KU vs. Emporia St - Svi To Start



  • Rustin Dodd is reporting that Self said that Svi is scheduled to start against Emporia St. Is this a merit based start in Self’s eyes, or is it motivation for Svi’s competition? Starters are Mason, Selden, Svi, Ellis and Traylor.

    We all saw the same thing. We saw a long, quick, active and potentially dynamic player in KU’s first exhibition vs. Washburn. And it seems that the consensus is that Svi is perhaps the best shooter on the team from three point range, at least neck and neck with Greene. Is the guy too good to be true? But it’s just hard for me to imagine that a kid this young could actually be a starter at Kansas as a freshman. But I want to imagine.

    Why not? Don’t we deserve the surprise? The guy no one projected to be as good as he actually turned out to be? We deserve a Trey Burke or a Derrick Williams. Svi is well respected, landing in top 10 of 2016 mock drafts. But if he emerges as a starter, and a star, this season – that’s a shock of epic proportions.

    I try to avoid “giddy” best I can. But I have to admit, after watching him play last Monday, I’m giddy. Svi has tools, skills, and physical attributes that are impressive. Do we have a Euro-phenom on our hands? The eye test, at least initially, says yes.

    Of course, the most likely scenario is that Self is using this spot as motivation for all involved. It’s doubtful, of course, that this is any indication that Self sees Svi as the presumptive starter. We have presumed OAD Oubre, who was slated to take Wiggins’ place. The best guess is Oubre takes that spot. Mason, Selden, Oubre, Ellis and Alexander. Fate. Last week, Self was going to start Greene, but Greene had a weak pregame practice … or that’s at least what Self said. And Svi needs experience and he needs reps in practice. That’s the logical me. That’s not very much fun.

    But I don’t want to be logical. I want to see this guy explode on the college basketball scene. The unguardable 6’8", ball handling, three point shooting, take it to the hoop monster that becomes our go-to player in an instant.

    “Ukrainian Phenom Lead KU To National Title.”

    Of course, when Svi goes 1-7 vs. Emporia with four turnovers, we’ll forget this ever happened.



  • @HighEliteMajor I think it’s going to be a great, crazy ride!! We could have different starters every game! No way to predict. Great position to be in.



  • @HighEliteMajor

    It could be something as little as Svi beat Oubre to a 50/50 ball and Self is inserting the needle into Oubre.

    But to be prudent, let’s round up the usual suspects in rank order, shall we: injury, defense, hustle, appearance.

    Hmmmmmm. Lemmme think here.

    Bring in the first suspect.

    Mr. Injury, you seem always a possibility with an OAD. OAD’s appear not to play through injuries. And, well, Oubre WAS wearing the dreaded black knee lingerie in the first exhibition, right? And as we know anyone that hesitates to lace them up with an injury less than a torn ACL, or a compound fracture sticking out through the epidermis, is viewed as some how not quite team-oriented enough by Marine Raider Bill.

    Hmmmmm. If its an injury issue, we won’t know about it for awhile. And it could be some seriously sore knees that an early rest might help, or something they are trying to decide about scoping, or not, or it could be an OAD protecting the merchandize and being treaded to the usual round of withheld PT for failure to man-up. Mr. Injury, you are released pending further inquiry. Do not leave town.

    Next suspect.

    Mr. Defense? Turn and face the front. What about failure to “buy in” to defense? Well, Self has enthused about Oubre’s hustle, so, Mr. Defense, you are no longer a suspect. Have a nice day sliding and helping.

    Next suspect.

    Mr. Hustle? Show us a profile, then face the front. Its always possible Kelly had an off day and is getting dinged for it. But Oubre seems pretty intense. Mr. Hustle, you are released from custody, but do not leave town without notifying us. We may wish to call you in for further questioning.

    Mr. Appearance? Hey, you! in the big ugly mop of half processed protein. Front and center. You know Mr. Appearance, right? As in shaved sidewalls and Monster Truck sized high profile protein tread on top? As in outside Self’s traditional range of tolerance? As in longer than Wayne Selden? Longer than Frank Mason? Longer than Perry Ellis? As in longer than Cin?

    Mr. Appearance, you are under arrest for violating Self Ball criminal code 8793425.319. This violation involves wearing an outrageous hair style, then playing okay, but not stellar, and then talking to a journalist about the 'do being a branding technique in promoting your career. There will be no bail. You are sentenced to a week in the toughening box and a visit to a preferred list of barbers that Fred Quartelbaum will provide you gratis. But you have to pay for chop.

    The minute I read in the recent human interest/OAD-hype story about Oubre admitting that his hair was a branding thing, I figured he was already in the jaws of hell–already on the way to the toughening box–that log enclosure under the guard tower out by The Bridge on the River Kaw. Self promotion BEFORE performance, I have a hunch is an OAD no-no after Self’s recent OAD experiences.

    And I have always believed that Self has an unwritten rule about appearance, whether it be hair, beards, jewelry, tats, or what have you. I believe Self will never order a player to get, say, a haircut. But what he will do is hold it against you the moment you don’t do everything just right. It is the old coach’s way of teaching players that life is a lot more unfair than some pencil-necked high school biology teacher grading you down for spit wads.

    I suspect Oubre confused that it was okay to wear a new coiffure to Late Night with it not being okay to use hair as a branding tool once the bullets start flying.

    The story indicated that Father Oubre picked Self precisely because he wanted a coach that would set limits with his son.

    I believe we may be witnessing the first limit setting.

    Or, maybe Self is just testing different lineups.

    Sure.

    And Jeb Bush could be running, because he plans to bring peace to the Middle East and close the torture prisons.

    But seriously, I do think it is a bit too soon to tell.

    🙂



  • Svitness. If only his number were 34.



  • @HighEliteMajor Being giddy once in a while helps keep us feeling young when were anything but that. If he does go 1-7 & 4 to’s he’ll likely be about the 9th option on an 8 player rotation. Heaven forbid-I’d like being giddy the entire season with an NC Cherry on top !!



  • @globaljaybird your dog is having fun playing bb too!



  • @HighEliteMajor **I try to avoid “giddy” best I can. But I have to admit, after watching him play last Monday, I’m giddy. Svi has tools, skills, and physical attributes that are impressive. Do we have a Euro-phenom on our hands? The eye test, at least initially, says yes. **

    I read somewhere that if he had been ranked in the 2014 recruits, he would’ve been top 5-10, so giddy is justified.



  • @HighEliteMajor

    I have followed his play and stats ever since he came into KU’s radar, No question that he has innate talent and the versatility to play multiple positions plus the basketball IQ to adapt to a new system faster than the average players. While the average freshman, even a McD All American, arrives on campus having played high school competition that often involves players that work at McDonald’s and better competition at AAU tournaments, Svi was establishing his bona fides playing against grown men in the professional Euro Leagues. He is stronger and more experience than we realize.

    The one thing that he does not quite have is consistency. He can be dominant in one game and run of the mill average the next one; The biggest thing he will need to learn is to pace himself and acquire consistency.

    What is the difference between a good player and great player? CONSISTENCY.

    Look at all the good players around and now look at the ones we generally consider great and you will see that what they have in common is consistency. Lots of great players have graced the hardwood and most end up being a flash in the pan and one season wonders and are soon forgotten but only the ones that play well consistently achieve greatness.



  • Could be a lot of reasons why he is starting. Self had said not to read anything in to who was starting the first Exhibition…or something to that effect. Could be almost random. But, I would vote for a) keeping everyone guessing…and motivated and b)truly seeing how the kid responds. I can’t see Oubre not getting a lot of minutes this season. He won’t be given the leeway that AW was last year, but he will be forgiven for mistakes more than others (typical for a McDonald’s guy).



  • @HighEliteMajor

    Another solid post.

    Svi has a big toolbox. He’s the only one I see really dribbling, cutting and faking to get open in mid range. It seems like most guys either want to hit the trey (which he can also do) or take it to the rim. It would be nice to see someone exploit mid range.

    I think Svi will contribute quite a bit this year, and next year he will be a beast in D1. I hope he sticks around for at least 3 years. I can hardly imagine where he will be in 3 years!

    We scored big with this find, but it did cost us. I’m sure it was the last straw for Conner. I saw the Shockers opener and Conner and dad were in attendance. I caught one of the Shocker games last year and bumped into Conner at that one. Not sure if he fits in the high-speed Shocker team, but I know his parents are both grads from WSU.

    I guess I wasn’t the only one to notice Conner…

    Conner Frankamp makes recruiting visit during Wichita State’s exhibition victory



  • The starting lineup for the Champions Classic in Indianpolis will be a pretty good indicator. Tonight’s game is just a tuneup.



  • @drgnslayr

    This was like day following night.

    Marshall will have Frankamp raining treys at the Round House (do they still play in the Round House?) faster than you can say starting point guard. 🙂



  • @drgnslayr

    P.S.: Now we just have to hope Perry doesn’t transfer down there, too, if the numbers go against him here, too. 🙂



  • Svi looked fluid out on the floor… And it’s great to see someone that young and that size look comfortable at this stage.

    However, let’s remember that the early part of the season is where Self will experiment with different lineups. He wants to see how guys respond in games vs in practice, so he needs to try this out.

    Svi will probably be a starter at some point (if not this year, then next year), but the lineup for Emporia State will not be the same lineup for Iowa State.



  • @bskeet

    Xcellent point.

    And while I have been joking around, the real reason probably has nothing to do with Oubre, but rather with Frankamp’s departure, Svi has got to get some work in, because Svi is much nearer to being needed now for his gun and dribbling than before Conner shoved off for Shockerville.



  • @KansasComet Great point on the Kentucky game; and actually, the boxscore will be a nice indicator on Self’s overall view of the minutes distribution.

    Last year vs. Duke, our top 7 minutes guys were Ellis, Selden, Wiggins, Tharpe, Embiid, Traylor, and Mason. Black started, but had early trouble and Self went with Embiid. Greene was the 5th perimeter guy, and got 8 minutes.



  • I commented before reading the article in LJW. While this doesn’t necessarily mean anything in terms of who starts when the games are real…it is one early indicator of who gets minutes…Self said it directly. Many of us, me included had assumed that Svi was the odd man out on the perimeter. Now it looks like Greene, for the moment, is the 5th perimeter guy…that guy typically hasn’t gotten many minutes. Maybe Self will have a true 9 man rotation. But it seems like the 9th guy doesn’t get a lot of minutes. Using Oubre or Selden as a 4 also throws a wrench in the works. Also…the status of guys can change during the year. But for now…Greene’s minutes appear to be in trouble.



  • @HighEliteMajor i would like to see less fouls from Jamari this game. He won’t stay in the starting lineup for long piling up fouls like he did last game.



  • The two things which stand out, for me, in this Bill Self decision: Bill is traipsing into the head of Cal, what with the KY game a week down the pike; and Bill wants to see Selden work from the 3 position. A talented brilliant youngster is being showcased and inserted as an example of how the coaching staff would like to see this year’s squad play. The midrange game has struggled since '08.



  • @REHawk Very good points. Selden at the 3 … very interesting.



  • @jaybate-1.0

    “This was like day following night.”

    Conner would have to fight for minutes at WSU, too. They like to play with more perimeter defensive pressure.

    What Conner has to realize is that the best thing for him is to be at a school where he has to fight ridiculously hard to earn minutes. That’s the only way he will be pushed enough to develop his game to another level. He has some tools in his toolbox, but he needs quite a bit more to play at the next level, even if it is making a decent living with euroball. Europe has plenty of good shooters, most are quite a bit bigger than Conner. Svi is pretty much the prototypical euro player.



  • @Hawk8086

    I think Self’s mindset is wrapped around size.

    When he talks about playing “small ball” this year, he’s talking about how he uses his bench. Does he give minutes off the bench more to guards or to post players? Does he put in Devonte or Landen?

    I hope he plays it more like Hoiberg would… focus on match-ups. We build a game plan based on our scouting who matches up best with who… and then during the game we may mix it up to test out other options (if need be). Wayne is a real jewel in this concept because he can play anywhere from point to the 4 and he knows he has to take on the role of alpha-dog.

    Brannen has size going for him. I’m not sure if he can hold his own at the 4, but he should be able to play 2 and 3. His issues are defense and whether or not he can be an alpha-dog. Gunning up bad shots doesn’t make him an alpha-dog. Fighting for position and putting up high % shots is the role of an alpha-dog.

    The Hoiberg system only works with alpha-dog players. That’s why Fred always recruits several alpha-dogs that realize their role to attack when they have mismatches.

    I would like to see us work out of the hi/lo, but I’d like to see us play it with several players in an alpha-dog mindset, which is to do more than just pump up the shot when they are wide open.

    What we have really lacked recently is having a few alpha-dogs on the team.

    I think Svi is fascinating because he can shoot well, has several developed tools, and seems to show symptoms of being an alpha-dog, maybe even more so than Wayne. Cliff should become our post alpha-dog as he learns how to use his physicality without drawing fouls.

    If developed right, we may have several alpha-dogs on this team:

    Frank, Kelly, Svi, Cliff come to mind, and others may pick up the spirit, too.



  • I think Self is trying to find a lineup that he can run with confidence. I expect we may see a lineup with Oubre, Svi and Selden all on the floor together with a PG and a post guy. That’s a lineup that needs to be explored.

    The strength of this team is our wing players - Selden, Oubre, Svi, Greene - they can all play legitimate high level minutes. The only way to really capitalize on that is to play three of them together sometimes, with either Oubre or Svi playing a semi stretch 4.

    We can also run our 2 PG lineup sometimes with a more traditional big look (Ellis and Alexander).

    The lineup I haven’t really seen yet that I think we should give a chance is a pressure lineup featuring one of the PG’s along with Svi, Greene, Oubre and Traylor. Extend the pressure full court knowing that Svi, Greene, Oubre and Traylor are all roughly the same size and could switch just about anything in the backcourt or frontcourt without throwing matchups haywire. I’m hoping Self gives that arrangement a chance.



  • Greene has been cleared to play. He practiced twice this week. I think having ball handlers in the game is predicated on what happened at Florida last year. We were overwhelmed by a dominating defense that caused Wiggins and Tharpe to panic. Svi, Devonte, Frank and Wayne will make this home game turn out differently against Billy Donovan and the Gators.



  • @justanotherfan And that’s something to watch tonight. Against Washburn, Self did not utilize a perimeter player at the 4 even once. Will be interesting to see if that’s done tonight.



  • @HighEliteMajor if we have a perimeter 4 guy, who’s your 5 guy? Last year, coach had Greene play some 4.



  • @HighEliteMajor

    That’s something I have been watching for. I firmly believe that Svi, Oubre, Selden and Greene are four of our best 8 players. We can’t not play one of them just for the sake of having the traditional lineup spots covered, especially since we aren’t as good at the 4 and 5 as we have been the last several years.



  • @justanotherfan

    I think we are solid at the 4 when you consider that Cliff is a 4. Considering that, we have Perry, Cliff and Jamari… probably the most depth at the 4 of anyone in college basketball. It is the 5 where we are hurting. It is the 5 where we traditionally have our shot blocking monster and a guy who will be as tall as any opposing 5 we will face. We don’t have that this year.

    So do we use our tallest players to shore up the 5? Or do we spread our wealth from the 4 spot into the 5? Or do we extend our height dilution and bring one of our big guards down into the 4 and then either use Perry, Cliff and Jamari at the 5 or Landen and Hunter?

    It should be an fascinating season to what Self in action. My biggest concern is foul trouble from our post.



  • @drgnslayr depends on match ups, presses, defensive schemes etc. I’d love to see a 4 guard lineup w/Mari at the 5, pressing and running the floor. I think Cliff, since he’s slimmed down, could run in short spans too. So many options!! Can’t have Perry out to long though. Hopefully these guys are getting the plays down, seems to be a holdup on playing time for some.



  • @jaybate-1.0 said:

    I suspect Oubre confused that it was okay to wear a new coiffure to Late Night with it not being okay to use hair as a branding tool once the bullets start flying.

    Maybe Self remembers that idiotic star that Sherron Collins had shaved on his head prior to getting beaten by UMass in the sprint center back in 2008. I sure remember it. And Collins went like 5 for 20 shooting that game.



  • @DanR I like Oubre’s hair, kinda like Kevin Young’s!



  • @Crimsonorblue22 No, no, no … 1000 times no. KY’s was a classic 70’s 'fro, of Artis Gilmore vintage. A work of art. A staple on ABA courts throughout the land. Bringing up memories of Dr. J with the iconic slam over a defenseless oaf, the 'fro arcing backward from the near terminal velocity. The mess on Oubre’s head is, well, not that. Oubre’s hair is perhaps a Fiero, where the classic 'fro is a Corvette. Dr. J, Artis Gilmore, and other 'fro legends demand an apology.

    Dr. J.jpg



  • @HighEliteMajor ha ha! Was not comparing styles, just their brand. The girls love oubre, and his hair. KY’s fro is awesome! Love that guy!



  • @HighEliteMajor if Lucas can emerge & answer the bell at the. 5 we can get our wish for the 4 you mentioned. Gotta protect the rim.



  • @HighEliteMajor Thanks. I agree on the boxscore aspect. As they say, actions speak louder than words!



  • @globaljaybird Is that a new pup in your avatar?



  • SWEE!!! Calling out great luck for Swee to just dominate tonight. Come on, BABY SHOES!!!



  • Capture.PNG



  • Here’s a plea for fellow posters to provide ongoing gametime info on tonight’s contest. I have been Zingered, sitting in rural West Central MO with Dish Network TV and a slow Verizon internet aircard (ergo, no ESPN3). If I am fortunate I might be able to dial onto 610 am if the signal has not been reduced as is customary for nighttime broadcasts… IMHO, Sheahon Z’s Time Warner Cable deal still absolutely stinks. If the Jayhawk AD position were an elected chair, I would campaign like a madman to demote that guy to position of assistant equipment manager for non-basketball sports.



  • @wrwlumpy

    I believe you nailed it.



  • @Crimsonorblue22 Kelly O is definitely comfortable with his do. I like his individuality! And yes we girls do like him.



  • @REHawk

    Going to CJonline.com with JNew’s Blog might work. I haven’t heard, but I assume he’ll be doing it.



  • @REHawk I’m lucky to get game, I hate that KU fans can’t get it! I hope SZ loses his job over this decision! I wonder how many times he watches the rowing team? A few of us chatted during the royals game, not sure if global and brooks get the game?



  • @REHawk

    I would join you in the campaign. Like you, my provider in Olathe, Consolidated Communications refuses to get Metro Sports so I am also screwed.

    The women’s soccer team is playing in the NCAA and opens Sunday at home against MU…of all teams. So far the TV icon at kuathletics.com shows as TBA. You would think that with all the hoopla about the minor sports being on TV, this would be a done deal. If even this is not shown on TV, then Zenger needs to go…the basketball and football blackouts alone justify his firing.



  • Best laughter I’ve had in a while. Checked into xfinity pay-per-vew here in Houston just now

    $ 109.26 plus fees and taxes.

    Maybe they think there are bars full of Jayhawks down here just waiting for an exhibition game.



  • @JayhawkRock78 I’m calling on cousin Eddie in sw ks to bring SZ to us!



  • Reporting in from ESPN3 land- the game has closely resembled a Cahrlie Chaplin movie, as ESPN3 is profusely dragging.



  • I can only follow the play by play on the KU web site and from what I can tell Traylor is doing well. Other than that pretty average play

    KU is 1-9 from 3…on the other hand it is 13-14 FT. Svi is 0-4 from 3.



  • @JayHawkFanToo Graham looking good, Lucas doing well, Svi can’t hit but playing good d. Not much from Perry or Wayne. So many guys, hard to pick a good combo.



  • @Crimsonorblue22 Watchin on ESPN3 down here in da bayou.


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