Where we stand

For a while I thought ( back in November) that we will have this one last season, before the crapstorm of the Adidas thing hits. Then Doke got hurt and things spiraled down from there. No last hurrah.

Now we have finished an unsatisfying 10 loss season and I am afraid it might get worse. The NCAA might be gutless with some programs but they consider Kansas big enough to feel good about slapping , but vulnerable enough to use as a whipping boy. The bad news re Silvio in February seems the start.

Over the years a bunch of loose ends regarding high profile recruits ends never got resolved. Cliff, Billy just left.


I keep wondering why we sink so much into getting the types of player. I can't recall a one n done dominating a winning Regional Final. The high profile one year players HCBS gets don't do much in the NCAA.

My favorite players almost all stuck around three years Paul, T Rob, Mario, Brandon, the Twins. Instead of cutting corners to get a kid who barely unpacks the focus should be on 2-3 year types. Eventual pros that will be around. The good news is that we have at least three of those types in the current freshmen class.

Lately I've been trying to let go of things I can't control, and I'm trying to apply that thinking to the NCAA. The simple fact is that we really don't know what KU does behind the scenes, we don't know what evidence the NCAA has (other than a couple things), and we don't know if KU can defend itself. We also can't really do anything one way or the other about it, so I'm really trying to just put aside. Not burying my head in the sand, but not letting it occupy what little mental capacity I have with something that's beyond me.

Recruiting today is tough. I do think we get a good shot at most people and I do think we have the luxury to not go after obvious trouble cases. I also think that when you're going after top talent, you're competing with all kinds of characters, some of which will corrupt a kid.

I'm less worried about how this season worked out. Dok's injury was unanticipated and could happen to any player at any time. I've never been a Vick fan and wasn't thrilled he was returning. Not that this is an "I told you so" thing, but I think any reasonable observer recognized that welcoming him back was a calculated risk.

Over the past 15 years, we've also gotten lucky. There have been several times where the streak was on the brink, but other teams knocked themselves out and we prevailed. Part of the streak is about getting lucky on near misses. Eventually, luck goes the other way. While I'm bummed it's over, I'm happy that we got past UCLA before it happened.

Finally, I've evolved as a sports fan in the past 20 years. 15 years ago, I would have said that KU was clean as a whistle and that we'd never bend any rules. Now I've evolved my thinking to believe that the rules are routinely bent if not totally broke, but programs like ours insulate themselves and outsource the dirty work to 3rd parties with no connection to the school. Some recent cases:
>Cliff Alexander: program is 'clean' because there's no way to know that Cliff's mom was leveraging Cliff's future earnings to get a loan.
>Preston: he may have been driving a car that he nor his family had the means to pay for, but I guarantee that Bill Self nor anybody connected to KU's name was on the title of that car. How could we possibly know that some random person was buying cars for people?
>Silvio: the school knew nothing. Silvio knew nothing. A legal guardian was wheeling and dealing behind everyone's back.

In general, therefore, my blind and rabid fandom has been toned down. Kansas Basketball is still my favorite, I'll still wear all my KU gear around proudly and fly my flag. The difference now is that I've accepted it for what it is: big business entertainment that keeps me connected to a community that was a huge part of my life for 4 years.

Thanks, NotO. I resemble your remarks!

I could probably do with the serenity prayer mantra......I’m trying VERY HARD on a number of fronts, including the NCAA specter hanging over KU, to not dwell on things I cannot control.

K63......

I have truly missed your posts all season, I’m glad your commitments allow you to be with us again.

Konza - very sorry to hear about your older brother, the additional illnesses of your mother, and of your aunt. Puts the relatively poor year by KU basketball in perspective.
I was hoping that we might meet at the Sprint Center this weekend - a 6 year reunion so to speak.
All the best to you and your family.

Konza, prayers to you and your family.

I lurked on this board for years, and finally dove in and started posting last year. I've enjoyed this board immensely, and your posts in particular. I continue to look at the board almost every day, even in the off season, though the posts sure reduce. I'll be here, hoping we have some good news from recruiting, and even better news from the football team.

Take care.

Konza63,

My sincere hopes that the bad stuff has passed, and best wishes for HUGE success with your app!

Be well, continued success, see ya on the Board!

WSG

I know it's been a month since this thread started, but finally getting a moment to reply.

K63, like everyone else, sending positive energy your way about your mom (and family overall).

Regarding the comment you made about what HCBS said

That he needed to bring in a couple guys with talent to take over games in ways coaches can’t teach. Maybe that’s a self-admission that his coaching alone isn’t enough; you have to go for some studs as well. And sometimes the studs become duds.

I think that's one of the toughest situations. The one and done type players/athletes you would think would fill that role, but as it's been pointed out many times on this board, we seem to fewer misses then hits on that front. I guess that's why going for one 1-and-done per year isn't that risky (vs UK and Duke who are going after multiple players in that category...which I don't know if HCBS could do even if he wanted to). But in my opinion (which a number of other posters have expressed as well), with the system that HCBS has in places, it's harder for those top talents to play loose. I think that's a big part of the conundrum.