I want to see some sparkle out of Josh tonight. But I hope he has a different shine than Wigs did. Wigs situation was different, surrounded by freshmen. I am hoping to see Josh (eventually) mixed in well on offense and to be as dangerous feeding assists as scoring.
What I'm really looking for tonight is defense. I want to see dominance!
I think Bill wants to develop this as a "gimmick" and also as a bluff so B12 opponents (and teams like Duke, Indiana and Kentucky) will have to prep differently. We are trying to be less predictable.
We only have 5 key players to fill 4 spots. That means little depth.
Instead.... we will need to PRESERVE our perimeter players this year. It will be hard to win in March if Frank is his typical burnt out self in March. He can't be averaging above 30 mpg and hope to be fresh in March. He can if we take away his drive... I don't think we want to do that.
Sorry folks. I see Bill using his hybrid hi/lo again, and I'm quite happy about that (as long as we don't FORCE the ball to be scored in the low post).
We have the right players to execute this well, and it will help preserve our perimeter while developing our post. We just need Bill to do what he does best... put on his professorial hat and design more twists to his hybrid. It should be customized to take advantage of the players we have.
I like the idea of seeing if he can run better isolation plays through the hybrid. That could be downright UNSTOPPABLE!
One of those plays would be to isolate Udoka in the low post. Another would be to isolate Josh or Devonte on a side for a drive.
Then we have the unlimited scoring option of using Carlton on the high ball screens, either to free our perimeter guys for open treys or mismatch drives, or for Carlton himself on pick and pops/rolls. I look at Carlton and I see him as having the potential to become one of the greatest pick and pop/roll guy to ever play college ball. He has good lift on his shot, feathers the ball well in midrange.
I think I missed others posting this... but don't some of you just need to spoof your IP address?
I believe this will allow you to go around any blackouts for online viewing.
"What else are we supposed to do, we have overanalyzed 18 year old kids for the past 5 months"
You mean for years.... decades!
I'm curious how Wilt would fit in to today's game?
I know one thing... he would probably shoot 100 FTs a game. And that is a bad thing.
Teams would flood their benches into the game and play "hack a Shaq" with Wilt.
I'm afraid his game would be doomed until he learned to make at least 70% from the line.
Teams often intentionally fouled him back then, too.... but that was before the increase in PPP (points per possession) created largely from the trey ball. In today's game Wilt's statistical points "pros" and "cons" wouldn't add up to the advantage he had back in his day.
I think Wilt was fortunate to play the game when he did. It gave him the opportunity to show what he could do, and he did, making him a legend that will live forever!
I like it!
What about the obvious? "BIG FOOT!"
Jordan was all about "AIR" and deserved to be. JoJo is mostly about footwork. Hmmmm.... Ohhhh... got to run so I can trademark that name today! LOL
I'm stuck on winning both.
Are my eyes lying to me again or did I really see EJ and TRele? What a fun clip.
It seems like they are playing on a Biddy Basketball goal.
I like your Perry advice. Go to Europe, make some good money and sock it away, while building his body and mature some more (physically). If he does this right, he will be ready for another shot at the league in a year or two.
Wow... did you open up a can of worms. I better grab my fishing pole...
I heard Pence's plane hit a bit of ground turbulence on approach. Evidently a pocket of hot air.
Haven't heard which candidate was responsible for releasing the hot air. As strong as it was, perhaps from BOTH!
"I think that Physical Abuse crosses the line 100% of the time. Only because in any other situation, it wouldn’t be ok. In what other scenario would it be ok to smack someone, toss them to the ground, or hit them in the nuts? "
I agree.
Good discussion on this. I'm enjoying and learning from every post.
VERBAL ABUSE vs PHYSICAL ABUSE
I think we need to address both. I grew up in a fairly rough place and all kids had to fight. If you didn't fight you would just get beat up constantly. Because of that upbringing, I believe I could heal much better from a coach punching me in the nuts versus him telling me I'm worthless.
I can imagine people who grew up without the physical violence might see this different. These people might look at physical abuse as worse than verbal abuse.
Maybe we should go broader and just say PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE instead of VERBAL ABUSE. Sometimes words are not used as the weapon but other actions are.
OTHER TOOLS TO CREATE STRUGGLE
I'm a big fan of Bill's BOOT CAMP. That is a tool which creates struggle for the players in a controlled fashion and doesn't appear to be abusive. Obviously, there is a limit to how hard coaches can push players to perform.
Tools like boot camp can be positive for creating struggle without making it abusive.
Many groups have used "hazing" as a tool. Bad idea. I think we can all come to that conclusion. But the idea of making a hill newbies have to climb and cross is not necessarily a bad idea. My God son is a Marine. Marines face "The Crucible" as their hill to climb, their final "challenge" in earning the title of "Marine." Some don't make it through. It helps build team spirit. It helps build confidence. It helps them understand how to focus and execute.
I really liked it when Bill brought in military guys to share their inspiration with our team, and also show how to focus on execution, leadership, etc.
If JoJo can stay healthy I have little doubts of him becoming a HUGE NBA star.
His play is dominant, and his presence, both on and off the court, is something that easily gets attention from everyone.
Next will be: can he totally capitalize off of it? Does he want to capitalize off of it?
In 5 years, will we be seeing a shoe empire building the JoJo brand like they did Jordan?
Ha... the market isn't the same today and I am doubtful of seeing another Jordan shoe success story that equals it.
Bring on the "Itchy Butts!"
Currently, I'm not worried about our recruiting.
I like the narrative framework being built around Bill on who he is and who he recruits. This narrative has been spreading everywhere in America because Bill's coaching stock continues to climb outside of Lawrence.
That narrative is: "Bill Self has the ability to bring top tier players together with lesser players that develop while at Kansas."
This is the direction many of us were hoping Bill would take. A combination of top players with players fighting to the top. Not just a revolving door team.
And if you look at the current situation, we are still in line to have a VERY DOMINANT recruiting class, including a focus on guard play. If we do nail a couple of these guards, I will be extremely pleased because of Bill's direction to become "guard heavy" with talent. I always want at least one quality PG that will not be an OAD-style player so we can have the continuity going forward.
Most years we are all "running scared" right up through the summer, when we often pick up one or two key players.
Is it an advantage just to sign top tier talent early and be done early? I am coming to realize that Bill sees this a little different. I'm seeing that he prefers to still have a scholarship or two available late in the process, when he has a better understanding of what his real needs are. No one knows what players we will lose from this year's team after March (except for the obvious cases).
I'm also for signing some talent early. We will have some big holes after this year that need to be filled and we can't just wait until the last second. Don't forget the players we WILL have returning though. I'm very excited to see Malik on the court.
Some of these players we lose because they believe they will be beat out for PT minutes from a higher recruit. We can't sign every player we recruit. And just because we recruit them, that doesn't mean we are ready to sign them, even if we give them an offer. The offer process is to just "lock in" to a player at another level of commitment. That doesn't mean coach is promising PT minutes, etc.
I believe we will have some pretty good bones coming back for next year's team and Bill will fill in the holes and we will be very formidable next year. I believe a lot depends on Graham staying or going. If we win the NC this year, he will be gone. If we don't win it? Just step back a second and imagine a team with Devonte, Malik and Udoka and others. Udoka will be a complete MONSTER next year. We also have some sleepers on this team. Legerald? Man... that guy has sick potential. And Mitch? He is your 4-yr glue guy that will become a cornerstone in our program along the lines of Perry Ellis but perhaps more dominant.
There is just way too much information out there for us fans now. We catch the bits, but we don't know what is going on behind the scenes. We do really have to trust Bill and his staff or otherwise we go nuts with every tidbit of news about losing prospects, etc.
You have high ground to stand on. Without question.
Do the barbaric tactics work? This is up for debate. I have little question in their ability to get players' attention.
But even if it works, that doesn't make it right.
I look at it this way... coaches should be SMARTER than that. They should develop other ways to reach a player. If they have to resort to barbaric behavior then they should consider another job, and they may end up getting pushed out of coaching, and rightly so.
Next question is: Where do we place the line in the sand?
I feel like there is as much danger in going too far on the "politically correct" path. It can go so far that every word spoken, every action committed, can be viewed as harmful, depending on the athlete. Our national political scene today is starting to deal with this issue because there seems to be two sides BOTH outside of the comfort zone of the masses.
Scolding an athlete can be every bit as harmful as punching him in the nuts.
I don't pretend to know ANY answers on this. I have my experiences which were definitely "old school" and I feel like I'm a better man because of the harsh treatment. Just because it "worked for me" doesn't mean it is right or helpful to others who face the same thing.
I know one thing... we are going to be constantly addressing this issue now and in the future. I'm not necessarily talking about at Kansas... but there will be cases all over America that will make the headlines.
Definitely barbaric!
Barbarism has been a part of humanity's past... and still in the present... and unless the world totally changes, the future.
But how do you train people to be "tougher?" My experiences always tell me that struggle is a key ingredient to growth and toughening. I think some of these toughening techniques (like "boot camp") are very helpful. Coach Self is also known for being aggressively verbal with his players.
It seems like the answer that may work best in today's world (not necessarily tomorrow's world), is for coaches to push to the edge of being abusive and then use some techniques like boot camp.
I'm saying all of this but I can't say it was the way of someone like Wooden. He was blessed with some sick talent, far above all other programs, but talent isn't the only element to winning championships.
What helped me most as a player and as a human being, was only a bit of the barbaric approach. What helped me most was having a coach that mentored me. I couldn't stand to let him down on anything, on court and off court. We have remained close friends for almost half a century now. He came to town last weekend and taught me how to make and bake pie! (Ha!)
This is a different time. It would almost seem like young players today would hunger for a mentor, but I don't know...
Great! If we kick their arses and they give the typical Duke excuses it can only help build our chip.
If we beat them at full strength, it would do nothing but give us big heads.
And if we lose to a hobbled Duke team, we will get smeared in the press and there will be heat from our fan base.
This should play out to our advantage, regardless what happens.
That sure was a different time.
I had an eighth grade football coach that would often walk up to players and punch them in their jewels. As he was doing that he would shout "cup."
This started after we scrimmaged an older team outside of our conference that played dirty. Several of our players were temporarily hurt because they didn't wear a cup. From that point forward, he made sure every player wore a cup for every practice and game. The motivation for players to wear one came only after he started punching them in their junk. Later, we were all "cupped up" and had another scrimmage with that team and we stomped them.
We went undefeated that year and won our league. We called him "lead bottom" (not to his face) and we all loved and hated him at the same time. He pushed us to excellence and did it by being verbally abusive.
That was over 40 years ago. Do I feel like I am damaged today from that situation? No. I feel a bit tougher. I know I'm not overly sensitive to name-calling. I tend to look past that and address the real issue or issues at hand.
I'm not trying to defend this kind of behavior. It would be better to find alternative ways to get results. I'm just sharing my personal situation.
And don't forget this -
Opinion: Jayhawk, Sooner become bloody good friends ↗
That was the "exclamation point" to it all.
I just think Fran is a butt-kisser. In the right setting he loves to dis Kansas and the Kansas "smug" fan base. He does this when he is away from Kansas because he knows the other 9 Big12 teams want to hear that. Then he comes to Lawrence, sucks up to us and gets the inside info on our team. I've always questioned if he was a spy. I wouldn't want him sitting in on my practices, especially when we are preparing for a big game.
How many times have we seen games where there was a controversial call with 2:24 seconds left and it couldn't be reviewed?
I get the feeling officials change the way they call the game in the last 2 minutes. They are thinking... "okay, this counts!"
When I think about refs changing the outcome of a game, I immediately think of the Duke/Wisconsin championship game and how K worked the refs at halftime.
That was a huge ripoff. Pure theft.
Someday computers will be the refs and all problems will be solved!
LOL
I think a lot of this relates to pace of the game and being able to score points.
A 4-guard lineup helps us keep the pace of the game up.
I'm thinking we will see a lot of this in pre-conference but I think we will settle in to a more traditional lineup in conference play and beyond. We will keep the 4-guard lineup as something we may go to sometimes later, too.
We don't have the horses to run 4-guards.
I recently heard Bill say that the idea is to keep 4 of his 5 guards on the floor because of their overwhelming talent. Josh is considered a guard.
But if you look at it, we only have 5 ready "guards." Hard to think we can count on supporting a 4-guard lineup throughout the year in constant use.
Reason #9538 for disliking John Calipari -
I almost made this a thread, but then thought... "why give the squid this much attention?"
Kentucky’s John Calipari takes a little dig at Duke’s Coach K over recruiting ↗
“I refuse to go in a home and paint a picture saying things like, ‘If you come with us you’ll be taken care of for the rest of your life by the program and by our alums,’ even though you may only be in school for a year or two. How preposterous does that sound?"
Notice the only avenue the squid sees for players is to be "paid off" by alums or the university. Shows how little he values education and legitimate opportunities for players to put food on their tables.
I can't stand this reptile.
No "child putty" on that man. Frank is a true warrior!
Can't wait to see him in action!
I hope Duke makes a play for Bill. He isn't going for it.
But the play for him will be the last straw needed to make Kansas/Duke a rivalry (besides scheduling them every year).
We will be pissed that they tried, and his resounding "no" will piss off their arrogant fan base. "How dare Bill Self decline our offer!" I can hear them whining now.
Makes me think....
Kansas vs Duke
Is our next big competition with Duke over Brad Stevens?
Personally, after I hear all the pro-Duke talk from family, it feels like we don't have a chance. Plus, the fact is that Bill will probably stay longer at Kansas than K at Duke.
I am expecting several Duke fans over on our site for this thread. Curious if we could get some to signup and comment. I don't know that I could get my family on here.
I will say that the Duke fans I know look at only TWO schools competing head-to-head with Duke on that upper tier; UNC and Kansas. Duke fans have the same disgust for Calipari as we do.
I have to say... I'm not a Duke fan but I do appreciate the intelligence of Duke fans. Kansas and Duke fans can talk REAL basketball. They know the game, just like we do.
I know Duke is largely hated by everyone that isn't a Duke fan, and it doesn't work that way with Kansas. However.... we do have commonalities with Duke on other levels.
I've heard Brad Stevens. But what about his NBA career? I heard this from Duke fans and they said his NBA career won't matter any longer because they won't accept no.
Manny.... Manny...
I remember Manny. How could I forget Manny.
He brought me a can of Surströmming. Fermented Baltic Sea Herring. A delicacy going back to the Vikings. No wonder they were able to discover a big chunk of the world in open boats.
This is the product that makes most people vomit just upon catching a whuf:
[link text](
I was at least smart enough to open the can in my garage, but dumb enough to open the can in my garage. I left my garage door open for a week, and still couldn't shake the pew.
Even today, my car smells like it was pulled off the bottom of Lake Michigan. Two days ago, I pulled up to a traffic light and received a big pair of "death eyes" from the fellow in the car beside me. He was unfortunate enough to have his window cracked.
My windows were rolled up. I discovered it is best to run air conditioning (full tilt) all of the time. The odor is reduced when I get it down to 50-degrees or lower.
Last, I discovered that odor can stain white leather.
The KU basketball season can't start soon enough!
(Note: all fiction. No malice.)
I've stated your same statement to the Duke side of my family. They didn't exactly smile about it. They told me "not to worry about them" after K is gone. I tend to believe them. There is a solid "Duke Nation" just like we have our nation. And they have many people in influential positions.
I don't expect Duke to vanish after K, or hardly skip a beat.
I recently posted a thread where I held my nose, and advised we bring back our neighbors to the east, the Mizzou Tigers. This was part of the price I believe we need to make in order to recapture one of the longest rivalries in all of college sports.
If we do or don't do that... I suggest another addition... WHAT ABOUT DUKE?
!Kansas-Jayhawks-vs-Duke-Blue-Devils.jpg ↗
It is time we have a yearly connection with Duke. This is a great opportunity for both Duke and Kansas. This is an opportunity to begin developing an ageless rivalry.
We already have a rich competitive history with Duke. We've faced them everywhere, from the hardwoods to the auction block (for Naismith's rules).
Duke has the resources and structure to remain at the top of basketball. The ONLY other team with the same qualifications is? That's right, Kansas!
This is an opportunity to form a private elite club at the top of basketball. A club so elite that only TWO teams will be there. This is an opportunity for both schools to add yet another layer of "elitism" helping to separate both from all other schools.
Most rivalries happen in local/regional areas. Why? Because those teams have a history going way back. So many of those rivalries have been lost because of conference changes.
Currently, we don't have a real solid rivalry. KSU Kitties pretty much stink at basketball. Teams like ISU... we have no idea if they can maintain quality high enough.
Nothing would be as prestigious as a newly developed rivalry with another elite team from another conference and another part of America.
I am glad we play in the Champions Classic and have commented on that extensively. I just want to make a statement specifically to address rivalry potential. Heck... I wouldn't mind if we had an automatic home-and-home annual game with Duke and then also sometimes play them in the Classic.
This would be an awesome opportunity for fans of both schools. AFH and Cameron are the top venues in the country. I would enjoy going to Duke to experience Kansas in Cameron, just like Duke fans would enjoy the experience of Duke in AFH.
Spot on.
Funny you should mention that. I get my fair share of east coast media, including a bit behind the scenes. Many of those people did not like all the proclamations made during and after that game that is was the "game of the year, maybe of the decade or longer."
A lot of the fight back came from Duke fans, and they have (obviously) big ties to east coast media.
I apologize for shouting this... but I want everyone here to pay attention to my next statement:
DUKE FANS SEE KANSAS AS ONE OF THEIR NEW, UPCOMING RIVALS.
This is important. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THEM IN THE SAME LIGHT. I think we focus a lot on Kentucky, probably because many of us have a disdain for Calipari, who also has Kansas ties.
I heavily suggest we focus more on Duke and less on Kentucky,
DUKE IMPACTS KANSAS BASKETBALL. Just ask the Booth family who ran up the price of Naismith's basketball rules. Let's get real, Duke had NO BUSINESS challenging us for those rules. But there are many other areas where Duke and Kansas compete, including for recruits and prestige. And, of course, on the court.
If we don't bring back situations like KU vs MU... we need to develop a new rivalry. I suggest it be with Duke.
I'm posting a thread on it now.
"Although I have often enjoyed @Red_Rooster’s posts, they are rather infrequent, so he does not have many chances to pick up votes."
I think he/she is spending lots of time prepping for the upcoming debate or is getting caught up on sleep. One of those two scenarios...
Sweet! Can't wait to experience it in person!
Good point about his problem getting the fans energized. He has to play cheerleader to his team, but also his entire community.
I think you did a perfect job of encapsulating Shaka and his new situation at Texas.
And now he isn't the young buck clawing to make it. And what was his motivation in the good ol' days at VCU? Wasn't it really about his own personal aspirations? So wasn't his goal to get to a major program, like Texas? Seems he may have met his goal. Okay... he can retool to make winning a NC his top priority, but that was his priority at VCU as an underdog. What I am getting at is that he has reached a specific goal and he may not have the hunger and chip he had back at VCU. It was his own personal chip that made him successful at VCU by rubbing off on his team (as you mentioned).
I like how you point out that his motivational strategy has to change to the type of player he is now getting versus the players he used to get.
Right... he has to reinvent the wheel and we will see if he can do it today. He is unproven.
"Are we scheduling so we are best prepared for March?"
That gets tricky. When we schedule games we don't know how good our opponent will be. Teams are always one injury away from near collapse.
And we tend to look at March results through a very narrow vision... only based on winning it all.
We have a solid chance in March this year. If we win it all, who will question Self's March record then? Don't we already have the longest March tourney streak for getting in?
I'm not defending our losses. We should never lose! But realistically... look at our program today, compare it to 5 years ago. Are we making gains in our program as a whole? I don't think we were in that very top elite program status, perhaps even 5 years ago. Yes, Kansas has always been elite... but at the very top of the basketball world?
I think a lot is happening in the next 5 years. That is when we will finally get a true reading on conference strengths. I don't feel like these supernova super conferences are going to look good. How can they. They are an abortion of structure. They have been pimped out only to attempt to make more money. Beyond that... they stink and their entire conference season play doesn't mean diddly! They are playing for nothing. They prove nothing in their entire year of conference play. Scheduling is the only thing that counts in those conferences.
I read a comment on the KUSports site this morning. Someone barking about Kansas needing to jump quickly to the Big 10. No way! That move would only happen if they change the Big 10 to a super conference of 16 teams. F that! The Kansas basketball program would melt into the wallpaper within a few years.
We need to nurture what we have in our conference. A conference that determines a REAL conference champion! And I don't want to hear anyone say that our conference streak doesn't mean anything. It is our conference streak that has given us an advantage on all other elite programs in the country! It is our conference streak combined with everything else that has put us on that very top shelf of elite teams.
Kansas has everything to lose by becoming desperate and reaching for straws. We need to look in a mirror and appreciate who we are and where we are!
I feel good about next year... talent wise.
Gosh... that is a million years away. We know how just a bit of news can totally change how things look. I feel positive we are going to add some solid, talented recruits by then, too.
I think there is an excellent chance we get Devonte back, unless we win the NC.
Next year could be our "sleeper team" and that is always exciting! If we do get Devonte back and we have a semi-seasoned Udoka in the middle... we will be a force to be reckoned with ... or should I say "wreckened."
Malik brings a big question mark. But I like him already and I think he has his mind right to take the ultimate advantage of where he is today. I don't think we value what he can become, especially having a year to totally develop his game.
By chance, if we win it all this year, then all bets are off on next year. It is always hard to repeat to the same level. One more reason why I'm not looking at 'Nova as the same threat they were this past year. Plus.... Ryan is gone!
Gosh... I haven't been keeping up on other teams. I know quite a bit about Duke because of family members.
My gut tells me the top teams are Kansas, Duke and UNC... without even knowing much about UNC.
My gut thinks Kentucky will be mediocre. 'Nova will not have the magic.
Think I would watch out for teams like Indiana. Perhaps one of my favorites, Wisconsin (GO BADGERS!).
Arizona will find ways to fall apart... they always do.
West Virginia will be respectable, but they get figured out by March.
I'm pretty certain one or two teams will really step up by the end of the year and will remain on everyone's radar.
I really feel like all Big 12 teams are sleepers... putting crowds to sleep this year. But maybe one or two will get it together. I always like the chances of Huggybear's team. The guy may cuss a lot, but he is one helluva coach.
Iowa State... guess it is time to see how well they are coached. Young with some talent. A real challenge for Prohm. I have to admit that I miss the Mayor.
Texas... Texas is a team of projection, just like their coach. Shaka is yet to prove he is worthy of his job. Too much riding his one big year which goes further in the past every year now. I remember all of that positive press he got after knocking us off in the tourney. Young vibrant coach bringing big energy to the game. So what does he count on now that his youth is largely gone?
I think there is a lot of talk going on down in Austin. Lots of people are questioning some of the Longhorns past decisions. The frustrations have been growing for quite some time now and they need to see results NOW! I'm mostly talking about football, but basketball makes the headlines, too.
Malik is really starting to excite me. I'm glad we will have him available next year and also that he brings stiff competition to practices this year.
I imagine comparing him to BMac is the right comparison though their games have differences.
I'm glad we are sticking on 10 for now. I think it is just too risky to take on any of the choices out there and we don't really know what potential we have for gain.
The big mistakes in our conference are in the past, and how we let schools like Nebraska escape. I think we could make another big mistake out of desperation and I'm glad we didn't.
There was and is a domino effect. OU has become weaker since we lost Nebraska. That rivalry helped both programs.
The Big 12 may or may not be in troubling waters in our immediate future. Let's let things play out in these super conferences. They have structural nightmares and they lack integrity; no real conference champions decided. Maybe they melt down first.
I believe there is a lot to schedules and they are becoming even more important for schools like Kansas.
We are one of the top elite programs so that fact alone changes some areas of scheduling. We have the ability to draw big crowds, so that is an opportunity in itself. It makes more sense financially to play tough teams on a large neutral site versus in their home arenas. And when it is built into a mini-tourney or something, it creates the opportunity to help with branding, both the tournament we play in and for Kansas.
I believe the Champions Classic has helped Kansas sit firmly in that top elite spot. It is a framework that builds status because of the quality of the teams playing in it. They are all helping their brand, while helping the Classic, It is like a high-society private club. Obviously, the Classic isn't the only reason why we have moved into that top elite spot.
Really, over just the past 5 years or so, Kansas has stepped into that top elite slot. Things are changing for us and that means in all areas, including how and who we schedule.
Bill Self deserves a lot of credit for helping us bump up that final notch. Now we need to sustain our altitude and continue to push even higher.
Kelly is such a cool cat. And I don't mean wildcat.
He has to be one of the coolest guys ever to wear a Jayhawk.
It would be great to hear from others...
Who are your "coolest" Jayhawks?
I'm hearing very positive things about Mitch. He is going to be a player and he will contribute something this year, too.
I agree with your post. A lot depends on Carlton staying out of foul trouble.
What I like most about Carlton is his potential range. By the time he leaves Kansas he will be a solid trey shooter. He will show us a bit of that this year. And he will definitely show us a huge midrange game.
We need one big to have range.
I always enjoy reading your posts, if for no other reason than to appreciate your use of the English language. Well done. But you also have great content, too.
I find it unlikely we will have a post player capable of scoring like Perry for quite some time. He might not have had the needed muscle at times, but he always brought a polished arsenal to the game, and I already miss Perry!
I'm thinking that, too.
Plus... maybe we just need to put in lots of work in practice first before playing a bigger lineup. Maybe Bill is just putting our best chances of winning on the floor early in the year. Maybe he doesn't want him and some of his players to get hugely criticized for not being able to play better in the early part of the year.
I don't know. I just have ideas.
Yeah... I'm wondering the same.
Is it because Bill is the "Riverboat Gambler" who often runs bluffs?
Or is he just giving us a "heads up" to the possibility even if it doesn't happen just so we aren't shocked with the smaller lineup later?