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TITLETOWN - A Decade Long Celebration Of The Greatest Achievement In College Athletics History => Kansas State Basketball is hard => Topic started by: Scary Smart on August 12, 2010, 06:17:04 PM
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http://espn.go.com/blog/CollegeBasketballNation/post/_/id/14324/summer-buzz-kansas-state-wildcats
Front page of ESPN college hoops page. Also, there's an ESPN insider article. (Would appreciate if somebody with access could copy & paste. tia)
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We are more popular than Gaga, Jersey Shore and Tebow combined.
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To be fair, most of the doubters were Kansas fans. One even asked me if Kansas State gave me a "free farming class," an inter-Kansan insult I didn't quite get. (In the comments, a Kansas State fan called the angry Kansas fans "beakers." Total burn!)
:lol:
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The (Inter)national infatuation with the Cats, coupled with the proof that Naismith didn't invent anything except a new method of theft, has ku fans in an absolute panic the likes of which I haven't seen since the FBI opened up shop on campus.
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Hell, the two comments below that blurb proves his point even further that KU fans make up the majority of the doubters.
It's funny how we'll miss Denis, Dom, and Lu (that guy citing Colon as a key loss is proof he is an idiot), yet they won't miss their 2 All-Americans and their lottery pick.
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Hell, the two comments below that blurb proves his point even further that KU fans make up the majority of the doubters.
It's funny how we'll miss Denis, Dom, and Lu (that guy him citing Colon as a key loss is proof he is an idiot), yet they won't miss their 2 All-Americans and their lottery pick.
So they lose to UNI in the round of 32, and their 6-10 players last year were better than MOST teams starting 5?
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Also, there's an ESPN insider article. (Would appreciate if somebody with access could copy & paste. tia)
Whoever does this gets a free month of goEMAW premium.
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Also, there's an ESPN insider article. (Would appreciate if somebody with access could copy & paste. tia)
Whoever does this gets a free month of goEMAW premium.
Easy now. Let's start with 2 weeks.
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Whoever does this gets a free month of goEMAW premium.
They were responsible for some of the most riveting games in March, fighting through two overtimes against Xavier before Butler knocked them out in the Elite Eight. Now, with six of the top seven scorers returning for Frank Martin's team, expectations for the Kansas State Wildcats are about as high as they've ever been. The team, a projected top-10 squad headed into the preseason, is more than aware it's supposed to be playing for higher stakes.
"As soon as we lost to Butler, the message I sent to the team is that now is the most difficult part of becoming good," Martin says. "We've made all the improvements that hard work brings -- getting a step better and another step better -- to get to where we are this year. Now the challenge is that we have to get a little tougher, a little stronger and take that next step as a program."
The return of marquee guard Jacob Pullen, who led the Cats with 19.3 points per game last season, is a good chunk of the reason K-State will be favored to win the conference. But now that Denis Clemente, his stunningly quick backcourt mate, is gone, the biggest question for these Cats is whether they'll be able to maintain the pace (they ranked 11th in scoring offense last season with 79.7 ppg) with Pullen now setting the table full time. The continued maturation of forwards Jamar Samuels, Curtis Kelly (who turned into a 15-ppg contributor in March) and Wally Judge will dictate just how soon Pullen can take this team to the top.
Welcome to campus
Freddy Asprilla, 6-foot-10, F/C
The Sun Belt's freshman of the year at Florida International two years ago, Asprilla is a skilled big man who has a solid set of scoring moves under the rim. He's about 10-20 pounds from being in game shape, but once his conditioning comes around, he'll be a more-than-capable replacement for Luis Colon.
Will Spradling, 6 feet, PG
On the first possession Spradling played in open gym this summer, he stripped the ball from Samuels and set up his team for a layup. The smallish guard (he weighs about 170 pounds) is already looking to make defensive plays and can hit 3s regularly when he's left open. That's a good skill set for a freshman looking to break into a rotation.
Hole to fill: Point guard
Clemente was a deceptively efficient lead guard last season. His 2.13 assist-to-turnover ratio sometimes got blurred by his knack for ending possessions with an errant 3 attempt, but according to his 13.7 tempo-free turnover percentage from kenpom.com, Clemente was the most careful point guard in the Big 12 last season. That kind of steady-handed leadership and his blazing speed will be hard to replicate. But that's not all the Wildcats are missing now that Clemente is gone. "More than that, we're going to miss his will and just the fire and energy that he brought to everything he did," Martin says.
Jacob Pullen
Jacob Pullen's return puts the Wildcats in a great position.
New role: Jacob Pullen
It's not as if Pullen didn't play setup man in last season's offense. Particularly against zone defenses from Colorado and Baylor, Pullen and Clemente sometimes shared the responsibility of initiating the team's O or breaking a press. That said, the most efficient use of both guards played to their strengths: streaky-shooting Clemente as table-setter for scoring machine Pullen (who shot 39.6 percent from 3 and 82.2 percent at the line).
Playing on the ball, Pullen has demonstrated a better-than-solid handle that shouldn't make full-time PG duties that tough a transition. The tougher part will be serving up scoring chances for teammates and bypassing his own. So don't expect as many 20-point scoring nights in Pullen's senior season.
"It would be impossible for me to have the same numbers as last year," he says. "I anticipate my scoring going down, but it's something I'm trying to prepare myself and the team for." When the squad splits up in open gym, Pullen has forced his defenders to double him on the screen and prepped his teammates for the looks they'll get now that opponents will be focused on him.
Summer school
Pullen spent most of July touring hoops hot spots -- putting in work at the Deron Williams point guard academy, then at LeBron James' Nike camp before being picked up for USA Elite team that trained against the national team in Las Vegas at the end of the month. Ho-hum. After Pullen's domestic run, Martin took his entire coaching staff, their families and the basketball office's secretaries to the Bahamas, as the head coach worked a three-day clinic with the Bahamas Basketball Federation. Junior forward Jamar Samuels is currently on a nine-day tour of Europe with a collegiate all-star team. Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, former high school All-America Wally Judge used most of the summer to rehab from a June neck operation that alleviated irritation caused by an injury last summer. Judge got back to the court this month, working on improving his shot form 19 feet out and his jump hook.
Elena Bergeron is a senior reporter for ESPN Insider.
I'll take that premium now if you don't mind. :gocho:
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Kansas State was one of the most compelling stories in college basketball last season. Even in defeat -- three times to Kansas and in an NCAA regional championship game to Butler -- the Wildcats were always at the center of excitement. The prescription for 2011 is more of the same.
Yes, the Wildcats lose the seemingly irreplaceable Denis Clemente. But Jacob Pullen returns to anchor a veteran group that has won 51 times the past two seasons. Just as important, coach Frank Martin has gone from skeptical target to a man ready to sustain long-term success in the Little Apple.
It may be premature to say the Big 12 is K-State's to lose. After all, the conference still boasts Kansas, Texas and a third emerging power, Baylor, with just as much talent as the Wildcats. But it's hardly a reach to suggest Kansas State has another excellent shot at the Final Four.
K-State put itself back on the basketball map a couple of years ago when it hired Bob Huggins and brought in Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. But last season the Wildcats went from one-and-done wonder and program on the rise to a program that has a defense-first identity and a sound base of talent returning to continue that tradition. With Frank Martin rightfully receiving a major bump in pay in his contract extension, K-State is not dropping anywhere near the bottom of the league any time soon.
It must be noted that although K-State returns leading scorer Jacob Pullen and the long and talented duo of Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels, Denis Clemente is gone. At times, the Wildcats lacked offense last season. With Dominique Sutton transferring and Clemente graduating, the perimeter will look different this fall, as Rodney McGruder will have to fight for his minutes with some stout incoming talent.
Look for the Cats to be far longer and more athletic than when Luis Colon played 15 minutes or so because Jordan Henriquez-Roberts has the ideal body to alter shots and defend away from the basket as well. Wally Judge looks for big minutes as well, and with Kelly and Samuels back, there will be a limit on how much the newcomers can contribute.
The biggest question heading forward is Pullen. Will Martin play him as a scoring 1 or at his more natural 2-guard spot? With Shane Southwell and Nino Williams capable, Pullen may play some point, but Martin loves incoming frosh Will Spradling, whom he compares to Steve Blake. Also keep an eye on massive Freddy Asprilla, a junior college big man from Miami Dade. Needless to say, KSU looks loaded for battle.
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I'll take that premium now if you don't mind. :gocho:
Thanks. I've modified your account and you will no longer see the google ads for the next 30 days.
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Thanks, Trim! :excited:
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Martin took his entire coaching staff, their families and the basketball office's secretaries to the Bahamas.
jfc, staff. get martin some players.
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3 days at Atlantis with Frank, Te, Undsie and Greenie sounds like heaven. Can you imagine how good Frank looks in island wear?
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Judge got back to the court this month, working on improving his shot form 19 feet out and his jump hook.
Sweet Jesus I want this.
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Judge got back to the court this month, working on improving his shot form 19 feet out and his jump hook.
Sweet Jesus I want this.
:love:
BTW, thanks Madcatter. :katpak:
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is it a dumb idea to think Will could get some significant playing time at the pg spot this year?
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Sprads will get more windmill dunk opportunities from the 2 or 3 and that is the most important factor determining playing time. Not dumb, just not practical.
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3 days at Atlantis with Frank, Te, Undsie and Greenie sounds like heaven. Can you imagine how good Frank looks in island wear?
I saw him shooting pool at Kathouse once, he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and not drinking. Te was wasted and trying to get on some sluts, nearly got in a fight too before cooler heads prevailed and he bro hugged it out with the dude.
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is it a dumb idea to think Will could get some significant playing time at the pg spot this year?
no. opportunity everywhere, he just has to be good enough.
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Hole to fill: Point guard
Pretty much a summary of our recruiting need.
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ESPN saves the best for last:
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/14337/summer-buzz-kansas-jayhawks (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/14337/summer-buzz-kansas-jayhawks)
For the next month or so, our friends at The Mag are previewing one high-profile school per day for their Summer Buzz series. For the sake of all that is synergistic, yours truly will be attempting the same, complementing each comprehensive Insider preview with some adjusted efficiency fun. Today's subject? Kansas. Up next? No one. This is the last buzz of the summer. Stay tuned for more previews from us very soon, though.
Kansas will still be very, very good.
When you think about it, that's kind of insane. After all, Kansas just waved goodbye to its three best players -- the heart-and-soul captain in senior Sherron Collins, one of the most intimidating big men in the country in Cole Aldrich, and a preternaturally smooth scorer in Xavier Henry -- and, even with teams like Kansas State, Baylor and Missouri in hot pursuit, Jayhawks fans still have reason to like their conference title chances.
Last season, commentators sometimes joked that if Kansas only played its second five, it would still be a top 25 team. This year, we get to test that theory for real.
Of course, it's not quite that exact. There's the addition of uber-recruit Josh Selby, who will compete with Duke's Kyrie Irving and Kentucky's Brandon Knight for the John Wall Memorial Freshman Point Guard of the Year award in 2010-11. That is, if Selby plays; the NCAA is still investigating his relationship with Carmelo Anthony's business manager and hasn't yet indicated whether Selby will be able to play by the time the season starts.
Kansas also has the benefit of keeping a pair of starters -- guard Tyshawn Taylor and forward Marcus Morris -- who have been resigned to role player positions for much of their careers. This season, both could prove their stardom.
Morris is perhaps the better candidate. He was the No. 56-ranked player in the country in offensive rating last season; his 120.7 was far and away Kansas' best. At 6-foot-8, Morris isn't the intimidating defender or shot blocker that Aldrich was, but he's far more skilled on the offensive end, and his outside touch has extended almost to the three-point line in recent seasons.
Taylor, for his part, isn't the offensive player Collins or Henry was, even in limited possessions. But he does have two major advantages: Speed and defense. Taylor can get to the rim on the break as quickly as any guard in the country, and his steal rate of 3.2 in 2009-10 counted as a major defensive contribution.
In many ways, Kansas is better prepared to deal with the loss of Cole Aldrich -- last season's most dominant interior defensive player -- than their personnel would indicate. That's because Kansas was already guard-dominant, even with Aldrich in the lineup. Assuming Selby gets eligible, Kansas will have a coterie of guards -- Taylor, Brady Morningstar, newcomer Royce Woolridge -- with it they can push the pace. With Morris' range, transitioning to a faster, more diverse Jayhawks attack team might be the only way forward.
The biggest hole to fill, then, will be Aldrich's defensive presence. The center blocked 12.97 percent of his opponents' shot attempts in 2009-10, the fifth-highest rate in the country. Even with Marcus' taller brother Markieff Morris sliding into a starting role, the Jayhawks are not going to be able to recreate Aldrich's dominant shot-blocking ability. That's tough ... but it's also where better defensive ball pressure and depth at the guard positions can come into play. Since 2005-06, a Bill Self-coached Kansas team has never finished outside of the top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency; even with Aldridge gone, that statistic seems unlikely to change in 2010-11.
In other words, Kansas will look remarkably different in 2010-11, but the results, if not quite as impressive as last season's, should look similar.
:blush:
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I like how he pointed out the Selby scandal.
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I like how he pointed out the Selby scandal.
I like how the same writer predicts K-State to be a Final Four team and not KU.
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ESPN saves the best for last:
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/14337/summer-buzz-kansas-jayhawks (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/14337/summer-buzz-kansas-jayhawks)
For the next month or so, our friends at The Mag are previewing one high-profile school per day for their Summer Buzz series. For the sake of all that is synergistic, yours truly will be attempting the same, complementing each comprehensive Insider preview with some adjusted efficiency fun. Today's subject? Kansas. Up next? No one. This is the last buzz of the summer. Stay tuned for more previews from us very soon, though.
Kansas will still be very, very good.
When you think about it, that's kind of insane. After all, Kansas just waved goodbye to its three best players -- the heart-and-soul captain in senior Sherron Collins, one of the most intimidating big men in the country in Cole Aldrich, and a preternaturally smooth scorer in Xavier Henry -- and, even with teams like Kansas State, Baylor and Missouri in hot pursuit, Jayhawks fans still have reason to like their conference title chances.
Last season, commentators sometimes joked that if Kansas only played its second five, it would still be a top 25 team. This year, we get to test that theory for real.
Of course, it's not quite that exact. There's the addition of uber-recruit Josh Selby, who will compete with Duke's Kyrie Irving and Kentucky's Brandon Knight for the John Wall Memorial Freshman Point Guard of the Year award in 2010-11. That is, if Selby plays; the NCAA is still investigating his relationship with Carmelo Anthony's business manager and hasn't yet indicated whether Selby will be able to play by the time the season starts.
Kansas also has the benefit of keeping a pair of starters -- guard Tyshawn Taylor and forward Marcus Morris -- who have been resigned to role player positions for much of their careers. This season, both could prove their stardom.
Morris is perhaps the better candidate. He was the No. 56-ranked player in the country in offensive rating last season; his 120.7 was far and away Kansas' best. At 6-foot-8, Morris isn't the intimidating defender or shot blocker that Aldrich was, but he's far more skilled on the offensive end, and his outside touch has extended almost to the three-point line in recent seasons.
Taylor, for his part, isn't the offensive player Collins or Henry was, even in limited possessions. But he does have two major advantages: Speed and defense. Taylor can get to the rim on the break as quickly as any guard in the country, and his steal rate of 3.2 in 2009-10 counted as a major defensive contribution.
In many ways, Kansas is better prepared to deal with the loss of Cole Aldrich -- last season's most dominant interior defensive player -- than their personnel would indicate. That's because Kansas was already guard-dominant, even with Aldrich in the lineup. Assuming Selby gets eligible, Kansas will have a coterie of guards -- Taylor, Brady Morningstar, newcomer Royce Woolridge -- with it they can push the pace. With Morris' range, transitioning to a faster, more diverse Jayhawks attack team might be the only way forward.
The biggest hole to fill, then, will be Aldrich's defensive presence. The center blocked 12.97 percent of his opponents' shot attempts in 2009-10, the fifth-highest rate in the country. Even with Marcus' taller brother Markieff Morris sliding into a starting role, the Jayhawks are not going to be able to recreate Aldrich's dominant shot-blocking ability. That's tough ... but it's also where better defensive ball pressure and depth at the guard positions can come into play. Since 2005-06, a Bill Self-coached Kansas team has never finished outside of the top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency; even with Aldridge gone, that statistic seems unlikely to change in 2010-11.
In other words, Kansas will look remarkably different in 2010-11, but the results, if not quite as impressive as last season's, should look similar.
:blush:
:lol: Won't be as impressive as a second round loss eh?
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
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good thing they put a frank picture with the bill self picture to give the article a chance at getting clicked on
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
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In other words, Kansas will look remarkably different in 2010-11, but the results, if not quite as impressive as last season's, should look similar.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst best KU can do next season, I think we'll be okay lose in the first round.
:thumbsup:
:dunno:
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
Agreed. Regular season seems to be the forte. Stick to that.
KSU has left ku's AD in the dust.
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oh hey beems
have you found the ku rebel bbs yet
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
Agreed. Regular season seems to be the forte. Stick to that.
KSU has left ku's AD in the dust.
I didn't realize losing to Butler in the Elite Eight was such a significant achievement. Man, you guys really have that athletic department rolling right now.
:ohno:
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oh hey beems
have you found the ku rebel bbs yet
Yes, and it reminded me how much I miss goEMAW.
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Butler, happen to be the national runner up, jus sayin.
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
Agreed. Regular season seems to be the forte. Stick to that.
KSU has left ku's AD in the dust.
I didn't realize losing to Butler in the Elite Eight was such a significant achievement. Man, you guys really have that athletic department rolling right now.
:ohno:
Currie's administration is currently celebrating it's 453rd day of being FBI free.
Not too bad imo.
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
Agreed. Regular season seems to be the forte. Stick to that.
KSU has left ku's AD in the dust.
I didn't realize losing to Butler in the Elite Eight was such a significant achievement. Man, you guys really have that athletic department rolling right now.
:ohno:
Better than losing to UNI in the round of 32. Throw in the football and baseball domination....and it's not close.
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Butler, happen to be the national runner up, jus sayin.
Everyone knows Butler is the next Gonzaga, but Beems is still hoping everyone confuses Butler with Bucknell and Bradley, those terrible "B"-schools that beat KU in the first round.
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Butler, happen to be the national runner up, jus sayin.
Everyone knows Butler is the next Gonzaga, but Beems is still hoping everyone confuses Butler with Bucknell and Bradley, those terrible "B"-schools that beat KU in the first round.
Did Bucknell or Bradley get to the championship game?
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Butler, happen to be the national runner up, jus sayin.
Everyone knows Butler is the next Gonzaga, but Beems is still hoping everyone confuses Butler with Bucknell and Bradley, those terrible "B"-schools that beat KU in the first round.
Did Bucknell or Bradley get to the championship game?
That's what I'm saying. Bucknell lost in the second round, Bradley in the Sweet 16. They weren't very good, but they were just good enough to beat KU.
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
Agreed. Regular season seems to be the forte. Stick to that.
KSU has left ku's AD in the dust.
I didn't realize losing to Butler in the Elite Eight was such a significant achievement. Man, you guys really have that athletic department rolling right now.
:ohno:
Better than losing to UNI in the round of 32. Throw in the football and baseball domination....and it's not close.
How many Big 12 titles did you guys add to the trophy case last season? TIA.
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How many Big 12 titles did you guys add to the trophy case last season? TIA.
1
http://goEMAW.com/blog/?cat=5
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oh hey beems
have you found the ku rebel bbs yet
Yes, and it reminded me how much I miss goEMAW.
:gocho:
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How many Big 12 titles did you guys add to the trophy case last season? TIA.
1
http://goEMAW.com/blog/?cat=5
that & we did it with 0 NBA players. Frank coaches up and Massa breaks 'em down.
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In other words, Kansas will look remarkably different in 2010-11, but the results, if not quite as impressive as last season's, should look similar.
So, basically saying a first-round tourney exit.
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Does the big 12 actually keep track of reg season stuff?
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Does the big 12 actually keep track of reg season stuff?
You guys might know the answer to that question if you ever won conference championships.
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We have 19 of those......jus sayin??
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Does the big 12 actually keep track of reg season stuff?
You guys might know the answer to that question if you ever won conference championships.
wut?
:flush:
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We don't rebuild, we reload.
:love:
After UNI you might want to rebuild.
If going 33-3, winning the Big 12, and sweeping K-State and Mizzou is the worst KU does next season, I think we'll be okay.
:thumbsup:
I had forgotten what happened in the first part of the basketball season in January/February. You dudes really did well back then. No reason to change that awesome regular season formula.
I can only dream of the day when KU gets swept by K-State and loses in the Elite Eight to a mid-major.
:pray:
Dont worry when you do, retards like you will justify it by saying the tournament is more important. Your a pro at built-in excuses.