Interesting. Very good shooter. KU could have 7 guards next year..
BeddieKU23
31745 posts
A Jr Bragg with a re-dedicated off-season would be great to have at Self's disposal. No doubt that's the best scenario here. One that I'm still holding onto as long as no decision has been made.
Self recruited over him getting Preston so that's an interesting plot to think about. Then there's Lightfoot who will be battling for more time after what should be an intense summer for him adding weight, continuing to develop. We also have a chance at landing a high level transfer in Juiston who would bring a lot of intangibles to the team. Self is certainly prepared to move on if that happens.
Should we though? I think there's more evidence to support staying with the perimeter oriented offense if Graham/Svi return (as that makes 6 perimeter players) on the roster. Plus the versatility of Preston (assuming he's on campus) makes the 4 guard offense something to build off rather then abandon.
I think given what we saw from Bragg this season it would be hard to revert back and have confidence in him producing. Self abandoned the traditional set to get his 5 best players on the court. It's hard to imagine we are going to see Carlton in one off-season change that. Thoughts?
Lots of good points.
The playing time against Oregon says something is up.
Even if we were to exaggerate how good Coleby played in the Purdue game it still doesn't make sense on the surface. Dwight only got 4 minutes in the Oregon game and from my recollection was lost in those 4 minutes. So Bragg doesn't even get a sniff? not even a look. Then we add in the fact Josh Jackson was saddled with two quick fouls and Bragg wasn't the first option. Somewhere Bragg would have been an option if Self had played to his rotations in games prior.
So are we to assume Self tightened the bench when the game quickly became one KU was trailing and playing catch up. Maybe it was the game plan. Something doesn't sound right about that either.
If he stays its a good sign that both are ready to move forward.
I think its going to be Carlton's decision. I don't think Self would push him out but we don't know how much of the off the court stuff has bothered Self. I'm sure we won't know either way
Will post in here since its not official or anything.
One of Svi's best friends is saying he'll be back next year. Who knows how true but that would be a great thing
good one.
I'm sure he'll look at Texas too, they need bigs and have plenty of scholarships to give
First off I think he's leaving. I've been hinting to that end for months. He's the perfect example of a kid that looks for a new situation. KU isn't immune to the transfer game.
Why was he benched in the last game? I fail to think it was due to the flow of the game. We didn't have one big that played well and when Jackson went down with 2 fouls those were usually Bragg's minutes. So why didn't he get a chance to help in the Oregon game..
I think the staff tried to force him into a role he wasn't comfortable with and it showed. He didn't really have a choice after the style of play switched to the 4 guard offense. A big part of why that happened was the inability for Bragg to develop enough to start him. Jackson took his place and I'm sure that hurt his ego.
I would love for Carlton to be back if he dedicated this off-season to the mental side of things. I don't care about the off the court issues but they became an easy target to say he wasn't focused, it showed on the court way too often. I thought maybe the distractions would harden him and he'd use them to motivate his play but he wasn't able to do that consistently.
His motor, defense, hands, were all major concerns this season. It's hard to say he took any steps forward even though his statistics overall say he improved. Sometimes I wondered if this was a player capable of playing at the High Major D-1 level. He honestly would benefit from a red-shirt year and if that happens most assuredly it won't be at Kansas. I wish Carlton the best with whatever he does. He can certainly come back, hit the reset button and work on his game and repair his image and game. But today its much easier for these kids to hit the reset button somewhere else
Agreed. With the loss still fresh its hard to hit the refresh button just yet and truly dig into next years squad. We still don't know which pieces will be back or gone and whatever talent Self can get into Lawrence before summer. Definitely shaping up as the most unpredictable team in years.
He's winning so many its hard to fully appreciate each one.
And all these awards probably don't mean crap to him if he was still playing tonight... Sigh...The season shouldn't have ended without him getting to the Final 4..
except for Duke and Kentucky!
Saw SMU might be an option. They need bigs more..
The lost definitely sucks no matter how one looks at it.
The defeat has probably been a great motivator. UNC at its best was one of the best teams in the Country there was no doubt about it. A complete team that had so much come back with that hunger to win. I cannot imagine a greater motivator then how they lost last season.
It's not like UNC doesn't have NBA talent on its team. Jackson has a career in the league with his much improved jumper. Bradley, the freshman is a fantastic talent (KU recruited him and had a realistic chance), and Seventh Woods was able to get some rotation minutes as a freshman and has off-the charts athleticism as a guard.
Meeks & Hicks will end up somewhere although I'm not sure where they fit in the NBA but they both can rebound and score around the basket so someone will take a chance on these 2. Berry is the typical 4 year guard that just wins games. Him being hurt and still finding ways to help this team win says a lot about him.
But I agree, so much is said about the OAD's and yet here we are another year with none of them having a feature role in the championship game. We had arguably the best one this year and he wasn't able to help KU get over the hump. Roy has done a great job with his method and reminds everyone he's still a great coach.
@BigBad said:
To me THIS is the new way to recruit. Find guys who are overrated. Guys who will be good/great college guys who have to stay 3 years. Easier said then done.
He also recruits kids that don't have immediate OAD written on them. Whether it's getting kids slightly small for a position or one that lacked a great perimeter shot or lots of talent that needed development coming in. That's describing berry, Jackson and hicks btw.
Meeks lost a crap ton of weight in college and is a perfect example of what 4 years can do for you if you want to make yourself something.
I tip my cap to Roy for what he's done in face of all the outside issues that loom
And all of them came to college needing development. Other than Jackson none of them have a serious chance in the NBA.
Jackson reminds of Selden with the hype coming in. Both flourished in year 3.
But overall agreed Roy has gotten so lucky with getting top ish kids to stay
@jayballer54 said:
@BeddieKU23 Well for what it's worth, that wonderful CB ha predicting him to Providence - -three picks all for them - I NOW believe those guys don't know squat. -They have been proven wrong to many times. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
Providence was one of his finalists and is local. They could use him as a major upgrade at their pg spot
glad we will be able to stop talking about him soon
I'm waiting in a few weeks for his final 9
Hadn't watched Ashton-Langford in a while because his recruitment I thought was over. Always liked his game, he's a winner wherever he's played.
Positives:
Can get anywhere he wants on the court
Fearless going to the hoop.
Good size for the PG spot.
Mid-range game looks solid
Ability to change directions on a dime, which plays into his ability to get where he wants.
Weaknesses:
Jump-shot needs work, not broken and can make it off the dribble.
Predominately right handed finisher. You'll see this in about every video, he finishes right even when he should use the off hand. College defenders will exploit that.
Dribbles high, again something a lot of kids adjust to in College.
Good athlete, not explosive which is why he's hovered in that 30's range in rankings.
Solid 2-4 year guard for any program. Some upside, is a proven winner which is an important quality in a floor leader. If Graham does test the waters KU should be at his front door begging
Makai Ashton-Langford asks for his release from Uconn. Top 30 player and a combo guard, I believe KU showed a bit of interest during the summer. Hopefully the staff goes after him, he's going to be the most sought after player
Oh and Brewster alum. We may have a few of those.
Led Brewster to undefeated season
Definitely, Enfield is really starting to make his mark at USC as well. Could have a top 15 team next season.
I wonder where Dooley may end up but hopefully his next stop is a Power 5 school
I only listed the one's that stood out. But I understand your point and I'm not disputing it.
Juiston has had a very unfortunate upbringing that is likely the reason he ended up on the path he is on. I liken his situation to Jamari Traylor who had some comparable adversity in his life and while Traylor was not the greatest Jayhawk to put on a Jersey he did help KU win some games in his career. Shakur seems like a driven kid, heck he got a KU offer and a Juco Title in the past month. I think he's worth taking a shot on for 2 years
Good point Juco's haven't been a strong path for KU in the past. Sometimes kids just slip through the conventional path and Juiston is one of them. Kid has talent, I don't see a reason to label him anything else then that
He's starting to get some looks at better jobs. I think its wise for him to have another successful year where he is (returning 4 starters and 8 rotation players). He's also adding 2 high level transfers (Doyle from Michigan & Gilmore from VCU) that should keep them on top of their conference. I think its a given that Dooley will have a better job sooner then later
Generally Juco kids are what they are. Sometimes you do get a player that can really help you out though.
Taking the Juco rankings from the past few years:
2011 #1 Pierre Jackson- had a nice career at Baylor
2012 #2 Cleanthony Early- nice career at Wichita St, got drafted
2012 #10 Marshall Henderson- what a shooter and nutcase he was at Ole Miss
2013 #1 Chris Jones- KU wanted him, he ended up at Louisville and was a starter.
2013 #6 Elgin Cook- Started at Oregon, was an important part of their Elite 8 run last year.
2014 # 2 Kadeem Allen- Starter at Arizona this year.
2014 #11 Gary Payton Jr- Solid player at Oregon St, ended up in the NBA.
2015 #3 Chris Boucher- Solid starter at Oregon the past 2 years. Injury de-railed his run with Oregon towards the Final 4.
2015 #4 Joel Acuil Jr- Led the Big 12 in blocks this year.
2015 #20 Vlad Brodziansky- Leading scorer for TCU this year.
Juiston is that type of kid that can help KU. It's not like the 4 spot has any guarantee right now. He does a lot of things well (especially rebounding, blocks, assists) and is a high level athlete. He just led his team to a Juco title. He's better than any HS recruit we'd get at this point outside of Duval.
More than anything I think his character would be a big plus to this team that is losing senior leaders and is transitioning into life without Mason & Lucas.
I know that Dooley was a candidate, maybe he pulled out and liked his position. FGCU should again be good next season
Dooley was involved for that job as well.
Yupp I saw that and felt the same
Definitely. The top kids have too much behind the scenes around them and it starts at a young age. We have landed top kids in the past where shoe affiliation didn't matter like Wiggins & Jackson but those kids were just different. They also had parents that were involved and kept a tight ship on things. It's the families that invite the "other stuff" like Duval and his father that bring on a whole new ballgame when it comes to recruiting. Too many kids have handlers as well and most of them are not involved for the right reasons other then personal gain.
Just what we want to hear. Momma on board
Tech has 5 transfers from either Juco or from D-1 schools. They also return 4 starters who will all be seniors. I think Beard will be a tough out in year 2.
Juco ranking for the nation.
Sure we have a chance. He hasn't taken any visits. Schools have popped in and out to his games etc including KU. Iowa St has probably put in more time then most especially with their need for post players and losing so much this year.
Iowa St has an insider that says relationships will be important with Shakur from what his coach says. I also think the same Iowa St guy is trying to imply that ISU being on him longer will potentially be an advantage The KU offer was obviously his biggest and who knows how much sway that has because we have probably come in late compared to other programs that knew about him earlier.
We should know fairly soon if he does decide to set up some visits. Hutch just won the Juco Championship and Self will be back from the Final 4 to do 1 on 1 with the players next week. We should start hearing decisions on the draft and transfers after that. I would imagine that is when Juiston could be a possible visitor especially if a certain player is no longer with the program..
Brangers is a kid that will make an impact for Tech next season. He played for the Juco team that the coach has copied the Golden State Warriors method on offense. I believe it was the NY Times that ran their story recently if I'm correct..
Brangers averaged 20.9 pts this year on 49% shooting and 46% from 3 (151-327). He's the type of shooter that Tech has needed.
Yes Duval wants to play in College. He's also smart enough to deflect the question so that the schools recruiting him don't start asking questions. Slater of 247 is in the know about this situation and he knows for a fact that UA has tried to convince Duval to skip College and take a deal now. They are scared that if he ends up at Duke (a premier Nike school) that this could affect their future endorsement deal with him. Crazy times!
I believe its more difficult then that but if you think Duval is not affected by what Graham does that is your opinion to have. The Mason/Graham situation was unique especially because they were close friends and had such great chemistry on the court.
Honestly I don't know how its happening but it does. Its the hush hush side of recruiting
FYI Shakur Juiston is the #1 ranked Juco player according to Jucorecruiting.com
Other notables
Jordan Brangers #3 going to Texas Tech- lethal scorer from the perimeter.
Shawn Olden #11 going to TCU
D'Angelo Hunter #14 going to West Virginia
Josh Webster #17 going to Texas Tech
I think you interpreted that correctly, he's most interested in what happens at Duke, then Kansas and Arizona as far as roster movements go.
Duke has told him he can have the keys and I'm sure that both KU & Zona have had similar pitches. The problem for KU & Zona is they currently have PG's so predictably his answer is going to be "waiting to see what Devonte Graham or a Kobi Simmons does at Arizona.
I'm sure if everything happens the way he's talking maybe he decides in April. I wouldn't hold my breathe for Duval, he's an expert at what to say. Nike wants him at Duke, UA wants him to skip College so that UA doesn't have competition for him after his 1 year. This is much more then just Colleges trying to convince him to go to school
I agree, with Barrett, Nike is going to do its best to influence where he ends up. It's just the truth nobody wants to talk about.
Barrett is a future NBA SG/SF and the next star from Canada. He loves Andrew Wiggins and that's a big part of why KU has any chance of landing him next year if he does drop down a class. Adidas doesn't help KU, at least we don't seem to hear about them pushing kids our way. Maybe that's Self keeping his hands clean from that aspect of recruiting, or he's just really good at keeping it hush. There are a lot of 2018 top kids that are not Nike which is rare and a sign of how things have changed.
It's the culture we live in today. Coaches have been doing this for a long time and it seems that the kids have finally caught on.
I would say contributing factors are the AAU scene, the OAD rule and the graduate transfer rule which basically makes you a free agent.
Billy Preston went to five high schools for example and played on a few AAU squads as well. The constant moving around starts at a young age.
The OAD rule has created this culture where kids want to prove they are good enough in one year, not 4. The development curve these kids think is best has changed significantly.
If kids don't get the situation they want and are forced to sit the bench, chances are your at risk of losing him. If Mitch Lightfoot wasn't a lifetime Jayhawk fan he would be a prime candidate of someone looking for more opportunity today.
One of the main issues I see with the high number of transfers is how many are transferring from lower level D-1 schools and crippling those teams that cannot find someone they have spent 2-3-4 years developing. You see a lot of the best players from smaller schools trying to "level up" and get to a high major. As @drgnslayr has said, the reputation of transfers has completely changed recently. Bill Self has taken how many transfers in the past 5 years? The number seems to be increasing by the year. It's almost an necessity to include transfers in the discussion of recruiting. The game has definitely changed, for better or for worse.
Grimes and Dotson are probably the two recruits we have the best chance with right now, and I stress right now.
Grimes has a lot of big programs after him because he's a top player, his Jr year was really good and he's the prototypical combo guard that Bill Self loves. Grimes came off a visit to Kentucky last year and said KU was his favorite. I'm sure things have changed, like Duke getting involved as well as Arizona. Although Duke is also targeting other point guard types Grimes is one of their options. Kentucky is also after some other kids but is keeping Grimes in the loop. Arizona seems like the other main program that has prioritized Grimes and that will be interesting to monitor. I'm sure Bill will be following him all summer
Dotson on the other hand is a kid KU has a really good chance to get. He's from an area where you would expect UNC/Duke to be all over that but UNC locked up 2 guards already and as mentioned before Duke is after a few other guards. Most notably Darius Garland, who KU just offered is one that is probably locked up to Duke. Actually Duke people are surprised why he hasn't already committed. Dotson paying his own dime to visit during the season says we have to be his favorite if one was to read between the lines. Dotson had a great Jr year and is the type of point guard that could become a fan favorite like Frank Mason. I expect he'll be a 3-4 year type that can really impact a program. Dotson has other schools after him, maybe most notably Villanova but I would say at this moment Dotson is KU's to lose.
We offered but Bamba never showed any interest back. Word is Bamba is an interesting dude and has really been slow with his recruiting process and doesn't talk much to the media. He established some relationships early with Texas due to playing on Team USA, Duke, Kentucky and just stuck with them. The Michigan visit was interesting but they were never really in it.
He plays defense with a motor like Josh Jackson with a near 8 foot wingspan. It's just not fair.
Preston is playing in the High School National Championship Tournament. Had 8pts 3rbs at half. Kid is all over the place!
Definitely, if Graham enters the draft its going to be even more tense
Definitely Creighton is putting out a good product right now.
April 23rd is the underclassmen deadline
Leading scorer is gone as well, he graduated. It's not like Nebraska cares about Basketball anyway