Would it surprise you that Kaminsky is listed a Forward and not Center? Would it surprise you that with all the height it had, Kentucky lists only Dakari Johnson as Center? and While Okafor is listed as Center, neither UNC or MSU list a single Center? and Virginia lists only Tobey as a F/C? Like I said, true center are hard to come by as tall players nowadays prefer to play forward.
JayHawkFanToo
13427 posts
Just switch the video to this Link ↗ and give him the Fax number to send his LOI.
Just like TRob...
At least this year we have the WUG to fill the gap...:)
KU has 12 players coming back including walk-ons and 2 new players, and unless he sign someone else of gets a graduate player to come back, all 14 should be going.
How about bringing Kevin Young...he made 1st team in the Canadian League and would bring incredible enthusiasm and experience.
From what I read, KU can take 12 players and 2 additional players as managers which I will guess will be Diallo and Svi, since Ukraine is not playing
Although you can never have enough, KU has several good 3-point shooters.
- Mason - 0.429
- Graham - 0.425
- Greene - 0.404
- Ellis - 0.391
- Selden - 0.365
And Svi, that many think he is a 3-point shooter, but as I have posted before, I have yet to see that and he hit 0.288 from the 3 last season.
The problem with our 3 point shooters is not that they cannot hit, the problem is that they cannot really create their own shot, except for Graham and maybe Mason, although Selden has knack for hitting 3s at the right time to either start a rally of stop the opponent's momentum.
I have been watching the NBA payoffs and I always enjoy watching the better 3-point shooters in the League operate; they need very little space and have such quick release that are almost unstoppable. If I were in the coaching staff at KU, I would sit these players have have them watch players like Redick and Curry and Harden and learn how they create their own shot and then they make it..
As far as 5s, they are quickly becoming an endangered species. Very few true 5s left in the game since players that 10-15 years ago would have been playing center now they play PF or stretch PF. If you look at the NBA rosters I would be surprised if you find 10 starting players that are listed as center and most of the players that we think of as centers are really PFs and this trend has also moved to college. KU does not have single player listed as Center and even Lucas and Mickelson are listed as Forwards; Texas might have one or two of their bigs listed as center and maybe OU (???) but other than that I cannot think of any other League player listed as such. Players like Miles Turner that would have been perfect for the Hi-Lo, now go to Texas where he plays stretch PF. No love for centers anymore.
The WUG are not NCAA sponsored so I don't think they have a say in who plays. If Wiggins takes a Summer class, I believe he would be eligible and so would Embiid...no way their teams let them play though. Technically, Coach Self could invite players from other schools since the team represents the Country not the school, not that he would do that.
Happy Mother's day... :) :) :)
Coach Self's record at KU:
Overall: 352–78 (.821)
Conference: 164–36 (.820)
11 Conference Titles in a row and one second place (his very first year) in 12 years.
Last 10 years: 10 tournaments, six Sweet 16s, and two Final Fours while winning one championship and 24 games.
Can anyone name a major program coach with a better record? Until then, I could not care less if he plays Snow White and the 7 dwarfs, as long as he continues to win...who really cares? Nothing succeeds like success.
Why second guess what he did, does or he will do; he has proven time and again that he can deliver, let him do his job and enjoy the results.
Since the team will practicing for the WUG, I imagine Cheik and Svi will playing for the 'Scout" team; no sense in them practicing as starter for games they will not play and it is important that the team is focused on the WUG first and worry about the upcoming season later. How KU does at the WUG will be big in terms of publicity for the program. No question that a poor showing would be exploited by rival coaches/programs.
I still believe that he will have to do some time in "purgatory," like Eustachy did, before he can get back to coaching at a major college program. The NBA has more tolerance than college does so I can see him landing there before college.
I cannot imagine why anyone hires Isaiah Thomas, he has been a disaster as a coach and as an executive everywhere he has coached or managed...
The "truth" will set you free...and hopefully win you a Championship...:)
I get you don't agree with me; however, you don't seem to refute the numbers I cited. UNLV averages over 15,000 per game and I would think - although I could be wrong - that an OAD All-Star team playing European professional teams would draw at least 10,000. I would guess that a lot of basketball fans visiting Vegas would try to catch a game or two to see the players that college missed and Euro stars with NBA potential.; I know I certainly would. Of course since they would not be in a League or playing for any post-season reward it would only be for show, which might decrease the audience, but on the other hand, it would fit perfectly in Vegas.
Again, it is not a big deal, but I would be interested in why you think the team would not attract an audience? I indicated the reasons why I think it would and I would be interest in seeing your side.
Old news; the article is over a month old. Billy Clyde is a very talented coach but has huge obstacle to overcome and it will be years before any major program considers him; he is still pretty radioactive.
Did you not see the numbers? top salary is $700K and low is $100K. If you average that to, say $500K, then with a roster comparable to a NBA roster of 13-15 players, you are looking at $6M-$8M in player salaries. Add the coaching and support staff at $3M and you have a payroll of $10M.
Now the average Home attendance for the NBA is around 18,000 and the team with the lowest attendance (76esr) drew 14,000 per game. The top 20 college programs average at least 15,000 per game, so a realistic and conservative figure could be 10,000, wouldn't you agree?
Now, if you charge an average of $50 per ticket, a bargain by Vegas standards, you have:
35 games x 10,000 attendance x $50 per ticket = $17.5M which more than cover expenses.
Airlines would fly the team from Europe as a promotion and Resorts in Vegas would comp their stay.
Plus, casinos would pay for them to play at their arena because of the additional guests they would bring. All the celebrities in LA that cannot great tickets for the Lakers/Clippers would be pay a premium prices for court side tickets and suites in Vegas (short drive form LA), plus they would make additional money from endorsements and merchandising.
I can see it not only as feasible but very profitable as well.
Dream on brother, dream on...here is a little help...
[link text](
It is not a League. it s just ONE team and it will be playing in Vegas against Euro pro teams that probably will line up for a trip to Vegas. Tons of scouts will get season tickets to scout the euro prospects and regardless of the time of the year, there is always an audience for just about anything in Vegas. I imagine casinos will probably subsidize some of the costs as well.
Payroll will not be that large and probably average $500K per player so total payroll for 13-15 players plus coaches around $10M. All in all, pretty doable; I am surprised someone did not think of this before.
Did I misunderstand what you posted?
"I'm tired of the talk. We've under achieved and haven't delivered a NC."
You did not highlight or quoted those sentences so it does not seem like you were quoting someone else.
Now, you posted:
"I'm sure all KU alum/alumna/fans...whomever want a NC. Let's not settle for mediocrity."
Again, I disagree with you. Not winning the NC DOES NOT mean we are settling for mediocrity. Settling for mediocrity is finishing in the bottom half of the conference and being satisfied. Winning the Conference title year, after year, after year and making the NCAA every year as a high seed does not come close to settling for mediocrity. We obviously have different concepts of success...and mediocrity... so we need to do the usual, agree to disagree.
Bob Knight was foremost a coach even when doing commentary. I learned a lot from watching him dissect plays.
I am more of a Ford man myself and not a big fan of Mopar but I would take them over GM any day. I feel your pain, my AWD Expy 5.4 L gets 12 mpg; it will get sightly better mileage if I keep it under 60 MPH on the highway; I only drive it when I need to tow something or carry a big load, under 1,000 miles per year.
I got the same reaction when I met Tyshawn in person. I was shocked on how skinny he was.
" While Releford was a stabalizing force, Greene could be used as a cataylist. "
Perfect description.
Their logo seems to have the hand subtly giving the NBA and college...the finger :)
If I read it correctly, at this point it is just one team and I am sure one quality coach can be found very easily. Apparently they will play 35 games against euro pro-teams and after one year the better players move to the NBA and the team is replenished with a new batch of McD All- Americans.
Best case is that it would be attractive to top players out of HS since they can make money while playing against decent competition, unless the Euro Leagues ban their teams from playing against this team. Worst case, they become a less entertaining version of the Harlem Globe Trotters...heck, they can take over the role of the Generals....
So sorry to hear about your dog. I have always considered my dogs a part of the family and I lost two in the last few years, one developed an inoperable liver tumor and the 3-legged Chihuahua passed away from old age; she was 22 years old. After 5 years, I am finally thinking about getting another one.
Again sorry for your loss.
I have several issues with your comments.
First, while Teahan lived in Leawood, he attended school at Rockhurst HS in Missouri and he was the POY for the State of Missouri and he was consider a recruit coming form that state and not Kansas. Also, even as POY of the State of Missouri, Teahan was not highly recruited and WAS NOT given a scholarship at KU; he was a walk-on and maybe he got a scholarship on his last year or two but a walk-on IS NOT the player you expect to lead you anywhere, and you hope is that he turns out to be a good role player, which he did...in spades. Same thing with Morningstar, he came to KU mostly as a "legacy" and a walk-on, since he had been in HS as long as you can possible stay and he was not highly regarded or recruited and he ended up doing a very good job at KU as the proverbial "glue" guy; he is one of the better passers KU has had, and no one could get the ball to the bigs like he could.
You really think KU has underachieved? If your criteria for not underachieving is a NC then 350 teams underachieve every year. You seem to forget that KU has been to the finals twice and has one NC in addition to making it to the dance (and advancing) every year and holds the current longest streak in Division I. 11 Conference titles in a row are an achievement that most basketball savvy people consider monumental, particularly while playing in top ranked conference. KU also has the best winning record of any school in the lats 10 years. If all of this is considered underachieving...then I want to underachieve some more.
I would be delighted if he turns out to be the second coming of Ron Baker, a player KU missed and turned out to be pretty darn good.
Again, is it not his job to say what is obvious? There is no question that last season KU was not the the favorite to win the Conference Title, Texas, ISU, Oklahoma and even Baylor were expected to be in serious contention..if he did not mention this fact, as the ESPN reporter assigned to the Big 12, he would not be doing his job and he would be out-scooped and out-reported by just about everybody. Just my opinion, of course.
Given the choice of analysts, Fran would be at or near the top; I used to like Bilas a lot, but he has become too full of himself and thinks he is greater than the sport; I don't like that. Vitale is just a cartoon character and his bias for Duke and UNC is so bad that he is not even allowed to call those games anymore; he is now running out of gas and is very close to being phased out.
In the link that @Crimsonorblue22 posted with Coach Self comments in Arizona; he seems to indicate that Cliff was rule ineligible by the NCAA. I posted the same thing on that thread.
Slayer, that story is well over two years old. Fraschilla is now the ESPN reporter assigned to the Big 12 and as such, he has to report on all the Conference teams. I have followed his reporting ever since he moved to TV and in my opinion, he has always been fair and respectful when it comes to KU. Obviously I must have missed something he said negatively about KU and hopefully someone can point that out to me?
Seems like the type of prospect every coach loves. He is still a couple of year away though...
Again, if you read my posts, I am on the record indicating that returning quality players are better than just about any OAD player, and I rather have returning players than OADs...I guess most of us do.
Also, you don't get to be the #1 or #2 class by recruiting a bunch of 3 star players. look a the rankings past the top 20 and you will see that there are many schools with several 3 or 2 star players.; look at KU, it is ranked the #14 class with only 2 players ranked #7 and #21; had KU picked up Brown or Ingram it would likely be top 5, maybe even top 3. The top #1 or #2 classes are dominated by 4-5 star players, typically in the top 20, otherwise they would not the ranked #1 and #2.
Just having fun too.
I am with @dylans on this issue...how exactly would you regulate beyond what the NCAA already does (sit one year)? Neither a program nor the NCAA can prevent a player form leaving if he so desires, the most the NCAA can do is make sure that the scholarship is given and guaranteed for a 4 year period (some school already do this) so the student cannot be forced out, but if the student-athlete wants to seek more playing time elsewhere there is not really much that can be done.
You are taking my post out of context. I did not say that UK and Duke's players have nothing to prove, they have to prove as much as KU does. Simmons, Labissiere, Ingram, Brown. etal...have to prove themselves as much as Diallo and Bragg do. My point was that the #1 and #2 ranked classes, naturally have a "better"chance for success than the #14 class...there is a reason why they are ranked #1 and #2.
Having said that, there are no assurances or surefire way to predict how well any class will perform regardless or ranking; however, logic dictates that the higher ranked classes are more likely to perform better...don't you think it makes sense?
Look at last year's team and in my mind, Alexander, who came ranked very high did not perform to the expected level based on his ranking but Oubre did; however, Graham and Mason, players that were not top 30 players performed well above what was expected, and the year before, Wiggins and Embiid performed very well as predicted by their high ranking. Again, no way to predict performance but given the choice I will give the higher ranked player/class the nod.
Interesting. Coach Self indicates that Alexander was declared ineligible by the NCAA. I don't believe I heard any KU official say that before, all the said is that the NCAA was investigating and Cliff would not play until fully cleared.
Every coach over recruits and if available will pick a player that might get more playing time than a current player. That is the nature of the business, and it is not just Coach Self that does it. All coaches do it when given the chance, the difference is that top programs have a better shot a top recruits so they will likely over recruit (over fill-in players) more so than smaller programs where many times they have problems using up the available slots.
Actually I said that he would likely stay an extra year, so I am not completely opposed to Maker coming to KU...if he stay one additional year; otherwise he might be more of a distraction than an asset.
It is not just the Nike Hoops Summit; he chose to go play in Canada against marginal competition instead of staying here or attending one of the many basketball Prep schools that have a much higher level of competition; my guess is that his handlers did not want his very raw skills exposed...yes, he has lots of potential but it is potential that might not be usable in one semester. Have you noticed that his name is hardly ever mentioned anymore after the Nike Hoops Summit?
The legend of Thon Maker is based on one highlights video that makes him look like the next Embiid, but he was seriously exposed at the Nike Hoops Summit where he showed he is not at the same level as other comparable players. He might have a high ceiling based on his height and athleticism but this ceiling is not in the immediate future...in my opinion of course.
AW III could not get a starting spot or even get meaningful playing time while at KU and obviously felt he could not beat current players, so how good can he really be?
Does anyone here realize...or care...that KU is still listed as the most likely destination for one Thon Maker? would you want him to come and play for one semester? Would he get any playing time at all if he comes for the second semester only?
If he is going to come for just one semester, I personally would not want him here; it will be a distraction and the chances he contributes or gets meaningful playing time are small. On the other hand, there is a really good chance that he stays past the first year since he does not seem to be ready for the NBA, but then, you can always depend on the ridiculousness/stupidity of NBA recruiting.
Zach Peters was/is from Plano, Texas. Did not work out that well...
I posted similar information a few days ago while wondering about Snacks. It is obvious that Roberts is the primary recruiter and Self is the closer but Snacks was supposed to be the up-and-coming recruiter with all the connections...I wonder if he is discretely being phased out?
In your rebuttal you say "you have to give the edge to the team with the least unknowns..."
That comparison was strictly between KU and ISU. I guess we agree to disagree on Simmons.
Let's hope not...
I believe I mentioned in one of my posts (maybe a different thread) that if UK does not get Skal Labisiere it would be a game changer.
I will stick with the premise that the chance of getting good play from new players is much higher when you have the #1 or #2 ranked class than the #14 ranked class (per ESPN). Even if 50% of the players turn out great, Duke would get good players 2 out of 5 and UK 2 out of 4, where KU would get (so far) 1 out of 2. As per ESPN, Diallo is ranked #7 and Bragg #21. Remember how high we all were on Alexander last season? How did that work out for us? We did get good results from Oubre thouigh...so 1 out of 2 ain't bad. Would you agree that this is a reasonable view?
As far as not being a Wiggins or Parker or Randle this year... have you seen Ben Simmons play? IMHO, he is better than any of the players you mentioned, although he is going to LSU; dude is just about NBA ready now.
KU had a big problem with the front line last season, and we all firmly believe that Bragg and Diallo will help, and it is a valid although hypothetical assumption. all things being equal, you have to give the edge to the team with the least unknowns, and at this time ISU has less of those than KU does, although the upside and potential (and precedent) for KU is much higher, no question about it.
Again, I am not presenting any of these views as facts; they are not. They are just MY opinion and I do not claim to be right; they just represent MY current views based on the information available to date and I could be wrong...or not.
George Niang is a really, really good college player and ISU will have most of the team back and with 3 transfer players, essentially all analysts feel ISU will have the best team it has had during the Hoiberg tenure...and they were pretty good last year. I am not surprised that at this stage they would be considered favorites to win the conference.
Having said that and following Vegas rules...you don't beat against the streak...so I will go with KU.
Nice. I don't believe Zenger has a say on this so probably Jayhawk fans will not get screwed. I am sure there will be live Interned feeds.
P.S. I still hate Zenger.
Cal: Like any player who says they want to come back, I don’t say, “Great, I love it!” I say, “Tell me why you want to come back,”
Unnamed player: Uhm Because it is "college" after all and you are supposed to be there for at least 4 years and I want to get a degree?
Cal: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...OK, now tell me why you Really want to come back?