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Monday, March 28, 2016

What"s in store for Kansas basketball in 2016-17?

NCAA Basketball 2016. Kansas Jayhawks - Kentucky Wildcats 30.01.16

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Kansas mens basketball coach Bill Self was quick to accept the truth following Saturdays 64-59 Elite Eight loss to Villanova.

We only start one senior, Self said, but the reality is, were not going to have our entire group back.

Although there is uncertainty with KUs roster, the Jayhawks appear to be in a strong position entering 2016-17 even if multiple players decide to leave early.

Heres how the math looks for now: KU loses scholarship players Perry Ellis, Jamari Traylor and Hunter Mickelson while adding freshmen big men Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot. That leaves KU with one scholarship available even without any other movement.

The new NCAA rules regarding the NBA draft should leave KUs roster in doubt over the next few months. Under the new rules, players can declare for the draft without penalty to see if they are one of the 60 or so players invited to the NBA combine. Underclassmen then have until May 25 10 days after the combine to decide if they are remaining in the draft pool or returning to college.

Although KU doesnt appear to have any first-round locks, a historically weak draft class could leave many of the teams players with decisions to make.

Forward Cheick Diallo and guard Wayne Selden seem the most likely to turn pro. Diallo, who was buried on KUs bench in the second half of the season, still could be viewed as an intriguing prospect because of his physical attributes and late start to the game. Selden, meanwhile, is coming off his best year and is considered a likely second-round pick.

The rest could be interesting. Forward Carlton Bragg would have a huge role on next years team while stepping into Ellis starting spot, and he has given every indication that he will be coming back to Lawrence for a sophomore season. If he declares, though theres no penalty to do so could he be lured away if he was invited to the combine?

Guards Svi Mykhailiuk and Brannen Greene also would seem likely candidates to gauge NBA interest.

Mykhailiuk is finally eligible he was too young last year at 18 and hes gained some buzz previously in scouting circles. Greene, meanwhile, has the height and shooting ability to impress a team with his offensive skill set.

I dont know how many guys will return, Self said. I dont know.

The good news for Self is that a solid base shouldnt be going anywhere.

Starting guards Frank Mason and Devonte Graham should be back for their senior and junior seasons respectively, while forward Landen Lucas will be in Lawrence a fifth year after redshirting in 2012-13.

If Bragg does return, thats four players who should earn significant minutes. And KU doesnt appear to be finished on the recruiting trail.

The biggest prize is still available. Josh Jackson, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard and the nations No. 1 recruit according to Rivals.com, has KU as one of three finalists, and rumors spread Thursday that he was thinking about committing to the Jayhawks that night. Jacksons decision could come as early as this week.

KU also remains heavily involved with 7-foot center Thon Maker, a five-star recruit who was born in Sudan. Although he has been linked to Arizona State for a while, KU appears to be gaining momentum in the past few weeks.

If both committed, KU likely would have a more talented roster than it did as the overall No. 1 seed this NCAA Tournament, though that doesnt guarantee success. Landing Jackson by himself would at least put KU in the conversation of having the nations best backcourt.

Source: http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/college/basketball/what-s-in-store-for-kansas-basketball-in/article_2af67a81-a9de-5b07-83a7-4ab0d8df43d8.html

The persecution of Pakistan"s Christians is not confined to jihadists

Pakistan: At least 56 killed, 150+ injured in Lahore bombing

In 2011, Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab, was slain by his own police bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri.

Taseer had been defending the rights of Aasia Bibi, a poor Christian farmhand, dubiously accused of blasphemy.

For Qadri, Taseers stand represented an act of blasphemy itself. The punishment for blasphemy, Qadri sneered, as he was carted away to jail by his police colleagues, is death.

Two months later, unknown assailants near his mothers home in Islamabad killed Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the then Pakistani cabinet.

Four months after that, another Shahbaz Taseers third son was targeted by militants who kidnapped him near his home in Lahore. Meanwhile, for large numbers of vocal Islamists, Qadri was hailed as a hero, with his supporters constantly clamouring for his release.

A few weeks ago, things changed. Qadri was quietly executed for murder. In terms of the law, the decision was easy: he had proudly confessed to his crime. But politically, the judges who passed the verdict exhibited great bravery. One of them even had to flee, of all places, to Saudi Arabia to find safety.

A couple days later, Shahbaz Taseer was discovered, deep inside Pakistans southwestern Baluchistan province. Things started to look up for Pakistan and the rule of law.

Qadris supporters werent to be tamed though. Tens of thousands thronged Rawalpindi for his funeral. Fearful of the reaction, the government ordered schools closed and urged television channels to not cover the event. Since then, the supporters rage remains undimmed. They want Qadri declared a martyr, and they want Christian prisoners accused of blasphemy executed.

The attackers who bombed Lahore represent a different challenge. They belong to Jamaat ul-Ahrar, a vicious offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban. These jihadists who favour a more literal and more violent creed - have little sympathy with Qadris mystical Barelvi supporters. In the past, the Taliban hasbombed the very shrines that the Barelvis revere. The only things they seem to have in common are their chosen enemies.

Now, however, they have both the jihadists and the Barelvis made Pakistans Christians and the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif their targets of opportunity. Taking responsibility for the blast, a spokesman for Jamaat ul-Ahrar said they targeted Lahore, the capital of Punjab, because it is Mr Sharifs power base.

Punjab is also the one province that has remained untouched by counterterrorist operations in Pakistan. Unlike the tribal areas, the sledgehammer of military action will be of little use there. Taking on militants seeded across the south of the province will require a more delicate approach, one that only the civilians can lead.

Even as the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesman boasted of his groups massacre in Lahore, Qadris supporters were laying siege to the seat of government in Islamabad. They attacked the metro bus stations Sharifs government had recently built, and remain camped out in the red zone just in front of the governments main buildings.

Mr Sharif is now faced with a series of very difficult challenges. He must protect Pakistans Christians and other religious minorities. He will have to discard his reluctance to take on militant groups based in Punjab. And he will have to assert the states resolve to uphold the rule of law, without capitulating to pressure from a religious mob.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/lahore-bombing-blast-pakistan-taliban-suicide-attack-christian-persecution-a6956251.html

Rosen: Oklahoma"s Buddy Hield solidifies top 10 draft status

Buddy Hield Full Highlights 2016.01.04 Oklahoma at Kansas - NASTY 46 Pts, 8 Threes!

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Buddy Hield, a 64, 212-pound senior for Oklahoma, is currently predicted by DraftExpress to be the ninth pick in the upcoming NBA draft. However, with his 37-point output in the Sooners 80-68 win over Oregon, its certainly possible that Hield will move up the list:

Lets scrutinize Hields performance in the game at hand.

Virtually all of Hields offense resulted from the threat of his long-distance shooting 8-13 from beyond the arc, 13-20 overall. From out there, he shoots the ball on his way up, i.e., before he reaches the apex of his jump. This makes for a quick release, but requires a bit more space to get his shot off.

To create sufficient room, Hields pet move is to dribble left, then step-back and shoot. He does this with much more efficiency than when he makes the same move to his right. Still, his stroke is smooth going either way and he definitely has legitimate NBA range. Hield did, however, hoist an airball on a shot that was about three-or-four feet beyond the NBA extra-point line. However, if anything, the fact that he even took that shot is proof of his confidence.

Hield has the requisite crossover and spin moves, but isnt super-quick with the ball. He did net a driving layup going right, taking advantage of a wide-open lane and minimal defensive pressure. The one time that Hield drove left into a crowd, he was forced to throw up an awkward shot that approached brickness. Its not a stretch to anticipate Hield having difficulty finishing against the bigger, quicker, better interior NBA defenses at least at the beginning of his pro career.

Even in NCAA competition, rather than challenging the bigs in the shadow of the rim, Hield pulls, steps back and shoots a jumper in the paint.

Hes an unselfish passer, but gets in trouble (six turnovers) when he tries to unload the ball while hes aloft. Two of Hields TOs came when he failed to recognize a double-teamer moving to clamp him and his dribble was ripped away.

Even though hes a senior, Hields defense isnt nearly at an NBA level. Thats because he routinely plays defense with quick hands and lazy feet. Sniping at the ball does have its rewards he had a few deflections but no change-of-possession steals yet also results in fouls and a failure to force an opponent to make an adjustment.

Hield gives ground when his man drives, and except for his ball-hawking hands, is totally reactive. Indeed, his rather passive defense led to his being flat-out beaten on the only three occasions when he was attacked mano-a-mano.

Even when he was taken into the low-post, Hield never tried to body his man, using his hands instead to try and touch the entry pass.

Furthermore, Hield tends to wander when hes playing weak-side defense. If he never attempts to fight his way through screens and always switches instead, Hield is doubtlessly following his coachs orders.

Whichever NBA drafts him, and at whatever slot hes taken, Hield will enter the pro ranks strictly as a shooter. As with most rookies, h**l be perpetually chumped on defense, plus h**l have a hard time finishing in a crowd.

And despite Hields hot-shot performance against Oregon, it says here that the No. 9 draft forecast is right on.

However, he is indeed a gifted athlete and, in the NBAs New Age of small ball and long-range bombing, Buddy Hield will be just fine.

Source: http://www.todaysfastbreak.com/nba-draft/rosen-buddy-hield-solidifies-top-10-draft-status/

Oklahoma basketball: Sooners welcomed home by fans at the LNC (VIDEO)

Oklahoma vs. Oregon: Extended Highlights

As Oklahoma returned from their victorious trip to Anaheim, California, where the team advanced to its first Final Four since 2002, fans came out early Sunday morning to greet the team as they arrived at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Happening Now: cars and groups of people showing up to greet basketball team when they arrive at LNC. pic.twitter.com/gPRVM3ALVi

Jordan Overton (@JordanoWX) March 27, 2016

At least 50 people standing, lots sitting in cars (as its kinda chilly). More cars arriving every few minutes.

Jordan Overton (@JordanoWX) March 27, 2016

Small group chanting "Final Four!" to hype up the small crowd #Sooners pic.twitter.com/HDJKnijtUo