Posted on: February 26th, 2013 by jayhawktalk 54 Comments
A butterfly flaps its wings … and the Jayhawks win a ninth straight Big 12 title.
Sounds pretty ridiculous, right?
I’m sure most of you have heard of the “butterfly effect,” a fun little phenomenon derived from chaos theory. It is generally used to describe how one single event – e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings – could have a far-reaching ripple effect. The idea is that the flapping of one butterfly’s wings, a tiny change in one specific place, can set off a chain of events leading to, in the most famous example, the formation of a “cyclone.” (See where I’m going with this?)
In Ames, IA, inside Hilton Coliseum, with the score of the KU-ISU game at 55-53, Jeff Withey committed an offensive charging foul. It was a terrible call to anyone in the world not wearing red and yellow. It was also a pivotal call in the game, giving Withey his third foul, which would limit his minutes and aggressiveness the rest of the game.
This single foul call nearly cost Kansas the game.
Iowa State Senior, Korie Lucious, stood outside the three-point line in the second half of the same game. A Kansas defender was defending him closely, not willing to let the Cyclones get another wide open 3-pointer up. Lucious sees a streaking teammate and tosses an alley-oop. The pass accidentally goes into the basket for a made three pointer.
This single play nearly cost Kansas the game.
At the same exact game, an Iowa State fan directly in front of me (we’ll call him Jack) took a bite of his pretzel and dripped cheese on his lap. He stood up quickly and attempted to clean himself off. Right about that time, Elijah Johnson was bringing the ball up the court toward the basket in front of me. I stood up so I could see the play. The person behind me stood up so he could see. It set off a chain reaction of people standing all throughout Section 142. Suddenly, Elijah pulled up for a three point shot, his sight line to the basket aiming straight toward Jack, Section 142, and the pretzel cheese. Swish.
Jack and his pretzel cheese cost Iowa State the game.
By now, you probably catch my drift. One play does not a basketball game make. Neither does one whistle, one fluke three-point basket, or one pretzel.
The charge/block call at the end of the game did not decide the game. Elijah is not a butterfly. And Jack is not to blame.
It was one possession of about a billion possessions in an amazing college basketball game. A game where Iowa State scored more three-point baskets than the Cyclones have ever scored in a game.
The Jayhawks were called for more fouls than the Cyclones. The Jayhawks turned the ball over 15 of those billion possessions (Cyclones had 7) and the Jayhawks shot 7 fewer free throws.
I am not here to say the call at the end of the game was a good one. It probably wasn’t. What I’m here to say is that it is unfair to Elijah Johnson, to the Jayhawks, and, frankly, to the Cyclones, to use officiating as a crutch to attempt to explain (or demean) what was easily one of the best college basketball games of the year.
Moreover, it is even more ridiculous that the Big 12 office succumbed to unfounded national media pressure to “review the tape” of that one single possession and then issue a statement on it. If you are going to review a tape, review the entire tape. If you’re going to reprimand a referee, do so with the full story.
Publicly reprimanding the referee did not make any Iowa State fan feel better today. If anything, it probably made them even more upset.
In the end, that play at the end of regulation was not the play that decided the game.
If you subscribe to that line of thinking, then Jack is just as much to blame.
Posted on: February 26th, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
In the 16th episode of the Jayhawk Talk Podcast, Kevin and Andrew talk about the crazy game that took place in Ames, hit on Kevin’s stories from Hilton Coliseum, talk about Elijah Johnson’s ridiculous night, and close with a story about how Kevin bought his ticket from a former Big 12 basketball player. Come on in, grab a beer, and enjoy the podcast. Rock Chalk!
Find the podcast on iTunes here. (Computer, Apple products)
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Posted on: February 21st, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
In the 15th episode of the Jayhawk Talk podcast, former Kansan beat writer, Tim Dwyer, joins Kevin and Andrew for a happy 45 minutes as the guys talk about the biggest win of the season so far in Stillwater. The guys also talk about the Big 12 race, the TCU game, and the upcoming games for all the contenders. Come on in, have a beer, and enjoy. Rock chalk!
Posted on: February 17th, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
In the 14th episode of the Jayhawk Talk podcast, the guys talk some Texas postgame, preview the big week in the Big 12 (including the upcoming OSU game), talk about College GameDay, analyze the KU Harlem Shake video, and share thoughts on the Julius Randle visit. Come on in, grab a beer, and enjoy some KU Hoops talk.
As always, we appreciate you leaving us a comment on iTunes and giving the podcast a nice star rating. Rock CHALK!
Find the podcast on Podbean here (non-iTunes users and non-Apple mobile users)
Posted on: February 16th, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
I’ll admit it. I’m kind of a slut for flash-in-the-pan Internet crazes.
You know how it works. You receive a link in a chat window, a message on Facebook, a retweet into your timeline. It’s a video, a picture, a “meme” or a dance. You watch it, you love it, and you find yourself searching out other examples.
Only thing I love more than awesome things on the Internet is KU basketball. This team has found a way to marry these two wonderful things.
What follows is a beautiful little video from the KU basketball team. It’s their version of the “Harlem Shake.”
It makes sense if you think about it — this team getting on board with a dance craze. As we’ve surely all seen by now, these guys are all about dancing. Who can blame them? Dancing is awesome.
There are about a million different Harlem Shake videos out there right now. This is obviously my favorite. First, a quick background. The Harlem Shake meme generally requires three things (1) at the beginning of the video one person is dancing with the crowd not paying attention; (2) when the bass or hook drops, everyone is dancing, usually with some sort of costume or general ridiculousness; (3) well, that’s it, really.
I thought it’d be interesting to take a closer look at this video, person by person. I urge you to re-watch the video each time you read a paragraph and focus only on that one person or group. It’s worth the individual attention to detail.
Bill Self: He doesn’t really fit into the meme recipe described above, but I appreciate his involvement in the shoot. He’s pictured drawing up some spectacular inbounds plays (I’m particularly impressed with the top left play, which aims to open up Ben for a corner 3). Self’s cameo ends with him erasing four of the six plays (he keeps the good one) and writing “Harlem Shake!!!” on the board and walking away. Note: Evan Manning is the only player pictured and he doesn’t seem to give one shit at all about what Coach is drawing up.
Ben McLemore: Of late, he has been the star of the Kansas basketball dance troupe. This video probably wouldn’t be a thing if not for Ben’s previous escapades, first documented in a post-Ohio State locker room celebration and later in a post-KSU dance. Ben gets us started with a solo version of “The McLemore” dance — a healthy mix between Hava Nagila, the C-Walk, and Saturday Night Fever. In any event, it’s freakin’ awesome. So there he is, dancing away while everyone is suiting up for practice — everyone except Elijah Johnson, who seems to have discovered nappy time. Ben’s also wearing the head of a chicken costume, just because. Cut to the new scene and Ben has shed the mask but found the rest of the chicken costume, again, just because. His chicken walk through the last few seconds of the scene is pure amazeballs.
Justin Wesley: Of any Jayhawk, Justin should know what it takes to shine in front of a camera. He spent the offseason playing Wilt Chamberlain in the upcoming movie, Jayhawkers. It makes you wonder why he chose one of the easiest theatrical stunts — that is, struggling to put his practice jersey on over his head — during Ben’s dance. He certainly makes up for it after the break, center frame, going full on kilt and chains. I have 10:1 that look will be in a new Chief Keef music video within the next calendar year. Flawless.
Naadir Tharpe: We’ve seen his dance moves a few times this season. His default move seems to be the “Robot.” You probably have that buddy that has a default move to the “Robot” too. Your buddy isn’t very good at it. Neither is Naadir. But it’s still sort of endearing. You have to think his teammates told him to wait in the wings and then when the time is right, just sachet across the shot from stage left to right, employing that signature move. I also tend to think that Naadir owns that green vest and did not need to make a visit to the KU Theatre Department’s prop room before filming.
Niko Roberts, Christian Garrett, and Landen Lucas: These three really need to be discussed together because of their roles in a truly meta sub plot going on inside this video. We first see Niko, in full-on onesie pajamas, a bib, and a pacifier. He seems to really be into his dance moves until he is completely distracted by a gigantic fly hanging from a 6-iron. What pacifier-sucking kid wouldn’t want to follow that? Especially if that pacifier sucking kid is also armed with a butterfly net!!! Too bad we couldn’t see just three more seconds of the video. I hope he caught that pesky fly. Meanwhile, Christian decided to go with the half-KU football player in December after a workout coat, half-Roman soldier look. He has some nice moves with that shield before taking Santa Landen on a ride in the equipment cart. Landen is holding the 6-iron/fly thingy while seemingly jamming to his own Keith Sweat slow jam that only he can hear.
Jeff Withey and Jamari Traylor: Jeff is attempting his best Slash impression, but is failing miserably. I would have preferred to see Jeff play a more vital role than “awkward white 7-footer with wig that plays fake guitar in socks,” but that’s just me. To his credit, he actually makes out a couple legit power chords between the three or four times he adjusts his hair. Like a true 80s guitarist. Jamari, on the other hand, goes with the mini-acoustic, black leather vest, and sombrero get-up. He seems to be the most accomplished musician in the bunch, with most of his focus going toward his craft. He’s also, umm, very muscly.
Travis Releford: He is probably the one in the video that makes me giggle the most. He is sporting the black boots, shorts, and soccer jacket of one of those club teams or countries or something (Germany, maybe? Clearly a huge soccer fan here), and is swinging the everliving shit out of some beads (?). His facial expressions are the real sell, though. Absolute gold, especially in slow motion.
Elijah Johnson: We know he’s been struggling to find his place on the court of late. Not here. He plays the creepy, masked joker Santa PERFECTLY. You might miss him the first couple times you watch it, but he emerges from behind Ben and finds his way to orchestra right by the end of the shot. He looks confused, but don’t let him trick you. That’s what he wants you to think.
Kevin Young and Company: Speaking of creepy, let’s talk about the guy in the back wearing the Jason mask and holding a knife. Oh, but he’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt, so it’s not near as bad. He’s standing on a chair, slashing at the air with all his Kevin Young might. You’d think Evan Manning next to him would be just slightly scared, but once again, he’s still not giving one shit. Perry Ellis looks a little scared, but that’s probably more about his discomfort with being in a group setting than a Hawaiian with a huge knife. Then there’s Andrew White III with a big goofy hat. Like Jamari, it appears he’s jamming to a different song as well. Maybe U2 or Bonnie Raitt or something.
Tyler Self: Tyler made the mistake of going shirtless in this shoot. He’s standing near Jamari Traylor, who can pull of shirtless. Tyler, not so much. I do appreciate his decision to play jungle gym on the water pipes running across the ceiling, although I think he geared up to try a “pull-up” and realized he didn’t have the arm strength for it yet. He does earn some points for his mink throw he has draped across his shoulders. Keeps him warm and hides his underdeveloped delts.
Not pictured: Supremely disappointed Rio Adams was not involved. He is the best dancer on the team not named Ben McLemore and he has an argument that he’s even better than Ben. Not sure where he was during the filming, but I’m sad he wasn’t there. Same goes for Joe Dooley and Andrea Hudy, both of which could have added a lot to this just by making a one second cameo.
I hope you enjoyed my write up as much as I enjoyed watching the video 35 times. Happy gameday!
Posted on: February 15th, 2013 by jayhawktalk 1 Comment
By: Taylor Erickson (follow on Twitter at @tc_erickson)
Fresh off an absolute beat down of K-State, Coach Self is now faced with a pretty interesting question.
What do you do with the point guard position?
There are two particular plays from the drubbing Monday night that vividly stick out in my head that perfectly encapsulate our current situation at point guard.
Midway through the first half right before we really blew the game open, Naadir caught the ball on the right wing, just outside of the three point line. If you’ve watched our first 23 games of the season, you probably knew what was coming next. Naadir would shoot a deep three off one foot, the other team would get the rebound and be off to the other end. A perfect opportunity to extend a lead would be wasted on a three point attempt by someone not named Ben McLemore.
Except that didn’t happen.
Instead, Naadir pump faked, drove into the lane, and kicked the ball out to a WIDE open Ben McLemore. If you’ve watched our first 23 games of the season, you probably know what happened next. McLemore fired that picture-perfect jump shot, and the result was nothing but net. Naadir finished with 6 assists in the first half in what was without question exactly what we need from the point guard spot to legitimately contend for a National Title.
Fast forward about 30 minutes of game action to late in the second half, when the rout was on.
KU had the ball on offense, working some clock and looking for a good shot. I can’t recall exactly how the ball ended up in his hands, but Elijah caught it right in front of the KU bench for a wide open three. There wasn’t a K-State defender within 10 feet- probably the most open Elijah’s been for a three yet this season.
Except he didn’t shoot it. Instead he passed up the wide open three, and kicked it to a different guard to continue the possession.
I couldn’t help but think about those two plays, and how similar they were yet so completely different. Naadir Tharpe is beaming with confidence, and his play on Monday night reflected it. He was constantly looking to attack and break down the defense, and proved getting a good shot at the end of the half is actually possible. Elijah, on the other hand, is not even close to the player he was last March, and continues his search for a missing jump shot.
So if you’re Coach Self, what do you do?
Do you bench Elijah, and push the chips all in on Naadir Tharpe as this team’s starting point guard and risk losing any confidence Elijah had left? Do you continue to start Elijah, and bring Naadir off the bench several minutes into the game and risk giving up an early lead rather than jumping out to a great start?
I’ve heard some people say perhaps we should play smaller, even possibly start four guards moving Releford to the four spot. While that sounds like the best way to put our best players on the floor, I think the impact on the defensive end is much greater. You move our best perimeter defender down low, and lose considerable size outside.
In my opinion, at some point the light is going to come on for Elijah, he’ll find his jump shot, and he’ll make big plays down the stretch like he did for us last year in March. I think the risk of moving him to the bench outweighs the reward of moving Naadir into the starting lineup. If Elijah continues to struggle the next several weeks and Naadir builds off an impressive performance Monday, this conundrum continues to grow.
Naadir’s performance on Monday represents a new found hope for a fan base that had none just four days ago. I think it will be extremely interesting to see how Coach Self handles this position moving forward.
Posted on: February 13th, 2013 by jayhawktalk 1 Comment
(Editor’s Note: The following blog post comes courtesy of @CrimsonBlueKU, a huge KU fan and fairly recent graduate. Also a good follow on Twitter. We’re excited that he’s joined the Jayhawk Talk team and look forward to more from him.)
Now that Kansas State is in the rearview mirror we can focus our attention on the big Saturday that lies ahead.
I know you’re all thinking: how can it be any bigger than College GameDay?
Come on, really? College GameDay in Lawrence is like Kansas winning the Big 12. It just happens every year (OK, the GameDay part isn’t, but you get the point).
You have to think bigger.
Mario* Chalmers’ jersey retirement?
Closer, but still not it.
*I also may be in the minority when it comes to feelings toward Mario. I think he had a great career at KU and he’s become a hell of a glue guy for Miami. Don’t get me wrong, his shot that sent the title game to overtime will be eternal, but I think he gets too much credit for it. Had it not been for the events that happened in the earlier 2:03, we never would have gotten to that point. I digress.
The big thing that’s happening on Saturday is a recruiting visit. And not just any visit.
Julius Randle (No. 2 by Rivals) will be in the building in what will be his final official visit before he makes a decision.
The Jayhawks, who currently have the second rated class behind Kentucky, have commits from four-stars Joel Embiid, Conner Frankamp, Brannen Greene and Wayne Selden. Those four alone provide much needed depth at the one, two, three and five. This class is only missing a stud and a power-forward, both of which Randle could provide.
Randle is so important because Kansas loses Withey and Young to graduation. I love the motor of Traylor and think he just needs time. Ellis has the skill set, but he needs to get comfortable with Self’s demands for toughness. And he needs to learn how to play pissed off. Wesley…let’s just say I hope he’s graduating because he has hands of stone. The only thing he does exceptionally well is jump (and reblog on tumblr).
The Phog needs to be just as amped as it was Monday night to show that this is where Randle needs to be. The fans need to shower him with love and show that he is wanted. With this being his final visit, he could very well commit to Bill Self and the Jayhawks (though I think he’ll take his time).
On the other hand, Andrew Wiggins (No. 1 by Rivals) just trimmed his list to four Tuesday morning: Kansas, Florida State, UNC and Kentucky.
I still say he ends up at Kentucky, but the way BBN has played this season and with Nerlens Noel injuring his knee against Florida, who knows what could happen. Calipari could send eight to the NBA or none at all.
Wiggins will visit KU on March 4, but it’s hard to say whether KU is a true player.
As I’m sure you know, we’ve seen this story before. Self is in tight with a Top 10 recruit until the very end and then something changes and he isn’t in Lawrence the next season (I’m looking at you Sean Miller and Kaleb Tarczewski).
Wiggins is icing on the cake, while Randle is the important first piece. One is nice, two is even better, but I can see KU end up with neither.
Either way, help Coach Self and show Randle some love this weekend.
He could be the difference between a good and great team in 2013-14.
Posted on: February 13th, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
In the 13th installment of the Jayhawk Talk Podcast, Kevin and Andrew dive into the KU/KSU BLOWOUT win, talk about the state of the KU/KSU rivalry, get into the Big 12 race, talk some Ben McLemore dance videos (and who his competition is), and, of course, close with some ever-important Ke$ha news.
Come on in, grab a beer, and enjoy. Rock Chalk!
Podbean (on the computer or non-iPhone) click HERE.
Posted on: February 12th, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
(Editor’s Note: The following dating advice column comes courtesy of @FakeJeffWithey, the entertaining alter ego to KU basketball player, Jeff Withey. Follow him on Twitter for lively in-game commentary and general shenanigans and rascality. Warning, explicit/awesome language to follow).
What should I get my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day?
In a perfect world you would be enough to satisfy your girlfriend and you wouldn’t need to buy her a gift. But since you’re not me, a gift is probably a good idea.
I really feel that Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake brought gift giving to a whole new level with D*** In A Box. Unfortunately this isn’t always practical. For example, I have only pulled this move off one time, when I was able to track down an old box that was previously used to house a refrigerator (Side Note: Don’t give this gift at your girlfriend’s grandmother’s 70th birthday. Awkward for everyone).
Since I am laying claim to all the dimes in the area, I assume most of you are dating uggo’s. With that in mind, I think the best gift you can get her is something that benefits both of you. Pick something about her appearance that you don’t like. It could be anything from her weight, to her complexion, to her boob size. Next, find a way to subtly suggest that she improve this area. You might think this is insulting, but trust me women are a goal-driven species. And nothing is going to drive home your point like buying a bra two cup sizes too large, or a scale with a target weight written on the base. Be careful not to set your goals too high though, because if they get too hot they’re probably just going to leave you for a basketball player.
Do you condone online dating?
Online dating is tough. The best-case scenario here has you banging a 7 or 8 with trust issues. Worst-case, your Ms. Right turns out to be an overweight Mizzou fan named Steve. I’ll share a story below on why I think the positives of online dating do not outweigh the negatives.
The names of those involved have been changed to protect the victims’ identities.
The year was 2011 and a young man on a college basketball team was having a tough time meeting women. This was an uncommon problem for members of this particular basketball team, but senior guard Gordan Guenemann had high expectations for his women. Because of these expectations, Guenemann turned to dating website ChristianMingle.com
Through online chats and late night phone calls, Guenemann fell in love with a wonderful, kind-hearted woman. Then early in the season, tragedy struck and Gordan Guenemann’s girlfriend was killed in a car accident. Amazingly, he was able to turn this tragedy to triumph as his inspired play in mop-up minutes propelled his team to within one win of a national championship. It wasn’t until after the season that Guenemann was told his girlfriend was actually his teammate (and international sex symbol) Jeff Witheyasosopo playing an elaborate practical joke on him.
In the end, Guenemann lost the big game, lost the big award, and is generally considered to be a weird dude for falling in love with a woman who never existed. Moral of the story…online dating is sketchy.
How do I land an older woman?
The key to landing any woman is to find common interests. Unfortunately, in your question you didn’t mention the age of the older woman you’re going after. To help solve this problem, I have put together a table of common interests broken down by age, which should help you through your journey. Cut this out and keep it in your wallet for advice on the fly.
Age
Interests
16-18
Prom, posting duck face pictures to Facebook, Dollar Night at The Hawk, shoes
19-30
50 Shades of Gray, posting pictures of their food to Instagram, yoga pants, any one of the Kardashians, shoes
31-40
HGTV, their ex-husband, Adele, gluten-free meals, that cute thing their kid did once, shoes
41-60
The way things used to be, Stephen King, Home Shopping Network, gardening, shoes
61+
The Great Depression, naps, Roosevelt (either one), shoes
My girlfriend is great, except she doesn’t know anything about basketball. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
Posted on: February 10th, 2013 by jayhawktalk No Comments
Fuck it, dude. Let’s go bowling.
I mean it. Hang with me here, but first, take it from Walter:
Coming off three straight losses for the first time in, well, it doesn’t matter, the only thing this team needs is to not think about basketball for a few minutes. One of the best parts about coming to Kansas is the ridiculous passion of an adoring fan base. It can also be a burden, sometimes.
You know, when you lose three straight games for the first time in, well, it doesn’t matter.
Elijah Johnson has played his worst stretch of games as a Jayhawk. And to be honest, probably the worst stretch of his whole life. He is a head case shooting the ball. He is a head case driving the ball. He just doesn’t have it right now. You might recall when he did have “it.” About 11 months ago he was the reason we made a run in March. For a stretch of games there, he played his best games as a Jayhawk. Hell, maybe the best stretch of his whole life.
Works for Paul Pierce
I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m not buying the narrative that “this team isn’t any good.” They are good. They have two guys that will literally be making $1 million+ playing basketball next year in the National Basketball Association. They probably have another two or three other guys that will be productive professional players in a different league. Can Oklahoma say that? What about TCU?
This team isn’t bad at basketball. They’re just playing like they are. Some of it is coaching, for sure. I don’t think you can leave all the blame on the players. But now is the time for Self and Co. to make up for it. This is where he shows that he’s a Hall of Fame coach. This is where he demonstrates why we just inked a contract to pay him until my unborn child is in middle school.
So what does he need to do?
Take the team bowling this weekend.
Get their minds right! Slumpbusters obviously aren’t working. Shuffling the starting lineup ain’t working either. Running steps in Allen Fieldhouse or suicide runs or treadmill punishments don’t seem to be getting the message across either. Even Strength & Conditioning Coach, Andrea Hudy, mean-mugging players doesn’t even work (it’d work for me).
You aren’t going to learn much over the weekend. No new sets will be installed. You’ve already prepared for K-State before. I’m telling you. Bowling will do the trick.
And if ANYBODY tries to tell you that KU has no chance and that Elijah sucks and that this team is done for the season and let’s look forward to the football season and blah blah blah… just tell them this: