Dotson's latest Q&A with Slater.. Positives for KU.
Florida is definitely the other contender with Miami, Maryland & Arizona pushing for him as well. I think Dotson will sign in the fall.
Florida insider seems to think they have him..
BeddieKU23
31745 posts
20 points a game that's nice. Shooting %'s were usual, Svi isn't an efficient scorer and probably never will be.
Love that Self is calling him out now about hitting the weights. He hasn't been able to coach him all summer and has to find ways to motivate him once he gets back to Lawrence. For Svi, playing was much more important in my opinon.
HawkChamp said:
Bagley just completed a trip to Duke this weekend. He is planning on visiting USC and Arizona soon. Important to not that if he wants to reclassify, which would make him eligible for the 2018 draft, both Arizona and USC are out of scholarships, taking them out of contention for him. Duke would probably be in the lead, with Kentucky and us behind them. I still see no harm in going after him if he wants to reclassify, which financially for him is a good move. He wouldn't have to wait an extra year for a contract.
Arizona would make it work if he was serious about going to them. They have a player who sat out last season due to injury that they added for depth purposes only.
USC definitely doesn't have any openings and I can't see Bagley wanting to play behind 2 potential NBA forwards that they currently have.
He's been a done deal to Duke for a while if he can make it work reclassifying. Kansas should have pushed for one of his visits after Duke..
We have a starting position to sell him. Crazy that we can't fill it.
Per his mom, Lucas will play in Japan this upcoming season. No link, just twitter
So our post situation is a composed of a seldom used sophomore, a sophomore who played 11 games due to injury, and a freshman.
Let that sink in for a minute
Self needs to pull some magic tricks and find himself another player with size and for depth.
BShark said:
Looks like Grimes is gonna visit KU twice.... Seems optimal.
Gotta love MS dissing the other "insider" only to find out Bossi talked to Grimes over the weekend and got the same information from him..
I'd say split the difference and say visits once. Twice, well we'd have to feel even better about our chances at that point
I think its more concerning for Bol Bol that he's chosen to surround himself with people on the West Coast that are influencing his life. All the reports of him wanting out of Kansas most likely had some truth to it. He's living on the WC and I don't see him ever coming back past the Miss. River unless Calipari gets him.
He was terrific this spring and has a truly unique skill set for his size/body type. He's not a fast twitch player and sometimes can be a step slow to react but his ability to protect the rim really makes most of his weaknesses null and void. He can do things on offense that you don't expect out of someone his size. He's got a ton of boom or bust potential to him.
KU would love to have his talent but from everything I've ever gathered this is more of a Bol Bol doesn't want KU then KU doesn't want him. I saw some of his HS games this winter on TV and he was terrific.
KU offered Keldon Johnson, he was in Lawrence over the weekend playing in the big AAU tourney.
He wants a UK offer and looks like he might get one soon. That will end that recruitment. Texas was the front runner
Won't be the last injury to a big if recent history has any say
Texas Hawk 10 said:
@BeddieKU23 I want to know how in the world Wiggins became the worst defender in the NBA with Thibs as his coach? I know it's based off advanced metrics, but still that's embarrassing for Wiggins considering what he showed at KU as a defender.
I can't say for sure because I didn't get to see a ton of Wiggins games this season. Maybe he focused on his offense? Wasn't he often guarding the very best in the league on a nightly basis?
I'm surprised his defense hasn't become what we thought it would after what he showed in College.
mayjay said:
@BeddieKU23 Why did any of us choose things we changed our minds about later? Perhaps because you expect things will be different? Maybe he connected well on a visit with someone who turned out to be different. Maybe someone threw up on his bed and everyone just laughed. More likely in my mind, he simply didn't realize how important a structured religious environment was to him until it was gone.
Your probably spot on!
mayjay said:
@BeddieKU23 And, until he proves he can score in the NBA, he shouldn't get a dime. 23 pts ain't nuthin'.
23 pts a game, he couldn't get more then 4 against Stanford. Overated I tell ya
mayjay said:
@BeddieKU23 "Said KU was the worst year of his life. Apparently the KU life ain’t for the weak."
I don't think it was the toughness, but the fact that he was suddenly in a public school (secular) environment after 2 years in a rigorously evangelical school, Liberty. The coach said he felt lost at Kansas, and I suspect the off-court shenanigans first semester soured him on his teammates if he wanted prayer-group instead of party buddies. Indiana Wesleyan is also an evangelical school, so he probably feels right at home.
Then don't we have to question why he ended up at KU in the first place? If the evangelical side of things was so important why did he choose the "big stage" KU scene..
mayjay said:
Oh, dear Lord, someone call the ambulance! El pollo is stroking out due to the utter failure of NBA execs to follow his posts!
But BUT his defense is the worst in the entire NBA. Can't give that clown $148 million. Does that sound about right?
mayjay said:
@BeddieKU23 Wow, I thought my phone was a crystal ball like Tolkien's palantír or something. I read your post, wished you had included the link, and then blue letters magically appeared on the page.
To test this, I will try to wish the winning numbers in Powerball to appear....
Thx for the link.
Forgot that people usually like to see for their eyes so went back and edited it real quick.
if those winning numbers come through please help out a fellow bucketeer!
justanotherfan said:
There are so few true 5's in CBB now that you don't have to have a true backup to the position. It's more important to have versatility than having a true 5, even as a starter, let alone as a backup.
Agree. But look at the Big-12's big's this season and I think KU has to get another body with size.
The Big-12 is going to have much improved post play this season. Acuil Jr, Lattin, Brodziansky, Smith, Wade, Maston, Williams are all experienced bigs with skill. Throw in Bamba at Texas who will be the highest drafted player of the bunch.
I think its better to have a 4th big then nothing at all
meanwhile Evan Maxwell has surfaced at some place I've never heard.
Said KU was the worst year of his life. Apparently the KU life ain't for the weak
http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/indiana_wesleyan_hoops_embracing_high_expectations_20170719 ↗
Crimsonorblue22 said:
@BeddieKU23 good, hear butler will mentor wiggs!
best thing for him.
Saw his deal could hit 30 million a year after.. He got paid!
Who's the backup for Azubuike's minutes though?
Preston is more of a SF then a 5, Lightfoot the same.
He had a role here, especially one that could be fluctuating by opponent, foul trouble, etc.
This is a crushing blow to the rotation.
Self watching Dotson again
Kcmatt7 said:
I would hope that we hound Bagley for a visit at least now that we have PT and and open spot. Preston isn't going anywhere else at this point. He signed an LOI and would have to sit out this season if he did. Get Bagley on campus at least. I don't care if we land him or not, but no excuse for not getting him on campus.
To this point he doesn't seem interested in doing that. We can hope he notices Whitman gone and reconsiders..
He may not take any visits past Duke. Lots of inside chatter about how he will make the transition to 2017 to play for Duke. And with him having family in the area this is becoming the Duval situation all over again
The timing of it all sucks. We have no idea exactly why he's leaving but at this point he can go find that swamp land your talking about because its ridiculous that a kid would already be leaving for whatever reason. Where does the madness stop with this transfer stuff
One name that maybe pops up is Deontae Hawkins. Illinois St's leading scorer averaged 14 and 6 on 44% 3 point shooting. Was supposedly headed to Boston College for his final year, then was looking into professional avenues. Now Gonzaga and New Mexico are receiving visits. He's better then Whitman so maybe we try and get involved late.
KU was front and center for Devon Dotson last night.
Meyer was tweeting some stuff about Dotson saying he's a clear 5 star prospect. Says he's unselfish and defends. Surprised UNC wasn't "all in" for him.
Texas Hawk 10 said:
@BeddieKU23 and @BShark I agree with @Kcmatt7 and think you two are being way too rigid on what position guys can play.
Here's what I see and why I think back up PG is the only real need in the back court.
Charlie Moore: 1
Marcus Garrett: 1-3
Lagerald Vick: 2-3
Sam Cunliffe: 3
KJ Lawson: 3-Stretch 4
Moore is the only natural PG for 2018 as Garrett can handle the ball, but is probably more suited to an off ball role playing next to a PG.
This is why Grimes is the top target. He can play the 1 or 2 and fills that glaring hole at the back up PG role that KU needs for 2018.
I disagree which is fine. We'll certainly find out this fall what's going to happen
Well that really sucks.
Bagley to Duke is a done deal. He has family that lives in the Durham area.
I really have no clue what's available at this point to just have a body. They have to get someone
Texas Hawk 10 said:
@BeddieKU23 Who leaves the program if that happens? A back up PG is the only real need for 2018 at this point as far as the back court goes. Moore, Vick, Garrett, and Cunliffe are all going to be around. There's also KJ Lawson as an option at the 3 depending on recruiting.
Where's the room for 3 more guards in 2018? There's no way Moore, Cunliffe, or Lawson leave because they aren't graduate transfer eligible yet and would you really want to lose Garrett after one year? Also, what guard recruits of the ones being mentioned would even want to come here to likely sit in the bench in 2018?
Do you think Self is after all these guards for the hell of it?
I believe we've already discussed that Self thinks he's losing up to 6 players from this years team. 4 of them could be perimeter players. We have a lot of wings and 1 known ball handler after this year. Sounds like we have some openings
BShark said:
Looks like Carey is likely to visit in October.
Will be nice getting him on campus if it happens. I'd take him over others we are pursuing, just love his game and scoring ability. Imagine if Self could lock down 3 guards...
HawkChamp said:
@BeddieKU23 Yes, I heard Bill say in an interview that Devonte has gotten better. I would like to see him show improvement in three areas. 1. Ball handling/protection - honestly, he was not that great at it this past year but there's no reason he hasnt improved it 2. Driving the lane - I think he was too passive in this area and 3. Defense - which was discussed earlier.
Agree on all 3. I seem to remember Graham being a better aggressive driver to the lane as a freshman/soph, maybe I'm off there. I really do think he deferred to Mason last season and kept his role as such to give the proper spacing for Mason and Jackson that were elite talents at getting to the hoop. I have to think he can show more and he'll have to if he's going to lead this team.
I know we'll probably never get any confirmation but it always seemed like Graham was nursing some ailment in his leg whether it was the cramping, leg, ankle etc. His defense was still good in a lot of situations last year but he wasn't dominate and he played a ton of minutes. If he takes care of his body and follows Frank's lead I think he'll be better equipped to handle the grind. We'll see though
Couldn't have said it better actually. The situation with Carlton was far worse then Greene or Naadir in the past because at least for all the expectations everyone placed on Bragg in the post, we had this generational talent in Josh Jackson that accepted a totally different role, the team accepted a totally different methodology of running offense and still the pieces fit and we won over 30 games and looked poised to win the whole enchilada.
I will admit I'm probably guilty of using the "didn't show up" comment at times. If anything I use it when a player doesn't even come close to executing his average performance on the court and its really just an emotion filled response to what I saw. It doesn't mean I think they didn't try, that they did this on purpose. It's tough to remove emotion when your so passionate about a team and its players and a loss is filled with such disappointment.
I do agree though that Carlton is the only player I can ever remember in a KU uniform where I thought he didn't care. Maturity played a big part in all of this. Maybe he turns his life around at ASU, maybe he doesn't. I can't say I care enough to follow his next moves. I don't hold him responsible for the season ending the way it did but certainly he played a role in how the pieces on the chess board moved.
We could easily say the absence of Azubuike was just as much a factor in our season ending demise. And really we could point to past bigs such as Embiid's injury, Ellis's knee injury, Cliff's eligibility issues, and Ellis's ineffective E8 performance as the main factor the past 4 seasons have ended as well. I have often thought when is KU going to catch a break with its big men..
BShark said:
Insiders that aren't goobers anyway.
MS says that it doesn't impact Grimes or Dotson. That KU is losing a lot of players (mentioned Newman as leaving, tfwiw) and will need to sign a lot.
Also Locke's circle does see him as more of a combo/2 apparently.
All that said he is listed as a PG on most services and taking him early would probably be risky.
I don't believe MS when he says it doesn't impact them. Of course it does and the timing of things absolutely matters.
Locke is a really good shooter and would be a welcome addition with all the shooting this team will be losing at seasons end. I just think we need to get some other things squared away first. I'm not taking Locke before signing day if Grimes/Dotson are visiting in the fall and could possibly be committing. If Locke is as interested in KU as he says then you can pull the strings when you want to with him..
With all the offers out for guards I get the feeling the staff is preparing for Vick to be leaving as well. With the summer he's reportedly having I can see why they might be planning he could be that (6th) guy leaving.
dylans said:
Hopefully Devonte and crew look to Frank for inspiration. Mason made a huge leap Jr to Sr years by busting his ace in the gym all summer long.
From what Self has said about Devonte this summer it looks like he has been putting in the work to make that possible. I like how he's already said this is Devonte's team. Vick has been another that has been talked about taking another leap.
KUSTEVE said:
@DoubleDD We aren't going to be running the 4 out/1 in very often, imo. That will tremendously help our defense. Having a 7 footer at the rim helps as well. To believe that a Bill Self team is not going to compete defensively after a bad defensive year is complete, utter hogwash.
Agreed. If Doke can find a way to stay on the court for 26-30 minutes a game its going to be a huge help in the middle.
I hope that his time off with the injury made him more cerebral to his importance on the court. He'll be in the top 5 in blocks in the Big-12 and maybe just as important alter a ton of others.
We know teams didn't shy away from driving to the hoop because there wasn't the resistance teams are used to seeing from the Hawks. Now teams will have to find ways to score over more length and size which I think will lower shooting %'s for opposing teams as they either shoot more jump shots that are a lower % shot or get their shot erased at the rim.
Fightsongwriter said:
@BeddieKU23 I agree with everything you said, but there is just something wrong with the prospect of winning the NC the year AFTER Frank leaves. It's still a gut punch. Mitch with a ring but not the greatest guard to play at KU? I know I need therapy, but it is still bugging the crap out of me.
Couldn't agree more, I really did believe we'd win the title this past season with Frank but again we fell short. We just didn't get it done and I think we look for a million other reasons to justify the disappointment.
I just hope this years squad continues to learn from the disappointment of the past 2 years. The leader of this team (Devonte) has been through 2 excruciating years of this and I think its going to be a great motivator for him and that hopefully rubs off on the team. If this is the year we get over the hump and get a title its going to be really satisfying even if Frank isn't responsible.
Sounds like Locke wants to commit.
Honestly though if your Self do you take him yet when you don't have your 2 main targets with official visits set up yet.. I think you slow play this one and try and get him on campus after Grimes/Dotson have. This is where having insiders knowing what's going would help..
Texas Hawk 10 said:
@BeddieKU23 Length doesn't equal a good defender, Svi is proof of that. A 6-8 wing should be a good defender, but he sucks. Newman has an entire season's worth of evidence in a worse league than the Big 12 that he's not a great defender playing for a coach who has produced a lot of great defensive teams including one that held KU to 55 points in an E8 game.
Garrett and Preston are the two unknowns and freshman, especially in the paint, have a history of struggling to adjust to the college game under Self.
Maybe they prove me wrong, but I just don't see the evidence to suggest this team gets significantly better on defense from last year even with Self as a coach.
I think the 2018 team is shaping up to be a monster defensive team with the Lawson's becoming eligible, but I just don't see it with this year's group.
Ok, be negative nelly if you wish.
Size and length can make a difference, I'm not saying it guarantees anything but if KU is putting out a bigger team at positions with athletes there is no reason to think a defensive coach can't get the best of them.
Svi has a 6'5 wingspan which is shorter then his height. He's been an average at best defender. We shall see what he does as a senior.
Newman is a question mark. A lot of his issues were effort as a freshman and his health wasn't always there. There was pre draft videos of him showing good lateral quickness on defense which could be an asset to him after the year off to mature and get his body right.
We can go back and forth but what's the point. Let's see what these guys do in Italy and in the season before we judge this team that has a lot of new pieces and returning talent that can improve on any deficiency they have on defense
jayballer54 said:
@BShark I have to agree with ya man, looks like the Carey possibility slacking with the news of these latest probably right. - -Whoever it is I think we are going to be just fine. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
He's most likely focusing on the local schools. Nova recently joined the heard on this one. We will see if he ends up visiting or not. Hes really damn good
The roster changes can mean everything.
Obviously we don't know anything about this years team as of yet but at the minimum returning players should continue to improve defensively with another year under their belt. Maybe they don't but what's the point in predicting this team won't do something at this point.
We have the potential to put some more length at positions then we had last season especially in the backcourt and playing a more natural PF to pair with the return of Doke. We struggled to stop post players around the rim and I figure those figures will drop with what we figure to have playing the 4 plus having a legitimate shot blocking presence at the rim. I didn't guarantee anything but just looking at the potential of what Self can mold this team into looks promising, at least this far out
The defense should be better this season because we figure to have bigger/longer players on the court at every position then last year. The SF position is a wash but we also added two more versatile long wings in Garrett/Cunliffe to plug in as well. We are talking about the smallest player on the court being Devonte all they way up to the behemoth in the middle at 7 feet. Just having Azubuike in the middle hopefully changes the entire complexion for opposing teams and how they can attack KU. Preston and Whitman both have excellent size to bang in the post and so I'm excited about what they can do on that end.
For KU to be an elite defensive team it has to find ways to keep Azubuike on the floor. The perimeter trio of Newman/Vick and Svi must show some natural progression on on-the-ball defensive assignments. Maybe Self finds some new wrinkles to implement from watching opposing teams attack him. The game has changed with how the rules are and the shot clock so Self has to continue to evolve his defensive schemes with them. I'm looking forward to the potential this team could have on defense. We should match up well with a lot of styles of play and we have 1 overwhelming advantage in the post that no program in America can match
Everything comes down to coaching and the players.
It's the coaches job to figure out how to get these guys over that Elite 8 round which has been Self's thorn at KU.
The game against Villanova was a tough game. Arguably Self was out-coached and Perry and Selden didn't show up offensively.
Against Oregon everyone not named Frank Mason left their lunch bag at the hotel and the pressure got to them while Oregon came out as the underdog and kicked our tails in.
So what's the cure for that? It's not playing a gauntlet schedule. KU already plays a conference schedule no other Power 5 conference does.
Let's see how this years team comes together but I'm sure Devonte, Vick and Svi are all going to use last seasons loss as motivation. I'm sure Doke, Newman, Mitch and Sam all learned some valuable lessons sitting on the sidelines. Either this team is good enough or its not. The potential for them to be a championship team exists but there is a lot of work to be done to get there.
Matt's scouting report on Noah Locke after watching him drop 25 on Mokan
Combo guard. Can score from multiple spots in multiple ways. Catch and shoot, off the dribble, surprising hops. Decent length. He can really move without the ball and create enough space to catch and shoot very quickly and efficiently.
Yeah Emmitt will be a tough pull out of Florida, as Florida, FSU, are after him. Some recent schools that offered are Oregon and. Duke will most likely be out if they land Bagley which seems to be the new latest buzz. Matt Scott for whatever its worth says there was some buzz at Peach Jam that KU could be his destination. Take that for whatever its worth.
BShark said:
BeddieKU23 said:
That was a good decision
Agree.
Looks like KU could get involved with Noah Locke as well.
3 cb's for KU with Locke who has interest in KU.. Slater must have heard something. Not sure what that means for our other targets.
Kcmatt7 said:
@BeddieKU23 I would love to land a few of these guys in the 70ish range with how our roster is set up next season. Especially if we return Preston or Doke. Or hell, if we get both back, look out.
I actually think we should be looking to add as much elite talent as we can get with next years transfers.
When you talk about losing Graham, Svi and most likely Newman off the perimeter and at the minimum Whitman in the post that is a ton of experience and scoring ability leaving the team.
The balance of the team will be shifting to whoever stays (hopefully a Sr Vick and Jr Doke) to go along with the transfers and hold-overs (Garrett, Lightfoot, Cunliffe). That's a solid 8 if Preston leaves, a solid 9 if he stays
KU could have a 3 man freshman class, carefully constructed and put an absolute stranglehold on the Big-12 and keep themselves at the front of the National Championship conversations for the next few years. The 3 I believe fit the best that KU is realistically involved with are as follows:
-
Quentin Grimes- We've talked plenty about him plenty, mom went to KU, he's the #1 priority at guard. Showed at the Adidas Gauntlet that he's an elite scorer with size for either guard position. When he shoots the ball like he did in his 41 point game in front of Bill Self he's exactly the type of guard that helps replace the production Graham/Newman/Svi are leaving behind.
-
Emmitt Williams- Just one of the toughest post players in any class and maybe the most athletic player in all of High School. At 6'7 he gives up some height but makes up for it with defensive versatility, rebounding and elite athletic ability with a growing perimeter game that he's shown off on the AAU circuit. He plays with a nasty streak on the court as if he's mad at something and that is the sort of toughness I'd love to see KU add in the frontcourt. If KU is looking to add someone to compliment both Lawson's old man game and Azubuike's power and athleticism you get the best of both worlds in Williams.
-
Devon Dotson- another we've discussed at length. Visited on his own dime during the season, is a play-making point guard, more of a traditional type PG then Grimes. I love his ability in pick and roll and he gets to the FT line at will which is a great trait to have coming into College where tight games can become all about FT shooting. He'd be the perfect compliment to Moore while grooming to be his future running mate.
Assuming both Newman and Preston are NBA bound after this year we could trot out some really exciting lineup combinations.
PG- Moore - Dotson
SG- Grimes- Garrett
SF- Vick- Cunliffe- Lawson
PF- Lawson- Williams
C- Azubuike- Lightfoot
Lots of lineup possibilities. Size, athleticism, shooting ability abundant through the roster. That's just 11 players. Self could then add 1-2 transfer possibilities in the spring to groom for the next cycle of recruiting.
Duke offered Matthew Hurt.. Good thing KU has plenty of other wing targets because that's likely a wrap!
Also 2018 PF Jermaine Harris a Top 75 DMV product down to 8 and just included KU after getting offered on Monday. Decent developmental big that could be a fall back option. West Virginia has had him on campus multiple times.
Here's a name I don't think we've talked about mostly because I didn't know how much the staff has really been recruiting him with all the other targets KU has in front of him. He's an adidas kid and has seen his stock rise a ton since the spring. Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Missouri, Uconn, Texas A&M are also on his list right now.
6'3-6'4 guard from Maryland ranked #74 on 247.. Recently cut his list to 7 with KU on it.
Here's what he said.
He’s hearing a lot from the Jayhawks.
“They’re real good. It’s Kansas. It’s self-explanatory,” Mathis said. “They contact me almost every day, so I think I’m building a good relationship.”
He said KU assistant Norm Roberts is in regular contact.
“He said he likes my motor,” Mathis said.
He went for 25, 6 boards, 3 steals, 3 asts and is a teammate of Quickley. They took down Zion's team.
Mario will probably always be #1 but Mason and T-Rob are 1.a and 1.b
JayHawkFanToo said:
Keep in mind that over the las 3 seasons, Hill has played 43, 74 and 49 games. He s getting close to the end of his career and durability is a big concern. I think he is being way overpaid.
Definitely, not that I wish injury upon anyone but if he does miss extended time then that bodes well for Mason getting experience during the season.
He is perhaps going to be the most overpaid player in the league but honestly would anyone really expect anything less from the Kings?
Putting aside all feelings about how they handled both T-Rob and B-Mac this has been one of the worst franchises in all of sports and while there does seem to be some positive change coming to SAC, giving Hill that kind of money is crazy.
Given all the inexperienced talent on the squad they had to pay some vets to groom these young fella's. Vince Carter is 40, Hill has been on the decline for yrs, Zach Randolph is at the end of his career. These guys are padding retirement money.