Looks to me to be a prime candidate for The Thon-atron of Doom.
REHawk
1583 posts
@drgnslayr Bruce ought to sign up the curly haired guy. With a thumb like that the kid could catch a ride back out of Manhattan in a flash.
Also sign up the runner in the blue shoe. Just imagine the native talent in that kid's footwork.
Holy H. Moly! Between the cost of legal representation, the eventual probable financial settlement with the victim, and no-pay games of suspension levied by the league, that 4-year $52 million dollar deal is bound to take a huge hit. The loss will probably amount to more than poor ol' Cliff Alexander will pocket in his first 3 years of NBA play. Just imagine the future culprit lining up to climb into the heads of the twins, offering up a ready-to-be-broken nose or a few bruised or dangling limbs for a piece of what's left of that $52 million pie!
@JayHawkFanToo As someone once declared, "Time does fly." Shucks, at my age I'm beginning to wonder what I just ingested from the breakfast table 50 minutes ago. Seems like the twins must have still been wearing Jayhawk singlets 3+ years back.
Did not Marcus get involved in some aggravated incident at a bar on a visit back to Lawrence last year? Those multi-millions could dwindle quickly if the twins get involved with civil suits and extended legal representation. FOE!
@brooksmd Actually, it had been a long, long time since any coach defeated the Jayhawks 2 out of 3 trips to Manhattan. I know those home contests vs. KU were like the Super Bowl to Weber and his purple priders, but the guy did pull off the two victories...and against a fella who had just cause to send him to his own mock funeral. Those 2 wins are probably saving his job, as we write.
Well, there are two HUGE factors which Diallo could be weighing: How much playing time. At which position. I've borne the feeling that Bill Self pretty much bent his standard stance regarding non-guaranteed minutes when it came to sitting down with the Wiggins clan. Which coaches are telling Diallo, Ingram, Brown and Newman WHAT?
Guy can't hold a candle to the likes of BIll Self. But WAIT...uh...actually....
@joeloveshawks Joe, ordinarily I am one of the most skeptical posters on this site; but I get excited, thinking about this Diallo kid in a Kansas uniform. Reminds me of a Kevin Young, but with 7'4" wingspan. He is bound to wreak havoc on opponents who don't doubleteam his movements on the court.
@JayHawkFanToo Aw, I am probably just flogging a hobby horse. But indirectly, both the NCAA and USA Basketball are involved in approving, if not actually promoting these games. Because of international competition, I assume, USA Basketball lists the Nike Hoops Summit on its calendar. And, yeah, Carlton's array of high school rankings does place him on the borderline of those to be invited...even though he was one of this year's McD's stars. The Jordan Brand Classic folk just flat out left him off their 26 player invite list. I see your point about the Adidas brand not just being strong enough to market its own comparable spring game. I suppose my only valid point is that top level recruits might best delay their commitments until after these Nike games in case they plan to select an Adidas program for their year or two of college play. Otherwise, unless they possess the rock solid lottery future of a Jaylen Brown, they are likely to be disregarded.
NIKE NEWS advertises the Jordan Brand Classic talent as "the top 26 prospects from around the country."
@JayHawkFanToo Well, the fact of the matter is, Carlton shined at the McDee's weekend. Finished in top 3, both overall SKILLS and DUNK contests. His runaway steal and windmill dunk was one of a hand full of highlights in the actual game. Unless there are factors I don't know (or KU Hoops has not told us), Carlton has been shut out of the Hoops Summit and Jordan Classic because of his affiliation with an AAU Adidas program and commitment to an Adidas collegiate program, both NCAA approved events. His future earning power is, at this stage of his development, affected adversely by being shut out of these games. To wit, it certainly appears that the Governing Body for Division 1 "amateur" athletics is in collusion with Nike to stack the deck against a deserving individual and his university of choice. As a side note, Carlton has been described as a charismatic player who might help draw fellow players to the non-Nike Kansas program. Why the hell aren't the likes of Bedore, Tait, and Newell braying about this matter?
Actually, most probably he is wearing the brand which led to his not being invited to the Nike Hoops Summit or Jordan Classic...if, indeed, Rivals #15 rated player was NOT invited. And if he was not invited, then how does the Governing Body answer to its approval of such springtime tournaments for players which fall under its jurisdiction, but who are shut out of invites BECAUSE THE DECK IS STACKED?
@JayHawkFanToo Here's a significant question: Why would any top 20 recruit commit to a Div. 1 Adidas program until AFTER the Nike Hoops Summit and Jordan Brand Classic games? To do so is to pretty well nip the chances of being showcased in those elite spring contests. Jaylen Brown appears to be something of an exception this year, although he has not yet committed to a school...Adidas, Nike or otherwise.
Probably, wisely so. Jaybate is right, the deck is unjustly stacked. Capitalism RULES.
I just read the lineups for tomorrow's Jordan Classic. No Carlton Bragg.
I just read that Jaylen Brown was the only non-Nike player to be invited to the Hoops Summit. He came up through the Adidas AAU circuit, and supposedly has stated that he favored attending an Adidas school. I suppose this is why our own Carlton Bragg was a no-show at the Hoops Summit. Contamination of the Nike brand....
@Crimsonorblue22 DUG!
Ah, yes, Christmas! And leering around the side of the lighted tree, The Grinch...John C. Grinch!
@KU-Flyer I'm thinking maybe a Perry Opposite was Giddens.
@drgnslayr I like it: Chaka Khan!
@wissoxfan83 "...but a FF like this year is a rarity." Historically, yes; but going forward, I can envision it as the standard...unless the NBA and NCAA can agree to make adjustments to the current OAD rule. And Mudjay, well he was something of an exception, although apparently he never did pay homage to the power and rules of formal education. It looks as though he would not have been eligible for Division 1 play, right from the getgo. So he squeezed himself into a box, then pretty much had to go overseas or to jr. cllg. or Div. 3. He opted for the quick dollar.
@ralster Thanks for sharing, ralster. Partially answers lots of questions re Self's recent recruiting.
Bill Self says that he really hopes to bring in a "pro" type guard, not necessarily a OAD but a recruit who is destined for professional level play.
Brown or Newman?
@wrwlumpy Great photos again, lumpy. Many thanks.
@dylans I care. Those are our Jayhawks which were chosen to represent the USA. If we finish 9th, as have a couple of other "USA" teams in recent years, then it goes down as FAILURE!
Without some key player additions, Kansas in for a thrashing in the WUGs. The Cliff collapse and departure coupled with Kelly's leaving has left a chasm in our current Jayhawk potential (a POTENTIAL that flailed hopelessly vs. WSU). Best thing we might glean from WUGs is extended summer practice time. Maybe Zimmerman will sign on to become an immediate star?
Couple of reflections here. Hip spurs go a long way to explain Brannen's moving in concrete boots, as well as late season instinctive hesitation to race downcourt to try to block an opponent's runaway dunk. Newman or Brown could seal a marvelous opportunity to acquire some worldwide attention by signing on with KU prior to these WUGs. Sadly, the WUGs are no advantageous draw for Diallo's recruitment.
Carlton Bragg has placed himself in a prime hoops setting. The 2015-16 door has just opened wider for Svi. Interesting that Self appears not to be considering the offer of a red shirt to Greene. Devaluation of Fool's Gold?
Diallo or no, it looks as though a lot of these remaining undeclared players will be committing in the next two weeks. Might be some movement Friday at the Jordan Brand Classic which would present a dandy tv opporunity to showcase topnotch decisions. And we will know soon about Perry's decision, as NBA/NCAA deadlines are upon us.
@Crimsonorblue22 Nope. Too many unfamiliar faces and numbers in those 2 games. In the McD's game I spent lots of time watching Carlton B. (who looks like a player who might stay in Lawrence for more than one year).
I watched and rewatched both the McDonald's Game and the Nike Hoops Summit. I focused on 4 kids in particular: Diallo, Zimmerman, Brown, Newman. I came away most impressed with Diallo and Brown. Diallo because of energy and put-back prowess, Brown as a kid who could handle the ball well, a la Frank Mason, but with more size, like Selden. I know that most posters here are not much impressed with Zimmerman's comments, and perhaps a hint of family inflexibility regarding his matriculation to his year in college. That said, Zimmerman has some GAME that Bill Self could probably utilize well. The fact is, even though something like 7 of the top 15 recurits have not yet declared, those among that group still on Jayhawk radar is probably 5 or fewer. So, Self must be looking at the Thorne (sp?) kid very carefully...and must be scanning lists of possible j.c. or foreign surprises. KU MUST solidify the post position; and if Ellis should depart, O MY!
At the moment, from what I have seen and heard, I feel that the threesome of Thorne, Diallo, and Brown would constitute a major coup. Then send the bigs to a Dan Manning summer camp!
@jaybate-1.0 An interesting take: "3 Man U." It DOES appear that Self thinks along those lines, as he has acquired some terrific 3 recruits. Heck, he even recruited a 3 to play the 4!
@drgnslayr Diallo: not exceptionally tall, but a 7'4" wingspan and a Kevin Young/Thomas Robinson motor! Please, please, someone hire a tattoo artist to burn a Jayhawk onto this kid's forehead! Before Cal and K can clamp a vice grip onto his manhood.
@jaybate-1.0 ...and I am high on the acquisition of Jaylen Brown, too. We desperately need a 3 man who can put the ball on the floor in traffic.
(or a 2 man when Wayne rides the pine)
@jaybate-1.0 An addendum regarding Diallo: Put him with Selden and half of those missed bunnies will flip back into the nest!
@Lulufulu Ben was selected 7th in the 2013 draft; Wigs, 1st, 2014. If Kelly should become a lottery pick, he should be okay, too. However, if he falls below the lottery, he's in for more of a rougher road to secure the millions which those two players were guaranteed. Right now, his selection number looks shaky.
@nuleafjhawk Well, I am situated in a very remote location, some distance from paved roads. Deep in the backwoods where neighbors are happy to spell Missouri "MO." Not much of a following for any name brand of collegiate basketball here in this region. I wear a Jayhawk sweatshirt to the local WalMark and rarely fetch an evil stare...at least, well after football season. 95% of the denizens of this county could not recognize the name Kim Anderson if it appeared in gold and black stenciled beside a bearded tiger.
@nuleafjhawk Probably a 40 minute drive. Not certain, by water. I am on the upper end of Lake Ozark's Osage River Arm, closer to Warsaw and Harry Truman Dam.
And if you've the constitution for a stiff drink, Big Dick's offers a MINNOW Shot!
Shucks, there already is a fine line of Perry Ellis menswear. I betcha Perry could contact that manufacturer, get his picture front and center wearing his McDonald's All American uniform, and push a specially labeled Midwest Line of the product. Surely, nuleaf and jaybate could assist him in elaborations!
@jaybate-1.0 47 mile marker on the Osage Arm, about halfway between Bagnel and Truman Dams, on the banks of Blue Cat Cove. Order up a Big Dick's Famous Burger, a Blackened Bleu Burger or a Moby Dick fish sandwich. Just type in "Big Dick's Halfway Inn," and the joint will zoom to your screen. Let me know when you're coming. The wife and I could fry us up some flathead. We're up closer to the 80 mile marker, in spoonbill snaggin' waters.
@jaybate-1.0 Hey, jb, I bet hard money that you never ate burgers in the heart of Missouri's lake country, down between Stover and Laurie, at BIG DICK's HALFWAY INN!
@drgnslayr slayr, you gotta be growing sleepy, what with this late night blending of Ellis with Tyshawn in the same paragraph! Jeesh, I spent some 3 1/4 years grimacing just about every time TT chalked up another blunder. Though Perry has somewhat disappeared from a few contests, his progress for the most part has been regularly upward from Day One. I think I know what you are driving at, the senior year shining moments, but surely you can dredge up a better metaphor!
I just noticed an April 6 BLEACHER REPORT mock draft. Oubre listed 19th.
WOW! I'd say we really miss the mind of a Danny Manning on our Jayhawk bench.
If Perry returns for a 4th year, yet is not selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft, then he serves as a terrific example of what I think KU, the Big 12 and the NCAA governing bodies should do. All 3 should ante up financial incentives at the time of his graduation (the league because he has been selected a Big 12 star). KU should offer him free tuition for an advanced degree of his choosing. Four year scholarship players who have helped secure multimillions of dollars for those 3 organizations should receive compensatory consideration, esp. if their professional earning prospects for the sport appear to be relatively dismal.
If Perry is not really quick enough to play an NBA 3 position (and I suppose he is not), then I don't envision his finding much success in the League. But he is one heck of a fine college player who has provided lotsa thrills for the Jayhawk Nation. I really, really hope he returns for his senior season...and that his knee holds up well. He is one of those hapless tweeners whom Self has leaned upon heavily, and Perry has responded dependably. From the getgo his demeanor has made him one of my favorite all-time Jayhawks. Whatever he decides to do next year I wish him the very best. Bill Self made a very sound investment, bringing such a fine kid into his program.
@jaybate-1.0 Selden certainly could have bankrolled some big bucks from a straight jump. As is, just imagine what these two years of college have cost him!
@ajvan Greene wearing "concrete boots." Perhaps that best captures the reality of Brannen, at least at this stage of his collegiate career.
There is, indeed, more than 20 minutes of room for J. Brown on the Jayhawk squad, I should think. But most likely, another OAD.
@JayHawkFanToo Well, it is one day since I posted my concerns that Kelly might have taken a huge gamble if he hopes to become a lottery pick. I just checked 4 mock draft sites, found him listed 10, 12, 13, 26. With new names committing daily, I continue to think he is at risk to fall out of the lottery. Great body and athleticism, but polished skills? Cole and TRob and the Morii are pocketing bundles of dollars. That 3 year lottery money is gigantic, comparitively. Mario, an exception...whom Pat Riley viewed as a steal when he fell to the second round of the draft. The Shady Arthur thing illustrates just how capricious draft night can be. If Kelly shows up well in the combines (team tryouts), perhaps he will seal a top spot....
Speaking of "leveling the playing field" and the "neutralizing of teams," our very own Jayhawks got leveled and neutralized, esp. by two key factors this late season: the blow to Perry's knee coupled with the benching of Cliff due to the unresolved NCAA investigation. Add to those huge incidents the second season that Wayne has apparently lost much of his hops, my suspicion that Frank played with a lot more structural pain than has been advertised, the various injuries which intermittently curtailed Landon, Cliff, Devonte, Jamari and Brannen. Hayseuss Maria!
Top level Division 1 Basketball, in the snap of a finger, can erupt into something of a wicked nightmare for many players, coaches and faithful followers.