU's landed since Josh Jackson. McNeeley's an amazing shooter. Probably better than Dick.

Find an experienced guard who can shoot, and maybe a wing, and that roster's looking as good as any in years.

And it is for exactly that reason that nobody should expect Bidunga to stick around here after Dickinson returns.

[cmh6476]

anybody want a couple free tickets to the early session tomorrow? I'm going to make like $7 for the pair off what I have them listed on stubhub for...

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

And it is for exactly that reason that nobody should expect Bidunga to stick around here after Dickinson returns.

And that will suck.

[BigRedChief]

Flip the switch and go on a run sounds good. They have looked like world beaters in some games on the road. So they have it in them.

But, we have all seen the horrible effort at times. I hope it’s not an early exit but the flip the switch theory prevails. Be a lot more fun to watch.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

I think the comparison's valid in the sense that you know KU can beat anyone when healthy-ish and focused. Just like everyone (should've) known that KC was capable of beating anyone when focused.

If you're 3-1 vs 1 seeds, your ceiling isn't the Sweet 16. That's crazy. I won't be surprised at all if that's where they lose, but it's not the ceiling.

I think they need to be 100% healthy and not just healthy-ish, and that seems to be a big question right now.

And they aren't playing a 1 seed in a week and a half.

There's also a lot that goes into the Chiefs ****ing around and finding out in the regular season... rotating 8 receivers, giving CEH more snaps to save Pacheco, holding back plays for the postseason. And they adjust ALL of that, plus ramp up their intensity... and they aren't going to run into a 12 seed in the WC round that can knock them off.

Starters will obviously play as many minutes as possible... that's like the one magic formula difference they have, at least until an injury flares up or they get into a bit of foul trouble. And you know every team they play will be focusing on getting them into foul trouble.

And then games get tight to some 11 seed that they're trying to stay focused on after ****ing around for 3 months and having 2 weeks off, and how much mental fortitude have they shown in the past few months to handle it.

If anything, I might compare them to those UConn teams that would finish 10-8 in conference and win the tourney, but don't know a ton about them... if they underperformed in the regular season or just played god mode in the tournament, had easy paths, etc.

At some point though it turns from a Mahomes team that just happened to **** around in the regular season to pointing out how an Alex Smith team beat the Patriots in September and that should be the postseason barometer.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Flip the switch and go on a run sounds good. They have looked like world beaters in some games on the road. So they have it in them.

But, we have all seen the horrible effort at times. I hope it’s not an early exit but the flip the switch theory prevails. Be a lot more fun to watch.

*neutral sites

They've completely blown ass in true road games... their best road wins are what, Indiana and OU? Because after that I think it's OSU... yikes.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

And that will suck.

We'll see how it plays out, but I'm not sure he would leave in that scenario.

But if it does come to that, you have to ask yourself if you're better off with one year of Bidunga or a 5th year from Dickinson. I highly doubt Bidunga is going to be more productive in that one year.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

And that will suck.

It will (if only for the excitement of watching a NBA prospect come through), but Dickinson remains a top 10 player in college basketball so I'd prefer that to the alternative of Dickinson going instead.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I think they need to be 100% healthy and not just healthy-ish, and that seems to be a big question right now.

Yes, despite Self's words yesterday, those were pretty clearly aimed at the committee and may not entirely reflect what the reality of Dickinson/McCullar is gonna be in a week's time.

I wouldn't be too surprised if we find out in a week's time that neither one has even practiced yet.