🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I think we have a "sink or swim" recruiting mentality these days.

Perhaps we could sign a couple of mid-elite bigs now, and then just forget about signing an elite big late... or do a great job and sign an elite or two late after already signing one or two mid-elites.

Or we sign no one early and go for broke on getting an elite big late and then filling in with bench backups at the very end. This means we sign an elite big or mildly possible to sign two, then sign some no-ranked or up to 3-star bench guys, like Traylor.

Problem is.... worst case scenario. We don't sign middle guys now and we don't sign elites later.

I would like to see us double what we did last year. Sign 2 guys now at Bragg's level, then sign a super elite late like another Diallo or maybe 2!

But seriously... we need to sign at least 2 mid-elites to elite bigs.

@JayHawkFanToo

The academic fraud should be challenging their accreditation as an institution of higher learning.

It should be that serious, because it is that serious. It should challenge the qualifications of every graduate from UNC over the past decade or so.

I'm not saying that to bag on UNC. The reach is much broader than that and can bring question to almost all universities concerning their qualities and standards (and legitimacy).

@Jesse-Newell

I'd like to see a spot on question asked about the influence of ShoeCos. It should be a question designed by the master crime investigator... @jaybate-1.0 .

I'm not expecting an informative reply... but would enjoy hearing Self posed with the question.

I can't believe no one has commented on the photo above... trying to estimate real player heights from KU inches.

I thought Bragg grew a couple of inches and is now 6'11"? Must have been another Jayhawk height fairy tale. Whoever gets to make up that stuff.... I'd like to invite them to go fishing with me. It would be great to have a back up on my fish stories!

@HighEliteMajor

" I could see us spending much of our time complaining about Bragg’s lack of minutes vs. the low talent upper classmen (Traylor/Lucas)."

I can already see this coming. We might as well start complaining about it now. Why the heck isn't Bragg getting more minutes?!?! (not being sarcastic)

Bragg is going to improve at a rate relative to the minutes he gets. It is that simple. He has that much upside... the only thing he really lacks is experience (and the need to be Hudyized).

I've never gotten the term "fools gold" out of my head. I always thought it was one of the few verbal blunders from Self. As I think more about it, I think it was directed at BG (and perhaps others who were starting to attract that mentality). That mentality is: "Hey, I don't really have to hustle and play defense or do much of anything except hit the trey."

From Self's own words, BG is a fool. He is a fool if he doesn't bust his butt trying to round out his game and thinks he has a future playing h-o-r-s-e during a game, just standing on spots hitting shots.

I hope BG has a full recovery and can go 100% this year, but I have to be honest. As much as I like him I will be showing my "love" by bagging on him not rounding out his game.

Translation:

"We'll start the season with 12 guys that could all be rotational players if I give them enough minutes to not only prevent from rusting, but to add polish. By early conference play I'll be knocking it down to 7 or 8 guys from there on out, so don't expect the guys who are out of the rotation to step up in March because they'll be as rusty as the old skillet you forgot and left outside by the grill all winter."

@FarSideHawk

My thoughts are that we will be very good without him and great with him.... I'm excited for the coming year either way!

@JayHawkFanToo

"Apparently, there is a lot that goes on behind closed doors that were are not aware,..."

That may be an understatement...

I think there is plenty of stuff going on, with or without a highly-rated compliance program. But what we have now going for us is strictly political. I'll take that because that is how our society works. There is nothing fair or just... politics rule.

Just imagine if SMU had committed the same crimes UNC did?

If you want an example of what kind of penalty UNC will face, just look back to the recent case with Syracuse. They got off easy and they had a lot more issues than SMU.

Guess which school will get hammered and which school will basically get a free pass?

And which one committed the worst violations?

Why SMU didn't fire coach Larry Brown after NCAA penalties ↗

And people wonder why Larry doesn't respect the NCAA.....

I wonder if BigShoe is involved?

@JayHawkFanToo

"How soon before all the stench starts wafting toward KU?"

I sense your fear on this. We have a lot to be thankful for. After our situation with Brown the administration at Kansas realized how ill-equipped they were for handling these situations and for general compliance. They resolved that by building a model compliance program... one that has received praise from the NCAA. So if we end up suffering a major hit, even the NCAA will suffer along with us because or compliance department has been an example for other universities on how to be responsible.

I don't know how to take the news about him being able to practice.

Glass half full - why would they let him practice if they don't think he will eventually be cleared?

Glass half empty - he is allowed to practice because they are realizing it will still take a long time to resolve his eligibility. Also... Self made it sound like Kansas was still busy giving new info to the NCAA. That makes me wonder if Diallo is currently a "no" from the NCAA so Kansas is continuing to fight the case.

I know one thing... we shouldn't get too excited until we get the real "green light."

I have my doubts about BG getting lots of minutes this year. First off... he will have to be not only healed but improved (physically) from a year ago.

His skill-set is very very limited. He has never proven to be a good defender. Can't handle the rock well, and is limited on shooting only as a spot shooter. It is sort of like the game has to be totally redesigned around his weaknesses in order for him to be effective. Not gonna happen. I wish he would at least learn how to shoot off the dribble and learn some fakes and moves on the dribble. It's all footwork. BG should go out and get every Steph Curry clip there is on how to use footwork to create scoring space.

Seriously.... we had Wigs and our coaching staff couldn't even design and execute plays for Wigs... does anyone think things will be different for BG? And BG only has the spot shot. That is a lot harder to build plays around.

If Svi is everything everyone says he is... then he will almost shoot as well as BG from the perimeter, but has a lot more skills. He has some level of dribbling, shot fakes, etc., to create his own scoring opportunity. He is also more "heads up" in games (court awareness). There is a reason why NBA scouts are keeping an eye on Svi, and not so much on BG.

I'm not trying to slam BG. I really like him and see some potential.... but he has to pull his own weight and it goes far beyond just being able to hit the spot shot.

These stories are tough. Coleby is now presented with a real hurdle he'll have to go over.

But struggles often help young players grow up quicker... help them focus like they never have before... and work harder to come back stronger than before their injury. All we can do is hope for the best for him and hope he takes this very personal and remains upbeat and dead-eye focused.

Sometimes struggles work out for the best. That is the attitude players need to have when faced with them. We never would have won in '08 had Rush not gone down because he was gone for the league in '07 if he was healthy.

@HighEliteMajor

Good points. I think you described some of the weaknesses in Greene's game. He does have shortcomings at the 2.... but he has a completely different set of shortcomings at the 3. At the 3, he not only has to handle the rock on drives, he has to be able to finish strong at the rim... another weakness for Greene. And I don't see him defending the 3 spot well at all. I wouldn't even state he can defend the 2 spot, but at least he brings height out on the perimeter.

I think we have to use Greene where he is good.. as an offensive player from the perimeter. That means limited minutes. I see him more as a "spark" player off the bench that can come in and help stretch defenses out and change a game where our starters aren't hitting the broad side of a barn.

Three things stick out at me when I think of BG and his possible minutes this year...

First... will he really be healed and how far behind will he be and have to catch up? Might he end up a medical red shirt?

Second... will Svi really live up to the hype that is out about him this year? It seems like they are fighting for the same minutes.

Third... will 3-pt shots remain "fool's gold" this year (again) in Self's book?

If this was the NBA and a team had a shooter like BG... they would build special plays to free up his shot and would work like hell to master those plays... where BG runs through off-ball screens, etc.

I was always of the opinion that Svi could handle the rock well. Last year, there was talk that he could end up a PG.

Maybe the 17 lbs he added will make the difference... but when I think back to last year and the Svi we knew last year, I see a better opportunity for him to be out on the perimeter and handle the rock more than I see playing SF and having to take the ball to the rack.

With Vick, I think the first thing he should focus on is his defense. He should be able to quickly become a very gifted defender. We all know how that will be in his favor with Self when vying for minutes. I have pretty wild visions of putting a defensive team out there, with Vick and Diallo buzzing around with their super reaches and I see the potential for us to really stunt the oppositions' offense.

Greene is a 2. Period. He has never shown near the physicality required to be a 3... at least... not in the KU playbook.

I don't think we are thin at all on the perimeter. What is clear to me is that Devonte needs to get some minutes at PG. Frank needs some relief on his minutes and Devonte is the only true PG on this team. He won't make the switch properly if we keep him at the 2 until his senior year. Bad idea.

I have to admit that I would be willing to give up fried chicken for this dream date (back when I was single). But no way would I give up my all-day smoked baby back ribs. Think I could convince her that they aren't meat.. but special tree branches carefully cooked and tenderized.

Maybe Jeff can sweep her off her feet and then slowly introduced ribs and chicken.

This question is for Jesse -

Will you promise to visit us often this year? We always appreciate your input and I feel like most of us do a pretty good job of following your work on other websites.

I'm 100% vegan. I only eat vegans. Their meat is tender since they watch their diet.

@wrwlumpy

Ya dang tootin'!

Been a while since I've used that one.....

@Jesse-Newell

I hate to beat a dead horse...

But I do have the golden question.... I mean... the fools golden question!

Even if Cheick gains his eligibility, there will still be a question on whether or not we can effectively score in the low post.

Will we be running our typical hi-lo offense again? (regardless of the status of Diallo)

Will he be critical of our ability to maintain a high % from trey this year? Will it always be "fools gold?"

At crunch time do we go totally towards an emphasis on low post scoring? Even when it isn't working?

And then other questions....

Will you be trying Wayne at the 3? Or... have you committed him to the 3 so we'll watch him all year learn his new position?

Is Svi really as improved as some say? Should we expect him to earn a lot of PT this year, and if so, will it be at the 2 or 3?

@BeddieKU23

"I guess I was a little blind-sighted by all this because I wasn’t aware they were under investigation or that penalties were coming."

I recall a long time ago, when the NCAA let Mustang football back into the picture.... I recall a statement from the NCAA basically saying, "consider yourself perpetually under investigation!" It was worded differently, but that was the meaning.

And Larry will always receive the maximum penalty for the minimum violation because of showing his lack of respect for the NCAA.

@konkeyDong

Of course... the entire student body at KU waits it out. It is part of their character. After all, every single KU student has a proper ID proving they are 21, even when they are frosh. ;)

@nuleafjhawk

Man gotta do what a man gotta do.

Jeff ought to enjoy the world he is in for a while. But later on, when he is serious about settling down, he can stock up on baby backs and chicken wings. The right girl will come around... one who brings her mother's fried chicken recipe with her.... a real catch!

@HighEliteMajor

"Their opinions, particularly Bilas’, lack any credibility"

I've never been a Bilas fan. I know many people like his chatter... but I've always read through his thin bs. And recently, he frames his comments differently to indicate every word he says as fact instead of it truly being just fiction. This is a common defensive reaction for people who start getting challenged on their comments.

Come on, everyone.

Am I the only one that saw this coming?

SMU will forever be under the NCAA microscope for possible infractions. It goes back to their death penalty levied on their football program. They were so flagrant with their payoffs and other infractions.

While we all love Larry (I definitely do).... Larry is on the books for challenging the NCAA's fascist approach and shoving many rules down everyone's throats that often don't have the interest of the student/athletes at heart.

Mixing Larry with SMU sent the NCAA into "high alert status" towards the situation.

I expected something to eventually happen. Larry is a great coach, but he doesn't operate his organization specifically to accommodate the pushy NCAA and their standards. He can't do it... why? Because he doesn't respect the NCAA and their rules. Can't say that I blame him and this is part of the reason why I so love Larry!

@jaybate-1.0

I had an uncle who was high up in the state department back in the early 60s. He was totally questioned by most of the members in my family, including my father and his 4 brothers who all served in the military.

There are three things that pop out to me and the experiences I had listening to him talk back in the 60s.

First.... it was a known fact that our government and state department KNEW in advance of the trip to Dallas that there would be a plot on the President's life. Some people excuse the lack of proactive added protection because there were constant threats on the President's life. But seriously? So if there are enough threats than it is okay to dismiss them all?

Second... everyone in the state department were ordered into silence. I don't know this to be fact, but that was what I was told. Therefore, no other info bits were thrown our way.

Third... my uncle never acted the same after that. He was a different man. He became more serious and depressed. You could see the pressure on him. Granted... that was a common thing with many people back then. But it stuck on him. He never said it, but I believe he lost faith in our gov after Dallas.

I remember visiting Dallas and Dealey Plaza. It was a spooky moment in my life, back in the late 60s. I was nearing my teens and it felt very fresh from the murder. There were loads of people doing the same thing and almost everyone was crying... still.

I still feel like this event had more impact on Americans than anything else ever to occur. I feel like it impacted people more than 911, Pearl Harbor, etc.

@JayHawkFanToo

Sorry... I missed that.

Yes... I think it highly unlikely an OAD talent would consider Juco. It may have happened or will happen... maybe once or twice. But the whole idea of young "perceived" talent is that they run as fast as they can... (not down the basketball court, but to the NBA draft!)

I think if one of these guys makes that move, NBA scouts will wonder what is wrong with him.

@Statmachine

I really don't know how Self recruits.

My gut tells me he pushes away some lower players in hopes of landing higher ranked players. I'm pretty sure all coaches do that.

I just don't believe our recruiting issues for bigs relate to Cliff. We are a blue blood program so we catch the ear of all the top recruits... so we can explain our success with bigs and we surely don't let someone like slimebag put a label on us that sticks.

Look back 12 months ago and who did we get early? We landed Carlton and I think that was it.

For whatever reason, we just don't seem to nail many early recruits. While we are all busy studying why our players don't perform to their best in March, we should be looking at why we can't land recruits until the very very end.

Imagine if we didn't land Cheick? Landing him sort of glosses over our recruiting last year. We bombed on just about all the talent.

I'm pretty sure we were in a slump a few years ago because Self was just too honest with recruits. He didn't promise them PT at all and said they would have to fight it out for their minutes. That seemed to get us into a recruiting drought. Then things changed... the big change came when we missed on (of all players) Tarc... losing him to Arizona. That devastated Self and he promised to recruit differently from that point forward. He did make strides and we landed several good players.

But that was then... what about now? What does it take in 2015 to recruit the best? I think we need to ask ourselves that question every single year because the rules change that often. Maybe we need someone like Drake to come in and sing a special recruiting song (or whatever). Gosh.... you would think our luxury apartment digs would be a big help.... I think it may turn out to be a total waste of capital.

All I can see is that I really hate the entire OAD situation. None of it is healthy for anyone. And the quality of college basketball these days is friggin' horrific. Hardly worth watching. Talent is gone, even before it develops. Just an "idea" that a guy will some day be good is enough to toss him into the draft and pray that some NBA sucker bites the bait.

Half the players that sign up early for the draft can't even dribble a ball to half court without dribbling it off their leg. It's all sickening.

@JayHawkFanToo

"So the question is…should a coach be more concerned about winning games (and making money for the program) and thus ensuring his own job security at he risk of not fully developing players or should he develop players at the risk of not winning as many games (generates less money) and risking his own job security? I do understand that the answer is somewhere in between, kind of the “chicken and the egg” quandary, but for the purpose of this discussion and if it comes to it (yes, a far fetched scenario)…which should take priority?"

Interesting perspective. I've never really seen it as this comparison, but maybe there is something to it. I know if the two choices do create a situation like this, coaches will all pick winning games and raising money for their schools.

BTW: I'm thinking Self has raised more money for our AD than any other past or present coach wearing a Jayhawk. Anyone have the numbers?

@ralster

"Kids like Mason and Graham are the genius “finds” by Bill Self. They have less expectations on them than the MickeyD’s do, but they likely come with bigger chips on their shoulders–the determination is there, and in Frank Mason it burns intensely…"

Right on! And isn't this something we can attempt to do every few years so we have good players coming in at the PG and SG spots right behind Mason and Graham?

There are always some of the gems out there, but they get overlooked by the top because they don't have "NBA-typical" height. I hate to even think of us going after OAD PGs. What a waste. The last thing we need is our team quarterback green as a traffic light. And by the time we could receive a benefit from his potential, he'll be gone, exposing that in the league (probably in D-league).

@jaybate-1.0

Look at it this way. KU currently has two of the most eye-popping streaks going on in D1 -

1. Jayhawk Basketball has won 11 consecutive B12 regular season championships.

2. Jayhawk football has lost 34 consecutive away games.

At least we get the Jayhawk brand out there.... win or lose!

But seriously.... imagine if we would drop football but pushed more of the fundraising revenues into other sports... what could that produce?

I hate to think of KU without football. I've been to a heck of a lot of football games over the decades. However... would I trade football for:

National-contending mens baseball team

National-contending men and womens soccer teams

National-contending men and womens golf teams

National-contending men and womens tennis teams

National-contending womens basketball team

National-contending men and womens volleyball teams

National-contending men and womens swimming/diving teams

I'm sure I'm leaving out something (we are already competitive in mens basketball and track/field) and, of course, we wouldn't be competitive in all of these.... but what if we were able to pick up 2 or 3 teams to the highest level? Would it be worth it?

I'm getting sick of hearing sports media blasting Kansas football. I'm not going to blame players or coaches... I give them all the credit in the world for picking Kansas to play and coach for.

@JayHawkFanToo

I think many athletes fit the comfort zone of Jucos better than D1. I'm pretty sure about all of us in here knew (or know) someone who played Juco ball. If a player is around this level of play Juco ball gives them an opportunity to earn PT, be on scholarship, and work towards a diploma (perhaps finishing at a bigger school).

I have several old buddies that went the Juco route. A couple ended up playing D1 after two years. Obviously, they were limited by the offers they received, but I also think they preferred the small feel of a Juco and weren't ready to leap into D1 and a major 4-yr program right out of HS.

I believe our football team has a RB that was a Juco star.

You hit on a key element... Juco teams just don't get the visibility. It will take something very very special in order for a Juco player to receive big time attention. Not saying it couldn't happen... but unlikely. And if they can draw big time attention playing Juco, they can probably attract better attention (and more often) playing for a D1 school.

Pretty hard to compare basketball with baseball. There seems to be almost limitless opportunities to make it in baseball. Players have literally almost come back from the grave to getting quickly picked up by a AA team, and then there is a path all the way up to the majors. There are door-opening tryouts. Even the NFL has been known to pick up a few players via the tryout system. There are probably 10,000 guys out there who train for NFL tryouts... now called "Regional Scouting Combines." About all you need is $275. If you want a real team tryout, you'll need an agent who can get you on the list.

Anyone (yes, anyone) can try out for the NFL ↗

Oh, shucks! I missed out on NBA D-League tryouts again!

Think you have what it takes to play with the pros? ↗

What about guys who think they HAD what it takes? Can't they start a "Legacy League" for knee-wasted old wrecks like myself? I would be happy to do it for free on the hopes I'll pick up sponsorship from Bengay or Tiger Balm.... mmmmm.... maybe Icy Hot?!

@JayHawkFanToo @HighEliteMajor @clevelandjayhawk

I like the idea of merging all 3 of your comments into being a good perspective on Cliff.

@JayHawkFanToo

I like your explanation about him not being prepared for D1. Oh so true.

@HighEliteMajor

I'm with you on Cliff showing hustle. First off... he wasn't prepared for D1 coming in. Some guys seem more prepared, or at least, fit the mold easier coming out of HS. Cliff had to make up ground with hustle. And he did. I specifically recall watching him towards the end hustling down the court (back on defense) ahead of all other Jayhawks.

@clevelandjayhawk

Right on. Cliff didn't arrive in Lawrence in near shape to run in D1. I don't think most fans understand the speed of D1 and the needed conditioning. On top of it all, Cliff was a tank on wheels. He was moving a lot of weight up and down the court. He started to maintain less winded performances at the end. Another year of KU ball and he would have been in the right shape.

From all of this.... what I get out of it was Cliff NOT being lazy and he DID hustle. Sometimes he looked slow... but that is with almost all freshmen who are trying to figure out the game in real time.

@dylans

It would be something for Self to conquer one of the great feats owned by Wooden.

And it would really be something if he did it WHILE accomplishing another National Championship!

(how's that for not opening another can of worms?!)

@Lulufulu

Don't put too much into what B/R says. They have to say something... it's their job. Do they have inside knowledge? Doubtful.

We've seen too many times how many mistakes sports media makes on the recruiting trail.

Udoka... meet JoJo... yes... it is worth playing our ace in the hole in order to bring him to Lawrence!

I'm starting to feel like the biggest catch in our post world is Azubuike. He is the only one that has unique qualities (size and strength) that make him a possible player that becomes impossible to defend and impossible to score on or rebound over.

Bolden is gifted and I'd love to have him. He would make a great combination with Azubuike. But I feel like the rare catch in this entire class might end up being Azubuike. He has unique assets and the last guys we had with unique assets were Wiggins and Embiid. I'm not saying Udoka is a Wiggins or Embiid... but he has potential few or no other prospects have. He is a guy that would be crazy if he didn't jump on the KU bandwagon. He needs the right match to get him started into a form of basketball that can later be adapted to the league. He needs the right match to also continue to lift his momentum upwards with the press and with NBA scouts. He needs the right match on a playbook that will help him maximize the use of his assets. There is only one school that is the right match... clearly.... Kansas!

Self should approach Bolden and Azubuike as a package. Recruit these guys together. Show how important it will be for both of their careers to play together. Bolden plays finesse... Azubuike plays power..... That makes a great combination where both will receive benefits by playing together.

I'm as disappointed in Cliff's outcome as anyone else.

But how much of it was Cliff and how much of it wasn't Cliff?

There is no doubt, that some people grab life by the horns and put up all the fight in the world to get up (and stay up) on top.

Cliff may not be of that mold and he may have never been shown that mold. We have to respect where he is from and who he is as a person.

Cliff didn't meet out expectations. But is the disappointment as much about our expectations being unfair or is it about Cliff not doing a 180-degree change to make sure other peoples' expectations are met?

And though meeting our expectations would have helped Cliff reach the NBA in a brighter light, things didn't work out that way. Cliff still has a shot and maybe it is the type of situation he needs to lift his game.

Cliff sometimes appeared not to hustle... at least, using our judgment based on our expectations. But consider how heavy he was and the condition he was in when he arrived in Lawrence. I clearly saw a vast improvement in his condition throughout the year. He went from hobbling up and down the court to being usually the first big back. He often didn't make proper switches on defense.... our judgment based on our expectations says "lazy." But wasn't that more about having a low basketball IQ?

Everything about Cliff pointed to the fact that he needed to stay a Jayhawk for a few more years to get seasoning and conditioning. I'm pretty sure a completely different chapter would have been exposed in his playing years had he been able to stay on the team.

He will go down as a "Jayhawk failure" and that is enough to sour many fans on Cliff. Some things in life are going to happen, not all things are pleasant... but we can all bet that if Cliff was able to relive his Lawrence days over again, he would have done some things different including watching the happenings within his own family closer.

Let's keep our perspectives in the real world. We are connected here because we are fans of this team, this school. It is nothing more than a hobby for us. For Cliff, it is his path to the remainder of his life. Might he been a different person and had better results? Perhaps... just like with all of us, we were young once and made common mistakes in order to learn life's lessons. Cliff learned a lesson or two outside the classrooms in Lawrence. We should all wish him success. He remains a Jayhawk forever!

@jaybate-1.0

"This situation makes me sick to my stomach."

Funny... but I had that thought enter my head (as my gut started convulsing) halfway through your post.

Let's face it... student/athletes are pawns in a big profit scheme, and that's it. Most everyone is conditioned to not challenge the "all-mighty" corporations and organizations.

I do believe we are in a time in history when there are too many lawsuits in many areas. But in other areas, the big groups have had it too easy for way too long. Most people don't have the stomach, heart, mind, body, or soul to put themselves in the middle of a lawsuit that may out-live them.

CONSPIRACY THEORY: Is it possible JFK was murdered by a corporation?

@Crimsonorblue22

"Kinda crazy idea but because of svi’s growth spurt, does anyone see going “small” w/Svi at 4, diallo at 5?"

We've all projected ideas of "going small" for years now. Even Riverboat Gambler Self has "bluffed" the sports media into thinking we might try "going small."

Fact is... NO!

Okay... we might try a couple of minutes of about anything against Spankyomama University... but real experimentation to test real waters. Furgetaboutit!

Remember when Wayne was supposed to play the 4?

Svi may have bulked up... but, at best, he is now bulked up as a D1 guard, not as a D1 post player. He'd still get pushed around.

@brooksmd

Oops... typo. Maybe there is a Columbia in Mississippi?

I think there will be some interesting dynamics this year out on the perimeter. The first question mark relates to how much Svi has improved.

I hope he lives up to all the preseason hype that has already come out on him. If he does, part of it has to relate to him pushing the pace like Devonte is capable of doing.

I like the idea of starting Svi... but not for some of the reasons others might have. A big part of it for me is using Devonte in a different way this year. Devonte needs to get half his minutes from the PG position. It won't be healthy for him to play 3 years at the SG spot and then flip to PG his senior year (didn't we learn that lesson with EJ?). Let's not forget that he is the ONLY true PG we have. We have to be able to use him correctly and give every opportunity possible for him to one day make it in the league. We need to build our perimeter reputation similar to the reputation we have built in the post.... helping develop players for the next level.

And who will benefit most from my way? Frank Mason. Why? Because he would be well-rested all year and can afford to go full-speed while on the floor. We need a healthy Frank in March. Period. If March comes and we've been playing Frank for 35 mpg I can already tell you what will happen in March. And it isn't the news any of us want.

Even in a system like Self's.... there is a monster difference between PG and SG. PG is your quarterback. He communicates well with the sidelines, he calls the plays, he sets the tempo, he protects the rock and should always be a safety outlet.... Devonte needs to start absorbing that role THIS YEAR!

I'm okay with him getting a few minutes at the SG... but what I'd like to see is Svi step into the role and start, and get backed up some by Devonte and Vick. Vick SHOULD be a SG, not a SF. It is the position he would play at the next level if he can make it.

We have to start thinking about future recruiting. We have to develop players in the positions they should play at the next level and stop sacrificing their futures for the good of the team. Future recruits want to know that they will develop in the same role as they will hopefully play at the next level.

@Crimsonorblue22

I don't toss money at other teams. But I totally cheer for teams like the Badgers (unless they play us).

@Crimsonorblue22

Boo hoo... I'm too much of a sports junkie to ONLY watch Jayhawks... especially when it comes to football.

It might be a nice thread here to ask Jayhawk fans what OTHER teams they support and watch...

Anyone?

@Crimsonorblue22

For me, the "other side" is either in Manhattan KS or Columbia MS... two hell holes.

@Crimsonorblue22

Ha... not hardly. But I have the Badgers in my #2 slot, behind KU!

I must have 50 Jayhawk shirts. Kind of nice to share the love now and then.

@wissoxfan83

This is for you (and others... and myself):

!IMG_5501.jpg ↗

I asked him where he got it and he said his wife found it on the internet. I haven't found it yet, but if anyone does, please post it!

Might be nice to make a slight change to this shirt... more of an alliance.... Badgers and Jayhawks!

I think it is unlikely for a rotator cuff injury to ever completely heal. I'd like to hear from anyone out there that has suffered a partial tear and fully recovered, or anyone that went under the knife and fully recovered.

I damaged one of my rotator tendons 3 decades ago and suffer no pain, unless I move my arm upwards. Yikes!

Common Labral Tears

1. SLAP Tears: A Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) tear is most commonly seen in overhead throwing athletes, such as baseball and tennis players.

2. Bankart Lesions: A Bankart lesion occurs when a shoulder dislocates. When the shoulder comes out of joint, the labrum is torn, and makes the shoulder more susceptible to future dislocations.

3. Posterior Labral Tears: Posterior labral tears are less common, but sometimes seen in athletes in a condition called internal impingement. In this syndrome, the rotator cuff and labrum are pinched together in the back of the shoulder.

It has been a while since we signed a Juco player....

When was the last one? Was it Mario Little and Tyrone Appleton?

It kind of seems like we have made a decision to stay clear of the Juco ranks.

Teams like ISU thrive from Juco players.

Perhaps this is a phenomenon because we tend to not sign recruits until late in the year(?)

Anyone have anything to share on this?

@JayHawkFanToo

Interesting... it was the alleged KU offer that caught my attention on this one.

2-star Juco player doesn't sound like KU.

Thanks for the info and insight. I was starting to get the feeling like we are losing out to ISU in recruiting.