🏀 KuBuckets Archive

This new program that the NBA has will likely give those that want it the chance to skip college and go to the G-League, get pro coaching and salary before being eligible for the NBA. Between that and overseas (particularly Australia), we could see a dozen or so top players skimmed off every year.

That means there probably won't be very many true "difference makers" coming into the college game each year. You don't get Andrew Wiggins, but you do get Wayne Selden. You probably won't see much clustering of talent, either. Without truly elite guys to build around, the complimentary guys won't have much reason to flock to the same school. I think that's what we are seeing.

With the drop off in talent, I would also expect more guys to stay for two years, rather than jump after one. The guys that can jump after one probably never show up. The NBA game and college game are just so much different from a pace and structure perspective.

And if the NCAA doesn't figure this out soon, they will be a relic of the past, too.

Donald Trump should not be blamed for not shutting down the country because he does not have that authority. He cannot issue a nationwide "stay at home" order like governors or local officials can. That's outside his power.

So I hold no issue with him on actually shutting down the country.

The problem is the messaging has been confusing at best. Because Trump has a very strong following, when he says something, it resonates with a lot of people, to the point that if he says that something is a big deal, it is a big deal to those people, and if he says something is nothing to worry about, those people won't worry about it.

As a result of having such a strong and loyal following, though, he has a large responsibility to keep those people informed of what is going on, because they won't take something seriously if he doesn't say it (or worse yet, says that it isn't anything to worry about). That's what happened here. Trump said COVID-19 was a hoax, and that it would disappear. So the people loyal to him dismissed reports that were counter to those statements. As a result, even now we have people that, despite all of the deaths and other issues, are still not really taking this seriously. That's not good at any time, but especially during a public health crisis.

And why is it that a public health crisis is so different? Well, simply put, we need close to 100% buy-in for any action to be effective in a public health crisis. This isn't about Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, moderates, right, left, etc. This is an infectious disease. Anyone can get it. Anyone can pass it along. That puts everyone at risk if even a minority of people continue to spread the virus.

The message has to be consistent about the risks, the dangers, and the way forward. That's important in any crisis, but especially during a public health crisis, where you have to have nearly unanimous buy in for anything to work.

The big thing will be when we get a vaccine, and how treatments advance. We had neither this year and got crushed. If the medical community can find workable treatments in the short-term, and an effective vaccine in the long term, we can go back to something resembling life as normal.

We will likely have to find new ways to disinfect surfaces to prevent casual spread of germs, but if we can do that, we may be able to slow not just COVID-19, but simpler things like the common cold and the seasonal flu. Long term, that would be an excellent outcome.

The key is learning from this whole experience. What worked, what did not. How can we be better prepared - not just stockpiling resources, but the ability to pivot production from one thing to another quickly. The ability to do things remotely. More widespread (and consistent) internet access.

If we learn, we can come out of this better. If not, we will stagnate and the next time will be far worse.

This is a sports board, so let's think about this in terms of sports. No one on this board would tolerate any player or coach that would not ever own up to any mistakes, choosing instead to always blame (pick one or many) the referees, the other team, teammates, coaches, media, etc. We wouldn't tolerate it not only because its annoying, but also because if you never take that accountability, you cannot improve as a player. If you say, hey, I'm actually a good shooter, but I was missing because the rim was bent, or, I am a good defender, but that guy was scoring because the help defense was out of position, or, those turnovers weren't my fault, my teammates weren't paying attention, etc., then you never improve in those areas because psychologically, you are telling yourself that your performance is fine. You will certainly plateau, meaning other, less talented players or coaches will easily bypass you in time.

I'd do a small service for now, with a larger reception once all of this is over and done with. Nothing wrong with an intimate gathering now, and a big party later on. The thing with weddings is that the day itself blows by so quickly that you invariably miss things. My wife and I had a fairly large wedding, lots of family and friends on both sides, so there were quite a few people that we didn't even really get to talk to on our wedding day, unfortunately.

But ultimately, this decision is up to you and your bride. Talk it over. Decide what makes the two of you happy. Then do that.

KU needs a big time rivalry game for regional/national TV purposes. The KSU game won't ever be that, because that game isn't important enough outside Kansas, and neither team has the history or national pull like an Alabama-Auburn or Florida State-Florida to make it a nationally relevant game.

KU-Mizzou has history and can get regionally/nationally relevant even if both teams aren't ranked high. That is a huge opportunity that KU has missed out on over the last several years.

Things like gerrymandering have made it possible for politicians to pick their voters, as opposed to the other way around. As a result, extremism and lack of compromise are rewarded. This drives individuals to vote for their "team", rather than punishing obstructionism and rewarding progress.

Gerrymandering should be illegal. It's bad for politics. Districts should be drawn with no regard to party affiliation.

As I said before, I saw this kid play as a junior in HS. At the time, he was between 6-2 and 6-3. He had the makings of a good jumpshot, was a very capable HS defender (could defend anyone on the floor at the HS level, except the biggest post players). At the time he was not being recruited very heavily, but in my eye he was a clear D1 player.

He had two areas he had to improve on. One was ball handling. He was strictly a jumpshooter. If his shot wasn't falling, he was fairly easy to neutralize, even though he was a superior athlete. The second was approach. He was simply too young at the time to understand how to consistently attack opponents and understand what opposing coaches were trying to do to take him out of his game.

I'll cut right to the chase. He has done both, and has grown 4 inches to boot.

And the thing about him that will separate him from a lot of other guys is the fact that he didn't become this kind of player at 14 or 15, where he has known his whole life that he would be playing at the D1 level. He earned every single second of time in HS, at JUCO and now the chance to play at KU. The reason Tyon Grant Foster is coming to KU is because he worked his tail off for the last three years. The reason he played at JUCO is because he worked his tail off.

My experience with guys that had to work that hard to get anywhere is that once they get there, they keep working because it was never promised to them in the first place. And he's a Kansas kid on top of that.

No surprise that China and other countries without a free press are concealing and underreporting illness and death due to COVID-19. People criticize the press here for reporting the numbers out, but you can see where not having a free press allows this type of thing to be concealed.

Hoping that everyone is staying safe and healthy. I thought I would be on more, but with the transition of working from home, I haven't had the chance to get on as much. Be well everyone.

Shaka's not a bad coach, honestly.

He's had some weird luck at Texas. Good players, but bizarre injuries and illness that have left him shorthanded from time to time. That happens to everyone, of course, but it's weird to be sure.

He's been sharp though, as evidenced by getting tabbed to coach USA Basketball. Everyone is considered for those jobs. Getting to be on those staff's speaks to his standing amongst other coaches.

@jayballer73 said in KU AD Long: Administrators discussing contingency plans for 2020 college football season:

The Doctors were talking this morning , and they are starting to find evidence that in some of the Southern Countries are entering they're Winter Seasons that the virus is starting to pick up some cases being seen.

This is drawing them to the conclusion that the Corona Virus may very well be a seasonal virus , just like the flu If that's truly the case just makes it that much more vital that they get this vaccine in place they are trying to find

There is also potential that if it is seasonal, but the same strain, individuals may be able to develop antibodies and ultimately immunity to it. If that does happen, along with a vaccine, it can likely be cut off after just one year.

If it mutates into a different strain, with the same level of infection, though, look out. We can't do this every year.

@Texas-Hawk-10

I agree.

The NCAA tournament is weird in that everyone likes to see upsets early on, unless its against their favorite team, but they want the top teams to make it to the Final Four because they want quality basketball at the end.

That's why people like to see a 12 or 13 seed get to the Sweet 16, but then get knocked out by a 1 or 2 seed. Makes for a fun story, but the best teams are all still around at the end.

I've gotta go with Josh Jackson ($1), the Morris brothers ($2 each), Devonte Graham ($5) and Mario Chalmers ($3).

Even though Jackson isn't much of a shooter, I can space the floor around him with relative ease, and he can post up just about any three if we go that route.

My offense runs smooth with Graham and Chalmers because they can rotate ballhandling duties, just like they did when they were on campus.

This is also a very good (maybe even great) defensive group. I could potentially switch Kieff out for Embiid to get a bit better defensively, but if we are judging only their production at KU, Kieff was better than Embiid.

Brady to the NFC to get away from Mahomes. LOL

This team is probably going to have an interesting legacy. Doke will likely qualify to have his jersey retired, as I can't imagine he won't be a consensus first team All American, and may be national player of the year. Dotson might have a trickier path, but he could hit the same marks to qualify for the rafters.

As a team, this squad will always have a weird legacy. The season ended so abruptly that there was no way to put it into context. If KU starts another conference title streak, this team will be remembered for starting it (and going 17-1 to do so).

If all of those things happen, I think history looks on this year's squad very kindly.

Consensus #1 ranked team in the final poll. Two consensus All Americans. National Player of the Year. Re-started the conference title streak by going 17-1. In some ways, not having the tournament is going to make for a great documentary someday, not just of how the season ended from a national perspective, but you can't start the national title discussion without addressing KU.

@jayballer73 said in Coronavirus Thread: Boy, guys. I really just don't know. Best to keep tabs.:

A total of 694 new cases of the virus in just a little over 12 hours today with 73 recoveries and 68 deaths. - these numbers are about to go off the charts when they start all these new testing Tomorrow , the number of cases is just going to explode

I just hope people realize that we are about to get the full picture with widespread testing, rather than thinking that the virus has started spreading more rapidly.

We are heading for thousands of new cases on a daily basis once testing is widespread enough. To everyone on the board, try to make sure people around you don't freak out. Practice safe social distancing, so hopefully the number of serious cases (needing hospitalization and ventilators) stays manageable. We do not want to be in the situation they are in over in Italy, where they are having to make decisions about which patients need a ventilator the most, or which has the best chance to recover if using the ventilator.

@Crimsonorblue22 said in 2020 Bubble Watch:

They could've pushed pause and regrouped. Got some coaches and experts together. Pretty quick decision. This thing could get worse, no doubt. But? Maybe just play top 20 teams? Test teams. Something

I think they would have done that if they had known when they were pausing until. The unknown is what doomed the tournament.

@FarmerJayhawk said in Coronavirus Thread: Boy, guys. I really just don't know. Best to keep tabs.:

@Crimsonorblue22 said in Coronavirus Thread: Boy, guys. I really just don't know. Best to keep tabs.:

Think any of us will get it?

It’s probable one of us on the board gets it. It’s remote any of us don’t get through it.

It's likely one of us already HAS it, but with mild symptoms, so we do not know. But that also means we could be contagious.

NCAA tournament will be played without fans.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28885422/ncaa-says-tournament-go-fans ↗

NCAA tournament will be played without fans

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28885422/ncaa-says-tournament-go-fans ↗

@jayballer73 said in Coronavirus Thread: Boy, guys. I really just don't know. Best to keep tabs.:

@FarmerJayhawk said in Coronavirus Thread: Boy, guys. I really just don't know. Best to keep tabs.:

Informative! 🐦 View Tweet?s=21

WOW, just crazy. -- They were talking and saying what's so hard is for them with this that MOST people might carry have such mild sympthoms they never realize that they even have it but yet are carries of the virus, & like has been said for the most part people will be fine BUT

The one's that have those under lying health conditions kidney diaease , lungs , low immune system , diabiates - -heart - really need to be cautious talk steps. - - heard now 30 deaths and like at 1,000 infected - -crazy

That's the scary part. I, as a younger person, may not exhibit symptoms, but could be carrying the virus and unknowingly infect someone that could become very sick or pass away from this illness. I'm trying to be as responsible as possible, but until we can test large amounts of people (tens of thousands per day in every state), there is no chance to truly contain this.

I have been a big proponent over the years that at-large bids should only go to teams that have a .500 overall record and a .500 record in conference. There's no point in giving credit to playing a bunch of tough teams, but losing most of those games.

That rule would mean that the following schools would be eliminated from the Bubble as of now:

ACC - Clemson

Big 12 - TCU

Big East - Marquette, Xavier

Big Ten - Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota

That's seven schools that would be off the bubble watch, and looking to win their conference tournament to get in.

It would also make the last couple of weeks of conference play more interesting, as teams potentially on the bubble would be playing virtual play in games to qualify, like Indiana was faced with over the last couple of weeks. Indiana finished Big Ten play at 9-11, so they were one win away from being .500. That would have made this weekend's home game against Wisconsin a game to remain at-large eligible. That makes the road loss to Illinois even bigger, not to mention the egg they laid at Purdue.

It just makes things that much more interesting for both P5 schools, and for the top teams from mid majors, most of whom are currently shut out by the 9th place team from a P5 conference.

Just my opinion, though.

@drgnslayr

My biggest concern is for my parents (both in their 60s now). If I get coronavirus, I am likely going to be okay because of my age and my typically hardy immune system (knock on wood, of course). But for my parents, they are in the higher risk category because of age, so that is where I am more concerned.

Everyone stay healthy and by all means WASH YOUR HANDS!!!

If KU wins the Big 12 tournament, they are a lock for the #1 overall seed. If they don't win the Big 12 tournament, they are still a #1 seed, and probably no worse than the second overall #1. There just isn't a ton of incentive for KU this year. They can't really improve their stock, and it will be very difficult for them to fall very far. KU is #1 in BPI, #1 in RPI, has a top 10 schedule and has a lot of Tier 1 wins.

Let's look at the other candidates for the #1 overall seed:

• Gonzaga. They don't have another opportunity for a big win. Saint Mary's is #38 in BPI. That's the next best team in the WCC. Gonzaga would have to win the WCC, and do so in very convincing fashion, to even have a shot at the #1 overall, and they still probably come up short. As of right now, they would be the third overall seed, so they have work to do.

• Baylor. KU won the Big 12 regular season title by 2 games. That's going to matter to the committee. Perhaps if Baylor can win the Big 12 tournament (and beat KU) they could have an argument for getting the #1 overall based on winning 2 of 3 against KU. But even then, KU is the second overall seed in that scenario (likely the only way they aren't the #1 overall seed), unless Gonzaga wins every game in the WCC tournament convincingly.

• Dayton. KU owns a neutral court win over them, so like Gonzaga, they would have to win the A-10 by laying waste to the competition, and even then, KU has the head to head win. I don't see how Dayton can leapfrog KU.

• Florida State. The only other major conference team with a chance at the #1 overall seed, IMHO. Maryland has too many losses. They would need to win the ACC tournament, and would probably need to do so through the most challenging path available (wins over Clemson, Duke and either Louisville or Virginia). Even then, that probably doesn't boost their resume enough for the #1 overall, regardless of what KU does.

In this rare instance, it actually makes sense to rest guys. There isn't anything to gain, and there is a ton that could be lost. Rest everyone you can and get ready for next week.

Two problems with Corona virus as I see them right now, with the info we have.

1. Seems to be much more highly contagious than the regular flu. The initial spread was so fast that the spread alone was alarming.

2. The death rate for those over the age of 60 is very high. Yeah, people get the flu every year, and people die from the flu every year. But its not like people over 80 have a 1 in 7 chance of dying from the flu if they get it each year, which is what Corona virus is currently at here in the U.S. according to available numbers.

The fact that it is highly contagious, and also unusually fatal for those over a certain age is what got my attention. This isn't pneumonia or the flu for those over 60 or so. It's unusually dangerous, which is strange and also very concerning.

The NCAA has gone big game hunting on this one. They want to flex their muscle a little bit and I think they are using KU as a test case. Of course, the money is all about to be on top of the table now, but I think that's the NCAA's plan - see if they can punish a school for the actions of a ShoeCo. Of course, that opens a whole other can of worms, but when you're fishing anyway...

Everything now comes down to who is healthy.

For instance, if KU lost either Doke or Dotson, I would drop them to Tier 2. If they lost both, they would probably be Tier 3. But every team in the country is like that. If they lose a certain guy or two, they drop at least one tier, maybe two tiers. Nobody has enough margin of error to make it through a major injury for more than maybe one game.

It's possible that Garrett is a better target for other guys, so Self prefers having him as a potential catch option.

For many coaches, they break things down by tasks.

Task 1 when inbounding is getting the ball in. You can't turn the ball over in that situation, so getting it in to someone is critical. If Garrett can catch in traffic (and provide a big target) then he should be working to get open, not throwing it in.

Remember, Dotson is not a big guy. He's a good FT shooter, but his catch radius (to borrow a football term) is not as big as Garrett. That makes him harder to find in small windows. If it were me, I'd actually break Dotson away from the ball so he can use his speed and quickness to potentially stretch the defense and create easier catches for other guys.

Ochai, Garrett and Braun are all bigger guys that are both taller than most, and also with long arms. Ochai in particular, with his athleticism and size, is a great target. Moss is also a great target, and has the benefit of being a great FT shooter, too. Big Dave should be a screener and pressure release, because he has the size to catch and you don't have to fear him getting fouled.

The challenge is making sure everyone is on the same page, which isn't always the case.

@wissox said in NUMBER ONE IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE KANSAS JAYHAWKS:

@dylans I went to the Badgers game last night and now they're ranked for the first time all year!

I was looking at SOS on ESPN's site and Big 12 and BIG have the top 15 slots for SOS. Two really tough leagues.

A lot of balance in both leagues. I think the B1G is more crowded in the middle, without a really strong team at the top, while the Big XII has two really strong teams, two really weak teams, and 6 in the middle that are very solid.

I don't think either league has really tested their top teams. Other than Baylor, KU hasn't really been tested by a top notch team in the conference. Same for Baylor (despite the loss to a middling TCU team).

@Woodrow They are not allowing any back and forth talking between the players. They are on zero tolerance.

I've noticed that whenever any player goes down the other team immediately walks away from the player. I think coaches and officials emphasized that there will be no standing over anyone today.

Hate seeing big guys roll ankles. Don't know how much flexion he can handle, and that's a lot of bulk on top of that ankle.

Uh oh.

Crowd starting to get a little worked up. Officials have been fine so far, honestly.

It is really empty there. TV cameras making an effort to avoid showing the vacant seats on TV.

@BShark said in Game Day Breakdown - No. 1 Kansas at Kansas State:

@justanotherfan I'm curious to see how full the crowd is. Superbowl and all that but they reaaaally suck.

I think there would be a drop off if not for the way the last game ended. A lot of KSU fans see this as a chance to get back at KU for what they perceived as disrespect. KU will likely pull away, which is actually what worries me because the fans could get really hostile if this turns into a blow out.

I expect things to be officiated tightly between the lines for the reasons you stated.

I also think the larger police presence is for the reasons you point out. But I think the police are there to focus more on the crowd than anything else. Anyone that is too rowdy is probably getting the hook. It will be interesting to watch how they handle that, especially since K-State had the incident with the student body blocking Jamari Traylor when they stormed the court a few years back. K-State admin has to make sure nothing like that happens this year because they have no reason not to be prepared this time around.

KU needs to knock down FTs early in this one. I expect that the officials will want to call this one tight early on to set the tone.

Everyone is going to be watching to make sure things don't get out of hand. The crowd is going to be really hyped up, emotions will be running high. I bet we see six whistles before the first TV timeout, and someone goes to the bench with two fouls before the 10 minute mark.

KU should pound it inside, because if they do, they will spend the bulk of the first half shooting FTs because they will be in the bonus by the 10 minute mark.

I don't expect anything silly today, but this will probably be a choppy game because of the fouls and FTs.

This tournament is going to be interesting. All of the good teams are flawed in some way. But all of them can be outright dominant in some way as well. I'd put the tiers this way:

Tier One: Kansas, Baylor, Dayton, Gonzaga

Tier Two: Duke, Louisville, San Diego State, Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Villanova

Tier Three: Creighton, Seton Hall, Auburn, Penn State, Oregon, BYU, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia, Colorado, Texas Tech, Ohio State

Tier Four: Michigan State, Houston, Arizona, Butler, Virginia, Florida, Marquette, Arizona, Illinois, Utah State, New Mexico State, Stephen F. Austin and probably a half dozen or so other mid major teams.

So the tiers give us a pretty good layout. It's likely that any team from Tier Three can beat any team from Tier Two, but probably not from Tier One unless they play perfectly. Any team from Tier Two can beat any team from Tier One, but obviously could lose to the Threes or the other Twos. The Fours probably can't beat the Ones, but could beat the Twos on the right day, and could beat the Threes. But the Fours could also lose to basically anyone else at any time.

This tournament could be really unpredictable, because I am not sure that any team doesn't have at least seven or eight teams that can beat them on any given day. We worry about Dayton, Duke, and Kentucky, but Louisville and Maryland could be a problem, and on the right day, I'd worry about Seton Hall or Auburn. And that doesn't count San Diego State, Baylor, Gonzaga and others.

And the thing is, that's the case for literally every single team out there.

The #1 seeds should be KU, Baylor, Gonzaga and Dayton. Whichever team between KU and Baylor that wins the Big 12 tournament gets the #1 overall seed.

Because the teams are all further west than you normally see, first round sites will be interesting.

My guess is that Baylor goes to the Houston region, KU goes to Indy, Gonzaga goes to LA and Dayton gets New York.

First round, Gonzaga stays home in Spokane, Dayton takes a bus ride to Cleveland, KU makes the familiar trip to Omaha and Baylor probably gets St. Louis. It's likely a squad like Duke will get the first round close to home in Greensboro, but get sent to Houston or New York City for the regional to balance the advantage.

Of course, this all means nothing if the madness begins a little early.

I've been gone for awhile. I've been okay, though. Part of it was being fairly busy with work and family things.

The other part was frustration with some of the topics/commentary that was going on that had shifted from enriching debate to something else.

I saw a particular topic that bothered me. I was about to respond, but I happened to be at home at the time and caught a glimpse of a picture of me and my wife. I looked around the room and saw pictures of family and other reminders of how much I have been blessed and it reminded me of all of the good things going on in my life despite that topic being on an internet message board. I decided not to respond and logged off.

I hadn't logged on since then for a lot of reasons, not really related to this board or the people on it. Moreso related to being busy, a couple of health scares in the family (all good now, but a bit concerning at the time) and the normal things in life.

I will admit that stepping away from the board helped me gain a bit more perspective.

I probably won't engage in the political stuff much on here, but I should be back on about basketball more consistently.

It's tough to improve in college, honestly.

Devon is exceptionally quick, so when he comes off screens at the college level, if he's even with a guy, the right play is to continue to the basket for a layup. That's just the right play. So even though he needs to work on his jumper, because he can beat guys off the dribble with such ease at the college level, the right play is the layup. That doesn't help him improve his jumper.

And that's the thing with potential NBA guys. The things they do best are more than enough to dominate at the college level. Devon is working on making the correct read, and the correct read more often than not in college will be to continue his drive because he has his man beat on that screen.

The NBA doesn't so much care about college hoops because the guys they are targeting are already better than the collegiate competition. That's why the G-League has started gaining so much momentum. Teams need a better evaluation tool than the college game offers. Look at the schedule KU has had this season so far. There are maybe four games out of eleven that are worth evaluating as an NBA scout - Duke, Dayton, Colorado, and Villanova. The rest of those games are basically worthless for evaluation purposes at the pro level.

@DoubleDD is right. It's just a different game. Higher talent level. More complex schemes. More demanding overall.

It's a long process to even classes back out if you go heavy on juco guys for a couple of years. KU needs to probably sign 20+ HS players every year just to get back to even numbers in 2022.

This class looks good and athletic. They have a couple of local guys that are good signings, although they may only end up representing special teams and depth. Richardson would have been a nice get because he is pretty athletic, but I understand wanting to stay at RB vs. moving to the defensive side of the ball. Either way, KU got more athletic with this group, and that is genuine progress.

Now they just have to do it all over again next year.

The NBA has the rule, true enough. But that rule was created in part because college basketball wanted star players like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwight Howard and others to come to college to give the college game a talent boost. There was a period during the height of the prep to pro era where college hoops had an issue with the perception among casual fans that the game lacked the true breakout talents. You can't blame the NBA without acknowledging that the NCAA wanted a rule that kept players from going straight out of HS to the NBA.

Now, colleges have since soured on that rule, mostly because even more players leave after their freshman year than were going from preps to pros, so college has become a revolving door. That means that if you don't have an outstanding freshman class (like this year), the talent level across the country is going to be down. What does this mean?

Well, the rule change is coming, but the NBA is going to make the change around the same time they introduce their academies linked to the G-League squads. We are about to see a shift to a more European development model, and that means that more top tier players will start filtering that route, with less at the D1 level. For hardcore fans (most of the people on this board), that won't change the interest in college hoops, or in KU. But for casual fans, they will gravitate more to the NBA because the quality of play is superior. And casual fans are where you make your marketing dollars, because those are the people that are actively deciding on an every day basis whether to tune into a college hoops game or stream a movie, or go to dinner or whatever else you can do with your evenings and weekends. Those of us on this board will still watch because we are KU fans. But for others, they aren't going to tune in, and that means a drop in ad value, which means the NCAA is going to have to figure out how to reconfigure itself once this current broadcast contract is up, because the next one probably won't be as lucrative.

The Democrats did what they did because they believe in it, even though it may cost them votes later.

Why blame the NBA. Wiseman could either play for Memphis for free and have the NCAA try to destroy his reputation and the reputation of his family and friends, or he can work out and prepare to get paid to do the exact same thing.

Grimes has the physical tools. How that shows up going forward is anyone's guess.

I hope success for him because I have no reason to harbor ill will against him. KU was a bad fit for him. It was pretty clear about halfway through the season last year that Grimes was not a good fit at KU. Why try and force that to work when it just wasn't clicking? Let him move on. Let KU move on. Hope for the best for both.

BShark said:

@justanotherfan Frank, Graham, Perry and Dave (hopefully) look like good examples as well. Though Graham is shocking everyone in the NBA this year.

I pointed to Marcus because he is prototypical size and strength. Devonte as well. Perry was undersized as a 4 and not quick enough to be a three.

Dave might be a good example, but we will have to wait to see. I could see Big Dave improving enough to be a three year guy.

Even if Marcus had improved his shooting considerably this season (up to 35% for example) he probably would not have been an NBA prospect, but that would make him a superb college player given his other skills. In other words, Marcus could be playing even better and he would still be in Lawrence next year.

I'm torn on Garrett. He has certainly become a better offensive player, which makes him an extremely valuable collegiate player. But for everything that he has done to improve offensively, he is still only shooting 27% from three, 47% from the field and 62% from the line. Those are all career highs for him.

What has really set him apart this year as opposed to other years isn't his shooting, though. It is his passing. Garrett had never averaged 2 assists per game prior to this season. He's averaging over 4.5 assists a game this year. That's a huge jump, and is much more valuable than the moderate improvements that he has made shooting the basketball.

All of this still doesn't make him an NBA player, though. Garrett will return to Lawrence for his senior year, which is great for KU because, as I said, he is extremely valuable as a KU player. In some ways, Garrett (and to a lesser degree Azubuike) are the perfect type of four year players. Skilled, but flawed enough that they are almost certain to stay for four years because they don't have great prospects for a pro career. Marcus Garrett could be an All Conference player next season at KU. He would struggle to make a G-League roster because of his shooting struggles unless he improved substantially.

But Garrett could be a key cog in a couple more March runs.