Bill Self lost this game

totally agree. I don't understand why he didn't sub offense for defense. Put in anyone. We just needed FT shooters at the end. Cunliffe or someone would have been better.

I disagree. The issue IMHO is that without Dok the offense was stagnant. With him they hacked him and we at least let him shoot free throws. Obviously he missed them all today but I do not know that we had a choice.

Learn to shoot FT’s - freaking annoying L. KU was due to drop one of these close games, but doesn’t make me feel any better.

What was it...three trips, four trips down the floor your offense doesn't even get a shot? And you think he shouldn't have subbed for Dok? How much more stagnant can you get than missing every free throw without even getting a shot attempt from the field?

Dok has to be on the bench at crunch time, until he can at least make 50% of his free throws. Our odds of scoring by having one of our perimeter players throw up a forced shot, are simply better,at this time, of Dok making a free throw!

JHC!!! I can make 50%

Self is to blame, unless . . . . . .

What happens in a month and a half when we are in the same position (and we will be) but Udunkie comes through because he knows HCBS believes in him? Yea, I know, until that happens . . .


RC

You can say all you want about the youth and inexperience of these players. The simple truth is his player was put in a position to win the game and did not execute. Sure, there is an argument for offense/defense subbing. It still doesn’t take away the fact that if one player could hit half their FTs this is a different outcome. For all his rim rattling power and ability, that same player has a glaring weakness. I dare say Coach Kruger will not be the last to employ this strategy. Right now its working. Surely there is some corrective action that can be taken.

Well the only thing I'd say is before it was guard our three's and you can win. Now it's hack a Doke. Either way some weakness can get exploited at one time or another because most teams have one. The fact is, even if Doke made half his FT's we still wouldn't have won. Coaching is as much a gamble as it is a sure thing sometimes. I think Self should have subbed someone else in but again, there is no guarantee that would have produced a win. The sub could have produced no scoring. My take aways from this game are that we played our butts off and didn't get blown out and had a chance to win. Not a lot more one could ask playing on the road in the toughest conference in the nation.

“The fact is, even if Doke made half his FT's we still wouldn't have won. ”

Maybe. But if he had even hit one, miss one...maybe Kruger changes strategy. Maybe not. Just one more challenge for an already challenging season.

Um, I would ask for better and smarter coaching for one thing! Did HCBS give his team the best chance to win down the stretch? How could anyone respond with a yes?

Learn to make FTs - failure is on both coach and player. Dok needs got get better, because KU offense was stagnant without him. It is an aggravating game to lose, but this is just going to be life in the Big X12, going to lose some close games. Let’s defend the league Saturday and make sure we are ready for the octagon of dumb.

Was the foul called 15 seconds into the game legit? Jeez, seems pretty whistle happy to me,

RC

There are multiple issues that were raised in the final 5 minutes of this game. First, as has been pointed out, it might have been better to have substituted for Doke and given our players a chance to win. Keeping him in the game when he clearly wasn't going to hit any of the FTs was silly, and self defeating. Second, why can't Doke shoot FTs? Some guys miss but at least they look like they have a chance when they shoot. The way he shoots FTs, if he hits even one, everyone is shocked. At this point he is one of the worst FT shooters I've ever seen in Division 1. Too many people I know have suggested that Doke shoot FTs underhand, and I cannot imagine that he could be any worse doing it the 'Rick Barry' way. Third, what is the point of having a rule about 'intentional fouls' when it clearly is not ever going to be called in a game unless it's a 'flagrant' foul. I've read the rule, I know what it means, but no ref is ever going to call it unless he is directed to call it by the supervisory body. Tonight was a joke, as Doke was not even remotely involved in any of the plays, was fouled repeatedly by a joke of a player who came into the game for one reason, and yet the refs were simply not going to hand the game to KU in spite of the rule. Why? So, in review, Self should have replaced Doke because Doke can't shoot FTs, and is worse now than he was at the beginning of the season, and since he was allowed to stay in the game even though everyone knew he was going to miss, why didn't the refs comply with the rules and call those fouls 'intentional?' Your thoughts?

This is only the second time since Self became the coach that I've been really angry with him, so suffice it to say I'm on his side most of the time. I remember his keeping Tyshawn in the game no matter how many times he threw the ball into the crowd. Now his failure to sub someone--anyone--for Doke is going to take a long time for me to trust him again.

7 free throws missed=7 empty possessions=the failure to sub someone for Doke who could hit from the charity stripe=the loss. BTW, if Doke has been practicing "harder on free throws than anyone else," as Gurley and friend said, why hasn't he improved? My thought is he hasn't been learning from his missed shots, he just does the same thing over and over no matter how many practice shots he takes. Someone should educate him on the mind/body connection system. I love the guy, but there should be a clear rule by HCBS that he'd give no other coach the opportunity to play HOKE-A-DOKE!

To make matters worse, most of the commentators' comments all night long were singing the praises of the great god Trae Young. It got very tiresome.

Murphyslaw I too got tired of hearing about Trae. He’s good we get it. He didn’t win this game. Dok missing FT’s lost the game. It was ours to win...