@approxinfinity Double he** no. Never know when he might get diarrhea at a crucial moment.
HighEliteMajor
5416 posts
@jayballer73 This football team is so bad, they don't have a basketball player among them. Normore anyone?
@wissox I know it seems like an injustice. I think the second season suspension is over the top. But would the rules be worth anything if a kid could escape sanction when a person he involved in recruiting accepted money on his behalf? That would be free pass. No perfect solution.
Just go watch WVU game winning hoop -- Grimes go blown by at the top of the key. Like he was standing still.
You all realize that the NCAA statement said that a Kansas booster was involved? Not just an Adidas guy?
This is really concerning.
And if we absolve a player that involves a third party in his recruitment -- that third party then taking money -- then there are no rules, right?
All that said, why isn't his guardian targeted by the FBI? Or the booster?
And even bigger to me -- if we know Zion, or someone else took money, why are we quiet? Burn it down.
I don't mind rules. I don't mind a reasonable suspension. What I mind is when it is not applied across the board, or when prosecution/investigation targets only a select few.
The obvious better penalty would have been to suspend him this year only.
We should hold our breath ... Here's betting we get a postseason ban in 2019-20, and maybe even forfeiting the final four last season.
And this is part of the reason why I said a while back that there is a reasonable chance that Bill Self is not here next season. This can lead to a coach leaving, for sure. Or, if it's found that Self knew in some way, being forced out.
The NBA is waiting.
@KUSTEVE Uh, we agree .. mark that on the calendar. Play the man.
@kjayhawks We've seen the voices that have really supported Garrett now not contest this failing element of his game -- meaning, I hear no argument that this is not a critical weakness that negatively impacts our team. Makes me wonder where this reasonableness was from some during the Jamari Traylor discussions when he was in the 4 spot, out on the floor (or the "high" in the high/low), even when photos of game action demonstrated the same thing.
The thing is, Garrett is a much better player than Traylor. Further, we need Garrett to play. We didn't need Traylor to play.
The impetus is on Self to figure this all out offensively. I'm confident in that right now. February seems to be Self's best month.
Basketball related in that UNC seemed to have a bit of academic fraud going on, but skated. MU bowl ban. And that we have our own issues going on. So while we chuckle, we know of course that our house right now is made of glass. So we should probably just be quiet. But we can maybe smirk a bit.
Grrrrrrr .. Tigers!
I mean, the crackers be shakin' and all. Natty light. Gun safety. Picking noses. Flea kicker. 5th down. Paige Arena. Tyus Edney. Hunger strikes. Aligning academically. No Final Fours - ever. Tanking enrollment. KU BCS. Two Porters done. Slave state. Norfolk St.
But hey, they did win the 1966 indoor track national championship. That's a banner, right?
@Texas-Hawk-10 Your comment on fouls is just unfounded regarding McCormack.
Was Doke unable to help this season? Or last? Or DeSousa last season? Or is Mitch Lightfoot unable to help because of fouls? Or heck, Landen Lucas a few years ago? Or Embiid? You should review this stuff before you post.
The fact is, McCormack does not foul at a high rate. Actually, it's very reasonable.
Doke's foul rate per 40 minutes was 5.7 (and 5.1 last season); Mitch's is 6.0; DeSousa's foul rate was 7.5 per 40 minutes last season. Landen Lucas was 5.2 his senior year and 5.4 his junior season. Embiid was 5.8.
McCormack's is only 4.4 per 40 minutes.
Further, he's never even had more than 2 fouls in a game all season. He's played five games with double digit minutes, and a total of only 6 fouls in those games combined.
Now, your sped up thing is a different story. Game action. Becoming comfortable -- that's more of what he needs. DeSousa was a disaster starting out last season.
McCormack playing, starting, and this team going 3/2 is the best option right now. We need a high rate of micro-management/scripting by coach Self on offense.
I loved the zone we played. Not all the time. But as a change-up when needed. We never play zone well here. Self's a man-to-man coach. But it's needed now at times.
Dedric, McCormack, Vick, Agbaji, Dotson -- that's my vote to start and play the most minutes. Garrett and Grimes off the bench, with Lightfoot as needed. We'd play some 4/1, but hopefully 30-35 minutes of 3/2.
@Crimsonorblue22 I just looked -- He's had four fouls, four times. Once he had four fouls in 16 minutes. Other three times 26, 31, and 35 minutes. So no real foul trouble other than that. Never fouled out.
The guy is just not aggressive for some reason.
Scores 21 vs. MSU in game 1, national stage, looks great, and then a downward spiral with a few blips of positivity.
Maybe girlfriend problems? Homesick? Never know.
@kjayhawks I think 1988-89 actually. We lost 8 in row then. I was at a loss at Allen to OU during that bad stretch. I don't recall any four of five stretch since. Anyone else?
Well, I think we all agree something crazy can always happen in March. Understanding that, assessments of our future are just based on probabilities. And the probability right now on a FF run seems a touch low.
On McCormack, he's really not that bad.
PER is 16.4, fourth best on the team (Doke is #1; Dedric #2; Agbaji #3 in limited time). Rebounds 12.7 per 40 minutes, Dedric 13.4 per 40 minutes.
To me, he's a guy that if you invest minutes, you will have that better product in March.
Dotson, Agbaji, Vick, Dedric, McCormack. This is reacting to what I've seen the past two games.
See how Grimes does coming off the bench. We know Garrett can function in that role. Play 3/2 as much as we can with Dedric and McCormack in. Only use Mitch if really needed.
This seems a better option than what we've seen, and we can have a better presence on the boards -- which is helpful to a poor offensive team, both in creating some additional possessions offensively, and endng the other team's possessions as soon as possible.
@BShark Hard to imagine, I know, but I'm giving Self a full pass on that one. It's hard to imagine Grimes being so bad so far and KJ being really sub-par. If Grimes was near expected and KJ just reasonable, and if we still had Doke, I can understand that decision. Vick coming back. Garrett a relied upon cog. Thinking the lower ranked freshman would struggle for minutes was probably reasonable. It's his job to project to game action, but circumstances do support the decision. As for Moore, well, you had that pegged.
@BigBad - Well, he can coach up shooting. However, your point is that he can't coach up shooting NOW. And you're right. No magic potion there.
But he can create looks and opportunity. He can script to get players in position to be successful. He can focus on getting Vick and Agbaji those critical looks from three. That's his job right NOW. That's what is critical right NOW. Both of those guys can turn this around. They both can shoot. Dotson can get his looks on normal reversal or kick out as a PG many times does.
This is not difficult. But it requires Self to be hands on, and focus on the key elements that will make this team successful.
This is a coaching moment. One where Bill Self needs to step up.
There was an article about how time was spent with Garrett and his shooting over this past summer. And he still looks like a seventh grader shooting the ball, form-wise. The poor form is my concern.
Even after the work with Doke on free throw shooting, the form was still poor. And this was after a wasted summer in 2017 where nothing was done.
I know we've seen improvement from many shooters over the years. Sometimes guys just don't have the touch. Much of it is God given/genetics. But as coaches, they should demand excellent form from those that struggle.
@BeddieKU23 One path that is arguably reasonable is to play conventional, McCormack, Dedric, Vick, Agbagi, and Dotson. But then we have Lightfoot off the bench to stay that way. That's the only explanation for his comment. That Lightfoot isn't an answer.
I personally think that an emphasis on creating looks for your best players is the only real option here. And Self doesn't do that much. The best players - Dedric, Agbaji, Dotson, and then Vick at the arc.
This is the time, now, for the scripted play. For the designed look. For extreme micromanagement from the bench. The free flow of offense isn't cutting it.
It is interesting how, now, I think we're seeing what I (and others) had mentioned as a concern about Garrett. This does not impugn his abilities as a player. We all appreciate those. But this is reality we're talking about. This team can't afford that black hole offensively. We are challenged on that end of the court. Two points in 26 minutes. And it is clear that not only UK adjusted to him, Texas did too. It's easy to see the defensive approach. He'll still get to the rim at times, of course. But this will continue to be a struggle for this team unless Garrett can get to the rim consistently somehow.
Back to the point -- we have to get the ball to our best players AND create ways for them to score. That's a solid option, I think, given what we've seen.
Agbaji showed signs of embracing the idea of being "the man." I hope Self embraces it. Seeing Dedric shoot a 25 foot three at a critical spot is not the answer. Get the ball to "the man" and help create his look.
I'm fed up with Grimes' lack of effort.
If you have the game recorded, just watch Grimes every time a shot goes up. It's pathetic.
He is the king of "just standing there." You could watch the first 10 minutes and see what I'm talking about. He .. just .. stands .. there.
One rebound in 20 minutes. Think about that.
Think about this. Agbaji had as many rebounds (7) tonight as Grimes' has had in the last five games combined. Just a quirk? Nope. Grimes five games prior to that? Right, seven rebounds.
I don't understand. Do we demand effort, or don't we?
@Kcmatt7 I would tend to agree. The things holding him back are largely things he can't control or improve. Of course, if he does come out and show a significant expansion in his range and %, as mentioned above, that is a different thing. He had a sweet fall away last game, too. He needs to mimic Dirk Nowitzki. Maybe a poor man's Dirk. This is a close call. But can he work on those issues making money? In a pro setting? That's why I think it favors him leaving.
A couple mocks below. In one, Dedric late 2nd. In the other, Dedric nowhere to be found.
The guy is averaging a double-double yet is an after-thought. The obvious reasons.
The key with many folks seems to be whether there is a reasonable chance to improve one's draft stock by coming back. If not, then get out an make money. Barring other things that might influence.
That might favor SDS playing next season if the penalty doesn't eat into next season.
Ever heard of the word "foreboding"? It fits here.
@Fightsongwriter That's a great point. He was denied at the rim a number of times.
My view on this is no different than say the B-Star, or Traylor, or Lucas discussions. When you hit a certain level of competition, certain things don't fly. In this case, high talent with skill defending the rim. Garrett might be effective with his form of offense 4 out of 5 games, or even 9 out of 10. But it's that tricky one on the second weekend, or Sweet 16, or Elite Eight that get you.
I mention Garrett with those prior three players because, in Garrett's case, his game has a significant hole (shooting). The other three it was more about talent ceilings and being cast in significant roles, which is maybe a bit different.
Not like our season is riding on this or anything.
Last night exposed our weaknesses more than any other game this season. But we just got beat by a better team.
The article today by Jesse Newell highlights what many of us have said about Garrett, and simply rehashes what we saw last night. Our offense can be significantly disrupted by Garrett's defender when that defender slacks off due to Garrett's horrible shooting. In fact, the article quotes a UK defender, stating that their plan was to let Garrett shoot. That's a sad reality. Last night, it was really a big deal.
Where was Vick? Not sure why he doesn't want to assert himself.
We need Agbaji to be the #2 or #3 scorer. It's just a matter of whether he can advance in that role. He's the guy with his head on straight, and a guy that fits that role. Relying on Garrett to be a top scorer creates what we saw last night. And relying on Vick leaves one disappointed. Grimes, who knows?
I think it's best to start and embrace Agbaji, and say go get 'em.
So where is this team? In a land of uncertainty.
But it is not a team lacking in talent. Compared to the rest of the Big 12, it's not even close (as usual). Rankings - Grimes 8, Dotson 21, Dedric 33, McCormack 35, Garrett 41, Vick 51, KJ 54, Moore 55, Mitch 107, Agbaji 145. Again, not even close.
The fact of the matter is that the construct of the team is lacking. This is a team trying to play 4/1, but without the necessary shooting. And we have one critical team member (Garrett) that is worse than that -- he's an anti-shooter, which creates other issues in certain games. Not all the time. Just in games that replicate advancement in the NCAA tourney, like last night.
We need SDS in the worst way now. There is a reason this team was set to play 3/2.
And I didn't mention Grimes. I've watched a lot of KU basketball. Of all of the more highly touted players coming in, he's the one that appears to be most out of sync. Not even really in the flow of what is going on offensively. Just the eye test. Odd more than anything to me.
The game last night was an eye opener. UK was plainly the better team. SDS is critical for such a match-up. Or .. the bit "or" .. we need to be able to hit three pointers. To be ready to do that in March, it seems to me that Agbaji is the best hope there. I obviously could be wrong there. But when I look for a guy with "it", he seems the best candidate to add to Dedric and Dotson.
@Fightsongwriter The Newman comparison is very interesting. Self did bench Newman last year. This was all related to the discussion about Newman apparently failing to do what Self was asking of him, effort-wise. Self had mentioned about guys not buying in. It was obvious he was referring to Newman in part (I think Vick was another) because he pulled Newman from the lineup. The article (link below) mentions how Self changed his message and may have contributed to Newman's improved play. After benching, Self put Newman back in and "threw his confidence behind" him, as the story suggests.
A quote from Self in the story from last year, "What’s best for our team is having our five best players out there playing the vast majority of the minutes."
This provides a very interesting cross-section. I always love it when Self's own words support a suggested premise.
So now, who is our best player, Agbaji or Grimes? But on the other hand, could he take the Newman path -- bench Grimes, let Grimes play a different role, then reinsert him under the premise of throwing his confidence behind him? Self has suggested that Grimes playing will help his development -- I'm all in on that. Another of those comments from Self that supports a long-standing premise that's been suggested here.
It was mentioned by @BShark that perhaps Grimes starting tonight is about "optics" -- not making it a story that the top recruit gets put on the bench in a high profile game. I think that might be correct. Remember when Oubre was playing so poorly, not starting, but then Self started him against UK? That was clearly about optics -- Oubre was out of the starting lineup the next game vs. Rider. In fact, I would agree with the approach to start Grimes tonight in the high profile national game even though I like Agbaji to start. But after tonight, maybe Self removes Grimes from the starting lineup for a while, and sees how that works. As you mentioned, it might be a change in "pressure", a different perspective. Lots of psychology at play.
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article201608609.html ↗
@wrwlumpy Nice work .. obviously your preferred pose and vantage point. I will stop talking now.
As much as I really like Agbaji, I also want to be patient with Grimes and explore options to make him better. We can do both. We have enough minutes so long as none are given to Moore. Patience is really important. Players develop differently. I really want us to continue to invest minutes in Grimes' development, and getting him to the right spot. We've seen the flashes.
He could be our best player next season. Or he could have Newman impact in the tourney (or something short of that, but still excellent -- Newman was psycho in the tourney).
@kjayhawks Hmmm. Interesting on Embiid. Could Wilt hit the three (answer, no -- there was no three)? Handle the dribble traffic? Embiid is more complete. But Wilt was clearly better. Wilt was a freak of course. Good stuff on the Big O. Clearly part of the discussion. One of the top 7. I'd throw Russell in there with other names.
@kjayhawks If someone says Wilt is the greatest player, there's no way to dispute it. There are perhaps 5-7 players in that discussion.
Does anyone dispute that Wilt was the singular most dominating player? I think we all agree on that.
If we were to start a draft, and pick a team, the question might be who is the first pick. That seems to square most with who is the best player. Maybe that method isn't the best one to make the determination.
Using that method, I'd pick Magic. But picking 2-5 and ending up with Bird, Wilt, Michael or Lebron, well, no one would feel bad about that.
@Woodrow Completely agree. When you see a stat line that is 19 minutes and zeroes everywhere, that is telling. Activity, rebounds, assists, disruption, and hustle first -- and that all can lead to offense. A guy that is truly struggling to adjust from his other basketball experiences.
@Gorilla72 His defense is pretty bad. Maybe only better than Moore, but only because of size. He got blown by on WVU's go ahead bucket in the last 10 seconds, without as much as whimper. He regularly shows poor effort defensively. Sporadically fine. Consistently, though -- not.
Offense, though, as @justanotherfan noted, needs to be part of the turnaround. A different mindset.
@Texas-Hawk-10 You are dead on correct on this. I was huge NBA fan in the 80s and 90s. And for my money, the greatest player of all time was Magic Johnson. If I had to start a team, he'd be my pick.
Jordan is awesome. Career 30.1 pts, 5.8 assists, 6.2 rebounds. Magic was 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds.
I just think Magic was the guy that I watched that had the biggest impact on a game overall, all aspects. But you can't argue with a handful of others, including Jordan, Bird (24.3/6.3/10.0), and Lebron (27.2/7.2/7.4). I've always been a Magic guy.
Here's the sad thing -- Garrett worked hard on his shooting form over this past summer. Does not appear to have worked. Read the article link below. @chriz I'm as puzzled as you are. I heard a coach say once that teaching a kid to shoot is easy, but you can't teach touch. Clearly, Garrett has the fundamentals provided to him to get the ball to the rim accurately and softly. The touch is in question.
I'd like to see him get the ball above his head, get his arms more extended, and shoot with his wrists. When you see a kid that is a disaster, a big change is sometimes best so they can't revert to bad habits (that are easy to revert to with subtle adjustments).
The incredibly positive thing is that Garrett has seized upon a readily available avenue to help this team. He's driving to the bucket with authority. This offense is more than enough to justify his minutes -- it now demands minutes standing alone. Plus, he brings the tool box of excellent defense and intangibles not matched on this team (though Agbaji is a challenger).
My position is that without Garrett scoring, this team, as composed, will struggle greatly with Garrett in the lineup for high minutes. We can't have complete black holes. But it appears Garrett has taken care of that with his attack mode style of play, and getting to the rim. Double digit scoring may make him our second most valuable player (Dedric). Certainly the third (Dedric, Dotson).
One shot Garrett should work on and dedicate great effort to is the tear drop -- shooting a bit on the run, just short of the basket. This would compliment his finishing at the rim and allow him another option on the drive. He's done it a few times, mixed results. But that could be a big focus point.
I would not hold out hope the shot is improving anytime soon.
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article214214824.html ↗
@BeddieKU23 That quote is gold. It's gold for folks that have criticized Self and have listened to those that whine about anything that challenges Self's decisions.
When Self states that as his logic, it's hard to argue quite frankly. So this morphs into a trust Self moment for me.
@Fightsongwriter It is quite simple when you think about it. When Grimes cracks that top 5, he should start. Right now, the total package favors Agbaji. I wonder, is there an area than one would favor Grimes over Agbaji right now, other than recruiting ranking.
I do acknowledge, of course, that in certain instances that a better player might come off the bench. That is mostly reserved for a situation where the better player does not perform well as a starter, and feels more comfortable. Not the other way around.
Here, there is not evidence Grimes does better as a starter vs. coming off the bench. Thus it seems reasonable to try him off the bench to give him a different look. You never know.
@Texas-Hawk-10 I feel like the aflac duck. So, you assume that bringing him off the bench will have "his confidence completely destroyed." Wild speculation. And then assume some scenario where we don't have Grimes, referencing Moore as the "only backcourt sub." I guess assuming Grimes quits or wilts like an unwatered flower. I have no idea where you're going with this. And you state the obvious, that salvaging Grimes is a priority that it's more important who is on floor in crunch time -- which has nothing to do with the discussion of the first 4-5 minutes of the game of course. And you realize you can actually play a guy in the first 4-5 minutes and in crunch time, right? Those are not mutually exclusive options. Then you disparage your own "energy" stuff saying that "whether or not KU needs that energy in a a given game is another issue." Right, but you realize that you're saying not to start Ogbaji partly because of "energy"? Or do you?
Sorry, but playing your best players is a tried and true formula. I'll stick with that.
@Texas-Hawk-10 What you’re suggesting .. starting a non-deserving player and doing so in part because he’s fragile (not starting “might destroy his confidence” is what you said) is coddling. Can’t dress that one up. I never suggested you said to play him 30-35 minutes.
My point in response to your post was the illogical argument to play an inferior player 4-5 minutes so the better player might .. might .. come in and provide “energy.”
@Texas-Hawk-10 I've never understood the logic. Come off the bench for "energy" -- one time is all that it might matter. Emphasis on might. After that, everyone is rotating. When coaches don't even sub many times for 5-6 minutes, you start your best players. You play your best players.
Playing well at the start of the game, the points, the points allowed, are all just as important as the points late in the game. Those points/points allowed are much more important than a one time, alleged/possible, burst of energy.
What you're talking about is coddling Grimes. Being so concerned about a possible fragile psyche. Maybe Grimes needs a wake up call. Agbaji is better now. Earn it.
In fact, logic would say to give Grimes a different look. Let him come off the bench. See if that changes his outlook, effort, and results.
I would not be saying this if Grimes was filling the stat sheet with effort numbers, or playing reasonable defense. He needs to re-boot.
But Self agrees with you. He said tonight Grimes is the starter. I believe in playing young guys to get them game experience, so they're ready for March. Here's hoping that faith plays out over the next few weeks.
@Kcmatt7 I don't think anyone has given up on Grimes. A role adjustment to give a different perspective might be helpful is all. Agbaji's fouls per 40 minutes are actually less than KJ, Doke, and Mitch. But aggressive play is a good thing. Really, the two most telling stats on Grimes are his ridiculously low rates of steals and rebounds. .5 steals per 40 minutes, last on the team. And 3.8 rebounds per 40 minutes, leading only Charlie Moore. ACTIVITY!
The problem with Grimes, the disturbing part, is the stat line. Look at it. 19 minutes -- all zeroes (except for one steal). The invisible man. As if he didn't exist. One steal away from "190000000" as some box scores would indicate. His PER is sub-10.
I'm sorry, if in 19 minutes you have no rebounds, no assists, no points, not even a foul to indicate some aggressiveness, you're on a different planet. There is no glue guy discussion with him. No energy guy claim. No post feeder extraordinaire. Just what we see.
This might be the bottom on a bad trend line. However, like a stock with good fundamentals, you might think twice before selling. In fact, if this were a stock, one might look to buy low. This would be an historical flameout if this doesn't turn around, or he bolts after this season.
I'm still patient, and positive, but I think changing the dynamic a bit would help.
@BeddieKU23 And Self should continue to play him. Agbaji should start, Grimes off the bench getting solid minutes. If he's playing well, then more minutes in a particular game. There are enough minutes to go around right now. Sometimes feeling like you bottomed out is the only thing that propels one upward. It certainly seems mental, as you mention.
As I'd mentioned over the weekend, Agbaji looks like a guy that has "it." He should start, and finish games. Nevermind the foul out. That's part of the learning curve.
Look what he did coming into the game. Not one hesitant or deferring bone in his body. This guy is now a key to our season. It appears that he is the Grimes we had hoped for.
@truehawk93 Two huge things with this team. First, much, much better to have a guy like Agbaji that you need to dial back. Intensity and aggressiveness are big deals here -- this team, as much as any team under Self, needs that. Oddly, I was fine with him fouling out. I would have rather had him in the game, but this will help him learn and adjust. He needs to play. Second, Garrett deserves incredible credit for how his game has improved. It has all the earmarks of a coach in his ear continually telling him to drive, get to the rim, be aggressive -- and then finally it sinking in. He's attacking to the rim, and not falling away, sliding off, etc., which had limited that element of his game before.
@drgnslayr I just don’t see passion. I see passivity.
@wissox Thanks .. Agbaji seems to have a little of the "it" factor. Dotson too. And I don't see other options to be "the man" right now. No perfect answer.
@dylans Don't know if you saw, but Self said he made a mistake not calling a time out, though it would get driven to the hoop, and really took responsibility for that late game cluster. I really like it when coaches do that -- even though our guys should have executed much better.
@Crimsonorblue22 Maybe you're thinking about Mason @ Florida his freshman year? Out of control, looked overmatched. Didn't play UK his freshman year.
@truehawk93 I'm sorry to say, but you are just spouting irrationality. Your heart is in the right place, but your head is not. You said, " I don’t understand how the NCAA can be allowed to use information gathered by the FBI. The FBI did their job and now they want to use the FBI’s evidence. All the manpower, resources, and investigations all belong to the FBI, not the NCAA." Do you not care about the truth? Does it even matter?
You said, " KU needs to sue the NCAA for abuse of power, liable, and slander." Abuse of power? Of course, KU helped provide the grant of the NCAA's authority. I'm not sure what is even remotely abusive here, notwithstanding the desire for SDS to play.
And truth is an absolute defense to libel or slander. So perhaps we can all understand why no one is suing. In civil court, all actors would be exposed to depositions, under oath. No one wants that. From top to bottom. Claiming someone cheated is clearly defamatory and it can cost folks money -- so why no lawsuits? We know why.
Why didn't KU cut ties with Adidas? Why didn't KU sue Adidas? Come one. We know why (or at least we can put 2 and 2 together here).
And I'm sorry, could you provide me any authority wherein a private organization is prohibited from using investigative information if the investigative agency is willing to share the information?
We can assuage our own personal frustrations with venting, but venting is just that. Venting. It isn't based in reality many times.
One thing that seems apparent with this Kansas squad is that we don't have a go-to player. No one is "the man."
Last season, arguably, we had three. DG, Newman, and Svi. We had Mason. We've had TRob.
The qualities? Willingness, ability, leadership, and an assassin's mentality. You know it when you see it. And you when you don't.
We've seen pretenders. Guys that want to be "the man", but simply don't have what it takes. This year's pretender is LeGerald Vick. He has the willingness, but the rest of the package is not there. Vick is a nice compliment. The guy standing on the three point line when "the man" drives and draws attention. But he's not "the man" and he's miscast in that role.
Vinnie Johnson, for Detroit Piston, was known as the microwave because he could heat up at any minute. Vick's much the same. But the streakiness limits his opportunity to be the man. The late air ball some minor evidence of the limits on his identity. A guy like Vick can never be "the man." He struggles just to be "a man."
Unfortunately, Malik Newman had his heart set on turning pro. If he didn't turn pro, this would be his team. He would unquestionably be "the man." Last I heard, Newman was plying his trade with the Canton Charge in the G-league.
The search for "the man" continues.
I offer two candidates - Devon Dotson and Ochai Agbaji. The former could not get his hands on the ball in the last possession. The latter was on the bench.
Of course, we'd like to think that Dedric could be the man. But he's seems to lack some qualities. He doesn't seem to have the willingness, and he doesn't seem to have the mentality. He's been huge in some games, but he's oddly passive for stretches, and he's easily bumped off his game. Not "the man."
Today, this team needed Dedric taking over down the stretch. We didn't get that. This was the type of game where a team's best player steps up and delivers.
So the choice. It's time to replace Grimes in the starting lineup -- and in the finishing lineup.
West Virginia's game winning hoop was scored when Quentin Grimes inexplicably permitted a mediocre blow-by, and and easy layup. It was horrible. Further, Vick, chose not to aggressively help on the drive, choosing to shade a shooter on the three point line -- with a one point lead. This is basic stuff. A two point lead? Sure, you can only lose by the three. But a one point lead you stop the attack to the hoop. It started with Grimes' poor defense and ended with Vick just being Vick.
So time to make a choice.
It was quite difficult for me to watch Agbagi on the bench. The turnovers in his short time in the game were not helpful to his cause. This was Self being Self -- but I get it. The turnovers, the environment, caused Self to do what he used to do regularly -- go conservative and banish the outsiders. And Agbagi is the outsider, new to the rotation. So he didn't get the time to redeem himself.
I view Grimes as a high quality talent. Most do. But right now, he needs to sit. He needs to come off the bench. Play lower minutes, and if hot, get more minutes. Earn his time. And he probably will earn time. But his role needs to be reassessed.
His defense today was no different than its been all year. Bad. This team can't afford his lack of offense coupled with poor defense. We've discussed Garrett and his lack of offense (which seems to be turning for the better). With Grimes, we get limited offense, and poor defense. And the poor defense is a killer. Today, arguably, it lost us the game.
Self said of Agbagi, ""It was unbelievable how that kid responded and kept balls alive and just gave us some energy," -- this after his first game. Today? Self abandoned the kid that offered hope.
Self needs to start and play Agbaji. Self has been positive regarding his defense. He appears to be an active on ball defender. This is the kid we need to embrace. Impressive. More minutes, more impact on this team.
And very importantly, we have a player in Agbaji that has a chance to be "the man."
The other possible player for that role is Devon Dotson. Of course, Dotson was outplayed by WVU's point guard and had a pretty poor game. But the kid can shoot. He's fast. He can finish. Today, there was no real effort to get the ball in his hands the last possession. He was denied by one player -- not one KU player attempted to set a screen or get him in a position to get the ball.
With the game on the line, we have to have an identity. I always talk about March. Right now, Dotson and Agbaji need to be groomed and prepared for their roles. We can't flail away at the end of games as we've been doing quite regularly.
Think about it. At the end of the game, we had the anti-leader Vick, a very limited Grimes (who hurts us defensively), the very limited Marcus Garrett (who can't shoot outside but has proved other value) -- and Dotson and Dedric. We need another option.
Agbaji over Grimes is a positive on both ends of the floor. That's what needs to happen. I sure has heck hope we didn't pull his redshirt to play him four minutes and banish him for a few mistakes.
My vote to get the ball late? Dotson or Agbaji. Dotson for what we've seen, Agbaji for what might be. And right now, "what might be" has got a lot of weight given the late game collapses we've become accustomed to.
Garrett is attacking the rim. Props there. That makes his lineup presence a positive. Really like what I've seen.
It's a bit sad that we can script something for Dedric.
Heck, Dotson couldn't even get open to get the ball in his hands.
SDS becoming eligible is perhaps THE key moving forward.
@Kcmatt7 I've been over the streak for quit a while .. like since it started. We play this game as a blue blood to be a champion. It's like the Braves winning the NL East. Nice streak. Impressive. One title.
BUT THIS IS FAR FROM OVER ON ALL FRONTS. Lots of season left. Heck, we could win the tourney as a 5 seed.
Goodness. Grimes gets blown by for the winning bucket. Vick decides not to help with his man on the three line. Up two, I get that. Not up one.
@BeddieKU23 True. Of course we could have been playing him all along. We chose not to, and probably (obviously) wisely. The NCAA, much more importantly, will decide our fate.
I wonder how quickly the NCAA would have moved if we had played him?
A good article that summarizes the SDS status. Quotes from Self regarding KU’s choice to withhold SDS from competition.