I agree that if they dial back the pressure they will be vulnerable because of it.
It's coach speak, nobody should believe what Huggins says. Once he gets Ahmad back he has plenty of bodies to press the same they always do.
Until Ahmad returns this isn't a very good team
dylans said:
Maybe instead of getting battle tested and beat up in conference KU can enter the postseason well rested?
Some years I would be opposed to that but this roster cannot afford a single injury. 8 players until December, 9 after that. We need all 9 bodies to make the season
To stay on topic. Frank had 11 last night in 20 minutes. Play him, they are already 1-5 and its not going to get better.
Interesting read. Really in depth. Good Stuff so far
Langford will cut his list to 3 soon. We'll see if KU is on it. Would expect they are.
If he signs early I expect it would be Indiana. If he signs late KU has a great chance to keep in his ear as the season plays out
Nebraska is not a good team so that should put into perspective where ISU is right now. Its Wigginton and a bunch of role players
Looks like Kelly is making his career getting fines already. Throwing punches.. jeesh
FarmerJayhawk said:
Staff visiting again today. Go lock him up!
They already have in my opinion
blackmild33 said:
It looks like it's going to be between Kansas and Kentucky by the way it looks on his crystal ball
lol you mean the crystal ball that has zero picks for kentucky
I'm not sure anyone could play as bad as Bragg was last year.
This is obviously coach speak to motivate Billy. We see it all the time. If we had depth Preston would probably be eased into PT. Since we don't have that luxury he's going to get the opportunity to play through his weaknesses.
Looks like the Kings getting a great return on that money they spent for George Hill. 12 points in his last 77 minutes. 15 assists on the season for a POINT GUARD.
Come on Kings play your young guys. Hill is there collecting that 20 mil, nothing more, nothing less.
Self's comments from the Kusports article are not exactly promising.
http://www2.kusports.com/news/2017/oct/26/prestons-progress-all-about-developing-better-habi/ ↗
Nothing we didn't already know about Preston. This is really his first go around with everyday, every play, expectations.
Issue is comments like that make you think well, Lightfoot better be ready
Good point about the D. The last few years have been difficult to watch on that side of the ball. It's maybe no coincidence that the rule changes the last few years have had an impact on Bill Self's pressure man physical style. We've seen him adjust his offensive philosophy to take advantage of personnel and create scoring. Maybe he needs to change up his defensive philosophy and figure out a different way to approach stopping opposing teams. I'd even suggest the pack-line defense that Virginia & Arizona among teams have employed to stop offensives. The Missouri game certainly didn't inspire confidence that we were going to be anything more then average if that's the defense we are going to see more of.
We hope that Doke, Preston & Lightfoot provide more rim-protection out there. Maybe our biggest weakness last season was how many baskets we gave up inside because of the lack of shot blocking. I think our rotations were very poor overall as well. We'll certainly know soon enough whether the offense is going to have to be on every night or not.
Looks like Indiana put themselves in the drivers seat for Langford especially from what his coach said. Interesting, Indiana is close to home for him.
Logistically I'm still trying to figure out how they will do it. They have 5 kids committed right now which fills up all their scholarships. They have signed 2 Top 100 wings and will have 7 scholarship perimeter players on the roster next season. Crowded situation. Maybe they are selling him on the SG position, they could use an upgrade at that position after losing guys.
The one thing KU has going for them is they have recruited him for a while now. Indiana's staff might be impressing him now buts it new and they haven't been after him as long as KU has. We'll see if that plays any factor.
Slater saying it will be a business decision is also a telling advantage to KU.
another instance of Jackson having to learn maturity through discipline. It won't be the last time either. Sounds like the fan was kicked out of the game which is good to note
JayHawkFanToo said:
As coach Self has said, Garret can play 1-4 as needed. He will play several of those positions depending on the opponent and foul situation. I believe he guarded Porter and did a nice job. Nice to have a versatile player you can plug in almost anywhere.
We need all the good defenders we can get. Garrett may get more time then expected because of that alone.
HighEliteMajor said:
@BeddieKU23 And gotta get Preston those big minutes -- experience. He needs to be the "sophomore" folks speak of by the end of the season. Minutes won't be the issue I'm sure. Very excited to Garrett develop too. Really like what I see there, but on that not so great scrimmage feed, I kept confusing him with Vick (and that silly hair).
I love the 4 guard offense and the offensive approach we have adapted due to personnel. I just think long term playing Billy as many minutes with Doke will benefit this team tremendously. I think by the end of the season that pair could be one of the most feared duo's in CB The potential is certainly there
Big fan of Garrett, excited to see how he does under pressure situations. We need him to fill an important role this season and he looks fully capable of doing so. Seems to have been prepared about as well as any HS kid could be coming in. Love his potential this season and beyond.
We need him to start don't we?
4 guards is great but you get a lot of the skills that we want that 4th guard to compensate for height/weight etc with him right? Of course he's a freshman and will have an adjustment to playing the way Self wants him to but if your not starting him your really limiting the potential of the team in the long run. A 4 man with inside/out skills and the height/athletic ability to do some dirty work.
I think we need to commit to playing Preston in a starters role now. 30 + games to see what he and Doke can provide playing with each other. Obviously there will be plenty of situations where we have to go small with 4 guards but why should that be the normal? If Preston is as good as advertised the long-term potential of this team is right in line with what we want, a ship!
Interesting comments from Self about Doke. I think 1st round guarantee will be hard for him to get but we'll see. His play on the court is obviously going to drive his stock one way or the other.
Can't imagine North Carolina is a serious option for him with Little signed for them. Unless they convince him to play the 4 which they definitely could use an upgrade at
I think we have had Grimes as a silent commitment for months and Q and his family have enjoyed the process taking visits, respecting the schools that put in effort to recruit him and making sure KU was the right fit for him after all that has happened this fall. The in-home visits, the drop by's randomly during the week, the official visit, the surprise visit to his school yesterday have all been proof KU has led and recruited him to the fullest extent they are capable of doing. His mom is Alum, he has family in the area, he's an Adidas kid (it still matters). Everything points to him wearing Crimson and Blue next season
chriz said:
@BeddieKU23 when is he committing?
Looks like before or during the November signing period that starts November 8th.
That would seem to line up with them taking the week off to reflect on things and then figuring out a decision, how to announce it etc.
I love all these " this team has closed the gap" "this team is a legitimate option". It's all just smoke to cover what is going to happen. Q is going to be a HAWK
dylans said:
@BeddieKU23 A potiental answer to poor post play. It also would’ve allowed Self to move on from Bragg earlier. Bolden could’ve been a good player given the right set of circumstances. Would he have at KU? I don’t know, but we all know how the season did end - abused by athletic post plays.
I wanted Bolden in a KU uniform but after seeing how his year played out for another HOF coach I can't help but think we got the better deal of the two (Doke vs Bolden) even despite Doke's injury which nobody could predict. Bolden has been recruited over twice, first by Wendell Carter and Marvin Bagley. Duke wouldn't have jumped through academic hoops to accommodate Bagley had they felt confident Bolden was their man. They regulate him to 1st big off the bench now and his role is probably where it belongs. We'll see how this year plays out but I have an easier time envisioning excitement around players that actually wanted to play at KU then a player who wanted nothing to do with KU
Definitely, this already has been an impressive recruiting season. We always want more especially with what we are after and the needs those players could fill but I'm extremely happy how we've changed the narrative on certain things- closing on a 5 star PG and getting recruits signed in the fall. Alleviates a ton of pressure going into the spring. Grimes would make this haul + the transfers Top 3 in the Self era
To answer your question, does KU win the Championship with Bolden? I would say no. Would he have trusted Bolden over Bragg who even after suspensions and drama was still a factor in the rotation until the Oregon game? Bolden had an almost forgettable freshman year himself, his body language was poor and his work ethic was definitely a reason he was on the bench. We all know Lucas had limitations but he did all he could for KU and he caught a matchup he simply was outmatched for (Oregon). I think we'd have to assume a lot of things to think Bolden was the missing answer to last years team. That Doke didn't become a Hawk, that Bolden ended up a Hawk and didn't have injury/work ethic/attitude issues playing for a Coach who'd rather sit his freshman big's then play them.
What would be your reasoning for Bolden being the difference maker for last years squad?
HighEliteMajor said:
Maybe too dramatic, but if Bolden picks KU, do we win the national championship last season? I'm quite sure his PT here would have been extensive after Doke's injury. Obviously getting both he and Doke (guys like that) in the same class doesn't happen much in CBB. Heck, both those guys could be starting right now for us. I think Bolden is the real deal, and the "real" has not been exposed yet. But I could be way off there ...
He sure seemed lost in the minutes he got from K. I can't imagine Self would have figured out his issues either given his history with the OAD type bigs.
The fact that he's likely coming off the bench this year for Duke isn't a big endorsement either.
JayHawkFanToo said:
Oubre is starting for the Wizzards now.
Thanks I didn't know they made the move. Very good for him
BShark said:
JayHawkFanToo said:
He had a very quiet first year so not necessarily unexpected. I believe that at this time it is just the pre-season "watch" list which gets tweaked as the season progresses. No doubt he will be a candidate as the season progresses.
Marques Bolden was on the list though. Lol.
a backup center on the list ahahahaha
BShark said:
Some people might not like some of the recent changes (directly promising pt) but you have to keep with the times.
Yeah your right. When you big game hunt (the elite's) and your an elite school how can you not adapt your philosophy? Tell the kids what they want and then get them on campus and coach em up and find out if they are the real deal to earn what you might have promised them.
It also helps in a year like this one where the roster has a lot of moving parts and there is a premium for getting players.
Love the recruiting so far. We might land 4 guys before the November Signing period. That's more then we've landed combined in years it seems. Very pleased what they have accomplished so far in this class
Grimes, now 17 years old, measured 6-3 barefoot with a 204-pound frame and a 6-7 wingspan in Colorado Springs. His most recent measurement at Nike Camp. So 6'4ish with shoes with 6'7 wingspan.
Oubre chipped in 14 in the Wizards win as well getting the start!
mayjay said:
@BeddieKU23 Maybe he didn't smile at him sometime. I have watched lots of TV. These stalkers start getting twisted by the slightest perceived slights....
Should we be afraid or Wiggins? yikes
Also another side-note. When Grimes was in town for his visit, he went to a soccer game in the KC area where he has family. Important that his destination for College could be near some additional family that can drive in to see his games at Allen. With his mother an Alum and family in the area we should feel very GOOD about our chances here to land another impact guard for the 2018 class.
As a follow up Self and the entire staff is down in Texas today visiting Grimes at his High School.
Important why? He concluded his last official to Marquette over the weekend.
Why is sending the whole staff also important?
One of the recruiting tools Marquette has been playing has been "sending the entire staff" to see him etc. While most programs have an assistant or the HC dealing with a recruit Marquette has gone about recruiting him with the kitchen sink every time.
Sounds like KU sending them a message (Marquette) and Grimes right after his visit. Smart move.
I think we can put Q on commit watch
Figured Q deserved his own thread.
Q WE WANT YOU AT KU!!
JayHawkFanToo said:
Kyle Wiltjer numbers got much better once he got to Gonzaga; much better set up for his skills than Kentucky
Very true, he realized after that NC year he was going to have to go somewhere else to have the role he wanted and Gonzaga definitely gave him that opportunity.
Hurt has a very similar game to the guys I mentioned and he badly needs a good S&D program to put weight on his frame. There's no way he shouldn't be playing at 215-220 at least at 6'9. Ranked in the Top 10 right now, I think he'll be around in College a lot longer then his ranking suggest. Seems to be only intersted in the big elite schools (besides the home school Minnesota)
He's definitely filling his role nicely. Big year for him as there was some doubt after his antics in the playoffs whether he'd be in the Wizards plans long-term. He looks much improved from the opening game I saw against the Sixers
Crimsonorblue22 said:
@BeddieKU23 I watched part of a game and josh looked very frustrated and unhappy! The announcer said when josh was heading to the bench that he was a good example of benefiting from another year of college.
I see there is a lot of dysfunction in Phoenix already.
Coach fired.
Bledsoe tweets I don't wanna be here.
Bledsoe sent home with intent on being traded.
As far as JJ, seen some of his highlights now. Looks like a lot of stuff he did at KU besides filling the stat sheet. I'm sure it will come as they lean on him with this obvious painful rebuilding year ahead.
10 of 37 rebounds from our bigs in 44 minutes. That's horrid. Bill will be yelling at them for sure
mayjay said:
@elpoyo Seriously, that is what you are stretching hard to find to put him down? You would be better off if you said he wrote his name funny in 5th grade or something.
I'm telling you, Wiggins stepped on Elpoyo's foot one day and he's holding a grudge forever.
The Suns must be really bad for JJ to be having such a average start to his career. 3 rebounds in 3 games.. Just not like him
Wiggins had a huge putback dunk 2 possessions before that shot. Towns made a tough 2 before that Melo 3.. Good to see Wiggins get one of those last second shots to go down. He's having a great start to the season again. We'll see if he can keep it going with better players around
He's a versatile player who's greatest value and the reason he's ranked highly is because right now there are few that can guard him at his size and skill right now. His jump shot is real nice and can shoot over the top of almost anyone. He won't wow you athletically or for his ability to defend the post (which is why I think he's a version of Sam Dekker and Kyle Wiltjer at the same stage). Very polished skill wise offensively, has that new age inside/out game that is coveted. Needs a good S&D program badly (good thing we know of one)
glad we won that's all that matters, the disappointment that would have sunk in losing to a team that went 8-24, 10-21, 9-23 the past 3 seasons is something I'm glad I don't have to take as reality.
BShark said:
@BeddieKU23 Fair point. Not sure he's a great fit for the college game then. Would be tough for him to defend college wings.
I think he's a great fit in certain schemes/programs. The College Game is all about offense these days anyway so maybe I'm just overthinking it. I would love to have his ability to score at KU. Long term-
I see Kyle Wiltjer in him who was a highly touted HS kid and became a prolific scorer through his College Career.
We have a big wave of scorers leaving the program in the next year so its going to be important that KU lands difference makers in 2019 as well. Hurt is certainly a difference maker in a good class that KU has done a ton of early leg work.
The defense is going to be worse then last season. We will have to continue to score at a high level consistently to have the season we want
BShark said:
@jayballer54 Hurt is a 2019 recruit. Can't take officials yet so time still hasn't come for his official visits. KU is still recruiting him. Good connections in the area. Staff wants him, JRE and Chandler but can they pull all three? Hard to say but I'd bet no. If I had to bet I'd say Chandler and JRE are Hawks, Hurt goes elsewhere. Hurt is the best player of the three though.
I think Chandler and JRE are a much better fit then Hurt is in a KU uniform. Hurt compares to Sam Dekker without the defense. I'm surprised he's ranked as highly as he is but to his credit he's a matchup nightmare for defenders at the HS level to stop. In College he's going to face guys his size that can defend him and Hurt's major weakness at the moment besides weight/strength is his defense. If your not a good defender already at this stage your going to struggle at the next level. Hurt should focus on becoming a College 3 which is where I believe his long term success will come. If he lands at KU I fear this goes just like Carlton Bragg 2.0, trying to force a jump shooter to bang in the post.
JayHawkFanToo said:
That is a really good point. I now recall that he is the unknown named player that signed with Arizona on or about a certain date and he also hired an attorney shortly after. Until he is cleared, and like you said, he will probably be radioactive; however, if he is cleared he will have every major program after him. I believe he is already 18 so the G-League would seem to be an option and of course he could also play overseas (China???)
With what we know right now I would be extremely surprised to see him playing College Basketball next season. However he has a lawyer and I'm sure this will a very interesting story to follow in regards to how the NCAA views his amateurism. Quinerly wasn't going to be a OAD so I'm sure they will be fighting hard to get him eligible. Will be interesting to see if College coaches stay away from him because of the publicity that will come with him.