Lawson Brothers Coming to KU
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@jayballer54 We are all guilty of some trash talking other programs. I for one cant stand UK BUT I will say this. Landing top guys takes a good sales pitch. If you want a stable full of 5 star guys your sales pitch better be as if you are recruiting MJ, or LJ to play for you. You roll out the red carpet and tell them the sun shines out of their ass. Make them feel like the sky is the limit and feel like they are on their way to the NBA hall of fame. Coach Self from what I hear is more abrasive and tells most guys that starting positions are earned. Its all about the sales pitch and if Coach Self wants to land more 5 star talent he needs to change his sales pitch. Then there is the whole Nike shoe thing and a slew of other variables BUT I personally believe it has more to do with the sales pitch. What do you think LeBron James would say if Coach Self said to him starting positions were earned not a given vs Cal saying come to UK and Start, win a title, make UK history and leave here a star!
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I have always been of the opinion that Tubby Smith is overrated. He was pretty much asked to leave Kentucky where he won one National Title in his first year with the Players and team Pitino left in place and as the recruiting went down so did the team which finished 6th and 4th in the SEC in his last two season.
After Kentucky, in 6 years at Minnesota he did not have a single season conference winning record and the highest he finished was 6th, in 3 years at Texas Tech. he did not have a single season conference winning record and the highest he finished was 7th and in his one season at Memphis he finished with a 9-9 record and tied for 5th. In other words, he has not had a single season with a winning conference records in the last 10 years and in 3 different conferences.
Not necessarily the coach you want to play for if you want to be part of a winning program.
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Smart move, Mr. Lawson.
You won me over with “Money isn’t the issue.”
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@jaybate-1.0 Its the principle.
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Doke might be gone after next year and I’d rather have Grimes than a PG transfer but overall, I like your thinking.
Memphis was a 5 alarm tire fire. Dedric was extremely efficient and KJ a lot more middling. But outside of those two they have a guy that is a 6th man for a good team (Markel Crawford) for their third best player, another similar guard as the 4th guy and it was a steep drop right off a cliff after that.
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Feel the same way. I think Tubby is an old school guy and that is getting lost in today’s game. At Texas Tech his goal was to slow the game down and limit possessions (especially against KU). I don’t know what he’s doing at Memphis but this past year he clearly didn’t have enough talent around the Lawson’s to be any good. He’s losing basically his whole team and the best recruit he’s has signed to date is in the 150’s area. Memphis fans have to be furious about what’s going on.
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Maybe Bragg could go play for Tubby now?
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@Statmachine Yes it is true about schools or the fans always seemingly trying to ONE UP the other on the trash. - -I just have to laugh though when a program thinks they might have a chance to land an upper type of player- -when they in the race for that player it’s like they are one of the greatest players there is and THEN - - BAM once their program is eliminated -it’s like these same posters have just went through menopause - -the change of life and NOW these same players the other school that does get them is total Garbage it’s truly historical . - -Gotta love it - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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@Statmachine while we get recruits like Josh Jackson BECAUSE Self recruits the way he does.
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@Eric-san yes, but if you look at KU’s list of offers they are almost all 5 star guys. Then when we miss on the vast majority and fail to fill all of our scholarship’s he scrambles and settles for scraps. Its worked out with Frank, Devonte, Vick, and the Lawsons but we have had too many walk on type of guys here lately IMO.
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Evan Maxwell was the only WTF scholarship recently imo*. Self took a sub 50 ranked player (at the time of commitment) in the early signing period in the last two classes. 2012 was really the last class that was a disaster. 11 and 12 put the program in a position where KU lacked good depth and upperclassman and led to early tournament losses in 13-14 and 14-15. We had a LOT of misses this year, on guys that KU was in good with too, that won’t happen every year and Self still recovered nicely. Hell he got Preston in the fall after missing on Ayton.
*The only recent walk-on level scholarship I can think of recently and he was very quickly sent on his way.
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@BShark I think you can add Rio Adams and Milton Doyle to that list. They didn’t last long either, but I still see sign’s of Adams impact on our program from time to time.
Mmm good air cereal, eat it up!
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@BShark Its not that the guys like Adams, Doyle, Vick, Mason, Devonte, Black, or any of the guys KU has signed weren’t good or quality players but these guys were all recruited after KU missed on all of the 5 star talent. Coach Self leaves us in limbo for most of the recruiting cycle and misses on too many recruiting targets because his sales pitch needs adjusted.
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@Statmachine so we want cal 2? I like what Self does. I want the Franks, DGs, Tarik’s, Wiggs, Josh’s etc!
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@Crimsonorblue22 me too! I just wish Coach Self would recruit differently so that I can sleep better at night lol.
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I am curious. What exactly should Coach Self do differently so you can sleep better at night? He has gotten his share of McD All Americans and 5 stars including Wiggins and Jackson who both were ranked #1. Yes, some players don’t pan out but he has been great at picking lower ranked players that produced big time. All programs, even Kentucky and Duke, end up getting some players that work out and some that don’t; look at all the transfers out of UK and Duke. Coach Self has been the master of getting lower ranked players that turned out great and picking up quality players when you least expected him. If KU does not pick up anyone else (I doubt it) in this cycle, it would have a very good class not only for next season but a great foundation for the next couple of seasons after that as well.
Maybe to you the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence but to me, the one we have is just fine. Also, remember that as the late Erma Bombeck said…the grass is always greener over the septic tank.
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I’m just trying to determine the “walk-on” level players that KU has given scholarships too over the last 5 years aside from Maxwell. 2012 was rough I can concede that, so that’s the cut off point. After that, recruiting has been pretty damn good lately, even if some players didn’t work out.
Like @JayHawkFanToo said I also wonder what Self could do differently. Sometimes you just lose the battle. Sexton and Young were both told you can be the starting PG for friggin KU and they both said “no thanks, I’ll stay home”. The staff identified Garrett early and prioritized him over other, actually more highly rated wings like Troy Brown. This is exactly the kind of smart move I think you are hoping for, because Garrett is a hell of a player that should be around for 3-4 years and appears to be very coachable, where as Troy Brown thinks he is OAD and a PG despite having a terrible jumper. We could break down every kid KU missed on this year because there are a lot, but I don’t see the point. Unless you are Duke these days you miss. Yes even the mighty Kentucky has given a real, commitable offer to quite a few kids they haven’t landed over the last 3 classes. Should Self promise playing time? Maybe but that’s not his game unless the kid is a top 25 type talent, he tries to be more honest. Should he be like Cal and tell post players they are going to play the 3/SF? I think there are reasonable criticisms to be made, I’m just curious as to where you think Self needs to change Statsy.
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Anyone checkout the F— Tubby video? Not a great look for us.
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@BShark Justin Wesley would be a walk-on that comes to mind. Although I believe that was only when there was an open scholarship and KL wasn’t paying for it. At least that is what I recall.
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@BigBad link?
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@BigBad Oh thanks!
And meh, nothing sitting out a year won’t blow over.
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@KUSTEVE said in Lawson Brothers Coming to KU:
“I think there are a lot of similarities to the way (former KU forward) Marcus Morris played.
So he can’t dunk?
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If the Lawson lads Should arrive in Lawrence with the determination which the Morris twins displayed after their freshman year, our coaching staff will have picked up a pair of authentic bargains. Tubby Smith has aged and grown a bit long of tooth, but he probably yet remains as good a coach as Reagan was an actor (before he shuffled into politics). Tubby and Josh Pastner are likely worth a solid B+. So the Lawsons should have learned considerably about Div. 1 Hoops during their years at Memphis U. Now they are presented with the opportunity of trying to fit into a quality program led by a quality coach and a quality trainer. If their dad remains cool and not adversely involved, as has unfortunately been the case with at least a trio of other player fathers during Bill Self’s tenure, these two transfers could turn into real gold for Jayhawk Basketball. IFs and COULDs…
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@Kcmatt7 said in Lawson Brothers Coming to KU:
nothing sitting out a year won’t blow over.
My fingers will be crossed for at least a year. (Is arthritis worse for basketball fans?)
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@Kcmatt7 Coach will give him the tutorial on social media, I’m sure.
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@tis4tim I dunno- I copied and pasted that.
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@JayHawkFanToo Well down here in da bayou come summer time y’all can tell where my septic tank is. It’s the square where the grass is brown.
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I was just getting ready to post a demand … that Bill Self revoke the offer the KJ Lawson, or require that he strongly apologize for the embarrassing “F-Tubby” video.
Now that he apologized, I still feel dirty. And embarrassed.
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@HighEliteMajor Lordy Lordy, what a head case for our coaches to work with, an incoming 3rd year collegian with the mind of a thug. Or maybe PUNK? Wasn’t that the word which Frank Mason recently employed to differentiate losers from winners? This type of rude outburst has to be stopped in its tracks. I’m not inclined to support a program which can’t or won’t put a stop to young Mr. K J Lawson’s ignorant public misbehavior before it taints Jayhawk Basketball.
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@REHawk so do you think coach Self was behind the apology? Was hoping coach would get a lil break.
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I bet that days like this Coach Self seriously considers retiring.
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@Crimsonorblue22 I have not yet read the apology. But I am certain that our coaching staff will leap quickly to stifle any further such displays of inappropriate public attention by a Jayhawk recruit. This is the level of stuff which sports writers never forget. This kid is going to shape up or very quickly find himself shipped out. KU fans and coaches are already wary of a sloppyy situation involving a strong father and two sons storming our hoops program. Gotta trust that this was not a harbinger of lingering troubles for 2017-18.
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@JayHawkFanToo been a rough year!
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@REHawk said in Lawson Brothers Coming to KU:
I have not yet read the apology.
From Matt Galloway’s column on the Topeka CJ site:
Lawson issued an apology Thursday night for his remarks, writing that Memphis will forever be his home and that he wishes Smith and the Tigers the best moving forward.
“On behalf of my family and myself I would like to issue an apology to coach Tubby Smith and Tiger Nation,” Lawson wrote. “Despite my frustrations of the past year, my words and actions at the time were immature, thoughtless and not becoming of who I am as a person or how my family raised me.
“This momentary (digression) can jeopardize the most important thing in my life,” he continued. “I apologize for my inexcusable behavior.”
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@mayjay Thanks for the link. I am startled to note that few posters have dived into this thread. Can you just imagine the feelings of multi-million dollar donors who have contributed lovingly to KU Athletics, esp. the hoops program, reading this kind of trash on national sports sites? Journal World has not even touched upon the matter yet today. Perhaps I am merely an antiquainted fuddy duddy…
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@REHawk Well, this probably falls into the category of idiotic juvenile “mistake” but it is amazing how kids love to publicize their “mistakes” nowadays!
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@REHawk it’s on kusports. Ugly words, unfortunately they are spoken way to often these days! Self will straighten these guys out or they won’t stay. Before KU starts receiving all the blame, I don’t think they are officially “ours”. I did read a funny response from a kstater saying something about our KU thugs, which another responded w/what was the difference between the whole ksu student section cheering ? u KU.
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Thank God we did not have social media when we were young…and stupid…
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Memphis fans are all over it indicating that they should feel at home at KU with all its recent issues.
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They can crawl back into their hole any time now. No room to talk, considering Cal and Pastner, imo.
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They are acting like brides that found out their fiancés were cheating with their BFFs.
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@BShark KU under Self will be heavily involved with all levels of recruiting. Misses and injuries will still happen. On paper, Selby was a great recruit. In reality, uncoachable, ncaa-screwed, then got injured, and the stupidity-quotient of choosing to leave early, when a healthy Yr2 would have put him in lotto. He could have helped vs KY, instead ended up playing in china. Nobody cares about chinese bball, almost sounds like an 80s joke…
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@BShark And apparently he can get buckets beyond Lucas’ ability. Im soooo rdy for dominance & rbds in the post again. I’m assuming Udoka will be good for 12/12 nightly, maybe 15/12…but who will help him? Lightfoot at 4 would be better than KYo. Coleby looks serviceable now as a garbage/Izzo style big. Dont know what Preston brings, just dont be another Bragg. Preston seems to be project-McDAA…
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Preston will start.
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If Preston and Udoka develop and perform like we hope they will, the team will have no weaknesses.
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@JayHawkFanToo That is a giant sized IF. Gonna take about 17 games of real patience from Doke, Preston, coaching staff and all concerned. That said, if sound limb and general good health holds, by mid-league season Bill Self should have the pieces to make a terrific stretch run. Right now, he is maybe one amazing ball handler shy of filling a dynamic roster.
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It’s possible that KU doesn’t even really have a back-up center (hinges on Tilmon) and if that’s the case Udoka will have all the minutes he could want. Hopefully he develops nicely.
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Coleby filled in adequately towards the end of the season and he is good for 5-10 minutes per game.
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I should have been clearer. If Self gets mad at Doke, Coleby isn’t the kind of player that he really wants to put out there for a long stretch. Tilmon is the only player left on the radar that could change that equation and cause a murkier roster situation. Juiston is a wing (that would play PF) and Brooks would be a clear depth and develop signing like Allen.
