I have to admit... I have a hard time believing anything negative about Rick Barnes. So I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt on this one.
But I wonder if this spreads into something bigger... something Shaka will have to deal with in his new position.
Are Longhorns in trouble? Texas contacts NCAA about academic misconduct allegations ↗
I think Wayne is on Self's "hunch list." He seems to get hunches about certain players and believes if he keeps dumping "belief" (PT) in that player, it will eventually pay off.
I hope his hunch pays off this year!
Typically, I'm not a believer in trying to help guys get their mojo, especially by supporting them with PT. I'd want guys that can get kicked and will jump right back up... so there is no need to put a pillow under them. Pillows only act as an enabler.
Wayne really needs to bring the goods this year. I'd let him know that and then back off. If he doesn't produce I'd start cutting his minutes.
We will probably get a good idea of what Wayne will be like this year by his performance in November. We should notice an improvement in his handles and see that he has added some moves, increasing his tool box. We should see him with relentless energy and staying motivated in games 100% of the time. That is what I am EXPECTING from Wayne. He should have no more freshman jitters or subordinate role ideas left in his body. It's time he stood up in a leadership role.
He is going to South Korea. Maybe he'll stay there and be our chief recruiter in South Korea?
Does anyone know what exactly does Snacks do for KU basketball?
John Dillinger
"In the heyday of the Depression-era outlaw (1933–1934) Dillinger was the most notorious of all, standing out even among more violent criminals such as Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Bonnie and Clyde."
"...once designated recruiting specialist for Chicago..."
That description only fits one guy in my mind ~
or maybe this guy ~
If he was going to steal, he should have gone for the Tempurpedic pillows. They cost around $100 a piece. :-)
Then, if he ever gets famous in the league, he could do a commercial for them saying they are "worth stealing."
I know height is always an issue in basketball.... but I'd rather have the best performing 1 and 2 guards on the court at the same time, regardless of height.
If this was the NBA I'd care more about height. Those players are true "pros" who have learned to take advantage of size mismatches and they all (for the most part) can create their own shot, even if a defender is glued to them.
We are talking about college ball and it typically just takes a hand near the face to shut down the offense. Probably about 80% of the players don't even elevate properly on their jump shot.
I'd rather have my guards guard with their feet. Hedge off drives and contest shots by being between their man and the goal.
Another big step towards a million-dollar career!
I hear you. JWIII would have been a great addition.
I think the last couple of years Self has grown because he has had to create different schemes because his talent was unique. He had to try to develop for Wigs (which I didn't think we did a good job of doing). And the last years... Perry isn't really a back to the basket kind of player.
I like how Self realized some players score better while on the move. It certainly worked that way last year for Perry in the high post. JamTray also scored well while in motion and could then get to the rim. I think the biggest factor being that neither player caught the ball with his back to the basket.
This should be a fascinating year for Jayhawk basketball. Can't wait to see how Cheick and Perry play together. I hope we see plenty of 4 feeding 5 in the low post, and 5 feeding 4 just about anywhere.
Cheick has limited offense, but they should be able to create for each other. As long as Cheick can finish at the hole, he'll have a good year!
That was a long post and I agree with everything you said!
A big part of it is Frank learning to be a real PG. A transition away from being a SG, volume scorer in HS.
I think Devonte might even get the starting tap at PG sometime during this year. I'd rather see him at PG and slide Frank into more minutes at the 2 then the other way around.
But then... Self mentioned last year that he would run "2 PGs"... essentially, having two guys on the court at the same time that could bring the ball up and run offense. I'm thinking this is a vision he sometimes has similar to the past days of his hi/lo where his 4 and 5 players were essentially "left" and "right."
"Weber stressed K-State and Missouri have merely had informal conversations about a series, but he sees its merits. He was part of a similar series with Missouri, the Braggin’ Rights game in St. Louis, when he coached Illinois."
"Bragging rights" for what? Perhaps Weber needs a geography lesson!
Thanks for the link! Awesome!
Seriously? KU was 10th in the nation at going to the line? I have to see it to believe it. It always seemed like we were playing too soft of ball. That is a 'shocker' to me (excuse the pun)!
Yes... our assists were down.
Obviously, when we have big assist numbers we get some good offense... team offense. It is about the ball not sticking. Crisp passing, ball motion trying to break down the defense.
Hard not to agree with this strategy.. the Self strategy. But.. I think sometimes we go too far over the edge with the team concept and need a leader... someone who can create on his own, to create. That doesn't mean hog the ball on shots, it means create holes in the defense by another means besides just quick passing. I'd like to see someone very good at penetration... penetrate and shoot or feed for assists.
Maybe my memory is slipping... but it seems like we often pushed the clock down too far before guys finally got serious about taking a shot.
I mentioned this earlier. I'm looking forward to a 30-second clock this year!
I want to see our guards PUSH the ball up the court, and our team PUSH into a quick set offense. How about adding in more transition basketball? How about adding in secondary-break offense?
My thinking is if Wayne steps up and has a banner year, so will the team!
I know the media will be focusing on Perry.. and Cheick and others.... but I have a feeling our year will mimic the performance of Wayne. He really needs to get after it this year and there really isn't any reason why he shouldn't!
Bring it, Wayne!
I think it is a pipe dream because I view Wayne as having the same mental over-sensitivity that EJ had. You move this kind of player around and his game goes haywire. Sometimes I still imagine EJ being left at the 2 all 4 years and wonder if he would have gotten on track and a shot at playing in the league....
I think what threw Wayne into a year-long slump was partly based on the comment Self had that he could put Wayne at any position 1 thru 4. That must have sent his mind into chaotic calculations!
I'd like to see Self come out this year and announce that Wayne will be locked in as a 2 this year. I think it will make a huge difference in what kind of year he has.
I can already see our home game with Baylor this year....
Gathers at the FT line and the student section all brought pillows to throw up in the air!
I guess what forms my opinions most are the experiences I had as a player. My best coaches were those who didn't have issues with their own discipline. And the coaches we had that showed areas of their life that weren't tidy, as players we lost respect and we never performed our best for those coaches. Even though, as players, we sometimes fell off the path of righteousness... we didn't want to experience it with our coaches. We wanted them to be the example of what we needed to shoot for.. not just be an older version of us! BTW, I'm not saying that was fair...
That is just what I experienced... and we could see through everything. We lost total respect for coaches trying to hide stuff.
The 3 is the spot that is really up for grabs this year. We've been blessed with crazy talent at SF for so long and now it could be our weak spot on the floor.
I think Self doesn't know who will play the 3 most of the time this year. He is going to definitely have tryouts for the job. Up for grabs, but the winner better show tons of aggression! We need a very aggressive 3 that can drive the ball, rebound and defend... using strength and athleticism. And throw on there the ability to nail the 3.
Player / strength / weakness
Svi / well-rounded skill set / physical strength and lacks aggression
BG / spot up shooter / lacks aggression, handles, ability to create his own shot
Vick / athleticism, can drive and create / freshman rookie
Perry / shooting skills and ability to create / inconsistent aggression, medium handles
Carlton / athleticism and build / freshman rookie
This is what I think up til now. I'm doubtful Perry will get a shot at many minutes at the 3, but would be great if he could.
I look at someone like Carlton and think he should be in the KU video vault studying old tape of Marcus Morris. Those skills could get him minutes at the 3 thru 5.
Gathers stole two pillows, a water dispenser, tote bag and trash can? What was he doing, disposing of a body?
Did he really think he was going to pull that off?
So he throws his senior season up in the air over $171 worth of stuff he could have bought at a garage sale for $20?
This is just one more reason why coaches need to put BRAINS on their list of attributes needed in a recruit!
I understand being young and dumb... but these guys have all worked hard to get where they are and have a carrot of big bucks awaiting in the NBA if they play it right.
I've had a hard time accepting Snacks into the Jayhawk coaching family.
I typically have a high toleration for various things in life, but when it comes to working with kids, I keep a short leash. The only way to teach and lead kids is to do it by example, and I think Snacks failed in that area. The old "do as I say, not what I do" phrase is past tense and doesn't work in today's society. Kids are cleaver and they see right through hypocrisy.
I like how you broke it down in scenarios. I tend to agree with your assessment that the second scenario may be the most likely outcome.
I can see Vick struggle, too... at least, early on. His movements are very fast, but he'll be playing in a faster game than he is used to. If the game is moving faster than his mind can keep up, we can expect to see lots of TOs because he'll be telegraphing everything. But maybe he is a fast learner... and if he is, then by late in the season he can shore up his TOs and see the game slow down for him.
He will have this "extra season" of WUG ball to work on bringing his game up to speed. I think him and Carlton have a big advantage and if they really work hard they don't have to play like total freshmen all year... instead play like a hybrid of freshmen/sophomores. That would be a monster advantage for us in March!
I almost forgot all the praise AW3 got in his last preseason. Then he had another year of collecting splinters in his arse.
Bloody hell, mate!
Shabba ranks for the butcher's hook!
15 lbs of muscle is a big deal (unless most of it is pork chops and doughnuts).
He was right about his upper body needing the most strength. Once he gains enough strength, he'll have to learn how to use his shoulders, butt, hands and arms to create spacing without fouling. There is a fine line on this and sometimes he'll get caught. Players should push the limits and find out what it takes to get a call. If he learns that part of the game, he can get his shot even with a guy in his grill. It is either that method or develop enough footwork like Steph Curry... or how about both?
We didn't shoot enough FTs last year as a team. A sign of lacking aggression.
I hope everyone will have added to their muscles and are ready to mix it up.
I also am 100% on board for #10.
Hey... as close as ShoeCos are weaved within the D1 fabric, shouldn't they have to abide by Title 9? :-o
Didn't he say that about Russell Robinson before he was disciplined?
"I'm a joker. I'm a smoker. I'm a midnight toker."
Not to change the subject... but...
I'm not a Cavs fan... though I have been enjoying Tristan Thompson stepping up! Seems like he fell into the perfect situation at Cleveland. I like how they have him focused on where his current skill set is... rebounding and defense! At times he even plays decent d against Curry on the switches.
I always liked that kid.
Kevin Love who?
I love your optimism! I don't always agree with posters optimism... but I don't like to shoot them out of the water for feeling it. Optimism is a big part of what attracts us to our teams. Enjoy your 10 optimism! We should all try harder to be more optimistic.
Imagine all the criticism in '88? People were glad Danny was back, but there was plenty of criticism that we didn't bring in enough talent to help him out.
You called it right... your optimism is your projection, just like for others their projection is negative or neutral. We all just throw out our predictions based on our own egotistical concepts that each of us truly know better than the rest.... including even Self! I'm pointing fingers... at many and also myself! I've often typed myself into being a real scholar on basketball. It just feels good to think I know something about anything! With all the information at our fingertips... these days... it is so easy to find others more knowledgeable.
I do have to say that I pick up a plethora of great information about everything Kansas, Kansas basketball, and just basketball (in general) by tuning in to this website.
I often feel a bit dumb after reading others in here. I'm not about to say that concerning specifics because I already have a wife capable of keeping me in my place! ( @Crimsonorblue22 , I'm not being a P, just showing some humility!)
Good post. Yes... all the blue blood programs will remember their OADs as long as they do well at the next level. Schools like Kentucky like to boast about how many players they have in the all-star game, etc. That is how these guys are remembered.
Close to home... how will we remember Kelly Oubre? I think he scored something like 333 points as a Jayhawk. Hardly enough points to build a highlight reel on. I'm not criticizing Kelly. He is following the advise of counsel, agents, sports gurus "in the know."
I think as long as one school doesn't OWN college basketball, it will remain a hugely followed game. For a while (and still) I worry about teams like Kentucky being able to gobble up squadrons of footers to mash everyone and run the table for many years to come. That is the type of stuff that turns me off to college ball. Even if it was Kansas doing it.
I want to see competition.. and for the most part, for games to be competitive you need players of a similar quality facing off against each other.
Moving forward, I see "stacking" as the major issue in college ball.. more so than players just visiting college for a few months in route to the league.
I usually support the underdogs (unless playing KU) because I know they had to fight for everything they got!
"I once knew a man, a skinny man, a skinny man from Hoboken. And if I told you how skinny he was, you’d think that I was jokin’."
I think you've been tokin'! (smoke)
I hope Vick advances quickly. It sounds like we need his energy on the court. If he can earn him some PT this year it might be really special to have him out there on the court with Cheick. I'm trying to imagine two guys with a frenetic pace!
"...in the end we landed the kids that wanted to come to KU."
I think that is the key to good recruiting. I was really hopeful we would land Jaylen Brown because I thought he was the final piece in a serious March run this next year.... but in the end... if he wasn't feeling it for being a Jayhawk, he would have just created synergy issues with the team. Even though Vick is a lower-rated player, he has the tools to play at a high level and he appears to be extremely happy being a Jayhawk! So, in the end, we got the right player for us!
Team chemistry is vital... we all know that. It seems like the guys we got all fit well together. Very important.
As far as ranking this class... as @wissoxfan83 said... we'll know in April! That is true... largely the impact of our new guys will be determined by our veteran players. For example... Cheick's offense will be accentuated or negated by players like Perry, Frank, Devonte and Wayne. These are the guys who will be counted on most for execution and have to FIND Cheick's offense with him. Get him the ball in the right spot and he'll score. Get him the ball in the wrong areas and he will have troubles scoring.
Just a skinny kid wanting to ball in the NBA....
Agree with you on HS basketball height.
Most teams I've seen in the 5a level seem to have a few players in the 6'5" to 6'6" height. Legitimate 6'7" and 6'8" are less common. 6'9"+ is even fewer.
It gets really crazy when there is a footer on a typical HS team. They pretty much all learn horrible habits because they don't receive proper coaching, and they get away with murder because they are matching up with guys usually 6 or more inches shorter.
Kind of sounds like they left him out in the dark.
I wonder if he'd like an assistant coaching job at Kansas? :-)
With you there. Chukwu bumps us to a 10. There just aren't many super trees out there, especially that can walk and chew gum at the same time. Plus... it seems we would have him for 2 years, another plus!
Okay... my title didn't quite make it.
The Cyclones have a new coach... Steve Prohm. And the Cyclone fans are pumped, and perhaps they should be.
But what will happen to Otzelberger? Does he want to remain in the shadows?
Iowa State on landing Steve Prohm: 'We're thrilled' ↗
Peterson: Behind the scenes on how Iowa State landed Steve Prohm ↗
Key assistant Otzelberger's ISU future still unresolved ↗
From first glance it looks like Prohm might be a quality addition to the Big 12.
Comments?
I don't know if I would call Cheick the "perfect" big man recruit. But I will say that I think he is the "perfect KU" big man recruit.
He'll get court time across from Perry. This is Perry's year. I can't think of a better guy to put beside Perry.
Perry will be the guy we have for post offense. He will surgically dissect competition with precision, executing the ball through the hole.
Cheick will get his share of points, too... by "hustling and muscling"... it won't be as pretty as Perry's points, but it will count as the same points to our totals.
"Mr. Precision and Mr. Brute Force"... what more could we ask for?
Recruiting never stops. But we have a good indication of what we will have for next year since our current available scholarships have been used up.
So how did we do?
Rank this year's recruiting class from 1 to 10. If you want to throw in some comparisons to other years, do it.
I give this class a solid 8+ and call it "very good." Sure, there were a few other players that I would have liked to sign, just for this coming year's run... but it looks like we may have at least two quality players that will stay for more than one year, and looking ahead to a year from now, I think we will be in for even a bigger ride than this year!
[link text](
2015 Kansas Trio: Carlton Bragg, Cheick Diallo & LeGerald Vick
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Ole Miss Transfer Coleby Chooses KU
The Self home is nothing for me... but if it makes him feel good and happy to be a Jayhawk... good for him.
I, like @jaybate-1.0 , prefer to live in a home where I don't need OnStar to find a toilet.
If I had that kind of money, and wanted a sweet crib... I'd have the home size smaller and better combined with some nature. I'd get the Poolmaster guy to build me a lake in my backyard, so I could fish and swim just a few feet from the house. Guess I have too much country boy in me.
"Cliff is a very gifted athlete but unfortunately he was hopelessly behind when it came to BBall IQ, the result, no doubt, of a HS system (not much different than playground BBall) where the coach pretty much turns the players lose and they do what their natural talent tells them to do, which in many cases is sufficient in HS but seriously deficient when they get to college."
Spot on back to you!
You can say the same thing about academics. I'm sure he didn't have the proper habits and foundation to jump right into college. The academic overload put on him also had to hurt his ability to grasp Self-ball. Too many things to learn in a short time frame.
Another year of school and he would have adjusted to both the academics and Self-ball. It would all start coming easier (and faster).
"he has what Self wanted from Cliff!"
Right on! Self rewards hustle and team play. I know Cheick will bring the hustle and I'm confident he'll pick up his assignments better than Cliff did.
Cliff committed too many Self cardinal sins. His biggest being that he couldn't read defensive switches and would get burned with an easy basket at the rim because he either left his man or he didn't make the switch. Doing that will guarantee a player bench time on Self's team, and I agree with Self on that one! It only takes a couple of those to lose the defensive team spirit. Pretty soon other players give in and soften up because the other team scores too easily with them hustling.
Unless Cheick has a real flaw to deal with, I see him getting 25+ minutes in conference play. We have to give some good PT to our bench if we want to be our best in March. Bragg, Lucas, BamBam and sometimes Mickelson will surely get some minutes.
"Bragg, Lucas, BamBam and sometimes Mickelson will surely get some minutes."
Gosh... how is that going to work? How are all those guys going to get minutes? Seems like Mickelson would be best to do a grad transfer, if he can. I don't see him developing much this coming year with so little PT. BamBam is in his path, and no way Self abandons BamBam. He has "chosen one" minutes guaranteed. He is another player, like Wayne, that needs to be pushed into real improvements. The only way to do that is to make him compete for his minutes.
Got to love this:
"“I think it’s always there,” Greene said of his outside shot. “I think I’ll definitely pick up where I left off during the middle of the season (he hit 17 of 24 threes during a seven-game stretch in league play) and hopefully keep moving from there. I’m just looking forward to our season. It’s time now. We have no excuses. We can’t look at being young or anything like that. Me, Frank (Mason), Wayne (Selden) are juniors. Perry (Ellis)’s a senior. Jamari (Traylor) is a senior. We have a ton of veterans. There’s no excuses.”"
I'm hoping ALL minutes are up for grabs this year and Self doesn't concede to "the chosen one" mentality. That killed us last year when he clearly favored Wayne, and Wayne disappeared for most of the season. Self shouldn't just play Wayne regardless. It actually isn't fair to Wayne. Wayne needs the pressure put on him for the entire season. He should fear more from the guys over his shoulder fighting for his minutes than the opponent in front of him. That is what you want. Guys stepping up and facing the challenge. All real competitors love to face competition and compete. It is the only way to push a guy to maximize his potential.
We all see the gifts of Svi... but I have to be sold on him ready to play "big boy" ball. Lets see the strengthening and execution. I still think he will need another year of Hudy... but we won't know until November. He should be on a high protein diet and pounding big weights all summer. Some kids strengthen quicker than others. DNA.
Greene should mimic his development off the same development Klay Thompson used. Klay used to be just a spot up shooter like Greene, but has developed into a guy who can create his own shot. Greene could develop a game similar to Thompson's game. They both have a great stroke and elevate well.
I like @jaybate-1.0 comment on a medical redshirt. This would not only be in Greene's best interest... but also the team, because he then gets to add a year and spread out our big loss year to seniors when we lose Selden and Mason. This would give Greene his senior year where he could earn a ton of PT.... just what you want to help him secure a look from NBA scouts.
Hahahahaheee... got a gas out of that.
I try to answer their questions as "believable" as possible, but just give them wrong info that often contradicts other answers. I know somewhere there is a marketing wonk cleaning out misfit answers and studying the numbers... so I want to make sure I'm included in the results, but just make sure to not give accurate info. I think this is the way to foil all the marketing clowns. Make it seem real.
These are the same marketing clowns that buy illegally-obtained marketing data and punish people like us with their constant attack on our time, focus and sensibilities. And because their approach is totally toxic, they poison waters for real marketing professionals that have moral fiber enough to set standards for trying to help the public, instead of kicking them in the gut for a buck or two.
I feel the same. Every time I saw him I saw just a bit of Scot. Not much, but in his face... and that is enough to constantly bring back memories of Scot at Kansas and in the NBA, where he incorporated his "samurai" impressions.
Big time conversation for the second week of June when the only thing typically biting are the mosquitoes...
Gosh... we've been so spoiled with quality bigs over the years. It has come to the point where we put a kid on trial for not bringing enough post offense with him to Lawrence... but he may be THE top hustling post player in college basketball over the past decade! Yep... you heard it here first. THE top hustling post player in college basketball over the past decade!
For that reason alone, I think the only possibility Self pulls him over to the bench is if he gets into foul trouble. Otherwise, I expect him to be the spark for the rest of the team, similar to Kevin Young.
I sense this kid will quickly surpass our dear friend TRob in the hustle department pretty much the first time we see him clothed in crimson/blue.
Cheick needs tons of polishing... but the young man knows how to funnel his energy. Like others have said, he considers every rebound a pass to him. I wouldn't even say that about a young TRob. He had lots of energy as a freshman, but it took him quite a while before he knew how to use it properly.
It is way too early to grade Cheick on his freshman year. We all know he must progress substantially in some areas to be capable of making an impact in those areas. So we can't expect to know how fast he will learn. I believe he will be a fast learner... but it is nothing more than my own hunch.
I agree about Brown...
But what if he had stayed in D1 all of those years, and one blue blood program like Kansas?
Do you think his record would still be pretty pedestrian? Surely he would have a benefit from continuity? Surely it had to hurt him to skip around to troubled NBA programs looking for a quick fix? The really successful NBA teams start at the ownership level and work its way down through the management chain and build something quality over a long period of time.
I'm curious what Brown has been chasing all these years? Has he been chasing after something, or running from something? I know the hammer came down at KU after he left...