160 IQ

March 25th, 2017 at 10:38 PM ^

As good as this run was, I'm still gonna be pissed because Michigan is the best team in the Midwest region.  Fudge.

Joined: 06/26/2016

MGoPoints: 5992

ThadMattasagoblin

March 25th, 2017 at 10:40 PM ^

It's a weird place for Kansas becuase you can't fire a guy who wins the big 12 title every year but they are never going to win another title if they can't win with fucking Frank Mason and Josh Jackson.

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 64335

alum96

March 25th, 2017 at 10:43 PM ^

Oregon plays legit defense and Jordan Rodman Bell is a fun player to have on your team.  As someone said above maybe there is a reason teams don't shoot well against them.  They have a few really nice offensive weapons and I'm trying to imagine them with their other shot blocker in there - really would be a very difficult team to get any inside action against.  That said Mason is a beast - he just has had no help tonight.  He would be obliterating us on these dribble drives as he is shorter Jawun Evans but with a much better shot.  Josh Jackson is lost in space tonight.

Kudos to Oregon - this is essentially a home game for KU.  Not sure why anyone would root for KU here - they are basically in same cheating sphere as Kentucky.  There is a reason they get all those chicago kids and it's not due to driving distance from ILL to KS.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82801

jmblue

March 25th, 2017 at 10:45 PM ^

Not sure why some in this thread seem to be downgrading Oregon; they look like a complete team to me, without any major weaknesses.  It's hard to believe they're playing without one of their top players.

 

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 103071

alum96

March 25th, 2017 at 10:55 PM ^

It's a team that can hurt you in many ways.  A lot of transitive theory here that doesn't work in the real world.  We matchup to Kansas in very different ways.

It's also very easy to point and say how easy we'd have had it when someone else held Kansas to 35% from 2 and 20% from 3.  Who on UM was going to block 7 shots tonight and intimidate anyone from the paint not named Mason again?

Also the guys on the Rhode Island message board are saying "We could have taken Kansas and been in the final 4" too.  I mean transative theory and all.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82801

ThadMattasagoblin

March 25th, 2017 at 10:47 PM ^

Steve Alford is a choker too and Calipari should probably have more than one title with his recruiting. I think there is something to Beilein's theory of not being able to win with too many freshmen no matter how good they are. 

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 64335

alum96

March 25th, 2017 at 10:50 PM ^

7 bench pts for Kansas.  5 for Oregon.  Both teams only played 7 guys, on 2nd game in 3 nights.  Pretty interesting and argues against needing depth unless you play Louisville type defense.  Even more kudos to Oregon defense based on such a short bench.  KU shot 35%.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82801

B-Nut-GoBlue

March 25th, 2017 at 11:07 PM ^

Again, I know Self is our poster-boy to rip on and there is merit to warrant that, I get it. But he wasn't the one out there not "taking advantage". Sometimes the coach can only do so much, is what I'm getting at. Kansas has the players to do it and they (the players) had the opportunities like you said, so why is that just on the coach?! Also...he cant stop Dorsey. It's not like he forgot to tell his players about him, dude has been and is still utterly unconscious. Not much one can do other than "tip the cap" (lame cliches for $400 Alex).

Joined: 09/30/2011

MGoPoints: 43754

enlightenedbum

March 25th, 2017 at 11:10 PM ^

All year Kansas had one plan for half court offense: Mason or Jackson penetrate and make a decision from there.  Oregon said fine, we'll block anything they throw up and won't help, what's your plan B.  And plan B was launch bad threes.  No adjustment from Self, because he never adjusts to anything.  Great recruiter, develops his talent pretty well, awful in game coach.

Also: an asshole.

Joined: 06/06/2009

MGoPoints: 64453

enlightenedbum

March 25th, 2017 at 11:13 PM ^

As a contrast our plan A is drive and kick for threes.  Plan B is backdoor cut the opponent to death until they have to respond, opening up Plan A.  If they have an elite rim protector to counter plan B and have stopped plan A, this year we had a plan C which was isolate off of switches and destroy either the big guy trying to guard Walton or against Louisville the little guy trying to guard Wagner.

Joined: 06/06/2009

MGoPoints: 64453

B-Nut-GoBlue

March 26th, 2017 at 2:13 AM ^

Understand much of this and agree with most if not all. And, even though I hate to try to even side with Bill Self the human being, I feel like this game saw many opportunities for Kansas to score that weren't against "tough" looks. Much of what I remember, and I completely admit I could be wrong in this regard as I wasn't truly glued to the TV, but Kansas had their looks whether it be blocked layups or just flat out missed lightly-to-non contested jump shots. They had their "easy" opportunities in the transition and half-court and it had little to do with anything Self was or wasn't adapting to. I despise Bill Self and think things (rumors that seem to hold much truth) coming out of the late oughts with players name's that are escaping me at the moment are horrible and that the POS shouldn't even have a job there right now if the NCAA and higher organizations actually cared. Run-on-sentence much? I do apparently. I only am arguing because I think this particular game didn't truly depend upon Self's "coaching" but realize the stats say otherwise and his teams truly have underachieved.

Joined: 09/30/2011

MGoPoints: 43754

stephenrjking

March 25th, 2017 at 11:49 PM ^

I don't know, Self has a bunch of guys that Michigan couldn't sniff (for whatever reason). And yet Oregon has an easier time with them. All of these problems you're talking about Self not being able to solve seem to be, in fact, problems that good coaches can solve.

If notoriously defense-averse John Beilein can (with a good staff) coach his only moderately athletic players to play better defense than Bill Self can coach his future NBA starters, that's an issue. If Beilein can adjust to serious offensive challenges with his roster and Self can't, that's an issue.

Just saw on twitter that Bill Self is 2-7 in Elite Eight games, and has advanced to the Final Four only once in seven opportunities as a #1 seed. That's bad.

We gripe about Calipari's ethics and we laugh at his relatively lax coaching, and he hasn't won as much as his recruiting classes should merit, but whatever he does works pretty well. He makes finals and he gets his teams playing together and even on off years by the tournament they come together (as we remember all too well from 2014). The contrast with Self is stark.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20144031

M-Dog

March 25th, 2017 at 10:57 PM ^

For all we know, we may be the second best team in the country.  

But so might Oklahoma State.

That's just how it goes in a one and done tournament.

 

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257573