🏀 KuBuckets Archive

https://www.instagram.com/p/BynuNCKHFQU/?igshid=wzd93adqlxvb ↗

@BeddieKU23 you nearly gave me a heart attack when I read your new thread and then it got deleted.

@rockchalkwyo

Sorry, deleted it because this one was first

Awesome pic!

Depth. Size. Shooters.

It's like the exact opposite of last season.

Kcmatt7 said:

Depth. Size. Shooters.

It's like the exact opposite of last season.

ATHLETES. Like I loved Dedric but he couldn't jump.

@BShark or move

Kcmatt7 said:

Depth. Size. Shooters.

It's like the exact opposite of last season.

Can't upvote this post enough

I wanted Wilson in the class since last spring. He gets a mulligan for not getting it right the first time.

It's been done for awhile now. Good times all around!

@BShark

I'm sure we could go through old posts from last spring about us gushing over Wilson at the time.

Now get his ass on campus. He already missed a scrimmage.

Bill... buddy.... hats off to you my friend!

Kcmatt7 said:

Now get his ass on campus. He already missed a scrimmage.

He better score 20 in the next one to make up for it

HELL YA, - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY. - -twitter just blowin up - -all the responses of course mostly all KU

Andrew Slater : Latest addition gives ( HAIR RAISING ) depth to loaded roster - - -BAM - - -

BeddieKU23 said:

I wanted Wilson in the class since last spring. He gets a mulligan for not getting it right the first time.

I mean, the staff is partially to blame too. But...that's for another day. Party is on now.

BeddieKU23 said:

@BShark

I'm sure we could go through old posts from last spring about us gushing over Wilson at the time.

Facts

Starting lineup 2021-22 - McBride, Braun, Wilson, Enaruna, McCormack.

Kcmatt7 said:

Depth. Size. Shooters.

It's like the exact opposite of last season.

ya - - Mercy - - we go depth , yet didn't we say that last year - - hell ya I'll take it. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

BShark said:

BeddieKU23 said:

I wanted Wilson in the class since last spring. He gets a mulligan for not getting it right the first time.

I mean, the staff is partially to blame too. But...that's for another day. Party is on now.

Probably some blame but at least it worked out in the end. I wonder if Michigan just beat us to the punch and won over the family and that was it. KU isn't known for hosting underclassmen visits in the spring which Michigan capitalized on, got him on and it was over shortly after. I've been saying from time to time with the changing landscape in recruiting that getting Jr's on campus early can be an advantage

HighEliteMajor said:

Starting lineup 2021-22 - McBride, Braun, Wilson, Enaruna, McCormack.

The versatility that team could have is amazing too.

Kcmatt7 said:

Depth. Size. Shooters.

It's like the exact opposite of last season.

Experience.

HighEliteMajor said:

Starting lineup 2021-22 - McBride, Braun, Wilson, Enaruna, McCormack.

Scary good if they all stick it out. Shooting at 4 spots. Tremendous size outside of McBride. SR Dave will be a LOAD.

KirkIsMyHinrich said:

Kcmatt7 said:

Depth. Size. Shooters.

It's like the exact opposite of last season.

Experience.

Can't be understated with Bill. Getting back so many guys was massive.

HighEliteMajor said:

Starting lineup 2021-22 - McBride, Braun, Wilson, Enaruna, McCormack.

I'm salivating already

And yet once again - - Coach Self and Staff - - gets it done, -- Same Song umpteeth verse - - once again I'm sweating nuggets for Nothing - -Every year - Coach he not trippin - -he will always in the end have a legit bunch - - Oh yee of little faith - -that be me

Who else will be willing to step up act lie you got some an say - - ya, I was worried - even if it was a little - -come on now I know I wasn't the only one - - time to confess lol. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

@jayballer73 THANK GOD. It's XMAS in JUNE...ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG< MAN...CONGRATS!!

BeddieKU23 said:

HighEliteMajor said:

Starting lineup 2021-22 - McBride, Braun, Wilson, Enaruna, McCormack.

I'm salivating already
That makes two of us

@jayballer73 i was afraid if he didn't sign with us, you were not going to be very happy...glad it came thru ....

KUSTEVE said:

@jayballer73 THANK GOD. It's XMAS in JUNE...ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG< MAN...CONGRATS!!

Right back at ya Buddy , I mean man you know what? - -this is worth a - - - JUMPIN - - GEE -- HOSSA - -FATS lmao - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

https://247sports.com/college/kansas/Article/Jalen-Wilson-four-star-Kansas--132808942/ ↗

Sounds like Bill really took charge during the OV.

KUSTEVE said:

@jayballer73 i was afraid if he didn't sign with us, you were not going to be very happy...glad it came thru ....

Lmao - -ya probably would of busted a blood vessel in my KU head. -- The wife would of had to head for the hills -- ( aka Walmart ) for the afternoon to be safe - -the Dog would of had to run - -the liquor store would of had to re-order - - it would of been Defcon 5 lmao - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

BeddieKU23 said:

@BShark

I'm sure we could go through old posts from last spring about us gushing over Wilson at the time.

While we’re at it we should look at our old posts about Hurt and Stanley.

I remember my first post here back in April and it said “Every year we have something to worry about and Self some how pulls it off.”

Apparently he who must not be named is with us in spirit.

🐦 View Tweet

@KirkIsMyHinrich I mean...yeah...

Also, this is collllld af

!alt text ↗

@KirkIsMyHinrich 🤮

KirkIsMyHinrich said:

Apparently he who must not be named is with us in spirit.

🐦 View Tweet

What does “no kappppp” mean? Sorry dumb question I know

@rockchalkwyo Not a dumb question. I don't know either.

rockchalkwyo said:

KirkIsMyHinrich said:

Apparently he who must not be named is with us in spirit.

🐦 View Tweet

What does “no kappppp” mean? Sorry dumb question I know

kap means kidding or joking, so no kap means no kidding, or no joking.

@justanotherfan Great. Thank you

@KirkIsMyHinrich I'm glad it worked out the way it did. I want those guys at the scrimmage yesterday to go to battle with. And JW and Moss if they're willing to get into the trenches, and earn time as well. No prima donnas ... no unearned spots ... just 12 guys playing their ass off, giving it their all every day to get better and better. The lineups are practically endless - the raw talent is truly off the chain. Ochai could make a run at the NBA lottery the way he's looking. Enaruna, in time, is going to be a beast. We have the players to run a 4 out any time we want. Or we can pack the front line, and play the best muscle ball in the country. We're as tough as nails. Deep. Experienced. This is national championship caliber, folks.

KUSTEVE said:

@KirkIsMyHinrich I'm glad it worked out the way it did. I want those guys at the scrimmage yesterday to go to battle with. And JW and Moss if they're willing to get into the trenches, and earn time as well. No prima donnas ... no unearned spots ... just 12 guys playing their ass off, giving it their all every day to get better and better. The lineups are practically endless - the raw talent is truly off the chain. Ochai could make a run at the NBA lottery the way he's looking. Enaruna, in time, is going to be a beast. We have the players to run a 4 out any time we want. Or we can pack the front line, and play the best muscle ball in the country. We're as tough as nails. Deep. Experienced. This is national championship caliber, folks.

Right on. This roster is a beautiful thing.

@HighEliteMajor And...we didn't have to recruit any of the one year "wonders"...

So with Wilson joining the party, does Lightfoot redshirt? I know we said the samething a year ago and Self pretty much confirmed it probably would have happened before SDS was suspended and Doke got hurt. It just hard to see him playing more than 5 or 6 minutes a game.

@KUSTEVE Wrong thread my dude.

@BShark lol...

@BShark I sent you a message about my " big win" on FanDuel...lol. One of my friends couldn't believe I won that little for finishing first...lol. It was even less than I told you- I won 12.73 x2...lol.

Welcome to KU Jalen! You made a good choice. Looking forward to seeing what you and Hudy can do! Let's puke into a strategically placed bucket and get started!

KUSTEVE said:

@BShark I sent you a message about my " big win" on FanDuel...lol. One of my friends couldn't believe I won that little for finishing first...lol. It was even less than I told you- I won 12.73 x2...lol.

Even when you win...you don't really win. RIGGED.

I have to assume Jalen is fully aware of the number one thing that will earn playing time and keep him in a game with our coach...

(Pleas feel free to fill in the blank )

jayballer73 said:

And yet once again - - Coach Self and Staff - - gets it done, -- Same Song umpteeth verse - - once again I'm sweating nuggets for Nothing - -Every year - Coach he not trippin - -he will always in the end have a legit bunch - - Oh yee of little faith - -that be me

Who else will be willing to step up act lie you got some an say - - ya, I was worried - even if it was a little - -come on now I know I wasn't the only one - - time to confess lol. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

I crapped my pants a couple of times.

Marco said:

jayballer73 said:

And yet once again - - Coach Self and Staff - - gets it done, -- Same Song umpteeth verse - - once again I'm sweating nuggets for Nothing - -Every year - Coach he not trippin - -he will always in the end have a legit bunch - - Oh yee of little faith - -that be me

Who else will be willing to step up act lie you got some an say - - ya, I was worried - even if it was a little - -come on now I know I wasn't the only one - - time to confess lol. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

I crapped my pants a couple of times.

LOL - -I'm sure you weren't the only one if people be straight up honest with ya. -- ROCK CHALK ALLD AY LONG BABY

!alt text ↗

@bshark so I guess Bill's house wasn't on the market?

See where we offered a scholarship to Matthew Hurt's little brother Joey, a 6'9 soon to be freshman PG at St. Thomas High School in Minnesota (joke).

"Oh, hell no!," you say. "We don't need to be pro-hurt."

@BShark Dam didn't think that was ever possible. - -but from the looks of that photo -- coach Self's leg are WHITER then mine - -JUMPIN GEE HOSSIE TOADS - that boy needs some Sun lmao

Bosthawk said:

I have to assume Jalen is fully aware of the number one thing that will earn playing time and keep him in a game with our coach...

(Pleas feel free to fill in the blank )

Achieving “pet” status?

HighEliteMajor said:

Bosthawk said:

I have to assume Jalen is fully aware of the number one thing that will earn playing time and keep him in a game with our coach...

(Pleas feel free to fill in the blank )

Achieving “pet” status?

this is post hall of fame material ladies and gents.

HCBS looking trim....

@Gorilla72 Yeah, and @jayballer73 said that he has pretty white legs.

@HighEliteMajor

Ha ha ! :)

No I was thinking of a word that rhymes with “tree fence”

Moss and Wilson all in the same week. I'm ecstatic honestly how this all unfolded. Waiting sucks but it was worth it.

BeddieKU23 said:

Moss and Wilson all in the same week. I'm ecstatic honestly how this all unfolded. Waiting sucks but it was worth it.

It was truly an epic week until the NCAA leak made it a bit of a downer.

BShark said:

BeddieKU23 said:

Moss and Wilson all in the same week. I'm ecstatic honestly how this all unfolded. Waiting sucks but it was worth it.

It was truly an epic week until the NCAA leak made it a bit of a downer.

If Jaybate was here, this would all make sense. Not even a day to celebrate a Top 50 signee followed by lingering doubts of the hammer coming down. I can feel the conspiracy posts now

Meh, we take whatever is coming to us. It's our own fault for switching to Adidas 15 years ago. Sure, the off-brand makes sense financially. But don't tell me Oreos taste the same as Twist & Shouts.

Several things impress me about Jalen. First... his drive. From all the footage I see on him, 90% of the time he's driving the ball. He should develop into that monster 3 we used to have; a guy that can drive, drive and pull up, or bomb the trey. What a load that takes off our guards when we have a wing guy that actively drives. So glad he has some handles!

Speaking of handles.... it is going to be a blast watching him grow into a uniform along with Tristan. What are we going to do with two guys with size who both have handles? I suspect this opportunity will be seized by Self to develop some new wrinkles in the offense which will include having both of them out there at the same time. Not probably this coming year, but next.

I do think he will have an adjustment year. So I'm not expecting the impossible out of him as a freshman. But he will be surrounded by great, experienced talent.

I'm also hoping Silvio, Doke and Big Mac go to work on him... hammering on him. And then there is Hudy. Both Jalen and Tristan will have some growing up necessary. Not even sure either shaves yet!

Kcmatt7 said:

Meh, we take whatever is coming to us. It's our own fault for switching to Adidas 15 years ago. Sure, the off-brand makes sense financially. But don't tell me Oreos taste the same as Twist & Shouts.

Do Oreos taste better than Hydrox?

@approxinfinity yes

From what I've seen on Youtube, Jalen seems to play low to the floor. For being 6-8, supposedly, he definitely doesn't attack the rim... ever. He's going to need some training, if one can even be trained to play above the rim. That might be more instinct and not come very easily. When he's attacking the paint, he tends to go low and try a wild shot off the glass. Against those high schoolers, he should be going up and dunking it. Also, he doesn't have much elevation on his jumper at all. More of a set shot.

I don't see him getting significant minutes this year. He will be too easy to guard and will get his shot blocked at the next level (except for open threes).

SlickRockJayhawk said:

From what I've seen on Youtube, Jalen seems to play low to the floor. For being 6-8, supposedly, he definitely doesn't attack the rim... ever. He's going to need some training, if one can even be trained to play above the rim. That might be more instinct and not come very easily. When he's attacking the paint, he tends to go low and try a wild shot off the glass. Against those high schoolers, he should be going up and dunking it. Also, he doesn't have much elevation on his jumper at all. More of a set shot.

I don't see him getting significant minutes this year. He will be too easy to guard and will get his shot blocked at the next level (except for open threes).

He is definitely in the 6'7-8'' range. He was recruited as a "big guard" but we know Self will want him to bang a bit with that size. For some guys it works out and they find success under Self like Perry, then it breaks other kids like Bragg. Wilson has good parents and it sure seems like he and his parents are realistic about him as a prospect.

Significant minutes is kind of vague. I think he will get 10-18 minutes a game depending on the match-up. So I'm not sure where that matches up with what you are thinking. He will be in the rotation, but I don't think he's a ride or die, Bill is playing you until you pass out if it's a must win player his FR year. He will be good in time, he's a luxury piece for added line-up flexibility this season. I think he can be a ride or die guy by his JR year.

@SlickRockJayhawk agree I'm less optimistic than most about Jalen. His shot goes in but is a little funky too
I see him only in spot minutes this year 5-10. Unless he's athletically capable of much more than he has shown.

@approxinfinity

Minutes

Dot 35

Garrett 25

Ochai 27

Silvio 20

Doke 28

Moss 20

Dave 17

Wilson 16

McBride 6

Mitch or Enaruna 6

I'll hang up and listen off the air.

!alt text ↗

BeddieKU23 said:

BShark said:

BeddieKU23 said:

Moss and Wilson all in the same week. I'm ecstatic honestly how this all unfolded. Waiting sucks but it was worth it.

It was truly an epic week until the NCAA leak made it a bit of a downer.

If Jaybate was here, this would all make sense. Not even a day to celebrate a Top 50 signee followed by lingering doubts of the hammer coming down. I can feel the conspiracy posts now

what the hell happened to jaybate?

First guess without looking at last year's minutes:

Dot 31 (we have depth, can preserve him)

Garrett 26 (Pet. D leader. Good dude. We will beat teams bad enough to let this happen.

Ochai 25

Silvio (Doke will need rest and Wilson isn't ready) 25

Doke 26 (unless hurt)

Moss 22

Dave 17 (unless Doke hurt)

Wilson 7

McBride 7

Mitch 7

Enanura 3

Wave The Wheat 1

Also, I agree more with your numbers in big games. Except Wilson.

Not sure if I've said this or if anyone listened BUT - -o you know - - I REALLY like McBride lol - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

jayballer73 said:

Not sure if I've said this or if anyone listened BUT - -o you know - - I REALLY like McBride lol - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

Me too man. I want to see more. Kid reminds me of Frank too the way he high points his J

@approxinfinity So we really only disagree on Wilson. I don't think he's a world beater but I really think we do need his shooting and he is much more ready than Enaruna or Braun.

approxinfinity said:

jayballer73 said:

Not sure if I've said this or if anyone listened BUT - -o you know - - I REALLY like McBride lol - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

Me too man. I want to see more. Kid reminds me of Frank too the way he high points his J

National writers stealing my Devonte JR take. To be expected though. :coffee: :newspaper:

BShark said:

@approxinfinity So we really only disagree on Wilson. I don't think he's a world beater but I really think we do need his shooting and he is much more ready than Enaruna or Braun.

Isnt he going to get abused on D? And is he really that good a shooter? I don't think the pluses outweight the minuses having him on the floor until he gets Hudyized.

approxinfinity said:

BShark said:

@approxinfinity So we really only disagree on Wilson. I don't think he's a world beater but I really think we do need his shooting and he is much more ready than Enaruna or Braun.

Isnt he going to get abused on D? And is he really that good a shooter? I don't think the pluses outweight the minuses having him on the floor.

To be fair I'm not calling for 25+ minutes here. Just a rotation piece. Somebody has to get the minutes. Very possible Mitch plays way more than I am hoping.

Part of it is also that I am not sold on Silvio getting absolutely huge minutes. He very well may end up in the 25 range like you are guessing though. He is really still a relative unknown at this point.

I think Wilson is very playable defensively at the 4 in most match-ups.

May I opine? Are we one of the six? Yes. Are we one of the two that are going to get the hammer? No.... They have ruled Silvio eligible - who we sat after there were doubts, which came after the NCAA(!) ruled him eligible the first time - and we never even played Preston. We are in the clear, folks, in the clear. We have a great, deep team loaded with stayers not goers (with a couple of deservedly so goers), I'll take that. Let's enjoy! Oh, and by the way, I guarantee that Bill like ourselves (including the RJ fiasco) has learned from all of this. What did Rodgers say? R-E-L-A-X, relax.......

@Marco Wrong thread methinks.

@BShark Maybe @BShark but my wrong headed ways - knowing how power hungry obese entites think and function (trust me, I know) when they are up against a firing squad wall - are exactly the kind of logic needed when deciphering what, if anything, they might do.

@BShark I started a wrong thread contagion...

Concerning PT....

I think the only constant is Devon. He's going to play 35+ minutes a game.

Beyond that, it's hard to tell. Guys will be yanked for fouls and discipline beyond what would be what is expected.

I do think the surprise player will be Silvio. In my imaginary future he gets the second most minutes behind Devon because he will show the most toughness and hustle... about a tie with Devon. I see those two being our main leaders on the floor. They will earn it with their toughness and hustle. Silvio should be a double-double machine, every single game. The rest of the team will follow their lead and we should have one heck of a season!

I think Isaiah is our biggest grab for immediate help. The guy can flat out score, and what we really have to do is put points on the board. I hope his defense will come around soon because he's an offensive talent that would be horribly wasted sitting on the bench if he doesn't buy in to Self's defensive needs. He better be extremely excited because he has a great chance to be a 30+ minute player this year if he can pick up Selfball.

Tristan and Jalen should be like giving us one complete ready player this year. We can rotate them in based on who is hot and who isn't messing up or getting in foul trouble.

@drgnslayr One of the more interesting comments Bill made about Jalen was saying he had “incredible toughness."Here's some pretty good write ups about him:

https://247sports.com/Article/Recruiting-Former-Michigan-Jalen-Wilson-KU-basketball-scouting-report-132155545/ ↗ ↗

https://247sports.com/Article/Kansas-basketball-recruiting-Jalen-Wilson-just-what-doctor-ordered-132089058/ ↗ ↗

BShark said:

@Marco Wrong thread methinks.

Lol, wrong thread methinks..... Wow, for real, thought you said wrong-headed....Guess I need to read better. I did have a good post, though Lol and stand by it, don't think we'll get much of any punishment.

@KUSTEVE

Makes sense. His footage shows him fighting through contact and getting his shots up anyways. I see him as a huge asset in years to come, just not sure yet how he adjusts to D1 as a freshman. You just can't be certain until it happens. Q had a great body and looked like he would adjust well and we see what happened.

But if you really examine the HS footage on Q and Jalen it is clear that Jalen never backed off of contact.... seeming to enjoy it.

Looks like Self and Howard dominated this recruitment. They locked in and got em

Excellent...welcome Mr Wilson, I've been wanting to say that for a while now. Great job Self and Co. Let's get to work and make the most of the deep talent we have now. Let's make this year count. Also, let's not get caught up in the rhetoric of preseason.
Frankly, I don't care where we are ranked, let's take one game at a time all the way through the April nets. RCJHGOKU

approxinfinity said:

First guess without looking at last year's minutes:

Dot 31 (we have depth, can preserve him)

Garrett 26 (Pet. D leader. Good dude. We will beat teams bad enough to let this happen.

Ochai 25

Silvio (Doke will need rest and Wilson isn't ready) 25

Doke 26 (unless hurt)

Moss 22

Dave 17 (unless Doke hurt)

Wilson 7

McBride 7

Mitch 7

Enanura 3

Wave The Wheat 1

Also, I agree more with your numbers in big games. Except Wilson.

Wilson should be a bit of a match up challenge in the 3--4. He has the "scoring" prowess that Self loves in that 4 role that Self willed Mario Little and Vick into over the years. We need someone that can get in the middle of those ZONES and bust them open. I think Wilson will be about right. But then, he has the range to step out around the arc. It would make sense to play small ball with him at the 4. I would then go big by putting him at the 3. We all know Self has been forced into small ball, and will go to that when needed. Actually I'd say Self has had some significant results with small ball.

Small:

Dotson/McBride - 6' and change

Moss - 6-4

Garrett/Braun 6-5,8

Wilson 6-8

SDS/Enarauna 6-9 Feels good writing SDS in the line up.

Big:

Garrett/Dotson

Moss/Garrett

Wilson/Braun (?) Really curious to see how Braun factors.

SDS

Doke/Big Mac

Does anyone think 'maybe' Enarauna takes a RS? Even remotely? I hope Self isn't RS shy, but he seems the odd possibility, at least from my standpoint.

Dotson - 31

Ochai - 28

Moss- 22

Doke- 21

Garrett- 20

Silvio-20

JW -18

Big Dave-14

Enaruna-11

Mackey-7

Mitch- 6

I don't know if that adds up, but everyone else had a list, and I didn't want to be left out.

@KUSTEVE This is ppg right? Lol

@truehawk93 I would respectfully request that you include Agbaji in your very fine lineup projections ...

HighEliteMajor said:

@truehawk93 I would respectfully request that you include Agbaji in your very fine lineup projections ...

Agbaji will start so that seems advisable!

@KUSTEVE A few X factors for me. Wilson's readiness. I don't know there. McBride's ball handling as a second option being something that could increase his time. I know we like Garrett, but Garrett doesn't play fast with the ball and I think coach likes pace. McBride's readiness, I think, will determine his time, because ball handling is a premium skill. And Mitch .. our coach relying on the (now) old guy a bit more than we might think. That might pull minutes from the Wilson projections. I could easily see Mitch in the mix ahead of McCormack .. meaning as our first big off the bench. And ahead of Wilson for four spot time. Just kind of knowing coach Self there ...

HighEliteMajor said:

@truehawk93 I would respectfully request that you include Agbaji in your very fine lineup projections ...

Absolutely and unfortunately, his coming out of RS really put a challenge in the rotation. I certainly meant no insult or message at all. He certainly will factor. I would even consider RS Braun?

I would then factor OA into Garrett's minutes. I could see Garrett in the middle of those zones. I saw a pic in one of the kusports pieces and he has spent time in the gym with Hudy. He has some bulk.

BeddieKU23 said:

Looks like Self and Howard dominated this recruitment. They locked in and got em

And people tried to criticize Howard AGAIN this offseason.

That dude is on the path to becoming a head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would guess he ends up a serious contender for the Depaul job the next time it opens up.

HighEliteMajor said:

Just kind of knowing coach Self there ...

Tale as old as time

True as it can be

You know the rest...

The more I read and think, the more I think Enarauna and Braun should RS. I'm starting a campaign to RS those two.

Kcmatt7 said:

BeddieKU23 said:

Looks like Self and Howard dominated this recruitment. They locked in and got em

And people tried to criticize Howard AGAIN this offseason.

That dude is on the path to becoming a head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would guess he ends up a serious contender for the Depaul job the next time it opens up.

BUT HE MISSED ON SOME GUYS LIKE EVERYONE DOES. lol

He got Dave and Marcus too.

This year I know Roberts was on Enaruna. Don't remember who was on Braun and McBride but it probably could have been you or me...

truehawk93 said:

The more I read and think, the more I think Enarauna and Braun should RS. I'm starting a campaign to RS those two.

Braun for sure. Enaruna wouldn't be here 5 years so no point. Enaruna is a guy we need to develop, I think Bill sneaks him out there when possible this year. Can grow into a beast.

BShark said:

Kcmatt7 said:

BeddieKU23 said:

Looks like Self and Howard dominated this recruitment. They locked in and got em

And people tried to criticize Howard AGAIN this offseason.

That dude is on the path to becoming a head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would guess he ends up a serious contender for the Depaul job the next time it opens up.

BUT HE MISSED ON SOME GUYS LIKE EVERYONE DOES. lol

He got Dave and Marcus too.

This year I know Roberts was on Enaruna. Don't remember who was on Braun and McBride but it probably could have been you or me...

He's not proven yet.

truehawk93 said:

BShark said:

Kcmatt7 said:

BeddieKU23 said:

Looks like Self and Howard dominated this recruitment. They locked in and got em

And people tried to criticize Howard AGAIN this offseason.

That dude is on the path to becoming a head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would guess he ends up a serious contender for the Depaul job the next time it opens up.

BUT HE MISSED ON SOME GUYS LIKE EVERYONE DOES. lol

He got Dave and Marcus too.

This year I know Roberts was on Enaruna. Don't remember who was on Braun and McBride but it probably could have been you or me...

He's not proven yet.

Howard? Sure he is.

Howard helped secure Q as well. Didn't work out but that was a big time signing.

BShark said:

Howard helped secure Q as well. Didn't work out but that was a big time signing.

And he was on Hampton right?

@BShark I feel you and would tend to agree on Enarauna, but he's not even stepped foot on the court and you have him gone in 1-2 years? Maybe, but he's a huge challenge for your rotation right now in the front court. Geez if what your saying is a strong likelihood, we could lose our entire front court next season.

So, he develops this year? Gone after 2nd yr?

We lose Doke, SDS, and likely Big Mac...yikes. This would leave Enarauna as the lone returning front court big with a year of coming off the bench for Self.

I'm a little concerned. I would tend to present it to him. He might be willing to stay 3 yrs...1 RS and maybe 2 starting? He could jump after his junior year. I hate to say it, but Doke's injuries will encourage players to jump regardless. We all know players should stay at least 2-3 years, but NBA is just too tempting.

@truehawk93 Enaruna just not a 5 year guy, so there isn't a point in RSing him. Always the chance that he transfers too, and not RSing makes that an easier option. There is a reason why we don't see too many guys RS under Self, especially recently. I think Braun is the perfect candidate. A KS kid that bleeds crimson and blue and was also recruited over twice in the same class after signing.

I don't think Enaruna is all that ready either. I have him around 6 minutes a game this year. I don't think he is two and done either. He's just not a 5 year guy. 5 year guys are rare, and typically lower level guys without much in the way of pro basketball aspirations. Redshirting simply doesn't make sense unless you are staying all five years. There is no point in redshirting one year and playing two. Just never redshirt and keep all three years available, even if playing just a few minutes a game it's better to have to option and get him experience when you can.

We aren't losing Dave. He will likely be the starting 5 as a JR.

Kcmatt7 said:

BShark said:

Howard helped secure Q as well. Didn't work out but that was a big time signing.

And he was on Hampton right?

Correct.

Dotson - 32

Agbaji - 27

Moss - 25

Garrett - 23

De Sousa - 23

Doke - 22

Dave - 17

Wilson - 16

Mitch - 10

Enaruna - 9

McBride - 8

Braun - RS

KirkIsMyHinrich said:

Dotson - 32

Agbaji - 27

Moss - 25

Garrett - 23

De Sousa - 23

Doke - 22

Dave - 17

Wilson - 16

Mitch - 10

Enaruna - 9

McBride - 8

Braun - RS

Bill can now warp time and space to get over 200 minutes a game.

BShark said:

Howard helped secure Q as well. Didn't work out but that was a big time signing.

Whoa...I think we are confusing Howards...LOL...I'm addressing Juwan Howard at Michigan, NOT Snacks. I think you all are complimenting Snacks on his role with Wilson, and YES definitely great work.

I'm addressing Juwan Howard and the fact that his being a new player/coach gave Snacks and KU a great advantage. Hardaway at Memphis is interesting because he has been by far the most influential player/coach to have recruiting success.

Sorry, I confused the Howard discussion.

@HighEliteMajor He used the word " toughness" to describe JW. That's worth 10 more minutes...

@truehawk93 Oh, yeah we were all talking about the KU AC Jerrance Howard. The subject of the KU fanbase giving him crap came up again.

BShark said:

@truehawk93 Oh, yeah we were all talking about the KU AC Jerrance Howard. The subject of the KU fanbase giving him crap came up again.

LOL...my bad

@BShark They are per game averages... It doesn't need to add up perfectly to 200.

@truehawk93 No worries. I was wondering where the miscommunication was though, because it definitely felt like we weren't talking about the same thing.

Agree that Juwan is unproven and we will see if he can coach much. Jury is still out on Penny as well.

I would definitely agree that Jayhawk Nation needs to get off Snack's back. He's done a great job.

truehawk93 said:

Excellent...welcome Mr Wilson, I've been wanting to say that for a while now. Great job Self and Co. Let's get to work and make the most of the deep talent we have now. Let's make this year count. Also, let's not get caught up in the rhetoric of preseason.
Frankly, I don't care where we are ranked, let's take one game at a time all the way through the April nets. RCJHGOKU

People get WAY to hung up on these dam rankings - -things have a tendenacy to play their selves out. - Ya they look pretty - -nice to thump your chest about. - nice to be able to throw some shade talk smack for some BUT at the end of the day -- still comes down to ONE thing -that's being able to win the title - -the NATIONAL title. I mean seriously if you ask players/teams what's more important to you - being ranked in the top 25 for multiple years (Saying hey we were ranked # 1-2-3 - for so many years straight - -OR being able to wear that National Championship ring - I'll let you decide that.

People just get butt hurt if they feel like they need to be ranked higher, dam take your talent your team has and run with it- -show who you are on the floor. - - everything else will work it'self out - -do your talking on the floor - -Then at the end of the yr and were hoisting the National Championship trophy - then talk your BS - simply ask - and how many weeks in a row have you been ranked in the top 25 again? - -# 1 again - as you raise that trophy - -nuff said

truehawk93 said:

approxinfinity said:

First guess without looking at last year's minutes:

Dot 31 (we have depth, can preserve him)

Garrett 26 (Pet. D leader. Good dude. We will beat teams bad enough to let this happen.

Ochai 25

Silvio (Doke will need rest and Wilson isn't ready) 25

Doke 26 (unless hurt)

Moss 22

Dave 17 (unless Doke hurt)

Wilson 7

McBride 7

Mitch 7

Enanura 3

Wave The Wheat 1

Also, I agree more with your numbers in big games. Except Wilson.

Wilson should be a bit of a match up challenge in the 3--4. He has the "scoring" prowess that Self loves in that 4 role that Self willed Mario Little and Vick into over the years. We need someone that can get in the middle of those ZONES and bust them open. I think Wilson will be about right. But then, he has the range to step out around the arc. It would make sense to play small ball with him at the 4. I would then go big by putting him at the 3. We all know Self has been forced into small ball, and will go to that when needed. Actually I'd say Self has had some significant results with small ball.

Small:

Dotson/McBride - 6' and change

Moss - 6-4

Garrett/Braun 6-5,8

Wilson 6-8

SDS/Enarauna 6-9 Feels good writing SDS in the line up.

Big:

Garrett/Dotson

Moss/Garrett

Wilson/Braun (?) Really curious to see how Braun factors.

SDS

Doke/Big Mac

Does anyone think 'maybe' Enarauna takes a RS? Even remotely? I hope Self isn't RS shy, but he seems the odd possibility, at least from my standpoint.

Nope don't see him redshirting

@BShark Not to get too hung up on this, but the total minutes per game for last season's KU team was 247.8. Shit happens during the course of the season.

BShark said:

@truehawk93 No worries. I was wondering where the miscommunication was though, because it definitely felt like we weren't talking about the same thing.

Agree that Juwan is unproven and we will see if he can coach much. Jury is still out on Penny as well.

I can't wait to see what Penny does with his talent. I am amazed at who he has lured. I predict he has more than he can handle. He won't be able to translate. He will underachieve and Memphis will expect huge results. He will have 1-3 seasons, and he will likely be on the hot seat.

This my friends is interesting. Look at your older player/coaches and the success they've had as coaches. Then, look at your younger, NBA coaches lately that are coaching in college. They don't transition well. Many of the current player/coaches that have a fair record struggle. I just don't see Howard and Hardaway making much of a showing. Players don't necessarily make good coaches, even if they played in the NBA.

BShark said:

HighEliteMajor said:

Just kind of knowing coach Self there ...

Tale as old as time

True as it can be

You know the rest...

Is Self "Beauty" and Mitch is "Beast"?

When was the last time Self had a redshirt senior that wasnt redshirted by another program? Maybe this becomes relevant again with 50-150 rated guys? But there isn't much of a precedent I don't think.

@approxinfinity Mitch and Garrett lol. Two beasts this year. Probably a bit unfair to Garrett, who I think is a better player than Mitch.

approxinfinity said:

When was the last time Self had a redshirt senior that wasnt redshirted by another program? Maybe this becomes relevant again with 50-150 rated guys? But there isn't much of a precedent I don't think.

Brady, Releford, Jamari, Lucas.

Jamari was forced into it due to academics.

Starting to think about lineups...

I could be wrong here, but from what I've seen, this may end up being the best "handles" team we've had since our 2008 team! Granted... our big handle players might be green freshmen, but none the less, I'm seeing the potential for some dynamic offense that we've not really had since 2008.

I'm not sure how much of this applies to the upcoming year, but after that... and then it matters who sticks around after next year. I wish Devon would hang out one more year after this season but I have my doubts.

In thinking about "big lineups" and "small lineups" it is paramount to think about who has the handles, especially with the small lineup. The advantage should be to get out and run! When was the last time we had a real running team? Guys like Svi were great shooters, but he only had average handles. I'm looking at Devon and some of our new guys and then Isaiah... wow! Handles! And the foot speed to go with it!

SDS can handle rebounding for a small lineup and let's not discount his speed!

Self doesn’t like to redshirt freshmen.

approxinfinity said:

Is Self "Beauty" and Mitch is "Beast"?

That’s “PrisonBeast”, sir! 😉

dylans said:

Self doesn’t like to redshirt freshmen.

The way I understand it is Bill leaves it completely up to the kid. And honestly after the Ochai situation last year he might become even more averse to RS. Never know when you might need a kid!

@Kcmatt7 Howard is our best recruiter.

BShark said:

@truehawk93 Enaruna just not a 5 year guy, so there isn't a point in RSing him. Always the chance that he transfers too, and not RSing makes that an easier option. There is a reason why we don't see too many guys RS under Self, especially recently. I think Braun is the perfect candidate. A KS kid that bleeds crimson and blue and was also recruited over twice in the same class after signing.

I don't think Enaruna is all that ready either. I have him around 6 minutes a game this year. I don't think he is two and done either. He's just not a 5 year guy. 5 year guys are rare, and typically lower level guys without much in the way of pro basketball aspirations. Redshirting simply doesn't make sense unless you are staying all five years. There is no point in redshirting one year and playing two. Just never redshirt and keep all three years available, even if playing just a few minutes a game it's better to have to option and get him experience when you can.

We aren't losing Dave. He will likely be the starting 5 as a JR.

Enaruna is going to cut into Mitch's PT bigtime. In fact, I'll say it, redshirt Mitch.

@BShark LOVE IT

BShark said:

@approxinfinity Mitch and Garrett lol. Two beasts this year. Probably a bit unfair to Garrett, who I think is a better player than Mitch.

I totally agree. Garrett is your back court glue and will definitely school the others, with Dotson.

Mitch will be invaluable in the front court with the bigs.

Check out this pic of Garrett. He's been spending time with Hudy. That boy be Reeeeeped. Check out his arms. Dang the last few years he looked like a little boy. Dude has become a damn man in a Summer. It's amazing what Hudy-izing can do to a playa.

!0_1560568229564_upload-44bbbeaf-dc85-41f6-b6ab-85b8ec8dbc10 ↗

Forgot to mention this earlier. A few days ago JW posted a picture on his Snapchat and on it it said “almost pro”. I hope he doesn’t think he’s a OAD or that Bill promised him minutes that would make us uncomfortable. I could be over thinking like usual. What do you guys think?

rockchalkwyo said:

Forgot to mention this earlier. A few days ago JW posted a picture on his Snapchat and on it it said “almost pro”. I hope he doesn’t think he’s a OAD or that Bill promised him minutes that would make us uncomfortable. I could be over thinking like usual. What do you guys think?

Overthinking

From what I understand his circle realizes that he needs some time in the oven. Very much doubt Bill made a starting or minutes promise.

Maybe he's just improving!

Maybe not the best thing to say considering the current climate lol, but you know he was paid. Many of these kids rightfully view college as a stepping stone to pro ball so the comment totally makes sense from that perspective.

Thanks for calming me down and bringing me back to reality guys

It's far from a guarantee that Wilson even gets more than 5 mpg this year. I personally see Enaruna beating him out for PT. But i know others don't feel that same way.

@Kcmatt7 Wilson and Enaruna play different positions. Wilson is a stretch 4 and Enaruna is a 3. Wilson or McBride/Harris (whichever gets the back up PG job) will be the freshman with the most minutes this year.

Kcmatt7 said:

It's far from a guarantee that Wilson even gets more than 5 mpg this year. I personally see Enaruna beating him out for PT. But i know others don't feel that same way.

your right -- -but just like everyone else - - your totally entitled to your opinion - that's what makes this room so good. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@Kcmatt7 Wilson and Enaruna play different positions. Wilson is a stretch 4 and Enaruna is a 3. Wilson or McBride/Harris (whichever gets the back up PG job) will be the freshman with the most minutes this year.

You might be right. But Enaruna is 6’9 and looks like a modern athletic 4 to me.

@Texas-Hawk-10 That's the first time I've seen Enaruna as a 3. How's he going to defend the 3?

@Kcmatt7 Self or some other coach said he was only 6-8. He also doesn't have a frame like Wilson to put on much more weight, he'll probably top out at about 220 lbs whereas Wilson will probably top out at 235-240. Enaruna is an above average ball handler like Svi and slashing is the most advanced part of his game at this point.
Jalen Wilson is an average at best ball handler for his size. Every recruiting service also has Enaruna listed as a 3.

@KUSTEVE Enaruna has a very similar frame to Svi and Svi primarily played the 3.

@Texas-Hawk-10 You could also say his frame was close to Kevin Young. I went back and watched his videos, and he looks like a 3. He's skinny as a rail. He'd get mauled in the paint. Not sure I saw the quickness of a 3. This looks to me to be a red shirt all the way.

@KUSTEVE

It seems like we have a wealth of new potential, primarily undeveloped.

I feel like we can expect to see at least one RS this coming season.

None of us know the status of future recruiting and the true intent of some of our current players on whether they will go or stay next year... the inside track. That plays a role in all of this. We all point to Mitch and how he will be needed more in the following year and for that reason, he may want to RS to best help a future team.

This is all one big puzzle and at stake is the potential success of our team and also impacting the success of players concerning their professional futures.

I don't think any of us realize how complicated all of this is and how capable a coach must be to make the right decisions, considering all the factors, all the players, while attempting to put the best team on the floor this year and in future years.

@drgnslayr If Enaruna is playing the 3, he might not see a second of time this year. I thot he had a path to a few minutes at the 4, but playing the 3...imo...means no way, Jose. Too much room at the inn. And i'm still left wondering how he'll defend either 3 or the 4.

@KUSTEVE Kevin Young came into a very different situation though. KU's depth those 2 years were nonexistent in the front court so Young played the 4 out of necessity more than anything. Young had two things going for him that helped him not be totally overwhelmed when he was in. The first was that he was older when he got to KU, I think he was 22 when he got here so his body was more mature. Second, Young had very long arms that helped him on defense and getting rebounds. Had KU had more depth those two years, I think we would've seen Young at the three because there definitely times when he was physically overmatched on defense.

With Tristan, he doesn't look like he has the length KY did, longer than Svi, but not freakishly long like KY. Also, given Enaruna's background as a Euro player, his fundamentals are pretty advanced. Tristan's game is also much more suited to the three spot than any other position on the floor. Like a lot of Euro players, defense is probably going to be a weakness for Tristan early on. It was for Svi and for a lot of other Euro players even when they reach the NBA.

@drgnslayr There could be up to 3 redshirts this year. Christian Braun seems the most likely, we all know the talk about Mitch possibly taking one as well. I think there could be third one now that KU has signed Harris. It wouldn't surprise me to see the loser of the McBride/Harris battle take a redshirt as well this year to stagger those two so KU isn't looking to sign two PG's in class out of necessity again.

@KUSTEVE Enaruna is probably the 5th big if Self puts him at the 4. There's no minutes in that situation either. Wherever Tristan plans this year, he's the last man in rotation anyway so he'll have probably 3-4 mpg along with several DNP's once conference play starts.

His defense is a work in progress regardless of position. He's a stereotypical Euro player in that regard

@Texas-Hawk-10 Ahem...mature....like Doke? like Silvio? See how we're swerving back into my original point about maturity and experience? As to Kevin Young, the comparison was about physique- not necessarily anything else.

Kcmatt7 said:

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@Kcmatt7 Wilson and Enaruna play different positions. Wilson is a stretch 4 and Enaruna is a 3. Wilson or McBride/Harris (whichever gets the back up PG job) will be the freshman with the most minutes this year.

You might be right. But Enaruna is 6’9 and looks like a modern athletic 4 to me.

We have a winner! Enaruna is a legit 6’9 according to folks in the building. 6’9.25 or .5 depending on the time of day. And there’s a chance he’s not done. Has grown a couple inches in the last 2 years. Also close to 7’1 wingspan. Dude is large. And also just turned 18 so he’s at least a year younger than most freshmen, and in a lot of cases 2 years younger. 6’9+ 215 (I think he ends up around there) is easily big enough to guard the 4.

FarmerJayhawk said:

Kcmatt7 said:

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@Kcmatt7 Wilson and Enaruna play different positions. Wilson is a stretch 4 and Enaruna is a 3. Wilson or McBride/Harris (whichever gets the back up PG job) will be the freshman with the most minutes this year.

You might be right. But Enaruna is 6’9 and looks like a modern athletic 4 to me.

We have a winner! Enaruna is a legit 6’9 according to folks in the building. 6’9.25 or .5 depending on the time of day. And there’s a chance he’s not done. Has grown a couple inches in the last 2 years. Also close to 7’1 wingspan. Dude is large. And also just turned 18 so he’s at least a year younger than most freshmen, and in a lot of cases 2 years younger. 6’9+ 215 (I think he ends up around there) is easily big enough to guard the 4.

Enaruna will be a stretch 4.

@FarmerJayhawk KU has Enaruna listed at 6-8, when has KU ever listed someone as being shorter than they really are?

@FarmerJayhawk Tristan isn't younger than most freshmen. Most freshmen, including athletes, enter college at 18. The only freshmen he's a year young than are the players who went the prep school route to boost their grades or exposure. He's young for the grade level, but not for being a freshman.

Looking at his videos, I also call BS on him having a 7-1 wingspan. He's at most a +2" in wingspan from his height. Only way he has a 7-1 wing span would be if he had short legs and he definitely doesn't have short legs, he's got long legs. Every HS scouting report on Tristan lists length as being average. That means there's no way he's +4" or +5" in wingspan from his height.

With a different roster composition, Tristan could be a stretch 4, but with Jalen Wilson in the mix, Self won't play both of them at the same position. Jalen Wilson is nowhere near good enough with the ball in his hands to play on the perimeter.
Jalen is also going to fill out much larger than Tristan will. Jalen is going to fill out at 235 lbs. or so. Those two factors are why Jalen will be the stretch 4 for the future and Tristan Enaruna will be the 3 of the future.

Two years from now, KU's starting line up is probably Issac McBride, DaJuan Harris, Tristan Enaruna, Jalen Wislon, and David McCormack.

Texas Hawk 10 said:

Two years from now, KU's starting line up is probably Issac McBride, DaJuan Harris, Tristan Enaruna, Jalen Wislon, and David McCormack.

That team would be salty as hell, especially when you factor in OAD going away.

You'd have a guy in Harris that projects an en elite ball handler, a combo guard with PG potential and elite shooter in McBride, a rangy do it all wing, potential great shooting stretch 4 and a behemoth SR C. Hope it comes to fruition.

Oh, no, no .. we'll have a Grimes, or an Alexander, or an Oubre to save the day. Or will we?

Texas Hawk 10 said:

@FarmerJayhawk KU has Enaruna listed at 6-8, when has KU ever listed someone as being shorter than they really are?

Wiggs and Joel come to mind. Wiggs was listed at 6'8 but is really 6'9. Jo was at least 7'1 at KU. These from measurements taken by NBA teams right after the season. Frank was listed at 5'11 but measured 6'0 at the combine. Cliff was 6'8 at KU but nearly 6'9 at the combine. I just report what the good people at KU tell me.

Right, most freshmen turn 19 during their freshman year. Tristan won't until he's a sophomore. Just as a couple examples, Devon Dotson is 22 months older than Enaruna and just a single class ahead. David McCormack is 23 months older (actually 23 months and 3 weeks). I'm sure if you looked down the classes you'd find similar results. I know Josh Jackson turned 20 while at KU, and didn't go to prep school. You may be thinking of academic "redshirting," which is definitely a thing for athletes. Enaruna would've been a prime candidate had he grown up in the states.

@FarmerJayhawk Tristan is not entering college a year early. This is a case where you have to know what the rules and laws are when it comes to enrolling kids in school and that varies from state to state. Everywhere has a specific date that's used to determine when kids start school. It is typically one of two dates, either August 1 or September 1. Academic years typically begin in August or September and run through the conclusion of summer sessions. Tristan Enaruna will turn 19 before the start of his sophomore year which would be next August/September depending on when classes start at KU. Tristan Enaruna is one of the youngest players in the class, he's not young for the class. Tristan is not in the same category as Svi who did skip a grade and enrolled at KU a year earlier than normal.

In the case of Josh Jackson's age, he did begin college at 19. Jackson was 1 year and 4 months older than Tristan Enaruna when Jackson started college. Josh Jackson failed 8th grade, that's why he began college at 19 despite not going to prep school. Had John Jackson not failed 8th grade and graduated on time, he would've been 4 months older than Enaruna is when he started college.

Devon Dotson is a year older than most because of Illinois and how their education system worked at the time. I know Dotson graduated school in North Carolina, but he lived in Illinois when he started school and that's the relevant part to why he's older. Prior to 2014, the mandatory enrollment age for children in Illinois was when the child turned 7 between September 1 and August 31.

In the case of David McCormack, he did go to prep school (Oak Hill) so that's simple enough to explain his age.

All 3 of those players were one academic year older than most entering college for 3 different reasons. One failed, one lived in a state with a later enrollment age than most states, and one was a prep school kid.

So no, Tristan Enaruna is not entering college a year early like Svi did.

Tristan is going to be a young freshman, considering the current landscape of college basketball.

The rest we will just have to wait to see.

@Texas-Hawk-10 right. I've actually done some interesting regression discontinuity about outcomes for the kids on the border and looked at effects of a month difference in enrollment age. Makes a difference for sure. Which is why so many athletes are held back a year, and makes Tristan young for a freshman, just like Grimes was last year.

Oak Hill isn't a prep school, it's just grades 8-12. IMG has a postgrad program though.

That's true, but don't say they all went to prep school as a postgrad when none did. The only guys we've had go that route were Frank and Devonte off the top of my head.

@FarmerJayhawk Oak Hill is a is prep school unless their own website's description of the school is false. So Dave did go to a prep school. The reason Oak Hill grew into a basketball factory is because they don't have to worry about their students meeting NCAA eligibility requirements because their academics far surpass a lot of prep school's out there.

"Since 1878, Oak Hill Academy has transformed the lives of hundreds of unmotivated students. In the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, our small, co-ed, college preparatory boarding school combines structure with self-reliance, discipline with discovery, and a firm hand with a warm heart. Our curriculum challenges the brightest students and encourages those who are unmotivated or experiencing difficulty in their current school setting. Our structured and relational environment is the opportunity for students to redefine themselves in very positive ways. Attending Oak Hill is a turning point."

Very simply, let's pretend Tristan isn't an athlete a d is just a regular student like 99% of the people at KU are. KU's academic year begins with the fall semester around Labor Day and ends with the second summer session in July. A traditional freshman student will turn 19 some time between those start and end dates. Since Tristan Enaruna will be 19 before the fall 2020 semester begins, he is in the correct academic class for his age group. He is among the youngest in his age group, but he is still in the correct academic year for his age group.

@Texas-Hawk-10 prep school isn't postgrad. They don't have a postgraduate basketball program. Full stop. In education, folks conflate the two a lot, but they are different. Many charter schools are "prep schools" since they focus on preparing kids for college but only have up to grade 12 and don't accept students that already have enough credits to graduate high school. Oak Hill does not accept postgrads, though it is a prep school in that it prepares students for college.

Glad we agree. Tristan is by definition young for his class, like I've said from the beginning.

@FarmerJayhawk Where your wrong is saying Tristan won't 19 until his sophomore year. That is a false statement. Tristan's sophomore year will not begin until the fall 2020 semester and he will be 19 by that point.

Your initial comments on the matter were putting Tristan in the same category as Svi or Doke who each entered college and played their freshmen seasons as 17 year olds.

@Texas-Hawk-10 He'll be classified as a sophomore come June summer courses. I said he was young for his grade, which is true since many if not most high major players are held back a year for various reasons. We're arguing semantics at this point and getting nowhere. Point is he's young for his class and will develop more than most players. That's it.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I'm sure you are right and there is the possibility of 3 RSs. I'd be surprised to see more than 2, even a bit shocked at 2.

It is a nice thought to see us farming players in the system. In theory, it seems an advantage to have players with more experience on "Self-ball" and taking advantage of our HOFr. The counter to that is if they have enough upside to help us become a contender.

I flip back and forth on what is our best recruiting strategy. Never been for a revolving door team, but usually liked having one or two OADs. Recently, I've come to liking the idea of no OAD-types. Just think they prevent us from really bonding as a team. They are looked at as different and receive way too much attention apart from everyone else.

I like the idea where we could always have a few players that are 4 yr seniors, maybe even with a RS 5th year. But even that is hard to project in today's game because so many players transfer now.

I'm glued to the concept that our focus needs to be on maximizing the development of players and then putting energy into selling that plus to future recruits. Through this concept we should be able to separate ourselves from the rest of D1. Use our blue blood status in this direction versus just recruiting the presumed highest skill players.

@FarmerJayhawk He's not young for his class though. He's the normal age for his class. Young for his class would be a Svi or a Doke who were so young, neither were eligible to be a OAD. Each had to be a KU two years before being eligible to even declare for the NBA draft. Tristan doesn't face that hurdle, he's eligible to declare for the NBA draft if he chose to do so.

It's not semantics because Tristan isn't young for the class he's in. He's young within his class. There's a big difference there. The kids that enter college at 19 are doing so because almost all of them had some issue that forced them to be held back a year at some point. That's not normal.

@drgnslayr I think our recruiting this year was fantastic. The longevity factor is real high for this group. Not any of them are going to the NBA anytime soon. None of our recruits will start. They are going to really soak it up, and be our core for the next several years. It's a beautiful thing to recruit a class w/o a OAD, isn't it?

@Texas-Hawk-10 Yes, he is young for his class. It's all semantics: young for his class meaning months younger than the average person to graduate high school from a normal high school in May 2019. It's perfectly normal language in education. We often use young/old for a class to talk about kids who are in the top or bottom 10%-ish of the age distribution within a grade, since you'd expect kids born in May of year X to be behind kid Y born in August year X-1 because they're 9 months apart in age. Same phrasing we use to describe height. You'd say, "this kid is short for his age," not "he's short within all human beings age 12." They mean the same thing. Given a distribution of any continuous measure with sufficient sample size (e.g. height, age) there are people in the tails of the distribution. Saying someone is old, young, tall, or short for their age or height only implies they're in the tail of a given distribution, not that they belong in a different distribution altogether (e.g. 10th vs. 11th grade). To bring this back to reality, Tristan is in the left tail of the age distribution for the HS class of 2019. The most common requirement by far is age 5 by 9/01 of the school year. Tristan was only 2 months in change ahead of the cutoff, so there just aren't many kids younger than him starting college this fall, and the athlete group skews a bit older still. That's all I've ever said.

Doke is probably a year or two older than he's listed, but that's a different conversation.

@FarmerJayhawk Yeah, Dok is every bit 30 years old 😃....

@Marco probably past his prime tbh 😂

@KUSTEVE

Read the story at KUSports about how it's going with summer gym play. The feeling is way different this year. These guys are gelling the right way... a very competitive, upbeat bunch.

Think I'd have to go back to 2008 to see a group this well connected, and the right way. 2012 was close, but the TRob tragedy made it tough for them to be this positive.

@drgnslayr That article blew me away. Just the stark difference Ochai described between last year and this year...that within itself tells you all you need to know about last year AND this year.

“Our summer’s been way different, especially from last year,” said sophomore guard Ochai Agbaji. “It’s just a different vibe. A lot of guys, we’re going after each other every day to make each other better and I think that’s something that’s going to make us better later on in the season.”

While I'm very high on this year's team, sometimes all of the apparent positives don't translate to winning. We started off 10-0 last season. We had good pieces. We knew how to win when at full strength. We won close games, again at full strength. Sometimes teams that seem well bonded, work hard, etc., don't find ways to win. That dynamic is tough to put a finger on sometimes. Of course, sometimes they do have that dynamic.

I guess what I would say is that until we see how they perform together, in game situations, it's still very hard to tell. And very importantly, until we see how they handle late game situations, we just won't know. In CBB, those late game situations are the critical piece. At least we know we have a coach that has that element as a major strength.

But enthusiasm seems very well placed.

This is a terrific roster. Seems like a perfect fit for our coach (except for perhaps a speed guy who could handle the ball starting at the two spot alongside Dotson). But I ain't complainin'.

@HighEliteMajor You're right. It could be 2008...or it could be 2007. Two great teams....two different outcomes.

@HighEliteMajor

I know we need to keep our expectations realistic.

But I also think, especially this year, we need to really get behind our fellas 100%. There are a few fans still stuck on last year. Records are meant to be broken, they are also made to reach an endpoint. That was a great run and now we can set our eyes on breaking it again!

In this case, I think we can just follow the spirit of the team and give them back what they are bringing in to this year's team. It's a group that hungers to win... staying positive... and working hard. Focused... very focused. And we will see, but I bet they are resilient and a loss here or there will just make them bear down harder!

It starts with Devon. That's his outlook. It was last year, too, but he didn't know how to accomplish everything in his first year. He is not prepared to have another frustrating year. I feel comfortable saying these things to a guy like Devon because he isn't looking for an ego boost. He's the real deal.

The ceiling for this team is a national title contender. That's assuming everything goes well. That said, there's legitimate issues this team will have to overcome to reach their ceiling. Some of those issues are within the players control and some are not.

Team chemistry absolutely should be better this year without Vick in the mix. The counterpoint is we don't know yet how well Isaiah Moss will fit in on the court with this group yet because he's still finishing up academic stuff at Iowa. This is a question because Moss is the one newcomer who will be playing big time minutes this year and potentially be a starter for this team.

The next issue is shooting. Bill Self did a great job of bringing in players who can develop into great shooters. That's great for the future, but doesn't necessarily help with the upcoming season though. @BShark posted some stats from the scrimmages this summer and while not definitive in any way, can give some insight into progress being made. Dotson appears to have some gains, Silvio and Dave don't have three point range (I'll touch more on that later), Agbaji looks like he's still struggling from deep, McBride could earn some quality minutes with his shooting. Overall, with the three point line being scooted back, it looks like this team may be slightly better from deep than last year, but still nothing to brag about.

I mentioned Dave and Silvio's lack of shooting from outside, this is critical because it means neither really needs to be guarded closely outside of about 10'. That means opposing post defenders will be able clog driving lanes more effectively which will significantly hurt Devon, Ochai, and Garrett. Their effectiveness on offense is predicated by their abilities to drive into the paint. With those driving lanes clogged, the offense could actually take a step back this year because last year, Lawson was at least good enough from 3 that teams had to respect him out there. That doesn't appear to be the case with Silvio or McCormack at this point. I've said it before but, I'll say it again, this is a team that's going to play a lot of games in the 60's this season because of their offense.

The next area is defense. On paper, this appears to be the area where KU will make the biggest gains from last season. The combination of Doke, Silvio, and McCormack anchoring the paint is going to make life in the paint very difficult for a lot of teams. The concern with those 3 defensively is rebounding. Silvio is an above average rebounder so there shouldn't be an issues there, but Doke and Dave are not. Doke is a below average rebounder for his size and McCormack is just bad at rebounding for his size. Each are still doing a lot work on their bodies, so there is hope in that regard, but I wouldn't expect dramatic changes out of either of them though.

On the perimeter, the 4 guys who should get most of the minutes are all above average to elite defenders. Marcus Garrett is the best defender in the Big 12, end of discussion. Devon Dotson has the abilities to be an all-Big 12 defender. Moss and Agbaji are also both above average defenders. On paper, this is the best defensive team Self has had since the 2012 runner up team.

Those are all the things this team can control, the one thing they can't control and is the most concerning to me is health. Health is the one thing that can quickly derail everything this team has worked for (as we saw last season) and there legitimate reasons to worry about the health of this team.

Doke has never played a full season. We can say the wrist injuries were flukes and they sort of were, but Doke is definitely not the only person to get his hand caught in something and most people come away unscathed. Doke hasn't twice now. Doke also missed the B12 tournament in 2018 because of knee issues. Doke is a very large human being and for being as young as he is, his muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments don't seem strong enough yet to support his frame. Doke making it through the season healthy is probably the single biggest individual factor in determining how far this Kansas team can go in the NCAA tournament.

That said, Doke isn't the only player whose health is a concern going forward. Marcus Garrett said in the middle of the Summer that he still wasn't a 100% from his high ankle sprain last year. Being brutally honest, if Garrett lost some quickness because of this and loses some of his defensive abilities, he very quickly becomes a pretty useless player to Kansas.

The other player with injury concerns is Ochai Agbaji. Are his shin issues chronic or a one time deal? If they are chronic and he loses his athleticism, he essentially falls into the same category as Garrett because Agbaji's game is based on his athleticism. Without his athleticism, he's not anything special.

Again, this ceiling of this team is national championship contender, but there are hurdles this team will have to clear to reach that ceiling and some of those hurdles are ones KU cannot control.

@Texas-Hawk-10

Lots of "ifs" and rightly so.

Many of these concerns boil down to coaching and the players. The feel is different this year and I feel like this group will buy in much quicker to Selfball.

We often have a player or two that brings in mixed energy. I'm hoping that won't be the case this year. It's a huge factor.

I have no problem if we end a lot of games in the 60's... as long as our opposition is in the 50's. We have that potential if this team buys in early to Selfball.

I think Marcus will recover to maybe high 90% this year. Hopefully enough to keep his quickness. And I hope he makes a complete recovery, but you just can't count on that type of injury ever healing back to 100%. The key is Marcus stays hungry. Players learn throughout their career to play with deficits. It's their competitiveness that keeps them at a high level. Always. Actually... I'd like to see his gains in basketball IQ. If that happens he's fine to be at 90+% and will show us huge improvement.

If the team stays focused as a positive, hardworking team, they will advance much quicker than we are used to. In past years we've even experienced teams moving backwards at some point. I don't really see this happening because of positive leadership. I feel like this team has several players leading. If so, all the players will be kept in line.

I just keep hope this team has a great year. National Championship? Of course I'd like to see that but I don't want to openly talk about it because it puts too much unneeded stress on our guys. Let's just let them be. They don't need any of us loading up on their expectations. This may be the only team I've seen under Self that truly is "Self" motivated!

Texas Hawk 10 said:

The ceiling for this team is a national title contender. That's assuming everything goes well. That said, there's legitimate issues this team will have to overcome to reach their ceiling. Some of those issues are within the players control and some are not.

Team chemistry absolutely should be better this year without Vick in the mix. The counterpoint is we don't know yet how well Isaiah Moss will fit in on the court with this group yet because he's still finishing up academic stuff at Iowa. This is a question because Moss is the one newcomer who will be playing big time minutes this year and potentially be a starter for this team.

The next issue is shooting. Bill Self did a great job of bringing in players who can develop into great shooters. That's great for the future, but doesn't necessarily help with the upcoming season though. @BShark posted some stats from the scrimmages this summer and while not definitive in any way, can give some insight into progress being made. Dotson appears to have some gains, Silvio and Dave don't have three point range (I'll touch more on that later), Agbaji looks like he's still struggling from deep, McBride could earn some quality minutes with his shooting. Overall, with the three point line being scooted back, it looks like this team may be slightly better from deep than last year, but still nothing to brag about.

I mentioned Dave and Silvio's lack of shooting from outside, this is critical because it means neither really needs to be guarded closely outside of about 10'. That means opposing post defenders will be able clog driving lanes more effectively which will significantly hurt Devon, Ochai, and Garrett. Their effectiveness on offense is predicated by their abilities to drive into the paint. With those driving lanes clogged, the offense could actually take a step back this year because last year, Lawson was at least good enough from 3 that teams had to respect him out there. That doesn't appear to be the case with Silvio or McCormack at this point. I've said it before but, I'll say it again, this is a team that's going to play a lot of games in the 60's this season because of their offense.

The next area is defense. On paper, this appears to be the area where KU will make the biggest gains from last season. The combination of Doke, Silvio, and McCormack anchoring the paint is going to make life in the paint very difficult for a lot of teams. The concern with those 3 defensively is rebounding. Silvio is an above average rebounder so there shouldn't be an issues there, but Doke and Dave are not. Doke is a below average rebounder for his size and McCormack is just bad at rebounding for his size. Each are still doing a lot work on their bodies, so there is hope in that regard, but I wouldn't expect dramatic changes out of either of them though.

On the perimeter, the 4 guys who should get most of the minutes are all above average to elite defenders. Marcus Garrett is the best defender in the Big 12, end of discussion. Devon Dotson has the abilities to be an all-Big 12 defender. Moss and Agbaji are also both above average defenders. On paper, this is the best defensive team Self has had since the 2012 runner up team.

Those are all the things this team can control, the one thing they can't control and is the most concerning to me is health. Health is the one thing that can quickly derail everything this team has worked for (as we saw last season) and there legitimate reasons to worry about the health of this team.

Doke has never played a full season. We can say the wrist injuries were flukes and they sort of were, but Doke is definitely not the only person to get his hand caught in something and most people come away unscathed. Doke hasn't twice now. Doke also missed the B12 tournament in 2018 because of knee issues. Doke is a very large human being and for being as young as he is, his muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments don't seem strong enough yet to support his frame. Doke making it through the season healthy is probably the single biggest individual factor in determining how far this Kansas team can go in the NCAA tournament.

That said, Doke isn't the only player whose health is a concern going forward. Marcus Garrett said in the middle of the Summer that he still wasn't a 100% from his high ankle sprain last year. Being brutally honest, if Garrett lost some quickness because of this and loses some of his defensive abilities, he very quickly becomes a pretty useless player to Kansas.

The other player with injury concerns is Ochai Agbaji. Are his shin issues chronic or a one time deal? If they are chronic and he loses his athleticism, he essentially falls into the same category as Garrett because Agbaji's game is based on his athleticism. Without his athleticism, he's not anything special.

Again, this ceiling of this team is national championship contender, but there are hurdles this team will have to clear to reach that ceiling and some of those hurdles are ones KU cannot control.

Great post .. I'll amend to say our ceiling is national title winner, but that's nit-picking. I feel confident, as well, that if Doke does get hurt, this team can still win the national title. The only truly indispensable player for that pursuit is Dotson, in my opinion.

Here is a sign I will be looking for this year.... I'm looking for games to start out a lot different.

Think back to last year. How many games did we get out of the blocks fast? Right.... very few. And we often struggled to beat teams that were far inferior. We really drug out 20+ victory season over the finish line.

That is not Kansas basketball. And I've seen this behavior often in several of our recent teams.

This year I am hoping to see us get out quickly on teams. And if we aren't scoring a lot, then we are shutting them down from the opening whistle.

Up to this point, we have a team that has the drive. They will be excited to get out and on the court and play while in the locker room before the game. Motivated.

This is the key factor I will be looking for early in the year and with the hope we carry it out all year.

Factor two will be endurance. Can we keep the pressure on. Will we have a killer instinct, or not? Another trait we truly missed last year.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Moss played with Devon growing up. I think he'll adjust.

I've never been so opinionless on a KU basketball team. I just have too many questions.

Will Ochai get back to how he started?

Can Garrett improve enough offensively that we can space the floor?

How good is Moss going to be?

How good is Silvio going to be?

How good is Dave going to be?

Can Wilson handle playing the 4 in college? Or will Mitch still have to be the 4th big?

Is Harris a more capable backup PG than McBride?

Is McBride such a good shooter he needs minutes at the 2?

Does Enaruna get any run? Or is he still trying to figure it all out?

Do we start our best defensive lineup? Or do we throw Moss in there to give us a shooter?

What pace do we want to play at? Or will the tempo change based on who is on the floor?

Will we play much small ball at all?

I'll have to wait until exhibition games I think before I can make any sort of declarative statement.

@Kcmatt7 If you can answer all those questions after an exhibition game, ESPN should be paying you $$$ for color commentary! 😉

@Kcmatt7 Hmmm. Here's a question that can help with your opinion, this year in particular -- Who is our coach? Given the structure of this team, I have great confidence that it's going to be highly positive. Knowing our coach, and what he's proven in the past, the pieces that Self has (and their skill sets) makes this a really good match. That why I'm optimistic. I view this as a near perfect fit. Not perfect -- perfect would be a major league ball handler at the two spot. But pretty stout.

My main concern is speed of play and ball handling. Because if there is no back up PG ready to play (shaky with the ball/TO machine, etc), we change dramatically when Dotson is off the floor. Slower play with Garrett in that role and a much different dynamic on the offensive end. This could create a lot of vulnerability.

ajvan said:

@Kcmatt7 If you can answer all those questions after an exhibition game, ESPN should be paying you $$$ for color commentary! 😉

Lol I mean you'll be able to see enough to know whether your assumptions were way off or not. And some of the minutes distributions will answer a few questions alone.

HighEliteMajor said:

@Kcmatt7 Hmmm. Here's a question that can help with your opinion, this year in particular -- Who is our coach? Given the structure of this team, I have great confidence that it's going to be highly positive. Knowing our coach, and what he's proven in the past, the pieces that Self has (and their skill sets) makes this a really good match. That why I'm optimistic. I view this as a near perfect fit. Not perfect -- perfect would be a major league ball handler at the two spot. But pretty stout.

My main concern is speed of play and ball handling. Because if there is no back up PG ready to play (shaky with the ball/TO machine, etc), we change dramatically when Dotson is off the floor. Slower play with Garrett in that role and a much different dynamic on the offensive end. This could create a lot of vulnerability.

Oh I love the gritty somewhat ego-less team. It is right in Bill's wheelhouse. And the regular season is all but guaranteed to be a success under him.

My concerns lie with how well this team is built for the tournament.

In my mind, there are a few ways the season could go.

• Our bricklaying starting lineup couldn't come at a better time. With the 3pt line getting pushed further back, Doke, Dave and De Sousa will be an unstoppable trio in a season where the 3 pointer hasn't been adjusted to and the big man is reborn. This could make us NC good.

• Our bricklaying starting lineup gets exposed in the 3 point era. And we get exposed once again. Not a NC team.

• Our stud defense starting lineup is a fantastic contrast to our offensive-minded subs. We are able to stymie opponents early, go on runs when they're vulnerable, and close down games effectively. This is a NC option.

• Our team fails to mesh together nicely, and our offense is unable to find much of a rhythm. We revert to badball, and just hope Dotson and Doke can do enough to carry us. This is very unlikely to result in a NC.

CJ Moore had a great KU hoops mailbag for The Athletic this morning. He thinks Garrett starts over Moss, at least initially. He also thinks the identity of the team will be stifling defense, similar to the 11-12 bunch. Not sure if it's breaking news, but Self is planning to play big 80% of the time, then use someone like Wilson as a small ball 4. Could also play Garrett at that spot since he's 6'7 with the hair and is such a good defender. He also reported Ochai's shot is much improved. They made a couple mechanical tweaks over the summer and his shot is more consistent now.

Also, check out how slim Udoka looks now. Dude is really gearing up to play extended minutes. He's thin enough now to wear Mitch's shorts. https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Y3IxAF373/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link ↗

FarmerJayhawk said:

CJ Moore had a great KU hoops mailbag for The Athletic this morning. He thinks Garrett starts over Moss, at least initially. He also thinks the identity of the team will be stifling defense, similar to the 11-12 bunch. Not sure if it's breaking news, but Self is planning to play big 80% of the time, then use someone like Wilson as a small ball 4. Could also play Garrett at that spot since he's 6'7 with the hair and is such a good defender. He also reported Ochai's shot is much improved. They made a couple mechanical tweaks over the summer and his shot is more consistent now.

Also, check out how slim Udoka looks now. Dude is really gearing up to play extended minutes. He's thin enough now to wear Mitch's shorts. https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Y3IxAF373/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link ↗

I thought Doke looked super athletic in the scrimmages. I guess this would explain why.

@drgnslayr I don't see any guys on the upcoming roster that scream problem player or locker room divider. BUT we will have to see with the Freshmen.

@HighEliteMajor I said this before but it boils down to do we need McBride's shooting more than we need Harris's all around PG game. This is assuming Harris can get himself eligible as a full qualifier. It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the back-up PG spot.

@Kcmatt7 I worry about bad ball as well. As @Texas-Hawk-10 has fairly mentioned before this team looks more experienced than they are especially when it comes to actually playing for Self and playing together. Silvio is a JR that's played 20 games total, Doke is a SR that's logged under 1200 total minutes, Moss is a first year guy when it comes to Self etc...

@FarmerJayhawk Interesting nugget I would not have really known from that article...

"This is only the third time under Self the Jayhawks will head into the season with 13 eligible scholarship players."

BShark said:

@FarmerJayhawk Interesting nugget I would not have really known from that article...

"This is only the third time under Self the Jayhawks will head into the season with 13 eligible scholarship players."

I thought that was interesting too. Just looking across a lot of elite programs, it's more rare than you'd think to have all 13 spots filled with guys who can play. Programs like KU, UNC, dook, and UK won't take guys just to take them.

BShark said:

@Kcmatt7 I worry about bad ball as well. As @Texas-Hawk-10 has fairly mentioned before this team looks more experienced than they are especially when it comes to actually playing for Self and playing together. Silvio is a JR that's played 20 games total, Doke is a SR that's logged under 1200 total minutes, Moss is a first year guy when it comes to Self etc...

Really good point here.

I'm sure my worries will be quelled once the season starts and we beat the ever living shit out of Duke.

@Kcmatt7 Great stuff. Lots of good questions there. I am going to predict we will be a top 3 defensive team. A dominant defensive team. I think we'll score enough to win, but maybe not enough to make us happy. I also think this will be the toughest team we've had in a long, long time. Mentally tough. Physically tough. I think our shooting will be good enough to win. I think it helps having Doke back to make easy buckets. National championship good? That's really the big question, isn't it? I think we're all hedging from last year's not so wonderful season. Understandable. I think we're national championship good. Bill sure looks like a much better coach when they hit their 2nd year. Anytime Bill has experienced players, he does well. UNC won a title a few years ago barely shooting the 3- they simply killed everyone on the boards. So, it can be done.

I just want a team that's fun to watch. Goes hard, doesn't take off possessions, values d, attempts good passes, has a couple adequate gunners, doesn't have off court drama, has good on court chemistry, has likeable personalities, wants to be there, and learns from their mistakes. If we have all that, both my enjoyment and team success should follow.

@approxinfinity

You mean... win a National Championship! Ha... pretty hard to fail with all the elements you want to see.

College basketball (as a hole) continues to decline. It isn't the good ol' days. There doesn't exist many (if any) real teams with most of the pieces.

We take what we can get and we enjoy it the best we can, because this is where D1 has gone.

drgnslayr said:

College basketball (as a hole) continues to decline.

I don’t know, I would think women’s CBB is considerably better if you’re focused on the hole.🤔

@HighEliteMajor dude...

KUSTEVE said:

@HighEliteMajor dude...

ya DUDE lol

Some things never change

HighEliteMajor said:

drgnslayr said:

College basketball (as a hole) continues to decline.

I don’t know, I would think women’s CBB is considerably better if you’re focused on the hole.🤔

Ha! I chuckled.

@HighEliteMajor

There are several things I prefer in the women's game... like... at least the women know how to seal the boards!