🏀 KuBuckets Archive

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Experience and strength. What we need.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article16508330.html ↗

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/players/playerpage/1904186/mike-thorne-jr ↗

@wrwlumpy Assume that would mean sayonara to Hunter? If Self inks Thorne, does that have an impact on Diallo or Maker? Landon, Ellis, Traylor and Rabb already in the 4-5 slots (that also assumes, of course, that Alexander is gone). How many more are realistic?

@DCHawker Rabb not coming to KU. I think you mean Bragg.

@FarSideHawk Yes, sorry. Rabb staying on west coast.

Love Mari to death, love his story and his effort over the years but if he's part of our rotation next year on a 15-20 minute basis see yaaaa March again.

I believe Thorne would impact Diallo. If Cheick came here would have to try and play the 5 with Ellis/Bragg already here.

At this point I'm hoping we at least get a visit from Thorne. Illinois already got 1 scheduled..

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Recruiting: Cheick Diallo Taking Visits ↗

One huge reason to sign Cheick Diallo:

ISU to see two main targets Thursday ↗

We do need help at the 5 (both offensively and defensively). Don't know if Thorne would be an upgrade over Lucas and Hunter, but the more the merrier I guess. Don't think we have a shot at Zimmerman and even Diello is the not Self-type 5 we are looking for. Slim pickings at this point for a b2b center (including Thon Maker)

Other than that, if we don't pick up anybody else and only lose Oubre and Cliff, I would be more than happy with what we have coming back. I'm really hoping that we DON;T get any top rated perimeter player like Newman or Brown (hearing rumors he's Kentucky bound anyway). We will have a veteran perimeter core group and that is better for us than a superstar OAD circus. Now if we pick-up an underrated four year raw guard that won't mind playing/learning behind FM and DG, then fine.

@FarSideHawk

We don't know if Thorne Jr. would be an upgrade at the 5 but you can't teach 6"11 270. That instantly makes him the biggest player in the Big 12 next year. He's already put up decent to good numbers as a Jr. so if your switching between him and Lucas at your 5 IMO would be a good thing to have.

Think of it, Lucas gets 2 early fouls playing Rico Gathers, in comes a bigger battled veteran at equal to bigger size. Check, check for me.

Ah, this feels a little like the OAD merry go round to me.

@HighEliteMajor It does. Does it feel a little desperate to you?

I'd be real curious to know how Self is playing the Thorne / Diallo pitch. I'm sure he would love to have both, but kids want to go where they can play right away.....and adding both of them would really crowd the frontcourt.

@Hawk8086

Interestingly, Kentucky and Duke recruits DONT want to go where there is playing time.

I wonder why?

@Hawk8086

Well are you happy with Mari, Mickelson, Lucas?

I think because Lucas has 2 years left and is a big enough body to keep developing we should definitely keep him in the rotation.

We know Mari is too short to play the 4, he's not gifted enough to play the 3. He didn't have a good year and if I'm Self you have to find another option or 2.
Mickelson with his limited time did nothing but block shots and foul. It looked like he just didn't have the feel for the game we needed out there.

It might seem crowded but Diallo or Thorne is an upgrade and they should feel like they could take minutes if they wanted.

We can't expect Thorne to come in and get 15 and 10. But if he is a Tarik type and can bring maturity, leadership, and toughness? Well then bring him on board!!!

@jaybate-1.0

"Interestingly, Kentucky and Duke recruits DONT want to go where there is playing time.

I wonder why?"

Maybe their recruits actually think they'll get developed there regardless of PT?

Maybe more people want to jump on board with my focus on paying the super bucks to acquire the services of John Lucas as an assistant coach? It might set us back about $2m a year. Cheaper than luxury apartments...

From 247 Sports:

Kansas Head Coach Bill Self met with Charlotte graduate transfer Mike Thorne last week, and with Thorne's parents last night. According to Thorne, the visit went great.

"My parents said it went well," said Thorne. "They enjoyed talking with Coach Self," he added.

Thorne, who has one year of eligibility left, said that he has set a visit date to Kansas.

"I'm all set to visit May 1st," said Thorne about his visit date to Kansas. "May try to find a date that's earlier," he added.

Thorne is currently scheduled to visit Illinois April 17th-18th

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@drgnslayr

Imagine if KUAD had not blown $6M on buying Turner Gill out and $3.5M x ?yrs buying out Charlie "The Catholic Holy Trinity Only Knows Why He Was Hired and Bought Out" Weiss, KUAD could now give John Lucas a contract in perpetuity?

Imagine if John Calipari could coach a lick, and if his assistants COULD develop players how big the point spreads would be over every team that does not have 10 draft choices on its roster?

Imagine how big the winning margins would be if Bo Ryan, or Bill Self, or Ratso Izzo had 10 draft choices on their rosters?

"Imagine all the people living life in peace..."

@RockChalkinTexas

That picture of Mike Thorne Jr. sends me into @stupidmichael waves scared!!!!!!!

Look at the black lingerie on the knees!!!!!

OH. MY. GAWD!!!!!!!!

@drgnslayr said:

Maybe their recruits actually think they'll get developed there regardless of PT?

We didn't get the elite post man recruits when Danny Manning was assisting.

We don't get the elite big man recruits when Danny Manning is not assisting, except a freakish project from Cameroon stolen out from under Donovan that surprised everyone and developed in one season instead of 3.

UK's players show zero signs of development and dump trucks back up to UK's athletic housing and dump at least two elite big man recruits a season, so that now they are able to maintain a rotation of 4 footers that are draft choices. Dakari Johnson was way better than Joel Embiid, when they were both recruits. Dakari Johnson sits on the bench in Lexington still, even as Joel is clipping coupons and rehabbing his back.

Everything about coming to KU is better from a player's development and PT stand point, but still elite 5s want to go sit on the bench in Lexington? Something is WRONG with this picture of the UK iceberg in Lexington. But what?

It is almost comical. When KU builds this new housing, the dump trucks will still back up to Lexington and dump out two each season to maintain the four draft choice footers not developing in Lexington.

"Houston, we have a problem."

@jaybate-1.0 I thought men liked lingerie ;-)

@jaybate-1.0

"Look at the black lingerie on the knees!!!!!"

Bet this guy is a zillionaire!

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@BeddieKU23 No, I agree we need an upgrade. But, I think convincing both Thorne and Diallo to come might be tough.
Just wondering how coaches handle such situations.

@jaybate-1.0 Regarding UK and Duke getting highly ranked recruits that don't play...Interesting question.
I imagine that Johnson and Lee at UK, for example, could not have imagined that the would get the sparse minutes they are getting. I would only guess that they are bidding their time until next year (which is 2 more years than they thought they would be at UK) or they believe that they can still get drafted with only a little playing time.
Given these circumstances, it will be interesting to see if Calipari can continue to have the riches of talent that he has had.

@drgnslayr

HOWLING!

@Hawk8086

They sure don't seem to be sad... they seem as jacked up as anyone on that team. I don't understand how Calipari is able to do that to players? If we did that, we'd never sign a 5-star recruit again. Wiggins was given the key to our team when he was here. Even Wayne is given "golden status"... even when he goes long stretches without producing. I can understand that Wigs is a special case... but can't we fairly compare Wayne to Marcus Lee?

I guess we are to believe that Calipari just has a magic personality with recruits. These kids work their butts off.... and by the time they reach their senior year in HS, they've heard every con man in the universe, pitching one thing or another.

@Hawk8086

I think it will work itself out. Both seem to be on a late April/May commit date. We've been on Diallo forever, he's not a true 5 but he's not a OAD either. So his upside is much greater than the 1 year transfer.

I'm intrigued that Self went after him so quickly, as I've said you can't teach his size and I imagine he's imagined him and Lucas being a great duo at the 5. I doubt we can land both, unless Traylor or Mickelson leave before hand. I'd love to see Traylor's senior speech on Senior day but if we can upgrade them both then we have to do it.

I'm also assuming that Self thinks just like every other coach, you don't stop recruiting what's out there until they sign those papers. If Diallo gets swayed by say Iowa St's assistant going to St Johns which so happens to be his lead recruiter and he stays close to home then Self lost 2 years worth of recruiting. Meanwhile a taller more experienced 5 becomes available and he only had to spend minimal effort to get involved any maybe get him to come to KU. So that's how I'm seeing it, that either one of them is insurance for one going somewhere else.

@BeddieKU23 Probably so. I guess he takes the first one that accepts...which may cause the other to go somewhere else.....

As of this morning:

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@RockChalkinTexas

Really interesting considering his visit with KU is on May 1st...although he indicated he is trying to move it up.

However, this statement “He wants to go to a school where he can be the primary five, because he only has one year left,” would seem to rule out KU because the chances of him being the "primary five" at KU one would think are slim... in my opinion of course.

@RockChalkinTexas Perhaps not an English major? ;)

Didn't think Hunter could transfer again as he'd have to sit a year again which would end his elgibility.

@JayHawkFanToo

he changed his visit to the 22nd.

@brooksmd

correct if he's not graduating in may.

@DCHawker You just gone call him out like that?

@Statmachine :) Not to his face anyway...

@RockChalkinTexas I hope it's somewhere with an emphasis on Spelling.

@DCHawker text talk?

@Crimsonorblue22 Maybe - not that I'm texting a lot - but, as I a digression, I hire a lot of recent college grads and the written communications skills of those seeking positions is all too often sadly lacking - too familiar, colloquial and shorthand - might well be a product of the texting/tweeting era....

@brooksmd @BeddieKU23 - I had heard that Hunter is not graduating in May. But that was a few months ago.

Thorne could be in our main five if we miss on the slog of OADs -- really, Diallo seems like the only realistic post OAD now. So, if Diallo goes here, probably no Thorne. If Diallo doesn't, "starting at center, Mike Thorne."

That's assuming Cliff is gone and Perry stays.

@Statmachine

Gone don it!

I'm mean... God don it!

I'm mean Gosh durn it!

This just in. Cliff is gone. Our new center has just signed...

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@HighEliteMajor Cheick Diallo has said he has spoken to Joel Embiid about playing in Lawrence. Embiid had all great things to say. #kubball

Many mentions on various threads of Perry possibly leaving... ?
In my 20 years following the beloved hawks, i have been quite surprised before by guys leaving or transferring, but him leaving would be the biggest surprise by far.. I just do not see it at ALL

What am i missing about him and his game and his prospects ?

@Bosthawk maybe it's the highest he could go, knee?

@JhawkAlum

You are right, he did not even come close to being 15-10 player in the weak Conference USA, there is no way he does that in the Big 12.