Man, watching these highlights is awesome and tough at the same time. I wish Wiggs had learned how to shoot while he was a KU. He would have been almost impossible to guard at the college level if he had the shot he has now. That said, hopefully he becomes the All Star we all know he can be and younger players who idolize him and his game will want to follow in his footsteps as a Jayhawk.
joeloveshawks
853 posts
@Crimsonorblue22 Totally. We have had amazing players and a lot of the guys really love Lawrence and even end up spending time there later in life. Just saying that I think one thing that makes it tough on Bill is where KU is located.
Like most of us on here I live and breathe KU basketball and I think all of the top recruits should become Jayhawks. That said, I still think recruiting to KU is really hard. Yes, we have the tradition, the history, the great coach, the updated dorms, the constant TV exposure, the amazing future HOF coach, etc. Even with all of that an 18 year old kid still needs to be convinced to move to small town in the middle of nowhere as far from the coasts as you can get. I feel like I can say this having grown up in Kansas.
I didn't catch any of the game. I'm thrilled that Bragg looked great. Sounds like he has a pretty nice set of tools.
Landen Lucas started? Did I read that correctly?
I can't believe that the pre-season starts tonight!! I need to remind my wife that starting at 7 pm tonight KU basketball gets priority over all other things on TV for the next 6 months.
@HighEliteMajor Isn't he planeed to announce on November 4th? Which is today.
@BeddieKU23 Good insight. I am honestly not very familiar with Herard at all and it sounds like a guy who could be good in the future.
I really can't stomach the idea of Lucas being our 5 next year. Unless he drastically improves he has no business as a starting center at a premier program like KU.
I am a bit surprised that there are so many people on the site questioning that we sign this kid. It seems like a no brainer to me. We are losing a few players for sure and will probably lose at least 1 to the draft (Selden or Svi?). He is not taking a scholarship away from anyone. We have room as we are not going to land all of the top shelf recruits we are still after and it doesn't seem like he is the kind of player who is going to scare a top 15 recruit away from coming to KU.
This is not a Jamari Traylor / Landen Lucas outside the top 100 type of sign in my opinion as it appears that Mitch has a skill set which neither Bam Bam or Lucas ever had or ever will. Traylor is a freak athlete and Lucas is tall. That is about all there is to their game. It appears that Lightfoot can shoot 3's, can dribble, can shoot free throws and will more than likely learn how to pass and rebound after a couple of years of playing under Bill Self. The praise from Fran and Jeff Goodman and others seems like this could be a diamond in the rough situation. "No rank Frank" and Devonte have certainly surpassed expectations in a very small amount of time. I trust in Self and the coaching staff that they know that Lightfoot is not just taking up a scholarship and will be a contributor in a year or two. It could be worth the wait. I remember when we used to have to wait for a year or two for guys to contribute and it wasn't that long ago...Thomas Robinson, Travis Releford, E.J., Cole, etc. Maybe he will actually be college ready by the time he gets big minutes and won't have to "get used to the speed of the game" like Cliff and others.
I guess I would like to hear a serious argument for not signing him.
I'm excited. Four year kid who can shoot and has high energy. Good to get the first player in the class signed. More good news to follow. I trust Bill has another big man or two of note coming our way.
Now clear Cheick!!!!
Just seeing Shaka Smart makes me feel ill.
@jayballer54 If this kid is the "next Sam Dekker" as Jeff Goodman states I think it is a no brainer that we want him. Sure he may not be ranked in the top 100 at the moment but I personally think it is worth the risk. McBuckets was not inside the top 100. Neither was Kaminsky. Just a couple of recent tall white guys that I can think of that have had little to no fan fare coming into college and turned out to be player of the year. I'm certainly not pretending that Lightfoot is going to be the best player in college basketball but the reviews from Goodman and Fran seem pretty legit and I like the idea of 4 year players. Call me old fashioned but they are still an important part of the game see MSU and Wisconsin in the Final 4 last year.
@BeddieKU23 I am apparently way out of the loop since I just had to google who Drake even is.
@Statmachine Who are the guys who are going against each other every day?
@ParisHawk Good points. It is certainly interesting as Bill has played mediocre talent in front of super high recruits (Oubre / Alexander) but he has also gone with certain freshman from the first tip and let them play through mistakes. Wiggins, Selden and BMac come to mind. These guys were given the greens light without going through any of Bill's doghouses, deep freezes, mental toughening running on treamill drills. Are these examples just players who are that talented from day 1?
Fully agree that coaches all over the country are saying "Look what KU did with Selby, Oubre, Alexander...". I guess it is Bill's job to say "Look what KU did with Wiggins, B Mac, T Rob, Morris Twins..."
Unreal. This team knows how to fight back!!!
@ParisHawk I agree 100%. Bragg should play in front of upperclassmen who are less talented. That said, I am ready to pull my hair out all year watching Bam Bam and Lucas play big minutes while Bill says that Bragg is "Adjusting to the speed of the game" or some other ridiculous reason. I am about as big of a Self apologist as there is but the thought of another year of Lucas / Traylor playing in front of top shelf freshman makes me want to jump off of a bridge. I can't even say the recruiting part bothers me (although it should). It is really the thought that a kid like Bragg playing through mistakes will be the guy we want in March. Not Bam Bam. Not Lucas. I am not convinced that either of those guys will ever be good.
@Statmachine This is a question and not a criticism. Do you think that Bam Bam is going to shoot mid range jump shots often in the regular season or is this just a "hey I'm going to shoot this 16 foot shot because it is Late Night at AFH"?
Also, if Diallo is cleared to play and Bragg is as talented as everyone is saying, where does Jamari fit in as far as getting many minutes as he will likely be the 4th/5th big man in the rotation?
@HighEliteMajor Greene is one of the best pure shooters I have ever seen at any level. His stroke is a thing of beauty. Even with a very crowded perimeter I expect Greene to get shots this year and that plays will be drawn up with him in mind. Even a tough minded Coach Self has to see that 5-6 plays a game for B. Greene means 10 points as he shoots 50% from deep. He is also the best FT shooter on the floor which should get him plenty of minutes late in games even though he can't dribble.
I was just thinking this to myself this morning. Kind of odd that you posted it today as I was saying in my head "the only reason I even read KUSports right now is that they may have news on Diallo!"
At least the Chiefs are playing now (hopefully with less fumbles inside the 10 yard line) and Royals playoff baseball is on the way. It should ease my mind on Diallo for a bit.
@BeddieKU23 Agreed. Picking our spots with Bam Bam is the way to go. Ellis, Mick, Diallo (who to me will be cleared any day) and Bragg should get the minutes with Jamari coming in to do dirty work when the bigs in front of him in the rotation are in foul trouble, injured, Self's dog house, etc.
Hopefully this means that Lucas will be the #6 big which will translate into 2-3 minutes a game.
@HighEliteMajor I am with you. If Diallo never gets cleared we are still a Final 4 / National Title type team. If he does get cleared and plays to the level we think he could (we have to be reasonable with expectations after Cliff's OAD season) I feel we may be in for a season of very few losses.
The last time a Big 12 team not named Kansas went to the Final 4 was in 2004, right? I'll believe it when I see it.
@drgnslayr Totally agree that minutes are a big deal. I was curious about minutes that our PG's have to play. According to different internet sites Frank played 33.5 minutes per game last year...Chalmers played 30 per game in 2008, Sherron played 33 per game in 2010 and TT played 33.5 per game in 2012.
All pretty similar numbers. You could certainly argue that Sherron was totally burned out by the time March rolled around in 2010. But why was he and not TT at the same amount of minutes? Is it just an excuse we like to use because we lost to Northern Iowa one of these years and in the other we played for a National Title? I don't know the answer but I know to me less minutes seems like a good thing - see Chalmers in 2008.
@wissoxfan83 I think the way I worded that was funny. I think it was a fluke that we came back to win a game when we were down big with 2 minutes to play but I certainly don't think it was a fluke that we were in the National Title game as we were a #1 seed. UCONN in 2011 needed to win the Big East tournament just to get into the NCAA. That was an insane run!
@wissoxfan83 I re-watched the 2008 title game last week and it certainly seemed like a fluke that we won that specific game. Free throws missed by Memphis. Huge steals in crucial minutes, etc. Pretty unreal that we were able to pull that off.
But the team we had was a Final 4 / National Championship team all year. That was the best team we have ever had under Bill. The UCONN team that won in 2011 barely made the tournament and road the wave of a one man team. Not sure I can agree that the 2011 UCONN championship and the KU 2008 championship are similar.
@HighEliteMajor Looks like a stud to me.
@Texas-Hawk-10 Hey, man. I love Hakeem the Dream. Arguably one of the most fun players to watch in any sport.
But better than Shaq? It is a good argument. Only Hakeem is even in the same conversation in the last few decades. Very different players. Ewing and Robinson? I have a feeling you are in a very small minority of people who feel these guys are even in the same league as Shaq. Shaq was unstoppable for a large stretch of time and won rings on multiple teams. He impacted the game at both ends of the floor more than any other player I can think of and he was multi-dimensional. Huge in size yes, but nimble, good passer; good basketball IQ and one of the most dominant players in all sports in his prime.
I have not seen highlights yet of either Bolden or Azubuike but reading the comments above makes me think I am missing out and need to get on youtube ASAP. The comparisons to Towns (the #1 pick in the draft) Okafor (the best player on the National Championship team) and Shaq (the best pure center in the NBA over the last 30 years) are pretty lofty. Here is to hoping we land either guy and that they are even close to as good as the players mentioned.
@HighEliteMajor I would say Tyshawn Taylor went above an beyond expectations. He was ranked in the low 70's and then started 4 years at one of the most elite programs in the country and went to a National Title game. In 2012 only a few guys in the entire country were better than he was.
I love the Burke comparison. If Mason can take us to a title game I think you can feel pretty comfortable saying "no rank Frank" is our Burke.
@Lulufulu I just turned on the 08 game based on your post. It is weird that I feel nervous that we are going to lose and angry that we are playing Coach Cal. I certainly know the outcome but it is still stressful.
I have said it before but will say it again. We are a championship team with or without Diallo. I think he will be cleared to play but I don't think it should matter. Our perimeter will be the best in the country. Perry Ellis will be on of the best Seniors in the country. Frank Mason will be one of the best PG's in the country. AFH is the best home court advantage in the country. I have not been this optimistic about a KU team since the 2011 squad.
I like Coach Howard. He may not be the X's and O's guy or the guy who can really develop talent like Manning but he seems to be loved by the team and I think his ability as a recruiter will pay off over time. Alexander was a huge get. It just didn't pan out. He will help land other top shelf talent and my bet is it will happen sooner than later.
@justanotherfan All very interesting points. The injuries are an issue. E.J. is another player who comes to mind. Super explosive athlete who by the time his much lambasted senior year rolled around was not the same player he once was.
The lack of OAD KU guys that have had success in the NBA is going to change with Wiggins. He is a once every decade or so athlete and once he figures out how to shoot he will be as hard to guard as anyone in the league.
@HighEliteMajor Agreed. I'm also with @jaybate-1.0 that a redshirt may be a good idea this year.
@justanotherfan All good points.
That said, I think you could do that for any major program. Maybe not the recent success of UK as they have been putting countless guys into the NBA and a huge number of them are NBA studs.
I guess my point is, how do you know if a guy is playing up to his high school ranking in the NBA? Is Austin Rivers? Is Harrison Barnes? Those guys were #1 in recruiting and not exactly top 10 NBA players now. Just a couple of examples.
Good points, though again about KU. It does make me think a bit about whether we have developed the SF or not. Hard to argue with our success with the developing of big men.
@JhawkAlum Wiggins, Rush, BMac and Oubre are all 3's who were top 15 draft picks. Xavier was a 2/3 and was a top 10 pick. Some of them are 1 dimensional but it would be difficult to find a school that has produced more NBA lottery picks since 2008 at the Small Forward position.
@drgnslayr Good point. Kind of forgot that he was in the mix.
I stand by my statement still. Diallo is a top 10-15 NBA prospect while Chukwu is a guy who can't play for a year and averaged 2 points a game when he did play. I still think you go with Diallo regardless of the risks. Other major programs were willing to take Diallo and they all knew where he went to school.
Bill probably looked at this season's squad and sees one of the deepest and battle tested teams he has ever had and a shot blocking, floor running, above the rim rebounding freak like Diallo seemed like the missing piece. I think Diallo plays and we all revert back to loving Bill and how he can pull rabbits out of his hat.
@wissoxfan83 I actually think that Bill had to take a guy like Diallo no matter what. It was very late in the signing period and no one else was going to sign who could make a major impact. We could have signed a low ranked post player I suppose but not sure that makes sense. Other schools were all in on Diallo and I would bet they all had the same information on his eligibility. If he ends up playing we will benefit. If he doesn't I don't think anyone else we would have signed would play in front of Perry / Bragg / Mickelson / Bam Bam so it is sort of the same. Bill had to sign him.
Nothing ventured nothing gained!!
@justanotherfan That is a brutal as I can remember. Hopefully we have enough gas left in the tank when UK comes to AFH.
@BeddieKU23 I'm bummed too. It is hard losing these guys when it seems we are the obvious choice from the start. I guess I am saying that the sky isn't falling based on Bill's track record of getting great players over the last few years. I bet he still lands a few studs and we will be fine.
As far as him going to Alabama...I actually like that part. If he went to UK or Duke or UNC I would be more upset as he would be going to a team that is already a contender and he would push them over the edge.
Certainly not the end of the world. Seemingly every year (or every other) Bill comes up big just when we think all of the recruits are going elsewhere. Things will be just fine.
@BeddieKU23 Speaking of AFH and the advantage it gives us...does anyone think that it hurts us in the NCAA tournament? I have been curious about this for years. We essentially win 50% of our games in the Big 12 every single year without much of an effort. Not that certain home games aren't tough but we have what I would consider the biggest home court advantage in all college basketball.
When March rolls around are we less battle tested than other teams due to our easy games at AFH? I honestly don't know how I feel about this myself but it is a question I have been wanting to ask to see what others think.
@jaybate-1.0 I agree. Our big men last year had a lot of problems. Perry was the only stud and he was injured at the end of the year. I'd say we had the worst group of post players in the Bill Self era last year. Trying to think back to when Roy maybe had a more lackluster post.
@dylans That should be motivation. No doubt about that. But they should be motivated already after being embarrassed by these guys on the biggest stage to end their year last year. I would love nothing more than to see a KU vs. WSU Final 4 matchup this year.
@JayHawkFanToo Michigan. Without hesitation.
@JayHawkFanToo I hope you are right. Shaka's biggest and best day that put him on the map is my #2 worst memory as a KU fan. The wound still seems so fresh!!
@justanotherfan Great post. Lots of good information on Shaka and his resume.
He is pretty impressive as far as wins and losses. A Final 4, etc. That certainly doesn't change the fact that I despise him. His arrogance is in an elite class. Coach Cal level arrogance without the championships to go with it.
For me the Big 12 lost one of the classiest acts in all sports in Hoiberg who coached a very worth opponent at ISU and have added a 5'7 small man syndrome j*ck off to coach an already irritating and self righteous Texas. I wish them all the worst.
Not sure if someone already posted this but here it is. Not surprised that we are top 5 but I am surprised that the Big 12 has 3 top 10 teams.
How is UK ahead of KU? They lose 80% of their team. We return 80% of ours. Silly.
I consider this a big problem. I was 100% sure that BMac would be cleared to play his freshman year. I was 100% sure that Cliff would only sit out a few games last year. It is really scary. If he is ok to play it shouldn't even be a discussion. I'm very concerned as Diallo is a starter for this team if he plays to his billing.
@JayHawkFanToo Agreed. These lists are silly. For reference Cliff Alexander was #2 on this list last year. We all know how that turned out.