Kansas Jayhawk News and Notes 1.20.12

by Owen on Jan 20, 2012 3:00 AM CST in Kansas Jayhawk News and Notes

Kansas Basketball

Altered anthem bothers Bill Self | KUsports.com
YES!!!!! First the WOOOO!! Now the 'Home of the Chiefs!!! Did Bensa already sing this year, I think so but I can't remember. If he did, the goal is to get rid of this by the time he sings again...'Bensa The Anthem Part IV: Chiefs No More"

KU takes control, for now, of Big 12 race | CJOnline.com
Man this never gets old.

Defensive bursts have been key for Self’s Jayhawks - KansasCity.com
It's Bill Self basketball at it's best.

Travis Releford excels at ‘little things’ | KUsports.com
Stepping into his own this year.

The Hype Machine on Kansas Jayhawks, Iona Gaels point guard Scott Machado - college basketball - ESPN
The Hype Machine takes the pulse of all that is trending up and down in the world of college basketball.

Pitino Says Allen Fieldhouse Is Most ‘Overpowering’ | ZagsBlog.com
Keep banging this drum.

Attorney enters plea of not guilty for KU basketball player accused of possessing alcohol | KUsports.com
Things, things, things.

Kansas Football

MHR Selects - Broncos 2011 Overachiever Of the Year - Mile High Report
Seriously...Denver really likes Chris Harris and I'm really hoping he can find a home here.

Conference Recruitment Expense Series: Big 12 "
Interesting that we are #1. Thoughts on why? Is it effort, expenses what is it? And is it good or bad?

Former KU quarterback Brock Berglund issues statement saying KU won't grant release | Tale of the Tait | KUsports.com
The press release. Matt Tait fortunately did some editing and made this readable since the original was ONE GIGANTIC PARAGRAPH.

Tweet Comment 54 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

the anecdote in there about mike mayock apologizing to harris is awesome

I write everywhere. You're probably better off following me on twitter

by fetch9 on Jan 20, 2012 7:25 AM CST reply actions

The excerpt for those interested. I can't root for this guy enough.

“I’m fascinated by Chris Harris. I’m mad at myself. I made several phone calls this morning around the league trying to find out more about this kid, because he was way off radar screens. Matter of fact, he wasn’t invited to the combine. I did no tape work on the kid whatsoever because he was not listed as a draftable player. So here he is out of nowhere, starting in the nickel package, making plays, prominent on special teams — I couldn’t be happier for this kid. I’m going to spend the next couple days trying to figure out who this kid is, why he didn’t get drafted, what did I miss, what did other teams miss. He’s a kid I’m really enjoying watching.” – Mike Mayock

Questions, Comments? email me at denverjhawk@hotmail.com

by Owen on Jan 20, 2012 8:24 AM CST up reply actions

Peter Bean has a short preview up for the game.

Here

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jan 20, 2012 7:39 AM CST reply actions

I like the link to the article about homecourt advantage in the Big XII in that preview

And there is a somewhat insightful comment by Caradoc on that BON post that discusses what could possibly make such a big difference for Big XII teams at home. Normally people say it is easier to win at home because the fans jack up the team/rattle the opposing team, or because the players are more comfortable playing at home, but neither of those factors are things that would really be different in Big XII arenas vs. anywhere else. What is different is that the Big XII, like every major conference, has its own crews of officials.
Food for thought.

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 20, 2012 1:40 PM CST up reply actions

Not sure how the conference having their own crew plays into it, though I'm guessing it's a small part.

Without looking through the numbers for all conferences, I wonder how much of an impact Kansas has in it. We just don’t lose at home in conference play. I’d guess Duke and Carolina impact that for the ACC as well but outside of those two schools are their any other schools that simply don’t lose at home?

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jan 20, 2012 1:46 PM CST up reply actions

Wisconsin in the B1G

Washington in the PAC-12, Pitt (until this year) and Syracuse in the Big East, Kentucky in the SEC.

by 2.1 seconds left on Jan 20, 2012 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

Wisconsin has their own little weird basketball, right?

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 2:59 PM CST up reply actions

That article looked awesome ... until I realized the records were against the spread

I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why you’d want to look at records against the spread to figure out the difficulty of winning on the road. Presumably Vegas is aware of home court advantage when they set the spreads, so what does beating them tell us?

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 2:24 PM CST up reply actions

That the home court advantage is much greater in the Big 12

than other conferences? I think that’s what he’s getting at.

by hunter s. royal on Jan 20, 2012 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

But why would records against the spread demonstrate that?

I can see comparing home and away records to determine home court advantage (especially if you limited it to opponents you played both places), but I don’t have any idea why someone would adjust for the spread.

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 2:39 PM CST up reply actions

I'm guessing the site referenced did because it's focused on gambling.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jan 20, 2012 2:41 PM CST up reply actions

And it might be good for figuring out which home teams to bet on (or it might be noise)

But they drew a different conclusion than whom to bet on. If they had followed their data, it would have said something like “Vegas is correct on the amount of home court advantage in every major conference except the Big 12, where they badly underestimate it”

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 2:45 PM CST up reply actions

and throw this in for more confusion

Vegas is correct on the amount of home court advantage predicted by fans/bettors

Since those lines are calibrated to what the gambling public believes.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 20, 2012 5:17 PM CST up reply actions

This is a great point.

Is it measuring home court advantage, or is it measuring better bias? I’m not sure you can start an analysis with the idea that Vegas is wrong. Vegas doesn’t set the lines out of science, they set them to make money.

Isn’t the more likely conclusion that the Big 12 has the home advantage most underestimated by bettors?

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

I think the most likely conclusion is that its statistical noise

Followed by the conclusion that Vegas was slow to adjust when teams like K-State and Iowa State began filling their arenas again.

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 3:09 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Also, a little more turmoil to the west.

Jordan Henriquez suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team”.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jan 20, 2012 7:39 AM CST reply actions

@ Owen

I did already sing the anthem this year, at the Howard game on Dec. 29. Since it was a no-name opponent during winter break, the “Chiefs” thing wasn’t too bad, actually…but yeah, still needs to be (voluntarily) abolished.

Criticize FHOFNCHCBS at your own risk...

by Bensa on Jan 20, 2012 8:31 AM CST reply actions

sweet...

then we need Grad to get on the photoshop….

“Bensa The Anthem Part IV: Chiefs No More” Premiering Fall of 2013 or perhaps Spring of 2014.

Questions, Comments? email me at denverjhawk@hotmail.com

by Owen on Jan 20, 2012 8:45 AM CST up reply actions

speaking of HOF nominations, Bensas open letter and subsequent thread on this was pretty good

I think I remember one guy (stupidly) defending his right to yell that

by fizzle406 on Jan 20, 2012 10:00 AM CST up reply actions

well he does have a right to yell it

we just have a right to say he’s stupid for doing so

I write everywhere. You're probably better off following me on twitter

by fetch9 on Jan 20, 2012 10:04 AM CST up reply actions

Exactly

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 2:30 PM CST up reply actions

not to toot my own horn,

But that open letter might just be the most-liked/tweeted article in this website’s history. Owen might be able to confirm that. That was an epic day, for sure.

Criticize FHOFNCHCBS at your own risk...

by Bensa on Jan 20, 2012 2:45 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions

believe it had the most facebook likes

Questions, Comments? email me at denverjhawk@hotmail.com

by Owen on Jan 20, 2012 3:15 PM CST up reply actions

To tag along with the Pitino comment:

113 decibels? Allen is absolutely unreal.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7478162/mark-titus-kansas-win-baylor-rest-week-college-basketball

Pay heed...

by pj_hawk4life on Jan 20, 2012 8:58 AM CST reply actions

Love the fact that in his top ten

mizzoo is #7 with no, zero,zip, nada, for a comment. Kind of like their sched. No substance whatsoever – well unless you include their thrashing at the hands of the feral kitties.

by dagger108 on Jan 20, 2012 9:53 AM CST up reply actions

Does the lack of discussion on Berglund imply that we're in agreement on it?

Or just don’t even want to touch it?

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jan 20, 2012 2:36 PM CST reply actions

Who's Brock Berglund?

That’s my answer.

"No time for questions. No time for games. Start kickin' ass and takin' down the names." - Dave Mustaine.

by Rivethead on Jan 20, 2012 2:44 PM CST up reply actions

just release him

It looks kinda bad to not release him at this point especially how we’re welcoming in transfers by the truckload.

The name of that song played at KC Comets games in the '80's was Giorgio Moroder's "The Chase." Now you know.

by labbadabba on Jan 20, 2012 2:52 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I agree.

He’s been a pain in the rear the whole time, I don’t understand why we want him connected with the program any longer. Let Keegan have his blind squirrel finding a nut moment and move on.

by hunter s. royal on Jan 20, 2012 2:56 PM CST up reply actions

I agree we should release him

However, he is a much different situation than the transfer we welcomed. Our transfers committed to their programs, practiced, attended meetings, and by all accounts were good teammates. Brock was anything but those things.

It's not that I'm lazy; it's that I just don't care.

by KRichards on Jan 20, 2012 3:13 PM CST up reply actions

All the more reasons to cut ties.

Trying to teach a kid a lesson when he’s not interested in learning(and pretty clearly has his whole family and considerable monetary resources behind him) doesn’t seem to be worth the collateral damage.

by hunter s. royal on Jan 20, 2012 3:38 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

I really hope this isn't the reason because you nail the problem.

Trying to teach a kid a lesson when he’s not interested in learning

Dealing with HS kids, friends, and myself over the years I have learned there isn’t anything that is going to stick with this kid until he’s ready for it. That’s clearly not where he is right now. Let him move on and set him up to regret the decision ten years from now when he’s watching the Jayhawks on tv and realizes that he had a chance to be a part of it but threw it away with his immaturity. It won’t be today or tomorrow and will likely take years for it to sink in. Eventually it will and that day will be a long one for him. Hopefully there is a very good and legitimate reason for doing this because trying to teach a teenager a lesson when they’re not interested is a huge waste of time for all involved and only serves to make the University appear petty and as immature as the kid.

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jan 20, 2012 3:50 PM CST up reply actions

Yep.

by hunter s. royal on Jan 20, 2012 3:54 PM CST up reply actions

They were?

I mean, maybe they were. But the three transfers so far are guys who didn’t get enough playing time and left their programs, which isn’t exactly the definition of loyalty or teammate (not that I blame them). We’ve heard that Brock had some attitude issues and rubbed people the wrong way, but he also was around the team a lot and traveled to several road games on his own dime. It’s not some sort of black-and-white bad teammate/good teammate thing.

Regardless, as people are saying, he’s not in Weis’s plans, so release him and move on.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 20, 2012 5:24 PM CST up reply actions

Around the team a lot?

I don’t know that I have ever heard of a red shirt player that spent more time in another state and away from his than I have of Berglund.

It's not that I'm lazy; it's that I just don't care.

by KRichards on Jan 20, 2012 6:00 PM CST up reply actions

his team

It's not that I'm lazy; it's that I just don't care.

by KRichards on Jan 20, 2012 6:00 PM CST up reply actions

Yes, his legal issues kept him away from the team

I guess I separate that from the time when he was on the active roster (only a month?). Maybe that’s being too lenient – the legal problem certainly was an issue that he brought on himself and it kept him from getting much out of his redshirt year.

But when he was on the team he was a participant like anyone else (I think?), then when he wasn’t on the active roster he still traveled to some away games.

If we choose to believe Berglund’s side of things, he took time away from football to deal with an important legal issue, which seems justifiable. But the point is that we hold three guys up who left their teams b/c of playing time as “good teammates” then criticize the guy who wasn’t around b/c of a legal issue as a “bad teammate” – it’s just not that cut and dried.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 20, 2012 7:24 PM CST up reply actions

Damn you make this difficult

because I agree with you. However I just find it hard that a simple misdemeanor case really takes that much time away from the team.

In then end release him, move on, forget him. I do appreciate the back and forth, even though this guy isn’t worth it.

It's not that I'm lazy; it's that I just don't care.

by KRichards on Jan 20, 2012 9:26 PM CST up reply actions

i agree with you too...

I make things difficult ;)

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 21, 2012 7:36 PM CST up reply actions

definitely not that cut and dried.

We know nothing of what his academic status is.
We know nothing of what his agreement was with the university in going home vs. being on campus.
We know nothing of what paperwork is required, and what he has completed.

“Just release him” is like saying that Dr Z kept Gill around just to teach the fans a lesson, or that he didn’t twitter his wherabouts as often as Tait reposted his blog just to be mean spirited. I personally have all kinds of confidance that he is choosing his actions because it is in the best interest of the school based on some legal requirement.

by dagger108 on Jan 21, 2012 2:54 AM CST up reply actions

People are talking 9 or 10 teams from the Big Ten in the tournament

and it makes me gag. It seems like 7 max.

Nebraska
Northwestern
Penn State
Iowa
Minnesota

None of those are tournament teams, right?

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 3:12 PM CST reply actions

Most of them have a couple good wins and a couple bad losses

I could see two of them getting in.

The giant black hole that is the Pac-12 is what’s making possible these monster numbers of bids from other leagues. It’s looking increasingly likely that Cal could be the only Pac-12 team that makes the tournament this year.

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 3:19 PM CST up reply actions

They all have totally unimpressive non-conf resumes,

and picking off a Michigan or Mich. State or ending Indiana’s run… those aren’t enough if they are going to finish with a losing conference record anyway. The only team I could see in the Big Ten who could get into the tournament with a losing conference record is Indiana.

Yes the Pac-12 is giving up some bids, but the way people are talking, they’re all going to the Big Ten.

I can see them getting 7 bids if it’s the top half + Indiana. Eight is unfair but would not totally surprise me. Nine or ten is crazy talk.

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 3:50 PM CST up reply actions

It's hard to come up with enough teams this year

Remember that there’s 3 extra bids now, and the Big East isn’t going to be taking as many as last year. The ACC might send 5 teams, the SEC might send 5, the Big 12 could send 6, the Pac-12 looks like 2 at the most. If you take 7 from the Big East (which seems ambitious), you’ve only accounted for 20 of the at-large bids (plus the 5 auto bids from those conferences). There are 17 more to fill.

by KSinDC on Jan 20, 2012 4:08 PM CST up reply actions

It is hard...

7 from B1G, 2 from MVC, 3 from WCC, 3 from A10.

That’s 11 at large, leaving 6 more to fill. Some teams are going to sneak in through conference tournaments. (I wonder how many that usually is. If Murray St. loses its conf tournament it still gets to the NCAA tournament, right?)

I guess I can see projecting 8 Big Ten teams—-but still not 9 or 10.

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 5:25 PM CST up reply actions

Northwestern was great early

but faded in league play. Iowa has best chance – they’ve beaten up on the top teams in the league.

by jayhawk1996 on Jan 20, 2012 4:17 PM CST up reply actions

Iowa had a disastrous non-conf.

5 losses. Best win is Drake. Best conference win was @Wisc back when that seemed like a big deal, and some people may still be high on that. Home win against Michigan is not a big deal. It doesn’t really matter if they still have a losing schedule in conference. KenPom rank is 97 and projects them to finish 7-11. Might as well be discussing Oklahoma as a tournament team.

NU’s good non-conf win is Seton Hall? They were bubble-team quality early, then Baylor trashed them so bad I think their non-conf verdict is NIT. In conference they are 2-4 so far. Their KenPom rank is 58.

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 4:59 PM CST reply actions

Yarrr, reply fail

by sax solo on Jan 20, 2012 4:59 PM CST up reply actions

Ha ha...

I made the mistake of reading the comments on the National Anthem article. I’m goin to voice my opinion on there. Let me start by saying I’m in my 9th year in the Air Force, I’m a diehard KU fan, and a diehard Chiefs fan. I don’t like the “home of the Chiefs” at the Fieldhouse or Memorial. Has nothing to do with disrespecting the military either. To me its disrespecting the Jayhawks. These places are home of the Jayhawks, not the Chiefs. I don’t do the “home of the Chiefs” while at Arrowhead, but that’s my choice and it doesn’t bother me. That’s just my view on it.

My take on the WOO. It has nothing to do with tradition, I just think it sounds stupid that way. Well, not stupid but just not as intimidating as it would without it. The rock chalk chant gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. Once the WOO happens, it takes that feeling away.

Well these are my takes of it. I think most agree on the final result, but here are my reasons why.

by hawkinwichita on Jan 20, 2012 7:10 PM CST via mobile reply actions 3 recs

agreed with all of that

especially this

The rock chalk chant gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. Once the WOO happens, it takes that feeling away.

Kila's slash for Apr 20 to May 4, 2011, right before he was sent down: .276 / .344 / .448

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jan 20, 2012 7:25 PM CST up reply actions

exactly my thoughts

There’s something haunting about the chant. When you add the “woo,” it makes it sound like something they would teach at my son’s preschool

Use the forks

by PenHawk on Jan 20, 2012 7:37 PM CST up reply actions

Preschool or sorority

not that your son is in a sorority.

by dagger108 on Jan 21, 2012 3:01 AM CST up reply actions

had no idea you were in the air force

thanks for doing something i don’t have the stones or ability to do.

Also I agree with everything you said

I write everywhere. You're probably better off following me on twitter

by fetch9 on Jan 20, 2012 8:16 PM CST up reply actions

And I say the same thing about the Marines and Army...

Those guys sacrifice a lot more then I do. I don’t have a cushion office job that most Air Force have, but my “courage” isn’t like what that have. But I’m just doin my part. And thanks for the support.

by hawkinwichita on Jan 20, 2012 9:18 PM CST via mobile up reply actions