KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says...

If I was Keith I'd take the cool 2 mil for 2 years. At least his agent is telling the cold hard facts/truth.

May 12, 2009 at 1:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Timmay97 (anonymous) says...

I can honestly say that the more I read about Stephenson, the more I respect Self's decision to bring both Henry's to Lawrence. It seems the Henry's don't have the baggage that Lance would bring. And if this information is true about Lance's father.....that's the last thing the Jayhawks need. No distractions next year!

I'm truly happy for Langford. I thought he was a huge talent when he was with KU....he was just a little undersized. It's just good to see all these kids continue to make a living playing ball. Doesn't matter where they are playing, most of them are more financially sound than any of us.

Congrats to Russell and Keith! Keep up the hard work guys and you'll get to where you want to be.

May 12, 2009 at 6:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jhawk7782 (anonymous) says...

I agree, a good agent gives good advice. He should just make sure that he gets paid in euros.......

May 12, 2009 at 6:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

overseashawk (anonymous) says...

I agree one million percent about staying put in Italy. He could be set for life for two years of playing ball in Italy. He'd get paid in €'s tax free! Plus, I've spent some time in Italy and you couldn't ask for a more beautiful or friendly country.

The fact of the matter is that if Keith plays in the NBA he'll get the !&£( taxed out of him and will not get a very lucrative contract. He'd be lucky to be guaranteed a multi-year contract.

May 12, 2009 at 7:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

yates33333 (anonymous) says...

I hope Russell hooks up with the NBA or with a European club that will pay him what he is worth. I agree with the comments on Keith taking the money. Why sit on the bench and take a pounding now and then in the NBA when you can become an instant millionaire?

May 12, 2009 at 7:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

coloradojayhawk (anonymous) says...

That's a lotta pizza! For those of you not getting the reference, http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Pizza-J...

May 12, 2009 at 7:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KUPROUD (anonymous) says...

I'm a Langford fan, but come on, guys, I need a current Jayhawk BB fix. What did Cole have for breakfast? How's Bill's golf game? Just anything will do to fill this dry period. Throw me a bone, please.

May 12, 2009 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

truehawk93 (anonymous) says...

Langford will do well in whatever he does, he always has! He'll do fine either in Italy or the NBA. I think if he does take some NBA deal, they'll jerk him around and he doesn't deserve any of that treatment. He's the real deal and teams are stupid not to give him a real chance. The 2 mil in Italy looks much more promising.
RR is going to get better and increase his stock and he will end up in a great situation.
I'm real disappointed in Lance. The real sad thing is, he's not college or academic material and I'm afraid Wall is the same way. These guys have sacrificed too much to be the blue chip they are today and their educations have suffered.

May 12, 2009 at 8:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Jhawkerman (anonymous) says...

Lance is a great example why they need to stop the one and done .. Let these Non-academic kids go straight to the NBA finishing school. Make college a 3 yr minimum program so kids get what college is made for Academics!. I feel kids who are one and done just hurt college basketball programs in the long run. If you know a kid is going to be there 3 years you can build a program and make it work.

Rock Chalk

May 12, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

I for one like these up dates on past players! nice to know their BB days are not over.
anyone know if Kieth . ever got his awards replaced after they were stolen?
something about being a NBA player for any length of time is compelling, being able to say I played in the NBA is a huge thing. is it worth 2 million? kieth will make his choice. tempting isn,it?

May 12, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hawksince51 (anonymous) says...

Agree with kuproud--we need at least a weekly fix of current jayhawk news considering our high expectations for 09/10. So far as Langford and RR, I would be shocked (pleasantly so) if either ever has a significant NBA career. I am happy that Langford can make that much in Euro $ in Italy, especially in light of the many European players grabbing NBA $ here. Helps the balance of payments.
IMHO, RR would not have been a starter for most of the 07/08 season if Collins had not been injured at CU in Jan. I wish RR all the best here in the USA but believe he should also be thinking about grabbing some of those Euro $ while he can. They served Mark Randall and Wayne Simien well.

May 12, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

would it be ironic if lance and wall both failed to get on a college roster. they have passed on the good teams. being voted #1 by polls is not always good for some overrated young players. me? i could care less if they play anwhere.

May 12, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Jaminrawk (anonymous) says...

I think Keith should pursue an NBA career. Yes, he can make money in Europe, but playing the NBA at some point, is a goal all young basketball players have. Europe will be there regardless if he makes an NBA squad. What is the worst that can happen? He plays Summer league, doesn't make it, and goes back to Italy, only this time with a resume of being voted 3rd for MVP?

May 12, 2009 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

shockjay (anonymous) says...

If Keith works his butt off for the Lakers he stands to possibly gain a roster spot for the '09-'10 season. In addition to a bona fide PG, the Lakers' other main need is a dependable backup shooting guard (sorry Sasha Vujacic) that can come off the bench and provide scoring in Kobe's absence.

May 12, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oldalum (anonymous) says...

Hawksince51: I believe RR started out playing in Europe and gave it up. He said he didn't like being so far from home.

May 12, 2009 at 10:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KUFan90 (anonymous) says...

Stephenson and Wall will land somewhere. Stephenson might have to take a step down, but Wall still has his choice of high profile schools.

Thanks for the updates on former Hawks and recuits Gary!! Keep em coming!

May 12, 2009 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Off Season Update...

} Sources at the KU training table indicate that for breakfast this morning Cole Aldrich ate 6 jumbo free range eggs scrambled in Kerrigold Irish butter, a dozen rashers of thick sliced bacon cut from a prize pig from KSU's ag farm (appropriated by a KU student special ops squad), hash browns from four baked potatoes, Texas toast, 16 Norwegian rosettes flown in from Minnesota, a power bar,and all of that washed down with two gallons of raw milk and a pot of Fogbreaker Coffee. In the parlance of KU athletes, this is called a Quadruple Hudy, named in affectionate honor of KU's weight training coach, Andrea Hudy. Aldrich is reputedly the first KU basketball player ever to consume a Quadruple Hudy. KU football players on the offensive line do it routinely.

} Sources in Italy indicate that Keith Langford said the toughest thing about learning to live in Italy was getting used to the conventions of the Autostrada, Italy's idiosyncratic equivalent to the Kansas Turnpike. In Kansas, and everywhere else on earth but Italy, Keith was used to paying tolls based on the distance driven on the Kansas toll road. In Italy, Keith discovered one pays tolls based on how much time one drives on the Autostrada. The faster you get from Point A to Point B the less you pay. This peculiarly Italian approach to high speed driving allows Italian authorities to set the speed limit at a fairly sensible speed, while the charge by the minute fee, encourages drivers to exceed the speed limit whenever possible. In other words it encourages the speeding necessary for ticketing by carabineri. What it does not explain is Italian civil engineering's harrowing preference for blind curves in narrow tunnels on the Autostrada!

} Sources also indicate that Keith Langford and drgnslr have organized the first unauthorized, patently illegal, Italian equivalent of The Cannon Ball Run from Aosta in Northern Italy to Melita di Porto Salvo at the southern tip of the Italian boot. It will be called The Jayhawk Run and will be staged during the last week of the Tour of France, so that all eyes will be off Italy. It is a classic run-what-u-brung, anything is legal race; the only stipulation being that cars be painted either crimson, or blue, and gear shifters sport a Jayhawk logo and one's year of graduation. The race culminates down south with drivers driving their cars as close to the Meditteranean Sea as they possibly can without actually touching wheels to water, stripping naked, running into the water, and swimming out to a 10 feet tall Jayhawk bouy floating a thousand yards off shore. Tied to the bouy will be a small barge with 420 cases of Coors. So far over 400 contestants have signed up. Proceeds from the race not pocketed by Keith, or drgnslr, will be donated to a need based scholarship fund for OADs when KU is already at the NCAA limit for scholarships.

May 12, 2009 at 10:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

overseashawk (anonymous) says...

I'm pretty sure that the chicks are hotter in Italy than in an eventual D-League city! I hate to say it but Langford had his shot at the league. We can all thing back to Billy Thomas...He had a few end of the bench stints in the league...even got a bit of playing time in New Jersey. That being said I'd imagine that he would have made alot more money overseas than in the US.

May 12, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KoolKeithFreeze (anonymous) says...

You guys act like Keith Langford is destitute and waffling between taking the 2 million or gambling on the big NBA money. He has been playing overseas for years. He has made several million dollars already, if not "NBA millions", he should at least be set up pretty well for the financial future. And even if he makes the L, he is not getting some gigantic contract. He will probably make less. Regardless, it is every ball players dream to make it to the L. That is his motivation. He wants to play among the best in the world, and prove that he belonged at that level all along.

May 12, 2009 at 11:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

Nice update on Langford. When I didnt think I could like any 2 KU guards better than Miles & Langford, along came the supreme pair of RussRob + Chalmers. I wish Russell the best, as only he now is in the position to decide what is best for him, and it sounds like his scoring is up, and his assists are stellar as usual. Did anyone forget his quickness? I just saw the KU/UNC Final Four game--if anyone has forgotten the level he played at, please watch that game again and pay homage to his and Mario's special mayhem. If he winds up with the Cavaliers & DJackson, that would be special...

May 12, 2009 at 12:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

Nice job LJW. Keep the hoops articles coming.

Jaybate did you notice Kentucky has Patterson now too? That leaves them with 16 scholarship players. How does the NCAA allow Calipari to bend every rule in the book?

That aside, it looks like Orton is now 3rd or 4th on the Depth chart. Not sure he (or anyone on UK's roster) are official considering they have 16 scholarship players and are still trying to sign Wall which would be 17 scholarship players.

The point is -- considering Orton is now realizing Calipari hoodwinked him & about five others, there seems to be a chance your Orton to Kansas thing could happen.

There's room here.

Any thoughts Jaybate?

May 12, 2009 at 12:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

100,

Let's all chip together and create the need scholarship necessary to fit Orton in. We'll call it the Board Rat Scholarship.

FWIW, Self has been conspicuously quiet about all of this stuff and when Self is quiet that usually means he has aces some where about to be played.

Re: Calipari and UK being over the limit, does John have some friends in La Cosa Nostra that make him difficult to say no to, or to discipline? Just kidding. Frankly, I just think Cal is leading the way into guys giving up scholies to fit more talent on board...in the way there was talk of KU doing. The difference is: Cal is actually doing it and testing how the NCAA will actually respond to this sort of thing.

Re: UK having the best recruiting class--I still think that Henry, Withey, Elijah, and Robinson are very difficult to beat.

May 12, 2009 at 12:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

Jaybate,

Put CJ into KU's recruiting class & that's five that have a shot at beating many F4 teams later in the season, after months of learning the Bill Self practice regimine.

Re: Conference play for teams on probation. Considering Cal's lack of success against the bigger conferences (KU, UTenn & MU come to mind), I wonder if the SEC will eventually just embarrass that weak offensive strategy called the dribble drive.

May 12, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

Not really wanting to sound like a "devils advocate" type of debater here, but I am real hesitant for any program of KU's stature coupled with the trustable, likable, and competent persona that is Bill Self--to have to resort to this almost ridiculous athlete-shuffle. Rhetorical question: So you front load your team with the best prep-ranked players you can find, almost with NO thought of how those players and personalities will mesh into a "team"...Its hard enough as it is to ask people to give up their scoring (like RussRob) for the good of the team, yet now Calipari chooses to stock a teamfull of stat-hungry mouths to feed? There is no guarantee how a blue chipper will actually work out at Div1 level, barring injury; OR just how long it will take to become a reliable producer. Its a good bet of course, but not a guarantee. I dont like this because it sends a poor message to a kid who gets recruited, agrees to come, then gets shuffled way down, or even has to transfer. If I had my choice, I would take the way Self did the Lance vs. Xavier saga--he always seems to go with players that will buy into his style and fit with what he does. Xavier already saying all the 'right' team comments at his acceptance speech extravaganza/gala....
------------------------
I hope UK/Calipari's world implodes. His integrity with schools, recruits, etc, leaves alot to be desired. Not good for this sport. Wrong kind of maverick, and my apologies to all those who love John Calipari.

May 12, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

Why do people say that the Dribble Drive motion is a weak offense? I don't get it. I love that offense. I wish we had run that offense in high school. That offense isn't much different than Princeton's offense, or Bob Knight's motion, or Dean Smith's four corners, with one exception. Instead of getting the ball to the middle by passing the basketball, the DDM gets the ball to the middle of the floor by dribbling it.

The offense is predicated on having good ball handlers and decision makers on the floor at all times. It's not street ball. It takes tremendous discipline to run it well, because if people do not space the floor properly, the defense can clog the lane and prevent kick outs, breaking the offense down. You also have to be very good fundamentally on the drive, otherwise you will have a lot of offensive fouls on drives, or bad passes on kick outs. Your guards must all be proficient with the jump stop and be skilled passers on the move to either the post or the perimeter. Every player on the perimeter has to be able to handle the ball, otherwise it breaks down. It's perpetual motion, so after every drive, the offense basically regenerates itself. This offense places a lot of demands on guys off the ball, because they have to constantly work to create passing lanes for the ball handler, while maintaining spacing with their teammates.

I think a lot of the "street ball" reputation of the DDM is a product of most people having the longstanding belief that lots of dribbling is indicative of bad offense, and since the DDM is predicated on dribbling, it must be street ball, combined with the belief that good offensive movement requires screens, and DDM uses few screens because they clog up passing lanes. However, if you watch the DDM in practice, Memphis players were rarely just standing on the perimeter dribbling. They were always going towards the basket unless they were resetting the offense. Off the ball, players were constantly changing their position based on the penetration so they would be open for a kick out when the defense collapsed.

If you want to read more about DDM than I care to write here, go here.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com...

Just get the facts before saying that the DDM is not a good offense when it basically mimics the three offenses that every high school in the country runs (basic motion, Princeton, four corners).

May 12, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

justanotherfan,
Thanks for the nice description of dribble-drive offense. Im sure Bill Self, the person he is, would find something nice to say about it. But I dare venture that I personally think what KU has been doing the last 3 years is better as ball movement is done largely by passing, which always is faster than running. Even faster than D1 athletes "running" or driving. Since KUs 08-09 season showed us the new kids are a work in progress, my shining example would be the 07-08 ChampHawks. Remember how, nicely spaced out on the perimeter we would pass, pass, ball-reversal pass, into a post--almost silly as no one was moving much...oh, but wait, there was someone moving along a back door or baseline (Rush or Jackson or Kaun or Arthur) for a alley oop slam. This offense made mincemeat of zone defenses, when our previous offense even with the excellent Miles+Langford was defeated by zones. Athletes can chase a player dribble-driving, but its harder to chase a pass--hence the backdoor dunks or dunks off a screen. I agree that any offense will 'look' better the better the decision-making by the players that are running it (again contrast the last 2 KU teams). And again, I will highlight the ChampHawks and remind everyone what happened to opposing teams (UCLA included) when some guard dribble-drove into the 'interior of the team defense'--> stripped! or stolen(!) and now it was KU running a fast transition offense the other way (just gotta finish...). By conceptual logic, it will always be harder to beat a great passing team compared to a great 'dribbling' team. Also, every team's guards are usually capable of dribble penetration--its what we all do in the last 8sec of the shot clock...Its what those same guards did all thru highschool, as you pointed out (and part of why Calipari's game style may appeal to those kids?). Calipari sells that same game, all dressed up--and certainly a more polished & capable version of it. Self, in my opinion, sells something conceptually different and new. A complete philosophy integrating both ends of the court. And he requires heady decision-making just like that coach at Duke. How many times we see a player get a quick benching...Of course, as I said, in the last 6 or 8sec, you can always give it to Sherron or Chalmers or RussRob or Langford or Miles and have them dribble-drive and try to create. Any competent top10 D1 guard can do that? Point is, that may be the focus of the DDM offense, but it is but only a component of all that we (KU) does. Bill Self worth every damn penny.

May 12, 2009 at 3:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hawkman1031 (anonymous) says...

While it is great to see pros like the Truth drive to the whole and score or draw a foul, in college it seems a lot just get out of control or shot blocked.

Go Langford.

and Go Celtics. How fab that would be to outlast another series even without KG. Need a hot spell from Ray though.

May 12, 2009 at 4:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jayhawkerjoel (anonymous) says...

I’m no Cal fan, but I have to agree with justanotherfan regarding the dribble drive. It is more than just street ball and it is very difficult to guard when you have really good athletes at every spot. It is truly designed to take advantage of lesser athletes and sagging defenses. It works great until you put some seriously good defensive players (Chalmers, Rush, RussRob) up against it. Cal has been very successful with it in C-USA, where there is an abundance of lesser players. But, if the SEC steps up defensively, it won’t be as successful as it was in C-USA.

I don’t think it is either better or worse than the modified high/low passing philosophy of Self, but each system plays to the strengths of the players on your team. Look at what Roy coached the first 2 to 3 years he was at KU – a classic motion offense with a tough nosed defense. It works better for teams who are heady, but less athletic. As Roy got more studs, he ran more – a lot more – and you rarely saw the passing of his 1989-91 teams.

May 12, 2009 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

jayhawkerjoel-
Well-said! Just as Roy adapted to his personnel, as Self had to this year to his inexperienced personnel, it will be interesting to see if, as you say, the SEC defenses really do stiffen up, and Calipari has to adapt his philosophy and game accordingly. Adaptability always a hallmark of a great coach, so we shall see. The pitfall would be if those recruits were signed & promised a particular style of ball, and if (to his credit) Cal tries to adapt--will he encounter resistance, or not? All personal feelings aside, from an analytical viewpoint, the next year (or two) are going to be the defining years of Calipari's coaching career.

May 12, 2009 at 5:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

1. Great to see Keith Langford doing great things and making money, the guy was always money for KU except that horrendous Bucknell game when he tried to play hurt. If his dream is to play in the NBA, then he should not worry about more money and focus on getting there. He already had a cup of coffee in the league with the Spurs so he knows he's good enough. And the Billy Thomas story is a great one.
2. Stephenson waited too long and is a cautionary tale. I assume coach Self asked him to hold off on his announcement when Cal was about to take the UK job, knowing how the chips might fall. It was a risk but paid off so far in us getting Xavier and CJ. It would be interesting to see Stephenson at Memphis, maybe he would prove that we should have taken him all along.
3. I'm psyched for this year's Jayhawk Run. I love the thin Italian pizza.
4. Does anyone know any restaraunts that serve a Quad Hudy?
5. I don't really understand all of the Orton talk. From what I understood, we stopped recruiting him in favor of Robinson so he went to his safety school, UK. I don't see why the Cal situation would change anything in the status of our recruitment or non-recruitment of him since we already passed on him.

May 12, 2009 at 5:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

JayhawkPhil64 (anonymous) says...

In addition to Strikewso's point #5, has anyone who keeps bringing up Orton's name actually seen him in an AAU game?. The guy is a complete head case. We definitely dodged a bullet by not getting this guy.

May 12, 2009 at 6:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

Justanotherfan,

I'm well aware that certain publications are on Calipari's side with this. Not sure who paid them.

Look at the last six games Cal's teams played against a bigger conference.

That's all you need to see. Cal & his strategy against athletes & coaches not in conference USA. Even with top tier talent.

He had nothing else to go to against
1. Syracuse
2. Missouri
3. Tennessee or
4. Kansas

He puts all of his eggs in that basket. Look at those tapes & tell me you see a coach with an offense that is under control in any way shape or form when it needs to be.

They look like a 7th grade team dribbling the ball standing around in crunch time (or getting it swiped dribbling into the paint)

May 12, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

have you caught the scandle at USC yet?
are you suprised? thats exactly why coach should stay away from those 3-4 players not yet signed.
are they looking for money?
one and done and who has to get the penalty? the univ. the player just goes on to the pros and denies it all!!!!!!!!!!
beware when some one tells you he wants to play on the west coast.

May 12, 2009 at 10:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hawkman1031 (anonymous) says...

The Truth and company win another! Go Celtics!

May 12, 2009 at 11:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

Speedy,

Good point, although that's why many (even at Memphis now that Calipari is gone) wonder what really does go on with some of these sleazier programs.

I am still amazed that UK, still in the hunt for Wall, has taken such a risk to their image. I mean if he never gets caught that's another story.

But let's be honest here, it's not only a few west coast teams doing this -- unless the NCAA is completely blind, Cal, if not this summer, will be the next big coacg to get caught -- the general public knowledge from his old players (and probation at UMass) that Cal bends every recruiting rule in the book, posted for all to see on YouTube during the no contact time not to mention by the Memphis fans themselves joking about the 40K per player.

It's ironic as much of what fueled his replacement was UNC about to catch them. The bigger irony is for all the money they brought him in on,some of that same money, whether in a players pocket or gym bag, will eventually put UK in the exact same hole they were in the last time they got caught paying players.

May 12, 2009 at 11:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

drgnslayr (anonymous) says...

Anyone keeping up on UCONN? Is Calhoun toast yet?

Nice discussion here about the DDM. I think it has it's pluses and minuses. It gets a bad rap when it isn't performed well... when that happens it just looks like a disorganized offense with a bunch of ball hogs. When it does work people take notice.

On the good side of it DDM demands each player to become more responsible for taking it to the hole. It pushes every player to play more aggressive on offense. That's great when you have 5 good ball handlers. When not, it starts looking like a disaster.

I think Calipari relies too much on the DDM. I see it as a sort of "junk offense"... something you can throw at a defense that is giving you trouble. I certainly wouldn't want to build my entire offense around the DDM.

I think it is smarter to run more traditional offenses, but do more clear outs, weak side /strong side plays to create opportunities for dribble drives and back door passes.

If I was defending the DDM I'd have my best, fastest defender out playing their point aggressively. Attack their best ball handler and make them earn it from the rest of the team. Memphis made it so far two years ago because they had D. Rose. If you notice, Calipari MUST have the very best at point in order to make the DDM stand a chance.

On the bad side of DDM... it doesn't teach enough discipline. It doesn't teach enough team ball. Screens away from the ball, etc., where players have to "give it up" for the team.

I agree with many here... the DDM attacks with the dribble instead of the pass, and a dribble is easier to track on defense than a pass (since it is much slower)... with some proper coaching your weak side help should create fits for the DDM by helping pinch the driver while making it difficult for him to kick it out.

I'm glad DDM is around because it gives college basketball another twist and teams need to be challenged with new, aggressive strategies so the game doesn't go flat.

As long as Coach Self puts his emphasis on good aggressive man-to-man defense, Kansas shouldn't have a problem facing the DDM...

May 13, 2009 at 5:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

Absolutely beautiful comments by 100 and drgnslayer above regarding the DribbleDrive/Motion offense of Calipari (DDM)--I can add very little...I will say that now out of the CUSA, and into the SEC, and with all this national talk about Calipari, good intelligent opposing coaches will look at film of KU/Memphis (1st half & OT), Mizzou/Memphis, etc... and devise ways to stop them.
----------------------------
2 points came out above: Calipari really needs top athletes with skills to make the DDM perform well. He had that at Memphis. But Rose and T.Evans were exactly that: OAD talent, yet only 19yrs old. And Rose was blanked the whole 1st half by RussRob...
----------------------------
justanotherfan said it best--the DDM has problems when faced with equally top athletes playing stingy defense (not for 1 game, although that could work, but as a system and a way of life)--like KU or what Mizzou did to Memphis. Rush, Chalmers, and RussRob, and 4 bigs vs. Mr.Dorsey gave fits to Memphis all game long. The ONLY reason we were behind the 2nd half is our own shots were not falling.
------------------------------
Granted, in any 1 game, any athletic team could beat KU, especially if our shots arent falling, but I firmly believe (all homerism aside), that analyzing the 2 styles, that if KU's ChampHawks played that Memphis team in a 7 game series, we would win 4-1 or 4-2. That is simply BillBall's defensive philosophy at work. And this year's less-capable Memphis team was made to look truly ugly by Mizzou. All Memphis could do was frantic dribble-drive after frantic dribble-drive, and their missed shots caused them to get totally transitioned on by a notably lesser Big12 team. Fools gold, Kentucky, fools gold! And sold by a slick in a cheap suit, too...buyer beware....(sorry). RCJH

May 13, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

100,

You make my point for me by pointing to the games Cal's teams have lost. Mizzou (Elite Eight team). Memphis lost because they gave up more points than they had all season (MU topped 100). They didn't have much problem putting up points when they needed them, even against a pretty good Missouri defense. The same MU defense that harassed many of their opponents into a million turnovers gave up 91 points to the DDM. And this is a Mizzou team designed to run and trap and press.

Syracuse (Sweet 16 team) plays a zone. A zone will give the DDM problems anyway, because it changes the angles of the drives and kicks. However, Memphis still got the ball into the middle quite a bit, and scored pretty effectively. They ultimately lost a game to a really good team. Also, this was prior to Memphis moving Tyreke Evans to the point full time, which really changed their team.

Tennessee was ranked #2 in the nation when they knocked off Memphis. Again, no slouch of a team there. They match up pretty well and ultimately outlasted Memphis, winning in the final minute.

And of course, Kansas. The national title game. Memphis gave us fits in that game (you have to admit that they did). Even with a ton of high level defenders (Rush, Chalmers, Robinson, Jackson, etc.) Memphis gave our defense fits and led for much of the second half. We even went zone for a while to make them get out of their regular attack, because we had our hands full. That's what you see if you watch the tape.

The DDM makes the defense shift because you have to stop the drive. It's so precise that Cal actually had marks put on Memphis' practice court to show how players were supposed to move off the ball depending on where the ball was. The DDM requires both patience and unselfishness, because all of your ball handlers have to be unselfish. When the defense collapses they MUST kick the ball out. That is the whole premise of the offense. Also, the DDM basically begs teams to play aggressive man to man, rather than a sagging zone. Why? Because the DDM preys on the seams created by hard nosed man to man defense. That's what creates the passing lanes. That's why Memphis puts up huge numbers against teams that press and trap.

Finally, a note on Cal. He started running this offense 3 years ago. Remember his UMass teams? They were a slow it down, pound it inside unit. Remember Marcus Camby? Lou Roe? Those guys were dominant in the post, and UMass built their team around slowing it down and pounding it inside. Cal has already adapted, from a slow down post offense to the DDM.

May 13, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

drgnslayr (anonymous) says...

Let's face it...Memphis had Rose and CDR... two prolific scorers. CDR was burying shots with defenders all over him... nothing more KU could have done.

But I'm willing to bet if those two teams played 10 times Memphis would only win 1 or 2 games, and 4 or 5 would be KU blow outs.

Memphis rose for that game and played far better defense than they had previously played, and Kansas went cold.

If Memphis had gone cold and Kansas won by 20 or so it would have looked very one-sided and Memphis would have just appeared like any lower-grade team with lots of forced bad shots that didn't drop.

I think the DDM is for the pros, who only pass it 0 to 3 times on a possession and eventually someone goes one-on-one. Personally, I find it makes quite boring basketball. I like a little shake-n-bake but still prefer good team ball with lots of passing until the right shot is there. DDM either counts on someone forcing to the rim or hoping the defense sags enough for a pass out to an open player. Every offense creates the possibility to pass out of a sag.

I think Calipari uses the DDM mostly as a recruiting tool... to get all the higher ego talent to take notice that they will be the next "highlight reel" player.

I do think there are some merits to the DDM.. but more to be used as an element to an overall offensive strategy. Anyone with great driving skills should get a chance to use them. In those situations I'd rather create a weak side clear out and let that player go one-on-one. I like a 1-2-2 for that, playing a high triangle or box and then keep'em honest with a baseline backdoor by the power forward. Both the point guard and weak side wing have opportunities to drive the ball straight to the hole or pull up with a slight fade away from just a few feet.

We didn't have enough consistent play out of our 4 last year to do this because it will create so many opportunities for the 4 along the baseline. And this year won't be any different, since teams like the 3-pt shoot so much they don't use these old great play schemes and have replaced them with new methods to get more open 3s. It's too bad because I miss the power game inside...

I always liked players like Kelly Tripucka and Adrian Dantley... two guys that were mid-sized but knew how to play the baseline. I'm afraid it's a part of basketball that may never return since the attention is on the 3-pt line. Got to hand it to Digger Phelps for what he did for college basketball.

May 13, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ralster (anonymous) says...

I liked how Rush played the baseline...countless backdoor jams or layups by the 3 and 4 positions by the Champhawks. That is contrasted by the new kids this year, learning the possibilities of their positions. Any offense, well executed, can look really good.

May 13, 2009 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

It is weird to be old enough to have a fond aspect of the game grown obsolete.

My dad used to wax poetic about the two hand set shot that was extinct by my youth.

But the beat goes on.

May 14, 2009 at 5:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )