🏀 KuBuckets Archive

So in the wake of Tharpe's largely inconsistent & ineffective junior campaign as the starting PG, it appears as though Self is scrambling to find another option for next season. Coaches watched 6'3" JuCo player Tarik Phillip this week. Phillip averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season for Independence Junior College. There is also interest in former Appalachian St. de-commit Devonte Graham, a 6'2" senior guard from the Brewster Academy. I have so far been unable to locate stats on Graham, but here is an excerpt from an article by Yahoo Sports columnist Jeff Eisenberg:

"Graham had a strong season for Brewster, helping the school win the National Prep Championship. Graham showcased high-major talent, showing an ability to finish at the rim, find teammates off the dribble and keep defenses honest with his jump shot. He also is a ball-hawking defender capable of jumping the passing lanes or forcing turnovers with his ball pressure."

Additionally, Self is recruiting options for the future. Self & Howard went on an in-home visit to recruit #1 2015 prospect Malik Newman, a 6'3" combo guard from Mississippi. That's a no-brainer. But KU has also "been mentioned as a possibility" for 5'10" Boston University sophomore Maurice Watson Jr. who would have to sit out a year before becoming eligible.

The good news is that we see that Self is recognizing this as an area of need, or at least something that has been lacking from the past two squads. My questions are first, what does this say about Self's faith in his current crop of point guards? My hope is it says that Self is done leaning on Tharpe, but might it also suggest a lack of confidence in Mason & Frankamp to adequately fill the role?

My next question is who as fans would you like to see there next season? Are you hungry for some new blood at the position, and if so are you more intrigued by Phillip or Graham? Or do you think some combination of Frankamp & Mason can get the job done, and if so how would you define their roles and divide their minutes?

@icthawkfan316 Personally, I'd like to find a Jacque Vaughn type point guard and see us turn up the speed several notches. If that does not happen, I think Frankamp would do a nice job in our current stupid Globetrotter Shuffle offense. He's smart and hard working and doesn't make stupid mistakes.

@nuleafjhawk great shooter and a safe pt. He can't penetrate or guard.

@nuleafjhawk It's interesting that you point to Vaughn. I loved watching him play as much as anyone, but he had some incredibly talented players around him and yet never managed to lead us to a Final 4. It doesn't surprise me though, as Vaughn was probably the last player to ever hold a press conference to tell us he was staying at KU. Knowing you the little bit that I do from these boards, that had to endear him to you.

Personally I've always been an Aaron Miles guy. To me, his ability to find teammates in a position to score has been the gold standard for PGs here in the modern era. He was also a plus defender, although not on the level of RussRob.

@icthawkfan316 at this pt, I'd take either one of them. Nice pts!

@nuleafjhawk

"...our current stupid Globetrotter Shuffle offense."

Offensive statement that I agree with! Thanks for crediting the right source!

I think we need to stay looking for a PG. So far, Conner just doesn't have the athleticism required to be a premiere PG. But maybe he'll up his game over the summer. This is the summer (from FR to SO) for him to develop most. He is a hard working guy, but I'm not sure if he can lift his athleticism enough to make the difference needed.

I love Frank Mason... but I'm not sure of his leadership skills or basketball IQ. I easily put him above Tharpe, just because he doesn't freak out. He has ice water running through his veins.

The PG should easily be the most athletic player on the team. Even though he may only be 5'10" or so, he should be able to bring it to the rim on trees, make a shake and bake move to bomb a 3 over a 6'6" guard from Kentucky, penetrate on the best defenders, be a total lock down defender stopping the best driving PGs, and last, be able to put all kinds of trapping pressure out on the perimeter and make steals. The guy should be superman.

The guy should LEAD the team... be a great communicator... always hustle and have a feel for managing tempo... have excellent basketball IQ... have ice water running through his veins in March... and he should be a motivator.

That's all I want for Christmas... my two front teeth, and a dynamo PG!

That's what it takes to up our chances of bringing home gold in March. Anything short of that and we open ourselves up to losing to mediocre teams, or teams that do have a superman PG.

@icthawkfan316

Malik Newman has sick talent! Wow... a real scorer at PG for Kansas?!

I'm doubtful he would consider us. First... check out his tape:

Now look at those plays and imagine him doing it in a Jayhawk uniform. You can't... because after 1 or 2 of those he would get benched for not feeding the post.

Here is even a better link... from the Kentucky perspective. They already have Kansas on his list. Check out the comments... "Don't need him" because the kid has some moxy and swagger. Okay... we'll take him! Wow... a PG with a set of rocks... bring him on!

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/2015-recruit-malik-newman-shows-why-hes-ranked-1/ ↗

Self would have to design a new offense that opens up big time opportunities for his PG to land this superman!

@drgnslayr I don't think this guy would be benched! Been awhile since we've had this type of guard.

@Crimsonorblue22

I can't really recall that we've ever had a PG with this much offense. Ever. His crossover is sick. He creates scoring space like a seasoned NBA'r.

@drgnslayr I can absolutely envision him in a Kansas uniform. Anyone remember Josh Selby? I could find a high school high light tape every bit as good with Selby on it. And even playing out of position, he was a stud for about 7 games until injury further derailed his season.

Yeah, I'll pass on anything from the "Kentucky perspective". I just ate breakfast and would like to keep it down.

@icthawkfan316

Ha... bravo for saving your breakfast!

Selby was a stud. But I saw those tapes, too. I think this kid is a solid notch up on Selby. More athletic.... and more developed scoring moves.

This kid doesn't have a gram of baby fat. Selby had plenty of it. He wasn't nearly at the speed this kid is.

To illustrate the difference, let's go ahead and land him so we can compare his first 7 games to Selby's!

The fact that Self is looking at PGs means he is not comfortable with what he's got. Tharpe we've discussed in detail on this site.
I find it interesting that he evidently is not comfortable going in to next season with Mason or CF at PG. I would have thought he might be comfortable that Mason could step up with CF and Tharpe as backups? Clearly he has no confidence that Tharpe will step up.
Also, don't some of the other guys seem like Tharpe, revisited? Lower ranked PGs pursued by non-power schools.
Tarik might be different....I don't know.

@Hawk8086 I'm still assuming turner will be here, what schollie would this new pt guard take?

Would have to be a transfer.
Many have speculated about White. Something must be up.

@drgnslayr LOL...deal! And thanks for providing the links. Definitely worth Self's time to try and land him, even if it's a long shot. I mean, who really thought we'd land Wiggins?

Even if this kid is Selby plus, my point is that Self at least can point to Selby and say "look at this. We had the number 1 'combo' guard back then too, and when he was healthy he starred." It's too bad we didn't get more Selby. On so many levels, but just a little bit more and this would be a major example that Self could point to on the recruiting trail. As it stands, it's obviously less than ideal, but it's something.

Self could also point to Tyshawn. He could say "look, these other schools are going to tell you Kansas isn't a good point guard school. But look at what we did with #70 ranked Tyshawn Taylor. Look how we let him drive at will to the hoop."

@icthawkfan316

The only downside on Malik is that he is 6'3". I wish he was 5'11". He has the speed and skills to create scoring space without needing height... but the taller you get at PG, the more you open up the chance that the kid could jump to the league sooner. The NBA always rewards height.

If he was 5'11" he could do crazy stats in college and would still probably be a 4-year player.

That is the only downside I see with this total stud!

I know we don't want to get into PGs that could possibly be OAD. Not many exist. The Harrison twins might go OAD because of their size and decent talent. We need to build continuity at the point spot.

I'm not sure TT is our best selling tool to recruit this kid. First of all, Malik already has better scoring moves than TT had (and has today).

I think our selling point has to be a new twist into our offensive sets. We have to come show him we are going to give him the structure to be a star, and we are going to give him the total green light.

To be honest... If Calipari has an opening, it will be hard to snag him over Cal. This kid is cookie-cutter material for the dribble-drive.

@icthawkfan316 I would think all Self would have to say is, "what pt wouldn't want to play w/turner, Alex and oubre?"

We need a new flair to our offense.

We can't just be known as a hi/lo team.

No star PG wants to just play hi/lo.

We have to create something that opens up driving lanes for the point and where we give him a total green light to play alpha dog.

I'm not sold on us doing that. We didn't do it for Wiggins. We made him carve his own space without help and told him to brute force his scoring at the rim.

We need some new offense.

I hate to say this.... but I will... maybe we should look at Iowa State's offense and try to pick a few moves from their plays. Fred knows how to showcase guard play, and he does it in ways that can be unpredictable.

@icthawkfan316

Selby is an ubber talented player and I cannot understand why he has not gotten an opportunity in the NBA. He was the co-MVP of the 2012 Summer League with Lillard and look where Lillard is and Selby played mostly in the D-League and then a few games in China and Croatia where he was waived due to an injury and I am not sure if he is even playing now. What a colossal waste of talent.

@drgnslayr Looks like a stud. I say we go all in on this kid for 2015 and use what we have this coming year in Mason and CF and maybe we will be pleased / surprised with the results. We only have one scholarship for next year and I hope that Turner fills that spot. We really don't need another unranked PG transfer or Juco player.

We need a new flair to our offense.

We can't just be known as a hi/lo team.

No star PG wants to just play hi/lo.

You know UConn runs a version of the hi/lo offense, right? I don't think that's the problem...

@konkeyDong Really?

@konkeyDong Really?

@KULA Have you ever really watched them? I'm not saying it's the exact same offense that Self runs, but it's a 3 out 2 in hi/lo base. Three guards, 2 pgs and a wing, 1 at the top of the 3pt line, the other two high on the wings, a big in the hi post and a big in the opposite low post with screen action at the wings and high post. The objective is to get the ball into the high post either off the bounce or by passing from the perimeter to collapse the D or simply go to the rim if they don't commit. You have big to big passing options, back screens for baseline lobs, drive and lob off the high screen, pick and roll on the wings... it's all there.They don't run the weave, which I know you hate :), nor do you see a lot of big to big screen and switch, but the framework is the same. The thing that UConn did well during the tournament that KU sucked at all year was getting penetration off the dribble. Without good ball handlers/passers, you have to feed the post from the wing. It also hurts your ability to run screens for the wings because you won't get that pick and roll action and it allows the roll defender to commit to the switch. They also didn't have true post players (Daniels is a combo 3/4. Top 'big' in minutes after him was Brimah), so they de-emphasized post-up play. Anyway, long story short, there are only about 5-6 base offensive sets that you see run any more, so why would you be surprised that another team would use the hi/lo?

@konkeyDong I just figured it was the personnel, not the system. Bill's best teams have always had two good ball handlers.

@icthawkfan316

Selby is an ubber talented player and I cannot understand why he has not gotten an opportunity in the NBA. He was the co-MVP of the 2012 Summer League with Lillard and look where Lillard is and Selby played mostly in the D-League and then a few games in China and Croatia where he was waived due to an injury and I am not sure if he is even playing now.

Selby's fate was sealed when he decided to leave as a projected 2nd rounder. Lillard was a lotto pick, so he's guaranteed a 3yr contract. With that much cost sunk in on that pick, you pretty much have to make a go with him or else, why commit the money. Selby, on the other hand, put himself on the 'perform now or bust' track. The NBA doesn't coax players along. If they don't see improvement year-to-year, they'll drop you and look for the next big thing. The great tragedy/irony of Selby's decision is that he left because his mom worked at a job that only paid her about 30k a year or less and as a D-leaguer, he's probably not done much better (I have no idea how well China pays). He might be making a decent middle class living, but if he'd just stayed for another year or two he could have been a national champion and a millionaire.

@drgnslayr You are not sure of Frank Mason's leadership skills or basketball IQ? The young man is a Freshman, and he chose KU. He's off to a good start. He got meaningful minutes. That's enough for me. Are you questioning his intelligence on the court as a Freshman playing D-1 ball. I recall a young man on a pretty big stage against the Duke Blue Devils early in the season attacking the rim at will and getting to the free throw line. I also remember the end of the Villanova game, when the team stood flat footed as he raced down the court to make a spinning layup to put us right back in the game. He may have not played great the entire season, but for an undersized guard in his first year in a Bill Self program, I think he did great, and can only get better. Please explain your thoughts? Thanks.

This is always an interesting discussion.

First, we have never not had a point guard. The us of the phrasing "combo-guard" is silly. Malik Newman is a combo-guard. That only means that he's a 2 guard, that can play some point -- and has played point at either AAU or high school.

But not D-1. Again, not D-1.

Either you can be a point guard, or not. The position of point guard comes before and is more critical than any other position on the floor. The skill set of handling the ball under **extreme duress ** is the first hoop a team must jump through to have success. If that base skill is not present, your chances of winning are limited. Once a ball handling limitation is spotted, a good coach will exploit it.

How often was there talk of Selden playing the point as a combo guard? Too often. And we saw that he has very limited ball handling ability. So limited that he was moved out of the 2 guard spot in the press break.

It is why coach Self, in the fall of 2012, said we need to sign "a point guard." When he already had CF signed, and Tharpe on the roster. Ball handling is the know all, say all.

There are only 2 listed point guards in the ESPN top 100 for 2015. It is why coach Self is beating the bushes right now for a "point guard." It's all about competent ball handling. If he doesn't score a ball handler, he might go into 2015-16 with just Mason and Frankamp.

Malik Newman is a 2 guard. I would not project him to be a point guard option at all. The only time I would assume that is when we actually see it. Until then, he's a 2 guard.

Personally, I think Mason is the real deal. I wouldn't read anything into Self search for another point guard now other than depth, and that a player will transfer to open the spot up.

If Mason does not open as the starter next season, I'll be surprised.

@KansasComet

"You are not sure of Frank Mason's leadership skills or basketball IQ? The young man is a Freshman, and he chose KU. He's off to a good start. "

Hey.. I'm a big fan of Frank. But he is a question mark as to running a team all season and at the caliber we need. Yes... he was a freshman, and I give him high marks for his freshman year. But he is still a projected leader of this team. He hasn't earned it yet. He hasn't been given the chance to be the leader on and off the court yet. He hasn't shown us if he can read defenses and find exploits. He's green.... and we've had several guards that showed potential before, but to reach the very top (meaning March-caliber) Frank is an unknown.

I think more people in here are coming around to the reality that the PG position is the most-important position on the team. That position will pretty much make or break the entire season, definitely March hopes.

@HighEliteMajor

I agree with your last post entirely.

Yes. PG is without question the most-important spot on the floor.

Yes... Malik is a 2, and as a compliment, let's call him a combo guard... which all that means, in a pinch he can play PG.

Until proven otherwise, he is a 2.

He does appear to have excellent dribbling and ball handling skills. Even if he does, that does not mean he will make a great PG.

Most HS players who are about 6'2" and taller get slotted into the 2 guard position. Most of these teams have a smaller guard they want on the floor, so the natural decision is to move the bigger guard to the 2. It does not always indicate the skill level and whether or not they can play best at the 1 or 2.

But he would have to prove he can be a PG. It would be to his advantage... especially when he wants to go to the league...

HEM... you get it... entirely!

@HighEliteMajor Are we in good hands with Mason at the point, and Conner Frankamp at the 2. I think so, if Self lets Frankamp shoot the ball. We could also go large from time to time with Selden and Green/White if need be.

@drgnslayr you kinda threw me off with the whole basketball IQ thing, that's all. I'm cool with you saying he is green. I don't know what better options we have?

Funny that PG Malik Newman's tape did not have a single pass as a highlight. The only high school mix tape of a guard that has ever impressed me is below:

Still hoping for the miracle that he can turn into a PG...

Found a PG for the future. He's only in 8th grade now but just imagine

Here's Why This 8th Grader Is Nicknamed 'The New White Chocolate' (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/jordan-mccabe-the-new-white-chocolate_n_5133442.html ↗

@icthawkfan316 Cedric Hunter. 6' 0" with a 37" sleeve length!

Interesting discussion. Would anyone say Nadir regressed this season? Is there hope that it will click senior year like it did for Tyshawn and even Elijah to a lesser extent? Nadir won some games for us this year too. I forget which, I think Baylor was one where he seemed to hit many key shots.

On the other hand, go get the JUCO kid, get the #1 guard from Mississippi. Get the transfers, get the decommit from podunk state. One of em will work out!

Mason has not yet made the transition from HS point guard and primary scorer/volume shooter to that of directing a Division I team. His first instinct is to look for the shot first and the pass second; after all, this is what he was expected to do and he did that well in HS.

Hopefully by the beginning of next season he understands his role in the Self system and develops into the guard we think, or at least hope, he can be. He has the speed and the hops, he just need to get it under control and look for the pass and easy basket first and scoring next.

@KansasComet

Not many college players have excellent basketball IQ. That means they find ways to exploit what ever other teams throw at us.

We certainly didn't see much basketball IQ this year. When teams did something that gave us trouble... we usually couldn't adjust to it then dominate.

Stanford was a good example of that. We just putted along until towards the end when we tried a desperate press.

We should have just found ways to exploit their zone.

It's easy to point fingers at Self on that one... but maybe he couldn't get them to wrap their minds around the changes and execute. Still.. then isn't the coach at least partially to blame for that, too?

@JayHawkFanToo

Right on. Mason will come around... but you nailed his first hurdle to get over.

@JRyman

Wow... what a player! He could teach Tharpe a thing or two about "no-look passes."

@wissoxfan83

I thought Naa regressed this year. Sure... he had some improvements, and he won a game or two for us. But this year we got a real taste of him totally not showing up for several games. You just can't do that at KU. You can't come out and have games where your production is ZERO!

I was super high on Naadir coming into this year. I kept holding out hope... but by the end of the season I had lost hope and would rather have seen us give all that PT to guys with potential to be a part of our future.

There is something going on with Tharpe. He must lead at least two lives.... maybe his Jayhawk PG life and maybe something destructive or at least something that kept him from being totally committed to Kansas basketball. That would explain why many games he didn't show up. His mind was on the other part of his life. Just a guess.... but I bet I'm right on that one.

Too bad because Tharpe had all kinds of potential. He does possess whacky speed and athletic ability, but he didn't apply himself 100%. And who wants to invest another year in him? This is KU... we have certain expectations that we will do what is best for the team and whatever gives us our best shot. I can't believe that will be Tharpe next year.

@drgnslayr was at the Stanford game. Lots of missed layups that game. Team got behind early and tensed up. Frankamp looked as if he had been playing all season. Had Black not fouled out, we may have won the game. Cannot say too much for the rest of the team. Lucas had a nice alley-lop jam, and did not see him much after that. Oh well, I am looking forward to next season. I think we are in real good shape.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/apr/12/kansas-hoops-signees-reach-summit/?mens_basketball ↗ ↗

Phillip, who according to WVSports.com and West Virginia Metro News (wvmetronews.com), averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season. Phillip — he hit 55 percent of his floor shots including 38 percent from three — orally committed to South Carolina in 2012 but failed to qualify academically. After sitting out his senior year at Brooklyn (N.Y.) Academy, Phillips averaged 26 points and seven assists a game his postgraduate season at Queen City Prep in Charlotte, N.C.

I think he has the potential to take over Tharpe's minutes and may even lead the team as the starting PG. I don't know if he has good enough handle, but his assist numbers are pretty good for the point. He will be a junior, but I have feeling he is 22 already after sitting out and spending time at the juco. He should have the mental toughness to play for Coach Self after all he committed to Frank Martin at South Carolina.

@icthawkfan316 Watch Devonte's highlights : ME LIKEY...
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@icthawkfan316 Good post man. I am intrigued by Graham also. He sounds pretty solid for a PG. If the kid can pick up Coach's system, can he be like Hinrich or Russell? If so, lets have at it. The best option I think is from within though. Frankamp and Mason played better when they were in games, at least most of the time. Frankamp really impressed me late. If Hudy can pack 15 - 20 lbs of muscle on the kid over summer, I think he is our man. We've already seen good things from Conner, we know what he can do. Or atleast some of what he can do. Same thing from Mason.
Bottom line in all this is, we need Tharpe to stay on the bench next year unless he can grow a couple inches, get much stronger and be able to get back on D and move laterally quicker than his match up next season. How likely is that happening? shaking my head

@Lulufulu85

" If Hudy can pack 15 - 20 lbs of muscle on the kid over summer, I think he is our man."

I think you are right.... but it is a big "if!"

If Conner can build more fast twitch muscle... he is our guy. Big difference between fast twitch and slow twitch. He needs to become a lightning rod.

You just never know with young guys... what they can mature into. His fight is with his genes. A tough hurdle for anyone to get over. But it has been done before. Guys come back after summer and are completely different players.

Conner will become a sophomore.. and Hudy gospel is that players advance the most between freshmen and sophomore years, in the summer. I hope she is right concerning Conner, and I hope the guy comes back a fast twitch beast!

I think Conner has the mind to lead. Good basketball IQ. He'll learn to read defenses and know what to do... thinking ahead of our opponents. That is what it takes.

He needs a very specialized training schedule this summer. All of it pushing reflexive tension... what is called "burst training." A complete focus on fast twitch development.

@HighEliteMajor You nailed the requirement for ball-handling under extreme duress (trapping zone, etc) as being a position-defining quality. Where we shall respectfully differ, is getting hung up on the "combo" guard definition.

Combo-guard: Generically defined as a guard that can handle the ball, as well as having demonstrated consistent scoring potential. Now, as defined by Bill Self back in about 2006: "Bigger, physical guards who can handle the ball as well as score. They make us more dangerous from every position, and having more than 1 on the floor (at the "1" and "2" positions) makes us doubly dangerous"...(This is an 'almost' verbatim paraphrase).

There is NO defining description of a combo guard's height-requirement, nor is there any sort of limitation any longer on saying a 2guard is "only" a shooter and "cannot handle the ball". That just doesnt make sense in today's game (as defined by the last 7-8yrs).

Let's talk specifics:

1. Jacque Vaughn era is over. I revere what he did for KU, and even in the NBA as a backup. But I do not miss his playstyle. He was a "pure PG" if one wants to personify such a definition.

2. Russell Robinson, 6'1, 200lbs was a 22ppg, top30 'combo' guard. He literally did it all. Told by Self to stop doing his mini-Langford style hoop penetrations, as he wanted/needed him to be more of a distributive combo. Is on record as saying his favorite player was Jarrett Jack, a tough-ass, 6'3 "combo" guard who was like 200+lbs, and was the lead guard for GaTech, where Russell almost went to college.

3. Keith Langford, 6'4, 205lbs. Now he was your typical 2-guard type slasher. Great off the dribble penetration, but not a primary ball-handler. I would/will always call him a "2" or "shooting" guard, he played that position, but actually was not known as a very good 3shooter. He admitted he did NOT buy in to Self's defensive philosophies, and admitted in summer of 2008 that Self was right.

4. Mario Chalmers, 6'1, 185lbs. Uh-oh, another 'combo' guard, MickeyDAA. Failed as passer, with another combo guard, RussRob showing a much better knack for ball distribution & even ball-handling, which is my WHOLE point of this post: some combos will be better than others, but we need multiple do-it-all types. Lets not go backwards in our recruiting, our size, our toughness, or athleticism. What RussRob shined at, allowed Chalmers to shine in other areas. To his credit, Chalmers has now improved to the point he can play 'PG' in the NBA, but you cannot call him a purePG, as he is STILL to this day, a scorer. Saved the Heat's bacon in 2 championships.

5. Tyshawn Taylor, a 6'3 gazelle. A Chalmer's level ball-handler (not RussRob level), but hampered by poor decision making, perhaps masked his senior season by keeping the ball himself more (as he penetrated relentlessly). Always a scorer.

6. Elijah Johnson, 6'2 grows to 6'4. Defensively outcompeted by Brady, and a Chalmer's level ball-handler. When competent in Self's ways, he re-proved the dual-combo-on-floor-at-all-times along with Tyshawn. When he was alone the following year, he only helped prove the flip side of Self's wisdom of keeping 2 combo's: we failed when we didnt have anyone competent to help EJ.

7. Ben McLemore, 6'5 shooting guard. Shaky ball handling. Not asked to handle primary ball-handling duties, nor could he. Thus, not able to help EJ in a way that Tyshawn did. Stated another way, EJ was more of a help to TT than McLemore was to EJ. It was clearly obvious what Ben could and could not do. Stated even another way...if we had a more competent combo guard, BMac would have moved to 3wing, displacing Releford, as KU simply would have played better (again) with 2 combos, running 1 and 2.

8. Travis Releford, 6'5 wing. Initially a slashing type of scorer. Not a primary ball-handler, although, being a foundation 5yr guy for Self, he definitely improved in his ball-handling. But still not good enough to call him a combo guard. He may have brought the ball up occasionally, but never was the lead guard by design, even for a few minute stretch, even in his senior year.

In summary: Combo guard, by definition, implies "competence" in ball-handling as well as scoring. This type of player is a more complete player.

Frank Mason is a 5'11, 190lb combo guard. He handles the ball very well. He was a historic-proportions scorer at his high school. His only issue was decision-making as a freshman in Bill Self's system. Recall it took Russell Robinson into his junior season to become the 2.2:1 assist:t.o. machine that he became.

To me the reality is, you just arent going to get a freshman to come in and "run" Self's system as a freshman. Too many plays to learn. Decisions, decisions, decisions to learn. Not even a MickeyD with stunning handles like Sherron could come in and "run the show", although he subbed as a frosh, providing a very effective change of pace.

1. Sherron Collins, 5'9, 205lbs, without doubt, one of the BEST combo guards KU has ever seen. And I'll keep coming back to this proven fact over and over: 3 A-rated combos on the 08Champ team. 2 A-rated combos on the '12NRunnerUp team. Those are simply Self's BEST 2 tournament runs EVER, in the history of his entire coaching. Easy conclusion, then of what we need to get back to! We got Frank Mason. Now who steps up as a 2nd or 3rd? Selden? (a 6'5 combo like Smart? or like 6'4 Deandre Kane?). Or Frankamp (another combo guard, with a surprisingly good a:t ratio, looking at his minutes played metrics). I'll also add in the "twist" on Tharpe's data: when he played with experienced seniors (Withey, KYo, Relef, EJ, and non-frosh BMac), he had several game stretches where he was 22asst:1 turnover, right? Now see him with last year's newbie team...make's one wonder that there is more to the "mix" than a kid's innate ability. Against zones, maybe we werent quick enough to recognize and get back to help Naadir? His on-ball D remains a separate, individual issue, however...

Now fun discussion: 6'5 D.Wade is a combo guard. He does not have shaky handles against pressure, but he can also score. MJ was a 6'6 combo guard by ability, although he was listed at shooting guard sometimes, but more commonly simply as "guard". It was MJ who almost always brought the ball up. All those greats start somewhere. I want the guy that is big, tall, athletic, that shows some ability from Day 1. I bet that's Self's ideal guard. And I dont think his desires have changed in that regard...but he isnt going to get every such recruit every single year.

The acquisition of competent combo guards is no guarantee. And their development, while pretty strongly positive under Self, is still not a 100% guarantee. But if you have 2 or 3 on a given year's team, at least you've got plenty of competent talent ready to do all of what SelfBall requires, especially for a deep Tourney run.

@icthawkfan316 --Not sure what we options we have of recruiting a PG. However when looking at we have.

Tharpe---Can shoot the ball and create his own shot. However he is very careless with the ball. Sometimes you just shake your head and can't believe he just did that. Tharpe also seems to disappear when the game is on the line, not a good quality in a point guard. He is also is a liability on the defense side of the ball. HCBS will let him handle the rock to start the season, Yet I would look for a change somewhere at mid season.

Mason---Is a cannonball. Fearless, can get to the rack when he needs too. Lacks a good jump shot and doesn't facilitate the offense. He is raw and with more experience and seasoning is the future PG of the Jayhawks. There is a reason HCBS went after this guy.

Frankamp---is a sturdy and dependable player. Plays solid defense and can shoot the three. He will protect the ball and will do a fine job in an emergency situation, but he is not a PG. He can't get to the rack or create his own shoot. This is an important quality in a PG.

Unless there is some point guard out there to recruit, Mason is the answer, followed by Frankamp, and then Tharpe when the refs are calling the game to close.

Reality HCBS is loyal to his players. So the point guard situation will be as it was last year. I hope Tharpe comes ready to play.

@ralster Good post. Loved reading your analysis breakdown of all our past guards. Wondering what your take is on Frankamp. I see you view Mason as a combo guard most likely on the rise. Given this, how far away do you think we are from having the requisite pieces to adequately compete with Self's system?

We do not need a new PG. People don't seem to remember that Frank was only a freshman. He was also better than any freshman PG Self has ever had. He is better than Tyshawn as a Freshman, better than Sherron as a freshman, and he was 100 times better than Russel Robinson was as a freshman. If Mason makes to improvement from freshman to soph. year that every other PG under self (Robinson, Taylor, Tharpe, Collins) has done, he will not only be a serviceable PG but a well above average PG.

[link text](

A big part of what matters is chemistry. You can't really teach that... Mason or Frankamp... or another guy... who knows who will create the best chemistry?

And then there are the other factors... speed, basketball IQ, dribbling passing and shooting... etc. etc. etc.

@ralster

"Now fun discussion: 6'5 D.Wade is a combo guard. He does not have shaky handles against pressure, but he can also score. MJ was a 6'6 combo guard by ability, although he was listed at shooting guard sometimes, but more commonly simply as "guard". It was MJ who almost always brought the ball up. All those greats start somewhere. I want the guy that is big, tall, athletic, that shows some ability from Day 1. I bet that's Self's ideal guard. And I dont think his desires have changed in that regard...but he isnt going to get every such recruit every single year. "

We all want that... but that guard isn't always available (rarely is).

So... which camp are you in?

Camp A - Combo Guard. I'd rather have height at PG to defend well and he can pass over most PGs. He may not be a true PG, but he is athletic, can get to the rim some, can pump the 3 some... decent passer.

Camp B - True PG. I'd rather have the short guy who is a true PG. He knows how to run a team, control tempo, rarely gets stuck on the dribble in a trap, great passer, decent shooter, good basketball IQ, can get to the rim.

Usually we have to pick from those two camps. Sometimes... we get neither!

@drgnslayr I'd have to go with Camp A, as does Self. Because if a combo guard is good enough, he can do all of "camp B" things, but he is still 6'1-6'4. In addition to KU examples, think Ron Baker...a combo guard. He definitely ran WSU's offense efficiently, when called upon to do it regularly.

While I like Mason alot, even better than Tharpe (because Mason can defend, and is fearless)...I also think Frankamp will be a valuable, steady performer, kind of like Brady was. He just isnt going to drive into the trees at high speed like Tyshawn, Sherron, or Mason...but he is showing us a great a:t ratio, and a knack for steals that Tharpe has never shown.

Even Tharpe's play may look better next season, simply because everybody around him is experienced, compared to this season. But his D is still an issue.

@ralster

Really nice and complete analysis of recent KU PGs. Not all guards had good starts, you mention RussRob taking a couple of years to become acclimated to the Self System and flourishing afterwards. Mario was a turnover machine and Jeff Hawkins averaged almost 20 minutes per game playing PG on Mario's freshman year.

One of my favorite KU combo guards is Kirk Hinrich. He is listed as Guard by the Bulls but he has been playing PG for them since Rose cannot seem to stay healthy, and he is the glue that keeps that team humming. I was in Chicago 4 or 5 years after he had started playing for them and I was surprised how popular and well liked he was; by far the most popular players in the team and all the locals always mentioned KU when talking about him.

I like Frankamp's game a lot. He may not have the speed of Mason, but he demonstrated much better decision making abilities than Tharpe. He was not speedy, and the dribble was kind of awkward, but he protected the ball well, rarely stuck or got trapped like Tharpe did. And I think it showed his understanding of the game, and he anticipated the plays before they happened. I agree with other posters and think Tharpe was very careless handling the ball and threw the ball away at some very opportune times. More than once, I noticed Coach Self sat him down for making a bad play, such as launching a ill timed three pointer, then as soon as he came back on the court, he launched a three pointer right away, as if telling Coach Self, "I can make the 3 and will shoot when I want to." His recent twittergate further demonstrated his poor decision making. I think it's time to switch horses, and run with Conner and Frank, or/and someone else.

By the way, I hope Conner won't gain 15-20 pounds. It will kill any athletic ability he has. Yes, more muscles, but not weight. He will never be a post up guard and may do quite well being a feather weight. Speed and agility training probably will do him more good.

From the latest article on kusports, Maurice Watson committed to Creighton and Tarik Phillip committed to WVU. That takes two of the options out of the conversation since I originally posted this thread.

However, also per the kusports article, Devonte Graham is scheduled to visit this Friday. An official visit means this has gone beyond a casual interest and is now serious.

On a related note, we all know the scholarship situation and I can't imagine that Self would consider pulling the offer to Turner. So we're looking at someone transferring. It's long been speculated that person would be AW3. My question is, wouldn't it behoove him to announce sooner rather than later? Before other teams fill out their rosters and use up all their scholarships? Maybe he is contemplating staying another year, I just wonder why when it looks like playing time will again be scarce.

@Wishawk He needs to gain some weight though man. The kid is 6'0" 165 soaking wet.

@Lulufulu85 You don't mean to tie a couple sand bags on his ankles or a dumb bell on his waist, I hope. :-) I hope he gains more muscle, but I just don't see Conner will ever get to the body shape of Frank.

@konkeyDong Well then I guess UConn has the right personnel or the right coach to run that offense because they beat several good teams and won another national championship, while Bill Self and Kansas were summarily dispatched by...Stanford.

Been on a CIVIL WAR road trip through PA, Maryland, VA, WV and Ohio and came back to this thread and really enjoyed it.

Only add is conceptualization. The thread lays out a full spectrum of PG philosophies and the differences appear to track with a strategic spectrum of team play with two poles/paradigm (P1 and P2) and a third paradigm/tendency in the middle (P3).

P1 is a PG centric paradigm where the offense originates at PG and the PG moves down a tree diagram of cascading options. Think of PG as a server and 4 client computer network. The action in the network keeps circulating through a server. This would be the the classic do everything, run everything point guard in an offensive scheme enabling that sort of play. The purest, most abstract form of this was Phil Ford running the Four Corners for Dean Smith. Slayr, HEM, Ict, and konkey seem to be posting in varying degrees toward this pole of the spectrum, though not at the Four Corners XTReme.

P2 is the opposite pole. It is a 5 node internet model in which the point guard exists not a a server but as one node in a network. The point guard Initiates network function most of the time, but point guard function is then quickly distributed among several nodes. A purely abstract example would be a 5 guard offense. No one so far is posting, or coaching, at this extreme though a team like EKU approaches it. Fred Hoiberg has approached it at times perhaps. John Wooden's first two ring teams approached it playing a high post with 5 starters under 6-5.

P3 is two networks linked, or two internets linked. The perimeter network has point guard and two wings. A point guard initiates and can act as a server with two clients, or as one node in a three node internet in which point guard function is highly distributed among two or three combo guards in the three node internet. An example of the latter would be Self's '08 ring team, when Chalmers, RR, and Sherron were in--two wing points and a point point, if you will. The parallel network, internet, would be the two bigs.

I am not going to argue one strategic paradigm is intrinsically superior. Superiority depends on opponent and context. What one can say is that internets tend to have more "survivability" than networks. And networks can be more dedicated a fine tuned to certain tasks.

I was sitting, reading, and thinking. A very crazy thought entered my head. Self is focusing on a pg now with Snacks. There are some really good prospects mentioned on this board, most all committed. Graham seems to be Self's likely prospect and there also seems to be a good reason why he's tapping his Wolfboro connection ala TRob and Tharpe.

My crazy thought was a bit alarming when this whole recruiting focus shifted from Turner to a pg. Now I'm getting nervous. Most of us think/thought Turner was a solid KU lean:

We don't have Turner and Self is comfortable with the bigs, but wants a pg project? Or as we have speculated all long, we have turner and someone is transferring out. A pg will take the transferring spot. We can't get Turner, keep everyone, and get a pg. Something is going to be sacrificed:

Turner

Tharpe

AW3

pg

We are speculaitng, but Self can't possibly be going into another season with the pg situation of last year. It's going to be a long one. It does no good to have "talent" if you don't have a leader, general, or sparkplug on the court for that talent. For example, Turner and Alexander isn't going to want Tharpe leading with his issues. We've said before that Mason is the closest pg we have right now, but Self is visibly and actively looking at pgs. I can only imagine what Mason and Tharpe are thinking right now.

This should light a fire under Mason. It's going to be a nasty lesson for Tharpe if he is transferring for obvious reasons. What a terrible waste and loss to get this far, only to blow your once in a life-time chance with a program like KU. There are pgs out there that would kill to be in Tharpe's situation. But, Self and Co will get him into a great program like Appleton. I just don't think small pgs, except for Collins, can thrive in Self's system. Appleton was a wasted piece of paper and left for a NAIA program. It happens and the kids have to accept it. It's a lesson to learn, but Tharpe just didn't turn the corner too well. The really sad part is, Tharpe is a junior and one of the worst junior or upperclassmen pgs in the nation. Most junior pgs are improving and leading at this point. Tharpe has failed, pure and simple. I hope he finds a good program and thrives.

Here's my thought process on a new PG, I am waiting for after the team banquet and see what is said there. Maybe they next day or two after there will be an announcement of who is transferring out and so on.

Then at that point we as fans will know where we stand with scholarships, and who is here and who is gone. Hopefully Turner will sign soon (with us) and we can also set up from there.

We can all speculate with who stays who goes, but I think Self has an idea of what he's up to.

@JRyman It's interesting when you look at the type of pg Self's system demands. Miles, Collins, Chalmers, RussRob, and TT. It's a bit whacky, but hard to understand why these all did fairly well in some way or another. It seems the common denominator was a specific talent they each brought to Self's system. Tharpe was touted as a fair pg that had a good head on his shoulders and even one of the best at reading on ball screens, and curls with great precision. Some analysts even went so far as to say he had nba type pg instincts. So, I think it's safe to say that Tharpe has lost his edge and focus for bball. I think he's coasting and has other interests right now occupying his mind.

Anywho, you're right we'll all know more over the next few weeks.

@truehawk93

I feel very confident in saying that Self is not giving up on Turner. Turner fits into Self's philosophy, plus... why wouldn't he keep reinforcing Kansas as a big man school?

If we are trying to land Turner and a guard, you can bet we will see a transfer.

@drgnslayr Yep...Self can be a hard read and after all we've discussed about his decision making, he bothers me at times, haha. It's funny how he has Snacks with him during this pg hunt. Snacks is clearly the recruiter and Self is the muscle or there for the parents. I think Snacks really connects with recruits and Self is great with the parents.

I can hear them talking before each visit, "Ok Snacks you take the kid in the livingroom, and I'll occupy the parents in the kitchen. Together we'll land our much needed pg." Just my silly image or vision of Self and Snacks on the recruiting trail. Can you imagine the kid and parents comparing notes? haha, we'll see soon enough.

I've listed a couple of reads on Graham. The second being more current... and he has now been released and it appears Kansas and Florida are the biggest fish chasing Graham.

http://hoopdreamsmag.com/?p=8441 ↗

http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/4/11/5604466/devonte-graham-recruiting-florida-kansas-providence ↗

In the second read there is even mention that Tharpe could be recruited over in his senior year. Do you think?

Self puts his own tail on the line if he goes another year with Tharpe and he duds out again in March. I don't see it happening. I sense a replacement coming. If this had been the only time Self had put his own neck out for a PG then I could see him chance it with Tharpe... but we've been down this road before... 2013!

Funny, in the second article the journalist made a big mistake.... saying Jeff Capel wouldn't let Graham out of his LOI at App State. It was his brother, Jason, who coached the Mountaineers. I had to look that one up, because we probably would already have signed Graham if Jeff was their coach because Graham has wanted out of his LOI for quite some time. I'm pretty sure Self has some strings with Jeff Capel... and he is now a Dukey trying to snag the vacancy when Coach K leaves.

Then there is this:

"Among those to reach out to the Class of 2014's best available point guard are Boston College, Cincinnati, Creighton, Florida, Florida St, George Mason, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Providence, South Florida, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Xavier.

Coaches from most of those schools plan to fly to New Hampshire to visit Graham at Brewster Academy either Thursday, Friday or Sunday. Brewster coach Jason Smith said he expects Graham to narrow his list early next week once he has a chance to visit with all those coaches."

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/newly-released-devonte-graham-will-be-a-coveted-recruit-the-next-few-days-152157090.html ↗

I'm betting that Self is putting on a full court press for this kid. The timing is just right to pinch him in while still going for Turner, and having time to let someone go off our roster (if it isn't already a done deal).

Self is the best recruiter in the country after March Madness. Easily.

We haven't always won every recruit... but Self is dangerous when he really wants a player and it's crunch time. I can see this happening.

This time, Self has Norm Roberts by his side at Brewster.

Imagine landing Graham and Turner! I'm pretty sure we would be considered to have the #1 recruiting class coming in next year.

@truehawk93

Read Ralster's take on the combo guards and how Self's system seems to work best with two combo guards rather than the conventional PG-SG combination. Excellent analysis.

@drgnslayr "The Jayhawks struggled this past season in part because of shaky point guard play, but it seems like a stretch that Graham would be able to unseat Naadir Tharpe in his senior season. Graham could be groomed as the point guard in waiting for the Jayhawks, though there's always the worry that Bill Self could recruit over him."

This is nuts to write. How could any educated and knowledgeable writer say anything remotely like this from the read? Other competing schools will use Tharpe as a deterent. Self has got to 'promise' this kid he will get some meaningful mins regardless. Graham has to understand KU pg is wide open for the taking. His chances are better than any other, even 'senior' pg Tharpe. This writer has no clue how desperate KU is for a pg. Right now, my 6 yr old son can play pg for KU and possibly start. He can handle the ball and makes better decisions than Tharpe. He can shoot as well comparatively. If anything, I'd say Graham would compete with soph pg Frank Mason. That statement is a bit more believeable and this could be used too against KU on the recruiting trail. It's detrimental that KU's strengths on the court can become their weaknesses off the court, particularly recruiting.

@truehawk93

"Snacks" might do the heavy lifting and lay the ground work during recruiting, but kids come to KU because of Coach Self first and foremost and Snacks is a distant second. If Snacks would be recruiting for MU/Haith, how many quality players do you think he would get?

@JayHawkFanToo All due respect Fan, but if not for Snacks, we didn't have a chance with Alex. Snacks changed KU's chances with Alex. However, there is an unfair Chicago connection between the two. NO, you misunderstood my statement. I think Snacks communicates and relates to players better than most. Yes, Self is a huge attraction for players and even parents, but Snacks seems to have a way with these recruits that gives Self an even better chance. Snacks seems to be a players coach and then once they commit, they learn how Self is a player's coach. So, Snacks, Townsend, and Roberts ropes them and Self pulls them into the KU corral. Or you can even say the reverse is true. Self ropes them, and the assitants pull them into KU.

Haith? WTH does Haith have to do with anything? Haith, is no where near Self. But your point is well taken too. You do have to ask, why did Self take Snacks? Just for fun? Experience? Mentoring? All the above? He could've taken Roberts or Townsend, In fact, the East coast is Roberts' area of recruiting. I think there was a pretty good reason why Self took Snacks in particular.

@wissoxfan83 I don't know if anyone else has said it but, Na also came up clutch in the last few mins of the OU game to clinch a share of the title. He backed up his solid defensive effort against UT two days earlier with that stellar closeout performance against OU

@truehawk93

As I indicated before, Snacks might have the initial contacts and lay the original ground work but kids come to KU because of Coach Self and the KU tradition. Snacks might start the process but Self is the "Closer." I can see why bigs in the past came to KU because of Self "AND" Manning, who had reputation with bigs. However, and to the best of my knowledge, Snacks is not really known, or at least not yet, for his coaching skills; his main talent right now is his connections, particularly in the Chicago area.

You did not answer my question, if Snacks is recruiting for MU and Frank Haith, do you think they get Alexander? Yes, It is possible but highly, highly unlikely.

By the way, I believe Slayer mentioned that Coach Self has Roberts with him at Brewster and not Snacks.

We haven't always won every recruit... but Self is dangerous when he really wants a player and it's crunch time. I can see this happening.

This time, Self has Norm Roberts by his side at Brewster."

Maybe you both can site a source?

@truehawk93

Read Ralster's take on the combo guards and how Self's system seems to work best with two combo guards rather than the conventional PG-SG combination. Excellent analysis.

I've read it and agree with his overall analysis. But, it actually proves my initial point about pgs. He's right, it's changed and his detailed analysis about each player is perfect. But, you're not going to find those kids any longer either. I thought the opposite when faced with his post. I kept thinking, "Why can't we find some of the skills of the past players?" It was a great recipe. The kids today can't play within that system. They are too limited. Kids today, since 2008, want that ideal position. They want to focus on being a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. There aren't too many that can "combo" today very well. Self tries to "combo" too much and it backfires.

Funny, because all ralsters examples are perfect examples of "backfired" position failures. Collins is the lone exception, we'll never get another Sherron Collins combo guard. But, TT and EJ were both 2 guards, not combo guards. I think based on what I see from other programs, ie. UConn, UF, UK, Zona, and a few other key teams, your true 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s thrive.

NOW, I don't disagree with the idea at all, IF the player can make the transition to "combo," then great, do it. But, I don't see players making that HCBS transition to combo, particularly 1 and 2s today. I'll never forget Mario Little and how Self tried to force him into the 3/4 to post him, but Little never really worked well at the 4. He was a true 3. But we had others that worked in the 4 much better than Little. I do think you can combo your 4 and 5s well. Your 3 is a bit more specialized, but possible. I think what ralster fails to remember, it's not Self's plan that is necessarily wrong, but the ability of the player that limits the idea. Again, Collins, Chalmers, RussRob, and others were rare talents that just worked out for Self.

@ralster Excellent analysis. Very enjoyable read.

"In summary: Combo guard, by definition, implies "competence" in ball-handling as well as scoring. This type of player is a more complete player."

Ok, then. I do think we would all agree by that summary that the term "combo-guard" is way overused. Let's go with your definition. It is more exclusive than what is the common usage (i.e., the high level ball handling).

One thing by observation then -- has Self ever had a pure point guard here other than Miles (who he inherited)? Heck, Russell Robinson was a 2 guard coming in. It seems that every guard has been called a combo guard -- even Tharpe -- particularly when he fails.

Something like, "Well, he's never really played point guard. He's learning the position."

How many times have we heard that?

So the idea here is NOT to have a prototypical point guard? The drive and dish guy. The creator.

I will respectfully disagree here with the conclusion (while still enjoying the astute analysis).

Self's system, in my opinion, desperately needs a pure point guard. @jaybate 's "P3". But let's not get too caught up in the detail. Bobby Hurley was a pure point guard, but he scored. Best college point guard in recent times, in my opinion. We're just talking a guy that will look to pass first, has the developed skill to create for others, has the ability to handle under duress, can get to the rack and finish, and can hit the three at a reasonable rate.

I saw Mason on an upward trajectory -- better three point shooting near the end of the season (ended the same as Selden), was creating more on drives, and was more in control. Heck, he demonstrated more "learning" than Tyshawn Taylor did in three seasons.

My argument is simple. Look at the other programs. The successful coaches let their players play THEIR positions. Again, I don't disagree with having "combo" anything, if it works. But to force a player who is not going to work in the combo position, is dangerous. KU has faced this all too much. Also, I don't see other coaches pushing their 1s and 2s into "combo" situations. I just think it is almost like taking a great hitter, expecting him to switch hit, and just not being able to make the switch. In other words, he may hit 300-400 as his natural hitting preference and then 200-300 as a switch hitter. Leave players alone and let them play or recruit them at their natural positions. Again, all due respect, but just not workinng well right now.

@wissoxfan83 I don't know if anyone else has said it but, Na also came up clutch in the last few mins of the OU game to clinch a share of the title. He backed up his solid defensive effort against UT two days earlier with that stellar closeout performance against OU

I know wissox, I know...believe me. I for one stayed on the Tharpe wagon a long time. He would have a great game and then disappear. I waited and gave him passes up to now. I just don't think he's able to handle the on and off court pressure and expectations. I hope to be wrong, but his last little fiasco pretty much sealed his fate. If he stays, it will be by the good graces of HCBS, but he has really hurt himself in so many ways.

@JayHawkFanToo

"Maybe you both can site a source?"

I have no source except the knowledge that Roberts is the best recruiter Self has, and he's an east coaster who does his best work out east.

I could be wrong on that... but why wouldn't he involve Roberts on a full court press for a recruit?

@truehawk93

"I know wissox, I know...believe me. I for one stayed on the Tharpe wagon a long time. He would have a great game and then disappear. I waited and gave him passes up to now. I just don't think he's able to handle the on and off court pressure and expectations. I hope to be wrong, but his last little fiasco pretty much sealed his fate. If he stays, it will be by the good graces of HCBS, but he has really hurt himself in so many ways."

I think Tharpe has really put Self in a bind. Self has a reputation as being a "player's coach"... meaning... he is willing to put his own neck out there for his players, far beyond what most coaches will do. He's done it for several players... EJ coming to mind recently.

But it is starting to wear on the Jayhawk Nation. There will be a major major explosion in our fan base if he stays with Naadir this coming year... another year filled with big hopes and expectations after another blazing recruiting year, only to end with Tharpe falling out again.

I don't think Tharpe helped himself with his selfie. That was a real act of defiance not only to Self, but to all Jayhawk fans. It definitely pissed me off. Okay... he didn't post it, but he took the friggin' photo! He should have known better. When you put his horrible late season play together with his act of defiance, it is too much for Jayhawk fans to weather.

Self would like to see a happy ending for Tharpe... meaning... a good senior year with positive outcome. But is he willing to stick his neck out for him (again)? The stakes keep growing with each time he does this and it doesn't pan out.

And if Tharpe goes to the bench for a freshman, does he want to stay for his senior year? I don't know... but maybe it is in Tharpe's best interest to transfer... even as a senior! Sit a year, work on his game and getting his s#it together. Then he can sell the new, improved Tharpe to some school somewhere. I doubt this happens... mostly because Tharpe has proven he doesn't step up to take charge of his life.

D1 ball is a one shot deal.... either you do well and leave with momentum... or you start thinking of another occupation after D1, like being an auto mechanic or furniture salesman.

First off, I look at Newman and I love his abilities. Great bounce, nice explosion, can get shots for himself and others.

The PG position has changed. This isn't 1974, where the PG walked the ball up the floor and passed it to the wing or into the post. This is the era where the PG pushes the ball, penetrates the defense and can either score, dump it to a big or kick it out for a three. UConn has won 2 titles in the last four years with a PG that could do just that. Louisville won a title last year with two guys doing that. UNC won the 2009 title with a PG doing that. That's 4 of the last six titles centered around a slash and kick style system.

Graham could be a nice addition, and he won't be an OAD. The one thing I am concerned about is his lack of vertical explosion. He's a blur with the ball and has great moves on the floor. However, for a slasher, he doesn't get ideal explosion. There's a notable difference between him and Newman when it comes to getting off the floor. Obviously, Newman is the ideal, but there's something to be said for that level of athleticism.

Looking at Watson, the problem would be that he would have to sit out, and even then, how substantial an upgrade is he from what we currently have. Watch him and tell me that you couldn't see Frank Mason being that type of player at a non major D1 school. If we are going to get someone, it needs to be an upgrade.

As for Phillip, I can't find any video of him, but I know that Independence has done a good job of producing some good transfer talent throughout the years. He could be an interesting find, especially since he would add some size.

The most interesting thing about all of this is what it means for Naadir and either Mason or Frankamp. If Self adds a PG, particularly if its either Graham or Phillip, that probably means Tharpe is done at KU. There's also the possibility that if that happens either Mason or Frankamp may transfer due to the numbers/position crunch caused by an additional PG on the roster.

@justanotherfan

"Graham could be a nice addition, and he won't be an OAD. The one thing I am concerned about is his lack of vertical explosion. He's a blur with the ball and has great moves on the floor."

I'd rather have a point who is explosive horizontally, then vertically. You mention UCONN... Napier wasn't a vertical leaper.

The smart little guys use quickness and the skill of creating scoring space to score on bigger players... not jumping over them. EJ was a leaper, but his only scoring at the rim were the blind alley-oops.

Ok. I'm confused.

To borrow the terminology from HEM, how is no-rank Graham going to be the answer NEXT year, ahead of the options we already have?

If this was Tyus Jones, then I get it. But Graham won't contribute for atleast a couple of year. By then, I'm hoping we can land an Elite PG.

@FarSideHawk

Graham was a no-rank because he was already signed with App State, and then he stuck another year at Brewster and developed considerably.

@FarSideHawk The other thing that tells you this kid is probably legit is who else is recruiting him. If it was KU and just a bunch of middling teams, then OK I would see your point. However, when you factor in that Florida is/was also recruiting him, it lends credibility to him being considerably better than a "no-rank" player.

This is not a move where Self would be planning on this guy starting. Cannot even imagine that. It's for depth.

@FarSideHawk brings up a good point. Why get Graham now? Very importantly, the 2015 class has just two top 50 point guards. When Tharpe graduates, we would be left then with just two ball handlers, Mason and CF. If we are going to get a lower ranked guy, why not get him now so by 2015-16 he'll have a year under his belt?

Hmmm ... where would Milton Doyle be now if he stayed?

I'm interested, though, in when the transfer news is coming. One spot open. Trying to land Graham and Turner.

@FarSideHawk Seems like this is for security in case of injuries and the fact that we are losing Tharpe and probably Selden at the end of this year. I am sure Bill is still going to go after the top PG's available for the next recruiting class he brings in. We are overdue to land a top shelf PG.

Just info -

ESPN Top 60 for 2015 Point Guards:

-#23 Alonzo Trier - We're recruiting him.

-#32 Jalen Brunson, #55 Kendall Small, and #60 Nick Noskoviak - We are not recruiting them.

Ok, I kinda see it now. It's slim pickings in 2015, so we're hedging now. If we land Alonzo, someone will have to transfer again due to over crowding. Ugh!

If we are pursuing Turner and Graham at once, then I'm guessing either of the following headlines (or both) coming out soon.

White transfers and/or Naadir is off the team.

Let;s say KU has only one schoolie left (no one transfers) and given a choice between Devonte Graham and Myles Turner, who would you pick and why?

@JayHawkFanToo Uh ... Turner. I want to really hear the logic from the guy who votes for Graham.

Could I possibly go back in time and get Jermaine Lawrence in the 2013 class, and skip Turner now?

@JayHawkFanToo Graham. because ummm ummm his uncle said that is better than Chris Paul.

@JayHawkFanToo

"Let;s say KU has only one schoolie left (no one transfers) and given a choice between Devonte Graham and Myles Turner, who would you pick and why?"

I think the answer is "both" and someone transfers.

We would never pursue Graham at the expense of Turner... and we are pursuing Graham. So that can only mean one thing (if we are still in the running for Turner).

Self said a while back that we are far from done on the recruiting trail for next year... and that was before Embiid decided to leave.

@drgnslayr I am a bit puzzled, as @icthawkfan316 said, that we have had no transfer news yet. Would have expected it by now.

@HighEliteMajor

It's not too late for transfer news. I bet we have a 50/50 of still seeing a transfer.

Even if we don't sign another player... AW3 is nuts to waste away on our bench. That guy has starter written all over him at probably 1/3 of the D1 schools. I hope he leaves because I really like him and hate to see a kid blow his one chance.

I didn't even see this before:

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/apr/14/nh-prep-guard-graham-plans-kansas-visit/?mens_basketball ↗

@drgnslayr I agree .. he is nuts if he stays. Two years of eligibility left, worked is a** off last off season, has hardly played, and there are five perimeter players ahead of you. I can't even fathom a scenario where he stays.

Just info -

ESPN Top 60 for 2015 Point Guards:

-#23 Alonzo Trier - We're recruiting him.

-#32 Jalen Brunson, #55 Kendall Small, and #60 Nick Noskoviak - We are not recruiting them.

That info is incorrect. We have very much offered Brunson. I don't know his level of interest, but several sources indicate that he's holding KU paper.

@KULA It also doesn't hurt that UConn had three guys finish the season shooting over 40% on a minimum of 120 3pt attempts. Next worse (Boatwright) was a 37% shooter from deep...

@jaybate That's about the most fantastic analogy I've ever read related to any sport of any kind. Huge PHOF!

@HighEliteMajor The 'not really a pg' thing is a cop-out excuse and yes, an overused one. The guy that runs the short clock offense (when the ball goes back to the perimeter and the shot clock is in single digits) is the pg. The guy who brings the ball up under pressure is the pg. If that guy can't do these things well, it just means he's bad at his job. A taxi cab driver that get's lost all of the time isn't really a railroad engineer that's getting used to being off the rails, he's a bad cabbie.

@truehawk93 I wouldn't sweat Turner (should know by the end of the week, anyway). I think we've got a great opportunity for him and he'd likely slot right into Embiid's spot unless Alexander proved better. At Texas, there's a bit more competition, though I could see him starting over Ibeh and Lammert and moving Holmes to the 3. At Duke, he'd play the 4. Again, not a lot of competition, but there's also not been a lot of noise surrounding him and Duke. Plus, in the NBA, he's going to have to develop a goto back-to-the-basket move, and I don't see that happening as a face up 4 with Coach K. THE OSU has been signing transfer bigs, making me think Matta is out. Little OSU is losing all of its star power (and they didn't do much with it to begin with), so I'd be genuinely surprised if he chose them. He never visited UK or AZ, but saw Phog Allen as a must see. All that makes me bullish. I don't think it's a sure thing, but the signs are favorable.

@HighEliteMajor

Does this mean that we need more help with the bigs than the PG or is Turner, a likely one and done, that much better?

Is Devonte Graham last season's Tarik Black, i.e. the last half way decent player left and this is why he is garnering all the attention? I understand that after the season is over, nothing much changes in the rankings, but Graham was not on any top 100 list; I saw one site that compiles the average ranking from all sources and he is the 170s, and most publications have him as a 2 or 3 star. Are we making too big of a deal for a player that normally KU would not be interested or is he a diamond in the rough and next season's Embiid?

I wouldn't sweat Turner (should know by the end of the week, anyway)

@konkeyDong Turner has said he will make his decision sometime after the Jordan Brand Classic, which is this Friday 4/18. Given this, I'm not sure we'll know this week (as that would mean he's either going to announce after the game or the day after. Seems unlikely). Regardless, no one should expect a decision before then.

@konkeyDong I had heard we're out on Brunson now, meaning we decided to jump out. The Katz corner show a while back, I think. Now KU isn't listed on ESPN. But we'll see.

Graham isn't going to be this years savior at PG. He's what almost 2 years older than most 2014 recruits and he was the 3rd best player on his Brewster team behind Copeland (going to Georgtown) and Terrell (going to Oklahoma State). Big schools are involved because he is the sole remaining talent remaining at the PG spot.

Plus he's been a lean to NC State since Capel accused them off tampering for his services after he had a good senior season. He was a fringe top 100 kid in his original class and now is considered in the top 50 area by some after a strong season this year which saw his prep school win the championship. He should be a considerably high ranked player with almost 2 more years of maturity to the average high school senior.

I think he is checking KU out to see if NC State isn't where he should go. NC State has Cat Barber as their starter after Lewis left for Butler. He will be a role player at either school, either Barber's back up or fighting 3 other PG's at Kansas who already have a year or 3 years in the program. I would prefer Self to develop what he has especially Mason and Franny as both of them provide different elements to the game.

I'm glad to see Self on the hunt for another PG. Yes, we have Frank and Conner, both respectable players in their own right. But this is Self saying we have to start expecting more from our PG play. He should have thought that way years ago... good chance we would have a couple more NCs by now.

2013... I still can't believe we didn't win a NC with that team of seasoned players and one of the best shot blockers in college history.

I was very critical on Self this year, and I believe rightly so... but I'm feeling more optimism again. He's proven before that he can adjust his strategy, and I think he is doing it again.

A big goal for next year is to have our 1 and 2 guards play with lots of energy. Be able to beat a press and double-teams... and be able to apply a press and double-team well.

Even if we recruit another guard... Frank and Conner will still be big for us next year. We should have 4 solid guards to fill the 1 and 2. We should run lots of backcourt pressure and we'll need fresh legs for 40 minutes of basketball!

It is (finally) time we win backcourt play! We've dominated the post for a long time... and now we need to do both! The final piece to the puzzle on Self-ball is in sight. More important... it is within sight of Self!

I'm going to have me an awesome summer full of optimism! Not just because we have good talent coming back and good talent coming in... more because I think Self is realizing the need to have stronger play from his backcourt!

Now go get us another guard, Coach!

@JayHawkFanToo OMG, I totally left out Kirk Hinrich! One of my absolute favorite Jayhawks...he was KU's "Ron Baker". Seriously great all-around player, arrived able to play D, which only helped a Roy team, and could drive, dish, defend, and dunk: 4 D's = A+ rated KU guard. The 4 D's are exactly why Kirk still plays in the NBA, along with his 6'3 size.

@HighEliteMajor Good points, love this discussion on guards. Here's another example of a 'combo' guard, where the BETTER descriptor is 'complete' guard: Ron Baker. Man, that kid can ball. He has high bball IQ, he is team-first balanced with aggression. He shoots 43% treys. He defends. He drives. He can dunk. And he runs the team when VanVleet is out with a great a:t ratio.

I think people hear "combo" guard and think, OK, jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. I go back to the competence thing: Man, this is heady stuff to be able drive, dish, assist, defend--> not everybody can do it. Deandre Kane is another example of a ball-handling complete player.

Maybe the biggest reality is not every Self recruit will attain RussRob/Chalmers/Collins level (and those 3 were on the same team!). So my suspense is watching if Self can multiple guards "competent" in the same season. I'm sure this season's guardplay (for variety of reasons) absolutely drove Self nuts. I bet Cindy heard more red-faced cussing in pvt after KU games than a good Oklahoma girl ever wanted to hear...lol!

This Devonte Graham kid sounds like a 3-4 year player. 6'2 guards, unranked (translate: "no hype"..), dont just bolt to the NBA after a year.

But whatever his ranking...there is a reason Bill Self and Billy Donovan are on a crusade for Graham...

Another thought about the guard play, and this came to me after playing ball today for over 2hrs, and trying to relentlessly drive/cross/fade/pullupJ score it (because the 3s were brick-city...) --> Playing basketball IS about doing ALL the things we talked about--all the time, everytime we play this game. Why would Self be wrong to think he can teach and expect a critical level of competence in all areas being achieved? Why not? Sure, one kid may take a bit longer than another kid to grasp it (like RussRob vs. Tyshawn), but when they play steadily and smart, but also explode with athleticism, its a beautiful thing to watch.

Self just needs to keep plugging away, get his own system & product back to what he wants it to be.

@ralster

"and this came to me after playing ball today for over 2hrs.."

I'm so completely envious! Wish I could still do that!

@ralster I think your points are spot on and the answer to your questions are that Self isn't wrong to think he can teach and expect a level of competence in all areas. This is why we say it takes 2-3 years for a kid to learn Self's system. But your point and Self's success will require a kid to stay 2-3 years. If that happens, except for Tharpe, there's a high probability the kid will achieve exactly what Self expects or wants.

We come full circle to all the other discussions. Self's system then is not for OADs. If a kid expects to be OAD, Self's system is not the system to consider. But, what do you tell a kid like Wiggins? Sorry kid, you're OAD. My system isn't for you? Also, if you really believe that about Self, then are we all willing to wait 2-3 years or 4 for that team to develop into what Self wants? Either to get bounced after waiting, working, and playing together for the last 2-3 years or just maybe the luck strikes Self once again to win another NC? I'm not sure. It's a big dilema. Self has to decide. I think Self was a bit surprised when Wiggins announced for KU. He said a number of times after Wiggins committed they were surprised. I don't think Self really thought KU had much of chance for an OAD like Wiggins.

Lastly, throw in yet another scenario such as Embiid. We all agree Embiid had 2-3 year project written all over him. But, he thrived too well in Self's system and became a late OAD too. I don't think Self really expected Embiid to be OAD at all. I think Self thought Embiid would be around at least another year.

So, I come back to my comment above. It's all about the player or recruit. It's not Self's system. It's how the recruit adapts to and allows Self's system to grow on them. I think Selden and Ellis are going to be great examples or poster children for Self's system. I would look ahead at Oubre and Alex too. They may go OAD, but again, Self system will serve them well if they stay at least another year. Turner will fall into the same situation too.

@truehawk93 Good post, and actually you made a golden statement: Its all about the player, or recruit. Yep. Its up to them to buy-in to the recruiting, come, spend the time, show work ethic, be a teammate, etc. And possess the right balance of bball IQ, make players around him better, yet still show timely aggression. High athleticism definitely helps also.

I honestly think Self needs to decide just how hard he pursues the true presumed/announced OAD. See HEM's thread today about "just say no to OADs"--I agree totally with that. The most unpredictable thing is a kid like Rush, actually staying for Yr2, then gets hurt, and comes back for Yr3. Losing Wiggins hurt because he is an uber athlete and a 110% class-act. What a defender. Losing Embiid almost hurts more, because that kid is special. An ultra-rare talent. We may not land a 7footer like him again in my lifetime! Seriously, when is the last time we had a guy like him? Cole? Wilt? And Embiid was only a half-baked or qtr-baked "product". I almost thought the injury thing would cause BigBiid to come back, but it didnt. It didnt stop Selby from leaving either, and Josh really hurt himself with that decision. So much of it rides on these kids we bring in. No team without the right kids, doing the right things, all with the right frame of mind...and the right experience level. And after 10yrs, that means beyond frosh experience level. Which then logically, throws water on the whole OAD concept, when considered in Bill Self's system.

The system without question will have a major impact on what the kid is able to show. Calipari has built his system around maximizing potential and on-court performance with freshman. Self's system is different. As is Coach K's. See Duke's young team get bounced very quickly.

Seriously, when is the last time we had a guy like him? Cole? Wilt?

@ralster Because JoJo is so young and raw, it will take some time before we can fairly evaluate his talent.

I never saw Wilt and Lovellette at KU; both were before my time. So I can't compare those two big men.

But based on what I saw: Cole is not at the same level. Manning is the only player I've seen that Embiid compares with. I actually think Embiid looked better as a freshman than Danny, but it's tough to compare as they were asked to do different things.

@konkeyDong Which I guess reinforces one of my criticisms of Bill's offense (which you asked for) --- Bill doesn't make the 3pt shot part of his offense.

Thanks.

I look at point guards the same way I look at QBs, you should recruit one for every incoming class.

You don't know who will materialize into your system the way you want.

You don't know about injuries.

You don't know who will transfer out.

It's a position with too much importance not to have one or two capable backups. It's a position that determines the way your team plays, fast or slow, solid D or help D. They are a leader on the floor and off, they are teachers on the court an extension of the head coach.

SO why recruit one every three years, when you should be recruiting one in every incoming class.

@JRyman I agree with your general sentiment of the importance of the position and the importance of having one or two capable back-ups, but I don't think the idea of recruiting a PG every year is very plausible, or at least not actually signing one every year. First of all, scholarship restrictions and needs at other positions can derail that strategy. Second, I think that the strategy would lead to bringing in a very low quality of player eventually. Say there are already two capable PGs on the team - who do you think Self is going to be able to recruit if the player sees 2 or 3 guys already in front of him? Also, as has been pointed out on this thread, there are only 4 PGs listed in the top 60 for next year's recruiting class. We are in on one of those. For whatever reason - lack of interest by one of the parties perhaps - we are not in on the other 3. So if we miss on the one, how far down should we go in the talent pool to ensure we bring in a PG in that class?

What I can see is recruiting combo guards every year, or a combination of a combo guard one year, a guy who is solely a PG the next, etc. If you do that, you are still trying to get players in with good ball handling and floor leadership skills, but they might have to play minutes at the 2 instead of actually running the point. In this scenario, you have doubled the likelihood of minutes being available to recruits. And you are recruiting for multiple positions, which gives you added flexibility in recruiting.

@konkeyDong

Thanks for commenting on my analogy of client/server vs. multinodal internet. At first, I just thought about it as a metaphor, but the more I think about it the more I think computer networks may actually be a good model for thinking strategically, tactically and operationally about offensive basketball.

In all networks you are looking a bit flow rates of the system. About certain subsets of the network using certain amounts of resources and other parts of the network using other amounts of resources and about varying loading.

Then there are the concepts of distributive computing and parallel processing that might be robust concepts for thought about offensive basketball.

Offensive basketball, especially the way Self plays it, is about optimally redistributing system resources as the opponent "adjusts" to what is being done; i.e., as the opponent varies available bandwidth for one player (i.e., one node) and so gives greater band width to another and so on.

I haven't really thought this through much beyond what I am relating here, but if offensive basketball were thought about in this way different kinds of statistics might begin to be measured that better capture team's abilities to redistribute their team resources to meet adjustments, and differing types of opponents, and so coaches might begin to think more systematically about how to make the tweaks to enable the redistributions, and might think more systematically about the kinds of skill sets a player has and how they mesh (or fail to) with other nodes (players).

I know this may sound bizarre to many, but I have a hunch that a basketball team modeled this way could then be subjected to a modified finite element analysis that would find the weak and strong dynamical links among the multimodal system that is a basketball team.

Likewise, a defensive coach could look at the same offensive statistics, especially strong and weak dynamic linkages among the nodes/players and find weak points to attack.

Imagine being able to do what I am conceptualizing here and plug in various recruits in a simulation to see which one produces more net benefit and which recruit produces less as preparation to decide which prospect to sign.

Great coaches probably do a lot of this by "feel" and heuristics developed through years of experience, just as great engineers and designers used to be able to build great cars, or trucks, or planes, before computer modeling. And the feel and heuristics are still important to engineering and design. But computerized simulations allow testing of ideas and exploration of systems to find points that can be altered to optimize the system.

I have a hunch that right now this could be done.

<a href="http://kckingdom.com/2014/04/12/recruiting-rumors-devonte-graham-garnering-interest-kansas-jayhawks/)

I certainly hope Self and Co are all over this article and have a plan. This article is misleading and if a recruit or recruits see this, it would leave them up to speculation. Maybe there's something to this article. Does anyone think Self is all out on Graham to take the remaining paper at KU? Or do you think Self is still all out on Turner too? If so, Self has to have a transfer in the works to be after both recruits. Self is either going after both and hoping to land both or hoping to land one of them. Or he is aiming to get both because he will have the room. I believe Self is all out on both players and has a transfer in the works, sorry for the transfer, but it's just ncaa basketball.

And wasn't Turner quoted at one point by saying he wanted to play with a really good pg? If so, the sly fox HCBS is giving both recruits a great deal to think about. If I were a pg, I'd kill to play with this team. If I were a big man like Turner and knew enough about Graham, I'd give him a shot at playing as my pg.

Stay tuned Jayhawk Nation because this recruiting is getting good.

I would think Turner is calling or has called the coaches on his list. I think he's made a decision. It's April 16 and he's making an announcement at the JBC April 18. We've had some good luck with twitter announcements and MCD's AA game announcements and even these other game announcements. Cliff was our first hat trick announcement.

And wasn't Turner quoted at one point by saying he wanted to play with a really good pg?

@truehawk93 If that's the case, it wouldn't surprise me if he picked SMU from the teams on his list. They have maybe the best freshman PG in the recruiting class in Emmanuel Mudiay. That or Duke with Tyus Jones.

The point being, I don't think Graham is going to be the one that entices Turner to pick KU.

@icthawkfan316 Thats the tid bit that keeps me up at night, but I wouldn't be as defeated if it were SMU. However, I'll barf if it's dook. I still think KU is strong and may be why Self is working so diligently with a pg. Turner "may" have told Self, "I really want a good pg coach. I'm concerned about your pg play right now." Self and Co will work this and will win both or with one. Your post raises some interesting scenarios now. Maybe we get both. Maybe Turner has made a decision and Self knows it based on the pg thing. Or maybe we have Turner and Self wants to give the big man a good pg.

Haha...If I had a choice to play with Mudiay or Jones v. any other pg, that would be an easy selection. He recently saw them too.

We'll find out soon.

If Turner wants to play in the B12, the only real choice he has is Kansas. I believe this is the big question to answer. Does Turner want to play B12 basketball?

Kansas owns the B12 for the last 10 years. It may take a while, but go back through those 10 years and look at all the extreme talent that didn't play for Kansas and left the B12 without ever winning it.

One quick browse of those players and who comes up first on my list? That would be Kevin Durant, Turner's hero.

Does Turner think he can do what Durant couldn't? Why would he think that?

Here is what Durant did at Texas:

25.8 PPG, 1.9 BPG, 1.9 SPG, 1.3 APG, 11.1 RPG. He shot 47.3% from the field, including 40.4% from trey, and he was 81.6% from the FT line.

Those insane numbers weren't good enough to win the B12.

Picking Texas would be settling for a second, third, fourth or lower finish in the B12. And if he stays more than a year in D1... more of the same.

And how about looking down the road to March... Texas has never won the big prize. The last time they made the FF was 2003, and before that you have to go back to 1947! Texas, simply put, is just not a March team!

@drgnslayr Griffin, Beasley, Perry Jones III, DeAndre Kane, Marcus Smart, LeMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson.....Along with Durant.

There are more, but those are just some for starters.

Not finished yet: Self said KU could still sign one or two players in recruiting. The Jayhawks are in the running for Myles Turner, 6-foot-11 from Euless, Texas, and Devonte Graham, 6-2 out of Raleigh, N.C. Graham announced he’s down to KU, Providence, North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Of next year’s team, which already includes newcomers Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre, Self said: “We have enough players to make a run next year.”

He said the team could be better than this year’s “if things fall right.”

If "things" fall right? I hate HCBS code talk.

@icthawkfan316 "recruit multiple combo guards". Exactly what Self (tries) to do.

Self's offensive system is the reason he isn't successful at recruiting pure point guards. As an aside, his offensive system is also one of the reasons why KU can lose to a team like Stanford.

According to a paper Self wrote on the hi-lo system, he wants post players to post up directly between the ball and the basket. He admits that it hinders a skilled perimeter player from getting in the lane and requires the 2 post players to basically get out of the way. Any skilled recruiter is going to easily use that against KU in recruiting. It isn't that Self has more charisma when he recruits bigs than he has when he recruits point guards. It's just that his offensive system works against him in the recruiting wars.

Is Self's system right or wrong? That's debatable. What isn't debatable is his system has produced a record number of wins in such a short period of time and an amazing string of conference titles.

But success in March more often than not comes down to whether a team has great point guard play.

@truhawk93

He said the team could be better than this year’s “if things fall right.”

If "things" fall right? I hate HCBS code talk.

He just means don't lose in the stinkin' first weekend of the tournament. That's the improvement I want to see.