🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I like baseball analogies.

I'd say this was a triple. If we had landed Chukwu instead of Coleby, it would have been a home run. That's because (in my mind) Chukwu was more highly rated than Coleby, didn't fail to break into a starting lineup for two seasons like Coleby (Chukwu only one), Chukwu has three more seasons left, and, of course Chukwu is 7 foot tall and fits the rim protector ideal that seems to work in Self's system -- perhaps I missed the posts of folks saying he was a "guaranteed star" or something as @Texas-Hawk-10 suggests.

Home run, in my mind, would be -- could we reasonable expect/hope for anything better than we got? If the answer is "no", then it's a home run.

Bragg's addition was huge -- the must have foundational piece, and Vick's late signing was terrific ... both projected multi-year guys. Diallo was what we were left with, our only option, the must have OAD. And Self got him. If we're running in the OAD world, Diallo was a huge signing (and no hint of prima donna in him, to this point).

Stand up triple.

I have a hard time rooting for these Commies .. better dead than red.

By the way, where's my Atari?

My biggest question on Greene is his role and how he expands that role.

How does he achieve anything greater than the 5th perimeter guy?

What does Greene do better in any statistical category or otherwise, beyond shooting three pointers, than any of the other four returning perimeter players?

He is a decent rebounder.

As I mentioned last season, I would have started Greene over Selden. The three point shooting ability is a big deal, and trumps many other deficiencies -- in my eyes. But not in the eyes of the guy that counts, Bill Self. Thus my questions.

Mason and Graham are locked in as ball handlers. Selden is the chosen one. So it's Greene vs. Svi.

What does Greene do better than Svi other than hit the step-in three?

@DoubleDD Definitely Diallo. No doubt.

Like you, I"ve been outnumbered a few times here on a some topics. I can assure you, though, that doesn't mean you're wrong ...

Blake Griffin ... that would be nice. 14+ ppg and 9+ rpg as a freshman. If Diallo is active, the only thing stopping him from 9 rpg will be minutes. Griffin averaged over 28 his freshman season. Griffin averaged .32 rebounds per minute -- approaching TRob territory (.34+). Dwight Coleby was .29 last season. Cliff was .30. So .32 seems plausible if this guy is what we think he is ... AND ... he gets the minutes.

Getting minutes will be the challenge. It is our greatest frustration.

When we see Cliff be as productive as he was, in the minutes he played, and then sit, I think most are willing to forgive his indiscretions --- particularly when others on the court do the same things.

But if Traylor's playing more than Diallo, I might make a quick drive to @VailHawk territory and jump off the Royal Gorge bridge.

I have to agree with @JayHawkFanToo on Embiid here. Remember when we had the discussion after seeing his videos? The footwork, the touch, how he ran the floor, his ball handling, the use of both hands, and the overall skill set? It was amazing. In June of 2013, Rick Pitino commented that Kansas might have the top two picks in the draft, referring to Wiggins and Embiid. That was before Embiid played on game here. He knew. Although some tossed around the project thing, I'm quite confident that everyone inside the game thought otherwise (as Pitino's comment suggests). @DoubleDD is right. Embiid did not make his ratings jump until he signed with Kansas. But that was when folks got to see him. Embiid was nowhere near raw. In reality, he was the most ready as a freshman of any post player we've had at Kansas since Danny Manning.

But I'll toss in that Diallo is a much different player. He has nowhere near the skills right now that Embiid had. He scores and makes plays in different ways. It will really be hard to judge Diallo's impact until we see him in Self's system. I'm cautiously optimistic -- as I always am with freshmen under Self.

@sfbahawk Ah, very funny .. come on, I love the weave. Particularly with Chalmers and Collins on one particular night in 2008. But just not as your "offense." Here and there, excellent change-up.

@KUSTEVE I thought about that too. When Chukwu's name came up, I was concerned it might cost us some other guys. But then I thought, "bird in the hand." And that's why I think he took Coleby -- the "bird in the hand" theory.

You are right, though, Coleby's not a roadblock yet (as part-timer for Ole Miss). However, I think Self would take Chukwu in a minute. Again, the "bird in the hand" -- if Chukwu is what we think he is, or could be with develpment, take him now if possible. But that window may have shut.

Self did a great job securing Coleby.

@konkeyDong - He is a rather biased projector.

@konkeyDong I checked online and all I saw about Chukwu cancelling MSU was this article ↗.

It cites the Matt Scott article mentioning that he referenced Michigan, not MSU ... but the Scott article has been corrected to say MSU .. here's the link ↗.

Have you seen anything else?

@jaybate-1.0 No problem .... that is about the most tame mischaracterization I've had over the years, to be honest. But I'm with you in spirit.

As a high/low proponent, I'll always take what Self is after -- that close, high percentage shots. But in many games, teams work real hard to take away "our stuff", thus it doesn't become quite as easy. And when you have the baloney we had at the basket last season, the trey becomes the better bet.

It's much, much easier to take away a bunny, than to take away a three point shot.

And you're right, not usually many team bunny slumps. They are the better bet -- again with my caveat that you have to be able to do it effectively first.

I did see two astounding "at the rim" stats when I was looking. We've talked about how stunningly bad Selden was (as a 2 guard) at the rim last season - Selden was just 50.7%; compare to Travis Releford in 2012-13. An amazing 74.5% at the rim. EJ was an even more amazing at 76.2% as junior (at the two guard), but went in the tank as the point (50%).

Part of the reason for my positive vibes on Selden moving forward was that he was 69.1% his freshman season.

@konkeyDong Dodd said Chukwu would "likely" have to pay his own way. This is near dead, but not totally dead. The body is still breathing, though the breaths are very labored.

How does Chukwu pass up a scholarship at Michigan St?

@Texas-Hawk-10 I hate to be a Nazi of any kind, but a spelling error isn't grammar, right?

Ok, I think I have been slightly defamed. I recall Mr. @jaybate-1.0 advocating for the 30+ threes thing, but not yours truly. But if anyone is going to stretch my suggestions a bit, I'd want it to be @jaybate-1.0.

I suggested that the 2014-15 Jayhawks shoot appx. 20-25. I'm a high/low guy, definitely an inside/out guy. But, with this past team, and its skill set, and its lack of scoring at the rim, I liked the idea of a high rate of threes, and I liked the idea of an outside/in approach. I also think that a higher rate of threes can work playing inside/out. When we shot more threes, we were better this past season. Jesse Newell did an article showing that.

@Texas-Hawk-10 You mention hitting a certain % of threes in a 6 game NCAA tourney. Really, that is no different than missing close shots. We've had that happen too. Folks just seem to think that because it's a three pointer, it's somehow more risky. It's just not. If you're just gunning off balance threes, or threes in traffic, sure -- but that's very similar to the risk at any spot on the court (but with the benefit of a 50% higher point reward).

I harp on scheme -- and despite the protests of a few here -- scheme is the most important factor in offensive basketball. Your scheme can make three pointers less risky (meaning, creating good shots). And that's why I like inside/out basketball. It creates better shots, in my opinion. But it's not the only way.

@Statmachine Pretty funny .. I'm talking about the Indiana, 1981 title winner, first round pick Isaiah Thomas. You are talking about the current Isaiah Thomas, second round pick .. which means you probably win this discussion. Good comparison.

Also, there are other short dudes -- Nate Robinson is like 5'10" right?

Frank will be an NBA player (I think). But will he leave early? I really hope not.

@Statmachine I think the thought on the small guard thing is just that it makes it much more unlikely for Mason to leave early, and get drafted. Isaiah is a hall of famer. Mason, probably not. That's not saying Mason can't make it in the NBA. He definitely can. As Seth Greenberg said, he's got a little Allen Iverson (another small guard) in him. Both Iverson and Isaiah were 6'1" I think.

@BeddieKU23 Agree completely.

Goodman and Borzello don't have Marques Bolden on our targets list? Or Schnider Herard?

@jaybate-1.0 is attempting to explain the most important question -- "why"? Losses happen for a reason. Wins happen for a reason. Four of our most dramatic losses happened for a reason -

1. TCU - This was all about the previous Oklahoma St. debacle. Self uncharacteristically blew his stack, infamously threw EJ under the bus, and that set the stage for this embarrassing defeat. It was obvious that this was a mental deal that led to the poor performance. Self continued to berating after the TCU game and then came to his senses after the next loss to OU, when he praised the teams effort and turned around the team's psyche. The thing about the TCU game was that it didn't cost us anything. It was just embarrassing. For anyone that doubts the impact a coach can have on a team psychologically, this game was lesson #1.

2. VCU - My view of VCU is the same as it was before the VCU game. I discussed how we would lose at kusports.com before it happened. We were out-athleted. The Brady/Reed discussions. I argued strongly during the season that EJ should play instead of both of them. EJ proved his worth in our title game run the next season, and EJ for 32 minutes in a game like the VCU game would have been good medicine. Further, I had argued for Releford over both Brady and Reed. He proved his value as well. In hindsight, wouldn't everyone, right now, like to turn back the clock and do what I suggest? And very importantly, guys shoot poorly when they are tired -- VCU ran, ran, and ran some more. This game was about personnel, and pace of play. This was the single most important loss in the Self era, aside from UK in the title game (which was a very well coached game by Self). The national title was there, with only Butler and UConn in the way. I firmly believe that if Self plays EJ over Brady the entire second half of the season, and inserts Releford for Reed when his ankle healed, we win the national title. EJ + Releford > Brady + Reed. Always was, always will be. The key was the prep ... I was not in favor of just air dropping those two into the game as starters. Self needed to anticipate this in advance, like we did at kusports.com, and get those guys ready for the tourney run with big minutes during the season. It was amazing how Releford and EJ were able to feed the post the next season to Withey and TRob, wasn't it? Both would not have compromised us in the tourney games prior to VCU, and both playing would have put us in a better position to beat VCU.

3. Stanford - Why? We know why. Self was badly outcoached. Why did Wiggins have a poor game? He said so -- guys were always in his face. Why did we miss famous "bunnies"? Stanford was big and in our face. We made no real adjustments. We let Wiggins stand around on the perimeter and get pinched. We just ran our stuff. Self also started and played an impotent Naadir Tharpe, when Frankamp should have been the starter for Stanford. He didn't pull that trigger, and it was part of the fatal dose of tourney poison. If the TCU was lesson #1 on the psychological impact a coach can have, this game was Exhibit A on how a top coach can be outcoached.

4. UNI - The "why" here was largely about coach Self's refusal to attack and play aggressively against UNI. Self has stated that he does not like to press because good teams can beat it. His strategy is that we will run our "stuff" and beat you. We all saw what happened when we finally did ratchet up the pressure, but it was too late. We let UNI dictate pace, just like Texas Tech did in Lubbock two years ago. It allowed an inferior team to play with, and stay with, a superior team. UNI was happy to play at a pedestrian pace. However, Collins did not play well -- and his poor play was not related to anything UNI was doing specifically, and there was not anything Self didn't do adjustment-wise (in my opinion) related to Collins.

In these four games, the "why" is the critical question. If you don't ask "why" as a coach, you don't improve. And, as a result, history will repeat itself.

@jaybate-1.0 I'LL TAKE THE FOOTER, I'LL TAKE THE FOOTER!!!!

@JayHawkFanToo The reason you would second guess Self is because Self might just be wrong. He's been wrong many, many times. He's human. His decisions aren't automatically correct. You just don't want to talk about. And you attack folks that challenge his decisions and want to talk about it. Part of the purpose here is to do just that -- to talk basketball, and to do so on more than a superficial level. Simply because you critique, discuss, postulate and challenge decisions doesn't mean you think you're smarter at the trade than the person you are discussing. I think most folks understand that you can criticize and critique someone, while still liking and respecting them.

@JayHawkFanToo First, you have zero credibility on anything regarding Self. You are not objective. You have admitted before that you "will never second guess" coach Self. That limits your ability to objectively critique -- which you refuse to do.

Second, I do think Self is of good moral character. Just my impression. I do know some issues regarding his personal life that have flowed to me from reliable folks, but flaws that many folks of good character have. My point was that you work awfully hard, all the time, to defend the guy, no matter what. On the recruiting, you have to get in the sewer. That's part of the job description. You just want to paint an arbitrary line of acceptability, which is comical.

Third, and this is more laughable .. you point out the scholarship stuff as if it means something. You do this regularly. You think certain things have meaning when they don't. This is about ball handling. Not scholarships available. Tharpe was our second ball handler. He wasn't going anywhere if we didn't have a viable option. Tharpe admitted later that he was forced out (Self's decision). The timing didn't have to do with scholarships available, the timing had to do with Graham -- who would not have come if Tharpe would have still been here. Competition. Graham said that was a consideration.

Nice try Cubby.

@Texas-Hawk-10 You said -- "There is one big difference between Tharpe and Traylor and Mickelson. Naadir Tharpe had not been redshirted yet and had the option of going to another school ... "

Yea, I know that.

@JayHawkFanToo I don't recall anyone other than Tharpe. But then again, I wasn't looking. Did you think I was?

Self ran Tharpe because Graham was a better option. I think the circumstances support that.

Miraculously and amazingly, the decision on Tharpe came on May 1. Then, the next day, Devonte Graham signs. Graham said afterward, logically, that Tharpe leaving influenced his decision to sign.

It is in Self's nature to run off a player before he's a senior, as we've seen. That's cool. We all concede that.

But it's not in Self's nature (according to you) to do it when the kid is heading into his senior season, but for the one "precedent" that is Tharpe, who you say is "justified", and doing so the day before a prized recruit puts his name on the dotted line saying that Tharpe's departure aided his decision?

Drawing arbitrary lines of distinction in an effort to defend Self's character here.

Does anyone really think that Tharpe gets run if we don't have a second ball-handler (Graham) in the bag? No way.

With all that in mind, I support Self's decision on Tharpe. I just don't try to rationalize Self as being of such high moral character that he wouldn't run a kid before his senior year. Self just did what he had to do for Kansas basketball. It's an ugly business. He gets in the sewer like the other coaches.

@sfbahawk I would tend to agree with you on seven footers. They're nice to have, but not a necessity. I think that is what @DoubleDD said -- "HCBS needs bigs whether 6’9 or 7ft."

But the one thing that is clear, a tall, long kid can be a game changer. That why I want Chukwu. When given a choice, I'd rather have a Chukwu type than a Coleby type.

Ideally, really, we'd have both. Imagine 7'2" Chukwu and 6'9" bruiser Coleby together in the post. Sounds good?

Maybe. They need to be skilled. They need to be able to score on the block.

Personally, my opinion has been that we need back to the basket scoring. But I don't care if it's Wayne Simien height or Joel Embiid height. Again, I'd rather have good, skilled, taller players. But we have won without it.

The reason I'm not excited about Coleby is that Coleby was a role player at Ole Miss. He was unranked. He hasn't been spectacular. I think there is an argument that he is just insurance -- that he may not be a real answer in the rotation. But sure, he could be more. Not being excited about doesn't mean, at least for me, that I don't like the acquisition. I'd just rather have Chukwu.

With Chukwu, we have a more highly though of player out of high school. Taller and longer, and certainly rim protector stuff. A guy that after a year here may project more to a Withey type, the kind of guy we all think (I'm guessing you too) fits well in Self's system.

I'm fine with the Coleby acquisition. But I want more. I now want both. I want Chukwu. Is it "critical"? Probably not.

Who was the best post player in Self's tenure at Kansas? Probably TRob's 2011-12 season. But he was paired with Withey. Did Withey make him better? I'm pretty confident that he did.

I want both.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Curious, how do you know all of this?

The KU Sports article on Pollard references Pollard paying out of state tuition which is only relevant if that's an issue. It also makes mention of a family commitment, which given Pollard's age and that his family is Mormon likely means Pollard is going on his Mormon mission which typically happens after the freshman year of college.

@Statmachine You're the source for the Chukwu comment with the The Shiver article you referenced on the other thread about how that situation would play out should Chukwu choose KU.

@JayHawkFanToo I'm curious, what were Tharpe's disciplinary issues. I know the selfie. I know the pouting thing. Did I overlook something with him? You said "several disciplinary issues" -- maybe that's it. Personally, that's enough for me.

Regarding the diplomatic route, we called b.s. on the cover story the day he transferred. No doubt it was a cover story to aid Tharpe. No disagreement there.

@ParisHawk Brady, Brady, Brady .. inexorably linked to my complaining. Got the humor there. Thanks for the follow up.

@JayhawkRock78 On White, he said that Self visited with him and told him his playing time was in doubt. That's a very subtle way to let a kid like White (to 50ish player, and a junior to be) know the door is over there.

A few years ago I did a mock conversation here between Self a player he might want to leave exactly along those lines. It would seem quite easy for a coach to create a circumstance for a player, albeit being very helpful and appearing to be acting in the kid's best interests, that make him staying untenable. Telling a kid he won't play heads the list.

On Tharpe, yes, there were incidents of pouting, but no suspensions I can recall (e.g., Traylor and Greene). Look, Tharpe was forced out (my speculation here) because he wasn't a good leader, because his overall presence was a detriment, and because of on-court issues. I'm sure the selfie baggage played a role too. But it was likely just a portion of the reasons.

And really that's all this is .. theoretical. Nothing for sure. Taking all of the evidence we have and piecing it together logically.

It begins with, Why would Chukwu visit if Self had no intention of finding him a place on the roster?

Everything just flows from there.

We've seen kids forced out before. We've seen guys go off scholarship before.

All when there is a player that Self wants.

@ParisHawk I'm not understanding what your trying to differentiate there on one point. White was forced out. And you say "White was allowed to graduate, just not at KU." I don't get it. All of the kids that might be forced out could graduate somewhere else.

But I get your point. You are saying that Traylor and Mickelson would be stuck -- they couldn't go anywhere else, D-1, and play. I agree. That is a difference. And with Lucas, he would lose a year of eligibility to sit, and then play his final season (since he's redshirted. That was not the case with Tharpe or White.

Even with Tharpe, Self didn't cause him lose a year of eligibility as you mentioned. Tharpe had not redshirted. He could have sat and then played 2015-16 with a new school.

I don't disagree there.

My only real point was that Self has forced guys out before for players he preferred. Different circumstances here, but no one should be shocked if it happens again. It's just where the line is drawn. We don't know where Self draws the line yet. This may give us some guidance going forward.

On having someone give up their scholarship, you said you "won't name him out of respect for you .." -- what do you mean?

@JayhawkRock78 - You said "Tharpe self destructed." I'm curious what you are talking about. One selfie that slipped out? That's self destructed? Tharpe had other issues that were distinctly related to his impact on the court. Self made the right decision changing horses there.

You also referenced that you could not recall the "specific problems White had off court" -- there were none. The kid was a model student-athlete, and from all I've heard a very nice, well grounded young man. There were no suspensions or any hint of issues as I recall.

@JayHawkFanToo Self did the exact same thing last season to Tharpe. And miraculously, we signed Graham the next day. I'm sure you will somehow try to differentiate these seniors to be from that senior to be. But your post was agreeing with @ParisHawk, who was "taking (the) position with those who want to take good care of our current players." He expressed discomfort with the discussion on players being forced out.

You agreed "100%" saying you'd be "surprised, shocked actually, if Coach Self release any of the seniors to be (or any other player) without allowing them to graduate."

Huh? I guess last spring's purge just didn't happen.

Self had no problem showing Tharpe the door on May 1, 2014. What is interesting with Tharpe is that he wasn't shown the door until that better option became available (Graham). Same with Andrew White on May 8, 2014. He didn't get the pink slip until that better option was there and available (Svi). Both players were released by Self "without allowing them to graduate."

Self opened scholarships last season when better options were available. And with that, he had zero conscience in doing so. Tharpe went nowhere. I'm sure it was devastating to his life. With White, he was considered a stellar young man and by all accounts loved Kansas. Regardless of all of that, both were coldly discarded for players that Self preferred.

That all this discussion is about. It's the only reason it is occurring (the discussion). If Self had not done this before, we wouldn't consider it an option. No one should be "shocked."

@Texas-Hawk-10 I think you are stretching the discussion just a bit to fit your narrative. Most everyone thinks KU is a national title contender this season. No doubt. I think that is the consensus, not the exception. However, my position is that if we lost Traylor or Mickelson, it wouldn't matter one bit. And actually, I think if we lost Traylor we would be better. Addition by subtraction, the Naadir Tharpe way (but for other reasons). In principle, I agree that we should not ditch someone that, if we lost them, it would make us worse for 2015-16.

Greene is an interesting discussion on that line of thought. I think Greene could be tremendous. But as the 5th perimeter guy, and the marginalizing of his one main skill ... hitting the step in three pointer ... I tend to think we could survive. Because of Vick, I'd part with Greene if it meant Chukwu. That might not be the wise decision, though, I admit.

@sfbahawk If Mickelson say graduated after summer coursework, would he not be eligible to transfer as a graduate transfer and be immediately eligible for 2015-16? I don't know if the rule requires a May/Spring graduation.

@Bosthawk You assume right. Yes, Lucas was the best rebounder .. appx. .29 per minute. Mickelson .25 and Traylor .18 per minute. Right now, I value Lucas over the other two.

@BeddieKU23 Remember, what we're talking about is real potential vs. pedestrian.

@Bosthawk Interesting you point out Lucas.

You mention that he (Lucas) is the "one guy who can't score at the basket if his life depended on it ... "

However, the stats tell a bit of a different story regarding him being the "one guy". Field goal percentages at the rim -- Traylor (of course) 54.8%; Ellis 58.1 %; and Lucas 59.3%.

Now, you had said the "one guy" -- that's all I'm refuting. Ellis and Lucas are not good at the rim, and Traylor is really bad for a post player. Thus our issues last season. Thus the constant commentary on why our system didn't seem to fit our personnel skills last season.

Of course, there were two guys who could actually score at the rim at respectable rates -- Cliff - 68.7% and Mickelson 70.7%. By comparison, for what it's worth, Dwight Coleby was 67.5%.

@Texas-Hawk-10 You know I was kidding about the weed comment I hope. Just a little levity.

I do not like the fact that White got run. But at the same time, I like having a coach that is going to make the tough call to create the roster he wants. I may not agree with the decision, but I agree with the approach. No pleasant task. If the coach does not think the player will play (White), or his negatives outweigh the positives (Tharpe), and he clogs a scholarship for what Self perceives to be a better player, then Self is doing the right thing in my opinion.

I think your logic fails here on Chukwu. If we lost either Mickelson, Traylor, or Greene, would you lose any sleep for the coming year? I wouldn't. I love Greene, but not in Self's system. Greene's terrific, but my humble opinion is that Self doesn't use him the right way. I've wasted a number of posts on that topic. I do think we'd be better if we lost Traylor. And with Mickelson, he's just one big expectancy sitting on the end of the bench -- and we got zero from his last season. Our season would have turned out the exact same way without Mickelson. So yes, I'd trade either big guy right now for Chukwu. And because we signed Vick, I'd part with Greene.

But I do respect your position -- sticking with "our guys" has a lot of merit. I generally agree with that. It's just when a guy is scholarship clogger that I might depart.

@Texas-Hawk-10 "KU will not be a serious national title contender in 2016-17."

Uh, why not? Mason a senior, Graham a junior, Svi a junior, Selden a senior (or maybe Josh Jackson in his place)?

Bragg a sophomore, plus two guys (Chukwu and Coleby) in our system for a full year (assuming we land Chukwu)? Plus recruits, like Bolden? Add in senior Lucas.

Good God man, have you been smokin' weed?

2016-17 is definitely a potential title year.

@Statmachine Exceptional circumstances approved by NCAA ↗. Hip surgery vs. plane crash and prolonged recovery. Not a consideration here, but good point.

@blackmild33 Right on .. Vick reclassifies to 2015. Done deal.

Now, does Chukwu visit tomorrow? Is there another shoe to drop? Or are we done?

Lost in all of this a little bit is that Self is REALLY working hard to construct this roster for success here. If he's juggling things, and if he has to make a tough decision on a kid, that's what he has to do.

I mentioned this a few seasons ago .. We want him on that wall, we need him on that wall.

He made a very tough call on a soon to be senior last season (Tharpe). He made a very tough call on a relatively popular kid (White). It would be much easier for him to let things play out on good kids. Agree or disagree with his decisions -- the constant activity to try and make Kansas better is exactly what we should want in a coach.

It is a harsh world, and decisions have to be made in many cases coldly, and based on the reality of CBB -- winning.

I don't think that we have any doubt that Self's decisions are geared toward winning. Good stuff.

Give me Chukwu, or give me death!

@globaljaybird I don't know about playing in the WUG then transferring. But I suspect they could. The new year begins, I believe, with fall enrollment. But I'm not sure.

On redshirts, you get 5 years to play 4 seasons. So one redshirt. A medical redshirt could give you a 6th year to play that 4th season. So you can get one of those, even if you have a redshirt season already, like Lucas or Traylor or Mickelson.

Ah, now the question of linkage has gained more footing. Yesterday was supposed to be the day for Vick to announce his reclassification decision. Could he do it today? Sure. But this all has more traction now.

@ParisHawk Thanks for correctly stating my current thoughts on Vick .. when he was the #133 player, I was a bit more bold in saying we would not see him at KU if he didn't reclassify. Getting the big ratings bump changed my "would not" to a "may not." I just think that the longer a kid sits without actually signing, the more risk that is present (and time to decommit like he's done before).

And how might Vick feel now if when he committed he thought he was very wanted and needed for this coming season, and now KU is saying, uh, "wait"?

But that's speculation. KU might not be saying all of that.

Again, from yesterday, there is more traction as well with the idea that someone might depart if Chukwu does come into the fold -- to make room for Vick.

More interesting speculation now.

I had also read where Chukwu is to visit Iona after Kansas. So the plot thickens.

@Bosthawk Well I can't argue with your second paragraph either. Good stuff.

@Bosthawk You said, "Traylor has been the epitome of what a Ku player should be in Self’s system… Completely dedicated and selfless and extremely hard working ... "

"Good" though was not included. I'd like that too. Traylor isn't "good."

@Texas-Hawk-10 -- Might you have read that on the helpful link I provided?

@DoubleDD Exactly. If no room, and if we're still after Chukwu .. what gives?

I've said this for quite a while. I thought Brannen Greene might transfer -- the "fit" thing more than anything. Could he transfer if Vick reclassifies? Scholarship open for Chukwu? Greene's dad said no in March or April pretty definitively.

On the pie graph of possibilities, the "we're done" slice is probably at 95% if Vick reclassifies. Yet there are other possibilities ...

@Texas-Hawk-10 Unless Mickleson has graduated, he is stuck. Just like Traylor. He already burned his redshirt season. The NCAA rule is 5 years to play 4. This is his 5th year. The only possible 6th year (still 4 seasons of play) is a medical redshirt, say if Mickelson tore his ACL this summer or something like that.

@BeddieKU23 I would bet on your scenario there. But if Vick doesn't say something today, I'd say the betting line shifts.

@DoubleDD You, I think, are the first one to speculate what we really fear -- the Bragg is an OAD for some reason. You broader point by that comment is that Self is doing everything he can, in this OAD world, to make sure we aren't horribly depleted. Heck, Bragg could end up disenchanted when Self plays Traylor over him most of the season, right (I know that's not funny)? My point is anything could happen. If Coleby ends up being just a body, that is badly needed insurance. Chukwu appears to be more than insurance. I like that it appears we're still in on him.

The "how" would be interesting.

FYI, I don't think Mickelson can do the graduate/transfer thing. There is an article ↗ from March that he was to graduate "next year."

I kind of wondered that on Traylor .. he's been at Kansas four years now. But I haven't seen anything that he had graduated.

Jeff Goodman has just said that Chukwu is still visiting Kansas Wednesday - "Providence transfer big man Paschal Chukwu will visit Nebraska today and Kansas Wednesday, source told ESPN. Virginia also involved."

This supports @REHawk's thought on Vick.

But Vick is supposedly to make the decision by today.

There is a least room to speculate that we could have a departure, right? If Vick reclassifies today AND Chukwu visits Wednesday, that would have to be the case.

Unless Self was considering a departure of a current player, why else would Chukwu visit if Vick reclassifies? That's the only conclusion, right?

@Bosthawk No, no .. we don't kick someone out. Never would do that. But it would be likely that a player would magically want to be closer to his daughter, or Self might decide to now inform someone that their playing time will be limited. But no, no one would get kicked out.

Don't bet on it though. I think we're done.

Actually, if Vick reclassifies, we're out of scholarships.

So someone would have to leave to add Chukwu.

Kansas just added Dwight Coleby.

One might say: Pedestrian. Roster clogger. Insurance. Average. Unranked. Waste of time.

Another might say: Good rebounder. Upside. Can shoot free throws. Strong. Necessary add. Fits our system. Trust Self.

I will just say: I wanted Chukwu.

This might indicate that Self thought Chukwu was anything but a sure thing.

@BeddieKU23 No problem .. I mean on the posting thing. Chukwuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu????

@BeddieKU23 I think you accidentally edited my post and added the information after my reference to Bolden and Herard.