Will we play uninspired and get burnt like in Chicago with Depaul? Or have we learned something about having a killer instinct since then? Did the BC game teach us how to finish?
A quick glance at South Carolina's schedule tells me that they reallt have only 1 legit win, which was against the "other" USC in So. Cal's gym, the same team we struggled to finish in our gym. They lost to Clemson, and inexplicably, to the UC Irvine anteaters. Of course, that's not really any worse of a loss than our ORU loss. So, I'm not sure. The SJ NCAA Tournament projection metric (which I just made up) tells me this team should receive about an 8 seed in the NCAA tourney, so facing them on the road should be a better test than Depaul, which I do not think will make the Tourney.
My score: KU 67 USC 59.
Your prediction?
It looks as if the bird has been crushed underneath the basketball. Hopefully a portent of what's to come.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a great feeling about this one; our players may not take it as seriously as they should. Right now we're still winless in road games (granted, there's only been one). But maybe that will be the motivating factor we need. And we are due for a good game.
I can't tell from what they've done so far if the 'Cocks are good or not. Scott, why does the SJ meter project an NCAA bid? They were an NIT team last year (they actually won it), and they lost their best player, Balkman, who was inexplicably picked in the first round by Isiah Thomas.
I don't really know but I guess I'll agree with Scott; let's say a little closer: KU 61-57.
I don't have a good sense of this one, but I will buy into the hype about the Jayhawks practicing well etc. etc. I think we will see a bit more offense to go with a sloppy turnover filled affair. Call it 83-75 KU.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to decide what's most depressing about this LJW article.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the Big 12 RPI is sixth, lower even than the Missouri Valley? The fact that KU's RPI is 55, lower than five other teams in our low-rated conference?
Or is it the fact that our strength of schedule is 159? Yes, you read that right. (That's 9th in the Big 12, by the way, which itself is only ranked 12th in SOS among conferences).
No, even that's not the most depressing thing. The worst part is that Self actually believes this schedule is acceptable:
"We never have a ton of challenging games nonconference —- two is probably the number," he said of road games. "There are obvious reasons for that, because of the budget."
Revenues at KU home basketball games help support all programs at KU.
"It’s hard to give up that kind of money to go play a home-and-home with somebody," Self said.
At least he's being honest. Earlier he said he couldn't get teams like Duke to come play in Kansas (ignoring the fact that the Dukies played in KC this year). Now he reveals the real reason we don't play more big-time teams: cold hard cash.
Think about it. Why schedule games against say, Arizona, who would demand a home-and-home, when 16,000 fans will pack the Fieldhouse to watch us play Winston Salem (a program that has no leverage to demand a home-and-home)?
So in essence, KU fans are being punished for their intense devotion to the team. Maybe the only solution would be for fans to start boycotting the cupcake games. They aren't entertaining anyway (Roy's teams made them exciting by pushing the century-mark, but that was then).
Deron, the SJ Meter extrapolates from the team's current record and then incorporates data about that team's conference into a decision matrix.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, I don't think the SEC is all that great this year, and I think SC gets some wins in a weakened SEC.