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2011-2012 NATIONAL TITLE GAME

Monday, April 2, 2012 | 9:23 PM, EDT | CBS-TV
Mercedes-Benz Superdome | New Orleans, Louisiana

2 KANSAS JAYHAWKS 32-6
1 KENTUCKY WILDCATS 37-2

2011-2012 College Basketball Season ending this evening,
I must take a moment to sincerely thank everyone in the PREGAME Community

Especially appreciate each & every bit of feedback:
Be it critical or supportive, positive or negative & everything in between

Said it before & I’ll say it again,
FEEDBACK is an essential element of “The Write-up” process, &
I’m admittedly guilty of reciprocating far less than I receive
 
The $64K question I’m asked dozens of times annually:
‘Why spend time on write-ups? 
Just drop in the play!?  It’s all most folks want to see anyway!’

Yessir – the old 80|20 Evergreen enigma
80% spend 20 Seconds or Less on any Story|Writeup|Headline
Just 20% of those 20% Left only read to the Pick or a few Select bullet Points, ect
 
Well…MOST plays ARE just dropped in W/O WRITE-UP(s)
Into the ideally suited Social Media outlet otherwise known as TWITTER
(When time doesn’t allow for the careful, point-by-point write-up)

Yet, write-ups PICKS/PLAYS
Are essential ways to manually work thru the thought process of a pick/play,
Showing work...&
The PLAY ITSELF is often derived via the WRITE-UP PROCESS. 

MANY write-ups (¼ to ½) die on the keyboard vine
Either line-shift(s)
&/or Facts/Stats emerge during draft that nullify or downgrade many, many play(s)

#1 Answer (taking time to draft write-ups):
THIS IS REAL MONEY WE’RE WAGERING!

Great College Basketball Season
even though it is the first on this end since 2003 we will finish in the RED
Many valuable (occasionally costly) lessons learned;
Especially after a gut-rip 0-3 Final Four Saturday

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Even after conscientiously breaking down KU’s Frontcourt Duo,  
   KU 7-0 | 238 Jr Withey
   KU 6-9 | 237 Jr Robinson
It became painfully clear I still failed to appreciate KU’s demonstrable Frontcourt Defense

Withey’s presence in key (as we've seen all Year & Tourney) especially... 
   Wore down OSU &
      Altering Bucks’ Frontcourt
        & disrupting OSU’s Halfcourt ball-swing
            Coupled w/Bucks’ D Thomas’ PF Issues
All contributed to turn the game KU’s way

Agonizing part?
Being on OSU, just 5 to 6 possessions from Halftime (2:59 till Half)
OSU-KU Game tantalizingly close to a ‘tipping point’

Ohio State up 13, getting & HITTING
½ of their well-designed, catch-&-shoot looks
Off curls & in/out transition secondary break 3’s
OSU was getting the Court OPENED-UP & well spaced  
Better than I’d thought (or dreamed) possible

The Bucks were close…

• Close to truly threatening to bust game open,
• Close to forcing KU’s hand
• Close to making altering their game plan
• Close to causing texture of game to move down a much different path

HOWEVER…
To Kansas’ HC Self & his troops great credit,
KU Jayhawks’ stayed the course   

Once OSU’s Perimeter Shooting Cooled
(& Kansas’s Defensive rotations improved, w/hedging)
KU was able to get game tempo pulled down a bit

Sullinger’s success rate plummeted once KU settled in
KU committed to WEAK-SIDE Help Defense
Improved their defensive rotations
(Busted thru single & DOUBLE-HI OSU bender screens instead of slipping) 
w/OSU’s Deshawn Thomas saddled w/Fouls
& Bucks getting 0 from Bench
KU’s adjustments that ensued swung game entirely Jayhawks direction

w/a DOMINANT KU 2H Defense, limiting Ohio St to 8-33 FG (24.2%)

KU Teahan’s 1 MADE 3-FG provided ALL Bench SCORING for both teams

So, moves that Kansas made, w/Jayhawks interior DEFENSE, Predicated upon SIZE
Lead one to believe Kansas has a LEGIT SHOT
Yet not taking a shot at losing more than a C-Note
w/Line at Just 2 POSSESSIONS
& Neither team having good depth

% plays:

KU presumably learned their lesson from OSU's rat-a-tat\click-clack start, 
NEARLY allowing OSU to get away from them
w/OSU passing one-step ahead of KU’s Bigs

Therefore, HC Bill Self will have to try & get this Game down in 60’s
LOW 60-Possession Rate & (Preferably) LOW 60’s in score, also

Arguably, NEITHER Team has played THEIR Game
For more than ½ of any 40 Min Tourney Game
KU’s experience is minimal, yet noticeable factor in game

I LIKE JAYHAWKS TO GET THIS THING TIGHTENED UP NEAR HORN
& Even – as tough as it is to say, have a risk-worthy shot at a Title

Could even see Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor
Breaking a by-then 0-22 or 0-23 slide (0-20 right now) &
Hitting his 1ST & ONLY 3-FG of Tourney to WIN Game for Kansas

1½ UNIT
KANSAS
KENTUCKY | UNDER 138 (BetUS)

½ UNIT
KANSAS +7 (-115 | Bovada)
KENTUCKY

½ UNIT
KANSAS -275 (5-Dimes)
KENTUCKY

______________________

Cutting up NBA Materials just mad these days
Preparing for the big 60 Day Grind to crown a 2011-2012 NBA Champion

ALL THE BEST, GUYS.
Thanks a MILLION.