Tuesday, February 9, 2010

KU basketball big on Potawatomi Reservation

On most reservations there are some real differences on topics especially political ones, but on the Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation there are some unifying aspects going on and that’s a die-hard fan-base for Kansas University men’s basketball.

A few games back, KU lost to Tennessee in their house and yes they did take it on the chin, but they slowly started to develop and went through some growing pains. Before that loss, KU barely get by Cornell in one game 71-66. It was a damn good thing that the boy from the streets of Chicago decided to show up those rich kids from the Ivy League or KU would have went down for the count earlier. The other night they beat Baylor, a pretty fair team. Sherrod Collins is real, the twins are asserting themselves and as soon as that thing called chemistry starts clicking watch out America.

In the daily rag, the writers were saying KU escaped being beat by KSU in another game. Hell, that ain't the way I saw it. They gutted out the win and were tougher in a tough game. KU has to win games like that to be fully appreciated on the national scene, because it ain't all east coast basketball and if we don’t watch out KU will put Kansas on the map. KU won, but the difference between KU and KSU is Sherron Collins. It was a hell of a game. KU did their damndest to throw the game but straightened up in overtime. They had all the big-time announcers for this game including Erin Andrews on the courtside mike.

KU also struggled against Colorado, missing free throw after free throw and throwing the ball away at crucial times. That cussin you heard on the reservation was me, but they decided to play ball in overtime and beat those mountain people 72-66.

Later KU put it on Nebraska in a tune-up for those Texans. KU and Texas think about each other so much that they almost forget to take care of the business at hand, and that’s why in my estimation, KU has had flat games and Texas has taken it on the chin regularly. Oh, well it could be worse -what about those Tarheels, already losing ten games this year. Ol Roy is probably crying in his spilled milk and wondering why he snuck out of Lawrence on that jet plane a few years back.

But KU during this time finally started to look like the team everybody said they would be. It really helps when those McDonald All-Americans come off the bench hitting all those threes, plus that defense is clamping down. X Henry is looking good. If KU would turn him loose then you would see a tremendous player reach his potential. I don't think he will be a "one and done" player because he could use some more experience. With that said, this is Sherron Collins team, but it will only get better for KU, when the rest of the bunch decided to help like they are starting to do now.

And the stepping stone to greatness happened at Texas. KU established itself as the big dog in NCAA basketball last night whipping those Texas pretenders 80-66. Their “stifling”defense was huge factor and made the game a runaway. I believe it was the best overall game KU has played this year. They are back in the national discussion, for sure!

The experts are predicting KU to be the #1 seed in the St. Louis region with Kentucky, Villanova and Syracuse as the other #1 seeds. The other night the announcers said Syracuse is playing the best in the country now, but I guess they haven’t seen KU play. KU, under this format, would play their first games in Oklahoma City.

In a nut-shell this is what occupies the time of many on the Potawatomi reservation during this cold snowy winter.

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