🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but out of boredom I was thinking of what the all-time KU team would look like. Obviously a starting 5 based on pro basketball production vs. college production would probably look different. I guess mine is a little of both. I wasn't sure what the best backcourt would look like, though my frontcourt is debatable as well. Please chime in and fill me in on players who were better/worse than I realize:
G: Jo Jo White
G: Kirk Hinrich
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Danny Manning
C: Wilt Chamberlain

@Makeshift Two games into football season and you're BORED?? WOW.

As far as the all time KU basketball team - I can't do it. Wilt is number one - always has been, always will be. But the other four - there's just too many choices.

@nuleafjhawk
Yep, it's a slow day at work. "But the other four - there’s just too many choices." I guess that's the challenge in it.

@Makeshift Hmmm .. I think if Self wanted to play some high/low there, it just might work.

Sleeper 5: Mason, Collins, Rush, Collison, Embiid.

@Makeshift Watching KU football is my challenge right now...

JoJo White, Keith Langford, Paul Pierce, Danny Manning, Wilt Chamberlain

@nuleafjhawk
Rutgers star receiver Leonte Carroo was arrested and charged with assault on.si.com/1Kbk9tO pic.twitter.com/U4ui2h8L3A
Maybe this will help?

Mine is personal, Danny, Pritchard, Piper, Newton, and whoever else started, Harris? Gueldner? 1988 a few weeks before I graduated, that's my all time team!

Of course you might want to put Wilt, Jo Jo, Paul, and Wayne Simien on it instead.

1. Kirk 2. Wiggins 3. Paul 4. Danny 5. Wilt

Moved Wigginz to the 2 guard 😊

@wissoxfan83 I saw Wayne Simien at the ks state fair today.

I guess it really depends on how old you are and how well you remember player from the past..

While most of us are familiar with Manning, many who saw him play would take Lovellette who played C/PF and was absolutely a great player having been the foundation player for teams that won a NCAA, Olympic and NBA tittles; some would even pick him over Chamberlain.. I saw Valentine play and he would definitely be in the conversation and although did not see Jo Jo White play, people that did think he was the best point guard ever at KU.

I could come up with at least a dozen deserving players...oh well, it is nice to have so many good players from which to pick.

@SkinnyKansasDude

Do you think Wiggins deserves to be on the all time team after only playing one season? (Don't get me wrong, this is just a very subjective list and you can put whoever you want on it!)

@JayHawkFanToo Absolutely, I can't believe I forgot about Clyde, but what an influential player he was!

@wissoxfan83 I'd love to see wiggs play w/a great point and an all star Jayhawk team!

@JayHawkFanToo to many to choose from, that's a great problem!

These team selections are always hard because it is important to know more than just picking 5 guys.

Are we picking 5 guys to go out on the court TODAY and win? If so, I think I would build it from mostly contemporary players.

As great as the legends were, I'm not sure their game translates to modern times... modern athleticism... and modern individual and team play.

The legends were great because they dominated in their day. The contemporary stars are great because they dominated in their day.

This is an impossible task! Start a new list asking about how many ex KSU players could have started / played at KU?

Maybe three or four? And even those are subjective - while they were great at KSU, they probably would have been pine-riders at KU....

@nuleafjhawk Hey! Rolando Blackman! AP all-time All-Big Eight basketball team. 3-time Big 8 Defensive Player of the Year: you think Self wouldn't play him?

Tied an NBA All-Star game with two free throws and exactly 0 seconds on the clock.

Bird said he would choke and Jordan bet him 4 figures he wouldn't. Bye bye Birdie...

Dr. J tried to trash talk him.

Magic was his point guard.

Took over overtime.

Jordan said he was one of the best defenders against him (meaning he occasionally held him under 30 points).

@ParisHawk Yeah - it was a K-State dig. Rolando Blackman comparatively would have been like T.J. Whatley if he'd been wearing Crimson and Blue. He only looked that good because he was surrounded by mediocre players. Lol.

@nuleafjhawk "Surrounded by mediocre players", he had a 6-6 record against KU during his 4 years at KSU:

• 2-2 in Kansas City
• 2-2 at KU
• 2-2 at KSU

KU swept KSU his freshman year. KSU swept KU his sophomore year.

@ParisHawk OK - I give up. Rolando Blackman was the greatest player in the history of college basketball. He would have put Wilt to shame.

Let me toss this out .. I mentioned this when he was here: If Embiid had played three healthy seasons at Kansas, is it reasonable to project that he would have been the 2nd best center in the history of Kansas basketball?

This is the stuff SI covers were made of -- video ↗

@Makeshift Without regard to position mine would be: Wilt, Danny, Clyde, Jo Jo, and Pierce.
I think yours is pretty good if you have to go position by position.

@HighEliteMajor Entirely possible. Alas, we will never know about that....or about similar questions in the future.

I miss Jack Hartman.

I miss KSU being a real rival, capable of showing a bit of class now and then and actually playing good basketball.

@nuleafjhawk OK - I give up. You will always exaggerate. In fact, you are the greatest exaggerator in the history of college basketball blogs ;)

@HighEliteMajor said:

... If Embiid had played three healthy seasons at Kansas, is it reasonable to project that he would have been the 2nd best center in the history of Kansas basketball?

Many, including me, would have projected it, reasonable or not.

I hate not having seen more of Embiid in a KU uniform.

I always thought this was our best shot at a title about 3 years ago. Whats odd is half the team I expected leading us is no longer here.

Figured Connor F would be a scoring PG, Andrew White would be a major factor and Embiid would finally put it together in year 3 (going from a "project" to a dominating force). And Wayne would be in the NBA.

Funny how things can change so fast.

@ParisHawk Finally! I love it when the truth is revealed and everyone agrees that I am right.

That's why I do this with you guys instead of my family!

You obviously know that I'm just messing around. K-State has had some great players over the years. I just don't understand, when they're THAT close to true greatness, why they don't play here!!

Ooh, here's a question to get arguments going:

Who would you pick to COACH the All-Time team?

Head coaches and assistants. Former heads can be assistants.

Current UK head coaches not eligible ! No exceptions !!

I say Phog assisted by Brown + Self. Sorry, Roy, no NC...

If I had to pick one to come in and win a ring in year 1, I would say Larry Brown. Not that the others couldn't do that too though.

@ParisHawk Just because we have a nice rapport going here - WHY not Roy? He won TWO NC's at NC. Was there something about Kansas that he couldn't win here?

I'm kind of just being a smart aleck, but also something really bothers me that he won 2 there and none here....

@nuleafjhawk Uh oh, you're going to get @jaybate-1.0 going again...

His explanation is Roy didn't recruit the whole country when he was here, but recruits everywhere now.

@ParisHawk Roy didn't recruit the whole country? California, NY, Iowa.... Oh well, water under the bridge.

@ParisHawk

It's not my explanation, though I would love to take credit for it.

Roy, or someone involved, reputedly said he and dean made the agreement.

And then he proceeded not to win any rings.

I don't make the news.

I just was astonished by it. 😀

I mean how Was he going to win rings recruiting the lesser half of the country against coaches at elite programs recruiting the entire country, even with the apparent sweetheart arrangement between Dean, Roy, Mike, Nike, and Sonny, anyway, eh?

Maybe someone can explain how that was supposed to work.