I have been very impressed with Gonzaga and UConn this year. They look very tough. I haven't really seen Duke or Texas, so I can't comment. Mich State looks like they will be pretty good. Arizona needs a lot of work, this is a team that will fail to impress this year, they just have too many holes. Missouri's travails do make me smile, the simple fact that they are six point underdogs to Davidson speaks volumes as to where the program not only is, but is perceived to be....it's unbelievable. I bought in to the Quin Snyder hype when he was hired.......my bad!!
On to my beloved alma mater, Kansas. I knew the year would be a struggle. I knew they were very young and inexperienced. I THOUGHT they had talent, and perhaps they do, but I am not very impressed with this team. I've only seen four games, so I haven't seen every one, but the only people who have semi-impressed me in every game are Kaun, Rush and Downs and perhaps Robinson to a smaller degree. The rest of the team has really disappointed me.
I have never seen seen a Kansas team who values the ball any less than this squad, and I've been watching them since the late 70's. They turn the ball over an obscene amount in every game. The team shoots poorly, they rebound poorly, their free throw shooting is horrific and they top all that off by being a below average defensive team. The end of game plays they run look like something you would see in a pickup game, not designed plays out of timeouts.....the Bill Self offense has looked awful for two years and it looks like year three is going to be the worst of all. This team is not good in any area, including coaching. They do try hard, but hell, I'd try hard if I was playing. They are just really depressing to watch. A lot of other teams in the country are young, and don't look as disorganized and pathetic as this Jayhawks squad........anyway, I need to stop.
Lest anyone be confused, I don't think Bill Self should be fired or be on the hot seat. In my opinion, college coaches need five years to prove/disprove themselves at a school. I do think there is hope, these kids must have some talent and are just struggling early on against a relatively tough schedule. They have dominated the patsies, and they aren't getting dominated in any games, so that gives me encouragement. I just don't recollect a team looking this inept in every facet of the game.
I'm not sure what to do. Personally, with the athletes Kansas has, I'd prefer to see them try to make the games faster, trap more defensively, press more. On offense it doesn't appear anyone moves without the ball, they practically never screen for shooters, nobody moves. The last shot of the St. Joseph game, nobody and I mean NOBODY went to the glass, they all stood around watching the shot. Sad.
I'll keep watching and hoping, but I'm not encouraged for this year and unless I see a dramatic turnaround, I'm not terribly encouraged for the immediate future after that. Hopefully I'm wrong, although that isn't frequently the case!!
