New 2019 Recruiting



  • @BShark Well that makes more sense.



  • BShark said:

    Kcmatt7 said:

    @BShark Fair points. And I see he is playing for an Under Armour team now anyways. So maybe I retract everything I said lol.

    His dad has always been his AAU coach and they have been UA, Nike and Adidas.

    If this will be literally just RJ’s decision I do think the pick will be KU. His dad is large and in charge I believe though.

    We have such a fantastic track record when “dad’s” lead the recruitment.



  • @FarmerJayhawk

    Great point about Watford. The masses seem to be split on which cash pile he’s going to take. Watford impressed me during the Mcdonald’s game



  • RJ is a game changing type player and I hope we make it happen. I think he’d push for the KU FR pts record.

    @BeddieKU23 from what I’ve read, Self has a good relationship with RJ’s dad.



  • BeddieKU23 said:

    BShark said:

    Kcmatt7 said:

    @BShark Fair points. And I see he is playing for an Under Armour team now anyways. So maybe I retract everything I said lol.

    His dad has always been his AAU coach and they have been UA, Nike and Adidas.

    If this will be literally just RJ’s decision I do think the pick will be KU. His dad is large and in charge I believe though.

    We have such a fantastic track record when “dad’s” lead the recruitment.

    And I thought we might finally get to have a drama free season for the first time in awhile…



  • It honestly can’t hurt that the Hamptons saw that Grimes continued to get huge minutes despite sucking out loud. Not that I think it would be an issue for RJ and he’d get huge tick anywhere but I think it does help that they know Self would help showcase RJ. Self also did a great job showcasing Wigs and Josh.



  • BShark said:

    It honestly can’t hurt that the Hamptons saw that Grimes continued to get huge minutes despite sucking out loud. Not that I think it would be an issue for RJ and he’d get huge tick anywhere but I think it does help that they know Self would help showcase RJ. Self also did a great job showcasing Wigs and Josh.

    We’re due for one of these to really pay off. I think Hampton plays with a Russel Westbrook type mentality too. So I think some fans may even like him…



  • “So we’ve got some things that we’re working on to do,” Self said. “But I think in the next 10 days a lot of this is gonna clear up.”

    Sounds like Self is planning on signing someone here coming up.



  • @Woodrow is there a link to an entire article by chance?



  • Woodrow said:

    “So we’ve got some things that we’re working on to do,” Self said. “But I think in the next 10 days a lot of this is gonna clear up.”

    Sounds like Self is planning on signing someone here coming up.

    Wouldn’t shock me to add Holyfield and Enaruna.





  • @Woodrow thanks pal



  • Kcmatt7 said:

    And I thought we might finally get to have a drama free season for the first time in awhile…

    I’d settle for injury-free.



  • I can wait 10 days.





  • @BShark If Miller got fired wouldn’t Arizona most likely release him anyways? Assuming he wanted out is Miller was no longer around…



  • Woodrow said:

    @BShark If Miller got fired wouldn’t Arizona most likely release him anyways? Assuming he wanted out is Miller was no longer around…

    Depends on whether they’d ask him to pay back the cash. Half kidding. But yeah, he’d get out of it easily.



  • It is interesting how Miller signs a kid like that, and Miller got subpoenaed just weeks ago.



  • Wow, what a ride, huh? If we get Precious and Enaruna and Hampton!, having already Braun and McBride, damn!



  • The “Coach Self won’t be there next year” appears to be the most effective recruiting strategy being used against KU. Signees are still going to schools that may be on NCAA Tournament probation, but they still get to play, sharpen their skills and set themselves up for the draft. In other words their coach is far important than post season titles. If KU could get HCBS to sign an extension ASAP, maybe recruiting will pick up. Otherwise, this situation is similar to former KU coach Roy Williams saying “I’m not interested in other jobs”?



  • @Gorilla72

    Sadly I agree to some extent. Its just part of all the things other teams can use against KU at this time. Plus money, money is huge



  • Really, I think saying KU won’t be in the NCAA tourney because their recruiting partner, Adidas, paid a player that was suspended for two full seasons is the most effective attack tool. Seems to make sense.



  • The 22nd for Stanley. Not sure it’s worth paying attention to.



  • Seems pretty obvious that it’s Duke unfortunately.



  • ya Stanley went from the 17th - - to the 20th - -now the 22nd - - unless he is wanting a couple of more days to really think things over and talk with family a little more - - doubtful but then again who knows.



  • In other news, Vegas Knights, i.e. NHLs castaways are leading their first round playoff series again this year.

    We need 12 guys that are hungry, athletic, arent brickmasons and have something to prove. Bill can make a team out of them.



  • @approxinfinity

    I wish there was a portal to pick those 12 from. Can we get 30 second teaser video’s of each guys character, competitiveness and shooting ability???



  • LOL Stanley doing Stanley things. He actually has become a much better player over his senior season which has obviously made Duke’s pile of cash and NBA aspirations after one year attractive. Maybe the Stanley and Hurt helicopter daddies can share Zion’s pad and keep the lights on until the 2020 class takes it over



  • Ugh Rivals guys all pick Chris Harris Jr to Oklahoma St… Exactly the type of kid that goes for 30 and makes 7 3’s every time he plays KU. Flabbergasted why we didn’t show interest



  • @BeddieKU23 That will be great for the 2,600 “fans” that show up for every Oklahoma State game!



  • “That’s if everybody leaves,” Self clarified. “But everybody’s not going to leave. But, yeah; I’d say if we need to sign seven this spring, that wouldn’t be the ideal situation.” - Self

    http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2019/apr/17/kansas-coach-bill-self-far-from-panicked/

    More evidence of Doke and De Sousa not coming back.



  • BeddieKU23 said:

    Ugh Rivals guys all pick Chris Harris Jr to Oklahoma St… Exactly the type of kid that goes for 30 and makes 7 3’s every time he plays KU. Flabbergasted why we didn’t show interest

    There would be a freak out as KU signed another sub 100 recruit but yeah he will be a good one in time.



  • BShark said:

    BeddieKU23 said:

    Ugh Rivals guys all pick Chris Harris Jr to Oklahoma St… Exactly the type of kid that goes for 30 and makes 7 3’s every time he plays KU. Flabbergasted why we didn’t show interest

    There would be a freak out as KU signed another sub 100 recruit but yeah he will be a good one in time.

    This is what cracks me up.

    Fans want us to land 3 guys a year from the range 45-60 lol. Anything else is a terrible class one way or the other.



  • @Kcmatt7 A large portion of the fan base thinks that if KU offers a kid in the 50-100 range they will instantly jump on it. Simply not the case for example it appears we were never really in it for Beverly.

    I’m sure KU will add some “guys” but will they be “dudes” is a fair question. The next couple weeks will be big.



  • @BShark Right. Like some guys want to stay close to home. Or don’t want to deal with the weather here. And Bill Self probably isn’t crazy charming for everyone. There are so many variables that people don’t realize.

    I did the breakout awhile ago, but it is basically twice as easy for a program like KU to go recruit the top 25 than it is to recruit 25+.



  • @Kcmatt7 @BShark I don’t know where the 45-60 thing comes from. Anyway …

    Here’s the winning strategy - Focus efforts on those outside presumed OAD through 80ish (and specific kids that may be higher). Some years that range will vary. Once a kid is presumed OAD, get away. And always stay away from top 10. Commit to your recruits that you will never recruit over them with a presumed OAD. That’s key. Never a presumed OAD. Never the top guys,. Ever.

    It is not twice as easy for KU to recruit top 25 than 25+. That’s fiction. If KU focused on the non-OADs, and gave its word as noted above, we’d rock in the 20ish - 80ish range.



  • HighEliteMajor said:

    and gave its word as noted above, we’d rock in the 20ish - 80ish range.

    There is no guarantee. KU typically casts a very wide net in recruiting to try and find interested players. Maybe if KU targeted midrange players hard and lowered the amount of offers but that would make missing even more brutal so idk.

    Our thought as KU fans is typically that yeah these players would be lining up but it’s really not the case. Recruiting is about relationships and it might be time for an assistant change or two.



  • @BShark I agree about the need for some new blood, new assistant. Haven’t really had a great big guy assisant since Manning left, have we? Howard seems to be our top recruiter, who else is untouchable?



  • CAN WE KEEP THE SUBJECT ON KU RECRUITING ANDNOTHING ELSE



  • @HighEliteMajor I just think you don’t have matching expectations for the programs success and how you would like us to recruit.

    You simply can’t, in todays game, recruit that way and expect to be a top 10 team every year competing for National Championships. Literally nobody has been able to do that as a “system” team. If you take out the FBI thing that is disproportionately hurting us compared to say UK or Duke, KU has another 1 seed this year.

    Nova learned this year, you have to have immediate talent coming in. Guys that weren’t expected to leave, left after the NC and they weren’t even close to the same team this year. They got caught with their pants down. If Ignas leaves, Michigan could really struggle next year.

    Where does this program exist that has proven your theory that if you commit to mid-tier talent that you can consistently win year in and year out?



  • JAYHAWKFAN214 said:

    CAN WE KEEP THE SUBJECT ON KU RECRUITING ANDNOTHING ELSE

    Whew!!! You yelled that just in the nick of time. I was about to whip out a recipe for a killer German Chocolate Cake.



  • JAYHAWKFAN214 said:

    CAN WE KEEP THE SUBJECT ON KU RECRUITING ANDNOTHING ELSE

    Yes, but only if you promise to quit posting in all caps



  • BShark said:

    HighEliteMajor said:

    and gave its word as noted above, we’d rock in the 20ish - 80ish range.

    There is no guarantee. KU typically casts a very wide net in recruiting to try and find interested players. Maybe if KU targeted midrange players hard and lowered the amount of offers but that would make missing even more brutal so idk.

    Our thought as KU fans is typically that yeah these players would be lining up but it’s really not the case. Recruiting is about relationships and it might be time for an assistant change or two.

    I must say I’m intrigued about the possibility of changing up the assistant coaching ranks. Has the message gotten stale from our older assistants Norm and KT? Do we need younger blood in here with some different connections and familiar recruiting territories? We all know Self is a loyal man, basically all of his assistants have left for bigger coaching jobs so he really hasn’t "fired’’ someone but maybe its time. I wonder if Self thinks any of he recent years recruiting misses are coaching related… It can’t hurt to find out



  • Well KT was our bag man. He was the one who “landed” all of the OAD guys… So maybe his role is starting to get limited to an extent due to current circumstances. But you don’t fire your bag man. KT was probably 5 words away from an indictment. Self isn’t cutting ties.

    Norm, I really don’t know enough about.

    Snacks, in my opinion, is likely to land a HC job in the next 3-4 years.



  • @Kcmatt7 I think you bring up a very good point. I agree, sustained, consistent, year in year out success, may be compromised. But then again, I’m one that is glad the Big 12 streak is over. I think it eliminates a useless distraction. I want national titles. But I think you can be consistently successful as a blue blood without the presumed OAD mess.

    From 2013 -2017, a certain team kind of did it this way. Hint, they won the NC in 2017. Also, the #9 guy was not a presumed OAD. They compete for NCs better than we do. Here are ranking numbers from that certain CBB team, '13-'17: 16/58/121; 9/15/30; 96/155; 25/48/60; 30/131/193/217/267.

    This is a similarly situated blue blood.

    Of course it’s UNC.

    I know Roy does recruit top guys, he just doesn’t get them usually – like he just got one for last season. My point is that if you look at the numbers, and if you look at the fact that in that time frame there was not one presumed OAD, it clearly makes it plausible.



  • UNC has much better player retention and guys that play for Roy typically stay longer than expected for whatever reason.



  • @BShark

    Those “work them out situations” we talk about, like we sort of hope is happening with Doke, Devonte before him etc… they seem to happen at UNC a lot.



  • @BShark They must like Ol Roy. He is actually a pretty charming fellow. Didn’t have a lot of fallout when he was at Kansas either!!



  • @HighEliteMajor Roy is probably the best about it.

    But, and this is key, he gets to recruit out of the state of North Carolina (and the surrounding states).

    • Theo Pinson, from NC.
    • Brice Johnson, from SC.
    • Isaiah Hicks, from NC.
    • Kennedy Meeks, from NC.
    • Coby White, from NC.
    • Leaky Black, from NC.
    • Jalek Felton, from SC.
    • Brandon Huffman, from NC.
    • Luke Maye, from NC.
    • Kenny Williams, from VA.
    • Nate Britt, from D.C.
    • James Michael McAdoo, from VA.
    • PJ Hairston, from VA.
    • Reggie Bullock, from NC.
    • Kendall Marshall, from VA.
    • Ed Davis, VA. Ty Lawson, Southern MD.
    • Marcus Ginyard, from VA.
    • Will Graves, from NC
    • Reyshawn Terry, from NC.

    That is a lot of talent coming from in his back yard. Often times, he’s getting the best player in NC who is a cornerstone piece to build around and a top 25 guy. Then he takes an easy flight to Florida to recruit. And maybe a couple more to small time guys that him and staff hit it off with on the AAU circuit.

    The best player in KS HS history, Semi Ojeleye, didn’t even give KU a whiff. Went to Duke.

    Perhaps it is Bill’s fault for not prioritizing local talent and not turning over every rock. It’s possible that we could have had Buddy Hield. Ron Baker and Willy Cauley-Stein. Even add in KCMO, Landry Shamet and Shaqille Harrison and Alec Burks.

    Still, there is not enough local talent to fill years and year of rosters like Roy has had.

    128 players who played HS ball in NC have gone on to the NBA. Missouri and Kansas Combined have only put in 96 combined. Viginia has 125 themselves. Washington D.C. has put 45 in. There is a major influx of basketball talent in that vicinity, and they’re the top brand. It’s an easy sell. Come play at a top school, with top facilities, and be able to go to almost every game live. UVA, Wake, Duke, NC State, Clemson and VT are all right there too. So at least half of the road games are driveable. Plus the conference tournament is typically in NC. And, an NCAA tournament site is typically very close.

    So, not only do we not have talent in our backyard, Roy even has something to sell the talent that is there. He has the East Coast platform. They are a Nike darling. They are within driving distance or at home of a ton of their games. They have top notch facilities. They have the perfect pitch, no?

    We, on the other hand, are not only having to get kids to come here from far away, we are competing against the other Blue Bloods and their local schools. We have to convince them that traveling to Lawrence, KS is the best decision for them. Away from their families. Away from their friends. Away form the beach. Away from warmer weather. Away from everything else.

    It makes it much harder, imo. A very different animal.



  • Luke Maye is their Lightfoot and he was going to walk-on or something like that right? Really puts the difference in perspective.


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