I wonder if the Harrison twins have abandoned their relationship with John Lucas? He built them into the players they are today. Took them in when they were in the 8th grade and worked with them all the way through Kentucky. They were nothing but physical specimens back then.
It is hard to believe they aren't better than they appear to be. They've been coached up for so long.
I just don't see a high enough basketball IQ. When something gets thrown at them they panic instead of counter.
I can rattle off several hundred movies i like.
Big fan of many.. including the guys who knew how to race; Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.
Love all the good action films with car scenes... like "Bullitt." Not so much on the "Fast and the Furious."
Also like all the Eastwood "spaghetti westerns" right on to his cop flicks, like "Dirty Hairy."
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"Kinda ike marriage DD, do you want to be right & divorced, or do you want to be happy ?"
Everyone knows where I sit on this fence... Keep the marriage! :-)
Seriously... injecting politics in this site just helps create separation between us all, when a big part of the purpose of this site is to help bring us together as Jayhawk fans!
I respect everyone's opinion in here. I don't agree with everyone's opinion. And I don't feel the need to try to force my politics on anyone else, especially in here.
I think there is one thing ALL of us can agree on...
GLOBAL WARMING WILL DEFINITELY EXIST SOON IN AFH! I PREDICT A HUGE HEATWAVE STARTING IN NOVEMBER!
Oubre appears to be making all the right moves. His first good move was to find a solid agent, which he apparently did.
I hope he goes high in the draft and gets every opportunity to prove himself. If he gets that opportunity, I think he'll make it and have a long NBA life! I hope he is working with his right hand and learning to go to his right. He also needs to sharpen his skills with a crossover. Add in a spin move going to both sides and he'll be a pretty solid offensive weapon within the 3 pt line (he's already a weapon from 3).
He should become one of the better defenders in the league. Super long reach, with good reflexes and hunger for the ball.
I think the big question Paschal needs to ask himself is "where would I develop the most, having to spend one year out of games before finally playing again?" He is a guy who can spend 16 straight months in the Hudy world full bore. Since he won't play in a game this year, he can maintain a full-strength regiment during our season.
Imagine him in 16 months... 7'2" and 255 lbs!
Poll results in:
1 - good chance for 1
8 - will win 1
2 - will win 2
I went for two because I think some of our long-term basketball development goals are going to start paying off. Our new playboy dorms are almost done... won't be too long before the addition to AFH will be complete.... Hudy is continuing to build our strength and conditioning rep... a NC now would help catapult the one to follow... Self is actually improving and learning in recent years to adjust and improve some of his solid foundation of knowledge.
Okay. We are one recruit away from falling into the summer doldrums.
There are too few new topics in here, so we are all posting far too long on the same topics until we've spun it into puppy dogs or politics. At least our fury friends are loveable!
So I made a pop quiz. Part basketball, part everything else. Feel free to add in your own questions. There is nothing wrong with politics, but if you keep off of politics, we can keep it pleasant.
Here is the beginning part of the pop quiz... please finish it with your questions.
A. Paschal Chukwu B. Johnathan Williams III C. Your guess D. Not fill it
A. Toadstools B. Mushrooms C. Neither D. Both
Answer:
A. Yes, we will win one B. Yes, we will win two C. Yes, we will win more than two D. No, but I'm a negative ned/nancy
Here are my answers:
If that be the case I'll keep praying for more rain. While we all complain about flooding basements and dark cloudy days Nigerians look at us with envy and proclaim we live on prosperous land. And they aren't talking that way because a new mall just got developed down the road....
I have to admit that this is probably the most civil discussion on politics I have ever experienced!
"Makes me realize that you’re just as FOS as the rest of us…but a helluva lot more subtle & clever."
Reminds me of a comment I heard several decades ago:
"You are either FOS or your a big Azz Hole. One of the two. Think about it."
I have to admit that comment stuck. It's been a part of my humility ever since!
Brilliant response!
I might add though... we now count on some freshmen to provide vital minutes. Diallo should be a 30+ minute player this year (late in the season). On the '08 and '12 teams we didn't rely on any freshmen, right?
I think the key to our offense is to develop the intangibles. That means guys being able to EFFECTIVELY create their own shots. Teams can't prepare against that. So we run our structured offense, with guys given the green light to EFFECTIVELY go get their own shots, too. We need players with high basketball IQ who can see the patterns in defenses and know how to attack their weaknesses.
We won't face many teams that don't adjust to what we run. What we run is a secret to no one. There exists over a decade of Self-ball available on tape. But... just adding in a few twists where players make a small penetration for an easy mid range knock down, or feed off their penetration will create complete havoc for opposing teams.
At some point some one has to "get their hands dirty" and have some contact or take some chances by mixing it up tight with the opposition. I know it is very effective when we can make quick passes to guys who are properly spaced for easy spot up shots. But I would never count on that winning us games by itself. Contact should remain a part of this game and we have to mix it up with teams if we want to put them back on their heals in foul trouble.
I can usually sense how well we played in games by examining the fouls on both sides. When we play aggressive, we shoot lots of FTs. Sometimes it is just one or two guys playing aggressive, and they live at the line. When Selden put his foot down on the gas late last year, he earned some FTs. Look at the rest of the year, the guy rarely shot a FT.
Hahahaheeee.... true... I don't want to get run over! She's like 7 inches shorter, and with a low center of gravity, she can undercut me at will!
"I despise UK as much as the next guy, but they have a much better track record with bigs than we do over the past decade. "
They should... their bigs were all McDs 5-star AAs!
How many of our bigs were McDs 5-star AAs? Any of them?
You can't compare apples to oranges. We've taken guys much further down in talent and given them a career in the league. I count that more than UK babysitting guys a few months that would be in the league even if they just went to school at UK and didn't play ball.
You write it, I'll direct it. Count the responses in here as the marketing showing it will be a box office smash hit!
My gift (or problem) is that I see both sides to this fence. I tend to always focus on the negative aspects first.
NEGATIVES:
GLOBAL WARMING DOESN'T EXIST CROWD: I understand you don't like most of the science community telling you it is true. But unless you are a conspiracy theorist, do the math, take a trip up north and see it for yourself. All the posted footage isn't lying. Don't say it isn't so just because you don't like the messengers.
GLOBAL WARMING DOES EXIST CROWD: Okay... you are the first to admit it. So why haven't you gone off grid to help stop it? Why do you pollute and create CO2 every bit as much as the people who don't believe in it? What is your realistic plan to slow it down?
I try to not be wasteful, partly because I'm cheap, partly because that was the way I was brought up from a man who grew up in a 600 sq ft carriage house with 21 other inhabitants. Yes... 22 people lived in that space. So... I'm not a big believer in excesses.
I currently raise about 50% of my family's food on my city lot. It's an over-sized lot, 1 1/2 times the size. Within a few more years I will have mature enough perimeter produce trees to knock that number up to about 70%. I will soon be polishing up my gun and fishing tackle trying to raise that number up to about 85%.
Yes... I can, dehydrate and pickle my produce, too. Few people on this planet eat the quality of food we eat. Certainly not millionaires eating out of fancy restaurants. Last year I went big into growing spicy chili peppers from Mexico. Think I had about 35 varieties. Had a couple books on making traditional moles. I still have a few gallons of my ferments in the refrigerator. You couldn't pay a million dollars and get this anywhere. I took some to a friend of mine who owns a fancy restaurant and he begged for more.
I have the need for a 1/2 ton pickup, so I use more gas than I'd like to. Before that truck, I had a S10 mini pickup that did me about 25 mpg in town. I miss that truck!
We should all pull in our belts not just because of possible global warming. We should just do it because it is the right thing to do! I'm constantly walking behind my wife turning off lights and devices because I hate wasting energy.
I am very thankful my father was able to break out of poverty, but still teach me the same value for money he had growing up in a shed... with no bed and blankets scattered out on the floor where everyone slept at night. No inside toilet except a bucket in the winter.
There was a show on recently that we watched and it touched our attitudes... "Just Eat It!" It discussed how much food we waste in our society, and what the cost is for producing all the food we waste. It isn't just energy. It is also water and other resources, like oxygen-creating trees, etc. It made me want to go dumpster diving, but my wife drew a line in the sand, so I'll be staying out of dumpsters. Here is a link to the movie:
It comes down to principles. All of this stuff comes down to personal responsibilities and principles.
I'm pretty sure I have you covered for crimson. And I know I can produce about 1000 "KU" letters in silver.
I see a cap or two is missing... did you get hungry?
Now start thinking about next year's recruiting.... we'll have a lot of spots to fill, but we will be returning the #1 veteran perimeter game in college basketball and Chu-Chu will be eligible and built for dominance... We'll be on the hunt for another post player and back to nailing a star SF.... something we are famous for.
We sign Chu-Chu now and even with our player exits for next year, we should be a FF favorite for this coming year and next!
True dat! Especially when you consider how many other 7'2" recruits are waiting in the wings! (none)
"Chu-Chu train" is the perfect Self big man recruit. At 7'2" there is no way he mistakes himself as a guard (like Myles Turner did). Someone has to do the "dirty work" of post dominance. For Chu-Chu it is all his for the taking, and a long with it comes a lottery pick and a boat load of money for him in two years! He'll have an entire season to learn Self-ball without the silly basketball critics knocking his game. And add in one year with Hudy to build another 20 lbs on his frame... maybe 30 lbs if he signs now because he will have TWO summers to build muscle mass before he splashes on to the college basketball scene to steal the show from all the freshmen OADs in 2016-17!
And don't forget he will be helping our entire team develop immediately because he will get to practice with the team and teach all our guys how to get a shot over and around a 7'2" beast in the paint!
I still can't believe he only averaged 9 minutes a game last year for the Friars!
I am very hopeful we land "the Chu-Chu train." Just hope we sign him immediately because it won't take long for the flies to swarm fresh meat. And where there are flies, the buzzard squid can't be too far behind!
I sum it all up like this....
People can believe what they want and I respect everyone's opinion. My only word of advice is to be careful when considering an investment in beachfront property because you might get wet, just go inland 10 miles and enjoy the drought!
And the answer is "yes" I stole it off a bumpersticker!
Very cool!
Were you "forced" to drink all that beer in order to complete the project? ...anything for the team!
" I didn’t mean to imply Hudy doesn’t work year round, simply that the players can’t do their normal summer regimen plus practice."
You made a good point about the guys getting a reduction in strength conditioning this summer. Guys may do some weight during the season, but not much. The big strength developmental push is in the off-season. It is too easy to throw off shooting touches and have some injuries or sore muscles that would hurt guys' performances in games if they were hitting it hard during the season.
Another great read.
I think the "frosh savior under Self" flew the nest after we lost Jaylen Brown. He was quite possibly a guy who could be counted on to carry just enough weight to put us over the top. Maybe.
I'm excited about landing Vick, because he gives us a multi-year player that has potential to develop into quality. As of today, Diallo appears to be the only possible OAD newbie on our squad. So... we will not be another Kentucky next year either.
I would have salivated all over landing Brown, just because I look at him like he might be the piece that would have put us over the top. But... it didn't happen, and who is to say what our potential will be. I don't see Vick as the savior role guy... but he is capable of driving the hole and getting a basket and one down the stretch in March, just like Frank or Devonte could.
Recruiting is vital, but I'm not typically looking to just grab as many McDs AAs as possible. I'm liking how our team is shaking out for next year and would love to add someone like Paschal to the list for down the road when we lose a big chunk of our team after the coming year.
Your post nailed the red flag we need to watch for this coming year. Execution is king. I like how you explained how the rest of the team would just stand there watching Frank. The year before it was our guys just standing there watching Wigs.
The game requires a complete commitment from everyone. Guys should never be standing there as spectators. I think Self really needs to go back through old footage and show these guys how players have stood around watching the game. ND was the team to watch this past year for offense because they completely over-performed on offense. Any of their guys lottery picks next month? Right... they applied a team approach and the guy with the rock would look to pass it right up until the ball left his finger tips because he had multiple cutters working to get open during his drive.
Self's big sell to our guys is to get them to play hard 100% of the time they are on the floor. No resting while standing around. Maybe we need Self to rotate more guys in and out quicker and push them to up their pace away from the ball.
The one area of Self's coaching that I have never felt great about is his ability to motivate his players to come ready to play and to play 100% of the time while on the floor. Recruiting the right guys has something to do with this, too. I'm not trying to slam Self here... because most D1 coaches have the same problem. I also wonder if part of it relates to our playbook needing simplification so guys don't have to over-think during play. It's hard to hustle and over-focus on a playbook at the same time.
I'd be happy with his defense and stuffing ability for the first year. That is more than we had with Cliff!
I guess I'm at a "wait and see" on the outcome of WUG.
I think the biggest positive is that Self gets exposure to some great International talent. And many of our guys get extra coaching and play when they are usually off. And of course, us fans get Jayhawk basketball!
I wonder what everyone's opinion will be if we finish 7th?
Just curious... did Tyrel have to get permission from both Kansas and the NCAA to use that image commercially?
Congrats, Tyrel! Time to rejoin the team!
Once you hit "reply" in the new reply window you should see a set of icons right above your text area. The fifth icon from the left shows a photo. Click on it and it should take you to your hard drive to upload your photo. Typical acceptable formats are jpeg and gif. Not sure if png is allowed. There probably is a maximum file size. I'm sure others on here can provide more info.
Welcome aboard! Please post often so we have one more Jayhawk's perspective!
Really hard to say. I mean.. come on.. the guy is 7'2" and looks pretty coordinated and he only averaged a couple points/rebs and averaged only 9 minutes a game? I can't believe it would have been that way at Kansas last year for this guy. Even if Cliff had stayed eligible. His FG% was 66%... far above everyone else on his team. They couldn't have created some offense around this guy, while making him a huge defensive asset? This guy offers immediate defensive help, something Self puts above everything else. He would have seen the court.
Of course, now that he is transferring, the coaches say he would have started. They had a better option last year?
I think his stat line is what should raise the red flag about his unhappiness. At that slow pace, he may have never been able to build a decent stat line and earn himself guaranteed NBA money.
He really doesn't look so different from JoJo. Good feet and hands... coordinated. Needs more strength and confidence. I know if I had a guy like that on my squad, I'd be working with him to plug him in and get him going immediately.
I look at it like this... Which is the bigger risk? Playing one more year of college ball and remaining injury free? Or.. throwing your hat in the draft and hope you sign a guaranteed contract?
It's even deeper than that. The higher players go, so does their contract amount. Surely, teams are willing to stick it out longer and put a higher perceived value on a player they had to pay more for.
I think Kelly took a much larger gamble by jumping in the draft early. His game is still a long ways off from him finding any vital PT minutes at the pro level. Will he be afforded the time and given the attention to help him make it to the level where he can play? At best, I put him in the category of "situational risk" meaning... he needs to have a bit of luck and get with a team in the right situation. He definitely needs to avoid the wrong deal or his NBA hopes will be dashed. The time window for sink or swim is quite small in the league.
I can upload the image without anything in the middle so you can go to town on it every time we have a new possible recruit.
Here it is:
Sounds like you've got a KSU gremlin virus raising heck with your browser.
Try restarting your computer by putting it in "safe mode".. here is how:
While pushing down your start button flip your middle finger to something purple.
Open flatulence is allowed during this procedure.
Just in case it wasn't enough to show what we could do with Withey over Arizona... this will be another case of taking a guy who has a dead stat line and turn him into a monster!
"Kansas.... home for the weary footers who were lost until they found home!"
"Just a discussion point, but would a true center like Chukwu on the roster compromise our ability to land Marques Bolden?"
I wouldn't be concerned with that. "One in the hand is worth two in the bush." I think Self learned his lesson when he backed off recruiting other big men after Tarc initially verbalized he was Kansas bound and flipped at the end.
And for those recruits that really really want to go to Kansas.... they can cement their status with an early LOI signing.
"Why do we always think a kid would do best to come to Kansas? Because it’s true – at least in this case. Seems like a perfect fit for a kid that needs to get stronger, and then play in a system offensively and defensively that will highlight his abilities."
We should only have to show him "before-after" video of Withey. Top it off with the same video format with JoJo. Then... ask for his commitment.
"I will consult the psychic hotline"
I'll save you the trouble....
Interesting perspective. I like the shoe connection concept. Well... like? Adidas is a much stronger brand after leaving USA soil. I'd think stronger than Nike... especially in the soccer world (which completely dwarfs all of basketball).
My mention of branding didn't even take into consideration recruiting foreign players. I would think this might help us there, if for no other reason than Self and coaches get to go over there and experience all those foreign players and make contact. Perhaps some are eligible and capable for D1. Maybe we land a good recruit or two in following years.
I'm a huge Buddy Hield fan. He'd be a great addition, if he can stay within Self's framework. I know we always say we want players who can create their own shots, but does Self really mean that? Because... when players create their own shots and throw up bricks, or shoot early in the shot clock, educators like Self turn purple and sweat explodes off his head like shrapnel off a grenade.
Hey... the heck with WUG! Paschal Chukwu won't qualify because he is Nigerian. Let's sign him anyways!
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Here is a peek at Chukwu... he is from Nigeria and is not eligible for WUG... but seriously... who gives a f&%# about WUG! We should sign this guy! Not many guys his size floating around in HS.
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I remember how excited I became when the word was out that Kansas would represent the United States this summer in International basketball.
I felt plenty of Jayhawk pride, and looked forward to watching Kansas basketball in the summer time, when I typically sit around and watch plants grow.
I am still excited to watch us play.
But I've also started to wonder if this WUG phenomenon will be everything it was cracked up to be.
I recall the "sales pitch" -
We gain a huge recruiting advantage because players get more court time with us versus all other D1 schools.
We'll get a big boost in play next Jayhawk season because our guys will have more time together playing versus what everyone else will get.
Playing in WUG will help the KU brand, after all, it is US that was picked to represent the USA!
So how is this playing out for us now? Let's address the "sales pitch" items first. I don't think it helped us recruit one bit. Our big recent catch, Cheick Diallo, won't even be eligible to play in the WUG for us. Okay, it was already known that we would be in the WUG before we landed Carlton Bragg... but wouldn't he have signed with us anyways? Look at all the huge WUG-eligible talent we missed on over the past months. It certainly didn't help us with those recruits. I'm rating us as a complete ZERO on that sales pitch item.
It is yet to be determined if this will help our play in the upcoming Jayhawk basketball season. I guess we will mostly be watching the injury report to see if any of our guys get bruised up before our regular season. If everyone stays healthy, it would seem to be a positive and help us gain more experience, even though the rules will be different, the competition will be very different from what we are used to, and we will not be running the same roster of guys we will have in the regular season. Consider all of that and it is hard to say just how much help this will bring us. Let's just say "wait and see."
I'm also giving a "wait and see" concerning the possibility that WUG helps out the Kansas brand. It seems to have already helped us by the knowledge that we got picked over the rest of the D1 teams... but the last time (and only other time) an American single college team was picked to play in WUG it was Northern Iowa in 2007, hardly a blue blood program. They finished a whopping 9th place finish. Imagine if we don't put together a solid result? Did it help the Kansas brand? Hardly. I'd say we need to win the whole thing to get a boost to our brand, and a second or third would merely keep us at par... and a finish below that might be viewed as a negative! Granted... regardless what happens, the Kansas brand won't be defined by what goes down in Korea. I view this entire thing as having a minor impact on the Kansas brand in either direction.
Last... something unrelated to the original sales pitch items. We now have one recruiting spot left. And it appears Self will limit his choices in order to make sure he fills a spot for the WUG tournament. If that is the case, might we be hurt by not taking the best recruit to fill the needs for Kansas basketball BEYOND WUG? I know I'm thinking "who cares" when it comes to recruiting for WUG. I only care if Kansas lands a player that might help us in the long run.
The biggest "plus" for us playing in WUG is the plus us fans will receive in extending our spectating into the summer. Bravo for that! Anything more than that... I know I'm not counting on anything and just hope our guys travel and play safe!
First things first... bring it on, Canada!
Now... if Self can start throwing his weight around with refs to get a call advantage like Duke gets...
" I guess what I’m saying is sometimes the best offense is taking what the defense gives you."
Excellent thread! Sorry I missed posting on this sooner.
I think the question should be less about why don't teams use it versus why did they ever cut it out of their plans in the first place!
Why would any team cut out a big chunk of potential? Why would any team put limitations on their offense?
Stats don't always tell a story. You can hire a statistician and he'll tell you do nothing but pump 3s and stuff it under the rim when it is there. Nothing else.
There is a reason why you'll probably never find a successful coach who was previously a statistician. Because the game is a lot more than numbers.
If you are willing to exploit every inch of the offensive side of basketball you should be helping it in its entirety. Start taking parts of it away and you burden what you have left. Take away mid-range and defenses no longer have to worry about it and can just focus on shutting down the 3... so they can overplay the 3 and disregard the drive. Most perimeter drives don't end right at the rim.
Mid range game is a skill that isn't being taught or focused on any longer. Every player on the court is outside practicing their 3s. And in that sense, I'm with Self in calling it "fools gold" because eventually it will catch up to you. It is hard to stay consistent at 3, especially when defenses start playing you to stop the 3.
Attack from every spot on the floor and you are running your best offense possible, and you will keep defenses honest!
Here is a good read on why Kelly isn't finding pure love in his initial NBA assessment:
Kelly Oubre Is Heading To The NBA, But Is He Ready? ↗
There are 3 questions about his game that have to be weighed against his long reach and athleticism -
Can't (or doesn't) go to his right or finish with his right hand.
Ball handling needs work.
Gives up on defense.
I'm sure if he had stayed one more year he would have erased #3. And there was an excellent chance he would have helped himself on the first two issues, too. Had he done that, there would be no more question about his ability to make it to the next level and he would have become a Top 5 pick.
I hear exactly what you are saying. I thought Wayne should have been pulled early last year and forced to up his game early on. It hurt us that he slumped for most of the year. I was one of the guys in here that couldn't believe Self just let him play through an entire year of bad basketball. He did turn his game up a lot towards the end... but if he repeats a year like last year in this coming year, and Self just lets him ride it out, we are going nowhere in March! And I'm not even sure we win conference title #12.
Every player is going to have to be held personally accountable. If Self doesn't hold the same standard for everyone on the team, we will have a subpar year.
@Statmachine makes a great point about learning the playbook. I know I'm not expecting to see Vick owning all the early season minutes at the 2. But if he plays his cards right, he might own some minutes later on.
Let's hope Vick shows enough potential that he puts pressure on Wayne to perform well at the 2. I guess BG wasn't able to do that last year... enough to make it a real challenge for those minutes.
I think DEFENSE will be the deciding factor for minutes at the two after Christmas. Between Christmas and our first couple of conference games, Self will settle down on a lineup, and then after that it is tough for anyone to break in to the starting lineup. By that time, Vick needs to show he can score out of the Self playbook, and he needs to show he can lock down on D1 guards. The door is open for him because Wayne has shown weaknesses in both his offense and defense... unless he comes out this year where he left off last year and brings a big presence for every game! That is what we really need this year... Wayne bringing game every single game!
He had his momentum. GMs and coaches see his long reach and athleticism and they oozed on his potential. But his potential isn't the same as his reality. It isn't known if he will develop handles. It isn't known if he will ever become skilled at finishing on the right side of the goal and using his right hand. It isn't known if he can create his own offense at this level of ball. About the most known skill is his defense... but you have to have more than D in the league.
Kelly's basketball resume is tiny. He didn't even play a full season of college games last year because he started out on the bench. Even after he got the nod, he didn't dominate every game. His resume is short, and he should have stayed to better develop that. If he would have stayed he could have answered some of the unknowns in his second year of college ball... one in which he could have started dominating from Day 1 this coming season!
But.. he should be a first round pick and get guaranteed money. He'll have his chance to make it. He'll get a legitimate shot. He'll have to fight it out with men much older than him. He'll find out what he is made of very very soon!
You are no tuna... your a friggin' killer whale! :-)
I'm on board with your idea that we got a steal. He'll only become a steal if he develops though. And why shouldn't he? Well... there is a lot to that.
@HighEliteMajor also knows Self's tendency to recruit OVER existing players. What if we land the #1 shooting guard in the country next year? What happens to Vick then?
I'd like to think Vick has this all figured out so he is super psyched to come to Kansas and start busting azz! If he does that.. maintains a great attitude... stays out of Self's doghouse.. he should earn some minutes this coming year and not just be thrown into the deep freeze. He might even get to the point of landing some of the more vital minutes. Maybe he's a "money guy"... meaning... when the going gets tough, this guy gets going and will drag the rest of the team on his back if needed. Been a while since we've had one of those!
Vick can make his future so compelling that the next #1 shooting guard in the country wouldn't dare come to Kansas!
Nothing is stopping him from achieving that but himself. Let's hope when he packs his bags for Kansas he brings a bag full of toughness, one full of hustle, and one full of open mind.
Hard to imagine us not winning a NC if he had stayed... especially now.
And with a great March showing it would have helped his draft stock.
It shouldn't all be about where a kid goes in the draft. First round just gives them guarantee money. They still have to play, and the big money comes later... future contracts.
It's easier to develop while in college because it is built for guys to develop. Shorter seasons and less travel. Simpler lifestyles and less agents and clingers. I don't know why more players can't see the great opportunity college is for development, instead chasing the fast buck. Most of those guys end up in D-league... might as well call it F-league, because if you are playing in it you are F%$&ED!
"Kaminsky is the exception, not the rule."
True.
Though, I think it is the exception when players DON'T improve drastically in their 4 (or 5) years of D1. They should make big improvements. We can go down the list at Kansas and put most guys in the category of making major improvements. Withey improved enough to go pro as a "full term" player. And what about Tyshawn Taylor? He became first-team B12 his senior year as well as third-team All-American (and got ripped off because he was undervalued).
I would argue that several Jayhawks should have stayed all 4 years. Thinking right off about Cole, the Morris twins and TRob. The twins are doing the best now... but what kind of senior year could all of these guys had? Wouldn't they have exploded every bit as much as Kaminsky? Not sure about Cole because he was hobbling... but the other guys?
Part of what makes Kaminsky the exception is he stuck it out one more year.
If you study last year's NBA draft, it does support the notion that not many seniors improve enough to make it to the next level.
I just looked back through the NBA draft from last year and only 5 guys picked in the first round were college seniors.
Here is the breakdown:
2014 NBA Draft (First Round)
9 Freshmen
8 Sophomores
1 Junior
5 Seniors
6 Foreign Players
1 NBA D-league
"Don’t you mean Oreos?"
I'm sure Snacks is probably more an Oreos guy (northerner), but he has to think "Pork Rinds" if he is going to recruit in Texas. Preferably, "Hot Pork Rinds!"
And then you'd think they would go back and cover their tracks better by fixing this page one second after a recruit declares.
I like those steal numbers, too. You just can't count on steals like you can rebounds. A lot of guys would have more steals if they played the passing lanes better and "sold" the passer on throwing the pass they are anticipating. There is a definite talent to that and it appears Vick has that talent, and as you said, we've been lacking in that department. I think Vick has what it takes to become a very good defender!
Rebounds are mostly a question of attitude and hustle. Of course there is technique involved also... but if a guy just wants the ball and goes for it, he is going to build his rebounding stat line.