🏀 KuBuckets Archive

We've discussed the 5 spot at length (for obvious reasons). But I think it is time we talk about the rest of the rotation.

Starters:
- PG: Juan
- CG: McCullar
- Wing 1: Dick
- Wing 2: Jalen

Bill has basically announced this as the starting lineup. I do not think it is a surprise in any way. The bench, though, is going to be very interesting. We have a coach's pet. We have lightning in a bottle. We have 5* frosh. And we have positionless freak athlete. Pulling the strings with these guys is likely the difference between a great team and a good team.

Bench:
- Joe Yesufu
- KJ Adams
- Bobby Pettiford
- MJ Rice

Dajuan : We know him. We love him. He is Bill Self's favorite player. He is going to see 35mpg. The things we need to see from Juan this year though are an increased aggression. He has to be a threat to score the ball. I also want to see him over .350 from deep on more attempts than a year ago. Do those things, and Juando might become a household name.

McCullar: Bshark knows my feelings here, but I'm not the biggest McCullar fan.... I know the coaches in the league really, really like him. He is certainly not a bad player. But he is a little vertically challenged and sort of goes against the "getting more athletic" mantra that I believe served Bill well a year ago. He is an elite defender, which at least gives him a role on the team. But to be National Champion good he HAS to be a more efficient threat on offense than his first 4 years in college. A career .299 from deep on 164 career attempts is not good. But otherwise, he is a pretty well-rounded player who does play hard. We need to see him be .350+ from deep this year though on 60-90 attempts.

Dick: The hype is big for this guy. I hope he can live up to it. He is filling MASSIVE shoes this year. The expectations are probably a bit unfair. But, if we are going to be good Gradey has to be good. Period. He's and elite shooter with size and athleticism to match. Our style of play, assuming it is carried over to this season, fits him like a glove though. Run and gun style for a young guy like this lets him "just play." There are probably games he goes for 20+ immediately followed by a dud. The key is getting him comfortable by the end of the season. If Gradey Dick is only here for one season, I am going to imagine that this KU team is top 10 good. If he is back in Lawrence in 2023-24, it might be a long season for the Hawks.

Wilson: Honestly, I am intrigued by what this team looks like with Wilson as the de facto leader. The assumption is that he will be the leading scorer and his volume is going to skyrocket. The question will just be, how efficient can he be? Last year he shot .569 from 2pt which is FANTASTIC. But he shot a not-so-good .263 on 114 three balls. The truth is that he is an easy 15 ppg if he can simply improve his consistency from deep. I thought the combine he showed he's capable of being an elite shooter from deep. I'm hopeful that the combine feedback gave him something to really use as motivation this offseason. This is Jalen's opportunity to become a true Jayhawk Legend. Call me crazy, but I sort of think we see it? If I were a betting man, Jalen is either a 1st or 2nd team All-American this year.

Yesufu: Joe was rattled last season. Frantic in his play. Inconsistent. But also a big spark when Remy and Bobby were out. He showed a few flashes, both good and bad. The question is if he can get comfortable enough to just play this year. He won't be on the ball at all. I firmly believe his duties are now "spark plug vet" like Moss and JCL have been. Put him in, see if he can make some plays and change the momentum. I do not know how much we see Joe this year. But I am rooting for him. I really believe he can play at this level, and it is insane that he might not even see much of the floor for us. We are certainly not short on depth again this season.

Bobby: Bobby showed flashes before his injury last year. He is a Bill Self guy through and through. Smart player who gives it his all on the floor. He'll definitely function as the backup PG. BUT, I really hope we don't see a ton of Bobby unless he found his shot this offseason. I'm not even sure if he touched the rim on any of his 3pt attempts last season... Like literally. If Bobby is going to be the 1st guard off the bench, I really hope we saw him take a leap. Otherwise, give me more of Joe. If Bobby did take that step, we could be looking at another amazing 2 PG combo under Self. One that follows the Russ/Sherron and the Mason/Graham. Hope it is the latter of these two scenarios obviously...

KJ: Does KJ get time as the 5? Is he Jalen's backup? Where does KJ fit? He's the best athlete on the team (probably). He seems to have BBIQ. He can handle the ball. He can run. But does he find a fit? I'm confident his defense will get him 5-10mpg almost guaranteed. But does his role expand from that? He is really a guy who could surprise, but it might take one more season before we see it.

MJ: Word out of camp is interesting here. 5* freshman with tons of talent. He has a college-ready body. He can score at all 3 levels. I thought his "attitude" would either be something Self loved or came to blows with. It seems like it may be the latter.... Bill is a tough dude to play for. And nobody is good enough to not play defense in his mind. Now, I personally think we NEED MJ to get his shit together. Getting 15-20 mpg from him off of the bench could turn this team into a title team. If you can pretty much just get a rotation of Dick, McCullar, MJ and Jalen going you basically have 3 high-level guys on the floor at all times. But it sounds like MJ still needs to buy in. Hopefully, that happens and happens fast.

If I were to tell you my ideal rotation right now:

• PG: Juan 35 mpg, Bobby 5 mpg
• CG: McCullar 25 mpg, Joe 10 mpg, Bobby 5 mpg
• W1: Dick 25 mpg, MJ 15 mpg
• W2: Jalen 32 mpg, KJ 8 mpg

The one thing we don't know if this group of guys have is an elite scorer. An Ochai. A Dotson. Who is getting 17 ppg night in and night out? If this team can figure that out, they are as deep and versatile as any Bill Self roster has ever been. I'm very excited to watch these guys play some ball.

@drgnslayr I can definitely agree we need to see more. I can imagine Bill knows what he is going to do already, but he is pushing some buttons here at the end of the preseason to see what else he can milk out of these guys. The master of pushing buttons. Easy to forget that he benched Dave midseason and started KJ for a hot second to prove his point.

I certainly hope Zach comes out and proves me wrong. Because a starting lineup with a good Zach, Dick and Wilson is a great shooting lineup that would keep opposing coaches up at night.

Honestly, unless somehow we win out, this was the perfect season. Not good enough to get him a bigger job. But good enough that we can ink him to a good deal with an insane buyout. Tie him to KU for a decade. Get the new stadium built. Get the program as P5 as it can be (clearly still some depth issues currently, also a pretty young team). Then ideally hand the job of to AK or someone else on this staff and build in a succession plan for when he does finally hang it up.

The only thing Zach has shown to be elite at so far is shooting. He could possibly be the best shooting big man we've ever seen under Self. Stroke is absolutely pure. I assume he probably has good BBIQ as well.

But he is physically weak in the post. He also appears to be pretty vertically challenged based on everything I've seen. Even his HS tape shows this. He's not going to set better screens than probably any of the other bigs (all of whom are bigger in stature). He isn't going to be a better rim protector than anyone but maybe Cam.

Now, if Zach can always be in the right spot and do the little things, he probably is the best option. Having a potential lineup where all 5 guys can hit it from deep is tough af to defend. Might force teams to play smaller, in which case Zach at 6'10 can go post guys up for easier buckets. The ideal situation is Zach taking a big step forward and owning the position.

I'm just not sure that Self is willing to concede some easy buckets when he has a 7'2 wingspan and two other freak athletes on the bench he can put in that spot.

@drgnslayr I wouldn't say he's doing things we've never seen before on the perimeter. Zach is pretty cinderblock footed in my opinion. Reminds me a lot of Carlton Bragg the way he moves to be honest...

@drgnslayr said in The 5 spot:

@Texas-Hawk-10

Great post... hope it works out that way!

I get revved with this idea... Clem offers so many assets, including passing, and his footwork outside of the low post is like nothing we have ever had from a big. Put this guy on the perimeter and we have a lot less fouls called on us because Clem is skilled at setting a screen.

Imagine his potential for pick and pop, pick and roll?

He's also a solid passer who can easily pass over defenses into the post for darting guys.

To really take advantage of Clem we will need to commit early to having him be our guy. There is pluses and negatives... the plus is we can have other traditional bigs back him up who run traditional offense and then we have two very different offensive approaches we can run at teams and they have to practice against this before facing us. The neg is we have to work hard to get proficient at both.

What do you mean by "his footwork outside of the low post is like nothing we have ever had from a big?"

@approxinfinity said in Self Dmack Rafters?:

Och doesnt belong up there before Dave. I love Och. But we just won a title on Daves back.

Strong disagree here

The irony is that the staff sort of shoo'd Dave away. At least that is what it sounded like.

Basically said thanks, but we're ready to move on. Reaping a bit of what we sowed.

I haven't heard anything. If he gets up there I'll be surprised to be honest.

Did T-Rob go up yet? I'd imagine Doke goes up. Och too. Mason. Graham. Maybe Wiggins. Maybe Ellis.

Seems like too many guys that need to go up there before him, and unless Bill is coaching until he's 80 they won't get to Dave.

There is definitely some vindication from people who said we should go after a transfer at the 5. It would be nice to have Kofi in the building lol

@Jethro pretty sure you see them do this only when the offense is struggling to get going. But otherwise a last resort.

I definitely get what you’re saying though.

I do think we will go small some with Wilson at the 5. But it isn’t a 30 mpg solution

http://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/34753743 ↗

This is not a dirty play. Just isn’t.

Also had their own starting QB knocked out game 1 right?

The KSU games there was no malcontent. Daniels one was total freak accident where he held onto the ball trying to make a play.

OU one was dirty.

It seems like it is just luck going their way this year. But that’s jmo.

The small ball lineup seems like it'd be great for like 10 mpg or if we aren't playing good defense anyways. Just try and run.

Ultimately I think a 5-out strategy is the best thing for this team the way they are structured. I think you can get back to throwing it into the low post to a big man again in 23-24 after Zuby and Udeh have a year of seasoning.

“If you want a ball-screen, run-to-the-rim, defensive team, you’d probably go with Ernest or Zuby,” Self said Wednesday. “If you want a skilled, pick-and-pop team that maybe doesn’t have the same presence defensively, you probably go with Cam or Zach. But we need one of those guys to emerge. And right now they’re all just right there the same.”

“At the end of the day, you’ve still got to be able to throw the ball (inside),” Self said. “Our last two baskets of the season last year were throw the ball to a guy (David McCormack) and have him make a four-footer. And right now we don’t consistently do that at all.”

There are other ways for KU to get the low-post scoring Self wants, and he said Wednesday that he thinks wings Jalen Wilson, Kevin McCullar Jr., Gradey Dick and MJ Rice all could be used in that type of role from time to time. "Absolutely,” Self said. “Now, the (bigs) need to be good enough passers that they can (throw it inside), but we’re messing with all that stuff right now.”

@AsadZ This is a good question. And it is a bit concerning that we don't have an answer.

I don't think KJ or Zach are much in the post (though Zach is tall enough to score). I'm not sure what Zuby is capable of quite yet. Udeh does not look like he will be good 1v1, but at 7'0 with a long wingspan it is entirely possible he's tall enough you still can't stop him even if the post moves are ugly. Doke was a pretty good example of "you can't teach size." Even Sivio showed that sometimes just being a big athletic dude and getting good post position will get you points.

Zach probably has the edge right this second if I had to answer.

At the same time, not having anyone who can really do this makes me think some sort of 5-out with KJ could end up being the most effective/consistent offense we have this year. And I also think you'll see Jalen get a lot more touches posting his man up. You saw Bill post Och and CB at times last season. I would expect the same with McCullar, Dick and Wilson.

@BeddieKU23 I guess I didn't think Zach's stats from last year passed the eye test for me. He was certainly a spark when he was in, but it felt more fluky than good.

KJ's advanced rebounding stats are better than the "totals" show, but they could definitely be better... Wouldn't argue that. Part of my thought with KJ getting minutes is that if he is going to close down the game with KJ (which is what I expect, personally) then there has to be some cohesion. So KJ will need to get some minutes. But that's just me trying to predict Bill a bit.

I'm hoping this is all just Bill pulling levers with Zach and then he comes out and plays like he's Matthew Hurt or something.

@stoptheflop they have played with everyone so far to an extent. One of the games we won’t shoot ourselves in the foot with a bad penalty or turnover and pull it out.

They’re getting one.

Time out.

@Crimsonorblue22 almost better off letting him score there

@Crimsonorblue22 or a holding penalty or something. Negative play at least

@Crimsonorblue22 I’m still here! CFB is a wild sport

Can’t have a false start there at the 2. Don’t get cute

WELCOME BACK TREVOR WILSON

I’ll never understand how a QB runs out of bounds for a loss when they can throw it away

Not a catch

JD clearly was the heart and soul of the team.

We’re back to being a team that can’t get out of their own way. Last two weeks we have not been sharp.

14-0 right where we want em

This is clearly going to be the biggest thing to monitor throughout the season. One thing I'll say though, I'm not worried.

We essentially have 5 guys looking to get minutes at one position. Zach, Udeh, Zuby, Cam, and KJ are all wanting to get minutes there. I can't decide if Cam coming back was the staff actually thinking he could play, or if he was basically just wanting another season with living the KU Basketball player campus life (wouldn't blame him). But I think each one of the 5 options bring something to the table the others don't.

Zach - Elite shooter for the 5 spot. Seems to play hard. But I do think he has cinderblock for feet. He provides essentially no rim protection. Truth be told, I'm not high on him at all and understand why coming out of camp they aren't committing to him immediately. BUT, I think it is hard to keep a guy off the floor who is "good enough" at a lot of things and shoots it at .400 from deep.

Udeh - The longest guy on the team for sure. Dunker of the basketball. Will absolutely provide some rim protection just being on the floor. But what I've seen so far he's just so lost that there is no chance he is the guy Bill Self closes games down with. I'm sure he'll make strides by the end of the season, but I just can't picture him getting more than 15 mpg on the high end.

Zuby - He looked like a DUDE in the scrimmage. He's built like a 6'8 linebacker. He seems like he's going to be a great college big. He seems like he "gets it" a bit more than Udeh. If I were betting today, you'll see Zuby edge Udeh out for minutes down the stretch. I can definitely see why the staff liked Zuby this last cycle and prioritized him. I do think he has a ~10% chance of being "the guy" at the 5 by the end of the season. His biggest issue: What does he do better than KJ besides be a little bit bigger?

Cam - I honestly can't believe he is still on the team. It almost leads me to believe he may find himself in a Hunter Mickelson role. He'll get some minutes this year early and see if there is any "there" there. I do think he can shoot it. But he just doesn't seem like a contributor for a National Championship contender. I'm not sure what to think of him at this point. I kind of do want to see him try to ball... But the reality is Zach is probably the same player but a little bit longer and a little bit better of a shooter. He does have 5 years of experience playing College ball though. Nobody else has that.

KJ - The guy I would say is the frontrunner to start the season at the 5? Dare I say, I LIKE IT? Talk about positionless basketball. Starting KJ gives this team a clear identity. We are a switch everything, run and gun, DEFENSE first team. Starting Harris, McCullar and KJ with each other is going to be one hell of a defensive lineup. And one where anyone who gets the rebound could push the ball. We might be "small" at the 5, but we will be big everywhere else but PG. And then the opposing 5 will have to guard KJ, who I think you can put in the weave and force the opposing big man to run around on D way more than they're used to.

So, if you actually read all of this I think you can tell my opinion. It is to play KJ a lot at the 5. And to run run run. I'd probably play Zach next as the first sub. But I honestly believe that Zuby could pass him up by the end of the year just based on the style of ball I think Bill is adopting with the 4-out where we just defend, rebound and run. So very Roy Williams of him.

@TYOHawk Imagine Bill having 5 guys who could all catch a lob on the floor. He probably has been sitting on a dozen different plays that are oops to the PG waiting for a guy like this.

@rockchalkjayhawk Seems like the easy and obvious choice.

But I would maybe wait and see what happens with the Cardinals the next 2 weeks... Have to imagine they go full on fire sale if they are 2-6. That defense is full of talent on good contracts. Budda Baker, Isaiah Simmons, JJ Watt, Markus Golden, and Byron Murphy are all guys I'd be happy to have on our roster.

I'm honestly just writing off the game as no big deal and not reading much into it. It was a good game either team could have won. Buffalo has a better roster (especially on D) and so it isn't shocking to see this outcome.

I do think if the Chiefs don't look to upgrade the roster at the trade deadline they are fools though. They have 13 picks in 23 and there are a half dozen teams already out of it 6 weeks in. Find a couple of bargains for late round picks and upgrade the roster.

Good for him. I hope he enjoys his time over there. Would be an absolute dream come true for me. Spending my mid-20s in Europe with adult money would be so unbelievably fun.

Yea one of the comments in the article nailed it. Was it regression by KU? Or was it that OU had been playing well below their talent level for most of the season and the beast finally awoke? Maybe a bit of both. KU was definitely flat defensively. Gassed as well. The OU game plan was smart and effective.

I get what Matt is trying to say though. We just need one more of these games to have the ball bounce our way and get that bowl game.

These last two weeks are why I was imploring everyone to keep perspective. This team could finish 8-4 or 5-7. Either way we should be ecstatic about what LL achieved this season.

We return almost this whole damn roster next year too. Another year in the weight room. Another year in the transfer portal. Another season with JD6 behind basically this same offensive line. We are basically bringing back a top 10 offense in the country next season providing the staff is able to keep everyone here.

What I am personally looking for the rest of the season is simple. Continue showing that we can score with/against anyone. Tighten up on penalties a bit. I'd love to see some improved tackling as the season goes on. And then just avoid a blow out. I think we'll find one more win to get bowl eligible if we keep the last 5 games tight.

I'm just so ecstatic about where this program is at right now. Keep in mind that we are building towards something still and that this one season isn't going to make or break that. We are in a very good spot going into 2023 with big things happening for KU Football. If I was going to be in the new B12 going forward, I would be a bit worried by what is going on in Lawrence...

I think what Texas has coming back plus what is coming in puts them comfortably in the top 10.

KU has a lot of questions to answer before I'm ready to think they are even a top 10 team tbh. I personally am not impressed by McCullar. Rumor out of camp about Gradey is great, but freshman have just struggled for Bill outside of maybe JJ. The 5 spot is a huge question mark at the moment.

I'm guessing KU has some early struggles but finds their stride (per usual) come conference play. Never easy to replace 2 first round picks.

Hangover from last week’s letdown is what it feels like. We just went through the motions today.

Zero pride. This could have been a game if we could have gotten a stop here

@KirkIsMyHinrich I would imagine you see us go big in the portal again. But mostly we need this group to just get better over the off-season.

@nwhawkfan yea not going to win a lot of games giving up 50

@KirkIsMyHinrich said in (NOT) OK BOOMER GAME THREAD:

Bean telegraphs a lot more than Daniels. Daniels is better at keeping the defense guessing

JD runs the RPO scheme so well too. Bean doesn’t

Weve given up. Look at the lack of enthusiasm from the sidelines after the pick

@nwhawkfan I’m interested in seeing what Vasko can do at this point. I like Bean, but we will need to throw the ball and score quick to have a chance and he can’t do it.

So we need to stop the run on 1st. And we need to stop the WR screen.

Do that and I think we can get off the field.

That might be the spark the D needed

Lol all of that for nothing. Insane

ONE MORE PLAY D. Cmon guys

Good lord they were really trying to make him
One foot hop 15 yards to get on the cart