Daily Bullets (Mar. 12): Kansas City Neutralized for the Pokes

Make sure to take a late lunch and catch the 1:30pm showing of Pokes and Jayhawks.

Bullets Rundown

• KC neutralized for the Pokes
• Self on no fans
• PFF loves the Pokes but not Chuba

Scores

• MBB: Pokes 72, Iowa State 71
• SB: Cowgirls 5, Wichita State 0
• BB: Pokes 7, St. Louis 1

OSU Bullets

• OSU’s in for a unique advantage today when they take on the Jayhawks.

“I guess it’s going to feel like a scrimmage,” said OSU center Yor Anei.

Maybe. Who knows what it’s going to feel like? None of us — not players, not coaches, not fans, not media — have experienced something like this. Especially a brand like Kansas, playing in an event like the Big 12 Tournament, without the usual 10,000 Jayhawk fans making the Sprint Center roar. [NewsOK]

To avoid the nasty road environment in Kansas City is a huge win for the Pokes. I’m still not positive there won’t be a roar coming from the Power and Light across the street (a large crowd would totally defeat the purpose of fans not being let in) but the crowd effect will be minimized. 

• Bill Self chats about the experience of playing in front of no fans (NCAA will have no crowds and Big 12 is allowing small allotments):

“It’s sad. Sad for players,” Kansas Coach Bill Self said from the Big 12 Tournament. “You dream of playing for the highest stakes on the brightest stage.

“Certainly it’s hard to imagine that if nobody is there in person to see it but I told our guys, ‘Why did we all start loving this game? Why did we all start playing it? Did we do it because we wanted other people to watch us or did we do it because we actually loved it?’ ” [CBS Sports]

• PFF ranked the top-ten returning Big 12 players: Two OSU players are ahead of Chuba and he’s not in the top five

• Leslie O’Neal inducted into the CFB hall of fame

• Cade Cunningham won the Naismith high school basketball player of the year

• A great point about last night’s thrilling finish:

One part of this will get overlooked, Avery Anderson with a really savvy play pulling ball immediately and dealing quick in bounds pass to Likelele. Enabled him to get great run. https://t.co/yMhaQ63DEo

— Adam Lunt (@AdamLunt817) March 12, 2020

• Berry Tramel says to eat at Garrozzo’s and chats about how weird the coronavirus B12 tourney has been ($$$)

• This is something else – OSU is the only team since 2015 to finish No. 1 in offense (per KenPom) and not make the Elite Eight.

Even crazier: 60 percent of those who finished first in offense made the national championship game.

Correction: Gonzaga No. 1 defense in 2017, not offense. Oklahoma State was No. 1 offense, and the Cowboys were a first-round knockout. https://t.co/HRuFtjJXKO

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) March 11, 2020

Non-OSU Bullets

• Really enjoyed this short book on the creative process (solid summary here if you want it shorter)
• NBA suspended the regular season and the NCAAs will be played in front of a super small audience
• Solid faith-based look at what was present in homes of folks who stuck with the faith

This was hilarious – in relation to the Thunder game being called last night before it started.

Space Jam predicted this #Jazz #Thunder pic.twitter.com/oZaaUqn8Uh

— Awesemo.com (@Awesemo_Com) March 12, 2020