Why It Is Vital We Land Myles Turner...
-
I can’t stress this enough. We simply have to have Myles Turner.
We need Myles to fill a hole in the middle of our game. We need a shot blocker to make up for all the poor perimeter defense we play.
And we need to continue to be “Big Man U” more than ever. Myles gives us the continuation as the school with the big man rep.
That right there says enough about how desperate we need Myles Turner.
But it goes way beyond those needs. We need Myles to be the big man that transforms Bill Self’s coaching philosophy. Because the future of basketball is almost here (2 more years) and the winner of the biggest prize will have to prove themselves. And the proof will be about handling the most-talented big man of all times. Yes, I said that. Wilt Chamberlain’s status on top of the clouds may finally be reached by the next great phenom.
Before going further, imagine what is possible because what I am about to share with you has never been done before. You are about to meet a 7-foot player that is more capable of running point that owning the post. Actually, he is quite capable of doing both.
The good news is that Bill Self has him circled and targeted on his radar screen. But then, so does Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and literally every D1 basketball school in America.
This new phenom, who may not threaten Chamberlain in the record book, will make a statement of what big men of the future can do. He is a sophomore in high school and already possesses far more skills than Chamberlain ever had as a pro. He matches everything Chamberlain had except strength. Just give him time to grow into his 7-foot body and to adapt to modern strength training. He’ll get there.
Now we can best understand why Myles Turner is so important to Kansas basketball. Myles isn’t the typical 7-footer himself, and tends to like the outside game similar to the player he admires most, Kevin Durant. So we can’t guarantee he’ll wear a Kansas uniform based on Self’s hi/lo offense. Self’s offense is the perfect offense for a post player who likes to stay in the post. Myles wants to work in the post, but he is definitely an “out of the box” type player. Instead of practicing heavy body battles in the post, he would rather work on his pick-and-pop. If Self wants to stand a chance at landing him, he will have to convince Myles that he has the best strategy for using Myle’s skills, both in the post and out on the perimeter. This will be a test for Self. And if he can land Myles, he gets to prove that he can coach post players beyond the hi/lo perspective. In fact, perhaps Self’s best recruiting tool would be to visit with Myles and show him this new phenom and let Myles now that he will invest whatever is necessary for Myles to develop a game of the future… the game matching this high school sophomore.
The future arrives in two years. Here is a glimpse of what we can expect:
-
@drgnslayr Boom…slayr, you get to the point and I salute you for it my friend. He’s good in HS, but don’t think he’ll do that stuff in D1 B12 bball. If he does, he’ll dominate.
-
@drgnslayr He’s pure and raw as the driven snow. I hope Self and Hudy get him before the other vulchers ruin him.
-
" but don’t think he’ll do that stuff in D1 B12 bball."
He’ll do it. He’ll do it because he can handle the ball… Executing in D1 is about adjusting to the speed and being able to take the rock with you at a quicker speed. That’s something players like Wiggins couldn’t do.
This kid can do it, and he will!
-
@drgnslayr I hope you’re right and even more so, I hope Self brings him onto the hill.
-
He’s probably going to Texas. I’m not sure it’s vital that we get Turner though. Only a handful of teams (Kentucky, Arizona, Texas with Turner) have the size to really hurt Kansas on the interior. I think a starting 5 of Frankamp, Selden, Oubre, Ellis, and Alexander is more than capable of competing for a national championship next season. And ya, I would start Frankamp ahead of Tharpe, Mason, and Graham.
-
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10835610/maryland-terrapins-transfer-shaquille-cleare-signs-texas-longhornsWell it just got even more interesting because Texas just signed a 6-9 center from Maryland. He’s not eligible but it may mean that Turner has picked KU. I don’t think Barnes would sign and waste the paper if he was getting Turner.
A very good sign for KU or he’s going SMU.
-
This post is deleted!
-
With that signing UT has all scholarships taken. To sign Turner, one player would have to go off scholarship or transfer and it is getting late in the process to find schools with open scholarships.
-
I just blew my thought away. I just reviewed UT’s scholarship situation and they have 9 on scholarship and 4 walk-ons. In short, they have room for the three that signed and still have room for Turner.
So, it continues. But it is still interesting how Barnes is loading up on bigs with Ebeh and Ridley. They now have 7 bigs, PF/C.
signed a 6-7 SF
signed a 6-9 JC transfer
signed 6-9 Maryland transfer
This tells me that Barnes’ chances with Turner have either been reduced dramatically to sign this Maryland transfer or he is simply loading up on bigs for now and into the 2015-16 season, knowing Turner may be OAD.
Is it April 30 ?
-
@truehawk93 Jonathan Holmes is a PF too, right?
-
@HighEliteMajor I would think either SF or PF or both? He can play primarily the PF most of the time unless Ridley and Ebeh are on the floor. I actually counted Holmes too.
-
Things just got interesting in Lexington. I don’t care at all. I just want to know how Calipari will work this now. He’s got too many staying and too many coming…We should see some exiting soon. WOW! If you’re the incoming recruits, I’d feel odd. But, again, give Calipari credit. I see exactly what he’s doing in light of the age change for the NBA. He’s backing completely away from the OAD because he knows 1-3 year players are better able to win NC. Your OADs have to be like his 2012 team, which was rare. He is so sly, that sly fox. He was waiting for that NBA age thing. Get ready folks because uk may make another run with this stacked team and all the returners. But we had a great team with returners in 2013 with seniors and a dynamic OAD RS Soph in BMac.
I’m sure the 40-0 Bluegrass folks are talking now. Gawd, I think I’m actually learning to respect this coach…I hate it too.
-
@truehawk93 I will learn to like him if/when he is KU’s coach - not UK’s.
That’s not likely to happen soon…
-
@truehawk93 Tough not to respect what he’s managed to achieve in recent years. He’s created an environment that attracts elite talent, and can offer them playing time and exposure if they show up commited to give him their best for one year. While many coaches yearn for the bygone days before the OAD rule, Calipari adjusted his entire philosophy to make sure these kids will want to play for him. I have to give credit where it’s due; Cal is the undisputed OAD master.
-
@Virgil_Caine I agree with you. Have to give Cal credit. But that doesn’t keep me from cringing when he makes those cheesy obvious statements such as: “I have to go and be with my 5 first round draft picks” or “I’m just concentrating on helping kids provide for their families.”
-
Sooooo all those guys going to be happy w/playing time? No credit from here!
-
@Crimsonorblue22 LOL, fair enough! The cupboard is getting pretty full over there…will be interesting to see who rises to the top of the rotation.
@Hawk8086 Yeah, he is so contrived and calculated that it’s like watching a politician go around kissing babies and shaking hands. He knows that recruits, and more importantly, their families, are watching him. I’ll take Self’s candid demeanor any day!
-
I believe UK has 14 players and 13 scholarships…so, who get his scholarship pulled? In view of the twins coming back, do any of the incoming players asks to be released?
-
@JayHawkFanToo very interesting! Who would we want, if we don’t get Turner?
-
Osu lost a guard today. Hmmm
-
That is no-brainer, Davonte Graham.
-
@Hawk8086 Oh yea, he’s cheesy, but I’ve tried to disrespect him, but what he’s done so far is brilliant. His recruiting is brilliant and strategic. Also, he gets the players to trust him and they do exactly what he wants. This could be good and this could be bad. Love him or hate him, the results are still clear.
Believe me, I hate admitting the obvious too. I can’t keep hating facts. The man is proven until all the NASTY we all THINK has occured comes out. But for now, I can’t keep screaming foul if the foul isn’t revealed.
-
@Crimsonorblue22 This is his challenge. The answer to your question is NO. They will not be happy, but he will figure a way to make it work. They will worship the ground he walks. It’s kinda sick.
-
@Crimsonorblue22 What are you implying?
-
@truehawk93 okie state
-
@Crimsonorblue22 Who?
-
@JayHawkFanToo I was thinking if a kid wanted to back out from Kentucky, would we be interested in any of them. Pure speculation!
-
-
This post is deleted!
-
This post is deleted!
-
This post is deleted!
-
Let’s look at uk’s paper trail:
Let’s remove Young and Randle to draft, +2
Remove Polson and Hood as seniors, +2
We can account for 4 slots and they have 4 coming into the program.
No one has to leave at all. But pt is going to be scarce. The two mentioned in the article above will likely ask for a transfer, Lee and WIllis. The very two Calipari says, “We can’t lose…” will be the two that will likely transfer. He can’t get pt to all these top recruits because they all want to play more than Cal is going to allow.
-
@truehawk93 can’t get that article.
-
@Crimsonorblue22 Kansas had offered that kid back his junior season. But sounds like from the article he’s wanting to stay on the east coast.
-
@HighEliteMajor I didn’t know that. Okie state is really struggling! Gonna miss those match ups from the last 2 years.
-
This post is deleted!
-
@truehawk93 can’t get that article.
http://vaughtsviews.com/calipari-two-guys-we-cant-lose-are-marcus-lee-and-derek-willis/
-
I think Coach Self’s devotion to Perry Ellis will prevent Turner from signing with us. He is not going to bench Perry, or move him to the 3, so Turner would have to come off the bench. So, we’re looking at : Naadir/Mason/CF at point guard, Selden/Greene/CF at the 2, Oubre/Greene/White? at the 3, Perry/Jamari at the 4, and Cliffie/Hunter/Lucas at the 5. That’s a really good team, folks. Much more experience than this year. Hopefully, we’ll play much better defense. I can’t wait to see Selden’s breakout this year. It’ll be beautiful.
-
@KUSTEVE don’t forget Embiid came off the bench. I don’t think coaches devotion to Perry will affect turners decision
-
@Crimsonorblue22 We really need a couple of consistently good teams in this conference. It seems like it’s just a rotation of possible contenders.
-
@KUSTEVE I see you listed Tharpe first among the point guards. And then you said “That’s a really good team, folks.”
I wonder if you considered the contradiction there?
-
@HighEliteMajor I think Texas will give us some good games the next 2 years. Hate that ISU won the tourney, we were short-handed, which they later found out that hurts! ISU will give us a good game.
-
@HighEliteMajor Hopefully Frankamp or Mason have a breakout year.
Hopefully it doesn’t take a Tharpe suspension for doing something silly off court (on court is a given) for them to get a chance.
-
@dylans I have this gut feeling that Jayhawk fans are going to be very pleasantly surprised with Frankamp next year.
Or that could be the Mexican food we had last night…
-
Frankamp was more than capable of playing as a Freshman. He just did not get the opportunity. There is no breakout, when the young man can already play. He gives up size on defense. He is a decent defender. His offensive game has always been on point. We need offense, and this young man can deliver. He just needs the opportunity. I wonder if Conner was killing Tharpe in practice and maybe that’s where Tharpe lost his confidence. Not saying that this is what happened, but it could have.
-
@dylans I personally think that the Mason/CF combo will be just fine. My only concern is Tharpe messing it up, to be quite honest. I was very impressed with how CF handled the situations he was placed in.
-
We also need Turner to help balance the post rotations and improve the interior spacing. Perry needs a longer, defensive minded big to play alongside. Rather than Perry-Cliff, it would work much better if we could play Perry with Turner and Cliff with Landen.
-
@HighEliteMajor I like Naadir less than you. You’re alot kinder than I am about him. I think he plays his way onto the bench, like last year. I think Mason will be a dynamo, but I think Francamp will end up being our saving grace. What I saw at the end of that Stanford game tells me we’ve got a true star, a real leader just sitting there, waiting for the right time. And I think that time comes this year.
-
I love the Frankamp stat where he had like 100+ minutes played without a turnover at the end of the season. I will be excited if he gets more playing time just so that we don’t see as many turnovers. Not sure if this is a good way to thing about it, but if a player makes 2-3 less turnovers per game, and assuming the other teams scores 1 PPP, you should give them a +3 for the game and should help make up for defensive deficiencies on their end.
