🏀 KuBuckets Archive

@approxinfinity

Big Mac is special. His game is advancing so quickly. I can't think of a player that has advanced his game this fast.

Reminds me of Forest Gump... "life is like a box of chocolates" because no one (including our coaching staff) could have guessed David would advance this quickly. Just the improvement in his athleticism has completely changed his game. Now he's adding range to his shot and it's come so far as to receive high praise from Self.

When David came to Kansas he was viewed as a 4-year player. Not so sure now.

If he can advance so quickly in his athleticism and shooting... will that transfer over to his handles, too? Imagine that!

nuleafjhawk said:

@Crimsonorblue22

The "I" before "E" rule, as explained by Brian Regan.

“I" before "E" except after "C" and when sounding like "A" as in neighbor and weigh, and on weekends and holidays and all throughout May, and YOU'LL ALWAYS BE WRONG NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY!!!!”

All these ancient rules! Because of my English deficiency, I forfeit an opinion. My participation would not be efficient, or sufficient!

@justanotherfan

Yes.. the first thing I see is the Pac-12 evaporating from the NCAA. What would really spell the end would be if this took off like a grass fire and started burning out of control to the east. I doubt people realize just how big of an economy California is by themselves.

California is the 5th largest economy is the world. Let that soak in.

The pressure would build for other schools to jump on the bandwagon. There would be some kind of organization jumping into this to recruit schools and states and to strategically recruit them from different conferences. It would be a grassroots campaign.

At some point I could see the ShoeCos jumping into this... especially if they get shot in the foot by some of the recently started NCAA investigations targeting violations.

I have a feeling the ShoeCos and sporting goods people are talking to each other and they are waiting for the right opportunity to bounce on the NCAA. Just think about how much revenue isn't realized every year because the clearinghouse for licensed content is the NCAA... an organization that doesn't know how to maximize return like a corporation or licensing agency does.

In a capitalist society, eventually money rules everything. How long will this go on? The royalty money potentially paid to athletes is peanuts to the potential revenue streams they would create.

I can think of so many insane graphics possible that fans would go nuts for. The college licensing would run circles around the NBA licensed products. It wouldn't even be close.

I'm hungry. I want the t-shirt with the image of Wilt, Manning and others and the Jayhawk (of course). I think fans relate players to their teams more than the teams themselves. I have several UNC friends and they would love Jordan/UNC gear with his image.

This effort would be so large that it would positively impact our national economy. It's that big of new market.

That old NCAA horse is limping and someone needs to step up and be brave and take it out for it's last trot.

I can't say I totally understand the law... but I know we have federal copyright protection on images. But the NCAA takes full advantage of being a private organization who can make it's own rules for their members (including athletes). Federal laws come into play when any group reaches a certain size where the broad public are impacted.

And now we have a State that wants a say in this.

While many are busy viewing US vs Iran... maybe more attention needs to go to California vs NCAA. I can easily see this being decided by the Supreme Court. With our current judges, I would think they would favor the private organization.

Question is: will California up the escalation by threatening to kick the NCAA to the curb? What if several States follow California? Suddenly several conferences get impacted and the damage is systemic.

@Crimsonorblue22

Well said!

Whether we like it or not, ranking systems are a part of basketball, and rightly so. I agree with others that most of those players stay playing ball. However... there really are indefinite opportunities in basketball for those who search hard enough. The NBA is limited, but just about every town in the world seems to have a pro team. It is a game that has gone "broadly abroad."

I also think once a player gets ranked he has plenty of opportunities to develop his game to a higher level. Camps, leagues, tournaments... it never stops.

Rankings help develop players' branding and that is a big part of their worth, whether it's for a NBA tryout or for playing anywhere. All programs fight for prestige and they promote the players with the highest branding to not only get more fan followers, but to also recruit other high-quality players.

!0_1561480684811_egyptbasketball.jpg ↗

What a cleaver gimmick... variate seat color to make it look like there is a crowd.

@Marco

I wonder what our average margin of victory was last year? Versus past years?

Anyone know?

@justanotherfan

Good post. Every team needs a few lucky bounces, and usually that means more than bounces in a game.

We had a good bounce in 2008 when BRush returned when he would have been gone had he been healthy.

I think the best bounces are getting players back that could have turned pro. We have perhaps 3 of these guys coming back, Devon, Doke and Silvio. I know there were no guarantees for any of them to make it had they gone, but clearly they have pro potential and could have gone.

I'm sure this situation has existed out there, but I can't recall a team getting 3 guys back that could have easily gone.

BTW: Do you know... did we actively recruit Culver?

@KUSTEVE

Let's hope we are talking about this team like the 2008 team for years to come... along with the hardware!

@Marco

Notice, last year, there were very few teams we pulled away from. We struggled against most teams. We can call it "lack of killer instinct" or, more accurately, "lack of hustle."

@HighEliteMajor

Right. I'm just on my high horse about hustle. I feel like a lot of years we underachieve in that department. I do have a great feeling about this coming team and I rarely feel that optimistic when it comes to hustle.

I know Devon will play with a chip all year and surely others will, too, regarding being the team that lost the streak.

I see this as a team that will be all-in for Selfball.

@Texas-Hawk-10

For sure.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I don't discount the value of their upperclassmen. Jones and Lamb were great. But no way did they win a NC without Davis. They definitely wouldn't have beat us in the NC game.

Hey... I'm becoming more against the OAD recruits. But in this year, UK relied on their freshmen as much as their upperclassmen.

@Texas-Hawk-10

Yes... Lamb scored 22. Jones had 9.

But Davis had 16 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 3 steals, and 5 assists, to go along with his 6 points.

Davis owned us.

Teague had 14, Gilchrist 11.

!0_1561219041515_davis.jpeg ↗

This is all I remember from that game.

I know strategy on switches is important. But what I put above everything is hustle, team work and hedging.

When was that, 3 years ago when Nova throttled us in March? And with mostly 3-star guys, or whatever? I just remember we had a solid shooting trey team and our guys were never open in that game. And when the ball went inside, they pinched off driving lanes from our bigs and often forced TOs. Perry scored a whopping 4 points. Nova played really good defense. I know Self likes to consider his strategy to be about defense first... but we've never played sticky defense like that. Nova took us totally out of our game. We only scored 59 points and I recall we tightened the game up late or otherwise it was worse. They stole the ball from us 11 times in that game. If Devonte didn't get hot from the outside we wouldn't have scored 50. Most every shot was contested.

Am I wrong... but all I remember from the teams that have won NCs... Cal's 2012 team that took us in the finals was the only team dominated with OADs. Is that right? Help me out... and we would have taken home the trophy if they didn't have Anthony Davis, a real rare player. That team had 8 Top 100 players, 4 of those were freshmen. Didn't 3 of those freshmen declare after the trophy? Davis, Gilchrist, Teague.

While we all juggle our minds around ideas about recruit rankings, Jarrett Culver goes about his business of playing in the NBA. His realization solidified last night by becoming the 6th pick in the draft.

How did this guy slip past our radar? I know he was a late bloomer, but isn't the play of players towards the end of their HS careers the most important factor considered with our recruiters?

Isn't it possible we are giving too much attention to rankings over what the players actually bring to the table?

Jarrett came out of high school with a 3-star ranking. 3-star! That should tell us something. There are many low-ranked players that have big-time potential. It only took Jarrett two years to find his potential to make it to the league.

I watched part of the draft last night and what stuck in my mind was the influx of foreign players. Question for our recruiters... how many languages do you speak?

Congrats to Jarrett for a job well done! Best of luck in the league!

@BShark

You are right about Dedric and Q having less athletic ability and I don't want to give the impression Dedric never hustled. He definitely hustled on the offensive end, particularly when he had the ball and was trying to score.

As many called it before me... Dedric played "old man ball." Sometimes he took plays off or reserved his energy for plays he could finish with results... hence.. his solid stat sheet results.

I guess I can't get one play out of my head. I think it was against ISU, and our guys were headed back on defense. Dedric was facing the ISU goal, on their side of the court and just jogging back, nice and slow and not even watching what was happening as the ISU player drove right past him for an easy layup. The optics were attrocious.

We had a lot of play like that last year, and from more players than Dedric.

Except for a player or two, like Devon... weren't our guys rested enough to hang on the court with the speed of D1? I don't think anyone will remember our team last year for their hustle. Speaking of Devon... with all his PT minutes... I put him at the top of the list for hustle.

I don't think it matters how we stack our roster if our guys aren't going to "take it to the max" on hustle. We'll face an early exit in March again.

@Fightsongwriter

I think a lot of it is desire. Hustle. Grit.

Jaybate and I used to talk about Mezzoball. Let's take our team from this past year. Suddenly, they have their heads removed for losing a game. Don't you think they would look a lot more athletic?

I think Dedric has more athleticism than people give him credit, perhaps not great, but better than he showed. And he could have made up for a lot by playing with energy. I recall so many times he would lumber back on defense....

@approxinfinity

I could be mistaken but I'm thinking TRele was the last guy that knew how to hedge.

@approxinfinity

Quick twitch is helpful, but not required in D1. Proper positioning is more important (hedging). At the pro level, they need everything.

I've come to realize that hedging isn't part of the coaching at Kansas (or at most D1 schools). It's a pity to give up such an advantage.

Let's remember how suddenly Marcus became an offensive threat... until he got banged up and slowed down. That happened before his high ankle sprain, which really hampered his game.

BTW, Marcus still isn't 100%. I'm hopeful he gets there by the end of December.

@BShark

I understand your concern. But don't forget how many rebounds Dedric snagged, too.

Jalen is a different kind of "non-athlete." He's a tough guy who likes contact. I don't think any of us would use that description for Dedric. Dedric just knew how to score and to some degree, rebound.

Expect Jalen to be on the receiving end of black eyes, scrapes, etc.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I'm with you on that... When we play teams that have a dominant offensive player (PG - 3 and sometimes 4) put Marcus on him.

Marcus is a huge weapon for us. Relieving his teammates from being stuck guarding tough assignments that can easily put them in foul trouble while they get scored on.

I'm excited to have Jalen. I see him as a different form of Dedric. Remember how he was billed as being non-athletic? Dedric sure knew how to fill a stat sheet, and let's face it, it's the stat sheet that really determines the final score. I will always take these kinds of "non-athletes" over the high-flying guys that can't fill a stat sheet.

From what I have heard about Jalen... he stays active and he embraces contact. He always finds himself around the ball. We haven't had many players like that... so I'm psyched to have Jalen on this team. I'm worried about his freshman year.. adapting to D1... but I've been convinced recently that he'll find ways to contribute, even in his freshman year.

I think we've all been spoiled with a specific "standard" KU player; long, athletic, etc. We need to focus on who will contribute instead.

@Texas-Hawk-10

Don't hold me to this... but I think Dave has "lightened the load" on his frame. He's moving much better!

I think Big Mac will get plenty of PT this year. Doke can't go 40 mpg, or even close. And no reason to run Silvio ragged either. And then there is foul trouble. I can see Dave pulling 25 mpg, perhaps when you figure in factors like foul trouble, maybe pushing a little higher. We need a 3-big solid rotation to run constant 2 bigs.

With the improvement of Dave what I see it taking away from is the smaller lineup.

Nothing is set in stone, and if we run a 2-big lineup and it doesn't produce well, you can expect to see a smaller lineup again. Anything to push success. I see Dave's uptick challenging minutes from guys like Jalen, Marcus and others who could get some minutes at the 4 in a small lineup.

Notice I didn't even mention Mitch. I wonder why...

@approxinfinity

I think you are right. I'm looking at Big Mac right now and I have to look at him twice to recognize him. He has changed that much since March. He's a lot more chiseled. I've never seen anyone change their athleticism so quickly. He is going to be a force next year that we won't realize until he's in games because we don't know how well that will transfer but it surely will be a positive. He's slowed the game down and is using his energy more efficiently, too. His midrange shot is coming along. I'm sure his defense will be much improved as well. David is "dialing in" to the game now and he's not ready to just concede he'll be riding the pine.

I mentioned the hopes of RSing Mitch. We do really need to address our big situation because we can't sit guys like David for most of the season. He's worked harder than anyone and he deserves PT.

Managing player minutes has become one of the most important aspects of coaching D1 today. We are seeing a record amount of transfers and unhappy campers in the game. All that not only disrupts team personnel but also creates recruiting problems.

I think Marcus, if healthy next year, will be an integral part of our special sauce that will carry us far into the tournament. He stands to become the defensive leader on our team and with defense being half the game Marcus will be very important. His tenacity should be contagious, especially next year as more of our players start to buy in to Selfball. I think of a lineup with Devon, Marcus and Silvio and I see a team capable of becoming an outstanding defensive team. One look back at last year, and the National Champion, should put the exclamation mark back on defense again.... where it belongs.

Obviously, fans get excited with offensive potential. Some of our recent signings fill the holes on offense. But it is still defense you want to count on at tournament time. All teams seem to have a bad offensive night in March. It only takes one to be sent home.

I just hope he comes back with a big heaping of self-confidence. I think he lost his edge last year and perhaps that might have been a confidence issue.

He should be confident... he is a major cog at KU!

Personally, I'd like to see Mitch RS. We can use him, big time, the following year and I'm curious how much he would improve with a year off. The guy isn't anxious for a NBA tryout, so why not save his last year to be a memorable one? He deserves the luxury of an extra year.

@Texas-Hawk-10

The key really is that these players show plenty of improvement during the year. They need to get some spot minutes for that to happen. Self is going to value these guys and will want them to stay Jayhawks. He has to make some minutes available as long as they can show they belong out there.

I think Lightfoot will see plenty of court, though it seems wise to redshirt him, even this late in his career. He's a true KU guy and he'd be happy to do it. But oh wow will he be needed after this coming year when our post players leave.

Yes, Self values experience. Even higher on the list is defense and Lightfoot is one of our best rim protectors (if not the best).

Seems like every Jayhawk fan has his/her own ideas about who we should recruit and what should be our strategy.

I found this on KUSports.com today:

"Here's a quick look back at the 15 other recruiting classes brought to Kansas by Bill Self:

2007

Highest rated prospect: Cole Aldrich 30
Others: Tyrel Reed 109

2006

Highest rated prospect: Darrell Arthur 16
Others: Sherron Collins 21, Brady Morningstar Outside Rivals150

2005

Highest rated prospect: Julian Wright 8
Others: Brandon Rush 13, Mario Chalmers 12, Micah Downs 28

2004

Highest rated prospect: Russell Robinson 27
Others: C.J. Giles 62, Alex Galindo 65, Darnell Jackson 54, Sasha Kaun 34 "

I snipped off most of the recruiting years to focus on the years that took us to our last National Championship.

As you can see, we really benefited by collecting players from 4 different recruiting classes to build that championship team that was stacked with talent and experience.

Julian Wright was the only Top 10 recruit we landed in that period and he wasn't there when we won the championship.

Kind of looks like we do best with players between Top 10 and 30.

Perhaps these players make up the "sweet spot" in recruiting because most don't think OAD.

Even though it was only 11 years back, it seems like a lifetime ago since our last championship and I am of the opinion that more players of the caliber we had back then wouldn't wait it out in college as long and would bolt for the league or foreign pro ball.

For that reason, I'm thinking today's sweetest spot is probably Top 20 to 40, and how much difference is there from a 40-ranked player and a 50 or 60?

@jayballer73

Guess I need to define "beat down."

When it comes to Duke, I consider anything over 10 to be a beat down. That amount shows some level of superiority whereas a 2-point victory seems more circumstantial and less about superiority.

Starting to think about lineups...

I could be wrong here, but from what I've seen, this may end up being the best "handles" team we've had since our 2008 team! Granted... our big handle players might be green freshmen, but none the less, I'm seeing the potential for some dynamic offense that we've not really had since 2008.

I'm not sure how much of this applies to the upcoming year, but after that... and then it matters who sticks around after next year. I wish Devon would hang out one more year after this season but I have my doubts.

In thinking about "big lineups" and "small lineups" it is paramount to think about who has the handles, especially with the small lineup. The advantage should be to get out and run! When was the last time we had a real running team? Guys like Svi were great shooters, but he only had average handles. I'm looking at Devon and some of our new guys and then Isaiah... wow! Handles! And the foot speed to go with it!

SDS can handle rebounding for a small lineup and let's not discount his speed!

@FarmerJayhawk

Just consider Big Mac. Think of how he started last year and how he ended last year. The gains were huge, and he should even start this year better than he left it last year because of all the banging with Doke and Silvio between now and the season.

@KUSTEVE

Makes sense. His footage shows him fighting through contact and getting his shots up anyways. I see him as a huge asset in years to come, just not sure yet how he adjusts to D1 as a freshman. You just can't be certain until it happens. Q had a great body and looked like he would adjust well and we see what happened.

But if you really examine the HS footage on Q and Jalen it is clear that Jalen never backed off of contact.... seeming to enjoy it.

Wait a minute... how many points are coming back for Duke? 10? This is a team full of newbies... right? And we get them early?

I see a beat down coming.

Concerning PT....

I think the only constant is Devon. He's going to play 35+ minutes a game.

Beyond that, it's hard to tell. Guys will be yanked for fouls and discipline beyond what would be what is expected.

I do think the surprise player will be Silvio. In my imaginary future he gets the second most minutes behind Devon because he will show the most toughness and hustle... about a tie with Devon. I see those two being our main leaders on the floor. They will earn it with their toughness and hustle. Silvio should be a double-double machine, every single game. The rest of the team will follow their lead and we should have one heck of a season!

I think Isaiah is our biggest grab for immediate help. The guy can flat out score, and what we really have to do is put points on the board. I hope his defense will come around soon because he's an offensive talent that would be horribly wasted sitting on the bench if he doesn't buy in to Self's defensive needs. He better be extremely excited because he has a great chance to be a 30+ minute player this year if he can pick up Selfball.

Tristan and Jalen should be like giving us one complete ready player this year. We can rotate them in based on who is hot and who isn't messing up or getting in foul trouble.

Several things impress me about Jalen. First... his drive. From all the footage I see on him, 90% of the time he's driving the ball. He should develop into that monster 3 we used to have; a guy that can drive, drive and pull up, or bomb the trey. What a load that takes off our guards when we have a wing guy that actively drives. So glad he has some handles!

Speaking of handles.... it is going to be a blast watching him grow into a uniform along with Tristan. What are we going to do with two guys with size who both have handles? I suspect this opportunity will be seized by Self to develop some new wrinkles in the offense which will include having both of them out there at the same time. Not probably this coming year, but next.

I do think he will have an adjustment year. So I'm not expecting the impossible out of him as a freshman. But he will be surrounded by great, experienced talent.

I'm also hoping Silvio, Doke and Big Mac go to work on him... hammering on him. And then there is Hudy. Both Jalen and Tristan will have some growing up necessary. Not even sure either shaves yet!

Are we all happy or not?

Yes, we missed on several OAD targets. But we landed a core of quality players that should stick around for a while. And let's hope the drama is gone.

I'm excited to see these guys develop!

Now it's official... we're back! Welcome Jalen!

Hahhaheeee..... I thought it might be time to bring back this thread.

Even without the next scholarship taken, I'm feeling pretty solid with this bunch.

It feels like we cut out all the "dead wood" and have a completely fresh group of guys who will bring their own energy, making this team something special. Something real special!

Add in the guys who were part of last year's loss of the streak, and there will be a lot of determination and focus this year.

My only real question: Whose team will this be? Will we have one guy step up to "ride the bull?" Or will it be "leadership by the numbers?"

I know I hope Devon will lead it or be a huge part of that leadership.

This should really be Marcus' year. He's got size backing him up in the post, which means he can take a few more defensive risks out front.

I like his reflexes best of all.

I'm hoping he figures out a few more mental sides of defense.

Lures, bluffs and other deceptions - I'm hoping Marcus figures out the mental side of defense. He can entice the ball to come into his fingers by adding deception to his game. To start... he can sometimes create a bit extra space, enticing the ball into the passing lane, but he's all over it with his reflexes... ready for a steal. Then there is the "look the other way" when the defender doesn't appear to be paying attention to his man or the passer. Then there are the bluffs... bluffing to bite on the switch, bluffing the anticipation of one passing lane when preparing to pounce on another passing lane.

Old NBA footage is where a player can learn this stuff. It's so rarely done today. Steph Curry is pretty good at it.

I'd also like to see Marcus "challenge the dribble." Another part of defense that is largely gone. He has good enough reflexes and arm length to swipe balls off the dribble if he went to work on it. This is where it's good if he knows deception, too.

I'm psyched! And he comes prepped for physical play of the Big 10! He's ready to go!

I get the feeling Moss was on a stale team. Put him with a team where many players can score in their positions and WOW! He'll be free (all year) to go 1-on-1 on offense... I expect him to have a big year!

If this happens... I'm glad we missed on all the other targets. Isaiah Moss has plenty of D1 experience. Watch the video. What impresses me most is how easy he makes scoring look. You won't find many in college making it look this easy.

Add Jalen Wilson and many will put us as a preseason #1. This time, I might agree with them!

Marcus can definitely improve his shot considerably. I think we all know that. @justanotherfan point is that it's a difficult struggle to improve, and I agree with that. Muscle memory on form and touch is hard to program, but even harder to reprogram after playing for such a long time.

Out of everyone on our team, Marcus probably has the most room to improve his game. His athleticism is good, his size is good, his feel for the game is good, his reflexes are outstanding. Here is a guy who could make it well at the next level if he made big gains in some areas.... mostly his shot. His handles can use some work, too.

I think moving the line back will help us substantially. It's a great year to focus on post scoring and we are well positioned there!

@KUSTEVE

I know it's just a fun thought that will never happen... I know it would be packed in tight. Imagine what it would be like to defend that? You are trying to keep a 7' monster from dunking on you in the low post and there are two other equally qualifying monsters. Without another big monster on your team, your weakside help would be just that... weak.

How about we play all three bigs... Silvio, Mac and Doke, at the same time, and rotate them through the paint. Who could stop that? Ha.. they would even grind up Duke's Top 3 bigs from last year. We have a PG and a SG, moving around the trey line standing and awaiting easy set shot feeds from the post when teams smush down to protect the paint.

To better understand what I'm talking about... take scissors and cut out a paper circle. Draw 3 points on the circumference making a triangle. Place it on a basketball court diagram, over the paint area of a goal. Spin it. That's all we have to do. And then once in a while, have one of our bigs step up for a screen in the rotation. All three of our bigs have a back to the basket game. All 3 have girth and power. Name any team in D1 (ever) that has that kind of beef in the post?

We need to expose the rest of D1 for not having post size. Our guards need to spread out on the trey and pick a spot and practice, practice, practice at that spot until they can hit 40+%. That shouldn't be tough on an easy set shot where the pass comes back from the post.

Build our offensive proficiency to such a level that we can just play cautionary defense, trying not to foul, and mastering rebounding (on both sides of the ball).

Why should we just use our wealth of post size as "depth" by having someone sitting on the bench? All 3 of our bigs have pretty good floor speed. We can't run it all the time, but we could put it in for stretches to build a lead.

Just an idea from my tomato patch... where I have time to think and dream the improbable.