🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@Texas-Hawk-10

Lots of "ifs" and rightly so.

Many of these concerns boil down to coaching and the players. The feel is different this year and I feel like this group will buy in much quicker to Selfball.

We often have a player or two that brings in mixed energy. I'm hoping that won't be the case this year. It's a huge factor.

I have no problem if we end a lot of games in the 60's... as long as our opposition is in the 50's. We have that potential if this team buys in early to Selfball.

I think Marcus will recover to maybe high 90% this year. Hopefully enough to keep his quickness. And I hope he makes a complete recovery, but you just can't count on that type of injury ever healing back to 100%. The key is Marcus stays hungry. Players learn throughout their career to play with deficits. It's their competitiveness that keeps them at a high level. Always. Actually... I'd like to see his gains in basketball IQ. If that happens he's fine to be at 90+% and will show us huge improvement.

If the team stays focused as a positive, hardworking team, they will advance much quicker than we are used to. In past years we've even experienced teams moving backwards at some point. I don't really see this happening because of positive leadership. I feel like this team has several players leading. If so, all the players will be kept in line.

I just keep hope this team has a great year. National Championship? Of course I'd like to see that but I don't want to openly talk about it because it puts too much unneeded stress on our guys. Let's just let them be. They don't need any of us loading up on their expectations. This may be the only team I've seen under Self that truly is "Self" motivated!

@HighEliteMajor

I know we need to keep our expectations realistic.

But I also think, especially this year, we need to really get behind our fellas 100%. There are a few fans still stuck on last year. Records are meant to be broken, they are also made to reach an endpoint. That was a great run and now we can set our eyes on breaking it again!

In this case, I think we can just follow the spirit of the team and give them back what they are bringing in to this year's team. It's a group that hungers to win... staying positive... and working hard. Focused... very focused. And we will see, but I bet they are resilient and a loss here or there will just make them bear down harder!

It starts with Devon. That's his outlook. It was last year, too, but he didn't know how to accomplish everything in his first year. He is not prepared to have another frustrating year. I feel comfortable saying these things to a guy like Devon because he isn't looking for an ego boost. He's the real deal.

@Marco

I think it's a crapshoot on what happens. We can't predict things like injuries. Injuries are huge. There are the big injuries that keep players out of the lineup. There are the small dings that can add up on a player and reduce his production considerably.

There are other factors, too. Off-court distractions. Players getting ice cold... staying cold... perhaps for the entire season. Etc, etc, etc. Just too hard to predict, especially on the newcomers. Maybe one of them clicks in quickly and starts producing.

I feel like the big positive with this team is that they will truly be a team! And lead by several, but for sure Devon will be huge. These guys have their heads on straight, and that's huge. Chip on their shoulders. Confident. Fresh start.

When guys come together to be a real team, everyone gets a huge lift. The guys that are cold get the support they need to bounce back. Everyone lifts up everyone.

@KUSTEVE

Read the story at KUSports about how it's going with summer gym play. The feeling is way different this year. These guys are gelling the right way... a very competitive, upbeat bunch.

Think I'd have to go back to 2008 to see a group this well connected, and the right way. 2012 was close, but the TRob tragedy made it tough for them to be this positive.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I'm sure you are right and there is the possibility of 3 RSs. I'd be surprised to see more than 2, even a bit shocked at 2.

It is a nice thought to see us farming players in the system. In theory, it seems an advantage to have players with more experience on "Self-ball" and taking advantage of our HOFr. The counter to that is if they have enough upside to help us become a contender.

I flip back and forth on what is our best recruiting strategy. Never been for a revolving door team, but usually liked having one or two OADs. Recently, I've come to liking the idea of no OAD-types. Just think they prevent us from really bonding as a team. They are looked at as different and receive way too much attention apart from everyone else.

I like the idea where we could always have a few players that are 4 yr seniors, maybe even with a RS 5th year. But even that is hard to project in today's game because so many players transfer now.

I'm glued to the concept that our focus needs to be on maximizing the development of players and then putting energy into selling that plus to future recruits. Through this concept we should be able to separate ourselves from the rest of D1. Use our blue blood status in this direction versus just recruiting the presumed highest skill players.

@KUSTEVE

It seems like we have a wealth of new potential, primarily undeveloped.

I feel like we can expect to see at least one RS this coming season.

None of us know the status of future recruiting and the true intent of some of our current players on whether they will go or stay next year... the inside track. That plays a role in all of this. We all point to Mitch and how he will be needed more in the following year and for that reason, he may want to RS to best help a future team.

This is all one big puzzle and at stake is the potential success of our team and also impacting the success of players concerning their professional futures.

I don't think any of us realize how complicated all of this is and how capable a coach must be to make the right decisions, considering all the factors, all the players, while attempting to put the best team on the floor this year and in future years.

@Texas-Hawk-10

You are right to tamper down PT minutes expectations. I think it can be safe to say that if we have 10 guys getting a lot of shared minutes, we are having some sour play and Self is looking for someone to step forward.

But I do think most of our freshmen he prizes will get a few minutes. Enough to keep them wanting to stay at Kansas. These days are not like the good ol' days, where players would wait patiently for some minutes they would earn. There are record transfers and Bill is aware of it and tries to keep his troops happy. I venture to say that when he does lose a player he isn't too sad about it and probably agrees with the player that he needs to move on.

I usually agree pretty close to Bill's distribution of minutes. Occasionally, I'd like to see a few guys get more minutes for future development sake. I can't realistically argue too much with a HOFr coach. Who the heck am I?

@KUSTEVE

Thanks, bro! Thanks for bringing a chip thread to the board. I was tired of always being the one and sometimes wondered if anyone else took me serious on the chip factor.

Speaking of chip factor.... our crowned National Champion, Virginia, was an obvious result from carrying a monster chip. Turned out to play right in their hand from the year before, when they were humiliated in the tournament.

I think our guys losing the record-breaking conference streak creates a monster chip. And then several players are carrying chips, as you mentioned in your post. Devon cried last year over this... you can count on that. He felt it deep and he's determined to change the results this year.

justanotherfan said:

@FarmerJayhawk and @Kcmatt7

I think this has a lot to do with expectations.

I totally agree.... then add in a ton of wishful thinking. We all want to see a Kansas player rise to stardom!

It also just feels right. University of Kansas... Kansas players. I have to admit sometimes it feels a bit weird when we don't have a single player from Kansas. Bill is on to this. He likes to have someone from Kansas on our team.

I know I like to see some Kansas players on our team.

@Marco

There has been a major shift in our recruiting direction. A lot of it by force. We've been sort of pushed out of Memphis. The Chicago area is a mixed bag. We've just been getting more competition in some of our usual places. And then there is the NCAA changes in the recruiting calendar which is basically shuffling the deck on some of the established tournaments.

@Texas-Hawk-10

If I'm not mistaken, Moss is a 40+% shooter from trey. Yes... he can be inconsistent. Every player is from trey. I watch Steph Curry go 2 for 12, then go net 8 in a row. It's the nature of trey shooting... hot, cold, hot. What counts is the %.

You are putting up a solid argument. But you don't account for the positive unknowns. Mostly... we have a HOFr coach. It's his job to tweak the offense to make things work.

I definitely see Moss as an improvement over Vick and Q. Moss has many offensive weapons. Vick was only a trey shooter. Vick's shot stopped falling because teams would scout him. Really easy... get in his grill on the trey line and he's done. He wouldn't drive on those opportunities because he became a very non-aggressive player. Q wasn't a threat from trey or to drive. Zero! Surely Moss will play with more aggression.

I don't want to bag on Vick... I still like Vick a lot. But we were a better team without him. That speaks volumes. And though our depth chart fell... I felt like we would have been a much better team without Q. Total liability.

Watch the clip on Moss scoring all those points in like a minute and a half. He surely has some alpha dog in him to do that... something no other D1 player has ever done.

I like your commentary on many of the new guys and trying to throttle down immediate expectations. Wise. We never know if one or more of those guys can end up giving us a solid contribution in year 1, but we just can't count on that. I know I don't, but I'm still extremely optimistic about this team!

I keep saying this... and it deserves repeating. D1 this coming year is not prepared for Silvio! He has unbelievable strength and that was barely seen in the short time we had him on the court. He's only gotten stronger (thanks Andrea!) and he has never played "open throttle basketball" in a Jayhawk uniform. What we really need to hear from is the rest of our players... their comments on Silvio's strength. Duke bigs are going to look like boys... because they will be boys.

We all know that Doke is an original weapon that few teams can stand up to. Silvio will be another original weapon opposing players won't be able to handle. Mac will be a huge help, too!

Let's just hope our backcourt will come together nicely to make us a more complete team! I feel plenty of confidence, and it has been a long time since I've been this confident of our upcoming team during tomato season!

@Fightsongwriter

Interesting comparison. I'm thinking BRush had more size, and he used his size well. Both are very smooth scorers. Both have respectable handles. I think BRush may be a better defender. BRush battled injuries while at KU, which actually helped us to get him to stay for our championship season.

I'm hoping Moss may become more aggressive driving the ball over BRush, but I have nothing to base that on... hope.

Not sure if we will be able to make completely fair comparisons because the players around them are so different, and Self has added so many twists to his hi-lo, making it more a hybrid motion offense. That should favor Moss.

Chip.... monster chip! My kind of team!

@Texas-Hawk-10

Excellent post on Devil's advocacy...

I know we can add up past PT minutes of Doke and Silvio... not a big number. But I do count the total time they've been Jayhawks. You are right to think the extra time doesn't match real PT but to discount it is a mistake, too. And let's not forget these kids age in human years. Without anything else, just getting a year older while they are sitting on the fence entering manhood is a big deal.

I think you will end up being pleasantly surprised about Moss. He's a quality, skillful, smooth scorer. I'd take him any day over Vick. Vick ended his career living on the trey line. Very limited scorer, even though he started the year hot. Part of what made him such a variable was his scoring limitation. When he was guarded well on the perimeter, he was done. It won't be that way with Moss. And he's much better in the open floor, too. And comparing him to Q at the two... there is no comparison. Q was a disaster. Felt like we played most of the year 4 on 5. Hate to bash him... but the reality speaks for itself. Most of his game stats he should have had even playing blindfolded. He was consistently horrible all year, except a few games.

I look at Silvio, Mac and Doke as our three big men (thinking Mitch is a RS). I see it as 3 guys filling 2 spots. In our case the 4 and 5 are almost interchangeable, except Doke will need to be the 5 when in games.

I've heard nothing but great things about Silvio, and the players around him are biting at the bit to play with him in games. He's like a man playing in a boy's league.

We watched Mac settle in last year, including improving his rebounding substantially as he received move experience. He was just a nervous mass on the court when he started. The game began to slow down for him and I find it hard to believe he won't start where he left off or even be better.

Doke on the FT line... now that is a total gamble and until I see it, I will not put my neck on the line on that one. My hope is that since we have a more threatening front line, we will draw more fouls in the post anyways and teams won't have enough fouls to give to play "poke a Doke." I see "poke a Doke" as a possibility only in the last minute or so. Still... time to coach like the NBA and push/pull guys in and out every possession at the end. Not sure why college coaches don't think a bit more like NBA coaches. Still can't get them to think about 2 for 1 possessions at the end, etc etc etc. Hedging defenses... ha... forgetaboutit!

I will put my neck on the line about expecting greatness from Devon. He will make everyone look a lot better because he will be learning the role of playmaker... and Devon should become unstoppable at accomplishing that!

You gave many examples of what can go wrong, and no doubt, we will have some of that happen. I'm not predicting a Calipari "perfect season." Things do tend to go wrong at some point. I'm just excited for Jayhawk basketball and I'm liking this team immensely!

Rock Chalk!

4 MOKAN players now... we should become a real team! Not just a bunch of guys thrown together like an All-Star game.

"he “thinks they have a chance to be pretty good.”"

Hahahaaaa... the Riverboat Gambler keeping his cards close to his chest. Love it!

@Texas-Hawk-10

I agree... we are such a different (better) team with Doke in the lineup. That proves out in all the statistics from last year, breaking it down game-by-game.

But I also see this year's team being so much more than Doke.

1. Gone are the often missing games of Vick and Q. And the drama won't be missed either.

2. Devon's role will change considerably into being a forceful playmaker.

3. Better depth in the post, including options to run two bigs most of the year. SDS and Mac should contribute in a large way. How will any team in the country stop our two-big lineup in the post? I expect us to get most of our opposing bigs in foul trouble. How do they stay out of foul trouble and defend anything?

4. Mystery help from our new guys. Moss, without question, should be a very solid contributor. As far as the freshmen go, it's likely they will contribute positively.

I'm so anxious to see what Self does with this group. There are so many possibilities, including some uber dynamic small lineups.

As excited as many are about anticipating some of our offensive potential, I'm most excited about our defensive potential. Adding Harris is just one more step into a future of solid defense. He may not get many minutes this year, but if he turns out to be the defender many boast about, we can expect some great defense now and in the future. Defense starts at the point. If you defend the point well, it makes a huge impact on overall defense.

I rarely fall for the early season #1 ranking tease. In fact, not sure I've ever appreciated it in the least. Though I do think this team has the chance to earn the #1 cred, if everyone stays healthy, focused and works their tails off. This should be one of Self's funner teams to coach.

I support a RS for either Harris or McBride... just gives them another year while getting the rare year of practice against Devon.

This is all about getting the most out of Devon. Both of these players help push Devon towards improvements, while both improve at a faster clip by playing against Devon.

The selling point for signing Harris now is his game will advance quicker going a year against Devon in practice over a year at Sunshine Academy. His street cred will shoot up anyways over the immediate future.

I thought he would play a year at Sunshine Academy first.... but Dajuan decided on instant sunshine!

!0_1563335483082_dajuanharris.jpg ↗

The stars are aligning. Dajuan will be instant synergy for Devon, like the Frank and Devonte combo all over again!

Welcome aboard, Dajuan!

Last year was a disaster because of so many factors that didn't go our way. Just one of those years. If we can keep everyone healthy and away from the NCAA's eyeballs... we should have a really great year and hopefully contend for the big prize!

Think about all the distractions we faced last year. That factor alone was huge.

@justanotherfan

I sense a bit too much fear from your response.

We were undefeated last year until Doke went down.

I expect the biggest key coming into this year will be Devon. As great as he was last year, I'm expecting him to make a pretty major jump in play this year. Last year he, for the most part, played "trying not to make a mistake." He did a pretty good job of that, especially for a freshman. This year he's a different player. His role is changing and the focus is on him being a real playmaker. He has the skill, perhaps the most of any KU PG ever! (guess we will see)

Doke is an offensive beast when he is feed his red meat in the low post. Silvio will be, too, but with his range extended out to midrange.

Marcus really gave us a lift on offense last year until he got banged up. I hope he gets back to 100% but what I've heard he isn't there yet. My hope is by the new year he's totally back. It would be a real bonus if he can bump up his trey numbers to just be respectable. He's been working hard on his shot (from what is reported).

What we really need is some decent perimeter scoring. I'm hoping Moss will be a huge help there. Devon should be improved, too. Just having defenses mush in on the paint should be helpful for all our guys on the perimeter.

But why are we talking about offense? Let's talk about Doke, Silvio and Marcus on defense! Let's be a team that leads by our defense. Doesn't mean we have to play "bad ball." How about we create some open court offense with our defense! I want to see guys like Marcus overplaying the passing lanes because he has a huge post behind him to help out!

@kjayhawks

You are right, and with every well-executed play there is an option for most of the reactions on defense. However... getting your players to execute that is usually tougher than the original play execution. These are kids playing in front of thousands of people... and the pressure is on. I remember when Nova made our chop play look amateurish, at best.

I like your response about a dribble drive. Wish our coaches had more experience at teaching dribble drive. Over the past years we've adjusted our offense to a more hybrid offense with dribble drive as a wrinkle but I've never been satisfied with our guys actually executing it well. I thought Tyshawn Taylor was probably our best dribble drive guard in recent history. Especially effective his senior year after hooking up with John Lucas. John was the master at "cooking in the kitchen." Think it was Lucas who called the paint "his kitchen." "Got to keep your cool, you only need a quick move to finish your cookin'!" Lucas was a total mismatch for any big in the paint. Automatic 2, sometimes "and 1!"

I wish we would find a way to get all our guards over to see Lucas. I've said for years we should pay whatever it takes to get Lucas to open shop in Lawrence. We could have saved the money for McCarthy Hall and spent it where it really mattered.

@Texas-Hawk-10

Ah... I forgot about Josh's car damage incident. I think that is the extent of what he did at Kansas, right?

I think it's different "on court" versus "off court." I'm not absolving anyone from responsible actions, I'm just keeping this "apples to apples."

Allen's antics make a mockery of the game. He's sticking his tongue out and giving basketball a huge raspberry. And he's doing it by putting other player's health at risk. If the game doesn't come back hard on Allen the game is giving all players a green light for "thuggery."

I'm curious how Bill would have handled Allen at Kansas. I seriously doubt he would have let him slide for long.

I wonder, oh I wonder... how Bobby Knight felt about Allen's antics at Duke? I don't think he looked at his old point guard (Coach K) in a favorable light over being soft on him.

I see Allen as one of those kids that lacked attention so he'd do anything to get it. Maybe he needed some "tough love" like from a Bobby Knight style of coach. Guess I'm on the edge of being hypocritical if I support coach thuggery but not player thuggery. Too much sun today!

@dylans

I do hold Duke responsible and don't compare Allen to Josh. What Josh is doing he's doing after wearing the Jayhawk uniform. After Allen's extreme dirty play started at Duke, he should have been given one more chance to clean up his act and then he should have been tossed off the team. There is no excuse for that kind of play, period. And I totally expect Self to boot off any player who repeats the style of dirty play that can potentially seriously injure another player.

If I'm making comparisons, I'd talk about the Morris twins. They were on the edge of being booted, and they knew it and they cleaned up their play considerably. The Morris twins played a different brand of basketball than Allen. Please listen to the audio on that tape because it is right on. Allen doesn't play a physical game, except when he's out to damage another player. The twins would sometimes get caught up in rough play that extended a bit too rough. Totally different and typically started when opposing players played a bit too rough back.

If I want to compare Self and K as coaches, this is one area where I'm looking and I giving Self the advantage.

Interesting video on the chop. I still can't believe we can get away with using that option since it's simple to disassemble by just having a defender step out into the chop lane. I do notice we use it less all the time. Nova totally exposed how to stop it and you'd think we would be better scouted, especially in our own league.

Kind of reminds me of the old OU football option offense that was so successful for such a long period.

Allen, once again, being Allen. He's a public relations nightmare for any team dumb enough to suit him up. It's a matter of time before he gets exposed off the court, too... probably for being physically abusive to women. He has severe anger issues and he shouldn't be in the league, period. His antics would have been appreciated on an old Pistons team, but those league days are over.

Still can't believe Duke maintains any kind of decent reputation after they stood up for this guy. How many things have to happen before the teflon wears off?

I have come to learn to never look past any team, even if they aren't a respected D1 school. It is especially important to stay focused in Hawaii because the players are going to have their attention on the beach probably more than the court. I like this tournament because it really tests our guys ability to stay focused on the prize. It has definitely exposed us in the past...

@tundrahok

I like your post. All of it.

What I really take from Self and his relationship with his players is that he truly is "all in" for his players. He walks the extra mile for them, even when it becomes difficult. Vick is the perfect example. Doubtful we will ever know the details in the Vick mystery, and maybe we shouldn't. Just because players sign the dotted line to play ball for a school it doesn't create a situation where they can have no privacy. And this is all very important for players because their reputation follows them beyond KU into pro sports or a non-sports job.

I don't always agree with Bill... but I'm hard pressed to find another D1 coach that can match his ability to handle the public. Consider our current situation regarding possible NCAA infractions. Bill keeps his hand close to his chest and he doesn't go on emotional tirades blurting out opinions that can hurt the university, himself or his players.

I know I've connected with Jayhawks in many countries. I see our unique Jayhawk logo everywhere. Hard to imagine what it would be like to be a player after leaving KU. The one thing I know is we have a global community. Family. I'm sure there are some other schools with the same, and maybe I just notice everything KU out there... but it seems like we have the largest fan base over all other college teams.

Anyone have #s out there to support which school has the largest fan base? I'm certain whatever the answer is I will kindly put on my crimson/blue shades and announce Kansas as the clear winner!

I just finished reading Matt over at the KUSports site and read this:

"Not all, of course, but so many of these transfer-type decisions are rooted in emotion, often made in the heat of the moment after a rough stretch of limited playing time or a bad week at practice."

Instantly, it made me think about Q. Is it possible all the fan chatter played a big part in him moving on? There were some pretty harsh things said. I know I changed my tone during the season and started question his effort.

I know fans can point to other factors. But I wonder what got him looking to transfer in the first place?

Are players reading KUBuckets?

Anyone know?

Love that flimsy excuse that the UNC bogus classes also had non-athletes attending, therefore it wasn't rigged for the athletes.

I still put this offense as far worse than an athlete or family member receiving a few bucks. The academic fraud cheapens the overall reputation of education and hurts everyone.

justanotherfan said:

We all know that most NCAA champions have at least seven or eight legitimate contributors. That is just a must unless you get really lucky.

Think your last paragraph says it all. And you are right, they didn't have the right combination of talent. I thought Jones actually did a great job of making them look like a team.

An easier part of the game to come together (defense)... they still were lackluster. Just think players need time to play with each other (multiple years) to understand each other's tendencies and eventually they feel each other's presence (without having to look).

How do you feel about next year's Jayhawks? I realize there are some unknowns, like trey shooting, but I'm feeling like this year's team can be a contender. And they are riding in on less pressure (streak is gone) while carrying a chip at the same time.

So do we have 7 or 8 contributors?

Sorry I go off too much on Zion. I'm a perennial Duke "hater"... but I am infatuated with that kid and why not pick the brains of fans of the game (in here)?

Lots of good theories in here. The more I think about it, the more I think he will become focused on what his team needs and how their chemistry works. Question will be: does Zion get to pick the direction he takes his game or does it come from his team? My bet is they will have to keep him happy, and he will be calling the shots.

Two thumbs up on Embiid being the best big man since Olajuwon. I still think he is far away from hitting his ceiling. Not sure he can get near it because I'm skeptical about his ability to stay healthy. Just too much Embiid having to move up and down the court and get up in the air. Plus, he takes a lot of gambles because he is so gifted with his body. Not sure he needs to be diving for loose balls on the sidelines... but he does.

There was a part of this thread not really focused directly on Zion, but more on Coach K and how he's manicuring the elites. Sounds quite a bit different than Self when he had Wigs. The game just flat out has too much money around it. Not so much in college as after... and how much of that is actually earned income directly from the league, and how much pure commercialism (ads and big business).

If Zion does "break out" in the league and becomes a super duper star... does Duke ride in on his coattails? Kind of like UNC and Jordan? I think of those things because we have the appearance of trying to be one of those teams recruiting top tier talent. I remember Self being questioned about it several years ago and he flat out said he was going to try to land the very best skilled talent he can land. I don't think anything has changed there concerning his strategy.

Will Virginia start piling up NCs? More for 'Nova? It still looks (to me) that the National Champions typically aren't stocked with OADs. And now we have a telling example, Zion and cast couldn't win it all. I still don't understand how Duke lost in March. It made enough of an impression on me to really question our recruiting strategy. Put with that players like Q. I'm not against recruiting high ranked players. I just think we need a better vetting method. Look harder at the players potential and judge if he will fly to the NBA early.

I think we've been having too many players that really don't give us enough and then split too fast for the league. We invest everything in these guys and we need to get "paid back." I don't see many elite players that can really get us paid back in one year.

What if Zion had come to Kansas? Would our year have been different? I'm not 100% sure it would have been different, even to the point that maybe our conference streak still would have ended. On paper we would have looked better... but in reality, who knows?

@justanotherfan

Excellent post. Don't you think the rankings are a bit of "self-fulfilling prophecy?"

I've been around several players fresh out of D1 awaiting for their shot in the league. Most all of these guys jump to another level within that period of just a few months. They have agents, who connect them with the right trainers while they get their moments practicing for NBA teams.

You can easily see the difference in their conditioning just by seeing them in street clothes. It's dramatic.... and it's also necessary if they want a real shot in the league.

@Marco

I see Zion as a better version of Charles Barkley. Same body style, but more athletic.

If Zion focuses on rebounds, he should be able to lead the league in rebounds.

He is bound to become a better shooter than Sir Charles, especially from trey.

And I believe he can become a very high scorer because of the trey... not so much on him hitting treys as much as defenses all have to come out and guard the trey. That leaves driving lanes open and he will learn to take it to the rack on anyone.

If he stays healthy, I see him putting up big numbers. Just think it would be nice to see him on an established team where he can blend in a bit and play with less the chip of having to carry his team on his back.

@kjayhawks

I see it as he has a case of the "unknowns." His future will be stacked with cash, but as far as his lifestyle, it is an unknown. Heck, he's barely a man yet. So the unknown is exciting by itself. What happens after his lifestyle is known? Does he like it? Lots of pressure... there is always pressure. And how about the chaos?

From what I've read about him, he's fairly level headed, and he will need to be.

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/sports/nba/sportspulse/2019/06/27/how-zion-williamson-quickly-become-billionaire/1583934001/ ↗

Looks like I have some backing on my threat about how quickly Zion will become a billionaire.

It's all about building the Zion brand now. So that means exchanging the basketball trainer for a marketing wonk trainer to educate him on marketability. Speaking coach. Yes... speaking coach.

I've heard Zion is already being pulled into NBA boardrooms to offer him team ownership deals. He hasn't even dribbled a basketball in a real NBA game yet.

Here's a little bit of info for Coach Self and the rest of the blue blood coaches chasing after the top elites... listen to the end of the video clip. Coach K is giving his top shelf players a scoring education in marketing probably more than how to score on the court.

Yes. Money corrupts. Everything.

@Texas-Hawk-10

How can he be a senior at 19-20? I remember he was young... but I think he's older... 21. I think.

@Texas-Hawk-10

Solid perspective on the experience. Another factor is "life experience." Just being older kids. Doesn't necessarily translate on the court but I would rather have several 20+ year old players instead of 18-19 year olds.

Cleaver move by UCONN to get reinstated in the Big East before the big news. UCONN proves, once again, that winning a few rings does not make a program a "blue blood."

Speaking of the Big East... who they going to recruit now for that 12th spot? Makes me wonder if Wichita State is pounding on their door for entry.... even though they have more than they can chew in the AAC.

@KUSTEVE

This is a great year for us to have a tough schedule. Bring them all on! It's our chance to regain some bragging rights! I'm always hoping we can put up a double-digit block night against Kentucky to counter what they did to us a few years back, even though it helped toughen up Mason for his future.

Wish he was still in the B12. Anyone know what TCU will look like next year?

@bskeet

As a university, we've had our humble pie served up years ago when we worked with the NCAA to develop a model compliance program.

In more colorful terms... we had our "Cool Hand Luke" moment where Luke was finally broken down by Boss.

But then... we know what happened after that!

We only experienced a touch of how Devon can help our ball team last year. As the game slows down for him, he'll learn to pick it apart. All quality playmakers (usually PGs) have to master deception. It starts with the no-look pass. Then add in other things, like moving the defenders off their spots, changing their hedges. And last, create scoring space through change of direction, or speed, or by timing (fakes).

It's unfortunate for us we won't have Devon for 4 years. If we did, we'd be blessed with some insane basketball from the PG position! I still have him down in my thoughts as becoming the best PG Kansas has ever had! Since he won't be here much longer it will be hard to substantiate that claim.

@Texas-Hawk-10

Makes us wonder: What if the NCAA punishes us further for the Silvio case?

You are wise in pointing out the differing levels of bureaucracy.

Let's look at the totality of the situation...

NCAA's game of "flip-flop" -

NCAA approves Silvio for play :+1:

NCAA penalizes Silvio with 2-year ban :-1:

NCAA reduces ban to 1-year :+1:

NCAA punishes Kansas over the Silvio situation :-1:

Can you make sense of all of this? I'm probably leaving out a few decisions to further complicate the Silvio story...

I'd like to see Marcus step up this year and LEAD our defense! He's earned that respect from his teammates. He just needs to step from out of the shadows. A bit more self-confidence should do the trick.

I'm pretty sure our coaches could work this concept into his psyche. The more we build his confidence, the more we see him contribute in all parts of his game. Might even help his jump shot fall at a higher rate.

I remember, back in the day, being coached into a more confident shot. I was trained to tell myself "I'm gonna get this one!" every time I went up for a shot. It helped me immensely, especially because I was a poor shooter in the first place. I think it helped me stay more focused throughout the shot and I put everything into each and every shot. I bet it lifted me 10% on my shot. It's a natural and easy technique to do. I bet Marcus could gain from doing this.

It just doesn't make sense that we get punished much. Our compliance program is a model program largely constructed through NCAA advice and legal counsel. Many schools have come in to mimic our practices.

If Kansas gets slapped, then what school out there shouldn't get the same? What should our school have done differently to avoid a problem? When there is discovered the slightest problem we pull our players from the game.

If the only real evidence connecting the dots directly to our program is the Townsend communication or Self's "are we cool", we should be fine. "Lose chatter" does not warrant a conviction. Obviously, none of us know the complete story. We should know more soon.

Another huge area.... school athletic programs are having solvency issues. We all think of how much money is in college sports. But the cost to run these programs is astronomical, especially if schools want a competitive program. Think about how many entities have a say in college sports... NCAA, Board of Regents, several areas within the university, state legislatures, federal government in several areas, municipal authorities... lots of watchful eyes, legislation, rules, redundant everything... and it all draws money from the program, directly and indirectly.

All schools, including the blue bloods, can use a real boost in the financial arm. This will trickle down to the athletes beyond whatever royalties they can receive.

@dylans

I'm imagining Silvio and Doke being a huge spiritual lift from just getting out there and playing since neither were deciding factors in last year.

And then there is David. His game is transforming daily and it's hard to not jump on his inspirational bandwagon.

Ochai... someone forgot to tell him he's not supposed to be starting for a blue blood program!

Devon... why didn't he go cash in? He might not have been drafted but he would have doors open and would have drawn a paycheck. He's got something to prove. Losing doesn't settle well with him at all, and it's refreshing to see that!

Marcus... there will always be the critics thinking he doesn't deserve many minutes and he will continue to prove them wrong.

The new guys... who knows what they bring to this but they will be surrounded by a team full of guys who have a high desire to go prove something. I'm hopeful they all buy right in!

We have a team full of guys who can (and will) spiritually lead this team. This will truly be a rare team!