Meh

[jfish26]

I just can’t buy in with those dudes as our title winners.

Me either.

Rush, Chalmers, Arthur, Collins

Och, CB, JW, DMac

KM HD Kj Furphy

One of those is not like the others.

Yes, the last group didn’t win a title. And so it doesn’t glow.

You can absolutely win a title with a starting lineup of Harris, Furphy, McCullar, Adams and Dickinson.

But you need a few things, including a Sherron/Remy type who can either play alongside Harris, or in place of him. You need a shooting wing who can either play alongside McCullar (in place of Adams), or in place of him. You need a defensive-minded sub for Hunter who is not a walking turnover like Braun.

You need eight Big 12 quality starters, and we had five. It’s not a lot more complicated than that.

[ousdahl]

I dunno if we even had five.

Heck, in 12 we made the title game with 5 starters, and depth being a walk-on and a former women’s team manager or whatever.

This year we had anywhere from like 2-4 and a half Big 12 quality starters, depending on who’s healthy and what kind of night each is having.

And without specifically saying who’s only half, let’s leave that portion of the donut somewhere in that gray area of the “…or in place of him” parts.

Cuz if someone really is a Big 12 quality starter, maybe we shouldn’t have to also have someone else we can play in his place.

[DeletedUser]

You can absolutely win a title with a starting lineup of Harris, Furphy, McCullar, Adams and Dickinson.

I sure thought so 3ish months ago.

[DeletedUser]

Cuz if someone really is a Big 12 quality starter, maybe we shouldn’t have to also have someone else we can play in his place.

Maybe it's Kj that's the problem. 2 non shooters doesn't work.

A facilitator at PG works. It's working for UNC this year. They ignore their PG from 3 even more than they do to DH.

[ousdahl]

Yeah, maybe it is.

Think I’ve said it, but you gotta figure “undersized center cosplaying as non-shooter tweener forward” would prob be a reserve in any other era.

But you also gotta figure “rail-thin non-shooter but non-slasher either veteran PG who’s still prone to bonehead freshman-looking moments anyway” is, again, in any other era prob a reserve.

So I guess it’s a matter of deciding which non-shooter is the lesser of the non-shooter evils.

[jfish26]

Cuz if someone really is a Big 12 quality starter, maybe we shouldn’t have to also have someone else we can play in his place.

Maybe it's Kj that's the problem. 2 non shooters doesn't work.

A facilitator at PG works. It's working for UNC this year. They ignore their PG from 3 even more than they do to DH.

I love the idea of Adams as a 20+ mpg reserve whose job is to come in off the bench and light the game on fire with energy.

[KUTradition]

You can absolutely win a title with a starting lineup of Harris, Furphy, McCullar, Adams and Dickinson.

there’s a reason numerous “experts” called them the best starting 5 in the country, despite the apparent need of messageboard “fan” experts to trash them

[KUTradition]

and it should come as no surprise who the local guilty parties are

[AlOerter]

Pre-season #1 meant a lot of people thought we would be better and that our bench would be better including me. And we did play better early (but not the bench). Teams scouted us and we got tired and beat up.

[ousdahl]

Cuz if someone really is a Big 12 quality starter, maybe we shouldn’t have to also have someone else we can play in his place.

Maybe it's Kj that's the problem. 2 non shooters doesn't work.

A facilitator at PG works. It's working for UNC this year. They ignore their PG from 3 even more than they do to DH.

I love the idea of Adams as a 20+ mpg reserve whose job is to come in off the bench and light the game on fire with energy.

^^^^^

If we’re gonna afford the space to say these things…I also like the idea of Dajuan as a 20+ mpg reserve whose job is to come in and facilitate both next to and/or occasionally in place of a more dynamic starting lead guard

[jfish26]

You can absolutely win a title with a starting lineup of Harris, Furphy, McCullar, Adams and Dickinson.

there’s a reason numerous “experts” called them the best starting 5 in the country, despite the apparent need of messageboard “fan” experts to trash them

I mean, we were absolutely dominant on both ends in ‘07-‘08, starting Robinson and Kaun. As much as I detest Harris, Harris/Adams are better in combination than those two.

And yes, the game is somewhat different now. But our issue was that we had nobody behind our starters, at all. Led to fatigue and easier scouting and a lack of options on a game to game basis.

[MICHHAWK]

you “detest” dh.

that is pretty harsh.

[randylahey]

The problem isn't one guy. But we have pieces who don't fit. DH, KJ, and hunter all have a major flaw. And when you put them on out there together it's hard to hide those flaws, and we become extremely beatable

I'm curious how the roster fills out, but of those 3 are all playing 30+ minutes a game next year, which is very probable, self is gonna have his work cut out for him again

[randylahey]

But dajuan, hunter, and KJ have one more season here max. They are good, but flawed, college players. Once they are gone, it will be a bit easier to assemble a good core of pieces that fit together

[jfish26]

you “detest” dh.

that is pretty harsh.

I would not detest him in a role that is suitable for his ability.

[ousdahl]

I’m all sentimental about 08, but I might take Kaun and Russ over KJ and Dajuan.

KJ is a versatile tweener athlete. But Kaun was an actual center with legit size and freaky wingspan and solid fundamentals that would have started pretty much anywhere (but played off the bench in 08!), and went on to have an NBA career and got Lebron a ring to boot.

Dajuan might be a tad better facilitator, it’s hard to tell in an apples to apples way.

But I remember Russ as playing with more poise, more heart, that stuff. His jumper didn’t look goofy, his slashing didn’t look hesitant, his bonehead moments seemed less frequent, and he had a good 20 pounds of muscle on Dajuan too. Plus that K State fan meme when he took out the twin towers with his laser eyes

[jfish26]

I love Russ. Love love love. But lemme tell ya, your mind’s eye is playing tricks on you if you don’t think his jumper was goofy.

[ousdahl]

Ok…did his jumper look as goofy as Dajuan’s, with the low slow release and flat trajectory and such?

[DeletedUser]

Yeah, maybe it is.

Think I’ve said it, but you gotta figure “undersized center cosplaying as non-shooter tweener forward” would prob be a reserve in any other era.

But you also gotta figure “rail-thin non-shooter but non-slasher either veteran PG who’s still prone to bonehead freshman-looking moments anyway” is, again, in any other era prob a reserve.

So I guess it’s a matter of deciding which non-shooter is the lesser of the non-shooter evils.

I don't think Kj is a center. He's pretty much a non shooting PF to me.

[DeletedUser]

You can absolutely win a title with a starting lineup of Harris, Furphy, McCullar, Adams and Dickinson.

there’s a reason numerous “experts” called them the best starting 5 in the country, despite the apparent need of messageboard “fan” experts to trash them

I mean, we were absolutely dominant on both ends in ‘07-‘08, starting Robinson and Kaun. As much as I detest Harris, Harris/Adams are better in combination than those two.

But are they really?

Robinson and Kaun both got NBA looks. Kj and DH won't.