Tweet nothings: Tyshawn Taylor scores 28, silences Twitterati

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor drives between Iowa State defenders Anthony Booker (22), Chris Allen (4) and Royce White (30) during the first half on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse.

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KU vs. Iowa State

Much-criticized Tyshawn Taylor, who sparred with some Kansas University basketball fans on Twitter little over a week ago, said he definitely “felt the love” Saturday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse and again Saturday night on the Internet.

“The fieldhouse was going crazy today. My teammates were going crazy. It was a good feeling. I love when the fieldhouse is like that,” the 6-foot-3 senior point guard said after exploding for a career-high 28 points off 10-of-21 shooting (3-of-9 from three) in the Jayhawks’ 82-73 come-from-behind victory over Iowa State.

Taylor scored 22 points the second half off 8-of-12 shooting, including 15 in a 30-9 run that turned a 52-40 deficit (at 16:59) into a 70-61 lead with 8:28 left.

“It’s an amazing feeling, man. I can’t really describe it. How I was feeling at that moment was incredible,” Taylor said of soaking in the roar of the crowd after he accepted a pass from Travis Releford and hit a layup, forcing ISU to call a timeout with KU’s lead up to 70-61. “You want to win the game. That’s what it comes down to, winning the game. I felt good.”

He made his Twitter followers feel downright dandy after propelling KU to its 14th victory against three losses, including a 4-0 mark in the Big 12.

“Big-time players for big-time games,” wrote one user on the website that caused so much controversy the night before last Saturday’s OU game when Taylor felt the need to respond to some KU fans who bashed his play.

“Taylor makes shots when it matters most,” wrote another.

“My young boy said, ‘There’s nothing Ty can’t do, dad.’ My son will sleep in his jersey tonight. Thanks for the show. It made his day,” penned one more to the Hoboken, N.J., hero.

KU junior Thomas Robinson, who sat out most of the 30-9 run with his teammates playing so well at the time, echoed some of Taylor’s Twitter followers by saying: “I though he was amazing. He played great during that stretch with us coming back. He hit some big shots.”

Videos

KU vs. Iowa State

Kansas defeated Iowa State, 82-73, on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Taylor hit a three to knot the score at 59 and another trey to boost a three-point lead to 66-61. Earlier, he also cashed an eight-footer to cut ISU’s lead to 52-47 and a layup and foul shot to cut the gap to 54-50. It all mattered, Taylor describing it as KU “grinding away” after being 12 down.

“We were down, and T-Rob was on the bench. I was like, ‘I’ve gotta play. I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to make something happen,’” Taylor said of his attitude during the second-half surge. “They kept trying to go under the ball screens on me, so I stepped up. I made the first one, then they did the same thing to me the second time. I shot it confidently, and it went in. That kind of sparked the run a little bit.”

KU coach Bill Self said, “He (Taylor) bailed us out offensively and guarded better the second half. He was terrific.

“I told him after the game — and he played great — but your point guard can’t get 21 shots and your best player (Robinson) get zero the second half (en route to 11 points, 14 rebounds in 32 minutes). That’s something we have to do a better job of, not just him (Taylor), but the whole team understanding that. I thought Tyshawn was fabulous for a stretch, probably as good as I’ve seen him play.”

Taylor, who had six assists, four steals and four turnovers, impresses Self by the fact, “he’s usually in attack mode. He gets in the paint. When you get in the paint, you force help, and good things happen.”

Self wouldn’t go overboard in praise of Taylor, not with a huge game against Baylor (17-0, 4-0) looming at 8:30 p.m. Monday, in Allen.

“When you guys (media) tell him he’s really good, that’s probably when I want to tell him he took too many shots,” Self said with a smile “When people are talking (negatively) about him, I’m probably going to say, ‘Don’t listen to anybody. I think you are playing great.’ He is a scrutinized player. He’s also the point guard at Kansas. That goes with the territory.”

Also part of that is the praise the point guard at KU receives after an effort like Saturday’s.

“Heard Tyshawn put the work in,” former KU point guard Sherron Collins, a pro player in Turkey, wrote on Twitter after the game. “He is a senior. He knows what to do. Good job, lil bro.”

“Great win for my Jayhawks. Proud of the Lil bro, Tyshawn,” wrote former KU combo guard Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat.

Taylor’s top tweet of the night in suddenly cheery Twitter-land?

“Good win ... way to fight fellas.”

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chriz 1 year, 4 months ago

Awesome performance, Tyshawn. Keep it up.

chriz 1 year, 4 months ago

Also, thanks for the help, refs!

Jeeveshawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Is "twitterati" a real word?

actorman 1 year, 4 months ago

It is now!

middleoftheroader 1 year, 4 months ago

twitterati : The Tweet elite, whose feeds attract thousands of followers and whose 140-character spews capture the attention of the rapt who doggedly monitor them.* * urbandictionary.com

okiedave 1 year, 4 months ago

There ae about 1,037,000 words in the English language. 14 new words are created every single day. Twitterati is obviously the singular for Twitterazi -- defined as a "swarm of Twitterati".

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

The big news in this story is the pro journalists have crossed an interactive threshold and added a PR tactic genie that will never go back in the bottle!

The pros made posters and tweeters as big of news, as the players.

The pros are now not just writing about how players play, but about how and what posters post!!!!!

We're all in this together now.

Major, major watershed moment in interactive sports journalism.

The walls are coming down...and PR strategy and tactics are going up in their place.

The game in journalism has always been about "can professional journalists deliver the kind of public opinion desired by power players. Can they manufacture consensus for those that make it rain?

Interactive media complicated things for a time, but for students of media, it is clear the pros are finally learning the levers of interactive power.

We are entering the age of William Randolph Hearst 2.0.

Get ready. Its going to be a bumpy ride.

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Kiss my digested wheaties, dung Meister! :-)

yates33333 1 year, 4 months ago

Theonlythingthatexceedsyourbad 1 year, 4 months ago

jaybate - Your posts are horrible.

Rambling, worthless and no real insight or sports knowledge.

Everyone in this comments section is now dumber for having read it. We award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

PVJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

PV, good to see you posting. You've been scarce. I've been re-reading Foucault to try to unsnag him from Baudrillard without much luck. And you? :-)

waywardJay 1 year, 4 months ago

And quoting from an Adam Sandler movie makes you a poet laureate?

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

I wonder what makes an alias appear to impulsively create another alias and post such things? :-)

The latest ploy attack posters and/or psy-ops posters have learned is to hit short and quick once; then duck and run. I've heard it called guerrilla posting somewhere or other, maybe even terror posting, but I can't be sure about that last term.

Tell us about your technique.

Did you go to a media retreat and get instruction in doing this from a media strategist? The police? The military?

Or somewhere else?

Maybe you read a book?

Or maybe its was a dreary monograph you stumbled into in an online search?

Or maybe I am entirely misunderstanding you and you're just a serial alias-maker?

Are you a guerrilla poster, or just someone who invents aliases in the moment and disses other aliases?

You have nothing to fear from me. I want to be your friend. You can trust me.

Come out, come out and enter into public discourse about yourself, where what you say can and will be inventoried.

I am a student of this interactive medium. I am interested in why aliases form aliases like yours, diss, and run?

Please, continue. :-)

Maybe jross1972 could join us, too.

Or maybe not. :-)

Theonlythingthatexceedsyourbad 1 year, 4 months ago

I'm not a serial/guerrilla alias maker. I've been a member of these forums for a few months now.

Your posts are consistently the worst. . . Trolling blather.

You know nothing of sports. Label me a troll if you must, but you and I know that your track record of winded posts makes you the real troll.

bobbysfissure 1 year, 4 months ago

I know I'm a lot dummer. I us'd to be really smart tell I started reading Jaybate's posts.

KGphoto 1 year, 4 months ago

mangino you are worthless. Get a life. Maybe read some books. If you can't follow jaybate's posts, take the hint. He is more intelligent than you, and you should probably shut up, because every time you post about it, you look like an idiot. It's like you are punching yourself in the face. Just stop already.

jhawkdan42 1 year, 4 months ago

quit hitting yourself... quit hitting yourself... quit hitting yourself... Reminds me of a game I used to play with my sisters,lol!

KGphoto 1 year, 4 months ago

Either that (shut up) or open your tiny mind and try to pick something up from them. I learned about William Randolph Hearst today. I didn't know a damn thing about him this morning, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Now I'm smarter for reading jaybate's post. Here you go.

William Randolph Hearst - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaWikipedia

Learn something.

Jyhwk_InTigrtwn 1 year, 4 months ago

Sorry, you illiterate noob, but jaybate is consistently the most interesting commenter on this forum. Keep it up JB.

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Thx to all for the assists.

STLJHawk86 1 year, 4 months ago

I don't always agree with Jaybate but he always makes me think. Unfortunately, I can not say the same for you manginorh00lz.
If you don't like Jaybate's posts just skip over them. That is how I learned to handle your incessant "PAC or die" posts. No whining or complaining - just skipped over them. Cheers

BoulderHawk 1 year, 4 months ago

That was in reply to manginorh00lz

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Dolts of a feather? :-)

LAJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

And Rosebud is now "Shaun White Snowboarding" for the XBox 360.

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Deep focus cinema posting there. +1

jhawkdan42 1 year, 4 months ago

I still don't get the twitter thing!

actorman 1 year, 4 months ago

Can someone educate me about exactly what the critics on Twitter said about Tyshawn and what his responses were? I've heard plenty about the interaction but haven't heard any of the specifics.

jayhawka15fan 1 year, 4 months ago

He just got tired of the constant criticism on twitter so he responded by saying, "unless you have lased 'em up somewhere in D I ball (past or present), STFU", without the F. Sweet and simple.

Jeeveshawk 1 year, 4 months ago

How could he say STFU without the F? That would mean: "Shut the Up."

LaJHawk666 1 year, 4 months ago

I, too, was wondering what it was without the 'F.' When in quotes, I assume that's what was written/tweeted. If that is what he tweeted, misspelling 'laced' doesn't do much for KU's rep nor the notion of the student athlete. But I'm still glad he kicks ass for us. RCJH!!!

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

Seriously, jeeves? Taking it "literally" like a 12yr old?

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

.In the strategy and tactics of PR, I doubt it matters what was said.

lawrence_is_my_middle_name 1 year, 4 months ago

Good question, it's the first one I had after reading the headline and the lead. I mean the entire story is based on these Twitter events leading up to the game. So where do I have to go to find an answer? Half-way down the comment thread. Good job, LJW, seriously keep it up, I love being confused as hell about why I'm reading a gamer based on Twitter!

To the editors out there, you are running a website, the least you could have done is link the tweet. To Gary Badore, how about you flat-out spell it out for us in the article if you are going to base your lead on it? A good number of readers don't keep up with Taylor's tweets.

LAJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Well, he did write an entire article on that exact subject 9 days ago with 118 comments...

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2012/jan/07/tyshawn-taylor-twitter-criticism-fans-im-going-lea/?mens_basketball

HawkKlaw 1 year, 4 months ago

jayhawker_97 1 year, 4 months ago

great job, Ty! keep up the intensity on D, and wow, your jumpshots (including the funny 3 jumper) look really really good. i don't really mind our PG shoot that many (as long as they're good) - if your posts can't handle the doubles or can't finish under the basket, why not? Tyshawn today is a grown-up, well-focused leader Tyshawn. i hope he will do the same each and every game onwards. he definitely gave his heart and all he's got today. salute to Mayor Taylor! rock chalk!

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Gr8 take!

Jeeveshawk 1 year, 4 months ago

I agree with most of what you said but I question this:

Tyshawn today is a grown-up

He is definately maturing but im not sure if I would call him grown up quite yet.

WilburNether 1 year, 4 months ago

The key word is "today." Indeed he was on Saturday. But who knows what he will be on Monday night? That, you see, is his problem -- and has been for almost four years.

mojayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Great job, Ty. One of the toughest players I've ever seen. Leave the twittersters alone. some of them are from foreign soil anyway. Keep up the good work.

rrockchalk 1 year, 4 months ago

Tyshawn willed us to the win...and Withey nearly had a triple double for the second time this season. I believe that we have a pretty solid starting five.This could potentially be a great starting cast if you take note of the breakout games each one has had.(Robinson recording a 30-20 game, Releford with 28, Taylor with 28, Withey almost two triple double games). Still waiting for EJ to have a breakout game but I'm sure he will as he gains more confidence. BTW-the I love college hoops facebook page seems to be calling the student section at KU the Naismith student section. I actually really like it..does anyone else? We're pretty much the only university that can label our section with the name of Naismith. The award is supposed to be the called the Naismith student section of the year..it seems fitting that it should be given to the Naismith student section-I think we should keep this name.

rrockchalk 1 year, 4 months ago

Naismith basketball hall of fame, Naismith player of the year..the name Naismith would be very cool for our student section when being announced or mentioned anywhere. It just adds instant tradition perspective to our crowd. (I know we have Naismith court, but its not talked about that much during games..like a Naismith student section might be).

ccarp 1 year, 4 months ago

I was impressed with his steals! Especially that long rebound gathered by White at the top of the key and Tyshawn just took it and continued our surge. Well played Tyshawn, keep it up!

gdkadjayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

,,,for now. Not a hater at all, nor a twitterer. Let's just be realistic - we will see Tyshawn's other side again.

Enjoy the ride, though - he's fun to watch and he's phenomenal when he's on.

bville_hawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Like Coach said a couple weeks ago about Tyshawn: "sometimes he makes sensational plays you can't coach, and other times he plays like he's never been coached."

LAJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

The Enigma

chriz 1 year, 4 months ago

Did his performance today reminds anyone of Sherron's in the past? Senior leadership, giving I'd what we need when we need it most...I love it. Geaux Tyshawn!

mouseclicker 1 year, 4 months ago

Specifically Sherron in the Field House his senior year against Cornell. Probably the most amped crowd I've ever been apart of there, and that was with a lot of empty seats because of a snow storm. But it was the most impressive performance I had ever seen from Sherron, putting the entire team on his back and scoring 30-plus points to almost single-handedly win us that game. Granted last night was not a solo performance-- quite a few supporting players helped out a lot, and Withey should get almost as much credit as Tyshawn-- but the way Tyshawn could cut through the defense and score however he wanted, whenever he wanted, that reminded of Sherron Collins against Cornell.

utahjayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Good take mouse

wpjayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Um. Just wondering. How does a trey boost a 3-point lead to 66-61? Did they deduct a point for excessive Twittering or something?

Perses 1 year, 4 months ago

I believe they took one point away from IS as the scorekeeper put up 3 when it was only a 2.

KansasComet 1 year, 4 months ago

Great game, but now it's time to get ready for Monday. Go Jayhawks!!

Perses 1 year, 4 months ago

If KU had shot a little better to start the game, it would have been a blowout. It looks like Self is having the players work faster and looking to shoot when the opportunity is there. There's nothing wrong with running a 10 or 15 second offense. Primarily it reduces the chance of a turnover. Take the shot. It may go in, you may get fouled or you may get the rebound. Turn it over and you get nothing. It also looks like Self is settling into a 7 man rotation. Excepting foul trouble or injuries, this can be successful. That said, I hope to see more contributions from Tharpe and Wesley before the season is over.

Lash 1 year, 4 months ago

Taylor got in trouble with posting in the past. Stop it. Your the best we got, you give great effort. With the ball in your hands you are a threat to the opposition anywhere on the court. The team is coming together nicely. We do need minutes from Wesley and Tharpe. This team is really gaining it's identity.

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

Much has been made of Tyshawn's 10-of-21 shooting for the game, but did anyone notice during "crunch time" (when he said 'Ive gotta do something'), he went 8-for-12...he went 66% when he tried to turn up the production. That is one helluva "switch" to be able to turn on!

Awesome job, Tyshawn! There will be teams that 'adjust' better to Tyshawn's attack mode, or refs calling 'charges', so Self's advice to keep other "best" players involved is indeed wise.

RCJH, Tyshawn. Point plank'n, bigtime!

KansasComet 1 year, 4 months ago

I enjoyed reading your post! Thanks! Great Points!

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Ralster,

You get most enlightening take on TT's amazing game. Like so much he does, the super that he did was being overshadowed by something's that were suboptimal.

He supermanned up down the stretch and though I knew it, until you parsed the numbers correctly, the enormity of his accomplishment was not adequately revealed. Thx.

Tyshawn knew what needed to be done and got it done.

They don't ask the Marine Corp in the heat of battle to find the most elegant means to take the real estate. At that point, it is take it any way you can and will figure out afterwards what we might have done better.

It was a great performance in the moment. He took a win that had to be taken. He and Self will figure out a way to keep him from having to that again starting today. But this is why great athletes are crucial to winning. When SNAFU prevails, the tough get going.

Rock Chalk Quantum T.

KansasComet 1 year, 4 months ago

That was an enjoyable read! Thanks!

drgnslayr 1 year, 4 months ago

Let's not forget what TT did on defense during that stretch. His hand was in there on almost every defensive possession either forcing a TO or disrupting their offense.

With his distracting d up top and Jeff's "Bunyon swats" down low there was nothing ISU could do.

Even one of the announcers mentioned how ISU looked tired. They weren't tired (especially with their deep bench)... they were demoralized. That was the same look we got out of TTech when we piled it on.

KansasComet 1 year, 4 months ago

I enjoyed reading your post!

drgnslayr 1 year, 4 months ago

Big, positive Rock Chalk going back to you!

Thanks!

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

Bunyan swats.

PHOF

HighEliteMajor 1 year, 4 months ago

Really interesting to read the comments about the game yesterday. It is terrific to spin this as a positive. To emphasize that Tyshawn was the reason we won the game yesterday. Saw one post saying he grew up in this game. That, respectfully, is just silly.

Here's Tyshawn growing up .. a mythical paragraph in the LJW: Today, Tyshawn Taylor exploded for 14 assists. Together with 10 points, Taylor sparked the Hawks by delivering the ball to his teammates. "My main job, as a point guard, is to make my teammates better. I don't care if I zero points, so long as we win. If I can get a basket for my teammate, that's enough for me." The highlight of the game was a rim-rocking dunk set up by a Taylor dish. "As I drove to the hoop, (Robinson's) man can to help on me -- I just dropped a little bounce pass and TRob did the rest."

Self takes Taylor out and we gain ground in the first half. It has happened in prior games. It is really amazing to see how disruptive he can be to our offense. How he looks so intently for his shot sometimes. How he ignores opportunities to create (the biggest anchor on our offense). How he fails to execute even one drive and dish the entire game. On most days, it's hard to suggest that we could hang and win without him. For this game, it is not.

Oh, the ISU game will be remembered for Tyshawn's second half "heroics" .. the best 8 minute scoring stretch that he's had as a Jayhawk. But what will be ignored is the 3 for 12 shooting outside of that hot 7 for 9 stretch .. which led to a 10 of 21 day (21 shots by your point guard .. think about that. Derrick Rose, yes. Taylor, no.).

His poor first half of basketball ... as the point guard, with the ball in his hands, leading this team ... he was the biggest cause of our dysfunction in the first 20 minutes. Not all is his fault, mind you. But it is the "macro" problem with our offense.

In the last five minutes, he turns the ball over three times (one immediately following a steal), committed a foul leading to free throws, and shot an ill-advised 3. Iowa St. just didn't capitalize.

In the KC Star, he remembers his 26 point game as a freshman "like it was yesterday." Wonder if he remembers his high assist game like it was yesterday?

It is nice to applaud his efforts, and his "game saving" stretch in the second half. Because at that point, it was surely need. Let's just not forget how we got there, and how ISU almost got back in the game.

jhawkrulz 1 year, 4 months ago

I agree with your thoughts. One thing I would add, is that the point guard must also realize how the defense is playing them. I think there were about 2-3 times where TT was able to drive uncontested and place layups in. If that is what the defense is going to do, TT better take them.

I've always said that TT struggles more when they cut him off right before the rim, than he does those floater things that are 5 feet off the backboard or fall short of the rim; however, during that stretch they were giving him the layup and the short jumper and those were the best shots on the court.

I'd also have to say in order to have assists the team needs to be able to knock down shots and you have to admit that CT and EJ have had super wide open shots and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. It is a tough decision tree when your sharp shooters aren't making a shot.

KansasComet 1 year, 4 months ago

Okay, I read your comments, and I still like Tyshawn. I think he is a very good basketball player. The thing about turnovers is, everyone makes them. The question is what do you do afterwards to make up for it? Do you tuck your tail, or do you go out and make a play? I think Tyshawn makes plays, and that's what I like about him.

AsadZ 1 year, 4 months ago

HEM, You have raised some good points. I'd like to add couple of comments though.

What I liked about TT in this game is that he was in "ATTACK" mode. He had couple of bad TO's but his aggressiveness was good. In addition, he played with toughness. I wish he did not have those stupid TO's towards the end but I am seeing an overall improvement in his game.

REHawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Bill Self is the rare pragmatist who can offer wry smiles and kudos to a point guard who surges to amazing 15 minute stats after playing 25 minutes of lackluster ball. I would imagine that the coaching staff is pretty much disgusted at the first 25 minutes of play yesterday, yet pleased with the win...excited about Tyshawn's decision to take the offense on his back for the big run, but unsettled about the manner in which Thomas was not fed the ball, esp. in the first minutes of the second half. Essentially, there remains a feeling about this win, something to the effect that street ball won out over a 40 minute gameplan which the seven Jayhawks did not execute efficiently. Sour grapes, some might say? Perhaps. I was thrilled to watch Tyshawn kick his game into overdrive for 13 minutes of ferocious determination and production. My initial reaction was to think, no way we win this game without him. But then, with 15 minutes left on the clock in the second half, I had been grinding my molars thinking, no way we are losing this game here at the Phog but for an inefficient distribution of the ball. The closing 2 or 3 minutes of the game, I am thinking clock, clock, clock; we have wrapped up a win if we tend to the clock. But.... All in all, a very exciting come from behind victory. Glimpses of a new Jayhawk facade, not only for opposing coaches but our own coaching staff to consider for future match-ups.

jhawkrulz 1 year, 4 months ago

Listen to the 8 and half minute press conference by HCBS. He basically says that when the media says he did a good job, he has to take TT off his pedestal, and when the media is ripping him (and fans), he will focus on the good things.

waywardJay 1 year, 4 months ago

Tyshawn "Paradox" Taylor, at his finest.

LAJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

The Enigma

HighEliteMajor 1 year, 4 months ago

.... and without citation to the proper authority there. Patent pending.

TwistedFish31 1 year, 4 months ago

Isn't it pretty likely that the haters on twitter were mizzou fans? There are several mizzou kids with KU nicknames on the ESPN boards acting like idiots trying to make Kansas fans look bad. Kind of sad and pathetic, just like most mizzourah fans.

Ryan_32 1 year, 4 months ago

Not really... Most of the KU fans I know either don't really care for Taylor, or downright can't stand him.

I don't know why people believe that in order to be a "real fan" you have to blindly support and love every single player...

Quite frankly I wish the best for Taylor after this year, but I can't wait until he's moved on... I suppose to a lot of people here that automatically makes me a "mizzou fan".

Bellator 1 year, 4 months ago

Well said brother.

hawkinator 1 year, 4 months ago

There's a lot of criticism for not getting TRob the ball later... But he was taking a lot of shots under the bucket that were being contested by at least two defenders, and not coming up with much. KU had open shooters while TRob was being ganged up on, and he took the shots instead of passing it back out. TRob was out for most of the big run in the second half. ISU had a game plan to neutralize TRob, and when he wasn't playing they seemed less confident on D. I was fine with other players stepping up. I thought Young made some really good contributions and TT played well, but only for about 15 of his game minutes. As always, the Allen fieldhhouse atmosphere made it tough to make a comeback.

PVJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Manginorh00lz and theonlything:

You need to get a sense of humor and expand your minds.

While Jaybate may have a fierce scowl, greasy hair, a swollen back, and a forbidding squint, I cannot adequately express my raptures at the engaging Qualities of his Mind that so amply atone for the horror his sight ever inspires in all who first encounter him.

He has a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi and brings to KUsports a unique Style and Outlook that goes far beyond the banal "what's-his-name had too many turnovers" and "so and so shot pretty well from three" and "we need to recruit a good point guard" making him the supreme contributor to this or any other sports chat site.

STLJHawk86 1 year, 4 months ago

PV, I concur with your comments. p.s. you have seen Jaybate - I thought his identity was unknown.

PVJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

STL: Jaybate's identity is known but only by a very few. He lives in what can perhaps be euphemistically described as a fortified subterranean enclosure and is very rarely allowed out and then only with the strictest supervision possible, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

Ralster, by the way, happens to be Bill Self. The dummy gave himself away by accidentally using his own photo for his avatar!

Poly V

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

PV knows Jaybate very well, actually.

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

PV, you left out the goiter the size of a shot put. :-)

PVJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

My comments about you were to be in the nature of a compliment, so in that context I could hardly enumerate all your faults and defects. And anyway, there wasn't time or space for that.

bobbysfissure 1 year, 4 months ago

We all thought it was your adams apple.

Theonlythingthatexceedsyourbad 1 year, 4 months ago

I appreciate your post. I was too hard on Jaybate,

BUT. . .I reserve the right to say that you both have fallen into the trap of saying far too little with far too many words. A lack of conciseness and analysis is my real complaint.

Instead of making quality arguments Jaybate chooses to go instead with a Dennis Millerian approach to posting, referencing William Hearst or using ridiculous phrases. This is amusing for 1 minute, then brutally annoying and shallow for the rest of eternity.

crimsoninracine 1 year, 4 months ago

I didn't have a chance to see any of the Iowa St. game, so I cannot comment on either the pluses or minuses of Tyshawn Taylor's game yesterday. I am left only with the articles, Coach Self's comments, and the posts. When Robinson gets 11 and 14, and that's an off night, that's pretty good, it would seem. When Taylor hits 22 in the 2nd half to lead a comeback win, that's pretty good, too. No mentions of Teahan, Johnson, or Releford...not sure if they played well or poorly. Sounds like Withey played well once again.

That being said, I'm sick and tired of posters saying they will be happy to see Taylor gone next year. Who do we have, or have coming in, who will give us anything like what we have in Taylor? Johnson has not shown any ability to lead the team or score consistently. Tharpe is a turnover waiting to happen every time he comes in, and he clearly can't score. Any recruit would be a newcomer in need of adjustment to the D-I game. In Taylor, Kansas has a point guard who turns it over more than anyone would like...I would have to include him in that, as well. But, he can run the show, score, and really defend. So, when he's gone, the Jayhawks will be without all of that. I just don't see how the Jayhawks are better without Taylor now or next year. Someone, please help me see the light on this recurring theme.

hawkinator 1 year, 4 months ago

Good points. I think people get frustrated with TT sometimes. I sort of hoped while watching him as a freshman that he'd develop more than he has, and the turnovers make me want to tear my hair out sometimes.... BUT, I'm glad he's on the team. He is stepping up as a leader and his ability to "get skinny" and drive to the basket amongst traffic is a great asset. When hes hot, he can shoot as well as anyone on the team. He's given four years to KU and any kid who does that deserves respect.

rockchalkchalkin23 1 year, 4 months ago

crimsoninracine

Overall, we will have more depth, talent, discipline, competition, and basketball IQ next year. Johnson has consistently led the team when Taylor gets erratic and goes out. Johnson, Relly, and Withey will be a solid foundation next year. They will be significantly more experienced at the start of next season, as opposed to the lack thereof coming into this season. BMac, Ellis, and White will compliment them well and will play "ahead of their class". Tharpe will be a good PG. Young, Traylor, Lucas, and Peters will compete for the other spot, maybe 2. Possibly Wesley in the battle (although I believe he's a liability in a game).

All depends on how recruiting, transfers, and redshirts shake out as to who competes to play the role spots. If Self signs Adams, he could challenge Tharpe at backup PG, and possibly BMac at SG. If Parker or any other interested big comes, that will cause a redshirt or transfer at least. I hope we don't have a chance with Shabazz. All in all, we are just fine this year and the next, and the year after the next.

hawkinator 1 year, 4 months ago

I dont think you are supposed to mix alcohol and pain-killers.

Bellator 1 year, 4 months ago

Yea that's kind of like giving yourself a roofie, weird man.

KansasComet 1 year, 4 months ago

Kansas has such a great basketball team that every loss in the tourney is magnified. Now please show me how many NCAA Championships do Bradley, Bucknell, Northern Iowa, VCU, and Davidson have combined? I am so tired of this crap!!

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

The Comet burns!

Long live the Come!

manunitedjayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Ughhhhhhhh Ughhhh what Beavis? That made no sense.

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

longtimehawk=hihawk (purple-pussy troll).

ChiHawk11 1 year, 4 months ago

This is the worst post ever. Congratulations

lighthawk 1 year, 4 months ago

I am Lighthawk.
changed avatar in honor of HCCW.
TT I take it all back, when you play at your best, we are unbeatable.

keep that chip on your shoulder every game, go ahead and think JHawk nation doesn't appreciate you, and show us on the court what you got, cause what you got is good stuff. Poetry in motion and fun to watch.Enjoy every possession as this year will fly by fast. Is this heaven, no it's AFH and you are #1 PG for the home team, mighty proud to have watched and appreciated your growth, just smile and apply your talent. You have survived Self formation so go and fly free. It is YOUR court and your team and your fans.

PS: Teehan, no more haircuts.

OakvilleJHawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Once again, it appears I am the caboose on another long string of posts, but I will press on just in case someone gets bored tonight and looks to kill a few minutes.

[Spent the day at the Winter Warmup for the 2011 World Champion St.Louis Cardinals]

It appears this Kansas team has two distinct characteristics:

1] They invariably get off to a slow start, with few exceptions. Unlike my learned, albeit greasy-haired friend Jaybate [whom I pictured as having no hair at all :)], I have no clue for this phenomena.

2] I think all of us can trace the season so far and, no fewer than seven of the nine man rotation [TRob, Tyshawn, Travis, Jeff, Conner, Elijah, Kevin] were responsible for individually preventing defeat by their own performances. This is a most encouraging pattern.

PS Nadiir and Justin...come on in and join the fun.

I have no logical explanation but let me be the first to post that Kansas will win, and win big, against Baylor tomorrow!! Like Elwood Blues would say, " We're on a mission from Gawd!"

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

It is this sort of pithy posting and precocious prediction that makes you having been raised in Missouri unthinkable. We must redouble research into authenticating your birth certificate. You have to have been a Kansan from birth. The foetid neural-meat lodged in the cracked brain case thin-covered by my hairless, lard slathered scalp knows it!

bobbysfissure 1 year, 4 months ago

With the bunch of Neanderthals in Topeka I'm not sure I'd admit I was born in Kansas. I personally would have to see your birth certificate. I'll only like Kansas when there are abortion clinics in every little provincial village town which would be all of them.

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

Of course, as usual, yet again, other important aspect's of Tyshawn's game vs. IowaState get omitted/left out, because they 'do not support the purported aim' of the post in question, or would dilute/counterbalance the intended effect of said post.

Example 1: People liked Withey's game. I will quote TallJeff: "Tyshawn was in my ear telling me to have confidence and hit my shot"(that IowaSt was daring him to shoot). Seems like getting his teammates involved.
Example 2: Did ya watch Taylor at the FT line, prior to shooting...when he was making sure teammates had their defensive assignments?
Example 3: (Not sure if in play in this game or not), but as someone pointed out above, Taylor went off in the 2nd half--when TRob was on the bench. TRob was really getting bothered, and was on the bench. Recall very early in the season, if the offense 'broke down', Self just told Tyshawn to "drive it"? We dont know if that was in play here, but KY in for TRob, and EJ missing shots, Conner missing shots, and Releford missing bunnies like TRob (although both rebounding very hard). So Tyshawn steps up at that moment.
Of course the anti-Tyshawn camp shall offer that the "offense broke down, as usual, because we have a me-first, not pass-first lead guard".
Example 4: Self's postgame comments (he reveals he counterbalances fan/media comments about Tyshawn), but nevertheless he did say "Tyshawn was fabulous", but then also said late game, when TRob back on the floor, Tyshawn needs to keep "best" player involved. I agree with all Self said in this instance.

RCJH....and: point plank'n! Lets chew dem Bears...

jaybate 1 year, 4 months ago

raster cookin' on all burners today.

Tyshawn's fusion burn in the stretch cleared his igniter box and now ralster, too, burns excelsior.

PVJayhawk 1 year, 4 months ago

J, what are you doing spending all your time reading those screwball French philosophers? Are you into semiotics or something??

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

And it seems like basketball-101 to have to say this to "basketball-savvy fans of a royalty program" (sorry to offend any1), but early during the 2nd half run, when Tyshawn was at the FT line yet again, I told my 13y/o son: "this is a good thing...we are down by 5, we got a foul on the opponent, and have a chance to score free points with the clock stopped". I kept on thinking about the bigger theories/origins of Selfball, and Eddie Sutton's slow-it-down, walk-it-up style that exists only because that keeps you in ballgames. Keeps it close. Not saying that's all Selfball is, since it is a hybrid that is so much more than Suttonball... But at key moments in a game, that system-versatility to say "drive it!", get fouls, stop the clock pays its dividends. The other aspect of Self ball is to run when you can, and Tyshawn did that too, hitting some open floaters. This isnt my Taylor-love fest, either, as Releford+EJ+Trob have all run the floor in transition very well lately. Tyshawn's quote about the game: "this was a grinder. We kept at em". The word 'grinder' was very, very often used to describe Suttonball teams. But focus on what that type of not-pretty style does for you: keeps you in ball games when you are having a rough night offensively. Yes, Im saying 2 different things, as there are 2 great attributes to Self's KU teams: they can grind, and they can run. When he brings in a player like Tyshawn who can do both...we should appreciate the masterplan, eventhough we expect less bonehead plays...

Enter as evidence Self's Tulsa+Illini+KU home W/L total...he has a cumulative of 10 losses. That is crazy insane! I credit his system, as the athletes come and go. Self gets battle-tested results.

That being said, got a big, big test on Monday...

ralster 1 year, 4 months ago

Okay, final Tyshawn-spin theory: Since Self+Tyshawn been fightin the wars x 3.5yrs, what if he has simply given his senior guard "permission to read the situation" and hit the opposition with a change-up? Tyshawn may even have a hand-signal he alerts the team before he attacks...or if they are in transition, its a free-for-all, god-help-u-if-u-slower-than-Tyshawn (for the opponent). Again, one can argue that the "odds" are very favorable for giving Taylor the greenlight on "playitlikeUseeit" is that Taylor is good/great at penetrating. This season he is charging way less, and drawing hella lot of fouls. The theory is if we are stagnant, and if Withey or TRob on the bench, then the hi-low isnt going to work very well, and if the guards are standing around playing basket-"weave", then maybe, just maybe, it's Taylor-time? Self may even bark the order from the sideline, to let Tyshawn know 'now might be a good time'? (Just a theory). People really question Taylor's decision making, but maybe he is doing Self's bidding. Notice how Self never really has blasted Tyshawn for on-court decisions (exception being 10 t.o's vs. Duke, but a few of those were not on Tyshawn, and the final 2 were no-calls--see the tape). So, if this is Self's fall-back plan to aTTack, then I see the wisdom...

drgnslayr 1 year, 4 months ago

Wow, I love the perspective! I never caught anything premeditated. I just saw Tyshawn hit a lovely gliding pull-up and the light went on within Tyshawn. He was feeling it. He had a moment of sharp focus... and this time he used it with his natural talents. The results were phenomenal. I can't recall ever watching a single KU player take over a game like that. There was a period in this game where Tyshawn had his mitts on every ISU possession. The guy was in the zone and in my books it certainly offered a nice glazing over all the criticism.

I've watched it 3 times now and preparing for a fourth. I'll park a copy in the archives besides the 2008 party.

Thank you, Tyshawn. And I hope you feel it again real soon!

bobbysfissure 1 year, 4 months ago

I predict Monday will not be pretty.

Jeeveshawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Are you a Baylor fan that is saying Monday won't be pretty for the bears?

REHawk 1 year, 4 months ago

ralster, you are a gentle supportive soul who invariably goes the extra mile to print player friendly analyses. Your stuff provides a terrific balance for the many critics on this site. I have come to a decision to tone down my criticism of specific players, esp. Tyshawn, primarily for two reasons. Early this season you took umbrage in a very sane and logical way with one of my heated posts; and I later gained a bundle of respect for TT when he chose to postpone knee surgery in lieu of playing injured in a couple of key pre-Christmas contests. His slashes to the basket prove again and again that he is a tough kid, a competitor willing to sacrifice his body to make things happen. In spite of his turnovers, he constantly grows as a team leader, esp. in the manner which you pointed out in reflecting on yesterday's game. I can't but continue to offer armchair observations and a modicum of critical analysis, but I now attempt to do so in a more reasonable grandfatherly fashion. For instance, my positive supportive spirit made very few upward leaps in the Cyclone contest until Tyshawn turned on his afterburners. For ten or 12 minutes I bounced on the front edge of my recliner, cheering gleefully. However, when the game appeared to be well in hand I caught myself barking Clock, Clock, Clock, Play the clock! It seemed almost unbelievable that the team, Tyshawn especially, could not reign in and protect the ball in those closing minutes. The mercurial nature of our point guard's game is so bewildering that it cannot help but raise the blood pressure of most diehard fans who will him to stay on track for at least 90% of his senior minutes on the court. We know that he can perform superbly as one of the rarest point guards in the nation. With great hope and agony we wait for him to arrive at his own potential. If he does arrive, the potential for this Jayhawk squad is limitless, but for the crapshoot nature of the Big Dance.

REHawk 1 year, 4 months ago

Speaking of a tough kid, Travis Releford is becoming a master at taking hard charges; and somehow retains the demeanor to pop off his back with a grin.

Jeeveshawk 1 year, 4 months ago

What about Teahan? He got puched in the face by some thug and didn't even get mad at him or say anything bitter.

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Men's Basketball

Kansas defeats Iowa State, 82-73