2018 Recruiting



  • @BeddieKU23

    I’m wondering now if there are any possible reclass situation for post players we are in on in the 18 class. Either need that or a grad transfer probably for depth next year.



  • @BShark

    I wouldn’t mind seeing us hit the grad transfer route, Black was a success before. We have been more active in that market the last few years. It will be interesting to see what’s available after season’s end. No matter who’s back we don’t have enough post depth or size and that needs to change



  • Thinking about the Dotson visit. It’s odd a 2018 recruit is visiting mid-season. Have to wonder if the staff will push for a commitment if possible.



  • Interesting KU has reached out to Shaq’s son a Top 50 recruit in 18… Didn’t think we were going to try with that one.



  • @BeddieKU23

    I thought Shaq said he would like to see his kid go to Kentucky…maybe if he is like most typical teenagers, he will do the opposite and come to KU. 😏



  • @BeddieKU23 said:

    Thinking about the Dotson visit. It’s odd a 2018 recruit is visiting mid-season. Have to wonder if the staff will push for a commitment if possible.

    I believe that’s what is going on here.

    @BeddieKU23 said:

    Interesting KU has reached out to Shaq’s son a Top 50 recruit in 18… Didn’t think we were going to try with that one.

    Meh, don’t really want.

    @BeddieKU23 said:

    @BShark

    I wouldn’t mind seeing us hit the grad transfer route, Black was a success before. We have been more active in that market the last few years. It will be interesting to see what’s available after season’s end. No matter who’s back we don’t have enough post depth or size and that needs to change

    Not a bad idea at all.



  • @BShark I’ll take Shaq’s kid. He has the genes to keep growing. A 7’1 athlete is nothing to snub



  • @BShark

    Shaq’s kid is skilled, definitely is a different type of big then his father but he’s more in line with the new age forward. I honestly never payed much attention to him because it seemed like it was only a few teams with a chance. Sounds like we are definitely trying to be in contact. And of course my allegiance lies with getting Williams before anyone.

    The Dotson situation just seems interesting, I know we have been pushing for him to visit for a while and now it’s happening at a time when you don’t see many underclassmen paying their own dime to come see a game. Lock em up Bill!



  • @BeddieKU23 said:

    A few others I wish KU was recruiting who I’ve watched recently.

    #9 Simi Shittu PF (Canadian prospect, could work the Wiggins angle). Very skilled player.

    KU is recruiting Simi according to rivals!!! Wooo



  • @BeddieKU23

    We will see if the interest is mutual. Really interesting player.



  • @BShark said:

    interest

    I hope so. Seems to be intrigued by other Canadians doing well, none bigger then Wiggins. He is very good and would be a very unique type of 4



  • Slater in a recent VIP mentioned Bolden possibly transferring to TCU or KU (it was kind of an in general/in passing thing). Would take though.

    In percentages likely to be at Duke section Jeter was 20% and they didn’t even list a % for Bolden so this could be interesting.



  • @BShark Don’t tease me like that!



  • @BShark just a question here , and I sincerely don’t know- -would like your input. - - This had crossed my mind also, the possibility of Bolden leaving the Duke program. - -My question to you is, - -Do you think if he were to leave Duke, what if he or do you think he would - -why do you think he might not just decide to enter the NBA draft next year? I nstead of transferring to another school and having to sit out a year and then play in TWO years later. I’m just curious no knowledge one way or another, what you think? - - -yes - -no? - - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jayballer54

    Slater mentioned three possibilities. Transferring to KU/TCU, riding it out at Duke or going in the draft. The thing about going in the draft is that he would pretty much be a second rounder, if he were drafted (he has barely played this year). The thing about staying at Duke is that he’s playing 8 mpg this year and it might not get any better next year. So I can certainly see where transferring would be appealing to him but it depends on how badly his circle wants to get paid.



  • another Jr And Done?



  • Anyone seen Bolden play this yr?

    About the most uninterested player I’ve seen in a while.

    I cannot say this any clearer, we don’t want him



  • @BeddieKU23

    Wishful thinking but maybe he really just wanted to be at KU all along? lol



  • @BeddieKU23 Or maybe he is not happy about PT or scheme, or something and needs a change of scenery. We took Cunliffe who wasn’t happy where he was.



  • Dotson’s visit went very well as expected per a Matt Scott article. Sounds like they plan to visit again. Read a lot better and more in depth than say the comments about the Duval visit, I’d bet Dotson ends up at KU.



  • @BShark wasn’t he-Bolden, looking at Texas too?



  • @Crimsonorblue22

    Not really.

    His final 8 was Duke, Kentucky, Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Alabama, Wake Forest and Kansas.



  • 4* PG Jamie Lewis visiting for the WVU game.



  • @BShark

    Devonte Graham 2.0… almost the same player

    Would be a solid 4 year player



  • @BShark Is he a 2017 player or a 2018 player? - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY





  • @BeddieKU23 cool, thanks - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jayballer54

    No problem.

    To further elaborate about Lewis he plays for a very good HS team in Georgia

    5 kids on the team will be D-1 including one that is Top 100 signed with Auburn this year. His brother also plays and is signed to UCF (Central Florida) so that could play a part in his recruitment… He is getting interest from a lot of good schools.

    Lewis has not played much this year battling ankle and shoulder injury but it looks like he’ll be back for the state playoffs where his team goes for its 4th straight title.

    Lewis is 6’2 180ish with a very good 3 point shot. Not an above the rim type so he’s going to be in College 4 years. Nice floater and can get into the lane, not exceptionally quick, good vision for a PG.

    Dotson is better, but I would never turn down either.



  • Both Dotson and Lewis should be good college players. At this point, I’m wondering if any of the 2018 PGs KU is in on are in a position to reclassify if needed.



  • @BShark

    Not sure on that but we have to be careful about reclassification’s. Sometimes you can pressure a kid to move up a class and he’s just not ready for College Ball. Thornton of Duke is an excellent example of this very thing. And in the position that KU is in, in desperate need of a top flight PG you risk ruining the players development and the team as well.

    Dotson just from video would seem the more ready of the 2 to move up. The more I watch of him the more I think he’s underrated. I’m sure Lewis is one of those options they would look to if they missed on others. The problem with that scenario is other teams prioritize and KU loses out by chasing bigger fish.

    A side not to 2018 KU is actively in it for Silvio de Sousa a top 20 6’8 big from Montverde. That is something I didn’t think would happen. De Sousa is a top flight PF with some really nice offensive skill. Shittu, Sousa & Emmitt Williams are very good targets to keep after



  • @BeddieKU23 said:

    Not sure on that but we have to be careful about reclassification’s. Sometimes you can pressure a kid to move up a class and he’s just not ready for College Ball. Thornton of Duke is an excellent example of this very thing. And in the position that KU is in, in desperate need of a top flight PG you risk ruining the players development and the team as well.

    Fair point. I just really hope Young picks KU, but at least we will know soon.

    @BeddieKU23 said:

    A side not to 2018 KU is actively in it for Silvio de Sousa a top 20 6’8 big from Montverde. That is something I didn’t think would happen. De Sousa is a top flight PF with some really nice offensive skill. Shittu, Sousa & Emmitt Williams are very good targets to keep after

    According to who?



  • @BShark

    Zagsblog

    De Sousa, a native of Angola, listed Louisville, Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky as the schools working the hardest.



  • @BeddieKU23

    Interesting. Scott said previously that KU isn’t really in that one. Would love for that to have changed. All three bigs you mentioned in your last post would be great gets.



  • @BShark

    We’ll see what happens, all the heavy hitters after him. I imagine KU has kept contact by default because of their interest in Barrett. Might be one we are making progress with behind the scenes and we certainly have the Diallo/Udoka angle to work with him being from Angola. Seems like we are seeing more guys mentioning interest from KU that were thought to not even be on the radar.



  • @BeddieKU23

    It’s just my opinion, but I’m guessing the public is only privy to about 10% of the info surrounding recruiting.

    We get to know when there is something FORMALLY done, like an offer. And we know what players and family members leak to the press. We also have people reporting from games on who is in attendance.

    This is the big reason why we can’t accurately second-guess coaches, players, etc.

    If you have been around any popular HS athlete who is getting attention from colleges you will get a taste of what the athletes deal with during the process.



  • @drgnslayr

    Very good point. And the 10% we get is 10% more then we were getting even 10 years ago. I remember when we knew what kids were on the team when we saw the first game played and saw someone we didn’t recognize. Times have changed dramatically. Every little move these top kids make is interpreted in 50 ways.



  • @BeddieKU23

    So true.

    “Every little move these top kids make is interpreted in 50 ways.”

    And those interpretations have so little real knowledge on the process. I don’t get too wrapped up in the recruiting process because I value my sanity. How can one remain sane when all of these things are going down and there is little info out there to understand WHY it goes like it goes? We can blame it all on kids being kids… “what do teenagers know?”

    I bet many of these top recruits have a pretty good understanding of the process and their opportunities. We may not always agree with what they do… but we wear crimson/blue glasses.



  • @drgnslayr

    Definitely, because of the lack of real knowledge half the time its just senseless rumors. Especially the recruitment’s that drag on for an entire cycle.

    Some really do put off committing just so they can get the exposure. Who wouldn’t take 5 free visits if your 17-18 and will get the royal carpet everywhere you go. And now your parents can accompany you as well with no expense to them. Kids/Parents never had it so good.

    Trevon Duval is the perfect example of taking his free visits, heck he saw an epic game last week against Baylor.



  • @BeddieKU23 said:

    Seems like we are seeing more guys mentioning interest from KU that were thought to not even be on the radar.

    Yeah 18 really isn’t the usual class where KU seems to lead for elite guys early then most don’t pan out. At the end of the day KU is going to have plenty of PT and scholarships to give so I would bet it ends up a decent sized class. Especially with post players, we could be looking at a situation where only Lightfoot (and maybe a 2017 mystery recruit) are still on the roster at that point. It’s likely that both interior starting spots will be open.



  • @BeddieKU23

    Right on!

    And that exposure is important for them and their futures. So many players want to visit blue blood programs because they are also making valuable contacts for their careers ahead of them.

    It is no surprise that players like Buddy Hield have solid friendships with other players and especially coaches.

    It is one big fraternity… as it should be!



  • Norm checking in on studs Silvio De Sousa and Emmitt Williams Thursday. I guess Duval too but blah.



  • @BShark said:

    Norm checking in on studs Silvio De Sousa and Emmitt Williams Thursday. I guess Duval too but blah.

    Good plan sending our best after those 2 studs



  • @BeddieKU23 said:

    @BShark said:

    Norm checking in on studs Silvio De Sousa and Emmitt Williams Thursday. I guess Duval too but blah.

    Good plan sending our best after those 2 studs

    Probably going to have two starting spots to sell*. We could do worse than those two.

    *Unless Doke stays a third year. Imo he could really use it, but the lure of an NBA paycheck might be too great to resist.



  • @BShark

    Definitely, Williams is a must get.



  • Syracuse and UConn have offered David Duke as well now. Yeah it’s gonna get heated for his services.



  • Quentin Grimes will be visiting Tejas today along with a bunch of other kids. Smart move to bring in so many kids for their superbowl and not some random game where the gym would be 30% full.