This story begins with Duke versus Kansas, 1986. Danny Manning scored four points- four stinking points- and the Hawks lost to Duke 71 ? 67. A couple of weeks earlier I knew nothing about the Kansas Jayhawks, the Duke Blue Devils, March Madness, and most importantly the love and hate associated with sports. I was an innocent twelve year old watching Kansas because my brother went to KU. As I watched that tournament, a young sports fan became a cussing, hating sports fan. I cussed Jud Heathcoate and Scott Skiles and laughed at the clock ?problem? that helped the Hawks on their way. But then the Devil came to town- the Blue Devil, a.k.a., Coach K. and the tournament run was over and I began to hate Duke.
Vindication came in 1988- for Manning, Kansas and for me. I wore my National Champions shirt with pride, pretended to be Manning, Milt Newton (ok, my reverse lay up wasn?t very good), Chris Piper and the others in the driveway. My driveway nemesis, Jake Potter, impersonated Duke players. Now granted, in our driveway battles, Kansas won- a lot. It didn?t matter- Scooter Barry versus Danny Ferry- Scooter wins. However, in real life the story was different. Coach K and the Devils have bested the Hawks three times since then- including twice in the NCAA tournament, once even for the National Championship. Since then, Duke has won countless games and championships and Kansas has become known as a good team with a coach that can?t win the ?big one?.
Thursday?s match up is the marquee game of the tournament to this point. In all honestly, are there many people who give the Hawks a chance? According to my friends, I am not the typical Kansas fan. I am not really sure if this is a compliment or an insult- they are mostly Missouri friends and are prone to dirty play. I am assuming they mean that I look at Kansas from a non biased view point- which can cause my wife at times to be upset with me. With that in mind, here is the most non biased view point I can give and still be allowed to sleep in my bed (which truthfully, I am not complaining about- I am pretty lucky my wife is a basketball junkie like me).
This is a game of ?what ifs?. Meaning that, if A happens- then somebody is screwed. Unfortunately, many of these appear to be on the Kansas side:
Foul Trouble: Bottom line- if Kansas is in foul trouble, they lose. When Kansas gets in foul trouble, Roy switches to the ?point zone?. The point zone is basically a 1-3-1 with no trap and the 1 always being on the ball. The weakness of this zone is that it allows shooters to have their feet set, catch and shoot. Coach K loves to shoot the three- and he has gotten better at it since the hip surgery. Against Duke you can not allow Duke?s perimeter players to get good open looks- especially J.J. Reddick. Open looks equal doom for Kansas.
Perimeter Defense: When Kansas?s defensive intensity is there, they are a tough team to beat. More importantly, the perimeter pressure is designed to speed up the tempo and force players to dribble. Players must rotate to stop the dribble penetration, often leaving a perimeter player open- feet set, catch and shoot. Watch how Duke handles the defensive pressure and how the Hawks rotate. If the Kansas rotation is slow, Duke will get open looks on the perimeter. If they are able to knock these down, Kansas will be in for a long night.
Kirk Hinrich: As Kirk Hinrich goes, the Jayhawks will go in this game. Hinrich is at his best when he combines dribble penetrations, 10 ? 12 footers coming off screens and curls, and three point shots. Hinrich struggled at times this season by relying too much on the three. If Hinrich is content to sit outside and shoot the three, Kansas will struggle.
Nick Collison and Jeff Graves: These two guys can not get into foul trouble. Kansas has an advantage in the paint- however, there is no depth beyond these two. Duke has a lot of fouls to give, but these two guys like to play physical. Graves should be able to get good post position- both in the low post and the high post. Graves is a decent passing big man who can find an open Collison from the high post. In the low post he needs to be able to finish. Graves has a history of foul trouble- he is big and physical and is prone to picking up an offensive foul in the post. If he can avoid this, that is a good sign for the Hawks. Collison can finish from anywhere- watch him on dribble penetration in this game. When he has been frustrated in the paint, he has been able to move to the outside, put the ball on the floor and finish. If these two stay out of foul trouble, the Hawks will win this game.
Bench: If Bryant Nash and Michael Lee (who is being the fan favorite in Kansas) can provide solid minutes off of the bench, the Hawks will win this game. They will both fill in for Graves when he is in foul trouble. The smaller Lee plays much bigger than he is and against Duke?s small line up, he will not be at a height disadvantage. He is a wildcard who can provide a spark with his intensity and hustle. Nash just needs to be smart- he has been prone to defensive lapses. If these two don?t hurt the Hawks, Kansas will win this game.
X Factor: Motivation. This team has felt like they have something to prove this tournament. Roy complained about not getting the number one seed and it may have been to set up the “Gosh darnit, we aren?t getting any dag gum respect” card. A victory will set up a potential rematch with Arizona, who the Hawks feel they should have beat in Lawrence. Everyone thinks Duke will win this game- except Dick Vitale who picked Kansas in some kind of reverse voodoo thing. Mostly however it has been the media who has irked the Hawks. For example, yesterday the media asked Keith Langford who he idolized the most on Duke?s team. Are you serious baby!? This team feels like they have something to prove. They are confident- despite the fact others are not.
Jake and I are older now and we don?t play one on one in our driveways any longer. But I see me as Kirk Hinrich, hitting the deep three over Jake; see me putting it on the floor to the hole; see me setting up Collison again and again. The Hawks will win this game and all will be well in my life- because they can?t lose again. I am wearing my lucky Jayhawk sweatshirt, t-shirt and I will sit in my lucky sideline chair tonight. Rock Chalk!
Jake?s Note: It?s true that C-Mac?s career one-on-one record against yours truly is slightly embarrassing. This is due to any one of three factors.
One, Chris and his brother didn?t have to do morning chores like I did during the summer. He also didn?t have to worry about getting in trouble for hooping during the summer baseball season like I did. For those reasons I was never fully able to concentrate on the task or game at hand, and was often times just too tired to admirably compete.
Two, nearly all of our one-on-one battles were confined to the ages of 13-17 when he had a foot height advantage and outweighed me by 50 lbs. Ironically once I hit my growth spurt my freshman year of college, he was no longer eager to check the ball in my driveway or anywhere else.
Finally, while C-Mac was emulating talented Jayhawk players with individual strengths like Danny Manning, I was emulating team guys like Antonio Lang, Phil Henderson and Marty Clark. Had we been playing 3-on-3 or 5-on-5, I?m sure these selfless principles of passing and team defense would have been recognized. So too would my ability to draw a charge had any of these games been professionally officiated.
All to say, no excuses. But, I?m ready for the rematch and retribution—-any time, any place? Just don?t be surprised if Chris grabs “his tender ankle” early on, leaving an asterik next to my W. Rock, Choke, Chicken, Hawk, Screw K.U.!
Dude…you had a growth spurt?
Yes, but that’s entirely different than the spurts your mom received…
BTW, she says you should call more often.
Dude- you never did chores in the morning. You waited until your mommy called to tell you your pops was on the way home, and then you made your sister do them under the threat of physical abuse. Remember the time you grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall???
Additional motivation?? According to Nick Collison, when he called Coach K to tell him he was going to Kansas over Duke, Coach K told him he didn’t care, they had just signed Casey Sanders. Granted, Coach K out recruits everyone- but wow- what a blown call. On a side note of Casey Sanders- has he been one of the most under achieving Blue Devil of all time? Jake even named one of his dogs after him- which is better than naming him Jason and then having to change it…….
Making a half court shot in the final game of the season to beat Carolina is not underachieving.
It’s about freaking time someone backed me up on my stories of childhood abuse….thanks C-mac…by the way, don’t forget about the infamous BB gun incident.
Casey has started in and won a national championship game…
My sister cannot be trusted and has habitually dealt with her second-child syndrome by lying to get attention…. Furthermore she’s a K.U. grad doing her post-graduate work in Missouri, which pretty much makes her a turncoat too.
I don’t remember BB’s, hallway assaults, Barbie hangings and beheadings, or target spit drooling. Others routinely rely on my excellent memory when information must be instantly and correctly recalled. So make up your own minds, and just remember if you’re not with me, you’re against me…
Jake- Knowing what you know now, all it would have taken to beat C-Mac in a game of one-on-one was an ex-striper, ex-phlobotimist, wannabe mortician goth chick to stand close to the basket.
Almost every party grasps that it is in the interest of its own self-preservation that the opposing party should not decay in strength; the same is true of grand politics. A new creation, the new Reich for instance, has more need of enemies that friends: only in opposition does it feel itself necessary, only in opposition does it become necessary…. by online poker