Eh, Sully is just an added bonus at this point. The team has been winning with Sully getting maybe 60% of the minutes. Craft and Thomas have been carrying this team. I'd be more worried about Buford getting his stroke back tonight than anything.
NCAA Conference And National Tournament Thread - Lets Get It On!
- Thread starter Phog Allen
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- #42
Yesterday the sports radio jocks here in Kansas Ctiy had a guy on from somewhere in Ohio who deals with the Buckeyes on a regular basis. He said the same thing essentially. KU and OSU are sort of mirrors of each other in way though I think OSU probably has better outside shooting by a good margin. I know the question of Craft and his great defense always comes up and there is no doubt how good he is. But I hope, hope, hope everyone on OSU's team takes it for granted that Tyshawn Taylor cannot play defense. It will make things much more interesting. The kid is scary fast and has a wing span that is unbelievable for a guard. He is 6'3" though.
The other thing I hope will be a factor is Jeff Withey. This kid has become a shot blocking monster. Ten in the game against NCST and I believe six or eight against UNC. And those UNC guys are tall. The biggest issue with him is that when he has a lackluster game, it is REALLY lackluster. And the biggest issue of all is whether Thomas Robinson can play good D. The kid is incredible on the inside and he is the best rebounder in the country(not necessarily numbers but opportunities and bit time grabs). I think he is up to 28 double doubles this year. Anyroad, I am nervous as anything. These guys have about given me heart attacks numerous times this year. About five minutes of playing like they did against Purdue and you can mail this one in.
Cheers, Todd
The other thing I hope will be a factor is Jeff Withey. This kid has become a shot blocking monster. Ten in the game against NCST and I believe six or eight against UNC. And those UNC guys are tall. The biggest issue with him is that when he has a lackluster game, it is REALLY lackluster. And the biggest issue of all is whether Thomas Robinson can play good D. The kid is incredible on the inside and he is the best rebounder in the country(not necessarily numbers but opportunities and bit time grabs). I think he is up to 28 double doubles this year. Anyroad, I am nervous as anything. These guys have about given me heart attacks numerous times this year. About five minutes of playing like they did against Purdue and you can mail this one in.
Cheers, Todd
Ech. Congrats, Kansas. Weird game.
Up until the last few minutes I never thought Kansas would pull it off. Not the best played game - but plenty exciting.
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- #45
Well, they did it again. I am not talking about winning. I knew they were fully capable of it. I am talking the space cadet starts. I was sure if they pulled a Purdue stunt it was over. I told you this was a tough minded team. And defense. Man they ratcheted it up again in the second half. I hope all this "well, Kansas won but so and so's best player was out..." silliness ends now. That was not aimed at OSU or its fans. They are fine. I am talking the ESPN east coast guys like Duke Vitale and Dumber Phelps. As former coaches they should know better. And some of those CBS arse clowns got on my nerves as well. No shot for KU tonight and OSU was merely fodder for UK Monday. Yeesh.
Okay, good and bad. Bad; Horrible start. Nine lives are used up. Play like the UNC game or big trouble is ahead. Good. Should be obvious by now KU can play with any team in the country. I just hope UK hasn't taken notice. We played them earlier this year and though we lost handily in the second half, most people don't realise that game was a virtual tie at the half. Kansas is way better now but so is Kentucky. Defense. I cannot really ask for more other than don't wait till ten minutes of game time goes by. And did Withey ever show up! I was absolutely depending on OSUs bigs to think they could just go by him. I think he had at least five blocks tonight. Two of them in five seconds. He MUST bring it Monday for KU to have a real chance.
Overall I am more than satisfied with my team this year. I could not be more proud of them. A team picked to place sixth in the BigXII.
A team Vitale picked to lose to Detroit in the first round. A team given zero chance to beat OSU. And btw, total respect for OSU. I wouldn't want to fight that one out again. If we would have lost tonight I would have said well done OSU and our season ended losing to a team playing for a national championship. Now it is all house money. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
Cheers, Todd
Okay, good and bad. Bad; Horrible start. Nine lives are used up. Play like the UNC game or big trouble is ahead. Good. Should be obvious by now KU can play with any team in the country. I just hope UK hasn't taken notice. We played them earlier this year and though we lost handily in the second half, most people don't realise that game was a virtual tie at the half. Kansas is way better now but so is Kentucky. Defense. I cannot really ask for more other than don't wait till ten minutes of game time goes by. And did Withey ever show up! I was absolutely depending on OSUs bigs to think they could just go by him. I think he had at least five blocks tonight. Two of them in five seconds. He MUST bring it Monday for KU to have a real chance.
Overall I am more than satisfied with my team this year. I could not be more proud of them. A team picked to place sixth in the BigXII.
A team Vitale picked to lose to Detroit in the first round. A team given zero chance to beat OSU. And btw, total respect for OSU. I wouldn't want to fight that one out again. If we would have lost tonight I would have said well done OSU and our season ended losing to a team playing for a national championship. Now it is all house money. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
Cheers, Todd
Good game, Todd. Also it isn't entirely true that our best player (according to most) wasn't out. Sullinger was nowhere to be found. He allowed Withey to totally dictate the way he played (awful). A perfect picture of why there are 2 halves, you have to play both of them. You peaked at the right time, OSU decided to allow you to dictate the pace of the game. Congrats! You better beat UK, though 
- Thread starter
- #47
I don't know if anyone can dictate anything to Kentuck' this year. And Calipari has to be looking for some payback for 2008. Either way we have to bring A+ game for TWO halves or it is going to be a long night. As for Sully I was referencing the first game. Dukie Vitale and others were whining early in the season when we beat OSU and he was out. I thought it a slap in the face to OSU. There are some GOOD players on that team or they would not have been in the FF either. And Withey looks gangly and out of sorts. Don't let it fool you. As much as OSU "allowed" KU to dictate the defense KU is pretty good at forcing it. And it looked like OSU pulled a KU and kind of lost focus in the second half as well. Great game and it would have been no shame to lose to OSU. Rock Chalk.
Cheers, Todd
Cheers, Todd
- Thread starter
- #48
Well dang. Kansas came up short but against this Kentucky team but I am in no way ashamed or feeling like we didn't show up. Down 18 and did what they've done all year. Fight, claw, and scratch their way back in. I don't know man. Two missed drunks in a few minutes to start the second half. I can only imagine the impact being within a couple of points would have made at the end. Still, they made a good fight against a near semi pro team. These kids were picked to finish exactly nowhere this year and came close to pulling another rabbit out of their hat.
Kentucky. Where do you start? Those guys are just so talented. Way to fly Kentucky. You guys deserved it all the way.
Cheers, Todd
PS: I wanted to add one other thing. Ourcenter Jeff Withey is now the NCAA record holder for blocked shots in the tournament. I believe after tonight he had 30 or 31 total. Glad we are getting him back next year.
Kentucky. Where do you start? Those guys are just so talented. Way to fly Kentucky. You guys deserved it all the way.
Cheers, Todd
PS: I wanted to add one other thing. Ourcenter Jeff Withey is now the NCAA record holder for blocked shots in the tournament. I believe after tonight he had 30 or 31 total. Glad we are getting him back next year.
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Our local sports talk radio station congratulated Kentucky for the championship and Kansas for the one that they'll have in four years after Kentucky is forced to vacate this one.
- Mark
- Mark
I would like to say congratulations to the Kentucky fans and the STUDENT athletes that accomplished this goal. I hope your coach has explained to you the value of a (scholarship) college education and how you will cherish these years of your life forever. I know they say "you can always come back to college" and that is true. What they don't say is that you cannot get back your youth while in college and the feeling of being the "big man on campus". Being young and in college helps shape people's lives in a tremendous way. I am not suggesting that going pro is a bad idea or that your life will in any way be less fulfilling or successful should you chose to go pro. Nor am I suggesting that folks that don't go to college are going to be less happy, squared away or successful. I am merely saying that I hope these student athletes strongly consider staying in school (maybe winning a few more titles) and enjoying being a young superstar while you get a fantastic education (that you will always be able to put to good use... long after your physical attributes fade). Again... congratulations to the Kentucky faithful.
I like your points, but just remember it is Coach Cal we are talking about here.
Congratulations to Kentucky. Sometimes hard for an IU grad to say, but they had the best team this year.
A fantastic season to watch, top to bottom. Todd, thanks for giving us a thread in which to discuss the season's great conclusion, and congratulations to your beloved Jayhawks on one heck of a season. Withey will most definitely be a force next year.
