🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Jumpin - -Gee - -Hossa- - Fats. What a start to Conference seasons. I'm asking how many thought West Virginia would take care of Okla State @ Okla St like that? - - Oklahoma getting beat like that?

Upsets - -Upsets - -Upsets. - -just today: -- Virginia Tech just knocking the crap out of Duke? - - Question how many countless times did the Virginia Tech players go one on one drives to the hole and leave Duke players grabbing their jocks? - - - -Georgia Tech beating North Carolina - - GERORGIA TECH? by 12 - - Virginia betting beat by Flordia State? -- -mercy.

Then all the losses this week. - - Louisville down, UCLA Down, Indiana Down to name a few on top of today. - - Texas Tech giving Iowa State all they could handle in Ames. - - -Gonna be one crazy year I think. I realize Duke still got some Issues, their 3 big studs still haven't got to play a lot - -YET - -wonder how Bolden likes his choice of Colleges? Allen being out - -Kind of funny they letting him hear it today at Virginia Tech

Finally Maxwell leaving? well we are going to have more Scholi's open then I ever remember in one year, or did he count on Scholi for this year? And don't look now But Lucas is coming around help out huge last night. - -ROCK CHAL;K ALL DAY LONG BABY

Lucas getting healthy mentally and physically is huge!

Red shirts count against the scholarship limit, so Maxwell was using one. There are many open spots for next season. Bragg can have Maxwells scholly- I know many had written him off as gone earlier...

@dylans Maxwell leaving guarantees KU has 5 open scholarships with the currently open one, Mason and Lucas graduating, and Jackson being OAD. We'll see about Graham and Svi as one, both, or neither are still potential early departure candidates. That puts KU anywhere between 5 and 7 scholarships this year. We've got two committs although one (Preston) may very be following several other Prime Prep/API players forced overseas because of academics. We'll say 1.5 verbals at this point. Look for a graduate transfer as a possibility to come here next year along with at least 2 more HS kids and possibly a normal transfer if Graham and/or Svi depart early

@Texas-Hawk-10 KU needs another impact guard/wing and a 2-4 year guard and post. At the very least.

I'd like Duval and Young/Walker/Diallo + a post (Bowen, Bamba-not likely)

How about Darien Jackson as a developmental guard?

@dylans PG is the biggest need. KU needs at least a freshman PG and possibly a graduate PG as well if Graham leaves early. KU is set at the 2/3 spots next year even if Svi goes with Garrett, Newman, and Vick. Newman is a good secondary ball handler in the role Graham plays this year, but I wasn't impressed with him running the show at MSU last year. If Graham stays, then a freshman PG would be ideal to develop, but if Graham leaves, a graduate PG who will have a little bit of a learning curve with terminology and specifics of Self's system, but still knows how run a team is what's needed.

Beyond that, another big because I'm still not convinced Billy Preston ever plays a game for KU because of his academics, but I think KU would still be in solid shape in the front court even without Preston next year.. I haven't been able to follow recruiting very closely in the past few months so I honestly don't know who the realistic targets are for KU at this point. Darien Jackson is someone that I"m pretty sure is a strong KSU lean though so I wouldn't count on that even as a developmental guy.

KU already has a combo and big signed out of the now 5 for sure 2017 openings. With the other 3, I would like to see a HS PG, a transfer PG (regular transfer if Graham stays, graduate if he goes), and another big. If Graham goes, then a 3rd big in case Preston doesn't get cleared, and if Svi also goes, then a guard (doesn't matter which guard spot) or keep it open for late transfers/decommits/unexpected available players.

Speaking of crazy starts, Nebraska leads the B10 after scoring the last 14 points of the game to beat Maryland by 2 - on the road. This after beating Indiana on the road earlier in the week. Go figure...

@Texas-Hawk-10 Don't forget Newman and Garrett. Garrett may be better than expected. I'd love to get an impact point to replace Mason -i.e. Duval or a transfer (Thornton would've been nice).

The problem is there aren't many unsigned players in the top 150 and good luck finding a player ranked 150+! It's about gotta be a Juco guy or a transfer at this point to fill the roster. Perhaps a post-grad guy who isn't ranked? @Statmachine got any ideas?

@dylans I did mention Newman and Garrett and they're why I think the 2/3 spot along with a returning Vick next year is in good shape even if Svi goes. Neither are lead guards though which is why I think a PG is the top priority at this point because of the likelihood of Graham going.

I think WVU smoking OSU was really the only surprise as OU has looked terrible and also they didn't have Woodard. I say it ends like this: KU, WVU, Baylor, ISU, OSU, TCU, KSU, OU, TT and Texas. The biggest concern for us is defense we have to improve against the dribble drive. WVUs press should be easily broken bye a 4 guard team but we always struggle against tho we have seen it many times now. Baylor and Drew have been smart enough not to run that gimicy zone 24/7 which makes that an interesting game with us.

@kjayhawks

Way too early to make predictions after just one game but this is how I see it:

• 1. KU
• 1. Tie - Baylor
• 1. Tie - WVU
• 1. Tie - ISU
• 1. Tie - TCU
• 1. Tie - KSU
• 1. TT
• 1. OSU
• 1. OU
• 1. Texas

Tossup between KU, Baylor and WVU with the edge to KU and the other two tied for second. Same thing between ISU, TCU and KSU with a slight edge to ISU.

@JayHawkFanToo no way KSU ties for second in any league other than sunbelt

@JayHawkFanToo Man O Man, I wouldn't drop OSU that low quite yet. Not with a healthy Juwan Evans. Matter of fact, if KU is to win or tie for the league title, my feeling is that we had best get the job done before playing that last conference game in Stillwater. Self's history is not too salty in away games at his home school. If the title is hanging on the line at that trip, it is bound to be a crunch situation.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Is Graham going to transfer? He isn't going pro the way he's playing so far. If that's his intent he'd better kick it up a few notches from last year; he hasn't even reached So. Graham level yet. Grahams next couple of gears are a major part of why I have NC hopes.

Graham, Svi, Vick, and Bragg all come back next year- I'm 82% certain.

It's going to take a lot more average games from Devonte for him to come back in my opinion. There is so much basketball left to see how things go.

If Svi continues to play like he is he'll get drafted-maybe one of those 1st round and stash prospects that teams seem to covet nowadays. He's still only 19 and that helps him.

Bragg will be back, so will Vick. If we returned 1 of Graham & Svi that would significantly upgrade next years team.

@dylans We're a 1/3 of the way the season, it's way too early to make a final call on Graham's future. It's still not out of the question that Graham leaves after this year.

Think back to how awesome Buddy Hield was. Now realize he is averaging 8 pts/game. Devonte isn't as good of a shooter, and is also marginally athletic (for the NBA). While I wish him a long successful career I think it will have a top end similar Chalmers. And Devonte is no where near the defender that Mario was.

At the end of last year I thought his Jr. Season would be his last, but he's deferring too much. He couldn't even make a layup vs TCU, his shot hasn't gotten hot yet in any game.

If Devonte wants to go pro after this season he can and he may get drafted, but he'll probably end up next to Selden unless he makes a marked improvement across the board. I say this and Devonte is my favorite player on the team. I want him to succeed. The D-league is not success it's merely getting by. I love his energy and attitude. I hope to see him succeed! If he goes pro then most likely KU won it all and its time for a full reload.

@dylans DG is surrounded by good shooters, think that hurts all of them as far as numbers go. It bodes well for team though. I do think that is why coach leaves Frank in a lil longer sometimes. Scouts are smart enough to see that. DG is running the pt more than last year, hopefully they'll start falling for him!

@dylans Buddy Hield is a two guard that will evolve into a 3 point specialist in the NBA. Graham is going to be a PG in the NBA so their roles and necessary skill sets at the NBA level will be very different. Graham is also likely never going to a lottery pick even if he stays for his senior year.

Graham also has up to 27 more games to fix his shooting. His PPG is probably not going to change much from the just under 13 he's averaging now. It's still too early to determine what Graham's future beyond this season holds.

@JayHawkFanToo Seth Davis - Buy, Sell or Hold

!sethonbaylor.JPG ↗

!sethoncloneshawks.JPG ↗

!sethonOSU.JPG ↗

!sethonWSU.JPG ↗

SLEEPER:

!sleeper.JPG ↗

DUMP :100:
:

!dump.JPG ↗

Tarik on playing with TROB:

!tarik.JPG ↗

Finally - Happy New Year!

!HNY.jpg ↗

@RockChalkinTexas

Seth Davis apparently hasn't been watching Svi the past month. SMH at this supposed know-it-all's

@BeddieKU23 He routinely picks us to win the league and is one of the few to place us in NC game.

@RockChalkinTexas

I agree he's usually high on the Hawks, but lumping in Svi with under-performing is a bit much.

@kjayhawks said:

@JayHawkFanToo no way KSU ties for second in any league other than sunbelt

I believe you misread my post. I don't have KSU tied for second, I have KSU tied for 4th, which I indicated is a tossup with TCU and ISU with and edge to ISU (look at the order) which would make KSU either 5th or 6th...right? I stand by these numbers but we will know more tomorrow.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I agree. we are just coming to the meat of the schedule and now we start to we separate the wheat from the chaff. Graham has an opportunity to show what he can do against better competition and there will be plenty of it ahead.

@JayHawkFanToo I did miss read it but still see no way they finish fourth IMO needed home cooking (shot nearly 3 times the FTs texas did) and still barely beat the likely 9th or 10th team in the league at home.

@JayHawkFanToo No chance KSU finishes 4th. They are not the best of the mid tier teams in the Big 12. KSU finishes 6th at best behind KU, WVU, Baylor, ISU, and OSU in that order. They may even finish behind TCU this year as well.

@kjayhawks @Texas-Hawk-10

Again, I bunched 3 teams I believe are close together with the edge to ISU( that Has Hilton Coliseum), so the more realistic finish is either 5th or 6th and if you look at the order in which I placed them, 6th is more likely.

Having said that, I read lot of comment on how soft their schedule was and the real test would be when they play St, Louis, they did and beat them by 29 points. Their only loss is by 1 point to Maryland and before the Texas game, they won all the other games by considerable margins. I still think KSU is a borderline top half of the conference.

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Can they continue playing the same way in the conference against better competition? After 1 game...I don't know and I qualified my post by saying is way too early for predictions, right? Again, with what I have seen to date a 5-6 finish in the conference is not unrealistic, considering how badly OSU was beaten at home by WVU, how Tech. let a game they had under control get away and how poorly OU and Texas have performed to date...of course we will know more after tomorrow's game.

@BeddieKU23

I always get a chuckle when I read deep analysis by someone that has really not watched conference games much and all they know is from reading someone else's stories. Seth Davis writes on all the conferences and also football so his knowledge on specific detail on any one sport and/or conference is sketchy and obviously dated at best.

@REHawk

I really thought that OSU was going to play WVU tough and maybe win considering it was playing at home. I was surprised on how handily WVU beat them; at this point I am not sure if they are a good team or just another pretender. Don't forget they got trounced by UNC and also lost to Maryland by 1 point like KSU did. Their biggest wins are against UConn and Georgetown, both below average teams, and against a good Wichita State team.

@JayHawkFanToo

"Graham has an opportunity to show what he can do against better competition and there will be plenty of it ahead."

Indeed. And Bill Self is no dummy. He knows Devonte isn't really performing his most-effective ball right now. Devonte is his ace in the hole and when we really need him to have a big game, Bill will challenge him.

I don't think coaches usually want all their players performing at peak at the same time in the middle of the year. Sounds illogical, but since players play in performance cycles, you just want to have enough performance to chalk up wins, and then you want to try to peak as many players together as possible in March.

It also helps provide some unpredictability among our competition. Keep them guessing which player or players we have that will knock them out. It could be about any of our top 7 players.

Read what Dixon (TCU) said... how he was unprepared to have Vick dominate like he did.