Why Musburger is Still the Best

"A Star is Born in the Teeth of a Lake Michigan wind."

It's Opening Day!

Could this be the season? It all starts today for our beloved Wahoos. MTAC, fresh off of the weekend in Detroit, will be down at the Jake...errrr....the Prog today to hopefully witness the first of about 95-100 wins for the Indians. Obviously, I am emersed in Kansas Jayhawks Basketball, but my first love will always be Tribe ball. I bleed Red, White, and Blue. My father, brother, and I went to so many opening days together. I cannot wait to take my son to opening day with me in the years to come. But it's such a great day. I love the pagentry, the bloom of the new season, the expectations, the smell of the Hot Dogs and Peanuts, the sold out stadium. Its all good. But, with a new season upon us, there are also a whole new batch of high bars the Indians must get over. In 2007, The Indians were just one win away from the World Series, with three chances to get there. This season, everyone is back and it most likely will be C.C. Sabathia's last ride on the Indian Express. So what does MTAC think about the 2008 season?

There is no way Travis Hafner repeats 2007 - The pressure of the contract negotiations followed by the pressure of the actual big contract weighed on Pronk heavily. He was so poor during the Red Sox series that it got in his head. With a clear mind, Pronk will hit .280 with 35 HR's and 115 RBI.

Franklyn Gutierrez and Ryan Garko become stars - The talk of Winter Haven was certianly not David Dellucci, it was Franky G. The talented Rightfielder raked all spring long and looked like he is primed for a breakout season. There is no platoon for him; he is now an everyday player. We think his offense catches up with his defense. Garko was near or above .300 all year, but didn't drive in as many runs as he should have. He looks thinner this Spring and the ball continues to jump off his bat. With Hafner hopefully getting back into form, Garko will see a lot of pitches and he will be lining doubles into the gaps for the next six months.

The rotation will be a rock - We here at MTAC are no fans of Cliff Lee, but you could do a lot worse as the #5 starter. C.C. and Fausto are the best 1-2 punch in the AL. Jake Westbrook is the model of consistancy and can be penciled in for 15 wins and an ERA around 3.50. Paul Byrd is the master of deception and somehow continues to win games. With Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, Adam Miller, and Brian Slocum in reserve in Buffalo, the Tribe starters will be money all year.

and the bullpen... - The depth is the envy of the rest of the league. Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez, along with Jenson Lewis will be stellar again. Masa Kobayashi, to be honest, we don't know what to make of him. Jorge Julio and Craig Breslow will not be long for this team. Tom Mastny and Brendan Donnelley will take those spots by mid-season. The issue is still closer Joe Borowski. By June, Betancourt will be closing.

Left Field - Eric Wedge is giving David Dellucci just enough rope to hang himself. We think he struggles out of the gate again, and by June, he's still hitting .215 and is released. Ben Francisco will become the Leftfielder with Jason Michaels getting plenty of AB's against lefties. Make no mistake, Francisco MUST and should be on this team.

Andy Marte - Ugh...did he really make the team? He's lucky the Tribe has such an organizational hole at Third base, or he'd be long gone. Errors in the field will do him in, as well as his long, pull everything swing. This kid is 4A. He's not Brandon Phillips.

The Prediction: Last year, we said 90 wins and missing the playoffs. This year, we say 94 wins and the AL Central Crown. The difference: Too much Tribe pitching depth and the Tigers bullpen is really THAT bad.

More on the Final Four

Reading all of these articles really makes me smile. It's so solid. It just keeps getting better. Now we get to play against Roy Williams? I am a member of the Roy Williams fan club. The is a big faction of the KU fan base that is anti-Roy and still harbor major resentment towards him. Not me. He did what he had to do. He has never once bashed Kansas. In fact, nobody shows more love for the school than he does. I promise you, this week, 100 times you will hear the following from him: "For 15 years, I gave my heart, my body, and my soul to that school." But as Ryan Greene from the Lawrence Journal-World put it:

"Now, of course, it’s time for Roy Williams to face the Kansas music. You’d have to think he’ll have much more pressure on him from the media in the upcoming week than Bill Self will because, first, he’s the only one with ties to both schools and Self is just more of a cool customer in the public arena, while Williams has a tendency to provide the emotional moment. Either way, KU fans now have what they truly want Saturday night.”

Two quick thoughts before the article rundown: Sasha Kaun saved the Jayhawks yesterday. Seriously. I have so much respect for him. For three years, he seemed to regress and not be able to figure out to do with his thick frame. After being benched early in the year, he embraced his role as a reserve and continued to get better. There was no better illustration of that improvement than yesterday. He was 6-6 from the field, led KU with 13 points, and grabbed seven boards. “I just wanted to play good," Kaun said. "I was committed to trying to give everything I could to the team. I thought we had a good mindset about everything...It was just a sense of urgency that it might be over. We had to step up and get some good possessions...I’ve been waiting for this game for so long to go to the FInal Four, and last year we came up short, it’s an unbelievable feeling right now.”

Credit Bill Self for going to the Box and One on Stephen Curry in the second half yesterday. Other than the three he hit with 58 seconds left, KU defenders held him down for the final 10 minutes of the game. The junk defense didn't let Curry get the screens he needed to get free. Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, and Sherron Collins all took turns harrassing him.

Kansas-Davidson Game was Great, but Less Fullfilling - Jason Whitlock, KC Star

When it was over, your sigh of relief felt a bit empty, a little less satisfying than you’d imagined. You were happy the team you love escaped, but you were unimpressed with the route the Jayhawks climbed to safety.

Kansas’ cakewalk to the River Walk turned bittersweet on Sunday.

You were hard-pressed to find any evidence inside Ford Field that the champion of the Big 12 is superior to the champion of the Southern Conference. Kansas’ biggest lead was six points, and the boys from the tiny Carolina school of 1,700 students controlled the tempo, the action, from start to finish. With 16.8 seconds left, they had possession and the ball in the hands of the tournament’s best player, shooting star Stephen Curry.

Credit Kansas for denying Curry the game’s final shot. Other than that, thank the basketball gods for KU’s good fortune.

A trip to the Final Four should never taste sour, especially when you’ve knocked at its door four times and been denied, but Bill Self had the damnedest time explaining his emotions Sunday.

•“This game has a different feel to it than a lot of other games,” he said.

•“I don’t want to say we played poorly, because that takes away from Davidson,” he said.

•“Our guys didn’t handle it great, but we were tough enough to get the win, which is all that matters,” he said.

•And finally, Self said: “I would say instead of jubilation, it was probably more relief. You know, you picture the way you are winning a big game like that. You make a shot. You celebrate…. This was not one of those deals. I just wanted to make sure that I hurried up and shook hands and the officials left the court, so they couldn’t put any more time back on the clock.”

Jayhawks Shaky Play Surprises Self - Joe Posnanski, KC Star

Pressure will do strange things to men. The pressure on this Jayhawks team was immense. First, none of them had ever been to a Final Four. The seniors had lost in the first round twice, they had been beaten down by UCLA in the Elite Eight last year — they knew the score.

“I really feel like without a win today,” Self would say, “their careers would be incomplete.”

Second, they were playing America’s darling — a team that seemed to be touched by magic this whole tournament. Everyone was rooting for Davidson. Third, this was the last regional final — and the first three No. 1 seeds had already made it into the tournament. If Kansas lost, then the Jayhawks alone would be seen as a No. 1 failure.

And fourth, probably the most important factor, everyone wanted so much to win this game for Self. Nobody wanted to see him go through the suffering of another Elite Eight defeat — especially to a tiny and feisty No. 10 seed like Davidson. Self is a good guy. Everyone likes him.

Players respect him. Nobody wanted to see him lose again.

Feel Good Story of the Year Ends with KU, Self Headed to the Final Four - Pat Forde, ESPN.com

But as America sagged over the demise of its endearing underdog, a freshly unburdened Bill Self heaved himself up from his knees on the sideline. The Kansas coach looked briefly into the stands and blew a gust of air through his cheeks.

As one Kansas staffer said, "It looked like 400 pounds of pressure had just left his body."

Self had been asked a day earlier what the emotion would be upon winning and reaching his first Final Four. He said probably joy, then acknowledged that there would be some relief, as well.

Given the way this went down, relief won in a landslide.

"I would say instead of jubilation, it was probably more relief," Self said. "You picture winning a big game like that, you make a shot, you celebrate, or something happens and you're able to go congratulate all your coaches and your players. This was not one of those deals.

"I just wanted to make sure that I hurried up and shook hands and the officials left the court so they couldn't put any more time back on the clock."

Self Feels Sense of Relief After Davidson Scare - Jeff Goodman, Fox Sports.com

Bill Self would have been crucified. The fans in Lawrence would have gladly pushed him out the door to return to Oklahoma State — for the $3 million or so per year that billionaire Boone Pickens is reportedly willing to toss around to lure Self back to his alma mater.

It wouldn't have mattered that Self took the Jayhawks to their third Elite Eight in five seasons.
The whispers had gotten louder. Self could recruit against just about anyone, but was he a big-time X's and O's guy?

He had a pair of first-round exits on his resume in his five postseason appearances — and this year's road couldn't have been paved any smoother.

A walk-over Portland State. Then an overachieving UNLV team in the second round. Villanova, the final at-large team in the tournament and a No. 12 seed, in the Sweet 16.

Then No. 10 Davidson in the regional finals.

A Final Four is the measuring stick for those in Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk-land. The Jayhawks had been to a dozen of them, but won just twice — with the last coming 20 years ago when Danny Manning led them to the national championship.

Well, Self has finally silenced the skeptics who questioned his coaching ability with a Final Four appearance, courtesy of a down-to-the-last-shot, 59-57 victory against Davidson.

"I was nervous the whole time," Self admitted.

The Big Stop - Stewart Mandel, SI.com

The play was called "Flat," short for flat ball-screen. Under normal circumstances, Richards handles the point and Curry flies around the floor bouncing off screens, looking for his opening, but "the amount of time left was an issue," said Curry. "Usually I have 30 to 35 seconds to fight through screens."

The goal was to draw a big man out to the top of the key, allowing Curry to drive, pop a three or kick to the open man. But Kansas is 35-3 first and foremost because of its perimeter defense. With the Jayhawks' season on the line, it was only fitting that they prevailed by stopping the hottest shooter in the country, putting four guards (Rush, Collins, Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson) on the floor so that when Rush got screened off Curry, as was the plan, another guard, Collins, was right there to pick him up.

"It kind of defeated the purpose of the play," said Curry.

It was also emblematic of Curry's entire night. Though he finished with an impressive 25 points, 20 of them came in the game's first 22 minutes. In the second half, his open looks started disappearing, his shots looked increasingly rushed and off the mark. Defenders like Robinson and Rush were never more than a step away from him. Curry would finish just 9-of-25 from the field.

Kaun Inspires Hunted - Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal-World

And through it all, there was Kaun, the least offensively gifted of the nine players who appeared in the game for Kansas, clapping his hands to demand the ball, tossing bodies aside to get into position for rebounds, challenging so many shots and blocking one, not looking anything but energized by the heat of the moment.

Kansas played a terrific defensive game, most notably on the final possession, and made superstar Stephen Curry work so hard for his 25 shots. Still, KU needed all Kaun’s field goals to fall for that effort not to go down as a footnote swallowed by tales of failure. Kaun contributed 13 points and six rebounds and shot 6-of-6 from the field, 1-of-3 from the line.

His offensive output came in handy because Davidson reserve Bryant Barr evoked bad memories of Texas Tech’s Darryl Dora and Marchello Vealy of Oral Roberts, lesser-known players for whom the basket grew so large in victories against Kansas.

The Monkey - Gone!

Before we get into anything, let me just say that we at MTAC could not be any happier for Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. A class act across the board finally gets to his first Final Four. We were there again yesterday, now 3-0 live at Regional Finals. As we have said in the past, our job is to get them to the Final Four, once they get there, they should bring it home. No need to rehash what you already know; The KU defense put the clamps down on Davidson's Stephen Curry on the final possession with the Wildcats down two. Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, and then Sherron Collins all switched onto him and wouldn't allow him to get a look. Eventually, the ball ended up in the hands of Jason Richards, who's NBA three for the win was wide left. Just like that, the monkey was lifted off of Self's back, a country was disappointed, but the Jayhawk nation rejoiced as they have returned to the Final Four. 59-57. What a game.

Our Experience: As stated Saturday, the set up and atmosphere at Ford Field was attrocious. Friday was definitely worse. Had Davidson not been KU's opponent, the crowd would have been dead. Everyone was caught up in the Davidson story and rightfully so. We would have been as well if we weren't diehard KU fans. The way it went, there was one section of Davidson fans - their entire student body - and one section of KU fans. The rest of the the reported 57,563 (no chance there was 57k there) had no real rooting interest, but took up for the Wildcat cause. So my boy Sean and I were essentially the only two real fans in our section with hardcore interest.

As the game went on, it was clear Davidson was not going away. In fact, several times we both thought we were done. I couldn't take it. Late in the first half, as Kansas continued to miss bunnies and open jumpers, Rush spotted up for a three. He hadn't hit a shot yet. I yelled "One Time Brandon!" Brick. I then jumped up and screamed "BRANDON! WAKE UP! JESUS CHRIST!" Keep in mind, the building is like a library and nobody else around me is standing. I sit down, look up and 40 people are staring at me. I've yelled at games before and I'll do it again. But this one was reminiscent of my late father, who loved to melt down on occasion during Tribe Playoff games. But we digress.

As poorly as KU played in the first half, they were still up two. But our main concern was that they had played good defense, but they were getting nothing in the post outside of Sasha Kaun, weren't hitting outside shots, and seemed to be committing too many dumb turnovers (see Cole Aldrich's outlet pass right to Jason Richards). Seemed like the UCLA game all over again. Mario Chalmers and Kaun really were the only two who showed up in the first half, and Kaun had gone to the bench with two fouls with eight minutes left in the half.

The second half gets going and with 15 minutes left, Andrew Lovedale hit a layup to give Davidson a lead and the crowd roared. We sat in disbelief. This was the first of two times where we thought The Jayhawks were done. A short three minutes later, KU went up six at 43-37, and this is where we figured we would pull away. But oh, the ups and downs of sports. This is why we love this game so much. Fast forward three minutes, Davidson's Bryant Barr, a guy I had never heard of until the second half of this game, hit back to back three's, Lovedale scored inside, Barr hit his third straight triple, and Davidson led 49-45. We sat with our heads in our hands while the parisan Wildcat crowd stood and screamed. I believed it was here when Sean turned to me and said "this is when it is no longer fun. This is painful." At the under eight TV timeout, KU trailed 51-47. This is where the game changed and the KU defense kicked into high gear. Kaun's layup and Sherron Collins' three - his only basket of the game (1-8) - put KU on top 52-51, a lead they would never relinquish.

The final minute felt like it took an hour. A 59-53 lead almost disappered. Curry, who was hounded all game, hit the three to cut it to two. Davidson had one more chance to win it with 16 seconds left. Coach Bob McKillop, a master X's and O's guy, called a timeout. I had to walk out to the aisle and pace. I was in full freak out mode. Later I was told by my brother that the woman behind him said "That poor guy is going to have a heart attack." Everyone in the building knew, heck, everyone in the country knew Curry was going to take a three for the win. I could just visualize it: Another classic loss by one of my teams. This one was going to hurt more than any other KU loss. I said to Sean, "lets see what my dad has up there for me." I am not a religious man and I don't pray. That was the best I could ask for, my father looking down, who had been to the 2003 regionals with me the year before he passed away, helping my boys out. Sure enough, Curry ended up with the ball, but couldn't get any sort of look, instead, it was Jason Richards who got the look. It was wide right.

I don't know if I was more happy or more relieved. Relieved probably, but so happy for Self, who now has shed the "best coach to never get to the Final Four" tag. Thrilled for Darnell Jackson, who despite playing very poorly, wanted it more than anyone else. For guys like fifth year Senior Jeremy Case, the last Roy Williams recruit, and Senior Rodrick Stewart who rarely plays, but is the epitome of a team player. But nobody deserved it more than Self. It was a pleasure watching him cut down the nets.

There will be more to follow....

Being There

First things first, another big win. One more win closer to the Final Four. A great first half by the backcourt set the tone. The second half was a snooze-fest, but the game was long over. One more win and Bill Self gets over the hump.

I was at Ford Field last night. I couldn't wait to see what the "new set-up" was all about. 55,000 people allegedly attended. The number was more like 40,000, but it sounded more like 5,000. It was the single worst atmosphere of any major sporting event I've ever attended. The set up with the court in the middle of an football stadium made it so completely non-intimate. The crowd was a complete non-factor. Other than the Davidson section, you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. It was like watching a game in a library. We tried so hard to get into the game, but it was a real struggle, even with the stakes being as high as they were. The place was a morgue.

How can they players feed off of the energy of the crowd when there was no energy? The biggest group of fans were from Wisconsin and now they are out. People couldn't give their tickets away for Sunday's Final last night. By the second half of the KU/Nova game, the place completely emptied out and there couldn't have been more than 5,000 people left. Our seats were in the risers section on the floor of the football field. Unless you were sitting where we were, the players looked like ants. When we walked up from our seats, it was a serious hike. Everytime I turned around, the players and the court got smaller and smaller. Anyone who would pay for seats behind the baskets should have their heads examined. Tak about bad seats. You were seemingly miles from the court.

The whole set up to maximize the amount of fans is an abomination. Wait until they see how few people the game Sunday. They will e lucky to get 20,000, which will make the place look and sound empty. You know what else? I don't care as long as I am there an my Jayhawks win.

A Scout's View on KU

SI.com's Luke Winn grabbed a great scouting report on Kansas from an opposing assistant coach who faced the Jayhawks this year. It's a very interesting read.

"The biggest issue is keeping [Kansas] out of transition. They're a team of great spurts, and early in the year their margins of victory were so large because they were going on 3-4 big spurts per game, getting out in the full-court, and it was always the deciding factor.

"They're a very balanced team, so you have to choose something to take away. They're a team that ball-screens a lot, and out of their screens they get a lot of layups for their bigs off penetration, and they get a lot of lobs. The way I think you handle the the screening action is to push up and try to contain the guards, which is easier said than done, but it means their big men are going to have a tougher time getting easy looks.

"You have to be conscious of keeping them off the offensive glass, too, since they're usually plus-8 or plus-9 in that category. Off of pick-and-roll plays, they get the ball to the rim and then always seem to have two bigs crashing the glass, and on top of that, [Brandon Rush] is a very good offensive rebounder himself. So there are a lot of block-out responsibilities there.

"We felt like Mario Chalmers was a huge key; he's the one guy who attacks the rim constantly off of ball screens and can score. Rush is more of a catch-and-shoot guy -- he's the best shooter in the Big 12, and he's 6-foot-6, but he's not great off the dribble with his mid-range game. Nor is Russell Robinson. But Chalmers is terrific; he can get to the basket, he can stop and shoot at 15 feet, he can step behind the screen and hit a three, all with a lot of effectiveness. From our view Chalmers was their best player.

"Now that Sherron Collins is healthy, you have to find a way to keep him in front of you, because he's so big and powerful. If he gets his body by you, you're not going to get back around him, and he's a very effective finisher at the rim. He's good at setting big guys up for easy little dump-off passes. So you have to keep him contained and make him shoot over the top instead.

"There are a couple of things that seem to go unnoticed with Kansas. The first is that their bigs sprint to their screens; if you watch Sasha Kaun or Darnell Jackson or Darrell Arthur, they sprint from the post to set a screen. So the big guys guarding them are at a disadvantage, because they never get in the right defensive position. They'll run some double ball-screens on the outside, too, where the first guy slips [to the basket] and that forces you to help.

"The second is that they're an unbelievable passing team. That's why they're very hard to zone. They're always in attack mode, and their guards catch the ball where they want it, close to the three-point line in triple-threat position. They'll run some high-low sets that are effective, especially with Darnell Jackson, whose shooting has expanded the floor for them. Last year they didn't have a big man who could shoot that well. Arthur is so strong and quick on offense that we wanted to make sure he didn't get deep post-ups. We tried to be physical with him before he got into the post and not allow him to get the ball. When he does have it, his main move is a fadeaway over his right shoulder, and he'll counter that with a jump-hook -- but he always needs a dribble to get that off, so you can attack him that way.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, [Kansas] is going to play man against you. Chalmers is as good a defender as you'll find anywhere in the country; he's a great anticipator, has quick hands and causes havoc in passing lanes. He and Robinson are constantly looking to create steals. Rush is a very underrated on-ball defender because of his length, and they're throwing a lot of different big guys at you. They're efficient defensively because of their quickness and their length, and the fact is that they dominate the glass, so you rarely get multiple shots.

"One thing you can do is try to take their big men away from the basket. For guys like Arthur and Jackson, and much more so Kaun and [Cole Aldrich, their comfort zone is within 7-8 feet of the basket, and once you get them away from it, they don't guard as well or rebound nearly as well. Arthur has been prone to foul trouble, too, and if a team attacks him and gets him out of that comfort zone, there's a chance he'll pick up some early fouls. Sometimes he's overly aggressive, or a half-step out of position, or just trying to make a play that sometimes he shouldn't make. If you get him out and they have to bring in Kaun or Aldrich, who aren't as athletic, then you try to lure them out to the perimeter.

"There are two intangible things that are just as important with Kansas. First, you can't lose your composure against them, because they're so well-coached that their effort never varies. You have to match the mental toughness of an experienced team. The second is the tempo of the game. You have to try to control your pace, because if you get running with them, they're going to run you out of the gym. That's what they like to do, and you have to be smart enough to avoid it."

The Bullpen is Set....We're Not Happy

Our boy, Tom Mastny, otherwise known as "Thomas Nasty" has become the odd man out, despite having a great spring. Offseason pickup Jorge Julio has made the team, as has journeyman lefty Craig Breslow, picked up off of waivers two days ago. Here's a prediction: Breslow won't last through May. The obsession wiht keeping two lefties is the only reason he is still around. Meanwhile, a quality reliever in Mastny is going down to AAA. The guy spent the entire year on the big club last year. This shows you the depth of the Tribe pen. Mastny would be the key set up man for 80% of the teams in this league. He can't even make the Indians. So here is the Tribe pen as it stands:

Joe Borowski - Closer
Rafael Betancourt
Rafael Perez
Jenson Lewis
Masa Kobayashi
Jorge Julio
Craig Breslow

Poor Nasty. He deserves better than this. Now all the Indians have to do is figure out a way to get rid of OF David Dellucci so Ben Francisco can play Left Field. On the link below, make sure you scroll down and read the comments. The fans despise DD.

Mastny Optioned to Buffalo