Questions . . . surprise . . . curiosity . . .

The KU faithful seem to have experienced all of these reactions to the Morningstar commitment. But let’s keep it all in perspective. KU appears to have built its house of stone, not sticks, and I don’t think any Big Bad Wolf will blow our house down any time soon.

Jonathan posted this comment on PHOGBLOG, and I thought it was particularly insightful:

We might have more recruits than players at Early Evening with Bill Self!

Actually, I was wondering if anyone thought we have TOO many recruits. I mean, Jeremy Price already committed to Georgia; I could see his teammate Lance Storrs following him there. Muonelo has reportedly cooled on us, and George Goode doesn’t seem interested in staying local with us. We might see some recruits flake on us, but does it seem like alot to anyone else?

Oh well, at least most of our “targets” are coming this year. If we snag Arthur, Collins, and later Legion/Rose, Aldrich, Releford and CJ’s brother Xavier Henry over the next few classes, I’ll reserve Final Four tix for the forseeable future!

Ditto, Jonathan. I couldn’t agree more!

When a Vegas line seems too good to be true, it usually is. Normally, this is because the guys who set lines for a living know something, and jumping on what looks like a big mistake is, itself, a big mistake.

On the other hand, sometimes the lines are out of whack because they are based not on reality, but on how the public views the teams. If the public views the better team as the lesser team, the better team is given points to equalize the money bet on both sides. In such a case, you can get the better team AND points-or the lesser team with more points than they should be receiving. Either way, it’s like stealing.

My record against the spread last week was 7-8. Thanks a lot, LSU, for blowing a 21 point halftime lead against Tennessee. Reminds me of the 28 point lead your coach blew last year vs. a diferent UT when he was coaching Oklahoma St.

My overall record vs. the spread is now 16-14.

This week’s picks#, including IQ’s (i.e., Interest Quotient: *=change the channel, that Martha Stewart movie is on again;*****=If you haven’t invested in HDTV yet, get it for this game.)

1. KU +17 @ Texas Tech****

This is one game that looks like a steal. This line is based on the popular perception of Tech as an unstoppable offensive juggernaut and of KU as the Baylor of the North.

Yes, Tech is legitimately giving points at home, but 17? Yes, the Red Raiders can score at will against the likes of Florida International, Indiana State, and Sam Houston State, but they play a Division I defense this weekend. A Big 12 Defense. Their untested QB will have to make quicker decisions than he is used to. And the Tech D? Untested, too.

It is certainly possible that KU could lose by more than 17 if its offense falters and gives Tech numerous short drives. However, if the offense refuses to give points away, and the Hawk defense from last year makes an appearance, KU will cover. If the offensive line opens some holes for Green and Cornish and lets the Hawks play keep away, this is a winnable game-one that could put the Fighting Manginos in the driver’s seat in the Big 12 North.

KU

2. Colorado -4 @ Okie St***1/2

The Men from Boulder laid a big egg last weekend in Miami. Of course, Okie St isn’t Miami. Still, the Cowboys should be able to keep this game within a field goal in Stillwater.

OSU

3. Iowa St +3.5 @ Nebraska****

Does Nebraska suck or what? Not that Iowa St was convincing, itself, last week in squeezing by Army with the help of an untimely fourth down facemask penalty by the Cadets in the fourth quarter.

The Cyclones at least looked as if were somewhat organized.

ISU

4. Baylor +23.5 @ A&M**1/2(They put this one on TV over KU/Tech why?)

This is the second questionable Big 12 line of the week. Even Baylor is not the Baylor of the South anymore. They are 3-0. They handled Army on the road more easily than Iowa St. They took out A&M last year.

The revenge factor gives A&M incentive to cover. But they simply have not looked impressive enough to give 3+ TD’s to any Division I team not named North Texas.

BAYLOR

5. Texas -14.5 @ Mizzou****1/2

Out of whack Big 12 Line No. 3. The perception is that Texas is a powerful team. The reality is they are a resourceful team. When was the last time they beat a decent team by more than a TD? When was the last time they had a game in hand with more than 2 minutes remaining? Heck, MU had them beat last year in Austin but for a couple of brain dead Pinkel Plays. I would give Mizzou a chance of winning outright were they coached by someone other than the Quin Snyder of college football.

Not to mention that he’s going up against Mack Brown-the man who has raised whining to an art form. If the game comes down to one call, you can bet the Big 12 refs will give the benefit of the doubt-even if there isn’t any doubt-to UT. Still doesn’t mean they’ll cover.

Mizzou

6. k-state +6.5 @ Oklahoma***1/2

I don’t get this line either. It isn’t outlandish, but what has OU done to be favored by a TD vs. anyone, anywhere? They have lost to TCU, almost lost to Tulsa, and got rolled by UCLA. Although TCU is decent, and Tulsa is looking good, neither is better than even the mediocrity that is k-state. AND-OU has the distraction named Texas on the horizon.

k-state

7. Michigan +4.5 @ Michigan St****1/2

Michigan St was wiping the floor with their in-state rivals last year when their QB went down, allowing Michigan, along with Texas, to fluke its way to the Rose Bowl.

MICHIGAN ST

8. Minnesota -3 @ Penn St****

Is it time for Minnesota to take a dive into their Golden Gopher Hole?

Nah. It’s only October 1.

MINNESOTA

9. Notre Dame +2.5 @ Purdue****

I had a discussion over a beer and nachos with Golden Domer Supreme Digger Phelps in February after Game Night in Lawrence. He jumped all over me for saying Notre Dame could not win a national championship with its made for TV schedule, virtually devoid of off weeks. He said they could. If you’re reading this, Digger, I love ya-but you’re still wrong. Until there is a playoff, the Fighting Irish play too many at-risk games. This is one of them.

PURDUE

10. Florida -4 @ Alabama****

Exactly how good is Florida in the early stages of its Urban Renewal program? Exactly how fast is Bama making its way back to the ranks of the elite? I like Chris Leak. He is coming of age. He will be the difference.

FLORIDA

11. South Carolina +13.5 @ Auburn**

Steve Spurrier will succeed again in the college game-but not this year.

AUBURN

12. USC -17 @ Arizona St****1/2

Arizona St is a fine team. USC is a special one. I don’t know how many points the Trojans will have to give before it is worthwhile taking their opponent, but 17 isn’t it-not even when the opponent is as good as ASU.

USC

13. Arizona +16 @ Cal***1/2

Could be the upset of the week. Mike Stoops might already have a better team than his brother. Upset or not, Arizona’s D will keep this within 16.

14. South Florida +20.5 @ Miami***1/2

This is a lot of points to give a team that just laid a 45-14 pounding on Louisville. Here’s guessing Miami doesn’t turn the ball over like UL–and, with its team speed, doesn’t give up one big play after another.

MIAMI

15. Houston +3 @ Tulsa*

Did I mention that Tulsa was looking good? At any rate, Houston isn’t likely to escape a second encounter with a Hurricane in a week. BTW-why is a team in northern Oklahoma called the Golden Hurricane? Shouldn’t they be the Tornadoes, the Cyclones, the Dust Bowls, or the Plague of Locusts?

TULSA

Hey, wreck Texas Tech.

–Mark
__________________________________________________________________
#Remember:
1. These picks are for entertainment purposes only.
2. You get what you pay for.
3. There are no refunds.

Mark your calendars - October 14 could be a VERY BIG night for Jayhawk hoops recruiting. In fact, the entire future of the program could be solidified if all goes well.

There will be at least 11 top-flight recruits on campus for this year’s festivities. The headliners are (all rankings from Scout.com, except where noted):

2006:

Serron Collins - #9 overall player, and the #2 PG - this guy is the REAL DEAL!
Darrell Arthur - #12 overall, and the #3 PF
Obi Muonelo (verbally committed to Okie State) - #32 overall, and the #6 SG, but rated much higher by Rivals.com.

2007:

Cole Aldrich - #8 overall, and the #1 C prospect - he’s never been out of the top 10 of any rating service!

2008:

Travis Releford - #4 overall, and the #2 SG

Add in three other stud recruits: Jeremy Price, Alex Legion, and Lance Storrs, and you’ve got the makings of a program loaded with talent for years to come.

Will Self get any commitments from this group of highly-touted visitors? KU is rumored to lead for Collins and Muonelo, and the Jayhawks have been high on Arthur’s list for a long time now. Any one of those three could announce a commitment following the trip to Lawrence. Aldrich, who may be the prize of the lot, has already visited several times, including a prior Late Night “experience.” He is not expected to make an early announcement, however. Travis Releford will be courted by every major program in America before it’s all said and done, but he has already been playing pick up games with the Jayhawk team. What if he doesn’t want to have to deal with the pressures of major college recruiting? What if he just wants to solidify his place in the Jayhawk’s future? What if . . .

One thing’s for sure - the Jayhawk faithful need to go crazy for these recruits on October 14. Signs! Banners! Chants and Cheers! A simple “Hi” when you see them (they’re going to be rather conspicuous)! Let them know that we want them to be part of the KU family.

The latest issue of Jayhawk Illustrated magazine has an interesting article about money paid to coaches in Division I college athletics. The numbers and information are staggering. The article is well done and a nice read if you are interested.

Here’s information contained in the article about KU’s beloved coaches. I’m not expressing any opinion - a good coach is worth his weight in gold in my book - just conveying information.

MARK MANGINO:

Annual Salary: $128,438, plus not less than $475,000 annually for participation in radio, television, and internet-based programs.

Performance Incentives:
1. $10,000 bonus if the team wins six regular-season games and an additional $10,000 for every game after that.
2. $5,000 for defeating Kansas State or Nebraska.
3. $10,000 for each game won and televised on ABC, CBS, NBC, or ESPN; $5,000 per victory televised on FOX.
4. $50,000 for a BCS bowl game; $35,000 for a New Year’s Day bowl game; and $20,000 for any other bowl game.
5. $1,000 for each player that graduates.

BILL SELF:

Annual Salary: $129,380, plus at least $350,000 in endorsements and $250,000 in camp revenue.

Performance Incentives:

One Month Additional Salary for: Winning Big 12 tournament championship; NCAA Tournament appearance; winning 25 or more games in a season; reaching the Sweet 16; reaching the Final Four.

Two Months Additional Salary for: Team achieves 60 percent annual graduation rate; winning Big 12 regular-season championship.

Three Months Additional Salary for: NCAA Championship.

HERE’S HOPING BOTH COACHES COLLECT ALL THE MONEY AVAILABLE TO THEM UNDER THEIR CONTRACTS!!! It would be worth every penny!

6:00 a.m. arrived early this morning for the KU basketball players.

That’s when Coach Self’s infamous boot camp started. For two weeks, players will “do everything right.” They’ll start the day with conditioning drills lasting between 1-2 hours. Early morning workouts are followed by classes on campus, individual workouts, medical attention, weightlifting, unsupervised pickup games, and sessions with academic tutors.

Make a mistake, and you pay - by running! Make a mistake, and the entire team pays - by running! I’ll bet that peer pressure to “do everything right” is a powerful force. No one will cut class. No one will be late for anything. No one will give any coach a dose of attitude.

In my view, nothing could be more positive. The kids will be ready when practice begins in mid-October, and the boot camp will set the right tone for the players - physically, mentally, and academically.

Bravo Coach Drill Sergeant Self!

Brady Morningstar, a former Lawrence Free State High School basketball standout, will play hoops with the Jayhawks after a year at prep school. He gave Coach Self the commitment over the weekend.

It is clear that Morningstar is not yet ready to play at KU’s level, but hopefully a year of prep school and additional high-level competition will help him improve. A year of maturity will help as well.

When I first heard the news, I wondered whether Morningstar will be a recruited walk on or scholarship player. The initial articles have not answered this question for me. Considering the interest he had from mid-major programs before deciding to go the prep school route, I have to think that he’ll be a scholarship player. Turgeon at Wichita State was all over this kid, but he has always said, from day one, that he wanted to be a Jayhawk.

It’s always good to have players with heart and loyalty, and Morningstar has loads of both. Still, I don’t know what to think about this move. Morningstar is a good player, but . . . Well I’m sure that Self and his staff know what they’re doing.

The gallery is up. Check it out if you’re into that sort of thing.