Crootin Thread III, Wherein Some Players Probably Commit to KU



  • @Kcmatt7 you putting Preston at 4?



  • @BeddieKU23 I think it is an injustice to the team to not play 4 guards if we don’t add another post. We are too good and athletic to not put that on the floor. You need to put your 5 best basketball players on the floor and things will take care of themselves.

    And, as far as draft stock, I think it only helps a guy like Svi or Vick. It shows 2 things. That they can operate in an NBA spread style offense. And, that they can guard positions 2-4. If anything, it raises their draft stock.



  • @Kcmatt7 @BeddieKU23 I guess I’m very confident that our lineup is set – Graham, Newman, Vick, Preston, Udoka. That’s just how I see it. If Svi comes back, I do think that Vick starts. Vick’s better. Of course, Preston could end up being a Diallo or Bragg to Self. Barring that, it’s hard for me to imagine Preston not starting. Maybe not game 1 or 2 (where Self might start Coleby), but pretty quickly.



  • Kcmatt7 said:

    @BeddieKU23 I think it is an injustice to the team to not play 4 guards if we don’t add another post. We are too good and athletic to not put that on the floor. You need to put your 5 best basketball players on the floor and things will take care of themselves.

    And, as far as draft stock, I think it only helps a guy like Svi or Vick. It shows 2 things. That they can operate in an NBA spread style offense. And, that they can guard positions 2-4. If anything, it raises their draft stock.

    I’m all for putting our five best players on the court, we agree there.

    Things take care of themselves though when you have the right fit to make such a situation happen. Jackson “fit” playing the 4 because athletically he could hold his own on defense and offensively he was too skilled and quick for posts to cover him. I don’t buy that we have another such situation where we can just put a guard on the court and ask him to play out of position, consistently, at a high level. That’s asking a lot from any of the available options.

    I guess we should wait and see how the roster shakes out before we can really figure out what style of play this team will be playing with. I’m all for the 4 guard lineup, it was exciting to see from Self. If we have the right players to execute that style of play again I will be behind it. I think right now we lack that with certainty. Self’s rolling the dice only having 10 scholarship players available for this upcoming year.



  • @BeddieKU23 You’re right, it will shake out.

    I just haven’t heard good things about Lightfoot in practice. I heard he should be playing down the road at Baker…

    So I don’t feel confident he should be out there playing the 4 anymore than Cunliffe, Vick or Svi. I guess that is what I’m basing most of my opinion on. I definitely see Preston and Doke starting the game. But there is only about 25 minutes a piece there. So I’m seeing us be a 4 guard lineup 15 minutes a game at least…



  • Kcmatt7 said

    I just haven’t heard good things about Lightfoot in practice. I heard he should be playing down the road at Baker…

    Sound like something @elpoyo would post.😄



  • @Kcmatt7 if coleby might leave and lt foot isn’t looking good, we’re screwed? Huh?



  • 2018 activity and offers flowing.

    Montez Mathis interesting 2018 name to keep an eye on. Not ranked high enough imo.

    Also reports that Tilmon is down to KU and Missouri.



  • Did anyone substantiate the claims that Coleby might leave? Makes no sense.



  • Kcmatt7 said:

    @BeddieKU23 You’re right, it will shake out.

    I just haven’t heard good things about Lightfoot in practice. I heard he should be playing down the road at Baker…

    So I don’t feel confident he should be out there playing the 4 anymore than Cunliffe, Vick or Svi. I guess that is what I’m basing most of my opinion on. I definitely see Preston and Doke starting the game. But there is only about 25 minutes a piece there. So I’m seeing us be a 4 guard lineup 15 minutes a game at least…

    I’m going to wait on Lightfoot, I think his impact comes in year 3 and 4. If he puts on weight this summer that would be a good start to him seeing more minutes this upcoming year.

    But I do agree he’s not better then a guard we could throw out there talent wise, but defensively he offers more than any of the 3 at least in the post area. Self has his work cut out for him trying to figure out what identity this team will have. Last years squad didn’t come together until the season started even with veterans and wasn’t until Bragg was under-performing did Self trust that the 4 guard lineup could happen. Probably going to take a similar situation where Preston/Lightfoot fail to gain the trust of Coach enough to go with 4 guards.



  • Duke fans freaking out about signing a 3 star guard for depth. Yikes



  • @BeddieKU23

    Freaking out about a player that won’t play for them next year, if ever, is weird.



  • Hameir Wright said he’s still weighing a move back to 2017, but the plan right now is to take a prep year. Kansas and Michigan State are making a push. Miami, Syracuse, Villanova, Maryland, UCLA.

    Hameir Wright #27 in the ESPN top 60, #45 on 247 for 2018 6’7 SF. Has to be Svi related…



  • @JayHawkFanToo just telling you guys what I hear. But I can keep those comments to myself instead if you would like.



  • @Crimsonorblue22 I wouldn’t think we are screwed. We will end up with a backup to Doke one way or another. Either Coleby will stay, Tilmon will come or someone will come out of the woodwork.

    Duke landed Thorton about this time because they whiffed on every PG they went for. Had to call him up and get him to reclass. We could do something similar, worst case scenario.



  • @approxinfinity I heard it from one of the basketball managers that he is probably leaving.



  • @Kcmatt7 unhappy with PT?



  • @Kcmatt7 Keep the insider info coming my friend! We know things can change quickly but its nice to get the info either way. Helps pass the time until the season starts!



  • Has Coleby graduated? If not he’d be sacrificing his last year of eligibility to transfer again.



  • @BeddieKU23

    Wow. Would take. Hear he might be an MSU lean though.

    @Kcmatt7

    Keep the info flowing. You get that LTfoot take from the coaching staff even if indirectly? I’ve always said he needs the RS year.

    Exactly what I figured on Coleby.



  • @approxinfinity I’m not sure. My buddy (the manager) just said “Dwight was probably transferring.” And then I asked if it’s because we are getting Tilmon or if he knew anything about him. He supposedly could have visited on Sunday is what my buddy said. I’ll ask him and see if it happened or not. I didn’t get to grill him about it as much as I’d like to, and try not to bother him about stuff all the time so he keeps giving me stuff.

    @BShark And my buddy said something similar to this: “Lightfoot is awful. Just awful. He gets roasted at practice. He shouldn’t even be playing here. He should be playing down the road at BU.” I’m not sure if that is what the coaches think, but this is at least someone’s view that is at practice every day with the team.



  • @Kcmatt7 I wonder how coaches feel about team managers making comments about what they hear and see?



  • @Kcmatt7 guess everyone is entitled to their opinion huh lol. - As far as my self I would have to disagree about mitch. - -Again maybe not this year but yet he will get some minutes, yet another year with Hud and I think he is a player that can contribute. Hell he already has in some spots hustles, dives for loose balls, blocks shots brings energy. Not really quite sure what people are looking to see from him. a stud HE IS NOT



  • @jayballer54 to follow up as I still haven’t figured things out o the system as far as editing I knocked myself out of my post some how lol. Anyways as I was saying a stud he is not. BUT I feel in his JR year and even to some degree this year he can contribute in certain ways for spot game time Never going to play a huge role but umm BAKER? come on now let’s be real lol. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @mayjay I’m not sure. It isn’t like they are giving away plays or gameplans to other teams. If you were an opposing coach or program, what info do you gain from what he told me? A backup big who could get 10 minutes a game might transfer and one of our players who is a 6’6 power forward sucks? Most could assume it. I know I predicted a Coleby transfer months ago. And it might not even happen.

    The majority of things I get from him are who we are recruiting harder or how visits went. Rarely do we have a roster conundrum like this, so it isn’t an issue.



  • @jayballer54 click the three vertical dots on the lower right side of your post. It will pull up a list of options Edit is right up top. Cheers!



  • Kansas has landed William & Mary grad transfer Jack Whitman, source told ESPN. Averaged 10 and 5 this past season.



  • @Crimsonorblue22 who is that?



  • @Crimsonorblue22

    Coleby’s replacement. 🥁



  • @BShark I don’t feel good about this, change my mind!



  • @Crimsonorblue22 Looks like a depth pickup. Grad Transfer. Had an extremely efficient season last year shooting 66% from the field.

    Jack Whitman Per 40 line:

    • 18 Points
    • 9.8 Rebounds
    • 2.1 Blocks
    • 60% from the FT line


  • @Kcmatt7 against who? Have you heard of him?



  • @dylans Oh ok, gotcha thanks. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @Crimsonorblue22 I haven’t seen him play or heard of him. I know we try to compare a lot of guys to Kevin Young, but this guy sounds like Kevin Young. Efficient scorer, decent passer for a big man, decent rebounder, gets to the free throw line.



  • Crimsonorblue22 said:

    @BShark I don’t feel good about this, change my mind!

    He’s not a starter. Only here for one year in a spot where KU doesn’t have much post depth. Seems like a fine situation for both.



  • Welp so much for Tilmon. - - dam - -starts looking like we just finding a body. – -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jayballer54

    This doesn’t eliminate Tilmon. Tilmon has the same proposition, he’d likely be the third big in KU’s rotation.



  • I’m surprised by this as I thought he had visits to UNC, Clemson & George Washington lined up…

    If Coleby is in fact leaving and I think the staff thinks Svi is gone as well that would leave us potentially 1 more spot open…



  • BeddieKU23 said:

    I’m surprised by this as I thought he had visits to UNC, Clemson & George Washington lined up…

    If Coleby is in fact leaving and I think the staff thinks Svi is gone as well that would leave us potentially 1 more spot open…

    He already visited UNC I think. And yeah some solid names involved.



  • @jayballer54 I wouldn’t say that quite yet. Still pieces to fall. This, to me, looks like a pickup for a 4 and a sign that Svi isn’t coming back.

    Gives us 5 guards, 2 PFs and still only 1 C. We need Tilmon.

    As far as scholarships, those will work themselves out. I still think there is a chance that a Lawson could be a self-pay for one season. Or somehow be a “student manager” for the season and still practice and get paid. They did that with Svi and Coleby during the University games exhibitions so that they could practice over the summer with the rest of the team. They literally had to wear different clothes than the team that matched the managers to be in compliance.



  • @BShark I think this does us in a far as schlorships. - -Smells to me like he was a last minute thing after finding out Tilmon not coming I don’t know just first impressions not a guy that makes you wet all over yourself with excitement. – ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Some advanced stats on Whitman

    Made 91 of 132 shots at the rim good for 68.9%. Landen this season was 94 of 131.

    Made 14 of 27 2 point jumpers good for roughly 52%. Landen was 19 of 48 on 2 point jumpers.

    Terribly FT shooter- 92 of 154.

    PER 0f 22, which would have been 3rd best on last years squad. His Offensive rating would have been 2nd on the team this past year.

    We’ll see, looks like solid depth for either spot.



  • Whitman is Lightfoot insurance, in case he isn’t ready yet. It’s Preston insurance in case he isn’t ready yet.



  • @Kcmatt7 Wish I could think as positive, I just don’t see any thing good out of this - -my thought is Tilmon informed them he was not coming, just a last minute thing for a body to back up Udoka maybe wrong but for sure not getting /doing flips. From the LJW he said that he had given some thought about possibly visiting UNC but didn’t looks like, hope he is more then what I think. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Whitman had 13 and 4 against Duke in 16 minutes

    3 and 6 against Louisville in 19 minutes

    8 and 4 against Rhode Island in 24 minutes

    Had 21 against UNC Wilmington, highest of the season.

    Efficient scorer, can’t go wrong.





  • Looks like KU is officially transfer U



  • @jayballer54 There are a lot of work-arounds to scholarships in our current situation, I believe.

    One of the Lawson’s could literally take just one “class” that happens to be at the weight room with Hudy. And then be a “volunteer” practice player. The women’s team brings in male practice players from the student population. We could do the same thing. Easily. I expect us to have 14 scholarship players on 13 scholarships this year one way or another.



  • KUSTEVE said:

    Whitman is Lightfoot insurance, in case he isn’t ready yet. It’s Preston insurance in case he isn’t ready yet.

    Lightfoot isn’t ready, that we know.



  • jayballer54 said:

    @Kcmatt7 Wish I could think as positive, I just don’t see any thing good out of this - -my thought is Tilmon informed them he was not coming, just a last minute thing for a body to back up Udoka maybe wrong but for sure not getting /doing flips. From the LJW he said that he had given some thought about possibly visiting UNC but didn’t looks like, hope he is more then what I think. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

    Enh, he could give 10-15 minutes a game and doesn’t impact future targets.


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