KU falls to a mid-major....again.

I've got all kinds of frustration over this one... but really, KU losing to VCU is much the same as their loss to UNI last year. And, because of that, I'm just going to copy and paste part of my blog entry from LAST March:

KU has some serious flaws that haunt them almost every year. And they are pretty consistently the same every year. The turnovers were a relatively new anomaly this year, but that's the only "new" thing. The two main things that have killed us almost every tournament for the last 15 years are:
1) Our help defense habitually leaves pure shooters. Whether it's by design, or by habit, our help defense continually leaves pure shooters too open. Nobody should EVER leave a shooter like Ali Farokhmanesh open... even momentarily. The instructions to his man should be "I don't care what else is going on, even if someone has a clear lane to the hoop, you stay with Farokhmanesh!" It's someone like this that kills us almost every year.
2) Very similar to the above... WHERE IS OUR ALI FAROKHMANESH? I mean, I understand recruiting the biggest, fastest, most athletic guys possible, but how about some shooters? The retort will probably be "what about Reed?" or "what about Collins?". Well, they are fine shooters... BUT, they can't shoot from anywhere in any position. A pure shooter has a quick release and only needs an inch to get his shot off. He can do it off screens or on the pull up. He can hit his shot anywhere, anytime. The problem with the guys we recruit is that they generally have slow releases and need space to shoot. Collins is the exception, but he's hardly a "shoot in any position" or a "shoot coming off a screen" type of guard. He generally needs space, and his penetration ability affords him that space.... unless his penetration isn't working (see Northern Iowa game circa TONIGHT!) I can't think of the last KU player who could do this... who could shoot quickly and in any position. (maybe Jeff Boschee? Though late in his career he was far from pure...)

And just to head anyone (Yes I know I'm talking to myself here...) off at the pass. No, our perimeter shooting is not good. Generally we get good open looks from our talented frontcourt or from penetrate and kick-outs. We don't have a single shooter, nor have we for many years, who can pop off a screen quickly and deliver a jumper. We've had a few who COULD have, but didn't for lack of aggression (see Rush and Henry)

Coach Self... You are the man. You're doing an awesome job. I never thought anyone could replace Roy Williams, but you've done it fantastically. My one piece of advice for you, from a completely outside and uneducated perspective: RECRUIT A PURE SHOOTER. A Steph Curry, an Ali Farokhmanesh, a Mickey McConnell... or, at a higher level, a Lacedarius Dunn or JJ Reddick. They're usually lightly recruited and all from mid-major schools. Almost every mid-major program has one, so they can't be that hard to find. My guess is that big schools pass them up because they're short, or slow, or can't dribble, or whatever. But come tourney time.... they kill you.

The next couple of years may be tough for KU fans as we are likely to be severely lacking in the 3-pt shooting department. If Henry DOES bolt for the pros, then next year we'd have guards of Taylor, CJ Henry (if he stays) Johnson, Little, Releford, Morningstar, Reed, Woolridge... as well as a assorted backups. The only proven shooters in the bunch are Reed and Morningstar, both of whom need a lot of daylight to get their shot off. Johnson, Henry and Woolridge are relative unknowns beyond the arc. Taylor, Little and Releford are all below average deep shooters. Oh, and ALL of these players (with the possible exception of Woolridge and Henry) need lots of daylight to get their shot off.

So... next couple of years may be more of the same. Good inside presence, lots of athletes, but inconsistent perimeter shooting.

Yep. Same thing EVERY YEAR. KU loses because the other team gets hot from 3-pt range and KU goes cold. I swear... EVERY year. I'd look it up and post the historical stats, but who cares? 2 for 20 isn't going to cut it boys... Coach Self: PLEASE RECRUIT A SHOOTER. And by "shooter" I mean, someone who can shoot it quickly, coming off screens and with little daylight. A gym rat.

As a side note, assuming the Morris twins don't come back (they're both locks to be drafted high in the NBA), KU will be weak next year; lacking shooters and big men. If you're lacking big men, but have quick guards that can shoot and create havoc defensively, then you have a chance. However, if you lack big men AND lack shooters.... it'll be a long year.