I don't like to make a practice of going to Tigerboard.  First of all it's just about as bad as the KC Star or any other over the top message board and secondly it's of course a Missouri message board.  If I'm looking for a Tiger fix I'll head to Rock M Nation where cooler more rational heads tend to prevail.

BUT...today provided a unique and necessary opportunity to look in on a bit of a cluster.  The cluster that is Missouri basketball.  Who knows, Frank Haith could save the world and be the second coming of Norm Stewart.  I have no idea who he is and quite frankly I don't care.  Two weeks ago Tiger fans were convinced Mike Anderson would never leave then they threw around names like Painter, Jamie Dixon etc.  Now they end up with Frank Haith?  Best finish in the ACC...5th?  Perhaps he'll win the Big 12 but it isn't a hire that scares me as a Jayhawk fan in the least.

Back on point.  A quick glance at Tigerboard provides for some humerous moments as the Tiger fans are fairly irate at the hire while also discussing who they COULD have hired and would have RATHER seen hired.  The list is a good one and includes:

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I wish I could claim this but, this little gem is borrowed from someone with a lot more creativity than myself over at Phog.

Manhattan Mercury:

Sunday parade set for champs

Perched atop roofs of Moro Street buildings were Kansas State flags that flapped on a bright spring day, balloons that drifted as high as the spirits of a town, and - most importantly - there were Wildcat fans taking in a sight unlike any they had seen before. 

It was the late 90's - the last time the town had occasion to put on a National Championship parade. The wait was nearly two decades ago, but Kansas State and Manhattan will have another National Championship parade on Sunday.

Leaders with the Kansas State athletics department announced Wednesday afternoon that KSU's Valentine's Day National Champion basketball team will be honored on Sunday at a 3 p.m. parade that will run along Moro St from 12th Street to 11th Street.

At 6 p.m. Sunday, the basketball team also will have an awards ceremony at Bramlage Coliseum. The event is free and open to the public. Doors to the Octodome of Doom will open at 5 p.m.

Ryan Lackey, assistant athletics director for KSU, said the athletics department decided Wednesday to move ahead with a parade after having time to catch its breath following Monday's National Championship game.

"We started getting some comments Tuesday about a parade," Lackey said. "We know that there are people out there who would love to see a parade. I think our players and coaches feel the same way. What better way to kickoff our dvd release."

President Kirk Schulz also said he had received messages from "a lot of people" asking for a parade.

Wildcat fans from both near and far were clamoring for a parade earlier Wednesday.

"I don't have the most money in the world," said Mike Hoffman, a 2001 KSU graduate living in Goodland. "But I told myself that if they get that February National Championship, I'm going to make that trip. I don't care if gas for my tractor is $10 a gallon. I'm driving to Manhattan for a parade and hopefully a VHS copy of the dvd."

Peggy Johnson, a Manhattan financial adviser and former downtown doughnut shop owner, helped organize the Decade of Dominance parade in the 90's. She said this event will help the town revel in the Wildcats' success.

"It really lets the town be part of the celebration," Johnson said. "The University has its own celebration, and that is great, but the town feels a little bit of a disconnect unless you have something like this."

Larry Cornelius knows the Decade of Dominance parade made him feel connected. Back then he bought three gallons of paint - one each of purple, black and silver - and painted his early 1960s International Harvester truck to look like a the head of a wildcat. It's unclear as to why he didn't paint the body.

He parked it on Moro Street - where he owned Last Chance- to give him and his 72-year-old mother a good place to watch history.

Somehow his mother got head coach Bill "Old Balls" Snyder to sign a National Decade of Dominance T-shirt. The newspaper report from that day tells that Snyder signed shirts of people up and down the parade route as he traveled on a purple rascal scooter.

Cornelius isn't sure how his mother scored the autograph, but he knows that it created a memory that lasted long past the day.

"That shirt was her pride and joy," Cornelius said. "When she went into a nursing home, she would always wear that shirt to watch the multiple dvd's released by the athletics department."

So last night we got the news we've been waiting for.  December 18th Josh Selby takes to the court and now the speculation can begin.  History has shown that Bill Self tends to shorten his bench as the season goes on.  Self finds the players he trusts and those are the ones that will play. 

2007-2008 we had Darnell, Darrell, Sasha and minimal Cole.  Robinson, Chalmers, Rush and Sherron.  Those were the eight that played and really even Sasha's minutes dwindled a bit late in the year. 

2010-2011 is a lot like last year where the depth is pretty much as good as it get's.  A year ago we still trended toward eight players with double digit minutes.  Marcus, Markieff and Cole were the bigs.  Sherron, Xavier, Brady, Tyrel and Tyshawn the five "smalls".

So where do we end up at this year now that Selby is cleared.  Through three games we have 10 players averaging double digit minutes and that doesn't include Selby.  If we assume the bench shortens to eight, who you got?

The nominees:

Bigs: Marcus, Markieff, Robinson, Withey

Middle: Little, Releford

Guards: Selby, Tyshawn, Reed, Johnson, Morningstar

To make it tough, you only get 8.  Who starts?  Who comes of the bench?  Now obviously we'll play spot minutes for a few guys, but who are the eight that fit that more typical Bill Self rotation.  Not that easy is it?

Well, it's getting to be my time of the year again.  Yep, I'm one of those.  I follow football and support the team, but my first love at Kansas is basketball.

I'm sure most of you have seen some of these elsewhere, but I'm going to steal Owen's football press conference post and apply it to Kansas basketball media day.  I just found more than a few of these brought a smile to my face and have me pretty fired up for the season. 

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I've been around here quite a while, love the site and I think it gives about as balanced a view as I can find on the web between the writers and the other commentors that contribute around here.  I don't myself get involved too often but I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and riding the rollercoaster of college sports so to speak.

Something got my attention today a little more than normal and with the departure of Lew Perkins it just struck me as further proof that the KU athletic department needs to move toward some transparancy and honesty with the fanbase. 

Personally I liked what Lew did, but he also hurt us in a lot of ways recently. Bad things happen. I can move on from that, but the behind the scenes tactics and secrecy with which things seem to be run at times irks me.  It extends from the top down and in checking out kufootball.com today it gives me just another example of this.

For four weeks or so kufootball.com has posted or linked every sunshine pumping, fluff piece article about KU football that it could.  Kansas loses in embarassing fashion, the AD scoots out of town and what do we have today?  An article from the BLEACHER REPORT!  What a joke.  "Fans Should Encourage, Not Harrass".  They even went as far as the Seattle Post to get an article that appeared somewhat neutral. 

Kansas fans aren't stupid.  Yes I think we should support our athletes but come on, when is the athletic department going to keep a finger on the pulse of the fans for crying out loud?  Just my rant for the day I guess.  More than anything I just appreciate being able to get a real perspective from this place, thanks for that.  I just wish the athletic department would stop trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes and face reality.  I always assumed they didn't link this place because they didn't link blogs or something, but if they are going to post a bleacher report article, they need to give some credance to a real fan website like this one.

Seasons over, tough one to swallow in 2009.  Sure there is a lot to be decided in the coming months but as in all sports, next year is already on my mind. 

So what are we working with?  Assuming only what we have on board at this very moment I've got a two deep to run up the flag pole.  I'm going to ignore the possibility of incoming recruits because right now that is too up in the air to speculate. 

With that in mind, I'm wondering what everyone else thinks.  Here's mine:

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Obviously I'm with everyone else in terms of disappointment on the season and I'm glad to see in general there isn't a giant hate fueled cry for Mangino's head going on here, but I do have one area of concern.

First off, I've been around some very dark ages of Kansas football so despite the problems this season I still think where we are as a program and where we are headed is a much better place than we've been.  With that in mind, I hope no one sees this as an indictment on Mangino or an indication that I'm on the get rid of the guy bandwagon.  The same group of people were probably leaders in the build the man a statue bandwagon after 2007.

Anyway on to my point.  College coaching staffs and continuity are a huge part of a successful program.  Sometimes you have to swallow your pride during bad seasons and realize that if there's more good than bad going on it might be a better move to stay the course.  Change comes with a price sometimes.  Ask the Huskers after Frank Solich, Iowa State after Dan McCartney, Kansas State following Bill Snyders retirement and I'd bet anyone out in Boulder is just wishing they could find something that works.

We clearly have that at the top.  Coach Mangino has turned us into a decent program.  We aren't a powerhouse, we aren't competing for national titles and that's fine.  We are competing in every game and aiming for bowls most year. 

Where I struggle is with the assistants.  Since Mangino has been at Kansas it seems a revolving door of assistant coaches and there has always been the assumption that the Big Guy is tough to work for, hard on his assistants and has a big part in assistants moving on.  I don't know if this is true or not but it seems reasonable. 

There is always going to be a certain amount of turnover but where are the fiercely loyal assistants on Mangino's staff that other staffs have?  Where is the continuity in these areas?  In business, in life and I would guess in football you are only as good as those you surround yourself with and how much those people believe in your leadership and follow you.  This is where I'm beginning to think the disconnect might be at the moment. 

Typically at this age a football coach is who he is, so to ask Mangino to change is tough.  I really hope though that if this is the case, the big guy reevaluates his approach at the very least due to the way this season has gone.  Coach Mangino does a lot of things well, but just like all of us he certainly has his faults.  Perhaps this is an area he can improve to provide more consistency.

First off, just felt compelled to say that the level headedness of this site has been refreshing.  I lurk around quite a few Kansas boards on the web and there is some serious irrational negativity out there.  Don't get me wrong there are things to be upset about but at the same time we have to keep in perspective the fact that there are no gimmes in major college football anymore. 

Look across the entire college football landscape and 2 out of the last 3 years now we've seen upsets left and right, surprise teams and the crazy ups and downs that come with watching 18-20 year old amateur athletes performing on such a grand stage.  These are kids any way you slice it and with that comes the good and the bad.  It's just important to realize that both are part of the fun.

I guess my take on this whole thing is that Colorado was a team that very clearly has underperformed and were likely better than they showed.  Kansas caught them at a tough time and with what looked to be a pretty fired up crowd behind their new quarterback.  I always have a hard time bashing any amateur athletes so I just want to commend the fight that our team put up.

The offense clearly didn't click in the first half, but that group has earned the benefit of the doubt as far as I'm concerned.  The defense is trying to find itself and while the struggles are there, it looks like a group that believes in one another.  When you watch the game there isn't a lot of negative body language, guys seem positive and trying to fire one another up.  I do agree with others here that feel we are missing a vocal leader but I'm happy to see that as a collective group they seem to support one another. 

I guess for me this is a fun ride despite the loss.  When I compare this to basketball some of my most memorable seasons were ones where the Jayhawks faced some adversity on the hardwood and overcame it. 

Thing is as Kansas fans we're confident in overcoming adversity on the hardwoods, but skeptical on the gridiron.  The last 6 are tough, but I'm going to throw myself into this and look to come out at 8-4 or 9-3 with some surprises and fun times along the way.  I think Kansas football is slowly growing up in front of us and maybe this bump in the road is just part of the ride.  Regardless these guys have earned our support and I'm glad that most here seem to feel the same way.

Enjoying the ride and enjoying the blog, just thought I'd throw in my two cents after the dust had time to settle.

I'm reading through KC's little filler with everyone's favorite Kansas memory and it occurs to me that nearly all of them are from the Mark Mangino era.  I think there might have been a couple of splatterings from my time or the Glen Mason era but certainly not much.

It got me really thinking about how far we've come.  I'm a big time Kansas basketball fan always have been and always will be.  Seems though, I was a more passive football fan.  Hard to be crazed about a team that was always such a let down. 

Regardless, I always made it back for at least one game a year.  My primary reason used to be seeing Lawrence in the fall, what an amazing place.  Take a stroll by the fieldhouse, across campus, look at the trees, the buildings, take in that cool crisp fall air.  It brings back so many good feelings and memories.  Wander down to a half empty stadium, sit wherever you like, possibly even your own row.  Leave after the third quarter, head to Mass. street, grab a beer at Louise's or whatever watering hole you prefer and wish I had another run at college.

That's all changed now, everything has changed and we've come a long way.  Last year when I went back for the game I took my usual stroll down Jayhawk Blvd. and you could feel the electricity.  People everywhere walking toward the stadium.  The once quiet private time of reflection had become buzzing with excitment and even for an older guy I didn't mind it in the least. 

I always walked down the back staircase over by the Union and usually came across a few random tailgaters here and there but now my view as I walk down has changed dramatically.  The hillside is covered with people, tents and tailgaters.  We have a wonderful new practice facility and practice fields framing the side.  It's become an event.  My ritual still goes on, but now the event that surrounded it has so much more excitement. 

Saturday we kick off the most anticipated season in Kansas football since I've been around and this is now my 3rd decade of watching.  It's incredible to see and I know some of you are quite young so please enjoy every minute of it.  These things can be fleeting but right now with Lew Perkins and Mark Mangino running the show I have a lot of confidence that this will continue.  Support it, relish it and get someone else you know excited about this too.  The Jayhawk community is a special one and this has been a whole lot of fun.

Just my two cents from one of the old guys in the group around here.  Hope the cheese isn't too thick with this one, but it really is worth noting how far we've come.

I've got to admit all the action around here has me feeling the excitement of the upcoming season as much as everyone else.  The most underrated weaknesses, the most underrated strengths, are all great conversations and I had a talk with a co-worker of mine that I wanted to throw against the wall here and see what sticks.

Who's the make or break game of 2009, the one we can't lose?  This would be the game on the schedule you point to that might scare you a bit but is winnable and if we win it's going to be a special season. 

What game presents the best chance for an upset?  That being Kansas on the right side of the upset.  I suppose at this point you could narrow this one down to four teams that are probably ranked higher than us.  Those being Texas, OU, Nebraska and maybe Tech.

What about the scariest matchup for us?  What team on the schedule do you feel has a chance to pull the upset of us and really put a damper on the season.  Colorado, KState...I suppose you could say Missouri even. 

Curious on everyone's thoughts, mine are as follows:

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So I'm reading an article about Coach Cal and this WorldWideWes character that seems to be at the forefront of determining where and when the top high school talent chooses to play College ball.  It's absolutely appauling that people are profitting so much off of these kids before they have even made it to the big time.

Basically they're arranging deals, planning the futures and for all intents and purposes preventing these kids from making any decision on their own. 

I'm sure this happens in more places than Memphis and with John Calipari but based on this article it's and absolute slap in the face of everything the NCAA stands for to let this man run the operation the way he does and in what appears to be a nonapologetic manner.

Again, I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen in many places but I've just got to believe something will be done for my own sanity.  AAU basketball coaches and sports agents are the tail wagging the dog and the NCAA needs to make it stop before it becomes as much a disaster as steroids has become for baseball.

Maybe I'm overreating but read this thing for yourself which virtually lays it all out there.

More and more it looks like we'll see the return of Cole and Sherron with the likely addition of one or more high caliber recruits to an already potent lineup of players on the Kansas bench. 

Kansas #1 seems to be the battle cry at the moment and I'm excited yet a little concerned.  Some teams handle expectations.  UNC this year cruised from preseason #1 to postseason #1.  Florida 07' preaseason #1 to postseason #1. 

Still though it often seems the case that pressure can cripple a team in that spot and my concern is that the makeup of next years Kansas roster might be ripe for just that problem.

What did UNC 09' and Florida 07' have in common?  Upperclassman leadership.  UNC started 3 Seniors and 2 Juniors if I'm not mistaken.  Florida I can't say as definitively about but Noah and Co. were all Juniors on that squad at the very least.  Upperclassman know the dance, they know what it takes and they can better handle expectations for the most part. 

Our own 97' Jayhawks are a pretty good example of that not always being the case as that team started 3 Seniors, a Junior All American and a Sophomore All American but couldn't seem to manage the hype in the end.  That or Roy sabotaged us as he clearly never loved Kansas the way he loves UNC.  Need proof? look at his recruiting activities since leaving.

Back to the point though.  Kansas 09-10' will put a team on the floor with likely 1 senior starter next year in Sherron Collins.  I think Cole will be dominant enough and mature enough that he can fully handle anything you throw at him as well.  Beyond that though, I'm not concerned about the talent but more the mental toughness.  Taylor, Morrisx2, Little, Robinson, Releford, Johnson...dare I say Xavier, Lance or CJ will all be great talents on the team but how will they handle the mental side of things. 

Remember even the great group of hawks that just departed us after the National Title had their struggles in their early days.  A curse...?  I don't think so, but a pattern...? maybe...and that's what concerns the Ghost of Mark Randall when I look to 09-10' and what we hope will be great success but also equally likely GREAT expectations for the Jayhawks.  Whether those to things meet at the same level is often how folks judge a team and I for one just hope we can keep it all in perspective.

So let's recap the last two days in terms of rumors swirling:

• Calipari decides to go to the Notre Dame of basketball at Kentucky
• Mike Anderson is going to speak to Memphis
• Cal hasn't finalized anything but talked with Kentucky
• Mike Anderson is in Georgia
• Lance Stephenson is a Jayhawk
• Mike Anderson is flying back to Memphis
• Cal needs to sleep on an offer from Memphis that Bill Gates himself would consider.
• Mike Anderson is flying somewhere
• Lance Stephenson might not be a Jayhawk
• Xavier Henry has a double secret out clause in his LOI and will go to Kansas.
• Calipari is orchestrating the greatest recruiting class ever talking w/Stephenson, Henry, Cousins and Wall.
• Georgia didn't offer Anderson but they are "targeting him"
• Calipari Finally has accepted the UK position, we think.
• Xavier Henry and Lance Stephenson to Kansas.
• Now Sherron is going pro and we might get Wall too.
• Anderson looking for a deal with Missouri soon.
• Anything I missed?????

Coach Calipari, Kentucky Basketball and the internet have managed to steal the spotlight from the culmination of college basketballs season.  Careful Kansas fans, we're all so excited at Memphis' demize and the prospect of picking up a recruit or Mizzou losing there coach.  What if none of that happens.  Think of this scenario.

Calipari goes to Kentucky and awakens a sleeping giant landing top talent, final fours and championships for years to come.  Mike Anderson signs the extension and becomes a formidable foe for the Jayhawks.  Lance Stephenson's last minute second guessing leads to a complete 180 and a return to Maryland.  Sherron and Cole go pro.  Wall, Henry and Cousins simply file in to Kentucky Blue right behind Cal. 

All you got there is Memphis being hosed.  I could care less about Memphis, they aren't a threat to Kansas.  A great Kentucky program is and the dominoes that do or don't fall from that could make for some stiff competition, which I'm ok with.

No matter what the expectations are going into a year, or a game, that last one of the season always stings and sometimes I wonder if the sun will rise in the morning.  Today it has and as always I feel so much better about things looking back and couldn't be more proud of the way this group rallied around eachother to continue to give us a basketball team we could be proud.

Here's a quick definition for you.

re·build (r -b ld )

tr.v. re·built (-b lt ), re·build·ing, re·builds

1. To build again.

2. To make extensive structural repairs on.

3. To remodel or make extensive changes in

Rebuild is exactly what we were doing this year.  Making extensive structural repairs.  I'm in construction so if I think of this team vs. last like a building, well the entire structural integrity was broken down.  Senior leadership...gone.  NBA talent....gone. 

We did make those repairs though.  Sherron became the glue guy and Cole became the foundation.  We're still remodeling though as the bones of the structure are a work in progress.  This was a heck of a lot of fun this year and I expect next year we'll be referring more to the past tense of the word than the present. 

Thanks for the ride Jayhawks and I'm sure none of those guys read this but if they do I mean that for each and every one of them.  Sherron, Cole, Brady, Tyrel, Marcus, Mario, Markieff, Tyshawn, Travis, QT, Connor, Tyrone, Chase, Brennen, Jordan and Matt.  Not many fans get to experience what we do year in and year out and selfishly I don't think many appreciate it or understand that more. 

 Sometimes the greatness of Kansas basketball is more apparent then ever with a team that no one expected much from while at the same time the team seemed to expect it all. 

My namesake Mark Randall and the 91' Jayhawks gave me that feeling and this group, while not as successful, had a lot of that in them too.

This has been talked about a little the past couple of days but I want to take a closer look at an interesting angle on it and make my contribution to the lack of fanposts as Esteban has kindly pointed out.

First off, I think all year we knew the possibility existed that these two could be on the board come NBA draft day but as the season wore on maybe Sherron seemed less likely or Cole more likely. 

We've hypothicised that maybe Cole has a better shot at the high pick but probably won't go and vice versa Sherron while a likely lower pick might decide the timing is still right.

So where do we stand now?  We've got an explosion by the two in the first weekend of the tourney, anymore success and they'll be pushed front and center onto the media stage as the two that carried Kansas through this "rebuilding" year.  Call it the NCAA Tourney affect on the NBA draft, it happens every year.

Last year our own crew of underclassman and even upperclassman benefited from it none moreso than Mario.  The year before you saw Florida and Ohio State players picked high because of their tourney success.  Some likely deserved it like Greg Oden, but I'm not sure anyone can now look at Joakim Noah and feel good about that one.  2006 saw our one time nemesis Bradley Center Patrick O'Bryant inflate his stock, and of course 2005 saw the UNC Tar Heel trio bump way up in the draft and I'm not sure any of them have done a whole lot.

Now I'll be the first to say I don't follow the NBA closely but that's why I want to ask you all.  Does this surge by Cole and Sherron have the potential to knock these guys up the ladder far enough we should be concerned? Or are the concerns with Collins to great to put him in a high enough position?  Also looking at the Big 12 who else get's drafted or get's a bump?  Can Willie Warren still play himself into the lottery or first round?  Pittman or James raise there stock at all with late play?  What's the impact if at all?

In case you didn't know we've got a game tonight.  Jayhawks vs. Red Raiders in Lubbock.  Obviously the Red Raiders are a shell of their former selves of a few years ago when they would squeek into the tournament boosted by the name of their Coach, but is it the mere fact that Bob Knight himself is gone that makes this so uninspiring?  If Bobby Knight was still on that bench and we had the potential of the chair toss or choke hold would anyone here be more excited about this game?  I know I would.

Even with Bob Knight at the helm the Raiders were not a true contender at any point.  Sure there was the already discussed Darryl Dora defeat and for that matter they probably won some other big games but realistically weren't they just like a Oklahoma State, Kansas State etc. of this year.  A perennial last four in, first four out team looking for a 6 seed at best.

That didn't seem to matter though.  The general was on the bench and Bob Knight was the ultimate nemesis.  He put Texas Tech on the map and it seems like they are in danger of falling right back off.  Pat Knight is probably a solid coach but he's not his dad and he doesn't command the attention his dad did.  Was last year's 58 point drubbing the beginning of the end to meaningful basketball in Lubbock, or was it and the ensuing year off this season just a hiccup in the road?  My guess is the Red Raiders will never recover, I mean can we honestly say Indiana has?

What do the Batman and Robin, Pees and Carrots, the Lone Ranger and Tonto and Sherron and Cole all have in common?  They were made for eachother and they make eachother.  I've watched the Jayhawks for a long time and it just seems like these two compliment eachother in a way that no duo ever has.

There have been better players without a doubt and probably better groups but I just can't pinpoint in my mind a duo that would be able to carry a team the way these two have shown. 

I defer to you Rock Chalk Talkers, what duo would you select.  Let's say we're having a 2 on 2 roundball classic in the Phog.  Who do you take?  Why are they the best?  and as a general rule I will say the two must have played together, meaning we can't pair Paul Pierce with a Mario Chalmers or other players from different era's.  Think NBA Jam Jayhawk edition.

I'm new around here and have been lurking for a while but it seemed like a fun topic to throw to the masses.  Not sure what our demographic is but I will say I go back into the early 80's and I thought it would be neat to see the generations viewpoints on this so let's hear it.