Posts Tagged Kansas

A bunch of words on #KUboobs

Posted on: March 27th, 2012 by jayhawktalk 2 Comments

For a team to make it to the Final Four of this tournament, it has to have some degree of luck along the way.  Whether that luck is in the form of an injury to the opposing team’s most important player, or a last second three-pointer to tie clanking off the back of the rim, you have to appease the basketball gods to make it this far.

Even extraordinarily talented teams like Kentucky have been blessed with a relatively injury-free season (and a temporary reprieve from NCAA investigators who will no doubt vacate this season in the future).

This degree of luck is what makes fans do odd things in the name of superstition.  By this time of the season, everyone has a game day ritual or custom.

For instance, my fiancée wanted nothing to do with going out to watch the game yesterday because our new television is “lucky.” I know people that change shoes, play musical chairs, and wear a specific ensemble because to do otherwise would obviously curse the team.

I can’t really judge. I’ll never watch a KU tournament game inside four Lawrence-area bars ever again (I won’t name them, just in case they’re your lucky places).

This superstitious behavior has spilled over to the KU twitterverse in a way that I don’t think any of us could have ever imagined.

It all started with a single tweet from @MommyLovesWine, a Kansas City based KU alum and fan. The day of the KU vs. MU game in Lawrence, she posted a “twitpic” of herself (from the neck down) in a KU shirt with a message that KU needed a little boob for luck.

That day KU came back from a 19-point deficit to win.

Kansas fans always talk about the “PHOG” inside Allen Fieldhouse that cosmically dooms opposing teams before the ball is even tipped. Of course, the PHOG doesn’t always travel to neutral courts and games played in domes.

But #kuboobs apparently does.

During the Purdue game last Sunday, Kansas needed every bit of luck, voodoo, and sorcery it could come up with to stop the Boilermakers from making every shot they took. Once again, #kuboobs made an appearance.

Except this time, the twitter hashtag began to take a life of its own. More KU women (and even some men) began tweeting their own pictures from the neck down. After the Jayhawks narrowly escaped in Omaha, many on Twitter began asking themselves if the #kuboobs tweets gave KU the extra “lift” it needed on the court?

The KU twitterverse is enormous. I have previously opined that it is the most social media savvy college fan base there is right now. The evening of the North Carolina State game only reemphasized that point.

Because #kuboobs went viral.

At one time, it was trending worldwide on twitter, just below #operationBIEBERBLAST, Kevin Love, and #ThingsIDoWhenIGetBored. There were many more photos going up and with each one, a big response from those tracking (read: stalking) it.

Twitter user, @djsoap, a local DJ and avid Jayhawk fan, used his 14,000+ twitter follower clout to get the message out. He and others have championed each new picture with a retweet and comment. It even prompted a twitter handle devoted entirely to the phenomenon, @kuboobs.

And you know what? KU found a way to beat the Wolfpack.

By now you know the rest of the story. Kansas topped North Carolina with great defense, great coaching, and, of course, the overwhelming support of #kuboobs.

Most hash tags eventually flame out pretty quickly. Especially those that arise from a particular event. There’s a chance this one might too, what with the Final Four being on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and all.

Then again, maybe it is here to stay.

@MommyLovesWine (her real name is Tiffany) told me today she has gained over 250 followers today and over 500 since the Purdue game. And while the #kuboobs response has been predominately positive – some are even using it to promote breast cancer research and awareness – there have been a few people who have called it a little racy at best and pornographic at worst.

Personally, I’m all for it. Not for the obvious reason, either. Just like I refuse to slam your game day superstitions, I won’t slam #kuboobs either.

I’m not sure that came out right.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if twitpics of you in KU attire helps you feel like you’re doing your part to keep the Jayhawks alive in the tournament, then by all means, keep doing it.

And who knows, maybe #kuboobs will be the reason the Jayhawks bring home the cup.

Err, trophy.

 

A Cinderella story? Not so fast.

Posted on: March 26th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Courtesy of KUsports.com

If you watch enough roundtable discussions on ESPN or listen to enough sports talk radio, you have heard it. If you read online or print analysis of this KU team from the national pundits, you have definitely seen it.

It might go something like this: “Kansas has overachieved this year en route to its 31-6 record, its 8th straight league title, and another Final Four appearance.”

Overachieved, huh? Know what I think of that analysis?

It’s a cop out. It’s lazy. And it just isn’t accurate.

Calling the 2011-2012 Jayhawks a group of overachievers undersells the season these guys have had. It implies they’re playing above their talent. It also infers illegitimacy.

And now for the truth.

This team has had a more talented starting five than its opponent in 33 of the 37 games played this season (and that is being kind and including Baylor among the teams with better raw talent).

In those same 37 games, the Jayhawks were an underdog only 3 times. Even today, matching up against one of the most talented teams in the country (even without Kendall Marshall), the Jayhawks were 2 point favorites.

This team has potential NBA talent at 4 of the 5 starting positions. It has a four year starting point guard and a finalist for the Wooden Award. On paper, it sure sounds a whole lot like a Final Four caliber team.

But the pundits don’t like to acknowledge that. They see a turnover prone boom or bust guard, a power forward that has had to sit behind NBA talent his first two years on campus, and a cast of characters that doesn’t look a whole lot like a “normal” Kansas team. They don’t pass the “eye test.”

When it comes to the Kansas bench, they do have a point.

In some years, Bill Self’s second five off the bench could be a starting 5 for many high major teams. This team is 6 or 7 deep, and that is probably generous. The lack of depth is a legitimate knock on KU’s coaching staff (or the NCAA or whoever you want to blame for partial qualifiers).

But somehow this team has overcome these depth issues. Just like it has overcome alllll of the other obstacles that have beset this poor, sad underdog of a team.

The truth is that this starting 5 talent is comparable to any starting 5 in the country not named Kentucky. And with one more win against a team we actually match up pretty well against in Ohio State, we might get to see if Kentucky can beat these overachieving “Cinderella” Jayhawks.

 

 

This KU team is different

Posted on: March 20th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Photo Credit: David Eulitt

A good team always seems to find its identity by this time of year. Some teams are flashy and smooth and get out in transition and score tons of points. Other teams rely on perimeter shooting and pesky guard play to get them through a game.

Whatever the identity, this is the time of year where you match it up, pound for pound, against another team’s identity and see what happens.

That’s one of the reasons this tournament and this format is so compelling. You have teams from the Big 10, often characterized as grinders and defensive-minded bruisers. You have teams from the Big East and ACC, battle-tested and built to score in bunches. And in the end, you find out what style begets success against another and what kind of identity wins out. This is also why “match-ups” are always more important than seeds this time of year.

Bill Self has always stressed defense and effort and rebounding — those intangibles that a team can control during a game. He wants those characteristics to make up his team’s identity because they’ll always keep you in a game, even if you can’t score. He has had some success stressing this identity, as KU teams have consistently ranked among the top in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense. But many of those same KU teams could probably win close to the same amount of games based on offensive talent alone.

This team certainly cannot. It’s a different team. And I think deep down, it’s a team Self really enjoys coaching.

KU’s identity was never more on display than in yesterday’s second half against Purdue. To come back from a double-digit deficit, you have to display some serious mental toughness. You have to know that there is not a 10-point play in the rule book and that defense weighs much more heavily on turning the game than offense.

When Kansas got down early after a barrage of three-pointers from the Boilermakers, the team tightened up for a few moments. Players looked rattled. Thomas was frustrated on offense and it led to poor defense. Our guards couldn’t buy a basket. Even Self got a little red in the face, the kind of red that usually goes away after a few seconds, but seemed to linger for three or four timeouts.

But then something happened.

It wasn’t one play, because this team knows you can’t turn it in one play. And it wasn’t one huge offensive run that so many KU teams in the past have put teams away with.

It was as if the team, as a collective, remembered that they had been there before. Against Duke, Kentucky, Iowa State, Missouri. They remembered to trust each other, to trust their identity. The defense dialed up a few notches. Thomas found his way to the free throw line. Elijah kept shooting. Travis was all over the court and the floor and the glass just like Travis has been all year long. Kevin Young attacked every offensive board.

And even though the Jayhawks still couldn’t make a shot to save their life, they fought. They grinded. And they frustrated the hell out of Purdue, almost to the point where they somehow got the momentum back without making any baskets.

It’s tough to win a basketball game shooting 33% from the field. It’s altogether more difficult to do so when the senior star on the other team plays the most efficient game he has played all season, scoring nearly as many points as the entire Jayhawk team in the first half. The only way to win that kind of game is with an identity grounded in mental toughness, defense, and effort.

Luckily, the Jayhawks remembered their identity just in time. It was a perfect game for a team that needed a reminder of what got them their 8th consecutive league title and another trip to the Sweet 16.

Hopefully the offense comes. Hopefully we make a few more than 6 of 24 three-pointers and our two superstars find a way to improve on a combined 6 of 23 shooting effort.

But if the offense doesn’t come, this team will still have a chance.

As long as it remembers its identity.

 

KU, Texas A&M highlight video (HD)

Posted on: March 9th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Is this our year?

Posted on: March 6th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

It seems just about every March you hear someone around these parts say that this is “KU’s year.” You might even hear some reasoning behind the assertion. Every year it goes something like this…

“They just have a complete team. They are battle-tested. They have all the intangibles. There are no holes on this squad. They have tournament guards. This is the seniors’ last chance. They’re focused on the prize.”

Bla bla bla bla bla.

No matter what Digger Phelps or Jay Bilas or Seth Davis or your co-worker at the water jug will tell you, the NCAA tournament is not decided by measuring those factors. If it were, KU would have more than three national championship banners hanging in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse, and, most likely, ’88 would not be among them.

Instead, this tournament is decided by players making plays. It’s decided by hunger, sweat, intensity, drive, and guts. Upsets happen this time of year because a team’s will can often overcome a team’s talent. Your school may not have five McDonald’s All-Americans but it can still box out, out-hustle, and out-prepare another group of 18-22 year-olds. Coaches and players like to think that these are the factors that they can control in a tournament, and it’s true. If a team embodies these qualities and has the talent to compete, it can dance for a long time.

But then there are those things a coach and team cannot control, but still must overcome to reach a championship.

First, there’s the bracket and venue. The term “neutral floor” is thrown around so often in college basketball without any real basis. Playing UCLA in its back yard for a chance to go to the Final Four might come to mind. Perhaps playing the Championship game in Kemper Arena may also ring a bell. Then there is luck. A Final Four match-up against George Mason sure beats one against Kentucky, no matter how much America is behind the underdog.

But that’s the great part about this tournament. There are so many unknowns, and there is always room for that miracle run. KU knows all too well, both on the giving and receiving ends. The unknowns make CBS pony up billions to keep it on their network. The unknowns make the office bracket pools so much fun. The unknowns give those #10 to #16 seeds a reason to ask the “what if?” questions.

Can you blame them?

This has been an interesting year in college basketball. There is no team that is infallible. Sure, Kentucky and Syracuse have put together a ton of victories. But do those matter beginning March 15th? Not at all. I’d give Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio State, and Duke 3 out of 10 against the Wildcats if played today on a neutral court in mid-January. Probably 4 or 5 against ‘Cuse.

But this isn’t mid-January. It’s the month of madness.

I guess this is why I’m not all that much afraid of Kentucky. We’ve seen too many instances of incredibly talented freshmen not being able to gut out tournament victories for big blue nation. And with the overall #1 seed out of the tournament, it is a complete crap shoot this year.

So, back to the original assertion we have all heard. Is it KU’s year?

I’m not sure. But I’ll say this. I feel more confident with this team than I did last year. And the year before that. And those teams were pretty damn good (more on what I think of KU’s postseason chances later this week).

For now, let’s take a deep breath and get ready. The madness is nearly upon us.

Self and team celebrate 8 straight (video)

Posted on: February 28th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

This video from the locker room is pretty epic. Had to share on the website (courtesy of KU Athletics).

Enjoy. Especially the end.

#kubball

KU, Oklahoma St. highlights (HD)

Posted on: February 28th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

Kansas, Missouri Highlights (HD)

Posted on: February 27th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

I HATE mISSOURI

Posted on: February 24th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

It is missouri [sic] week (read: HATE week), and even though the game has some huge implications for the conference title, tournament seeding, etc., I’m not really thinking about that. I’m just thinking about how much I want KU to destroy the tigers [sic] on Saturday.

I’m talking total embarrassment.

But before I get to the game, I’d like to share a few parting shots about our easterly neighbors:

Let’s start with the actual state. The whole place is a hellhole, a bastion of obscenity and suck. And don’t get me started on their roads. It’s almost as if the owners of the zillions of fireworks stands go outside once a month and blow new holes in the roads just for kicks. Remember when former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius compared Missouri roads to 9/11? I thought it was a little overboard at the time, but I admired her enthusiasm.

Now for the people of missouri. For a state so close to Kansas, you sure find a different breed of folks across the border. Sure, there are exceptions. But for every normal person, it seems like missouri is home to three bass-ackward rednecks that get more zest for life shooting shotguns and hanging rubber testicles from their trucks than getting a job. You know what I’m talking about. The ones that spend their entire government checks on belt buckles and Boone’s Farm. They have a gold and black mizzou flag hanging on their flagpole that they made out of a pillowcase. The only flag hanging higher is the confederate flag that has been passed down from the local “Sons of Confederate Veterans” chapter. Here’s the other kicker. None of these idiots attended mU. Most couldn’t point columbia [sic] out on a map.

As for the school itself. You’d think that the University of missouri would be representative of the picture I have painted thus far. It isn’t. It is primarily made up of legacies and well-to-dos. Naturally, this means most of the students are pricks. There is a huge fraternity and sorority demographic, and the entire columbia bar scene matches its students. There is no diversity. Nothing interesting. The whole place is a frameless taupe hallway.

When it comes to athletics, they care about football and…well, football. That is, unless they are hosting KU at Paige Ar…err…mizzou Arena, in which case it might sell out. Though the vast majority of students are not hillbilly rednecks like so much of the fan base, whenever missouri plays KU, these kids decide to turn into hillbilly rednecks. For some reason, against KU, it’s “cool” to embrace missouri’s slave state heritage, making light of quantrill’s [sic] raid and missouri’s role in famous slave cases like Dred Scott. Oh, and if you’re wearing a Kansas shirt at a missouri game, you better bring a change of clothes. And earmuff the kids.

As for the rivalry with KU. Just the thought of it gets my blood boiling. No other rivalry comes close. Sure, UNC “hates” Duke. And Michigan isn’t a big fan of Ohio State. Whatever. Those are cute little tiffs. Petty quarrels among the largely conciliatory fan bases.

This is sheer vitriol.

It’s not even the individual players at missouri that I despise (although I can think of a few). It’s bragging rights. It is a symbolic match of right vs. wrong. It’s USA vs. Soviet Union in 1980. The game meant a lot, but the victory over our enemies meant just as much, if not more. KU’s all-time record against mizzou in football and basketball is 226-150. Just as the Jayhawkers defeated the bushwhackers in the Civil War, good has been winning out against evil for 120 years in the field of athletics.

That game in columbia earlier this year was tough to stomach. Especially since the good guys crushed the bad guys for 95% of the game. Hopefully, though, the Jayhawks will remember that feeling. That gut-wrenching “how did that happen?” kind of feeling that we rarely feel, especially against the tigers.

And I want the Jayhawks to return the favor.

Except this time, I don’t want the tigers to feel it with only seconds to go like we did over at the paige. I want them to feel it halfway through the first half. I want them to get that feeling so many other teams have when they’ve entered the Phog — that, “Is this game over yet?” kind of feeling. The feeling where they just can’t wait to get back in the locker room and on a bus out of town with their tails between their legs. I hope this game is a blowout. Nay, an annihilation.

As for missouri leaving. In many ways, it is kind of a sad departure. Not because KU shares any real love for missouri. It’s more of a “we love to hate you” feeling. Most KU fans think it’s a bad decision. But, as even most missouri fans will admit, we have all grown accustomed to missouri making terrible choices when it comes to the administration of athletics. I’m sure this decision will be a good one…you know, for us to eternally make fun of.

So anyway. Later losers. I still and will always hate you.

 

KU, Texas A&M Highlights (HD)

Posted on: February 24th, 2012 by jayhawktalk No Comments

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