@Crimsonorblue22 said in Is Self ready for his next big shift in basketball approach?:
@drgnslayr does he go by Ernest?
Appears so!
drgnslayr
11251 posts
I think he will have some highs and lows his freshman year. He's going to get pushed around, and that will completely push him into becoming best friends with the strength coach next summer.
From what I have seen on Gradey, he thinks more like a volume scorer. Translation: he has a short memory when he's missed several shots and when he's hot he isn't afraid to take a heat check from further out.
For this reason, I'll put him at 10 ppg. Rebounds... 4+ because he has a great sense for where the ball goes (based on 20 mpg).
I can see him improve considerably as the season goes along. Probably will hit the "freshman wall" where he clinks bricks for several games then comes on strong late in the year.
I see him receiving some kind of league honors as a sophomore, and becoming all-league as a junior.
Curious how he adjusts to the strength of players in D1 and the aggressive play.
Here is an interview with Cam. He sounds upbeat to receive some minutes this year. It really doesn't make sense to redshirt him last year without an idea to give him minutes this year. He's built different than Zach... but another outside scoring threat and ability to drive the ball with handles.
https://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2022/jun/6/ku-forward-cam-martin-talks-to-the-media/ ↗
So we have two big bigs with outside shooting. Is that enough to warrant developing special offense for them?
With this guy coming in... why wouldn't Self go for more an old school 5?
@Kcmatt7 said in Is Self ready for his next big shift in basketball approach?:
Also, he let Marcus launch 76 threes his final season, Kief 59, Perry 64, and the most recent example of Dedric shot 89.
The evidence is there that Bill will let him shoot.
Dedric is probably his closest comp from a Bill Self big man imo. And he put up 19 and 10. So, I think he knows what to do with Zach.
Even though we got stuck playing these guys at the 5, do you think any were legit 5s? Even Zach is listed as a forward... I've met him and he is a legit 6' 10" guy.
Is it possible we see him at the 4 sometimes? That could sure give a way where Bill could still go with a hybrid hi/lo with 4/1 and Zach on the perimeter. I'm thinking maybe Self tries Zach at the 4 when Jalen needs a blow... at least, early on, like Nov/Dec.
Do you think he will force him to play back-to-the-basket?
Zach Clemence.
He's such an atypical Kansas big. In fact... I'm not sure I can point to a past Kansas big with a similar skillset.
Matt Tait recently addressed Zach in his story and believes the 5-spot is Zach's to lose.
https://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2022/jun/2/now-that-the-2022-23-kansas-basketball-r/ ↗
So what makes Zach different from other past KU bigs?
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Footwork - We haven't seen Zach play enough yet, but it looks like he has unique footwork skills. That translates into quickness and possible full-court speed. Gifted low-post back-to-the-basket moves? Doubtful. But might Zach take his man to the hole from the perimeter? Yes! Might he be skilled at setting ball screens? Yes! Might he be capable at pick-and-rolls and pick-and pops? Yes! Might he develop into a big who can create good scoring space for his shot? Yes! Might he have good full-court speed to become a fastbreak threat? Yes! Might he learn to seal off the boards well for rebounding? Yes!
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Shooting - Without learning good low-post footwork it is hard to imagine Zach will be a great finisher in low-post offense. His perimeter shot looks legit. If he earns floor time and is given the green light, and he puts up a respectable % from trey, Self can scheme a completely different offense than previous hi-lo schemes. If he can shoot well from trey, isn't it logical he has a soft touch for midrange scoring?
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Handles - From the small sample of minutes he played last year, it appears that Zach has respectable handles. Respectable when compared with our typical past Kansas bigs. Good handles make him a threat in the open court, from taking a defensive rebound and leading a fast break, to taking his man off the dribble from the perimeter in our half court offense.
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Basketball IQ - Soon we will know more about Zach's basketball IQ, though he looks to have a sharp, quick mind, capable of seizing opportunities by making quick, timely plays. His IQ will show us his passing ability and we may be in for quite a surprise.
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Defense - We all know the importance of strength in becoming an effective low-post defender. Can Zach hold on to his floor position when being backed into by a strong 5? Time will tell. We know he is busy strengthening his tall, lanky frame. We've seen post players change their bodies (more than players at any other position). But there is more than low body strength involved in becoming a great D1 low-post defender. Withey proved this out. Quickness, timing, footwork, and knowledge is key to blocking shots. Zach seems to have a somewhat similar skillset to Withey on defense, except for the long volleyball background. It would be great for Zach to study Withey videos.
Will Self commit to maximizing the use of Zach? Only time will tell. To do so, it will take a great deal of work now to develop a very different offense. Why would he do this? Well... for one thing... he likes a challenge. He feels comfortable learning and trying new things. And... there are huge benefits at stake here. The future of bigs in basketball is for players capable of scoring from trey and handling the ball like guards. What a great recruiting tool... proving he can accommodate players with these skillsets versus just back-to-the-basket skills.
As much as Big Dave helped us this year with a natty... recruiting bigs similar to him in the future doesn't really help us move into the future and what the game is becoming. That will be apparent by watching Big Dave attempt a professional career. He is a very gifted big but those skills are being replaced with other skills.
Gosh... the news this past week... Wilson and McCullar here... We should be competitive on the boards this year! Now... if we get good boards from the 5? Could be huge!
I'm very psyched on this team and also the group we have coming in. So much to dream about while tomatoes grow!
RCJH!
Is it you... or is it that we really missed on several bigs? We all saw size and maybe some athleticism and got excited. I will say... I doubt many of us missed on JoJo! lol
I was 100% in on Bragg. He had so much real potential. I feel what he lacked (discovered this later) was maturity. Maybe someone else in here knows... but I doubt he had a good family support system. He seemed to lack a mentor in his life where he would be ashamed if he didn't succeed. Mentors are a huge help to kids, especially those growing up on the wrong side of the tracks.
SELF - I think everyone in here knows me and what I think of Bill. He's a guy I've met several times and I'm impressed that he seems to remember me. How to compare him to the other D1 coaches. I now think he's the absolute best in America right now. I always favored Jay Wright in the past because he always had teams that were well-coached in fundamentals. He would take a team of less than 5-star players and win titles. Early on in Bill's career here I embraced the focus on defense over offense. But I would get pissed that we actually didn't practice enough fundamentals in defense. Without question, Self has improved his coaching while at Kansas. I don't think there are that many coaches out there that actually work on their craft to try to improve. We all have witnessed him taking teams of differing gifts and utilize what gifts we have. I was never a fan of his original 3/2 hi/lo or extensively using the chop scheme. Now... wow! He's converted his motion 3/2 hi/lo to a 4/1 hi/lo and wow does that work! It feels more like a NBA offense... exciting to see it working and our offense seems more productive.
Question for everyone: How did you feel with KU hiring Self?
I'll admit.... I wasn't 100% for his hire. I felt confused and uncertain.
So.... will the KU AD start bugging me for $ like the endowment group does?
Grimes.... I agree with @Texas-Hawk-10... The AAC better fit his athleticism... plus... once he came to Kansas he knew he wasn't up to snuff and he masked his athletic shortcomings by not having his head in the right place and basically gave up. His ego was bruised... and instead of rising to the moment (he could have worked his tail off and been a real contributor like Wilson did), he coped out and leaving was the best thing for him and the program. I wouldn't be surprised if Self pushed him out the door.
Ditto here. I had super high hopes on Diallo and knew immediately that Dotson was the real deal, definitely more valuable than Grimes.
Remy, Remy, Remy... I was positive he was done because he fell so far behind in the Self offense and his defense was a disaster. But he managed to help his worth on defense by pouring out tons of energy when on the floor. His offense was pretty basic, just get open, but it worked when we needed another trey shooter and he hit key shots. He didn't fear the moment, and that played out huge!
I'm not really familiar with Mosley but liked his point totals and connection to Juan.
Interesting take on Grimes and Self.
Guess I was proven wrong with Grimes, too. I just didn't see talent in him at Kansas... period. He partially proved me wrong at Houston.
I had very high hopes on Bragg, Vick, Alexander, BGreene, Andrew White, Rio Adams, Selby, DeSousa, X Henry...
I underestimated many (including their NBA play)... Oubre, Graham, Tark Black, Kevin Young, Withey, Chalmers, Aldrich...
Guys I got right... Mason, McLemore, Releford, EJ, Seldon, Wiggy, JoJo, Garrett, Morris twins, TRob, Collins...
More will come to mind later...
I had hope for Big D... but faith in him? Ha.. no one complained more about his footwork than I. Maybe he took my advice and took dance lessons.... lol
If I start a GoFundMe page will you all give me a penny every time you think I'm wrong? I'm willing to take it on the chin for the cool million!
How about we all list some of our biggest blunders and have a good laugh?!
I'll start with something very recent. No way I thought we had good chances for a natty this year!
I'm not 100% sure we are done. Might Self carve a space for Mosley?
I'd rather see Juan add to his assist stat this coming year than his point stat.
We just won a natty without a scoring PG.
Spot on! There is no real comparison between these two players because everything about them is different. Sherron was a volume-scoring 2 forced into being a PG. Juan is a natural PG and is better-rounded to fill the stat sheet like what you want from a PG.
This idea that we have to get points from our PG is a vision of desperation. Any team that has to count on points from a PG means they have shortcomings on offense, whether it be team total points are too low or not having a go-to guy for points.
Here is where I'm glad we have a HOFr head coach. He will scheme offense to best take advantage of the offensive skills we have on the floor. He can help but only do so much. Players have to step up.
Speaking as a former player who shot so low a % from outside that it didn't matter if I was open or not... I can honestly say I probably shot near equal % when left wide open than when guarded. I know it killed my confidence being dared to shoot it from outside and after a while I didn't have the balls to try to prove them wrong.
My only advice to Juan on shooting from trey: don't listen to me! lol
I will say... Juan has several offensive tools that are quality and will help his stat line; he's actually a good finisher at the rim, and his open-court scoring is good (especially helpful when he steals passes), and he has a very soft touch at midrange. There is no reason why he can't lift his numbers a bit from trey and become a more consistent scorer from distance. I wish people would stop bagging on him. He's earned every bit of that championship ring on his finger and will bring his winning formula back to KU to try to do it again!
It would be sick if Mosley comes and we all get the benefit synergy created off their relationship! Absolutely sick!
And NO! I'm still praying with get McCullar! lol We get McCullar and then it comes down to Wilson or Mosley... ha... I'm becoming crazy enthusiastic about next year's team!
My new chant: BACK-TO-BACK!
I can't think of a single poster in here this past year that went "all in" on this team for winning the trophy!
I feel sure we can all say that things fell right and also that we peaked at the right time! Part of that peak was getting Remy back at near 100%.
My big optimism now is that Self sees the game differently, especially our play in March. Do you think his energy was different this past March over previous Marches? I thought he was very poised and confident.. more so than usual. Whatever it was.. I hope it sticks and we don't have to wait another 14 years to bring home the prize again!
Concerning next year's team... truth is... until we get this bunch together and playing, we won't know what we have as far as points go. Sure... we have ideas about guys scoring gifts, but that changes, especially as new teams are put together and kids have a new coach/environment.
Personally... I hope we get McCullar and Wilson back. I think that will give us a very solid team. The offense will have to get sorted out, but that is Self's job. He managed to get these guys playing at a high level so I remain optimistic. I like what I'm seeing possible for next year already!
I agree. I hope our new guys embrace the need to keep the rock moving on offense. This past year was sure fun to watch our offense always in motion!
I'm concerned with outside shooting, too. But I also see what McCullar brings in known areas and I'm not convinced he won't shoot a respectable % from trey in our lineup.
I don't think we need such a high-power offense as we had this year if we have elite defense. He's a huge step forward with our defense.
Obviously... I am a believer in McCullar and what he brings to the table... especially on a team with a legit PG!
I can see him bullying for positioning in the paint against weak defenders and Juan finding him. I imagine he can set one heck of a ball screen and we feast on that, including pick and rolls where he gets the pass in the paint and finishes. I can see Self building offense around a player like him who has the physicality we've NEVER had at guard.
Bill is foaming at the mouth to have a more physical version of Marcus Garrett on this team.
I agree with the fear that we won't have enough offense... but if picking up one guy... at least McCullar should help us obtain an elite defense. Acquiring a scorer would be helpful but not going to replace Och, CB, and JWil's offense. As it stands, I don't think we have an elite defense. So we don't take McCullar we won't have elite play on either side of the ball.
@Kcmatt7 said in Reasons to believe in next year’s team:
But the reverse it true as well right?
If you can’t score yourself then you are giving up those same breaks. And this team on paper looks like they cannot score.
Besides J-Will, where are the points coming from?
I hope we can be a better rebounding team this coming year... that would help some of that.
I have the same concerns you have on where our points come from. But I think if we have a team that is well-oiled in other areas: rebounding on both sides, defense, low TOs, good assist passing... we will produce decent offense. Will it match this past year? Doubtful we have those offensive weapons, but we have a chance to be a much better defensive team.
I think we should tamper our expectations to have a team offense as capable as this year's team. Very unlikely. Even if we go after a good offensive player in the portal, will that be enough? And isn't it always a risk that player doesn't work out on offense? When push comes to shove... grabbing a player from the portal... I'd rather grab a known defender because that is more predictable. McCullar gives us a tough, physical player, easily capable of guarding 2-4.
Maybe you have an answer here.... is there a stat site that can show our team this past year and a breakdown of how they scored their points on the 30-second clock? I'd love to see this stat.
I think you need to slow down a bit. First. We still stand a great chance of getting JWIL back.
This team has the chance to be an outstanding defensive team... and if that be the case, how much offense can we expect to get from runouts? Runouts is more than scoring at the rim, that includes secondary breaks on the trey line, which may be the ticket to lifting everyone's trey stat numbers.
We can examine this until we are blue in the face but we just won't know how this team will play together and what it will do on offense. Players often move their stat numbers from year-to-year.
There just wasn't much on the stat line from this year's team signaling a NC.
What glares at me... is not our roster. What glares at me is the question:
Has Self finally figured out what it takes to get his team to peak in March (April)? If the answer is "yes" we can hope to see better March results in general moving forward. I don't know about you... but I experienced a very different Bill Self this year in March. A lot more poised... I hope it was his poise that rubbed off on the team and not just the other way around! ha
McCullar in the wings... I know many challenge him being good for us... but I'm totally on board with him coming here because by himself, and with Self coaching this team we will be an elite defending team next year. Now if we improve in post defense... wow!
My motivation for the post:
"We realized the possibility of these violations back in 1956 but just completed our investigation."
Sorry!
May 19, 2022
Indianapolis, Indiana
Mark Emmert, NCAA President, issued the following:
"Due to clear NCAA violations committed by the Kansas City Jayhawks, the NCAA is issuing 5 years of probation which includes a NCAA tournament ban and limitations of 10 scholarships for this period. Furthermore, there will be mass forfeitures coming of past game wins and titles."
The sports world immediately went into shock after this news. What is shocking more than the harsh level of the penalties is the fact these penalties are not for the current set of allegations claimed by the NCAA.
Emmert later elaborated on his initial announcement by stating, "Kansas City will be forfeiting all games and titles going back to 1956 after we discovered the possibility of Wilt Chamberlain playing professional basketball in the 1954-55 Big Nine Conference season for the Quakertown Fays semiprofessional team. We realized the possibility of these violations back in 1956 but just completed our investigation."
University of Kansas City officials could not be reached for comment though are expected to release a statement soon and surely more responsive than the NCAA's 66-year investigation.
(Summertime Sarcasmo)
I don't view it like Juan should try to score X-amount per game. I just think he needs to look more often to score when it's there.
There are other possibilities for his FG% dropping. Perhaps it is because he was often the "last option" for scoring and that meant he had the rock with only a few ticks left on the shot clock and had to force shots. I recall several times when he was put in that position this past year.
I hope Juan is busy this summer working on his trey shot. If he is able to improve slightly from the outside and if he becomes willing to take it to the hole more this coming year, he should be able to lift his numbers and improve on his efficiency.
Juan made several crucial shots in this past March run. I definitely think he should continue to develop his scoring and be willing to take more shots. I bet part of it has to do with confidence, too, and if he gains more confidence scoring it should show up on his stat percentages, too.
Thanks for posting the clip on Juan.
Seeing a compilation like that reminds me how "silk" Juan's shot is. Reminds me of the soft touch Jamaal Wilkes had.
We are going to need more points from Juan next year!
You said it right... it can be argued. This comment didn't leave that door open. I'm not going to discredit Coach K... but come on.
Duke spokesman Michael Schoenfeld said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports:
"Mike Krzyzewski is the most successful college basketball coach in history whose record and accomplishments will probably never be matched."
Most successful? That can be argued... most wins but not most National Championships. No wonder so many people despise Duke. What about Wooden?
"Should have showed me all those skills Cal taught you at Kentucky!"
I'm pulling for JWil always! But I watched those highlights and he played against no competition. Was that an "under 6-ft" league?
I think Juan will be counted on for more points... not sure he is ready to average double figures.
I like Zach a lot, but don't see him being a double figure scorer next year.
I think Jalen leads the team in scoring and, if necessary, will attempt to be a volume scorer around 20, though not sure he can do it.
Other players will have to step up but I think most of those "step ups" will not quite reach double figures.
If CB comes back it will be a huge help for our point totals. If he doesn't, we will still have to recruit someone with the expectations of being a double figure scorer.
I think it is tough to compare the greatest coaches because they all took different paths and had to overcome unique struggles.
My favorite coach, besides Self, is Jay Wright. He clearly has the best argument for taking the least amount of talent to the promised land. His teams pass the eye test, too. They always play great fundamental basketball... something I've ranted about sometimes at KU, especially with our younger teams.
Add another winged foot. Shouldn't he receive a winged brain? lol
Go Gradey! $$$$$$$$
I vote Jalen to return. Much better advancement environment for him over G-league. He has a considerable improvement window available right here... especially on that trey shot.
I agree. Jaybate could take us to a different place. Then he would triangulate the conversation through his lens. We were all fortunate to take that ride with him.
I have publishing experience in print.
It would be a fascinating project to go through the years and pull together some posts from the past. Match it up with the year and team, too. Not sure exactly how to accomplish this... just thinking aloud.
Since it would entail permissions... I'm guessing it would be necessary to expose the crowd. Of course, that would be half the fun.
Not sure it would be of interest to anyone outside of our basketball nerdy group. If we could obtain permission to print team photos spliced between our juicy commentary.... maybe it would pull in a bigger crowd.
We could use the proceeds to build a monument on the AFH grounds marking the date we passed Kentucky in all-time wins! hahahahahehehehe
Heck... I'd like to do this project just to send a few copies to Duke and UK fans I know out east who read their fan sites. I bet they think of us all as farm hicks. So let's compare our discourse... diatribes and all!
Wow! I guess Bill is only 59!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Self ↗
I feel like Bill will be back for another NC within 5 years. I think this year has been a real educational year for Bill and how he intends to coach moving forward.
Areas where I think he learned a lot this year:
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How to prepare for March - This year's team peaked at the end... probably the #1 reason why we took home the trophy! We never choked in March. Never looked really out of sorts. We maintained a high level of composure. That simply cannot happen without the head coach having it all together. His poise this year was off the charts.
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He learned the value of team cohesion - This team was like glue! There was a very dominant chemistry within the team. None of these guys wanted to stand out separately from the rest of the team. I think Bill learned it is more important to find team players than just pure talent. At least... I hope he learned this lesson!
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I think he finally embraces a hybrid hi-lo. No more 2 big (post-up) lineups. 4 on the perimeter. His schemes are more slashing. Guards slash at an angle through the post and have a desire to pass back out on the perimeter for an open trey, finish in the paint, or feed our one big in the paint to finish. I really liked the offense this year and what it became. It forced some of our perimeter guys off the trey line. No more camping on the trey line, like we did in past years!
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I think Bill realized the need to up the pace. Didn't mean we have to finish off the preliminary break, but also the secondary break, usually open for a trey shot.
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I think Bill learned more of the importance of team rebounding. This team could have only succeeded with team rebounding because we didn't have a singular potent rebounder.
I'm curious of the status of our our chop scheme. I hope it is rarely used and not part of the dominant offense. It's largely outdated because most teams know how to defend or disrupt it to the point of destroying all flow to that possession.