FarmerJayhawk said:
@BeddieKU23 agreed. It fills some immediate needs and allows us to really hone in on Hurt and Cole Anthony/RJ Hampton. Depending on the scholarships, I could see us taking Nnaji in the fall too just as insurance for Silvio.
Definitely on board with Nnaji as well. I just worry about what impact that would have on Hurt and JRE simultaneously. I'll leave that up to Self to finesse that situation
JRE will sign in the fall.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Robinson-Earl broke discussed some of what he likes about each of his finalists.
Arizona: "When I went down on the visit, it was a great campus and a great location. The Pac-12 always has pro teams in each city so you are going to have NBA scouts at each game and practice though if you are good enough they will find you anywhere. I like them because they showed me what they can do specifically with my position. They do a thing called Phoenix push where the bigs can get the ball and push ahead for the guards."
Kansas: "Obviously its the home town, it's close and family is there. Coach (Bill) Self can do a lot of stuff that can utilize my position. Even though they have had some guys like Frank Mason and Devonte Graham who have been some of the best guards in the country they still have plenty of threes and fours who they get ready for the next level and use. They can develop guys for the league whether you are a freshman one and done or a four year guy."
North Carolina: "Roy Williams is one of the most legendary coaches so to play for him would be amazing. He coached my dad and he's coached a lot of great players at the three, four and five. He's had great guards, but he's had a lot of great bigs and they are important to him. Also the tradition, it's North Carolina there's not a whole lot you need to say about it."
Notre Dame: "I really like their coaching staff. Coach (Mike) Brey is a great coach and a great person. Coach (Ryan) Humphrey, I have a great relationship with him and have really gotten to know them more as person. The University is a great school and they are really connected for after basketball, so when that's done you can find a job and stuff."
Villanova: "One of the reasons is the past three years they've won two national championships so they are obviously doing something good up there. I think they like to do a lot of five out or small ball so they will use their bigger guys as a threat on the court. I watched when they played in the Final Four they were able to use their five man and make matchups and spread the floor."
KU better lock in JRE before he gets full swing into IMG. With Green almost assuredly going to UNC, JRE will have Bacot and Green in his ear while playing and practicing with them daily.
JRE down to Five.
KU, UNC, Notre Dame, Arizona, Villanova. Window dressing a few in there
Wouldn't be a bad fall class if we sign Jacobs, JRE & Williamson going into the spring. The staff can work on the elite's after that
Bacot went with UNC.
UNC insiders still think JRE is KU's to lose.
Kid can shoot and has good handles. But we have Jacobs still on board and Moore.I can't see us taking a 3rd short guard with average athleticism. Eric Bossi says he reminds a bit of Frank Mason and I see the comps watching highlights of him.
Here's what Bossi said
Why did his stock rise? Last week in Las Vegas, I probably got asked more about No. 4 (McBride) of the Joe Johnson Hawks than any other player I came across. So, I settled in to figure out why and his tough and confident play were why. He can score it from deep, finishes at the rim and has a calming presence about him. Is he as good as Frank Mason was? I'm not sure, but he reminds a bit of what Mason looked like when he really started to take off and went to prep school to wait out a scholarship release from Towson.
Michigan St has made a move for Malik Hall offering after getting him to unofficial this week. KU has lurked in his recruitment at times
Woodrow said:
Also has anyone hear if KU is even recruiting DJ Jeffries? I saw he set some visits and KU wasn't on the list...
Not that I'm aware of. Looks like Memphis or SEC schools have the best chance of getting him. I would bet its Memphis though
Don't worry I'm still kicking around. Not a lot of stuff going on especially since this is a dead period.
Getting close to when KU needs to step on the pedal here for this class. Losing at least 4 starters should be appealing to recruits. The recent movement with Nnaji is encouraging. Hurt is one we'll have to sweat out until spring. JRE is definitely more open then I thought he would be at this point. Doesn't seem like we've made a major move with anyone else at this point either.
jayballer73 said:
FarmerJayhawk said:
At this point I think we try to get a visit and see what happens. I think there’s a chance we lose 3 bigs so might as well take 3.
Or my concern might be does KU staff have some inside scoop that we might be losing out on Hurt or Robinson thusly the quick surge for the new one.- I see we had 4 cb's just on him today alone ranked # 29 in 247 looks kind of thin hadn't really heard much on him - I just hope we aren't losing ground with Robinson Earle - - for me personally he is my # 1 get. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
AAU teammate of Hurt.
I think this offer is the staff going over evaluations during the dead period and realizing he'd be a good fit here.
Indiana definitely wants Nnaji. They did report the KU offer was the one he wanted. Seems all the schools involved are in the midwest.
Kcmatt7 said:
@BeddieKU23 Idk, they didn't even get a practice player out of the deal...
True, I was only kidding anyways. Sam, at least wasn't a bust or distraction to the team
Kcmatt7 said:
Could Malik come back? Can we trade him for Vick?
Our last trade with Arizona St didn't work out so well
Woodrow said:
Khalil Whitney 5* wing player just popped for UK.
Plus they got an in-state wing over the week as well.
"Significantly, the NCAA is overhauling its process for investigating and adjudicating complex cases involving its rules. Two independent groups will be appointed to oversee and resolve complex cases, which might involve academic misconduct, major penalties or adversarial behavior.
The first independent group will include both external investigators with no school or conference affiliation and select NCAA enforcement staff. A second group, which will comprise 15 people with backgrounds in law, higher education and sports with no affiliations to NCAA schools or conferences, will review the findings of the first group, oversee the hearing and decide penalties, if necessary."
Somewhere, Diallo and Preston are throwing crap against a wall at these changes..
Among the significant changes that were adopted by the NCAA's Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors:
allowing elite high school basketball recruits and players to be represented by agents who are certified by the NCAA while still playing;
allowing players to enter the NBA draft and return to school if undrafted;
introducing more rigorous certification requirements for summer basketball-related events; and longer postseason bans, head coach suspensions and increased recruiting restrictions for college coaches who break the rules.
That's a bummer but from the sounds of it both sides were not pushing towards each other for a while now
KU has been recruiting him for a while. I have no idea how high he is on their board but I'd imagine he's behind JRE & Hurt. We'll see if his good summer makes us re-evaluate things with him as it seems he could rise into the Top 30.
The dead period is where the staff will pursue targets and figure out visits. Center isn't a big need with McCormack likely stepping into a starting role after this year and if Self can land JRE & Hurt the post position is set.
Some other news. Cole Anthony will finish out at Oak Hill. The Oak Hill pipeline has been Preston & McCormack recently..
Jalen Leque is going to Brewster and staying in 2019. T-Rob, Tharpe, Devonte from Brewster.
Oscar Tshiebwe cut his list to 8 and included KU. West Virginia has been the perceived leader here for a bit. He plays a bit like Konate. He's expected to rise in the Rankings from #56 after a very good summer in which he played very well against James Wiseman.
Most Duke people believe Hurt is staying in the mid-west. I think KU leads here and just has to maintain their relationship with him to the end. Self getting to coach him should have been the nail in the coffin.
I have no idea about Kofi. Better to get a visit then not I suppose.
Haven't seen anything linking Mann to KU. Sounds as if he window-dressed us in his original 3
Interesting find!
I don't have the answer and you raise a very good point. This is the NCAA they make up rules as they go
jayballer73 said:
BeddieKU23 said:
Mannion has heavy interest from a lot of schools, I do not expect KU is player there
Have you heard anything about the other kid from 2020? - - Henry Coleman?
Just from the article posted about him. Not familiar with his name yet? Article certainly seemed to indicate schools in the Virginia area would be tough to beat for him
JayHawkFanToo said:
How about top ranked prospect Janes Wiseman? Looks like he will visiting KU... ↗
Hes down to Memphis and Kentucky. Anything else he does is charity
Mannion has heavy interest from a lot of schools, I do not expect KU is player there
I think his legal issue was the real straw buster. The ship has sailed. KU's own legal issues are not helping things either, Self has mentioned this affecting them in the current class already.
Is KU really in better position with others? I would say that's unclear and probably incorrect tbh.
Most national recruiting sites list only JRE, Hurt & Williamson as players KU has a good/realistic chance of landing at the moment. None of them play Harvey's position.
It certainly looks as if KU is chasing the elite's. Cole Anthony who's very quiet about his recruitment. RJ Hampton who's likely reclassifying to join Duke. Jalen Leque who KU is late to the party. Kira Lewis & Tre Mann have done nothing more then window-dress KU on their lists. Lester Quinones is name thrown around as well.
I'm surprised with the lack of traction KU has had in this class at guard with Vick a Sr and Grimes almost certainly being a OAD. They have Jacobs but you have to wonder about his fit if Moore & Dotson are still on the team in 2019.. Grabbing at least 1 elite guard is a must this class, in a class lacking those options. If Self can parlay coaching Cole Anthony into a commitment its monumental
Good luck to Sam. The timing isn't great for him but hopefully he lands somewhere he can contribute and get the playing time he desired
Yes, Scott Chasen
Was just about to post this before I saw your post. Getting paid like a HC without the responsibility. Clemson certainly will make it hard for a P5 team to poach him away without going deep into the pockets.
Looks as if Syracuse and Stanford will be tough to beat for Jones. We'll see if KU ends up getting a visit he plans to cut it down to the programs most serious about him. Plays at the same school Thomas Robinson, Tharpe & Devonte Graham went to so we do have a connection
Ouch didn't know that. Did his wife join the staff?
I believe his son is on the team (Clemson).
Not many jobs better then running the D for a powerhouse.
He may just be biding his time for the KSU job or the right timing of things with his family etc. Honestly though I expected him to be a HC by now
I might be alone but I don't see Kentucky being the best team in their own conference. I might be placing too much faith in Rick Barnes but he's got a team capable of being in the Top 10 all year
Okay, makes sense then.
Agree with pretty much everything else. While it would be great to beat Nova in Allen Fieldhouse I'll value the win in Rupp more!
Agree Wichita St is headed for a down season, if they make the post-season with that roster Marshall is a Magician. McDuffie will have to become a 20 point scorer for them to have any chance in the AAC this season.
Wright just lost an unbelievable amount of talent. It's not as if the cupboard is bare, he will have 3 seniors likely in the starting lineup but I have no idea who starts in the post besides Paschall. Spellman gave them an element they will severely lack this season, size, athleticism. The freshman they signed are very good. A lot of role players will have to step up their game. A bottom half type Top 25 team is their ceiling imo
Unless Wright has some tricks up his sleeve his run is over this year.
This is a deeper class overall and I agree with Ryan that the talent pool is deeper then 2018 but its a down class for star potential. With all the reclassification's the 19 class has lost some significant names over the past yr
back to the dungeon of doom.
Kcmatt7 said:
@BeddieKU23 I honestly don't know what model he follows. My closest comp for him, and what I would find to be his greatest path to success, would be trying to become Shaun Livingston.
If the #4 pick in the draft is to become Shaun Livingston boy did the Suns miss the boat drafting him. Not a slight to JJ at all but a Top 5 pick should have a ceiling bigger then bench rotation player. Livingston has done well for himself despite injuries. JJ has to fix that shot otherwise he'll be bouncing around the league
Which we know won't happen- sitting a year. If he's never going to be a good shooter he has the Marcus Smart model to follow otherwise?
More Hurt from Louisville roundup.
Playing for D1 Minnesota, Matthew Hurt and his team would go 1-1 on Sunday at the adidas Gauntlet. In his first game, Hurt had 22 points and five rebounds to help his team get a 58-56 win over ITPS Wildcats in the semifinals. Hurt would have 15 points, two assists and five rebounds as his team lost 87-83 to Compton Magic in the title game.
Found this gem about Matthew Hurt in Minnesota's write up. Me Likey. He definitely is a Top 5 player in this down class.
"Rochester John Marshall five star forward Matthew Hurt has every available major conference offer in the nation so his desire is about victories, and outplaying other national names. Coming off a standout three week stint with USA Basketball the national rankings came out across the country and in most places Hurt continues to watch other players move up, and down around him while he stays about in the same spot. What that's done is motivate Hurt in the Adidas Gauntlet Finale.
In the opening game Hurt and Zeke Nnaji combined to limit Makur Maker to 4 of 18 shooting while Hurt had 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting. Game two Hurt stood opposite national elite talent Jalen Green which motivated Matthew to produce 19 points in 21 minutes on 9 of 14 shooting while Green had a nightmare of a time with the D1 Minnesota length shooting 4 of 12 and scoring 15.
Yesterday was the big one though as the opponent was five star nationally elite big man Isaiah Todd from Team Loaded NC. Matthew defended Todd limiting the 2020 star to only two makes in 14 attempts (7 points total) while Hurt went at Todd, Team Loaded, and everyone in the crowd scoring 29 points on 1o of 14 shooting plus gave six rebounds and six assists. Add in a couple threes, a couple blocks, 7 of 7 foul shooting and it was the type of day even five star players would be jealous of.
John Calipari, Bill Self, Richard Pitino, and a long list others watch Hurt start the game with a baseline attack finished on the other side of the rim beating the rotating defense to the box. Transition plays were next with Hurt using a perfect K-Love outlet pass for a score and then pushing on the break a few possessions later to take contact and finish. A few minutes later Hurt Euro-stepped by a defender in transition for the Ice Man finger roll and his wrap around pass as well as the quick touch pass off the baseline in-bounds play to the cutter went for scores.
The play that angered Hurt was a second reverse lay-up: this time while getting knocked flat on his back. This clearly agitated Hurt who didn't get the call so Matthew attacked baseline a few possessions later and dunk over a rotating big. Add in another transition throw down and it was a 29 point performance talked about across the nation.
Knox and Robinson really looked good in Summer League. Knicks may have done really well in this draft.
Well we saw the Suns make multiple moves to improve their wing play getting shooters in Bridges/Ariza. Writing is on the Wall, unless JJ just had a bad summer and is a better player in the fall they have already made moves to move on from their 4th pick at some point.
I'm certainly not trying to say its over for JJ but I don't think the Suns draft/trade for a wing again in the Lottery and sign Ariza away from Houston without being significantly concerned about JJ's fit with the Suns. I thought he had some momentum going into Summer League after he ended his rookie season strong. For him to play as badly offensively says a lot.
Negative remarks from Summer League. Ouch. With the signings of Mikal Bridges and getting Trevor Ariza seems like the Suns already over JJ. What do we think here?
Josh Jackson. Granted, Jackson played his usual impressive defense, but instead of working on setting up Ayton, he spent most of his time on offense jacking horrendous shots off the dribble. Jackson shot 24 percent (10-of-41) and that appropriately reflects the quality of the shots he attempted. Yes, summer league is about players expanding their games, but under no circumstances should Jackson or anyone but the best off-the-dribble shooters play as he did.
Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender. On a Suns team that has added considerable wing depth in Trevor Ariza and Mikal Bridges, poor shooting with twice as many turnovers as assists was less than ideal for the 21-year-old Jackson. He wasn't short on impressive moments with a couple explosive defensive plays and slashes to the rim, but his hitchy jumper and subpar decision-making stole the headlines in what should have been a breakout tournament for him. However, once the regular season hits, he should be able to slide into more of an off-ball role, focusing on defending his position, getting out in transition, moving off the ball and keeping things simple.
BShark said:
BeddieKU23 said:
same school as Achiuwa right?
Correct. He has been improving apparently and since KU had been keeping tabs on Achiuwa before that ship sailed, well, they were watching him play too. Could be a good fit. Defends well and has a mean jumper. Handles could use improvement.
Most recent update on Achiuwa says KU still in contact. Not taking much from that if he's slow playing the process as the update says as well. If KU gets a visit things change. Until then I think the ship has sailed
same school as Achiuwa right?
If he's not mentioning us that sounds like KU isn't making him a priority.