Dear Houston

[4theCYcle]

What sucks is ISU beat them in FG's made, 3's made, outrebounded them 39-30...but the TO's and Houston at the line were the main differences. Just goes to show ISU is right there that can play with anyone. This was on the road in a tough road environment. 6 weeks ago, this team would have gotten beat by 20 and folded early. Instead they fought back numerous times and are mentally prepping themselves for March.

Houston is legit, should be another good year of B12 representation in the tourney.

 

[CloniesForLife]

Who cares about a couple lame chants. At least they show up and have a great atmosphere. I love this bball conference and Houston was a perfect add from that standpoint

 

[CascadeClone]

Kansas is built like your typical top Big 10 teams most years. T

Except with quality guards.

KU's problem is just depth. Guys get tired, if you rest someone, they are playing 4 on 5. Guys get in foul trouble, they are in big trouble.

 

[HFCS]

Who cares about a couple lame chants. At least they show up and have a great atmosphere. I love this bball conference and Houston was a perfect add from that standpoint

Well yeah for a top 5 team in a golden era. Will be interesting to see in a down year. I assume if they sold out like this every year they’d have a far bigger arena.

I guess Baylor has shown you can be a national power with “meh” fan support and shrinking venues so probably doesn’t matter.

 

[Antihawk240]

Who cares about a couple lame chants. At least they show up and have a great atmosphere. I love this bball conference and Houston was a perfect add from that standpoint

I'm with you. What was the stat Houston has won by an average margin of 20 points in all their home games this year and here is basically a 5 point ball game to decide sole possession of first place? Couple that stat with the fact the sheer excitement of Houston basketball right now, you cant help but understand their excitement and fandom going through their blood right now.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I'm with you. What was the stat Houston has won by an average margin of 20 points in all their home games this year and here is basically a 5 point ball game to decide sole possession of first place? Couple that stat with the fact the sheer excitement of Houston basketball right now, you cant help but understand their excitement and fandom going through their blood right now.

I thought it was 30 ppg overall, and 20 in league play. Could be wrong though.

 

[cysmiley]

Well yeah for a top 5 team in a golden era. Will be interesting to see in a down year. I assume if they sold out like this every year they’d have a far bigger arena.

I guess Baylor has shown you can be a national power with “meh” fan support and shrinking venues so probably doesn’t matter.

Was told the Arena size is deliberate for game atmosphere. They do not want it to be larger, as that would affect the atmosphere. They have a waiting list for tickets that is 7000 alumni and growing! Look at the logic, they are in the largest metro in the league, have an alumni that fills medical and other professional disciplines, including the oil and gas economy, lots of oil money in the metro, top three student body population in the conference, and yet by far, have the smallest basketball venue. The big donors want this environment, and the AD obliges. They will get tickets, and they want victories, so if a lot of alumni can't get in, tough, get on the list! You can bump your list position with a little green grease going to NIL or AD, to help bring victories, my SIL is a Texan, and he kinda fills me in on stuff. LOL

 

[cycloneML]

If we play like that (we played B/B+ tonight), we won’t lose another regular season game. And then we’ll be a 2 seed. No shame in that loss and we showed tons of fight.

Houston, wow. That’s the best team I’ve seen ISU play in years.

Houston seems like they have 7 -8 players on the court and I don’t mean refs

 

[HFCS]

Was told the Arena size is deliberate for game atmosphere. They do not want it to be larger, as that would affect the atmosphere. They have a waiting list for tickets that is 7000 alumni and growing! Look at the logic, they are in the largest metro in the league, have an alumni that fills medical and other professional disciplines, including the oil and gas economy, lots of oil money in the metro, top three student body population in the conference, and yet by far, have the smallest basketball venue. The big donors want this environment, and the AD obliges. They will get tickets, and they want victories, so if a lot of alumni can't get in, tough, get on the list! You can bump your list position with a little green grease going to NIL or AD, to help bring victories, my SIL is a Texan, and he kinda fills me in on stuff. LOL

I looked up 2015 and 2014 before their resurgence. They were not in top 100 and #100 only got about 5100 a game. I’m guessing the place is dead empty when they aren’t a solid team.

 

[cysmiley]

I looked up 2015 and 2014 before their resurgence. They were not in top 100 and #100 only got about 5100 a game. I’m guessing the place is dead empty when they aren’t a solid team.

I accept the numbers, but that also was prior to BIG12, their opponents were worse than the BIG10 west, Tough game sell, but they did get 5000+' They did upgrade the arena when they were able to secure a BIG12 invite, and they lowered capacity, but they do have all the bells and whistles: video board s on both ends, video ribbon display, huge sound system, their ceiling is low enough they even have a video projection system that makes the court look like its on fire during time outs. And they do serve alcohol throughout the entire arena.. And the wait list is for real, my son in law is on it. His opinion is they should have built a bigger facility, instead of "modernizing" the existing, but his voice was not heard.

 

[HFCS]

I accept the numbers, but that also was prior to BIG12, their opponents were worse than the BIG10 west, Tough game sell, but they did get 5000+' They did upgrade the arena when they were able to secure a BIG12 invite, and they lowered capacity, but they do have all the bells and whistles: video board s on both ends, video ribbon display, huge sound system, their ceiling is low enough they even have a video projection system that makes the court look like its on fire during time outs. And they do serve alcohol throughout the entire arena.. And the wait list is for real, my son in law is on it. His opinion is they should have built a bigger facility, instead of "modernizing" the existing, but his voice was not heard.

I believe there is a ton of demand now, but when the program was down not really that long ago in an NBA city I'm sure their fan support was pretty bad. Did they have a packed stadium for the big time Big 12 football this year? Seems they might be front runners.

Just saying it will be interesting to see the next time they are bad. Like I said, Baylor has shown you can be #1 in basketball and top ten in FB with really "meh" fan support in the state of Texas. In some ways it really doesn't matter.

 

[BigLame]

Shead is the one guy in this league that you game plan to stop, and just can't. Similar to Buddy Hield and players like that. Definitely the player of the year in the conference.

Gives me a Jalen Brunson vibe, but not left handed.

 

[CycloneErik]

Especially if you’re ranked higher and favored.

If Baylor wins, it may be a 3 way tie at the top. Need to win out.

Might as well.

 

[Sparkplug]

Especially if you’re ranked higher and favored.

If Baylor wins, it may be a 3 way tie at the top. Need to win out.

BYU beat Baylor tonight

 

[VeloClone]

Dear Houston,

You are fortunate to have gotten off to a nice lead early, not unlike we did to you in Ames. We played you pretty even for the rest of the game. This chart says it all. Given your lack of experience in close games, I like our chances if it had been closer toward the end.

Sincerely,
Cycsk

View attachment 124267

This looks like a chart of the profile of all of the moulding in my grandparent's house.

 

[Clone95]

He just kept reiteration that over and over and over all night long. Talk about a jacka$$. How in the world can you keep stating that with that lack of depth KU has this year?? Say something about them belonging in the mix with us, Houston, and Baylor, but don't keep looking stupid by claiming they are the most "complete" when they don't have a bench to turn to.

He was going down the list: Dickenson or McCullar player of the year, Furphy: newcomer of the year, Harris: defensive player of the year, Adams: 6th man of the year?!??!? Literally said that because he couldn’t think of another award he could say Adams gets.

 

[VeloClone]

It’s not a 1:1 comp but Shead/Sharp reminds me of Tinsley/Horton in terms of controlling the game at both ends physically. They are built like tanks.

First time Sharp went to the FT line I thought it was their power forward because his body looked a bit like King's. Then I realized he was their 2/3 guard.

 

[Cyclonepride]

First time Sharp went to the FT line I thought it was their power forward because his body looked a bit like King's. Then I realized he was their 2/3 guard.

Yeah, he was the guy that flew through the air, blocked Big Rob's shot, then bounced through our guys to get it and took it down for a layup or dunk in Hilton. Probably the most amazing athletic play I've seen this year. Just on another level.

 

[VeloClone]

Kansas is built like your typical top Big 10 teams most years. They have a big dominant center that can't/won't guard or move well, with a good cast around him. Seth still believes the Big 10 plodder model is good basketball, even though it hasn't been competitive in the tournament for over a decade.

He might as well try saying "Back in my day, Kansas would have been the most complete team." True...perhaps. But that model is no longer competitive and looks a lot like grandpa Seth's Crown Victoria going down the road. It ain't too pretty anymore, and the others are going to pass it by.

But a lot of the top Big 10 teams had their big plodder, a somewhat limited big plodder on the bench and a good but young, up and coming big plodder as the ace card also on the bench. Kansas just has a guy who is definitely good but if he faces officiating in either tournament that is looking at the posts critically he will be on the bench with two fouls before the first media timeout and on the bench again with four before the first media timeout in the second half. He would also likely have at least one F1 as well.

The guy is rarely set for a screen and also "rolls to the basket" by putting two forearms on the defender and pushing him into the lane or backing him into the lane with two arms back corralling the defender making sure he can't get around him to either side. When rebounding he pushes people under the basket with a hand or forearm in the back and if he has inside position he blocks out with a high forearm which often ends up in the neck of even slightly smaller players. With some of the contact to the head and neck that gets called an F1 I don't know how that guy doesn't get at least one a game.

 

[VeloClone]

I agree that Shead played like the best point in the nation in this game. However I think it looked a little better than it could have been. If they actually call that push off the first or second time he does it he isn't quite as open on those step back threes. His scoring line doesn't look quite as good if he doesn't get the call every time he drives and he draws a little contact or if he gets whistled for the same contact he drew on the other end. He is still a top player, but the home whistle made him look all world Monday.

I don't totally agree on the take that ISU didn't drive and force them to make the call in the first half. ISU started off driving and forcing the issue and wasn't getting the call but instead it resulted in multiple turnovers or missed shots due to no calls. Or when they did get the call they inexplicably couldn't seem to get a shooting foul called. I went and looked and I can't for the life of me figure out why Milan's foul wasn't a shooting foul. Often we as fans will see that and not realize that there was a foul on the drive that was called before the shot so no shooting foul. There was no contact on the drive just a hack on Milan's gather step as he goes up to shoot. That is a shooting foul 100 times out of 100 - well, I guess out of 99 since this call was made.