Players do not want to bang inside anymore as it shortens careers; they now have become stretch 4 or stretch 5 type of players
JayHawkFanToo
13427 posts
Texas and Baylor have had plenty of talent over the years and could not do it. This last season, Texas, ISU and OU were all expected to be better than KU but in the end same story...KU wins Conference Title.
A lot less top competition on the Mountain West...
Wouldn't you also agree that Coach Self has done a better job than any other coach in the League...with no exemptions...as shown by 11 Conference Titles in a row?
What you want and what you get is not always the same thing, regardless of how hard you work at it. I would say that he has used the available personnel as well as anyone...but I am sure you honestly believe you could have done a better job, and on this we just agree to disagree.
Again, it is the "NIKE" Hoops Summit and the "JORDAN" (top Nike endorser) Classic...what did you expect? Both are invitation type tournaments and the players are not selected by popular vote as an All-Star typically would be or by unbiased ranking like most rankings claim to be. Of course Nike will promote players that are part of its programs. Like I said, Adidas could have an All-Star game as well, they are just not as good at marketing as Nike is. Neither of these two games is associated with the NCAA and it has no say in who is invited or by-passed.
More importantly, these two games will really not affect recruiting in the least as coaches are already aware of what every player can or cannot do since they have been following their progress for a long time. I just don't see it as big deal but this is my personal opinion and I do not claim being right (or wrong); I am sure others feel differently.
The Cauley-Stein subject has been extensively discussed in various threads. He did not want to come to KU and he would not have been a good fit either...nothing else left to say.
The "spending more than any other D1 program" is a red herring. KU will always need to spend more just because of geography. While coaches of programs on the coasts or near big basketball meccas can drive to see recruits, Coach Self an staff invariably have to fly and this is where most of the cost is. In the last few years we have had Reed, Frankamp and Ellis as the only Kansas recruits and every other player came from much farther away. The expense is compounded because top recruits demand continuous pampering and Coach Self and Staff have to fly to the different games/tournaments to keep KU's bid alive or else someone else will get to them; Scott Drew has been accused of bad mouthing other programs and/or coaches, so it is essential to stay in touch and convince them to play in the small market Mid West instead of the big market in both coasts or near a big city...plus when your base is Lawrence, Kansas, the cost is much higher. You have to spend money to make money and the KU basketball programs has been very profitable and is rated the second mots valuable program in college basketball.
...and you miss mine; nothing new.
Congrats to Perry, I cannot think of a more deserving individual. Nothing represents the spirit of "Student-Athlete" better than Perry does. KU has been fortunate that most players have been pretty decent students and individuals as well.
Sometimes, not often mind you, but sometimes I have warped sense of humor... :( :)
Every team that makes to the tournament except one end the season with a loss. You think KU gets upset in the tournament? Ask the fans or most every other school and with very few exceptions they would all trade their programs for a KU-like program. You are so busy thinking about what you don't have that fail to see what you do have. Be happy...you could be a MU fan.
On the bright side...the Final 4 are reserved for the few KU fans that have the misfortune of living in Misery...:)
Are you saying the Federal Reserve has no bias? The other I can believe, the Federal Reserve?...not so much. :)
Rivals has him %15, ESPN #21, Sporting News #10, Future 150 #14.
Others have him ranked anywhere between #10 and #25, More importantly, there are a lot of quality Centers and PFs in this class, so just because he is ranked high does not necessarily means he will make one of the All-Star teams. According to the ESPN ranking, there are 10 "bigs" ranked ahead of him that would also be selected ahead of him.
Here is an interesting article ↗on rankings...
I have two real good and grown kids, but in their teen years they did have a rebellious side to them...
The trend in the NBA is to get away from true Centers. If you look at the rosters, most players you would consider Centers are listed as PFs. Maybe the trend is moving to college
Same reason why on all the golf courses in Missouri they only use the first 14 holes...they just don't know how to get to the final four... :) :) :)
As a parent of (former) teenagers I know all too well that they never do what you want them to do and seldom do what they need to do... :(
College coaches are not only that but also teachers and mentors. For many kids, they are the first father figure and positive role model in their lives and I would trade a few wins if the result is kids graduating with a better chance of success in life, particularly as is the case for most kids, outside of basketball. What is it that made you so jaded?
Most coached know what players can do long before rosters are announced, years in many cases, and they will not recruit them based on the inclusion/exclusion in an All-Star game or two. Many if not most of the recruits have already committed to a school before the All-Star games anyway, so the recruiting dynamics do not really change. Do you think that KU would stop pursuing Diallo if was not includes in one or more of these games? I think not. I bet Thon Makes wishes he would not have played in the Nike Hoops Summit...:)
The "Nike" Hoops Summit and the Jordan (read "Nike" ) All Star game are obviously sponsored by Nike and as such it makes sense they would lean towards Nike program players. Maybe Adidas should Start the Adidas World Invitational game to showcase Adidas leans. No question that Nike's marketing is better than Adidas.
Bragg plays for Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Cleveland, a private Catholic school and like most private Catholic schools it is small. However, like most private Catholic schools it has an excellent basketball program. If you look at the National HS ranking you will see that Catholic schools representation is orders of magnitude larger than enrollment. Likewise, if you look at the top ranked players in the country, you will see a huge number coming from Catholic schools; no doubt that Catholic schools/Leagues are at the top.
Also and regardless of school size, Bragg is part of the All-Ohio team ↗ and the top ranked prospect in the state ↗; the #2 prospect, Luke Kennard is headed to Duke.
Do you have any idea how frustrating must be for coaches when they practice all week for a team and at game time the players seem to have forgotten what they did in practice? I understand that the opposing team has a say in the matter but it happens to all teams not just KU. here is a GIF of Calipari physically stepping into the court and shoving his player into position...
This is some of the best inside information we have had on Coach Self in a long time and I have no doubt that he has an extreme knowledge of the game and an incredible memory; I have heard hims describe plays in games several years old in minute detail before.
It always amazes me when individuals with a fraction of the knowledge Coach Self has and ZERO knowledge of what goes on behind close doors are constantly second guessing what he does.
Again, thanks for sharing your experience, it really puts things in perspective and gives us a better insight into the man himself.
Zenger is smart enough to know that if he does fireworks at AFH, many fans would sit him right on top of them while yelling...this is what your effin' TV contract did to us...biatch :)
Note: No malice or physical harm intended towards Mr. Zenger who I am sure is a very nice man...a lousy contract negotiator mind you, but a very nice man nonetheless...or at least I hope he is.
I believe that the Thon Maker "legend" suffered a serious blow at the Nike Hoops Summit last weekend as I mentioned a t the time. He showed he is really not ready for prime time and at this time, he is more of a project than an immediate impact player.
First, if you are that good and want to compete against the best, why in the world do you attend school in Canada? I don't have anything against Canada but let's face it, other than a few...make that several, good players that have come south lately, it is really not a basketball hotbed. Second, is there a chance that there are issues with his grades? It is not uncommon for these private schools that cater to "athletes" to have academic issues.
Like you said, the world has suddenly gone silent on Thon Maker.
We discussed Papagiannis a week a go. Nice to see the rest of the world is catching up...:)
Which begs the question...do parents want a classy coach or the shortest path to the NBA and the big money it represents? I bet that initially they all say they want the first but the lure of money is huge and some cannot resists the temptation (see Cliff's mom).
As long as potentially big money is at the end of the tunnel, Cal will bounce back as evidenced by his current class that once again is ranked #1; however, if he falters this upcoming season, we might start to see a movement away from him...at least I hope.
Maybe Brook Lopez? He is putting impressive numbers in Jersey when he is healthy...although his name alone might be enough to disqualify him. :)
Remember Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder?
Isn't this how "robo-quarterback" Todd Marinovich came to be?
What cool experience and thanks for sharing it with us. If I were 25 years younger I would really make it a point to try to attend the camp.
I feel exactly the same way. We will soon find out how that year in China affected Mudiay and maybe it will change the minds of recruits that want the quick buck.
These are the American 7 ft players in the NBA,
Joel Przybilla – 7’1″ - Portland (Minnesota)
Meyers Leonard – 7’1″ - Portland (Illinois)
Spencer Hawes – 7’1″ - LA Clippers (Washington)
Tyson Chandler – 7’1″ - New York (No college)
Brook Lopez - 7'-0" - New Jersey (Stanford)
Robin Lopez - 7'-0" - Portland (Stanford)
There are several other players that are borderline 7 ft. but the ones above are the ones that generally acknowledged to be 7 ft.
I can see some players benefiting by playing one year in Europe with its emphasis in fundamentals. However, I just don't see a player getting any better by playing in China where the levels of play is low and by some accounts the playing conditions not good.
The NBA has now over 100 European/foreign players which is close to 25% of all players and current Champion San Antonio has 9 foreign players and the previous year it had 10.
At the Nike Hoops Summit, the international Team beat the USA team and it also won last year.
The rest of the world is catching up. How is that for the State of Basketball in America?
Really interesting information, I can only imagine all the work involved in tracking all the bits and rumors.
Do you think that having so many potential top players at UK leaving is the reason why so many top players have waited this long to commit?
Do you think the platooning at UK and eventual earlier than anticipated exit have or will affect UK negatively? Are recruits wandering why attend UK, play limited minutes while sharing the spot light and not even win the Title? If the UK players go lower than expected in the draft, would that be the beginning of the end of the Cal Experiment?
You are probably in a better postilion than most of us to address these items. Your insight will be much appreciated.
Serbia, Brazil and Turkey should have decent teams; Eastern Europe has produced some good players and Turkey has a very good pro League which I imagine has helped envelopment at the lower levels as well. Brazil has huge base and basketball is popular there, not soccer popular, of course, but consistently improving. Chile and Switzerland would be the weaker teams in the group.
In recruiting and until the commitment form is signed, it is all speculation...wouldn't you agree? I have ZERO inside information on this issue so I am just wildly speculating, partly based on what I read and partly is just plain wishful thinking.
As I said, it is not a big deal; we are all grown ups here and we can ignore who we want. I am just glad that we have a Forum where KU basketball fan can discuss the issues of the day. Compared to others forums this is the epitome of decorum...sure there are occasional dust ups, but overall, it is as civilized as it gets.
Keep in mind that Coach Self and staff will be scouting the best non-US college players in the world in Korea in the next couple of months and maybe he is looking to Svi part deux. Lots of very capable yet unknown players overseas waiting to get an opportunity to come to the US to get a better shot at the NBA; of course most are probably considered pros by the NCAA and might not necessarily be eligible but he might find a diamond in the rough out there.
Over 700 players transferred last season and this season the nmber should be close to that as well. This a list of the current players transfering... ↗
I would prefer going after Damion Lee of Drexel who is eligible immediately and is a proven scorer. It could be a really good option if Green decides to take a medical red shirt for the season.
Well...not necessarily born in the USA but would need to be eligible to get a US passport. Most children of American citizens born overseas are US citizens and would be eligible. Xavier Henry, if I recall correctly was born in Belgium but he is a US citizen and would be eligible, subject to age and school attendance requirements of course.
Many forums have an "ignore" button that allows you to selectively block posters; I requested that feature a while back but the board administrator is the final authority. I also would be in favor limiting the size of posts and now I simply skip the ones that take more than a screen full. Neither is a big deal really as you always have the option of ignoring the posts/posters you don't want to read.
The last hurrah before the arena is torn down. The Erwin Center is scheduled to be torn down and the new Medical School will be built on the site. I don't believe an alternate location has been selected for the new arena as of yet, but I understand that construction of the new facility will start in 2016.
I understand KU is not in the "official" list and that is why I wrote "behind the scenes" and "quietly."
@Kip_McSmithers and @Crimsonorblue22
Slap in the head...I knew that and I was going to delete that part but while adding Thorne I missed it... :(
Since we really don't know what goes on behind the scenes, maybe he is quietly recruiting Damion Lee of Drexel who would be immediately eligible and is a pretty darn good scorer..
Skill level and effectiveness are not necessarily the same thing but the 2012-2013 team started 3-5th year seniors, Withey, Releford and Young plus 4th year senior EJ and red shirt freshman McLemore; arguably the most experienced team ever. All senior were very capable and comparable to Ellis...although opinions will obviously vary.