🏀 KuBuckets Archive

"I'm hoping that Diallo realizes St Johns is a 16-18 type team no matter who goes there and that would further push him elsewhere."

Yes... and what does that do to Diallo's draft stock if he sits at home in March?

He should know that if he comes to Lawrence there is a good chance we advance far in March and he would start and play a big role.

This will be a major botch if we don't land him. This is a "red carpet opportunity" for Diallo.

And Kentucky could end up anywhere, including the NIT. I know people will say that is not possible... just look back 3 years ago... it wasn't possible then either.

Kansas offers the only deal where it is "what you see is what you get." Our supporting cast around Diallo are known entities with experience.

Let's talk Summer Korea World Games- B. Greene Surgery Impact • Apr 14, 2015 03:17 PM

So players with a NBA contract aren't eligible?

It has to be d-league players?

Perry's Back! • Apr 14, 2015 02:34 PM

Thanks for the update. Good info!

Wiggins posterizing dunk • Apr 14, 2015 02:32 PM

@JRyman

True... it points to what I see as the difference between D1 coaches and NBA coaches. D1 coaches are teachers of the game, NBA coaches just want to win so they use a strategy they think will create more victories.

Let's talk Summer Korea World Games- B. Greene Surgery Impact • Apr 14, 2015 02:27 PM

The way I understand this...

In previous years we took players from various schools. This is the first time we are trying to have one school represent America.

However, this year, since we will need to pickup a few extra players, and the pool of quality ex-players from Kansas won't be available, then Self will look to land a few players from other schools.

I could see us landing Frank Kaminsky... for one! If his NBA team will let him go.

Perry's Back! • Apr 14, 2015 02:19 PM

@HighEliteMajor

I caught the same thing you did... that are brightest hopes are to land ONE big, not TWO. I think Perry coming back cemented that. I'm crossing my fingers we land Diallo. I hope @jaybate-1.0 is wrong on him going to SJ. Why would a kid throw away his only year in college on a total gamble?

I do have some hope that at least 1 of the 3 big guys, Mickelson, Lucas or Traylor, will have a kind of "break through" this coming year and will reach a respectable level and contribute more. All of these guys made contributions this past year, just not at a "championship level"... (aka March).

I don't care what Self is saying now... if Brannen has to stay away from ball for 5 months he should redshirt. If he is away for 5 months the very best we can expect out of him this coming year is a year like he had last year. It would do him good anyways to have a pressure-free year to work on his game; definitely his athleticism and his ability to nail shots in motion (something he can't do yet), and maybe even start to play some sound defense! If we do lose him that opens a slot up for one more guy who could be a difference-maker.

There is no telling if Svi will be ready for big-time play this year or not. The kid better be eating plenty of hormone-fed Kansas beef this summer and doing two-a-days with Hudy. I'm still thinking he may be another year away from being a real stud. We need studs on the floor, not guys soon to be a stud.

Perry's Back! • Apr 14, 2015 02:06 PM

Finally! We will have a starter who is a senior!

Been waiting a while for this!

Smart decision Perry!

HOLY MOLY - MIGHT BE THAT TARIK WILL BE GETTING A LAKER CONTRACT. • Apr 14, 2015 03:26 AM

I think that is pretty harsh. Maker shows tons of potential. He is completely raw... but he has a lot of energy. He would grab a lot of rebounds in the B12. He moves his feet well and he's a footer. I'd take him, but I'd make him commit for more than a 1/2 a season....

Wiggins posterizing dunk • Apr 14, 2015 03:24 AM

@JhawkAlum

Wigs tried plenty last year... he just didn't have the confidence. How could he? He was asked to take it in the paint against 5 defenders.

If we would have actually ran offense for a clear out where there is the threat of someone else scoring so the defense had to still play honest, we would have seen this Wiggins.

We could chuck him from the NBA, put him back in a KU uniform, go back to the stiff way we used him and watch him be the old Wiggins we knew last year. It could all happen again.

Wiggins is like Jordan, and after he left for the pros and opened up his game. Sure Jordan showed more in college... he was there 3 years.

HOLY MOLY - MIGHT BE THAT TARIK WILL BE GETTING A LAKER CONTRACT. • Apr 13, 2015 11:45 PM

Maker still plays rough... and the question is where do you play him?

I could see him in a good place in our offense as long as Self keeps his offensive positioning with our post players popping up to around the FT line. That is the place where you want Maker. So we have 3 perimeter hot shot players, one deep post scorer and Maker in the upper post area. With his height he could be excellent for feeding the assist, and teams that don't take him serious on the drive will get burned.

I think if he is used like that, he could be very very effective in his one year at Kansas... or was it 1/2 year? (seriously, was someone just making a joke with that?)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar • Apr 13, 2015 11:37 PM

I don't really have an opinion in comparing Wilt to Kareem. Two very different players, playing in different periods, against vastly different talent.

Kareem played a long long time. And when you look at his numbers over those decades it is impossible to not have him in the conversation for the very best.

He kind of reminds me of a bigger Perry Ellis. He was a technician and his moves were highly-polished. I didn't see enough of Wilt's games to judge his, but I can't believe he had anywhere near the polish Kareem had on his shot. Wilt had freakish athleticism that matched up well with his size. Very large hands. I remember him often faking one-handed (palmed) passes and he would wind up his arm and really throw the pass but not let go. Everyone bit on his pass fakes. You just knew that ball was going to be thrown or come loose, but it didn't.

Kareem's skyhook was pure art. Mechanical art.

They don't make 'em like Kareem or Wilt anymore! Those were "one-mold" players.

THIS IS DEFINITELY A RECRUITING ADVANTAGE FOR KANSAS. • Apr 13, 2015 11:24 PM

We are a basketball school... only because we aren't a football school. Point being.. Memorial Stadium holds over 50k. Granted we only have 12 regular season games... however... we already fill AFH every year for basketball. Making further investments doesn't really bring us a bigger return. The non-captured capital in our AD is in football. We will have 7 home games this year and we won't sell out a single game or come close.

The purple kitties show us every year that our State supports football. I always try to support football every year, but it becomes a tough sell when we are almost guaranteed a loss.

If we ever need to consider moving to another conference it would be a huge benefit to have a successful football program, both on the field and in the accounting ledgers.

THIS IS DEFINITELY A RECRUITING ADVANTAGE FOR KANSAS. • Apr 13, 2015 07:09 PM

Football revenue keeps Alabama rolling in dough ↗

Yes, it would be expensive. But we need to do something to build football, and hiring another jackazz coach from the NFL isn't going to do it.

The investment would be expensive, but I think it could help get football rolling, big time.

Look what is possible:

These numbers are surplus. Our football is deficit.

I know I would rather donate to football. We are so limited without quality football, including future considerations when conferences shakedown again.

EXPERIENCED BACKCOURT RETURNING, good front court taking Shape, come on Jaylen!!! • Apr 13, 2015 07:01 PM

That supports his argument even more... Manning was a 4-yr player and the big prize came on the last college game he ever played. However... Danny really carried us that year, especially in the finals!

I thought the unibrow prevented us from winning another trophy in 2012.

Think about that for a second.... without the unibrow Calipari would still be without a NC. Surely he wouldn't have received his HOF induction without that. And he might not even still be at Kentucky if he had scored all that talent without ever winning the big prize. Pretty amazing... he has only won it once! Everyone looks at him like he is dominating college basketball. He has probably won more game than anyone else the last 5 years, but he hasn't even passed Self in March Gold.

THIS IS DEFINITELY A RECRUITING ADVANTAGE FOR KANSAS. • Apr 13, 2015 06:49 PM

I still have a few questions about the apartments.

Does anyone know if there will be a tunnel walkway, so the players can have easy access to AFH?

Another thing... I know it would be more costly, but shouldn't we have built a bigger facility and housed football in part of it? Or maybe build another building for football? It would help basketball more if we started recruiting better football players and started having respectable football. The real money is in football... something we don't have so we have to put lots of our basketball resources into the football budget.

St. John's: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them • Apr 13, 2015 04:53 PM

My reply is not befitting of the responsibilities I have towards KUBuckets... so I'll save it for myself.

St. John's: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them • Apr 13, 2015 04:50 PM

Wonder what it would cost to hire Olivia Wilde as a part-time assistant coach? I bet our recruiting problems would be over instantly!

Surely it would cost less than luxury apartments...

St. John's: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them • Apr 13, 2015 04:45 PM

@HighEliteMajor

"Editor's Note: We shouldn't be in this spot in the first place."

I'm with you.

We have a pile of assistant coaches famous for recruiting (only) and the largest D1 recruiting budget in the nation. Last I checked, we were considered a blue blood program playing in a tough conference. And to date we only have 1 guy signed?!

Plus... what about the major pluck down for those luxury pads? If I'm not mistaken, won't those palaces be available this fall?

Someone has some explaining to do...

HOLY MOLY - MIGHT BE THAT TARIK WILL BE GETTING A LAKER CONTRACT. • Apr 13, 2015 04:40 PM

@wrwlumpy

And actually there is room for quite a bit of improvement in his game, as he tweaks his game to fit NBA officiating.

Question: Do recent >1.0K views indicate we are getting more board rats, or just more virtuals? • Apr 13, 2015 04:39 PM

@wrwlumpy

Black pasta? You are on to something! I'll setup the pyramid marketing!

Question: Do recent >1.0K views indicate we are getting more board rats, or just more virtuals? • Apr 13, 2015 03:10 PM

Fibonacci? Wasn't he the father of pyramid marketing?

Does Slice Rohrssen Leaving UK Signal that the Hypothesized Nike-Agent Complex Has Lost Faith in Cal? • Apr 13, 2015 03:04 PM

The important question is who Cal gets to replace him.

"Slice" Rohrssen is "the man" for recruiting in the NY area. It is obvious that Mullin wants to lock down NY-area players to SJ. A solid move.

Hard to say WHY Rohrssen left. Perhaps the grass was greener (more money) on the other side? He appears to be a "must have" for Mullin. In some ways Cal could turn this into an advantage by replacing him with a non-eastern accent guy since Cal recruits coast-to-coast.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar • Apr 13, 2015 02:52 PM

@wissoxfan83

Yes it would! Just goes to show us that the big kids today aren't really too interested in developing back-to-the-basket moves because the skyhook is totally unstoppable.

Once in a while you'll see a player use a baby hook. Even those are almost impossible to stop. Surprised more players don't use them because they are effective and an easy move to add to their toolbox.

I think that says a lot about players not wanting to play in the low post with their backs to the basket.

We are seeing players today in the post rely more on spin moves and scoring off the pivot. Those moves are very effective but only if the paint isn't clogged up with other players. Interesting to see these moves that were developed more for open court moves used in the low post.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar • Apr 13, 2015 01:15 PM

When I think of the Master at "back to the basket" basketball I think of only one man, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In his illustrious career, he became so prolific at his game that his shot received it's own name (the "skyhook" ) and became known around the world.

There have been many great low post scorers in the game since its inception, but none like Kareem.

Then I think about Kansas and their hi/lo offense. Really an offense built for a guy like Kareem, not the typical current big man of today. The game has changed so much in recent years. Kids growing up play a fluid game. Big men learn to dribble and shoot the ball even from the far out perimeter.

In the old days, it was felt that big men were unable to learn many of the skills of the small men. So their entire focus was on a different game, scoring with their backs to the basket. Oh how the game has changed.

And the NBA today. No team lives by "back to the basket" basketball. There are no Kareem's in the league anymore.

We need to face the facts that there will never be another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In college basketball last year, Karl-Anthony Towns became the closest thing to a real back-to-the-basket threat. In reality, in most of his moves he had to commit a charge to get low enough in the post to score. His effectiveness was based on the defenders typically not knowing how to defend a back-to-the-basket scorer who kept backing up. The proper defense is to keep your arms up, ready to defend the shot, bend knees and lean forward with the front of your body pushed up to the back of the defender. Any sharp nudge backwards should send you down on a flop and a charge call.

This past season, Kansas did a better job of bringing the low post guys up to around the FT line and worked through that spot more often than feeding the low post. It gave our big men more options with the ball, and though we didn't have a great low post scorer, we were able to develop and find points closer to the goal.

I'm curious how this next year will play out. It will matter who we recruit in the paint, but I don't see any recruit out there able to go right in and score in the low post with his back to the basket. And since most of the guys left to recruit will probably only be at Kansas for a year, why work on developing it?

My next question is can we even recruit a big if we have to tell him he will be playing "back to the basket" basketball? In recent days I posted a topic questioning if we have to promise recruits more now because of our level of desperation and the fact that we are entering the last hours of the recruiting process.

What offense will we be running next season?

St. John's: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them • Apr 13, 2015 12:48 PM

Talk about a crap shoot for Diallo. Does he really want to be a part of the SJ experiment in his only year of college ball? They'll be lucky to play in March Madness. How many consecutive years have we gone now?

Wiggins vs Tarik and Cole and Embiid and KY and Ben Mac • Apr 12, 2015 11:15 PM

@Lulufulu

"Where is he playing now??"

Up in Canada.

"Any word on what KY is making?"

Probably being paid in Elk jerky and beaver pelts.

MASON LIKELY BEST PG IN USA NEXT SEASON • Apr 12, 2015 04:54 PM

Love that... "3 Man U!"

What will be the bi-line.... "Voted #1 by swingers around the world!" uh... er... wait a minute....

Kansas Exposed.... • Apr 12, 2015 04:47 PM

I have a good feeling that Kelly will make it. I just think he's taking a lot of unnecessary risk. This is just a feeling I have. I think he would have had an explosive year this next year and he would have jumped to a Top 10 pick. Hopefully Kelly spoke to the right people who can properly assess the risk in his decision and he carefully made his decision.

EXPERIENCED BACKCOURT RETURNING, good front court taking Shape, come on Jaylen!!! • Apr 12, 2015 01:21 PM

Some of Kentucky's NBA Draft entrants should have trusted Calipari to take them further ↗

"It is shaping up like Diallo and Thorne to KU, unless there are grande incentives under la Mesa in Lexington."

Great! I never pegged either of these guys as Drake fans....

Kansas Exposed.... • Apr 12, 2015 01:09 PM

Whether any of us like it or not, we are living in a college basketball world where players use college merely as a stepping stone to the next level.

I wish we could induce writer Mike DeCourcy to write this story about Kansas. After all, he references two of our past OADs that should have stayed in school in his recent story:

The problem at Kansas is that we have no sports media guys writing this kind of intelligent story about Kansas. When we get attention about our players it is always the hype stories that do nothing but fuel early departures for young Kansas players. Take in point, Kelly Oubre.

The focus of this story is directed at Trey Lyles and Devin Booker... two Kentucky OADs that decided like Kelly, to enter the draft this summer. All 3 of these players are of a similar cut. They all have plenty of upside potential to become solid NBA players. They have what so many other NBA hopefuls have. But they will have to fight it out for only a few bench spots left on teams. They have to hope they find themselves on the right team where openings are possible. For a large part, they don't control their own futures (which will largely fall into destiny's fate of the situations that will come their way).

All that hard work to get to this position, and then gamble it away on hope and fantasy.

What bothered me most about losing Kelly was how quick he announced. He really didn't seem to care what other college players were deciding after him. Turns out 7 Kentucky players are leaving and 2 to 3 from Duke. So Kelly might have all 10 of these guys ahead of him. That leaves 20 more spots available for a guaranteed contract. Obtaining a guaranteed contract should be the lowest bar set for players coming out early. It also matters where they fall in that Top 30 first round, because the set scale pay changes drastically through those positions.

We all know that the real prize for players is obtaining a second contract. In order to have that opportunity, players have to show (beyond reasonable doubt) that they offer enough to a team to hold a spot. They have a better likelihood of getting to this higher level if their first contract was on the high end of the scale, because teams have to invest more of their team salary purse, hence will invest more focus and energy in lifting a player's game. And those second contracts are costly so it is easier for them to accept a player if they already have his past salary fairly high (taking up room) in their salary structure. The larger the jump in salary, the harder it is to accomplish because those dollars have to come from somewhere in their team budget.

Exclusive @jaybate 1.0 Interview With Coach Self • Apr 12, 2015 12:28 PM

@RockkChalkk

Amen to that! I caught the Nike Summit late last night on DVR. Diallo is the real deal! One of the more impressive players in that game. He is the kind of presence I want in the low post. I'm happy to give up a couple of inches of height in trade for aggressiveness, speed and strength. He's a beast now... imagine him with some Hudy muscle?

The one negative concerning Diallo... he won't qualify for the summer games. So we can't use that in our sales pitch except to say that he'll be around players that are well-prepared for next D1 season.

But I have to admit just how impressed I was with Ben Simmons. If he has enough talent around him I could see him carry LSU to the FF next year. How did LSU land a guy like Simmons? I hope they hammer Kentucky this year.

so no one starting a Perry Ellis Thread? guess I will • Apr 12, 2015 12:17 PM

@wrwlumpy

I don't think the writer of that story has much of a grip on the reality of this situation.

This idea he presents... that if a player isn't getting better, he is getting worse is silly. First off, Perry has improved every year as a Jayhawk. This past year he established his perimeter shot. The idea that NBA scouts peg a player early and leave him in the same spot is just 100% false. We constantly hear about scouts attending games. They constantly update their player evaluations because players change. Heck... some of them are even still growing in college (height). Players blossom all the time. All ex-players are familiar with either themselves (or others) that suddenly hit another gear. Sometimes it is a real puzzle when it comes. I hit my biggest gear change in my late 20s.

If Perry leaves now, he will leave in a bad draft year for players that aren't in that very top tier. There are just too many quality players coming out this year, most are not seniors. These guys typically get picked first. If Perry goes in the second round (or even third) the chances are completely likely he ends up in d-league... $25,000 for a 50-game season. That is a heavy opportunity price to pay for not sticking it out at KU and earning his degree and also having the spot light for one more year to try to lift his position.

The "player is getting better, or getting worse" card here is played around the idea of Perry QUITTING Kansas. It should be a motivational tool for Perry to absorb and fight that much harder to improve his game and STAY at Kansas and not be a quitter.

Euro-ball is a complete crap shoot. It is a false panacea that is always presented as an option for guys who can't cut it in the league. Truth is, few American players make it overseas. Few players are cut out to go abroad and "do it alone." The sacrifices of being out there alone is the first big hurdle. The cultural differences are another huge hurdle. And the basketball infrastructure is the third hurdle that makes it hard for players to pick up. These college kids need to hear the reality about it before thinking it is their definite backup plan.

Personally, I think Perry would be nuts to leave early. I view him as a very smart young man so I'm betting he returns.

so no one starting a Perry Ellis Thread? guess I will • Apr 12, 2015 11:53 AM

@JayhawkRock78

Right on!

Luxury/Necessity Recruiting • Apr 12, 2015 11:49 AM

@VailHawk

There may be something to your acid test.

The way players announce definitely gives a statement about where there head is at... focused on themselves, or others.

Wiggins vs Tarik and Cole and Embiid and KY and Ben Mac • Apr 12, 2015 11:32 AM

I miss KY....

!CAyTReHUIAAM-Iq.jpg ↗
!B_TL-_kXEAICWdp.jpg ↗
!B86qx8dCIAA-v9x.jpg ↗ !B8y2iXdCQAAIdEu.jpg ↗ !B7rwJI4IAAA_cXv.jpg ↗
!B50ulpJIAAAZEKv.jpg ↗ Kevin like we know him... ↗

Follow Kevin on Twitter ↗

Luxury/Necessity Recruiting • Apr 11, 2015 09:54 PM

It seems like such a short time ago, Kansas was not landing many 5-star recruits on a regular basis. We counted on keeping guys for several years and developing them.

Then we started focusing harder on the elite recruits. In the beginning, landing one of these recruits was a luxury. We already had a team of guys with talent and experience, and the elite athlete was "icing on the cake."

I believe this is the first year we are really having to COUNT on recruiting these elite players. I guess we could say the last few years have been feeling like this, but now it is late in recruiting and we still have large holes in our team and it looks like we've put all our eggs in one elite basket.

I wonder what that does to the dynamics of our recruiting, and how it will impact the elites we do sign? Won't we have to "promise the moon" at this late stage of the game?

Will we have to entice players with celebrities, like Calipari does by offering up Drake? Is it going to come to that at Kansas? We've already flipped the coin for luxury apartments.

Listening to players like Maker and Zim make me sick to my stomach. I wonder if some of these other elites think similar but just aren't speaking out. It takes a special player to be able to keep a healthy perspective while being bombarded with flattering attention.

I hope we land some talent soon to fill the holes in our post, but not if it means recruiting players that don't come to Kansas respecting who we are, and acting appropriately. I don't know why but if feels like we are putting a lot of trust in these elites and we will have no time to vet them later. What we get is what we get.

Terminology Shifts To "Half-And-Dones" (HAD) • Apr 11, 2015 07:37 PM

I hope Kentucky signs Maker and Zim asap... then it scares off all the guys that really want to play over to us!

Terminology Shifts To "Half-And-Dones" (HAD) • Apr 11, 2015 07:00 PM