Just a Link....

Sorry to steal the top blog spot for a quick link....but I think I need some alone time after seeing this... http://www.orangebowlbound.com/

These are not my ideas (taken from phog.net), but some good 2008 Kansas Football Slogan ideas, since we are on the subject. Some serious, some not so much....

Kansas Football: The Power of Eleven
Kansas Football: Blue Wings Rising: Vengeance
Kansas Football: Sorry we were in the Orange Bowl
Kansas Football: Not as ripped as Josh Freeman
Kansas Football: If something goes wrong, Lew will cheat to fix it
Kansas Football: Proving that 2007 wasn't a fluke
Kansas Football: there's still room on the bandwagon!
Kansas Football: Come on. It's either us or the Chiefs.
Kansas Football: Orange you sad you didn't buy season tickets last year?
Kansas Football: Rip his ******** head off!
Kansas Football: We're your Super Bowl
Kansas Football: Look at what the F*ck you did!

Anybody else got some ideas?...

Big 12 Basketball Preview: Part IV

Before jumping into this preview, let me first recognize the Kansas players that were awarded All-American status today. I'm under the impression that the AP All-American team is the most highly prestigious of them all. And today, Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins were both selected to the first team while James McClinton was honored as a second teamer. Congratulations to all three. In all, the Big 12 had 8 first team selections, the most of any conference. They will also add a coach to this fictitious team, that too could come from the Big 12.

The Nursultan Tulyakbay Division

"He is pain in my assholes. I get a window from a glass, he must get a window from a glass. I get a step, he must get a step. I get a clock radio, he cannot afford. Great success!" That's right, these are the teams related to Borat's jealous Kazakhi neighbor, Nursultan Tulyakbay. They want the conference championship and even have hopes of contending for bigger rewards, but it's just not going to happen. But hey, at least it's not the Urkin Division.

3. Texas A&M Aggies

It is without a doubt that Mark Turgeon got out of Wichita at exactly the right time. It's too bad he had to go to College Station to do so, but he inherited a pretty good team for his efforts. This team got better on the inside, but lost a huge cog on the outside, leading us to…The most obvious question; how will they fare without Acie Law IV? Aside from his scoring and unbelievable late game dominance, people forget that he was far and away their best distributor as well. So far, they have looked the part of a Sweet 16 team aside from getting complacent in Tucson and letting Arizona come back and beat them. Unfortunately, they needed that game for their resume as they really don't have any top other tier non-con games.

Specifically, their "biggest" OOC games have been against Washington, Ohio State and Alabama. In beating the first two they won the Preseason NIT in MSG. More specifically, they annihilated Ohio State to the tune of 70-47 and beat the Huskies and the Tide in stunningly similar (77-63 and 76-63) and much less impressive fashion. The Ohio State win is good, but not great. Obviously they are a year removed from being the national runner-up, but it's an understatement to say that this team is not quite up to that same standard. As for the other two, neither impresses me much at all. The Washington win probably looks better as it's on a neutral floor and they are probably the better team, but they were also without their best scorer, Appleby. Alabama, on the other hand, had to come to College Station and are adjusting to life without Ronald Steele – I would have liked a more convincing win (this was a 3 point game with 12 minutes left). However, we have to remember that they are adjusting to a new coaching style right now and they should not be held accountable for not blowing teams out – especially if they are winning soundly in the process. They have little remaining aside from a home game against an average LSU team. This sounds dramatic, but they can ill-afford another loss.

Once the conference slate gets going, they need to hope that all of the fake cadets Fran upset during football will turn their attention to the hardwood. I know the South is tough, but if this is a sweet 16 team, they will win at least 7 of those 10. From the north, they travel to KSU, ISU and Methzou. Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska come to College Station. There is no excuse for losing to ISU, CU and NU so winning 4 is attainable and 5 would be gravy. Do those things they should have no trouble being in the top 3 in the conference and they will probably be looking at a 3 or 4 seed come tourney time.

Notable Players: Josh Carter and Joseph Jones are their best returning players and both have been solid. Carter chalks up 13 and 5, while Jones is at 12 and 5. I was similarly impressed with Donald Sloan and Dominique Kirk, who are about as similar as the Olson twins. Both play great defense and are solid on the offensive end as well. Sloan is quite a bit thicker and uses it to produce a bit more on the stat sheet – right now at 9, 4, and 3. Kirk is pretty much just a shorter, darker Bruce Bowen, earning his keep on the defensive end, but also contributing elsewhere at 8, 3 and 4. That last number may be the most important as he is the only Aggie producing over 2.6 (Sloan's 3) assists per game and as a team they are at 15. This could be an area of concern as the competition improves, but again, they are still learning a new offense. Houston black man DeAndre Jordan has effectively replaced the whitest Lithuanian around, Antanus Kavaliauskas. At 7 foot tall, he has adjusted rather nicely and is steadily averaging 10 and 7, leading the team in the latter. As he is a freshman it will be important to see if he hits a wall or continues to progress. I don't know much about Bryan Davis or Derrick Roland, but both have contributed nicely, averaging around 7 points and 2 assists with Davis getting the nod on the boards with 5 to Roland's 3. As you may have guessed, this team has good balance and can get production from any number of these guys. Can Turge replace Billy? Can anyone replace Acie? I say yes and not entirely. With better balance, they won't directly replace him but they should be able to come up with his general production. What I doubt they will be able to equal is his late game prowess or overall affect on the team.

2. Kansas Jayhawks
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…………..
Not! "He's still asshole. I get iPod, he only get iPod Mini. Everybody know it for girls!"

2. Texas Longhorns

What, you think just because Texas traipsed into LA and knocked off the hated Bruins that I was going to give them the conference? In this young season, no one in the country has done more than Texas. No Kevin Durant? No problem. Truth be told, I'm not sure what to think about how they have flourished this year. Perhaps they are better off without Durant because they relied too heavily on him last year. And since Rick Barnes decided against play calling and instead chose to tell his team to get Durant the ball, they became a bit clueless when he was properly defended - since every team knew that was all they had planned, it could occasionally happen. But hey, despite his inability to combine the unanimous player of the year with what is now being proven as great surrounding talent, both the AP and Rick Barnes himself voted him Big 12 Coach of the Year. Forget the fact that A&M was 2 years removed from a 0-16 Big 12 record and they were the second best team in the league and a 3 seed in the tourney. What am I missing, again?

After destroying an always overrated, but good Tennessee team, Texas then went out to Westwood and defeated the previously unbeaten Bruins. For some reason, everyone thinks Tennessee is to be taken seriously solely because Bruce Pearl is their coach and an avid chest painter. I don't buy into that logic, but winning in Pauley Pauvilion sold me. Aside from those two games they have played literally no one. I had not even heard of a couple of the schools. They have two more big games OOC, traveling to East Lansing to play the Izzo's and welcoming to Austin the Wisconsin "Our coach looks exactly like our mascot" Badgers. They should have no trouble with the latter and if they also beat Sparty, no one in the country will be able to match their OOC resume.

Once conference play gets going, the biggest issue will be their consistency. Rick Barnes coached teams don't generally play a lot of defense. So far they have not looked bad, but I'm doubting they continue at this pace through March. This will be important to watch as the offense will inevitable hit a lull at some point and they will need to win a couple games with their D. There is a chance they could be favored in every game as Kansas has to come to them, but since that game is nearly 2 months away it's too hard to tell. With Kansas in the north and every bit as good, I'm thinking they won't be able to lose much more than 2 if they want to win the league, especially outright.

Notable Players: For whatever reason, most people chose to ignore how good DJ Augustin was last year (It's OK to pay attention to more than 1 player on the same team). Regardless, they are noticing now as he is averaging 19 points and 7 assists. No one in the country can consistently keep him out of the lane. The key is to help and rotate but also find a way to defend his passing angles. Baby Abrams has been their other big scorer putting in slightly more than the 19 Augustin is scoring. His skills pretty much stop and start at the three point line though. At 6-7, a much more fit Damion James has been their biggest inside force averaging 12 and 10. Texas desperately needs him to keep this up as they do not have a great deal of athletic ability on the inside. It will be interesting to see how he does against guys who can match his athleticism and have a noticeable size advantage. Connor Atchley is their only other big that really contributes getting 11 and 5. I'll be surprised and impressed if this isn't an issue as the season goes on, as I have never been too impressed with his inside game. Justin Mason is their other contributor and has been solid, scoring over 10 a game. I don't see how depth isn't an issue at some point with all five of those guys getting over 30 minutes and no one else even getting 15. Only time will tell though.

And that concludes the Nursultan Tulyakbay Division with only one team remaining. Keep checking back as their preview should be up shortly as well.

In other news, I heard a couple of things mentioned on ESPN I was hoping to get clarified…

- Was Michael Vick involved in some sort of a dog-fighting scandal?
- Are the New England Patriots undefeated?

Any information and/or help in determining whether these things occurred would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

One last thing: Do yourself a favor and read through this little diddy.

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

Well being a hawk fan just keeps getting better, while methzou is listening to the LSU and ND marching bands at half, Todd "Little Texas" Reesing will be joined in Miami by some fellow Texas natives, some certain sharp dressed men with cheap sunglasses, Zed Zed Top.

I was already pumped about going and the prospect of Tube Snake Boogie and Pearl Necklace being played at half makes it that much more worthwhile.

Especially by that time in the game the KU rough boys will have VT under pressure, trying to doubleback to the pocket, and their heads in mississippi. (I don't think I can fit any more refrences into a sentence than that).

There's a rumor spreading around in that South Florida town, about a surprise football team from that little home out on the range...

Big 12 Basketball Preview: Part III

You Serious, Clark? Division

6. Baylor Bears
I'm not sure how surprised you were as they have become the cliché pick to make a move this year, but trust me – this is new territory for them. And while I'm not as sold on them as some, I have a feeling this is about right. And given that they haven't had more than 5 wins or finished higher than 10th since the turn of the century, this is a big step for the Baptists. It's also worth noting that they have only finished in the top half of the conference once, when they won 8 and tied for 5th in the '97-98 season, and thus they have never finished above .500 in league play. Needless to say, if they do much better than this, I wouldn't be more surprised if I woke up tomorrow with my head stapled to the carpet.

Thus far, they really haven't done anything, yet the national experts seem impressed. They won some silly tournament down in the Caribbean and beat Wichita St., Notre Dame and Winthrop to do so. To be candid, I would like to think any team in the Big 12 could traverse that slate, but I am disappointed to say that many could not. Aside from that they have destroyed some no-names and lost a close one at home to Wazzu. I'm not quite as ready as many ESPN analysts to hold it for Tony Bennett, but Wazzu is a good, veteran team and for Baylor to be there at the end tells me something.

They really only have 2 OOC games left worth a damn and that's @ South Carolina and home against Arkansas. The Cocks are average at best, but winning on the road – especially for a team that hasn't done much winning at all – is always difficult. Arkansas is marginally better than SC, but they have to come to Waco. The Bears need at least a split of the two. If they get that, they'll enter conference play 12-2.

Given their OOC schedule and how tough conference play will be, this is a must if they want an at-large bid. Playing in the south, you can chalk up quite a few tough games right there. In all honesty, I don't think there is 1 you can point to that they WILL win from those 10. From the north, KSU, ISU and Methzou come to Waco while the Bears travel to Ames, Lincoln and Lawrence. They need to find a way to win 4 of these. If they can do that, I think they can get to 8 or 9 wins, which logically should be enough to get them in the door.

Notable Players: Everyone is on board with Curtis Jerrels and Aussie Aaron Bruce – and rightfully so. Jerrells is averaging 12, 5 and 3 while Bruce is at 11, 3, and 3. Tweety Carter, their soph former McD's All American is also dangerous and is at 9, 2 and 2 right now. I think the difference maker though is Kevin Rogers. A high school teammate of Darrell Arthur, Rogers averages a healthy 11 and 7. In order to truly compete in the conference, that scoring average may need to spike a bit. It's also worth noting that they have a 6-4 freshman guard named LaceDarius Dunn averaging 12 and 5 and attempting about five 3's a game. That's all I really know about him though.

I didn't feel like I could in good conscience have a post surrounding only Baylor so you get a 2 for 1 today.

The Jake Taylor - "I Don't Know What the Hell He's Thinking" Division

5. Oklahoma State Cowboys
They are here because of Gallagher-Iba Arena. And I absolutely, positively could see them ending up in somewhere closer to the 10 spot. But I really like their freshman James Anderson and overall talent. However, they have resembled dog shit more often than not so far and I'm not sure if there is a less qualified coach in the country than Sean Sutton. So we'll see if any of that talent actually holds up.

As I said, so far they have done absolutely nothing outside of their blowout of Washington – which really wasn't even that impressive. I can't remember the last time the Huskies weren't overrated and nobody even thinks they are that good this year – plus they were without their best scorer/Dennis the Menace look-a-like Ryan Appleby. Aside from that they were run out of the building by Marquette, handled soundly by Illinois and beaten by North Texas. Not exactly what I call impressive. They have a big chance to redeem themselves this weekend at Pittsburgh before a bunch of nothing games to close out the non-conference. The difference between 11-3 with a win @ Pitt. and 10-4 with almost nothing accomplished is "Mangino big."

Since any game at GIA is winnable, they need to find a way to get to 9+ wins. If they do that and win at Pitt this weekend, things will be looking good. But seeing as how doable all of that seems, why is that I have no confidence any of it will actually happen? Could it be because Sean Sutton passes out during close games? All signs point to YEEESSS!

Notable Players: As mentioned, 6-6 frosh James Anderson has been very impressive. Right now he is at 21, 4 and 2. Since that 4 is really 3.6 and that 2 is really 1.5, at least one of those needs to improve. Terrell Harris is also solid and is at 12, 4 and 2. Marcus Dove is actually contributing some offense averaging 8+ and also rebounding at nearly 6 a game, but is most known for his incredible defense. Byron Eaton has eatEn his way out of being a premier point guard. Well, I'm not sure how premier he ever was, but once upon a time he was a McD's All American. Needless to say, that's about the last accolade he received. Obi Muonelo also looked good when he played last year, but hasn't done much thus far this year.

4. Kansas State Wildcats
Let me start by saying that I do not think this is a good team. However, I think they are the second "best" team in the north and thus they have at least 8 games they will be favored in. But as we all know, favored doesn't really mean anything, especially with Frank Martin at the helm. As he has already proven, he is going to directly cost them a few games along the way. The only thing left to find out is; how many is a few?

Even Frank Martin could not derail the mighty Cats this past weekend though as they got their first accolade on the year in defeating Cal at rockin' Bramlage Coliseum. Prior to that they had beaten a bunch of nobodies and lost close games to Oregon, George Mason and Notre Dame. Nothing terrible, but all games they likely would have won with Huggy Bear at the helm. Their only game with any sort of a pulse left before the Big 12 is @ Xavier. Cross your purple fingers. I won't be holding my breath.

As mentioned, they are here because of their favorable geographic location in the great state of Kansas. But being in the armpit of Manhattan, this is all the higher they ever get to go. I mentioned that they should be the better team in 8 out of their 10 north games.
Because of that, they need to find a way to win 7 of them. Against the south, they go to Oklahoma, Tech and Baylor. Which means they get O-State, A&M and Texas in the Little Apple. A good team wins at least 4 of those. A tourney team wins 3. What will the Purple do?

Notable Players: I heard something about a guy named Michael Beasley. After looking it up, he is averaging 25 and 14. The thing I like about him is that he has grabbed double digit rebounds in every game. There is nothing more frustrating that watching bigs not rebound well. The Bease does not have this problem. His scoring has dipped as of late, "only" going over 19 once in the past 4 after averaging exactly 30 in the first 5. This could be a good thing though as Bill "Watersports" Walker has been relieving some of the pressure. Truth be told, he hasn't done much except for the Cal game in which he dripped in 30 points and 10 rebounds becoming the first Wildcat other than Beasley to leading the Purple in scoring. They also have players with last names like Pullen, Young, Gilbert, and Stewart. I should also mention that David Hoskins has yet to play this year and will easily be their third best player when that occurs – I have no idea when that will be though.

Either one of these teams could finish exactly as they have been cast or they could drift into or below mediocrity and I would not be surprised. In my humble, albeit diffident opinion, this is where I see them finishing when the fat lady sings. With their collection of talent, the only reason both should not be dancing is supposed to sit on the bench or stay within the coaching box during all forty minutes of game time. If I wore orange or purple, I would not be supremely confident right now.

Keep your eyes peeled for the top 3 teams, sure to be unveiled shortly.

Mangino's Long Lost Brother?

Now you know why KU got the orange bowl bid. Mark and Obie have a lot in common.

Obie looks happy but a bit guarded, don't worry buddy you are fruit, you are safe!

However when we play Texas next year bevo better watch his ass!

Just lucky we did not go to the Hot Pocket bowl...

Big 12 Basketball Preview: Part II

The Colin Cowherd Division

As mentioned yesterday, this really isn’t an indictment of these teams as I think the conference is extraordinarily middle heavy this year. Much as their categorization indicates, the play of these teams is predominantly pitiful, frustrating and annoying, but they do have their moments.

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders
I don’t actually think they are the tenth best team in the conference, but by playing in the south, I think this is where they will finish. There are two kinds of people: those who like Bob Knight and those who don’t. I’m a fan. Hell, I’d probably even let him hunt on my property if I had some. But the fact of the matter is, in this day and age, he just isn’t going to be able to field a top tier team. Especially not in Lubbock.

Their non conference has been a bit of a roller coaster with inexcusable losses to Sam Houston and Centenary. They also fell to a good, albeit overrated Butler team. Mixed in with those losses are a bunch of nothing wins - including one over La Tech in which they went on a 46-1 run - and a good win over another overrated team, Gonzaga. They still have a couple tough games, going to New Mexico and getting Stanford as part of the Big 12/Pac 10 challenge. They get Stanford at home and I think they need to find a way to win this one. Not only would it be good for the conference, but it could be the difference between entering conference play at 9-5 or 10-4. Since this isn’t the NFL that isn’t a huge disparity, but for a team that could be fighting for wins, especially ones that have staying power, it would go a long way towards garnishing a postseason bid.

Within the conference, this team is tough to figure. I haven’t had much of a chance to watch how they play without Jackson to rely on. But with their motion offense, they always have the ability to be a very tough out, especially if a team isn’t patient enough to guard them through the whole shot clock. Furthermore, no one ever likes going to Lubbock, so they typically win more there than they should. I think 5 or 6 conference wins seems pretty reasonable.

Notable Players: Martin Zeno is without a doubt their most talented player, but he has some consistency issues. So far he is leading them in scoring, rebound and assists, averaging 17, 6 and 4. They have two others in double digits, Alan Voskull and frosh guard John Roberson. Voskull has shown a few signs of being something over the last two years, but I don’t know much about Roberson. I do know that if he’s going to play 30 minutes a game and continue to be 5-11, 165 he should try and average more than 3 assists per game. Burgess and White are the only two others that I remember showing me anything from last year, but they haven’t done a whole lot thus far.

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
I like Doc Sadler. Just not enough to consider this a decent team. I consider them to be much less formidable than Tech, but they have an easier schedule. Having not seen them play yet, I don’t know a lot about them. I do know that watching Aleks Maric makes me wish I were seven feet tall. Then again, I could say the same thing about our own Sasha Kaun. But at least nobody thinks he’s good.

Out of conference, we thank you for the Arizona State win. The Western Kentucky game, not so much. Ditto: Creighton. Right now they sit at 5-2 with Rutgers and Oregon venturing to Lincoln. I’d like to think they can beat Rutgers, but I don’t hold out much hope for the game against Oregon. If that happens they will enter conference play at 9-3 having impressed absolutely no one.

From there it gets rough. They get Kansas twice in two weeks. Their other games are @ Colorado, @ Methzou and Baylor. I don’t think it’s inconceivable they could start 0-5 and not get their first win until ISU comes calling on Groundhog Day. If that happens, they could play well the rest of the way and only win 6. Any more than that will surprise me.

Notable Players: Aleks Maric is far and away their most effective player. Right now he is averaging 16 and 10. I would expect the 16 to hold solid, but the 10 may begin dipping once conference play gets going. Other than him, Ryan Anderson showed last year that despite being a jackass he has a pretty nice shot from the outside. Ade Dagunduro is a 6-5 junior who must have transferred because I would have remembered that name. As I said, I haven’t watched them but he is averaging 12 and 4, so he could be solid. And of course, where else would a guy with the name Cookie go other than Nebraska? Unfortunately, that's the only thing that makes him stand out.

8. Methzouri Tigers
I debated on this one for a while, as I have been mildly impressed with them so far. And I’m sure they will play some teams tough and even win some games they shouldn’t. But, I just don’t believe in the “forty minutes of heck” approach. With that said, there are a lot of players out there who would love to play this style and if they can evaluate talent well enough to find some of them and actually learn how to play when it’s not working, they have potential. It’s the latter of the two I’m more skeptical about.

Out of conference, they have done some nice things. Most notably, they have played a decent schedule with more to come. So far they have played Michigan State, Maryland, Arkansas and California. The only one they managed to win was against Maryland, but they have been competitive in all four. Before conference, they still have Purdue and Illinois on the slate. If they can split those two, they should be able to enter the conference at 11-4 with a win over a team from the SEC, ACC, and Big 11. Not bad.

I anticipate their conference season going much the same as that of Tech. They will win some games they shouldn’t because of the vaunted Paige Sports Arena and their UAB style of play. Texas, A&M, and OSU are their south home games, so 1-2 would be acceptable. I don’t see them winning any of their south road games. Say they go 5-5 against the north and that leaves them at around 6 wins. Sounds about right.

Notable Players: Despite his inability to spell his name, Stefhon Hannah is by far their best player. Right now he is averaging, 16, 2 and 5 and more than anything, he is the catalyst for their press. Demarre Carroll and Leo “The Lion” Lyons are their bigs and both have been solid so far. Carroll is actually averaging 16 and 7. Matt Lawrence is a good shooter coming off screens and absolutely nothing else. Keon Lawrence tries really hard. Butterfield assaults women. And Marshall Brown, thought to be one of their key cogs a year ago has turned out to be inept, averaging a dominant 4 and 2.

7. Oklahoma Sooners
After having a year to adjust to Capel, they should be a lot better this year. Plus they added Taylor Griffin’s better half, Blake. And so far, they have looked the part. They haven’t won anything, but they have played both Memphis and USC close and won all the games they should. Part of me thinks this will be a tournament team. But part of me knows Austin Johnson and Tony Crocker are their best guards. On another note, by adding Blake Griffin, they should be able to maintain their status as the ugliest team in the league.

As a whole, their out of conference schedule is pretty respectable. In addition to the two mentioned, they have games remaining against Arkansas, Gonzaga, and @West Virginia. I’m relatively confident they can win 2 out of those 3. Assuming that happens, they should come into conference play a solid 12-3.

Within the conference, their story is much the same as these other teams. The Noble Center can be a tough place to play so they’ll win the majority of their games there. Also, they play a slow-it-down ugly, physical style that can easily frustrate teams, so chalk up a couple wins by virtue of that. I’d say they should be very happy if they get to 8 wins.

Notable Players: Freshman Blake Griffin is huge and is definitely their best player, averaging 14 and 8. Longar Squared is their other inside threat. He’s 6-11 and pretty “long” and currently putting up 11 and 6. On the perimeter they rely on Austin Johnson, Tony Crocker and David Godbold, none of whom are all that good. They’ve also got Leary, Clark and the Griffin they had to take first, but none of them pose much of a threat either. In short, they are praying Willie Warren gets to campus before he realizes what a huge mistake he made.

ESPN College Football Awards Show

Bash me if you want, but that sweet little graphic took like .3 seconds to concoct and was the first thing that came to my head when I thought breakthrough. I also figured it would look much better than a giant Mangino head bursting through...
Anyway, on to my point. KU took home some awards tonight at the Football Awards show, being named the Breakthrough Team of the Year and also with Mangino getting the nod as the national Coach of the Year. Not too bad for a team hoping for any bowl game coming into the year...more awards sure to follow.

On the b-ball tip, I would be amiss if I failed to point out that Brandon Rush was brought in by the fine men at the Lawrence Police department for failing to show up in court on some traffic violations. I would not have brought this up, yet I want to be fair and balanced in my reporting, just like Fox News...lol!!1!

What really gets me about this is the fact that had he just taken care of his fuck ups in a timely manner he would have had no problem paying a fine and been done with it. Since he obviously did not, this becomes a public matter and gives us a very minor, yet still seen, blemish. Oh well, not that big a deal, get it taken care of B.