🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Actually... this all points to us playing small ball. X-axis... guys moving their feet and getting into position instead of just counting on crazy athleticism, insane arm reaches, and super hops to make up for not playing good, fundamental basketball and the realization that the game is mostly decided by footwork. Ask NBA Champion Steph Curry. He is the poster child for footwork.

Mitch Lightfoot is officially a Jayhawk • Oct 25, 2015 08:09 PM

"Can you imagine how much Norm and Bill would like to work with a guy that even just talks that way?"

I hear you! Heck... just having a player capable of clear articulation should be helpful and set some kind of bar (as an example) for our entire team to clear. And then there is his attitude... which is off-the-charts positive!

He is a real Jayhawk PRIOR to signing! We should always have one or two of those. Guys who can help the other guys understand what that Jayhawk is and means to fans.

Mitch gives me the feeling of what college basketball used to be, before it became just a NBA tryout league.

Fools Gold Redux • Oct 25, 2015 04:38 PM

@VailHawk

I wonder how the added enforcement of touch fouls this year will impact Self and the style of play we play.

He seems to be already conditioning the fan base that this will be a year full of constant fouls. So does that mean we don't bomb 3s and instead focus on post scoring and drives in order to draw fouls?

My hope is that he goes at this year with an open mind. Think just a bit more like a NBA coach and coach to win by being opportunistic more than a philosopher of the game, trying to teach young students his theories. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but I see pretty much all of D1 coaches doing this.

Mitch Lightfoot is officially a Jayhawk • Oct 25, 2015 04:33 PM

Welcome aboard, Mitch!

"“In my 16 years as coach, he’s the toughest competitor I’ve had,” Ortega said, noting Lightfoot has been compared to Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker. “He works endlessly. He is in the gym all the time, has the (shooting) machine up. He has the biggest motor. He plays with a fire. He wants it.”

Of his style of play, Lightfoot said: “I want to play the game like it’s supposed to be played, full speed, not taking any plays off. Be the best I can be on the court by working the hardest. It’s an intangible that works to my benefit.”"

=======

I'm impressed to hear a high school basketball player use the word "intangible." If he really does have a big motor, works hard, and has a great intellect (especially when it comes to basketball), this young man will pay off for us, either by stepping up his game to earn key PT, or helping other elite players. Either way, he sounds like a good recruit. And he has ALWAYS been a Jayhawk! Very important!

"“I said, ‘I want to play at Kansas.’ It’s been my goal since I knew what basketball was, ever since then. I’ve been working my butt off to try to get there. To all the kids sitting in the stands watching the Jayhawks, wanting to be a Jayhawk, you can definitely do it,” Lightfoot, the No. 117-rated player in the recruiting Class of 2016 (by Rivals.com), added.

Ortega said that, after speaking with Lightfoot, he phoned recruiting analyst Jerry Mullen, who contacted KU about Lightfoot’s interest."

========

2016 Kansas Current Recruiting Stat -

Kansas Historic Legacy - 1

Kansas Assistant Coaches Recruiting - 0

I know we say this most years... but our assistant coaches better come through by the end of this recruiting season (next summer).

I'm not going to defer blame to ShoeCos or anything else... Other universities NOT named Kentucky or Duke are still signing elite recruits....

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 24, 2015 08:57 PM

@HighEliteMajor

Thanks for bringing us all back to earth.

I think we all get excited when Kansas signs anyone, especially as the early signing period approaches and Kansas has NO ONE!

If Mitch picks Kansas, I'm behind him 100%.. he is a Jayhawk. Our support is helpful, but either the young man can develop and produce or he can't. I don't think Self offered him thinking he will come in and start as a freshman... maybe never start. But there has to be a reason why he offered him. Everything on this kid says he has a great attitude, lots of smiles, etc. He may be a great pick for a backup post player, great practice post player for our other guys, etc. etc. And maybe he has potential to develop into someone who will get vital minutes some day.

If I think we risk anything... it is that we will only have X amount of scholarships... and if we start nailing some elites.. will we have to stop and decline an elite because we have no scholarships to fill?

We are all focused on filling post spots, but we need at least one guard (actually, two!). We definitely could use a developmental PG. Someone who can eventually replace Frank and Devonte and this guard should be a REAL PG! Not a "utility player that can dribble". Or a big guard where Self claims he can play anywhere 1 through 4 (like he said about Wayne).

If we pick up a couple of real PGs every couple of years, we will start a PG developmental program. So one of these guards will become legit and has a couple of years to learn the system, learn Self-ball. That is our ticket to future success. If we don't do that, we become another KC Chiefs franchise.... pickup great talent everywhere but quarterback! Create outrageous frustration with the fan base by showing all that talent that has no leadership behind them. I haven't watched a single down of Chiefs football after the Denver blow. I simply can't stomach it any longer! I'd rather watch golf.

2065 - BREAKING NEWS: Cheick Diallo Cleared! • Oct 24, 2015 08:53 PM

I still don't understand how his handler was able to create a temporary basketball league for him to play in?

How can that be?

How can it be anything besides an AAU squad or a HS team? Anything else screams of illegal activities. Who paid for their uniforms and shoes? Who drove them to games? Those are benefits. Those are benefit PAID to an amateur player, making him no longer amateur.

Unless a league is sanctioned as being legit by the NCAA it should disqualify players from D1.

2065 - BREAKING NEWS: Cheick Diallo Cleared! • Oct 24, 2015 12:20 AM

Report: Labissiere ruled eligible by NCAA ↗

I'm totally disgusted with all of this.

Kentucky At Full Strength: Labissiere Cleared! • Oct 23, 2015 11:18 PM

I can't believe he was cleared.

His handler built a HS team around him, literally. Doesn't seem even remotely fair.

Meanwhile... we wait while the NCAA delays Diallo while they try to translate letters written in Bambara.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 09:59 PM

"how can Self possibly NOT play some BAD BALL?"

I see it your way and I agree. We will see some BAD BALL this year.

It does really impact the play of other teams.

What would be really interesting is if Self could inject it into brief periods in the game, just to try to disrupt our opposition's flow.

But I think there are so many things coaches could try to disrupt flow and they never do it. Of course, while you are busy trying to disrupt the flow of your opponent, what about disrupting the flow of your own guys? It seems like we were are getting killed by another team, that might be a good thing.

I've always liked coaches that pull their entire starting five because they are flat. Sit them down. Let them catch their breaths and make them think and watch for a while. That often not only gets them moving, but it can disrupt the flow of your opponents.

I still can't understand why Calipari didn't win another trophy last year? He had 2 capable teams running a platoon. Sounds risky... but how would you like to be an opponent? It isn't just that his team is well-rested... you are playing one team and suddenly you are playing another team. Sounds like a tough challenge to me.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 07:32 PM

Yes... I can see that relative connection more than Sam Dekker.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 06:56 PM

It seems like the talk is to keep him at the SF. Since he is quick, better he stay on the large size of a SF instead of being on the small size of a PF. He has a long ways to go size and strength wise to play elite level D1 at the PF.

Seems we could use some depth at the SF slot when looking ahead. By the time he can be really ready to contribute Wayne will be gone (maybe even this year) and BG in two years. Svi will probably be gone then, too.

If his play advances... he is a guy we can utilize as a big 3 or a small 4. Nice to have those options.

Aaron Miles • Oct 23, 2015 06:47 PM

Aaron has been very successful the past few years playing in Russia. in 2012 and 2013 he won the Russian Cup with Krasnye, in 2013 he was named Finals MVP. He also won with them in the 2013 FIBA EuroChallenge. He then changed Russian clubs and finished out a one-year contract this past July.

He is now recouping from a torn labrum so he will not play this year. But there is an excellent chance he goes back next year if he finds the right contract offer. I'm certain he is very well paid and he has a wife and 4 kids to feed!

Frank Mason hmmmmm? • Oct 23, 2015 06:39 PM

Looks like BG is practicing up for "date night." Hope his approach is a bit more sophisticated than that!

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 06:36 PM

I don't want to be hypocritical... so I will mention that I fight off that same bias.

From what I see... Mitch looks to be very athletic and will not be hindered by his athletic level in D1. I'm sure he could stand to be "Hudyized"... but most recruits need strengthening to be competitive in D1. Time to lose the baby fat and step into manhood!

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 06:05 PM

"I would like to see where you got the information that he is “marginally athletic.”"

I'm not going to insinuate that anyone is "racist"... however... it seems like there exists a bias concerning perception of athleticism between white and black basketball players. I think many assume white players are not elite athletes. I'm not pointing fingers in this forum, but can wave a general finger throughout the sport and definitely include many sports media professionals. You don't hear the phrase "exceptional athlete" used very often today for white basketball players. And there are many white players that are exceptional athletes.

I think this is something we can take advantage of, and perhaps we are doing so if we sign Lightfoot! He does appear to have very good hops and can definitely get up and down the court quickly. From watching tape on Lightfoot, he appears to be under-appreciated and his ranking is too low. But.. we've all been wrong before when watching highlight footage. I will save my judgment until I see him in a Jayhawk uniform and running down the court. My guess is that he is under ranked and will climb once he signs with us (if he does). He looks like a solid grab as long as we continue to go after high ranked post players and sign (hopefully) two of those!

Aaron Miles • Oct 23, 2015 05:57 PM

@Texas-Hawk-10

True. I wonder what they pay Townsend?

Aaron Miles • Oct 23, 2015 04:44 PM

Self has prepped us all by stating he thought Aaron wasn't done playing pro ball abroad. We just have to wait and see if he can stick around. If not, I believe this was done for a reason, and that reason has long-term vision to it.

I would love to see us eventually convert Aaron into an assistant coach. The benefits would be extreme... he could do for our guards what Manning did for our bigs. I think I would enjoy seeing us become "Little Man U" over what is left of our "Big Man U."

I look at assistant coaches similar to players. The more gifted they are, the chances are high that you lose them to a better opportunity quickly... But, sometimes, you can keep a very good assistant around for a long time. I'm not sure if we will be able to keep Aaron with us long... hope so!

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 04:32 PM

On January 17th of last year, Kansas suffered its first conference loss and it was to ISU at ISU. I don't know if you remember that game (sure you do)... but ISU got lots of cheap, easy run outs by beating our guys back on their end of the court.

I think that also played a part in Self later turning to BAD BALL.

For me... a big part of BAD BALL is having the guys PRIORITIZE their defense over their offense. Towards the end of the year, we didn't see many teams out-running us and getting run outs. Self had his guys focused on defense more than offense. Their minds on the offensive side of the ball were focused a lot on getting back on defense quickly instead of executing good offense.

The dynamics of basketball are truly amazing. Talk about shifts in momentum. When a team can't execute their half court offense the other team often then focuses harder on getting run outs. One thing teams have to do is make sure they get back, especially if their offense isn't executing well.

But if your offense is executing well and can't be stopped, the ball isn't rebounded for a quick outlet and the defense knows it needs to focus more on stopping the scoring, and less on getting out quick on a run out. Sometimes it doesn't work that way, and teams get good at executing run outs after a basket is scored. Not often. It is usually more about how the offensive team reacts after a basket... if they are celebrating or staying focused and running back on d. Guards usually finish on the run outs, so a lot depends on our guards position and movement after the ball changes hands to the other team. Sometimes teams use fast bigs to get out and can impact the game in many ways, like making the other teams' bigs not focus as hard on the offensive glass, or possibly hitting the offensive glass harder. The dynamics are unique to the situation and teams need to try different things to impact the game. I've always thought we don't take advantage of this knowledge and strategy enough, but I'm not a coach so I guess there are reasons for that.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 23, 2015 12:59 PM

@Lulufulu

Not sure how that plays out. Interesting that Self is preparing the fans with the idea that there will be a lot of FTs and fouls this season. In theory (and likelihood) if that happens then teams with a deep bench will benefit most. One more reason why we need to clear Diallo. And hard to say how our perimeter depth will hold out. Matters a lot on player development.

I see it like he may start out giving the guys a longer leash, then if foul trouble occurs he will tighten it up quickly and have an excuse to run things the way he is used to, including with a quick hook on some players, typically freshmen and sophomores.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 22, 2015 09:06 PM

is it possible for us to play the tough D required in BAD BALL but upgrade our offense slightly to just be respectable?

Seems that we need to make a goal to play a new kind of basketball -

GOOD BALL / BAD BALL

Dr. Jekyll /Mr. Hyde

"Good Cop / Bad Cop"

Perspective On Recruiting.... • Oct 22, 2015 08:47 PM

@justanotherfan

"The key is that Self has to trust those guys and let them play..."

I think that is huge. Also... Self has to EXPECT those guys to play at a high level. This is why players often step up to a higher level when moving from a reserve role to a starting role. They know that EXPECTATIONS come with the starting position.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 22, 2015 07:29 PM

@HighEliteMajor

I agree.

But really I think our biggest issue concerns player development. We took a definite hit when we lost Manning.

Just look at Jamari. He is a 5th-year senior. 4 years of elite D1 behind him and you know he is going to continue to make bad freshman mistakes again, in his 5th year! That is inexcusable! If the kid can graduate from a university, he surely can pick up more of the game of basketball.

I can't count the times he has made monstrous mistakes that cost us. Half the time you will see him look down afterwards or towards the bench, and he will hit himself on the side of the head. He knows he made a bonehead mistake and he is trying to beat it into his own head to remember and learn.

You can count on him doing the same thing this year. What a pity. Not only for Kansas basketball but also for Jamari!

If he had developed his basketball IQ (and a few more tools) we wouldn't be having this conversation because we know we can develop 3-star level players to play with the big boys, at least by their junior year! Jamari is a stud on physicality... 5 years of D1 should have rounded out his game and polished him up to be a gem by now. And he certainly has had plenty of PT for experience!

Like I mentioned in a previous post... it is about time we clean house on assistant coaches. Bring in some youth that has the energy, knowledge, drive and focus to improve our recruiting and also our player development.

Perspective On Recruiting.... • Oct 22, 2015 05:15 PM

@BeddieKU23

Not only give guys rest, but keep our deep bench from rusting away!

FAN DUEL AND DRAFT KING ADVERTISING BANNED BY NCAA FOR BASKETBALL. • Oct 22, 2015 05:10 PM

Are Kentucky's John Calipari and William "WorldWide Wes" Wesley Cheating the System? ↗

"Even stealing signals in baseball or throwing a spitball is deemed ok if you get away with it."

I don't get how they let this happen but NFL teams (Patriots) get nailed for spying and reading lips of their opponents. The Pats (who I'm not a big fan of) were singled out for videotaping the Jets in an unauthorized location (to steal plays) while other teams do it all the time.

In MLB, sometimes it seems that TV production teams intentionally work against certain teams by focusing in closer on the catchers to steal signs or the pitcher's glove to see if they can steal their grip. The Royals have been trying to mask signs better and in doing so, have complicated their pitching.

I know I am biased towards the Royals... but I see sports media treating them about like KU basketball used to get treated (we are finally improving slightly with national and east coast sports media). The sports announcers have addressed the stolen signs with the Royals and point all the blame on base runners at second base stealing signs and signaling batters. Sure that can happen. But it is very easy to pickup on. Why don't they also explain how the easiest way to steal signs (and get away with it) is to have someone watch the game on TV and keep communication with a "fan" sitting close to the field, who then signals it to the batter. They like to put these "fans" right over their dugout so it looks like the batters are looking for their own signs from their manager. Heck... a lot of times the announcers will call out what the pitch is going to be as soon as they see the sign. Sometimes it is obvious that the batter knows what is coming.

What a farce.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 22, 2015 04:51 PM

@DanR

"He seems to play hard and looks like a guy I’d love to hate if he was on an opponent’s team."

Good comment. He's the guy that we usually play against in March and lose.

Sounds like we better get used to the idea of him being a Jayhawk. We'll know in a couple of days, but it will not be a surprise to anyone if he picks Kansas.

Everyone has their first impressions. He'll be given a chance to prove himself. I hope he has a high basketball IQ. We can build muscle on him and improve a bunch of his skills. But it seems hardest to improve basketball IQ. Jamari is our biggest example of that. Crazy athleticism and largely wasted because he doesn't know how to apply his athleticism to the game. He's built right to own the boards, but can hardly snare a rebound... the game just doesn't "click" for him.

Perspective On Recruiting.... • Oct 22, 2015 04:43 PM

I think the combination of Self and Mason make it very difficult to manage Mason's minutes. Both guys are as competitive as they come. Neither wants to lose and they know their best shot at winning is to have Frank in the game, especially at the end.

IT'S THAT TIME ONCE AGAIN BOYS AND GIRLS, TO RANK THE COACHES. • Oct 22, 2015 04:40 PM

@wissoxfan83

"The curse lives on, and as we saw last night, they’re not the only Illinois sports team living under a curse! (way to go Mets!)"

Yep... I wouldn't want to have the name "Murphy" and live in the Chicago area....

Thing was... you could see this coming a mile away.

IT'S THAT TIME ONCE AGAIN BOYS AND GIRLS, TO RANK THE COACHES. • Oct 22, 2015 04:27 PM

@ralster

"So, Shaka may indeed surprise a few BigXII opponents, but I doubt he can fool Self. Got a feeling Self will have his team ready for the Shaka havoc-D."

"You can fool me once, shame on you... fool me again... shame on..... uh..." ~ quote from President George Bush

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 21, 2015 08:10 PM

I don't think adding Lightfoot will impact recruiting elite bigs. He doesn't have a high ranking or big rep in that world (beyond his local area). He could be a plus if he can actually develop into more than his current rank is.

I'm sure this has a certain amount of risk. There is always a gamble. I just know we need more than Lightfoot from this recruiting class if we want to put a competitive team on the floor.

We should be bringing in a couple of top elite bigs. They will be supported by the best and most-experienced guards in the country! That has to count big! With the right bigs, we can compete for a NC next year because of all the experienced talent we have. We should be recruiting on that. Kentucky and most other schools, won't have that. It is a crap shoot every year at Kentucky because they replace the majority of PT minutes every year. Big gamble. Not a gamble next year at Kansas.

Perspective On Recruiting.... • Oct 21, 2015 08:00 PM

@elpoyo

"I’ve said this over and over again- as long as we care more about the streak and not the NCAA championship, don’t expect much to change."

First... I appreciate your posts. I don't always agree with you, but I appreciate that you have the guts to challenge people. That is a good thing for all of us because the challenge pushes people to step up and post their best.

I definitely feel the frustration in your posts about our shortcoming in March. Your post above pushes me to think about all of this harder. Could it be, that our streak is getting in the way of good March results? I'll try to be open about that, and continue to think of it as possible. So far, I do see one scenario where I think it could help us to lose the streak before March.

I do see the possibility, once, for losing the conference streak in order to perform better in March. Let's say this year's team blows the streak. Won't that create an immediate chip on their shoulders to prove themselves in March? I know it has worked that way before with UCONN, having a bad year in their conference without a streak. I can see that scenario play out... once. After that, our streak is zero, so it is out of the discussion for the immediate years to follow.

I do think the streak has helped elevate our reputation as a basketball school. And if we can keep it going and Self passes Wooden's conference streak, I think it will elevate Self and Kansas further. Question is... how does this "elevation" help Kansas basketball? Does it help us recruit? I think it can play a minor role in helping us recruit. It could help if we are recruiting a kid who is also considering another Big 12 school. Why go to a school that can't even win its conference? Is it the deciding factor? Probably not. The streak has helped give us more national credibility. I'm certain of that. Does that help us recruit? It certainly doesn't hurt. We do now appear on just about every top recruit's list. It wasn't that way a decade ago (or even less). Granted... I don't think most of those recruits are considering Kansas, but they do see us as an elite program, worthy of their list and helpful in adding to the perception they are of elite caliber.

I do think winning National Championships should help recruiting. But does it? I'm not certain. I think it helps to some degree, but not sure how much. It can't hurt. And it is the measuring stick for determining national prominence.

I want to see us win both, conference and March. For me, I put both in unique perspectives and don't really fuse the two. I take our conference personal. I've grown to like and dislike every team in our conference. I really hate losing to any team in our conference, more so than losing to non-conference opponents, with an exception for losing to another elite school... especially UK and Duke.

Will I be satisfied if we continue the streak and also beat UK in AFH? Will that be enough to satisfy my year and have me accept an early exit in March? No. Because this team is solid and should be at least an Elite 8 team... at least. Injuries and other events can change this perception I have. Most years, I don't see us as the best team in the country. If things happen right this year, I can see me thinking we are the best team this year!

Perspective On Recruiting.... • Oct 21, 2015 07:14 PM

@ralster

Good post!

The objective of my post was to let KU fans know that there is more to recruiting than we see everyday. Self and Co. are probably not competing "apples-to-apples" with schools like Kentucky and Calipari. Many of us (for years now) have questioned Calipari's methods for snagging top talent. The public reason for his success usually pointed to his personality as being "magnetic" with recruits. I never bought that as any kind of reason why recruits follow Calipari. And since (in the past) Calipari did not have the reputation for being a great coach, he had even a higher hurdle to clear on recruiting. Something attracted recruits.

I think the link I provided offers up the most comprehensive and straightforward explanation of how Calipari recruits successfully. Whether or not the information is purely factual... I'm not going to make that claim. But I am not so gullible as to believe his charm is the reason for his success.

What really sickens me is the damage brought by these Calipari teams. Throwing together an all-star team that goes out in March and takes down legitimate contenders that had to fight for every inch is disheartening and downright damaging to society. It sends a message to kids that it really isn't about working hard over years to find success... it is about quickly throwing together talent and overcoming teams that have less talent. It's all about simply clustering talent. You could say "rigging the system."

Perspective On Recruiting.... • Oct 21, 2015 02:32 PM

It is that time of year... when college basketball recruiting earns the spotlight ahead of the game itself.

Kansas... formerly known as "Big Man U" (when Danny Manning was an assistant), is in need of 3 or so new post replacements. At least two of those replacements should be of elite status for Kansas to maintain their current elite status in college basketball.

Early signing period is quickly approaching. And for being such an elite program, with a history of helping put bigs in the league, an offense designed to run through the post and accentuate the importance of their post players, and a history going beyond the college game and to the invention of the game, Kansas finds itself experiencing the recruitment process from the outside, instead of inside. It seems that most elite big men put Kansas on their list of possible schools, if for no other reason than window dressing and to steal any possible tiny bump from adding one more elite school to their list. But few seem to take their own list seriously.

Why would an elite program like Kansas, have trouble signing elite players? In the past, many have pointed to a lack of media attention from the East Coast as being a big factor. Arizona seems to prove there isn't much truth in that assumption.

What does appear to be related, at least when looking at Kentucky recruiting from John Calipari, is the "relational" web of Calipari's "recruiting family." This is a family. It has all the "family-iar" characteristics of an organized crime syndicate. New members are sworn to secrecy and threatened to lose their power and money-making status if they talk too much. Maybe even threatened beyond that... The example of Sonny Vaccaro is often referenced to those who may threaten to loosen their lips. Even Vaccaro wasn't "too big to fail."

The revenue streams are from two sources, both every bit as crooked as any drug trafficking syndicate. Those sources are sports shoes and sports agency. Both are rooted deeply into John Calipari's "recruiting family." And what we are learning from Nike is they maintain black market currency (non-taxed) in large slush funds that are used to grease the entire industry to keep Nike #1. If you look at how much money they "slush around" it doesn't equate to anything proportionate to their actual reported revenues. Not even close.

There is no way Kansas can compete with this. McCarthy Hall could be built from gold and diamonds. The legacy of Wilt, Dr. Naismith, all the greats... mean ZERO compared to the protection and benefits offered by "the family."

So when you are scratching your head, not understanding why a young recruit picks Kentucky over Kansas, don't get too stressed thinking the recruit thinks Kentucky is a better choice over Kansas. That isn't where Kansas loses the recruiting wars. Chances are, that kid has already established a long relationship of being in the pocket of Nike and Creative Artists Agency. You might even come to the conclusion that these kids already have a "debt" that needs to be paid back to the "family."

This is the difference for Kentucky and Calipari. This is why he can go out there and sweep up a huge chunk of all the elite talent. "Great salesman?" My ass. That is the front protecting the real structure behind Calipari and his recruiting.

And what about other schools? Does Duke and Coach K have a similar "family?" Perhaps, or perhaps not. There are several pathways that attract young players. Players' parents have a lot to do with how they are brought up and what paths they take. The story above (and link below) addresses Calipari because his recruiting is off the charts, so many people out there have been keeping their eyes open and "spilling the beans" on what they see.

Louisville's recent recruiting scandal (where prostitutes were brought in to treat recruits) is another creative tool used to get players to sign.

Check out the following link,, and you can qualify the story (somewhat) by reading the referenced links.

IT'S THAT TIME ONCE AGAIN BOYS AND GIRLS, TO RANK THE COACHES. • Oct 20, 2015 10:52 PM

I'm tempted to put Huggy Bear as #2. I am a fan of Lon Kruger, and he is a great coach... but Huggy is mentioned by his players (positively) probably more than any B12 coach in the league. Yes... more than Self! I know he is full of expletive language, but that doesn't mean he can't coach.

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 20, 2015 10:48 PM

@konkeyDong

Great post.

I think it is about time we clean house on assistant coaches. We need to bring in young assistants that are hungry, have lots of energy, and very capable at teaching and recruiting.

We can spend millions of dollars on shiny-box dorm rooms and have all the history and legacy imaginable... but the buck stops on our coaches' abilities to bring in recruits. I think they are just getting too old and what recruits see is recruiters and not so much what their lifestyle would be like beyond the old guys recruiting them.

I hope having Miles around is more than just a temporary thing. I hope it is step one into bring him on board as an assistant coach.

Bill Self to coach Spurs... • Oct 20, 2015 10:41 PM

Interesting that you mention that.

I think Mizzou has lost a big chunk of followers from KC after joining the SEC. KC is Big 12 country....

Bill Self to coach Spurs... • Oct 20, 2015 09:25 PM

I'm just holding on by a thread... After the Royals take the World Series I won't know what to do until KU basketball.

I'm down to just watching my Packers play.

Bill Self to coach Spurs... • Oct 20, 2015 08:07 PM

!Screen Shot 2015-10-20 at 2.30.39 PM.png ↗

Joking... she is the rascal that sent me this link and I nearly stroked out!

Mitch Lightfoot, is this a good thing or bad thing • Oct 20, 2015 07:42 PM

@Statmachine

I remember that. Many people were downright rude about us signing Mason. They saw his size and barked out.

At some point we need to put a little faith in Self!

This guy might be the perfect grab for one of those spots. Especially if he has basketball IQ. Most of what the guys ahead of him pickup (development) will be executed through another big. One big with good basketball IQ can be a major help to our other bigs and if sold right from recruiters, could even help a tiny bit in recruiting elite bigs.

Bill Self to coach Spurs... • Oct 20, 2015 07:38 PM

@Lulufulu

I just took this ad out on Craigslist:

FOR TRADE: One wife with mean sense of humor in trade for stray dog. Will come locate and pick up dog when dropping off wife.

Bill Self to coach Spurs... • Oct 20, 2015 07:33 PM

Done deal - Bill Self to coach Spurs ↗

Lauri Markkanen committed to Arizona • Oct 20, 2015 03:18 PM

@ajvan

I bet if he signs with Kansas, he'll get a "Jayhawk bump" in his ratings this coming year.

2065 - BREAKING NEWS: Cheick Diallo Cleared! • Oct 20, 2015 03:16 PM

Notice he just received an "honorary clearance" and not the real clearance, even if it was half a century too late!

Will Traylor meet the Jeff Hawkins, Christian Moody, Justin Wesley, and Tarik Black fate? • Oct 20, 2015 02:31 PM

He may not be the savant Embiid was, but I think he will compensate for that with his motor. The kid really stays active the entire time he is on the floor, and that alone will build him a respectable stat line.

We better have him on the floor most of the time early, so we can improve his skills as much as possible by March. Chances are high that he will be OAD (even though he won't be ready to go pro), so we better maximize our return on him for the few months he will be in Lawrence.

Lauri Markkanen committed to Arizona • Oct 20, 2015 02:24 PM

Okay... I'm all gushy with man love... expecting him to be the next Sam Dekker!

If he does have high energy, basketball IQ and a tool box I am ready to sign him and see what he can do. I'd rather go this way then sign another athletic freak that has low basketball IQ.

2065 - BREAKING NEWS: Cheick Diallo Cleared! • Oct 20, 2015 02:15 PM

Lawrence, KS. October 20, 2065

On the 50th Anniversary of the signing of then-star basketball recruit, Cheick Diallo, the NCAA has given an "honorary clearance" for the 70-yr-old Diallo to play basketball at Kansas. The news was relayed to Diallo, who is now living at the Jonestown Retirement Center, located in Kansas City, Kansas.

Diallo was not available for comment, but did release a statement, where he thanked the NCAA for taking their sweet time and helping direct him to a different career than playing basketball. Diallo felt the injustice of his situation and turned to law for his occupation as an attorney helping inmates on death row receive proper DNA testing. His career has offered him the personal satisfaction of having 38 prisoners released from prison for being wrongly convicted.

!oldman.jpg ↗

Will Traylor meet the Jeff Hawkins, Christian Moody, Justin Wesley, and Tarik Black fate? • Oct 20, 2015 12:06 AM

@Statmachine

WITHOUT Cheick: I look at it like.... Perry, and everyone else. That might sound a bit cold. But we'll be relying most on Perry to keep our post stat line above water. If this is the case, we might as well give some good experience minutes to Carlton. We might even see his game improve considerably during the season and perhaps he can make vital contributions in March. Hunter, Jamari and Landen all have their strengths and weaknesses. They'll rotate in depending on match-ups, etc.

WITH Cheick: Perry and Cheick... then everyone else. Same scenario but competing for less minutes.

I think the only thing we can forecast accurately would be that Perry gets his minutes. Eventually (hopefully), Cheick will get his minutes, too. Everyone else depends on what happens between now and then, and how the season plays out.

Looking at Hunter, Jamari and Landen... it looks like Hunter made a big jump up from last year because a "light bulb" went off in his head and he started to execute "Self ball." I'm doubtful Jamari or Landen make the kind of jump we saw in Hunter. And who is to say that he can't make another jump up in his game? Now that he "gets it" maybe we are just at the beginning of experiencing him show that he "gets it!"

One Semester Basketball, or Sports Pimps Soliciting AGAIN • Oct 19, 2015 10:33 PM