🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I would add this … I think that Self runs his same system, but just with two ball handlers. What I mean is that he believes his system functions best with two ball handlers in the game. I question whether he is actually adapting his system to the use of two ball handers.

I think this goes to @jaybate-1.0's inquiry -- why focus your system on something that could potentially collapse with a stubbed toe?

That does not make sense. Thus I don't think that's what we'll see.

The tweaks to Self's system, I believe, will not be reliant on having two point guard quality ball handers in the game. We saw a different style of play, to some degree, at the WUGs. Playing faster is the one element that can compromised, though, by pedestrian ball handling.

This comes down then to whether Svi is a competent second ball handler. Is he a D-1 PG quality? I don't think so. But he is pretty slick.

One thing Svi does really well is pass off the dribble. We'll see that more this season. Watch for that.

Will Mason, Graham and Svi match Chalmers, Robinson, and Collins from a ball handling stand point? No. But it might be in the ball park.

We will really see Self's commitment to ball handling if, as @Texas-Hawk-10 mentioned in a post a few days ago, we always have two of the three ball handlers on the floor at the same time (Mason/Graham/Svi).

If we see Self playing Greene and Selden together regularly (or Vick with one of the two), we'll know the two ball handlers on the floor thing was baloney.

Before last season, Self also talked of playing small. He didn't do it. I called Hawk Talk last November and asked Self if playing small was still in the mix; he said that with CF leaving, probably not so much. This tells me that Self's comments on what's best, is many times personnel driven. It may be "best" next season to play two quick post players -- maybe because our personnel matches. Or it may be that Self will say we function best with a true center type -- because our personnel matches.

I just think Svi is the key player this season. His diverse skill set will propel Kansas to a place it could not be without him. He is terrific with the ball in his hands. We saw the glimpse last season. In a short time, we'll get a better look.

@Texas-Hawk-10 said, "I actually had to get on my knees in the showers at McCollum … "

I always heard rumors about what went on in the dorms, but college is a confusing time for many.

@drgnslayr Well, that's the way Tyshawn thought it should be ...

@Texas-Hawk-10 So, Bill Self is wrong? I cannot fathom that. See Self's comment on Greene and the NBA ↗. Self had made a comment during the 13-14 season in that regard as well.

@JayHawkFanToo That's pretty funny .. that's exactly what it looks like. Not sure Wilma had hot pink though in 5000 BC, though.

@justanotherfan Great breakdown. Sub Mickelson in for Traylor in our final rotation, and we have ourselves a deal.

@drgnslayr Excellent topic heading into the season.

I agree. Selden is the 3. Set .. in .. stone.

On item 2, do not concern yourself on Svi. There are 120 perimeter minutes. Svi, in my opinion, will be the first perimeter player off the bench. He'll come in for Mason or Graham. Then Graham or Mason, whoever went out, will be subbed in for the other PG, leaving Svi on the floor. So perhaps in the first 14 minutes, Graham/Mason are together for 6 minutes. Graham goes out. Svi in. Graham reenters at the 10 minute mark for Mason. Mason back in at the 14 minute mark for Svi.

Both PGs get 10 of 14 minutes in the game. Svi gets 8 of 14. At that rate, Mason and Graham would play 28.5 minutes per game, and Svi appx. 23.

Just a rough example.

Svi could also get time subbing for Selden at the three spot. Or Svi could play well and gain favor in a game over one of the PGs. Or there could be a defensive match up that favors Svi vs. a smaller PG.

One thing I think we know -- Self has talked about playing small before. I think he sees the benefits clearly post-WUG. He'll do it. But when he needs size, he'll go that route.

Could Greene and Selden being in the game at the same time chip away at some minutes for Svi? Sure. That could develop.

Quite frankly, I more question where Greene's minutes will come from. But his three ball stroke may demand more PT, or it could .... never mind. I won't go there.

On who runs the PG, I think it will largely be interchangeable, but I think Mason could benefit as a scorer some from being the 2. I'm not too sure how that will play out.

@BeddieKU23 Definitely good news. Lock down Bolden and Herard. All is good in the recruiting world.

@ParisHawk I think we should seek to post up players who have an advantage down low. My caveat is if a player simply can't score in the post. Meaning, if a smaller guy doesn't have much ability to score down low, and for whatever reason shows he can't do that reasonably well, then skip it. But if Svi is at the 2, matched with a 6'2" guard, and Svi is reasonably competent in the post, why not slide him there a few times per game? If he's successful, you do it until it's stopped. Once stopped, that means an adjustment by the opposition, of which you can seek to exploit.

One thing about posting up guards -- they can pass well, and create from that spot just as they can otherwise.

Posting a player up is just one example. It could be isolating for a drive, or playing a two man game on the wing. Just taking advantage of each player's skills when possible, and to exploit weaknesses in match ups more.

@ParisHawk What Self did with Wiggins was vastly underutilize his talent.

As usual, system is the culprit. I love this quote for a scout near the time of the 2014 draft about Wiggins, "In general, interesting kid. In fairness to him he played in a very restricted system at Kansas. All interchangeable parts with designated spots, a lot of structure. When he got the ball, there wasn’t a lot of room to create."

Exactly. We underutilized his talent.

I did watch some NBA last season. And amazingly, the T-Wolves actually posted up Wiggins on the low block when he had an advantage over an opponent.

Imagine that, exploiting match ups.

This is one of my huge issues with Self's approach. A large portion of the basketball universe finds ways to exploit matchups. But Self just doesn't -- or more precisely, it is subservient to system. We had Wiggins for an entire season, with many times inferior defenders guarding him. How many times did we post him up?

And it isn't complex. It isn't difficult. It isn't out of the ordinary.

@BeddieKU23 is exactly right. We aren't really in on many of these.

Really, the silence from Lawrence is deafening. Gone now is the age of commitments in the week following Late Night it appears.

Here are more stark numbers.

10 of the top 20 have not signed or committed.

However, only 18 of the top 60 remain unsigned - that means only 8 of the next 40 (between 21 and 60) are available.

Of the top 100, only 29 are available (or 19 of the next 80, who are outside the top 20).

But as @JayHawkFanToo said, it's not a problem ... "yet."

It's how your class ends. But it is certainly disconcerting.

By the way, TJ Leaf cut us from his list today -- #13 player.

All is right in the world if we sign Bolden. I like the positive stuff @Texas-Hawk-10 mentioned. Cross our fingers. Bolden is the man.

I"ve been pretty much of the opinion that we were destined to lose in the ALDS, regardless of opponent. They had such a great run last season -- just seemed like the baseball Gods might just remind us it's not that easy.

Certainly enjoyed the ride with the Royals this season regardless (see, I can do that).

@elpoyo Peruse a little under this thread.

@ParisHawk Same logic apply to Vick? I would think so but you had the thought, what do you think?

I might redshirt Vick -- redshirts can be pulled at any time. But I think this is dictated by Greene's health, and Vick's desire or likelihood to play four seasons. The only reason to redshirt a player is if he will stay for his final season. If Vick isn't a four year guy, the redshirt doesn't make sense. He seems like a likely four year player.

I don't recall who mentioned it, but why redshirt if this is a NC year? Gotta have all guns available at all times. That's a good argument against redshirt.

@Statmachine Great comments on Traylor. An excellent post with lots of discussion points:

*"Justin Wesley transferred in as a junior and played 8mpg his first season and then 3mpg the following season. I think Bam Bam should get the Justin Wesley treatment this year BUT I just don’t think HCBS will do it? I think HCBS should reward Taylor’s hard work but not to the detriment of the team. We all say we would play the Bragg but in reality we are not in Coach Self’s shoes. I would imagine it would be really difficult to play Bragg over Traylor after taking Traylor under your wing for 4 plus years. Bragg is not expected to be an OAD so there is no pressure to play him unless KU is losing games. There is also a lot of outside pressure for HCBS to play Svi a lot this year too. That will be another point of interest on how he manages minutes for the guards. His rotation composition will begin to factor in outside pressure if he is ever going to evolve as a recruiter. He can coach but he has also learned that if you can recruit you don’t have to coach (UK-Cal). I have been around the team and future recruits and talked to all of them through social media and found that there is indeed some outside influences that are pressuring HCBS to change his court side tactics to recruit top tier talent like other blue blood programs around the country. HCBS can and will evolve but how and when are still up in the air?"

1. Traylor is better than Wesley. No doubt there. But there is no doubt that Diallo, Ellis, Bragg, and Mickelson are better. I think that Traylor does have a spot role on this team. One, for sure, is as a perimeter defender in certain late game situations, as Self used him in the WUG. He would also be good to bring in at times if our team is flat.

2. I am concerned by the idea that Self would somehow reward Traylor because he slept in a car, or has a compelling story. I certainly understand though, as a coach, how that might pull decisions away from cold, hard merit.

3. Traylor is now in his 5th season in the program. The thought that he will miraculously change from year four to five, when there has been little improvement in the prior years. That makes no sense. Could it happen? I guess, sure. But the percentage chance of significant improvement -- to the level needed to justify his playing time -- is highly unlikely.

4. The idea of "losing games" as our barometer on Traylor's playing time is part of it. But why should we have to lose games to know what we already know? Personally, I'd start with Traylor as the last (6th) big. And then let him earn his playing time from there. That's what his performance thus far has earned him.

5. Winning the national championship and contemplation of the best path toward that has to be the overriding factor in deciding playing time. My discomfort sometimes is that I question whether that is really the predominant thought. But that could come in a lot of different forms. I guess selfishly, I want to feel that Self is focused on that goal. I kind of want to hear him say it. That would at least make me feel like times when he plays certain guys it's with a bigger picture in mind (I've said the word "feel" a couple of times -- it's so I sleep better at night). If Self feels that going all out to win the league is the best way to win a national championship in all cases, I would dispute that. Some seasons, with certain personnel, I'd agree. Seeding is important. But other seasons, getting certain players (usually younger guys) to arc upward in the performance late in the season is of the most importance. This would have been the case, in my opinion, in 2010-11, for example. Obviously not in 2011-12.

6. The concept of outside pressure as it relates to playing is interesting. It is clearly there. Self has been one coach that seems to not care a ton about it. But as @Statmachine mentioned, that could certainly affect recruiting. Diallo, Bragg, and Svi could further perhaps a somewhat unfair narrative. Unfair or not, it is a discussion point.

@Statmachine That's a very good point. Diallo has to play and maintain his level of perceived draft position, or that would be two in a row.
Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but if Bragg is the better player, there is no way that Self should play Traylor over Bragg. No way. You're right, though, that's Self's m.o.

On the broadcast last night, Self said Bragg was a Marcus Morris player. Morris was a freshman starter (due in large part to roster make-up), but Morris was better the first time he hit the floor than Traylor ever has been.

We saw Bragg in the WUG. He was clearly better than Traylor in those 8 games. Bragg - .209 points per min, .441 rebounds per minute, and .116 turnovers per minute vs. Traylor at .161 ppm, .112 rpm, and .177 tpm. Traylor had 2 blocks and 3 steals, and Bragg had goose eggs there. Both were appx. 80% from the line. The biggest difference was rebounding, and that is huge possession wise. Traylor played 62 minutes and had only 7 boards. Bragg played 43 minutes but had 19 rebounds.

If Bragg is Marcus Morris, as Self has said, or 80% of Morris, that's better than Traylor. Morris' first season he was .399 ppm, .256 rpm, .088 tpm. And Morris improved as his freshman season when on.

A better comparison might be Darrel Arthur as some here have mentioned before -- he was .518 ppm, .245 rpm, and .077 tpm his freshman season.

Either way, better than Traylor whose junior season numbers were worse than the freshman numbers of Morris and Arthur in points and rebounds. Turnovers were basically a push -- again, junior to freshmen.

This is that classic case where Self's own words help demonstrate the point we all know to be true -- all of us would rather go to battle with Bragg right now instead of Traylor. Any one disagree? Anyone here who would rather have Traylor on his team than Bragg for this season?

This sets the stage for discussions of irrationality, etc. , unless Self makes the right choice. Come on, Bill, just commit to the better player right now. It's why you recruit good players. You don't recruit a top 20 guy to sit behind unranked, low talent players. The goal is a national title. Who do you want in March and April? Traylor, or Bragg with a full season of big minutes under his belt. The choice is easy.

@jaybate-1.0 That is really the only reasonable explanation as to why Cliff didn't play ahead of Traylor and Lucas. The other attempted explanations collapse under the weight of Cliff's per minute contributions.

The NBA player projections simply back up what I've said (and @Jesse-Newell and others have said) about his productivity. We can suggest subjectively that he had failures on defense, while conveniently ignoring the failures of Traylor and Lucas; and we can incorrectly question his effort, while again conveniently ignoring the failures of Traylor in that regard (I leave out Lucas because he goes at a consistently middling pace no matter what).

Cliff has long arms and works hard on the boards. He's got a chance to make a living in the NBA. But two more seasons at Kansas, I think, would have produced a much more developed player heading into the NBA.

I've watched the scrimmage now twice -- once with the sound on, once with it off. It was a little distracting that they had Self talking during the scrimmage.

I would have agree with @Statmachine and @Lulufulu, Svi looked real good. Looked bigger. I speculated last October that Svi was the best player on last year's team. He might really be the best player on this year's team. It's just whether he will show it. He's a true 6'8". I know Self likes the idea of Mason/Graham together, but Svi will push that theory pretty hard.

Like @Statmachine mentioned, Traylor was the next guy that stood out offensively. Hit some two point jumpers. Looked good from that standpoint, but nothing else seemed much different from him. Traylor taking two point jumpers is low on the list of good offensive options with this team.

Diallo does look like an athletic freak, as @Lulufulu referred to. But he isn't that big .. meaning his shoulders aren't very wide. Mickelson was standing next to him and he looked bigger. I could see him getting pushed around. He's incredibly quick. I guess I think Diallo will be a big impact guy, but I also think he's going to display some of the things we saw from TRob in the "out of control" category, too. That may impact how Self uses him.

My biggest take away, seeing Diallo on the floor, is Hunter Mickelson. He is the one guy that is different in the post. He has to play.

The streak is impressive. No doubt, the streak is impressive. It's just a different kind of impressive. it defines consistent excellence. A different type of discussion. Is it historic? Sure. Like the Atlanta Braves winning 14 straight division titles. Impressive. Worthy of acknowledgment by "top analysts" to be sure.

We can have both -- the streak and a national championship. This is the year.

I've got the TWC sports channel now and it shows three hours of programming related to Late Night starting at 6:30 pm.

I have to thank AT&T for sufficiently upsetting my wife so we switched from AT&T a few months ago. They told her they'd be at our house between 4:00 and 8:00. My wife rushed and got back by 3:50, only to see a note on the door that they'd come early and we'd need to reschedule. The tech left a number, and when my wife said she wanted them to come that day, he said they were already at another job ... uh, not the right answer.

Listening to this stuff, and folks think the NCAA is the bad guy? Geeez.

@jaybate-1.0 You make good points.

I would say that in the college game, this is the first time a player is seen in real, high level competition. AAU, while excellent basketball, is not near the D-1 college game, of course.

Thus, the first time a scout would see Cliff is under Self. That presentation can certainly influence a scout's opinion.

Potential is about the ceiling, right? It is also about the angle of the curve.

I cannot imagine Cliff falling so greatly in the eyes of scouts if he had played 25 minutes per game at Kansas, and simply played at the same level we witnessed in his lower minutes per game. His per minute stats were pretty darn good.

I think it's quite unreasonable to discount this.

If Cliff would have gone to, say, Illinois, and put up the same per minute numbers he did at Kansas playing 30 minutes per game. -- if he did that over 30 minutes, he would have scored 12.1 points per game, had 9.0 rebounds per game, and 2.25 blocks per game. Okafer played 30.1 minutes per game and had 17.2 points per game, 8.5 rpg, 1.4 blocks per game. Cliff's per minute stats stack up well.

That presentation would have been much nicer.

I will not say that Self, solely, caused Cliff's drop. But I think his handling at Kansas was a large part of it.

Why is it so difficult to believe that a coach's handling of a player can affect a kid's value? Self exposed his flaws, as opposed to accentuating his positives.

How do you say could this occur?

It all goes back to "system." A "system" coach runs his system, and players be damned. The system does not seek to assimilate. The system does not seek to accentuate. The system is the system. The player either fits, or he doesn't.

That is why, in large part, freshman take a bit more time under Self. Self seeks to repair flaws to fit what Self does -- to fit his system.

With Cliff, perhaps his blossoming would have occurred in late Feb or March. But that was not possible given NCAA issues.

Regardless, the undeniable evidence on the court was that Cliff was a better player than Jamari (should be playing at Cleveland St.) Traylor, or Lucas. Yet Self preferred the vets. Self nit-picked Cliff's performances, and used some tough love to mold a better player. It's what Self does.

Problem was that this entire process called Cliff's ability, attitude, and skills all into question -- when compared to the competition. There must be a good reason why Cliff is struggling to find the floor at Kansas, right? Logical conclusion.

I just think that Self's handling of Cliff played a large role in his drop. Not the only thing. Maybe even not biggest item. But it certainly played a large part in his mess -- meaning I think a more inviting system would not have led to the same result.

@drgnslayr I agree completely. It is undoubtedly part of the negative recruiting narrative. I know some will be quick to respond with the positives here. But the recruits are kids. Many probably personally know Cliff from the AAU circuit. Why else would Kansas be sitting here now, with post spots open, and no post recruits pinned down, while others have 1 or 2 in the bag?

Here's what I posted a few weeks ago as a general illustration. My guess is conversations are much more blunt in many cases:

I’m in the living room of a top post recruit, and I’m selling a competing program, and Kansas comes up: “Look, I don’t know what went on with Cliff Alexander. I tend not to focus on things like that. But as a player, I would always wonder if that could be me. All coaches are different. Some coaches are more receptive to freshman mistakes, and learning. Some coaches aren’t as patient. It’s not that one is right or wrong, it’s just that one way creates more of a chance that a player might not get the minutes and exposure that a top player needs. Cliff was highly talented, and out performed other guys when he was in the game, but his minutes were lacking. Some coaches let players play through mistakes, others no so much. Again, what’s right or wrong? As you know, we realize that there is a learning curve but that the learning process is accelerated when that player gets more playing time. Particularly a top player like you.”

@wissoxfan83 Ah, therein lies the rub. Maybe Heritage just took it on faith that he took certain classes that met with the core requirements? Or possibly they didn't scrutinize the classes to a great degree. They have issues with the NCAA, so Heritage is not quite the pinnacle of higher education to begin with. If Diallo is counting core classes from Mali in the mix -- eeeesh -- that isn't good. Was kind of hoping that he got all of his core stuff at Heritage (and that they were using updated text books, that the classes weren't taught by chimps, etc).

@ParisHawk How crazy would this be if Mickelson beat out Diallo? Anywhere else, crazy-talk. With Self, you never know.

This is the year of Hunter Mickelson. Say it with me ...

Ok, maybe a positive spin here -- if his American Heritage insufficient to deem him eligible, why bother with Mali records? Logically, this would lead me to believe that the American Heritage coursework was sufficient. Now, the NCAA to conclude the investigation wants certain Mali records.

At kusports.com today, Self was talking about additional information they were putting together from Mali. Sounds like it hasn't even been submitted. Sounds like the NCAA just came back to KU for some additional items. Here's the quote:

“He’s cleared to practice pending on what they decide throughout the information we will submit to them (Eligibility Center) whenever it is all together,” Self said. “A lot of people wonder ‘Why wouldn’t it (academic materials) all be together yet?’ There’s a lot of reasons why ... because they just told us recently some things they wanted. Instead of throwing it to them piece by piece, they requested we submit it all together. It may be a couple more weeks before we are able to submit everything. When you are talking about getting information from schools in Mali ... we hope within two weeks. It may be three weeks before we have a definite answer. Right now Cheick is like everybody else. He’s practicing. He needs the time. This is all new to him. The fact he could be out there with us now will not put him behind when hopefully we get good news on him in the future.”

@jaybate-1.0 Actually I think Mississippi's coach is pretty good. Good point. I've always thought of Pastner as a pretty good coach. He wins at least. Sounds like the other stuff might be a mess. Either way, I think Self and Kansas' system is an upgrade vs. what Coleby played at Mississippi. I think we should expect his "per minute" totals to get a bit better. That makes sense.

@jaybate-1.0 I would suggest that you place too much stock in this hip deal (you know that's my opinion). But let's just go off what Greene and his dad and Self said -- it just got progressively worse from early February on. Let's go with that narrative.

Very importantly, Greene, before that time frame, still could not drive the ball to hoop. He still could not really handle the ball. His entire game was shooting the three and various 2 point jump shots. Give him an open lane and you'd get worse results than if literally any other scholarship player had it in that spot. Has the guy ever driven and dunked? His layup percentage going to the hoop has to be horrendous.

Here's another reality that was reality before the Greene "injury" -- Svi was a better all around player than Greene. Svi's a better player than Greene now. What was missing -- and it was a real big one -- were shots going down at a better rate. Every other part of Svi's game is better than Greene. Svi is simply a better all around player.

But as @joeloveshawks said, Greene is one of the "best pure shooters" many of us have seen. That can trump all around deficiencies in this game. If Self does use him in a manner that highlights his skills to reasonable degree, watch out.

My starting five (meaning if offensive skills were used and highlighted vs. strict adherence to system) this season (before Selden's WUG coming out party) would have been Mason, Svi, Greene, Ellis, Diallo. Further, I would have built a chunk of my offense solely around getting Greene open looks. If you have a three point shooter of that caliber, your entire offense can flow from that center point. And you can still play inside/out, you can still play high/low. Now, I'd still start Greene if he was healthy.

Don't get me wrong, though -- I don't think Self should start Greene with this roster composition and his views of offense. This is where I contrast with @jaybate-1.0. Greene as your main 2 in Self's current system seems unnatural. Using Greene as the three point assassin off the bench, much like the first half of last season, or as the starting 3, seems like the best role in Self's system.

And I guess this is a day to disagree with you a little bit, but playing 6 perimeter guys is a non-starter. It will happen early, but then it will go away like it always does. Self will play who he thinks are his best players. The game vs. Germany showed that he has not changed. When his butt puckers, when the situation is tight and tense, he will simply play who he perceives as the best players until they die or foul out. There is great merit in your suggestion, of course, particularly with our talent. But Bill Self is Bill Self, as @ParisHawk said above.

Also, I don't think the two ball handler thing is talk. I think the WUGs with our SMU fill-in + Mason cemented that preference.

Really, it's this -- our team thrived with those two ball handlers on the floor with Selden at the 3. Why screw that up?

Now, I hope Self has the same linear thinking when it comes to Mickelson vs. Traylor or Lucas.

@Lulufulu In Self's system, yes to both points/questions.

@drgnslayr Thanks .. heck, I get my last kid out of high school here in a few years, I might have a little free time to take that on.

Different opinion -- Larry got what he deserved. Three college head coaching jobs, three probations. Batting 1.000, or .000, one or the other.

@betterfireE Curious as to why you think Self would play Vick ahead of Svi? Vick looks good, but he doesn't look that good. I think Vick is going to be a rotation guy next season, but if everyone is back, again, who does he displace. When has Self ever used 6 perimeter players? I think you might be getting sucked in a little on Self's comment on Vick's defense. Svi is clearly ahead of Vick. Self mentioned him as in the mix to start. Vick will get minutes early (Self used 6 perimeter guys in the early stages of last season), but then he'll find the bench barring injury, etc. That's just seems pretty easy to predict. As @Lulufulu said, Svi will get time at both the 2 and the 3; I think he's our first guy off the bench, and many games, could get big minutes. Svi could end up being our best player.

You mention Bragg at the 3/4. I have no doubt that Bragg can play the 3. In fact, he is much better suited for that than Ellis. Seems like a strong ball handler for his size as you mention. Better looking shot (meaning higher and quicker release) vs. Ellis' slow, low push shot, that would make him better suited for a 3 than Ellis.

But think about all of the type space spent here by folks talking about Ellis at the 3. I have been very consistent in that Ellis is not a 3. Ellis has not played one minute at the 3 at Kansas. I don't think we should expect that Bragg will either. Particularly when our perimeter is the best collection of perimeter talent in the nation, without Bragg in that mix.

With Self's high/low, the 4 gets multiple opportunities away from the basket. Actually, in certain situations, I could see Bragg and Ellis on the court together. I sure hope Bragg's minutes aren't solely predicated on Ellis being on the bench. But last season, think about how many times Self did bench Ellis due to ineffectiveness. Quite a bit.

I don't see Ellis suddenly being able to score over long, or tall guys. He has never been able to do that. It will be interesting to see how Bragg fairs in the same situation.

@REHawk @drgnslayr @ParisHawk -- On Greene, he is our one three point assassin. However, if Self isn't going to 1) give him freedom to gun, and 2) scheme a bit to get him looks, I don't see that we'll ever get his full value. If he is not 100%, I would not hesitate to redshirt. But @ParisHawk's point is very good - if this is a NC year, why go to battle lacking in all of your weapons? And I just don't think BG will ever be a well rounded player as @drgnslayr has referenced. Watching him clumsily stagger to the hoop on attempted drives just doesn't get fixed.

Greene is probably the one player that I am most concerned about. My humble opinion is that his skill set has been grossly mismanaged and underutilized. If I were Greene, or Greene's dad (who seems to be a level headed guy), I would have had him transfer out of here after last season. I would love to have Greene on my team. From a recruiting standpoint, how do CF and BG (and their parents) not clearly see how they are gross mismatches with Self? That amazes me. BG is a guy that can play in the NBA -- a one trick pony whose one trick is gold (no foolin').

But from a college standpoint, Greene could be a bonafide star in an appreciative system. Remember when commentators last season were calling him the best shooter in the nation? How do you screw that up?

The onus is on coach Self.

And that's the flip side. Could it be possible that Self tweaks his system to really use Greene? After all, the high/low, inside/out approach can (and does) create a number of step-in looks. Just let the guy shoot.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Question, though, what did the advanced numbers say about Tarik Black?

What I mean is the dynamic of Kansas, better coaching, better surrounding cast, more targeted system to a players skills, could lift a player too. I was not too hip on Black, until he got out of his fouling abyss.

I recall looking at Black's stats -- his points per minute, rebounds per minute, blocks per minute and field goal percentage all got better in his senior year at Kansas vs. his junior year at Memphis.

But Coleby was an unranked, three star guy -- comparable to Traylor and Lucas in that regard. Black was appx. 50-60. Different to be sure from Coleby.

System is important, though, too. Didn't Ole Miss run a more perimeter based attack as opposed to the hi/lo we run?

The Black experience in my mind is an example that could lead to a different conclusion.

@JayHawkFanToo I'll look at that over the weekend.

@JayHawkFanToo "What are the chances that he will offer KU as a sacrificial lamb to abate sanctions at UNC?"

There's gotta be a statute of limitations-like rule or something within the NCAA rules -- hopefully.

@drgnslayr So you think Greene is a 2? I don't know, the dude can barely dribble the ball to the basket. For Self, I kind of see him as a stagnant 3. He's a worse ball handler than Selden. I understand your physicality comment, and you're correct, but Greene has proven to be a competent rebounder. I guess I struggle with the idea that he should play the 2 at all now -- with Self's preference to ball handling. And that's really where I'm coming from. It seems to me, that if Self is true to his stated theory, then only Mason, Graham, and Svi should play the 1/2 spots.

Greene, to me, only really seems to fit at the 3 in Self's system right now.

I advocated starting him at the 2 over Selden last season when Selden was floundering -- but that came from the perspective of more three gunning. Embracing the three. Winning with that sort of scheme. Greene could easily play the 2 spot with that sort of attack. Not sure anyone on Naismith Drive agrees with me there (at least the one guy that counts doesn't).

@betterfireE I think you are in for some disappointment. Vick, right now, is our 6th perimeter guy. That is what Svi ended up being last season. How much playing time did he get after Dec. 15? The 5th guy in Self's perimeter rotation many times gets marginalized. Who is that you think Vick would displace in the presumptive top 5 -- Mason, Graham, Selden, Svi, Greene? The only one I see is Greene, if health is an issue.

Regarding Bragg, I think there is a better hope. But would anyone be surprised if Self plays Ellis, Diallo, Traylor and Lucas ahead of Bragg? Or Mickelson? Not who should play -- but who Self chooses to play? I could see us spending much of our time complaining about Bragg's lack of minutes vs. the low talent upper classmen (Traylor/Lucas).

I hope you're right about Bragg. And I hope @BeddieKU23 is right on his rotation projection, particularly in the post.

@ParisHawk Your comment on Graham and Mason is interesting .. this concept, if Self is really wanting big minutes with both on the court, would shorten the perimeter rotation to four. Say Self said he wanted them on the floor for 25 minutes per game together. Say they play 32 minutes each. That leaves just 16 minutes for Svi. Then you have Selden at 30 mpg, leaving 10 for Greene. Interesting.

@BeddieKU23 I think Svi would be an adequate 3rd PG. Much better than Selden. Not D-1 level with the ball though at the point, for sure. That might be part of the answer here. If Svi can be a decent second ballhandler on the floor (and I think he is), that would allow Self to follow his stated theory, while possibly playing Mason/Graham together appx. 20 min. per game.

@JayHawkFanToo You're exactly right. Athletes can be ready to go, many times, in even 4 months in extremely aggressive rehab cases. My son was full speed after 5 months. The key for the ACL is if there is other involvement - MCL or cartilage, which can extend recovery time a bit. But a non-contact ACL like this, 6 months he should be ready to go no problem. Just in time for the parade down Mass in April.

PETA -- People Eating Tasty Animals.

(I stole that).

I think that if we don't get a big man commitment after late night, it is a big deal. But a bigger deal if we don't get one at the early signing date in November.

We have clear openings in the post, Duke has already snagged a top 50 post player, UK has just gotten a commitment from Gabriel today, and UNC, MSU, OSU, Louisville, 'Cuse, UConn, UCLA, Indiana, etc. -- top programs -- all have commitments from various players.

In past years, we have always had commitments by the early signing date.

Of note, while @JayHawkFanToo is right, 12 of the top 20 haven't committed, 30 of the players ranked 21-60 have committed. Meaning there are only 10 still on the board ↗ in that range. So of the top 60, only 22 remain.

As of now, we're clearly lagging behind other top programs. There is no arguing that. It's where you finish, though, not how you start.

I am puzzled as to why a top post player wouldn't jump to commit here, given all factors.

The ACL -- an injury Kansas hoops has avoided.

Last ACL for KU men's hoops? Brandon Rush in 2007. Nine years ago. Pretty amazing.

With Brown, it's just that he's only had three college head coaching jobs his entire career -- UCLA, KU, and SMU. And each time, sanctions.

We should continue to embrace Larry Brown as part of our storied history. He won us a national championship. That's a big deal -- since in our storied history, it's only happened three times. Meaning, we should not shy away from having him to AFH, and to campus events, as we've done since he's left.

Self's in charge right now. It's his program. I think everyone knows that.

Let's win a national championship this season.

@Jesse-Newell You said: "Selden at the 3 is intriguing to me as well. He still will have to be the backup 2, correct? If not, who is? Svi? Definitely not Greene, which leaves his minutes in doubt if Selden is all 3 this year."

I think Svi will swing 2 - 3, backing up Graham/Mason, and Selden. So he'd give Graham and Mason relief, with the other playing the point. And then spelling Selden some too

But your point on Greene is exactly on point. I've mentioned how I still think Greene is the 5th perimeter guy. That means fighting for minutes. Some here have speculated that a redshirt would be well placed for Greene. I don't know. I have thought that given lack of fit (his game being the three ball, and Self's lack of full appreciation for that part of the game) and lack of possible minutes, that a transfer made sense. But that's not happening.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

On Graham, there was a great quote from Townsend in June that the staff preferred Mason and Graham together. Svi can get a bunch of minutes whether he starts, or is first perimeter guy off the bench.

@drgnslayr And boy oh boy, Bilas doesn't like being challenged on the NCAA topic.

@Jesse-Newell Excellent .. thanks for posting.

Possible questions for Self:

1. Who is the presumptive starter at the 2 -- Graham or Svi.? If the season were to start today.
2. Is Selden cemented as the 3.? Meaning, that's his spot.
3. If you were to rank Mickelson, Lucas, and Traylor as far as minutes now, who would get the most, who would get the least?
4. If Diallo is not eligible to play, who is the odds on favorite to start the most games next to Ellis in the post?
5. Did you make any tweaks or changes to your offensive system from last season? Any hints on what those might be?
6. You said that you "learned a lot" from your experience at the WUG offensively, What exactly did you learn?
7. Can you explain why Traylor's rebound rates are so incredibly low (meaning, as far a post players getting regular minutes, his is the worst rebounding rate aside from Justin Wesley since Self has been at Kansas).

Jay Bilas comes from an anti-NCAA position on literally everything. He wants competitive bidding on players, no maximum on what players can be paid, for players to be employees -- literally a professional basketball league.

Bilas is simply a players' rights guy, but ignores the rule of unintended consequences. I have had quite a few twitter back and forths with Bilas. He firmly believes that going "free market" so to speak, with college hoops, will not destroy the game as we know it.

I firmly disagree.

Bilas makes all of his statements based on his claim that the NCAA is an illegal cartel. Unfortunately for him, decisions regarding the NCAA have been less than decisive. Again, he ignores the fact that the collapse of the NCAA would spell doom for the game we love. And further, doom for many, many college athletes.

@Statmachine What you won't find is Bilas breaking down the "why" on the Diallo matter. Why? First, because he doesn't know. If reporters or media members knew, particularly Bilas, we'd know. Second, because it's easier for him to fire general potshots at the NCAA than to admit the need for an enforcer that many times is not favorable to the student athlete.

While I agree with @Texas-Hawk-10 in that Bilas is not just some random talking head, that doesn't mean that he comments objectively on anything. Bilas hates the NCAA.

Bilas hates the NCAA -- the same NCAA that gave him the position that he is in now. Oddly, the simple fact that he played college basketball put him in the position to earn significant money in the job he currently holds -- yet another perk that some ignore related to being a NCAA athlete.

@Statmachine I find it funny that guys like Bilas and Vitale, almost reactively, say a kid should be cleared when they have no clue as to why he's not been cleared. Their opinions, particularly Bilas', lack any credibility. Bilas is always anti-NCAA. Doesn't matter the topic.

Hmmm .. I would have thought this would have happened to Calipari, I mean, given his evilness and all.

@JayHawkFanToo I would add, specifically, that Cliff did hustle. He did get up and down the court. He did work on defense. I think there were moments where he got caught out of position, didn't move when he should have, or was stagnant. And, of course, times where he didn't hustle. I think we just forget our other freshmen. How many times did Wiggins lolly-gag down the court? I certainly saw Embiid in many lazy moments. Somehow Wiggins didn't get yanked. I think that is exactly the same thing that happens to Traylor, as well, but he's not a freshman or a sophomore.

I think with Cliff, Self was irritated with a multitude of things that added up to limited minutes. Defensive miscues certainly being one. But I'd much rather have Cliff playing defense for me than Traylor. Any day of the week. He contested shots better, he held his position better, and he created more possessions (defensive rebounding).

I guess my biggest issue with Cliff not playing is really the chosen alternative. I don't dispute that Self probably had very valid reasons in his mind. Other coaches might view those issues differently, and might have approached it differently.

Personally, I think Self was trying to mold the player he wanted Cliff to be, and the molding process, as you noted, was going to take more time -- particularly "mentally" and "BBall IQ wise" as you noted.

Again, it's just hard to stomach the alternative during this process when Cliff just flat performed better than the alternative most all of the time.