http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2019/oct/1/marcus-garrett-ready-to-handle-backup-po/ ↗

“He wasn’t a point anyway,” Self said of McBride. “Marcus was probably going to be our backup point regardless.”

Primarily a point guard throughout his high school days, Garrett said last week that he actually missed playing the position since coming to Kansas.
“That's just what I played for 18 years of my life,” he said.

This is a big question going into the season. Who would back up Dotson in the case of foul trouble and natural rotation minutes during a game. Regardless Dotson was probably going to play between 33-35+ minutes a night.

For example this could be the Starting 5 in Game 1:

PG Dotson

G Garrett

G Agbaji

F De Sousa

C Azubuike

Probably the best 5 Self "Trusts" but not the best offensive lineup.

Self could use Garrett/Moss & Agbaji Interchangeably at the 2 guard spots to provide different advantages on offense. Garrett gives you more of that 2nd ballhandler Self likes to have on the court, + defender and + teammate but will undoubtedly make defenses sag off him due to his limitations as a shooter.

Moss comes in as a known shooter and shot creator but has lacked consistency in 3 years playing for Iowa. Maybe a fresh start for a HOF coach is all he needs. That's certainly a big hope for this squad.

Early I think Marcus starts, he's a guy Self loves and he's a solid player besides the shooting woes. As Moss gains chemistry and experience playing with this group his shooting may become something KU can't keep off the court. If Dotson & Agbaji do not shoot the 3 at a consistent rate Self really will have no choice but to play Moss to space the floor.

It was interesting hearing Self's thoughts that McBride wasn't being looked at as the potential backup, Marcus was in line for those duties anyway. Any thoughts???

Probably part of why McBride left.

McBride was always a scorer and shot maker. It would've taken a lot of time to develop into a serviceable PG.

Self when we signed him. Really saw him as a scorer. Too bad he left.

“Issac, who we all call Mackey, can play point but he’s a combo guard who can score,” Self said of the No. 109-ranked player in the Class of 2019 by Rivals.com. “When you watch him, you are so impressed with his range, quickness and explosiveness and his ability to elevate on his shot. We see him as a guy that can come in and obviously give us depth on perimeter shooting. He is a guy that can just score the ball. We haven’t had too many here like that, a natural scorer. He’s a combo guard that can jump up and make a shot wherever he is on the court.”

I have no problems with Garrett at point at all, but would have liked to have McBride hang around a few years instead of taking the Milton Doyle route to the NBA.

McBride sounds like a shorter, less athletic version of Vick (I don’t know about between the ears, but both left KU pointing to a major neurological defect).

BShark said:

Probably part of why McBride left.

love the new avatar

Smaller guards in P5 conferences have a tough road ahead of them. Maybe McBride could have overcome that, but maybe not.

McBride, if he's good enough to get recruited to a school like Kansas, can definitely play somewhere in D1. Why sit at KU (and maybe not ever get into the rotation) when you can play somewhere else? He recognized that early on and decided to cut his losses. I can't blame him for making a choice that was the best for him personally.

justanotherfan said:

Smaller guards in P5 conferences have a tough road ahead of them. Maybe McBride could have overcome that, but maybe not.

McBride, if he's good enough to get recruited to a school like Kansas, can definitely play somewhere in D1. Why sit at KU (and maybe not ever get into the rotation) when you can play somewhere else? He recognized that early on and decided to cut his losses. I can't blame him for making a choice that was the best for him personally.

Agree. He is likely a D1 player but not P5. I think transferring to Arkansas would be a mistake if he wants to play.

Over ranked? He was #109 I believe with a little over 300 starting spots in Power 5 schools.

@dylans it can be hard to project sometimes. The skill is there to be a two guard but his size and athleticism were too big a detriment.

Frank Mason never made it as an undersized score first guard at Kansas either.

approxinfinity said:

Frank Mason never made it as an undersized score first guard at Kansas either.

Mason averaged 20.9 ppg his senior year while having his best year as the point guard. He did win just about every player of the year his SR season. Other than that though or I'd just agree with you.

jhawk7782 said:

approxinfinity said:

Frank Mason never made it as an undersized score first guard at Kansas either.

Mason averaged 20.9 ppg his senior year while having his best year as the point guard. He did win just about every player of the year his SR season. Other than that though or I'd just agree with you.

He was sarcastic on that one. I know most of us here absolutely love Frank.

@jhawk7782 :) FM3 is my favorite ever, bar none!

BIFM

@approxinfinity

I would have a very tough time picking a single favorite player. Paul Pierce? Richard Scott? Manning? Mario? TRob? The Morri? Mason/Graham? Woodberry?

I can't do it.

rockchalkwyo said:

jhawk7782 said:

approxinfinity said:

Frank Mason never made it as an undersized score first guard at Kansas either.

He was sarcastic on that one. I know most of us here absolutely love Frank.

I absolutely missed the sarcasm font on my first read. Thank you for pointing that out.

@jhawk7782 I started watching in 2003. Wish that I had watched during the Roy years. Particularly I hear Raef was a monster before injury derailed him in the NBA.

Raef was simply amazing. That 1997 team.. sigh.. I loved them. The polls loved them.

Arguably the best team ever.

bskeet said:

Raef was simply amazing. That 1997 team.. sigh.. I loved them. The polls loved them.

Arguably the best team ever.

The Monday following the 1997 loss to Arizona I arrived in New Orleans for a trade show. I don't think there was anyone there that I was acquainted with, but many of these complete strangers who noticed my name tag said I was from Kansas, offered sympathy. I thought it was cool that those people just automatically assumed since I was from Kansas I must be a KU fan. :double_exclamation_mark: :basketball: :basketball: :basketball:

@bcjayhawk That one will stick with me always as one of the worst tourney exits of all time.

@ajvan
That one will stick with me always as one of the worst tourney exits of all time.

I've hated Arizona ever since. Another school that seems to skate NCAA penalties.

@approxinfinity Well, my freshman year was 1977 from Leavenworth HS so I've had a head start.

That 1997 team when you look at what guys did moving on to the NBA, could easily be the most talented team to not win the tournament. One of the first teams I can remember watching as a kid.

kjayhawks said:

That 1997 team when you look at what guys did moving on to the NBA, could easily be the most talented team to not win the tournament. One of the first teams I can remember watching as a kid.

That game was the real NC.

Also that Arizona team had 9 losses. Bibby, Jason Terry and Miles Simon had NINE LOSSES. Good lord college hoops was strong af then.