🏀 KuBuckets Archive

A fifth season of big Dave?

I would prefer to see a rim protector. Do any of our recruits or bench players have the defensive desire to rim protect? When KU guards drive and then get rejected at the rim, it really changes our offense. Especially with players like Braun; Once he gets blocked, he tends to disappear on offense. Mitch does some rim protection, but everyone remembers Dok's rim protection and even Whithey's. I still like someone in the paint on defense with enough athleticism to stop a guard's drive and also defend a second player if the guard passes.

@BShark said in Feelings On:

A fifth season of big Dave?

My feelings? Pass.

Does it make sense for both parties? Kinda.

I hope he comes back.

@BShark said in Feelings On:

A fifth season of big Dave?

Saw that post on the phoggy. Will be something to monitor I suppose

@Kcmatt7 said in Feelings On:

@BShark said in Feelings On:

A fifth season of big Dave?

My feelings? Pass.

Does it make sense for both parties? Kinda.

Yeahh exactly

Ya I mean he'd be our best big next year but like everyone I have been excited for some change. If it does happen, I hope we don't lose anyone else.

@BShark said in Feelings On:

Ya I mean he'd be our best big next year but like everyone I have been excited for some change. If it does happen, I hope we don't lose anyone else.

Inevitable we will lose someone or multiples. Nobody wants to come into a season looking at Mitch's role only.

This is the ultimate situation for Self. Dave will help you win games but not having him will give you a real chance to develop the 4 bigs that would be here.

I’m pretty split. Good Dave has been very good. I believe we had similar conversations about Doke and I wouldn’t trade that guys senior season in retrospect. I know they’re different but both had limitations. A lot of what holds Dave back is mental.

@stoptheflop Udeh is 6’10 with a 7’2 wingspan and should be a good rim protector.

Zuby is an athletic 6’8 and should be a force in the paint

I'd rather move on personally. I've defended Dave more than just about anyone here, but he's also not an elite enough player and could hurt Udeh's development who is someone with a much higher ceiling than Dave to me.

Depending in who's back next season, KU could very well have a team that struggles to score quite a bit, especially in the paint if Wilson leaves since Clemence and Zuby aren't known as low post presences and Adams and Udeh don't have much of an offensive game at all at this point.

If that happens, I'm sure there will be plenty of times people will wish Self had brought Dave back and criticize Self for that decision. Those people are also probably going to be the same ones complaining about Self not playing the freshmen more this season as well.

Bye, Felicia.

From Dave's perspective... it should value him to come back. That can be for at least one of two reasons: first, academics. Perhaps he completes grad school. Second... if there is a definite path for him to improve. That path would have to include Self believing it, too.

How can Dave take another year and improve his game considerably? As I've been saying all along... his biggest deficit is his feet. And to improve there, it won't be through basketball drills. It would come from intense dance.

Dave's feet almost cost us a victory today. It had to be shown by putting Zach in, with his nimble feet, to guard the trey line from Groves continuing to burn us.

I don't think it is a good move for Dave to stick around in this program if neither of the two goals above aren't part of the equation.

I don't think Self thinks it is a good idea to have him around merely to give us depth at the 5. Self cares about his players and he isn't going to exploit Dave like that.

Just my opinion.

@drgnslayr "Dave’s feet almost cost us a victory today. It had to be shown by putting Zach in, with his nimble feet, to guard the trey line from Groves continuing to burn us."

Dave had foot surgery in the off-season. He is limping. His foot has been bothering him all year.

"How can Dave take another year and improve his game considerably? As I’ve been saying all along… his biggest deficit is his feet."

Agreed. An injury to your foot can have devastating effects on your game. I think another year where Dave is injury free would yield completely different results. There was no better big man in the conference last year, when he was healthy.

@Jethro

You have a point. I've just always viewed him as a big who struggled with his feet.

Big Dave graphic spanning across three windows on the front of Wendy's in Lawrence (23rd St). They painted the awning crimson and blue too which is kind of weird looking.

!bigdave2.jpg ↗

Looks better in person... I was driving and took kind of a bad photo.

Not sure what he got out of the deal. (I'm not even sure if Dave eats fast food... heard he was kind of a healthy eater kind of guy.)