Mitch
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Fightsongwriter said:
Experience, grit, great shot blocker…hard to believe the younglings will be better. Would not fits Selfs MO.
I think Mitch will be another KU player that goes under appreciated , when things go wrong Mitch has been and will be a player that is a easy target for SOME people. - I love the kid does things that a lot of these more talented kids don’t do or won’t do.
Mitch always gives his best both ends - may not be a lot - may not be that STUD that’s gonna get you 20- - may not give you 5 blocks a game - -10 rebounds a game - BUT there is something that Mitch will give EVERY time out - more then I would say 80% of these others and that’s heart - Mitch for sure is a KU kid through and through. - 100 % KU - have you ever seen a kid on twitter so much trying to bring a recruit to KU and other things
Mitch may not be the most talented guy by far but you can’t replace guts and heart for a School - he always brings his lunch pail - he is the one that is not afraid to dive for the loose ball - not afraid to step in and take that charge - -may get beat o defense but I’ll never be so wrong - I never would of tough how Mitch can recover and block the shot. - -BUT yet when things go South most the time all I hear is wll Maybe Mitch will transfer out almost like trying to get him out - -or mitch couldn’t do this - -Mitch couldn’t do that
Mainwhile back at the ranch you got these OAD’S that have the rtain of though like on the defensive end want to do the OLAY defense WAVE a half hearted attempt hand a an opposing plyers yet again wide open 3 pt shot - the OAD’S that stand around and play with their nutt cups while Mitch and other players like Mitch are busting their ass going for loose balls rolling around on the floor for that possession - while the so called OADA is just worried about jacking up another half ass shot that misses horribly and then waits for Mitch to rebound his miss - -ya that works for me.
Ya I don’t give a rats ass what anybody says about Mitch Lightfoot he will always have that spot as a well remembered Jayhawk for what he DIDF do for these teams. – ROCK CHALK ALL DAYLONG BABY
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Remember under Bill taking a RS is mainly on the players. That’s why we see so few in situations that aren’t forced by transfer or partial qualifier status.
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Personally, I’d like to see Mitch RS. We can use him, big time, the following year and I’m curious how much he would improve with a year off. The guy isn’t anxious for a NBA tryout, so why not save his last year to be a memorable one? He deserves the luxury of an extra year.
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@drgnslayr He’s having the time of his life- this would work out great for him because he’ll be needed more next year than this year, and will work out for us as well.
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@drgnslayr more interested in his masters than pro ball I would think.
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Mitch brings alot of grit and determination no doubt, but I say redshirt him. He’d be one of the four most important players coming off the bench next year in 20-21, whereas this season he will be hardpressed to find playing time. I think that Coach plans on playing all four freshman and Enaruna will be playing alot as a stretch four. Hell, Coach has said he plans to even play Wilson some at the 4.
It would be a win-win, Coach doesn’t have to feel bad for having Mitch ride the pine and Mitch will know that he is going to be a big cog next season.
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Maybe if we are playing for a championship, Mitch might want to be a part of it. If we get a post season ban, maybe a RS.
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@Crimsonorblue22 nah
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- Even if Mitch red-shirts, he could be “recruited over”. Then what?
- Maybe he wants a MA, MBA, whatever. Maybe not. He mostly wants to play.
It will be interesting…
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@KUSTEVE However, lest we forget, Udoka = Made in Nigeria, constructed from 100% pure African glass. Mitch = Made in USA, tough as nails, insert when other parts break.
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@BShark amen.
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@Marco You seriously think all 4 freshman play big minutes next year? There will be one, maybe 2, that will play 10+ mpg when the season is over.
Self has never gone beyond an 8 man rotation barring injury issues. Isaiah Moss may very well be the only newcomer who plays more than 10 mpg next season.
Agbaji, Dotson, Garrett, Moss and maybe McBride get 10+ mpg next year in the backcourt. Braun and Wilson will not get rotation level minutes once Self cuts the rotation unless Self goes 9 deep which he’s never done voluntarily.
The front court is just stacked and there’s no chance barring an injury Self plays a 4 guard line up. Neither Jalen Wilson nor Tristan Enaruna will play a meaningful minute at the 4 spot next season. Enaruna is going to be 5th in the big man rotation next season unless Mitch redshirts.
2019 is one of the weakest recruiting classes in a long time. Braun and McBride would be 3 star players in 2020 and Jalen Wilson would be ranked somewhere around 75 in that class. Enaruna would be a 60ish recruit in 2020.
These 4 freshman Self signed are development players that should not play big minutes this year. These are all 3-4 year players that when meshed with hopefully some 2-3 year players in the 2020 class will produce a title.
The way KU is constructed right now is a national title contender and the freshmen may not be a very big factor in the rotation next season.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 Yeah, I do. Bill is going to have a big rotation this year. Uptempo, constant pressure on the ball (alot of fresh bodies).
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@Marco So Bill Self going to change his philosophy? Self has never gone beyond an 8 man rotation unless injuries forced him into it.
This isn’t a roster built to play pressure defense. This a grind it out, beat teams up type of roster. Dotson is the only player with elite speed and quickness. This is a roster that is built to set back and jump passing lanes because there are multiple shot blockers behind the back court.
This will be an 8 man rotation once conference play starts, may 8.5 men based on match ups. We’ve already seen in the scrimmage that the freshmen didn’t do much in that game and that’s indicative of what will happen when the season starts. Don’t be shocked if Self only plays 8 or 9 against Duke to open the season.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I’ll take eight or 9 which is close to a two platoon roster over six or seven (as has been the case lately, due to a lack of depth) over six or seven anyday. Eight or nine? Let’s make it 10 or 11. And I disagree about the pressure - Dotson, Garrett, McBride… Force them inside where they have nowhere to go.
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@Marco Self’s rotation is typically 7-8 deep, not 6 deep. Self is also not going to change his defensive philosophy, especially when ymwhat you think should be the strategy does not fit the strengths of this roster. Out of those 4 freshman, Wilson is the only one who appears like he could play some good minutes this year. McBride likely will out of necessity of not playing Dotson 40 minutes per game. Don’t be shocked though to see Dotson average 36-37 mpg if McBride isn’t up to par.
When B12 play starts, Self will have an 8 man rotation like he prefers, he’s not going to suddenly change who he is or what he does because his way has won 82% of the games, 14 B12 titles, 3 Final Fours, and a national title. Self won’t change his stripes.
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This is how CJ at The Athletic sees it: Devon Dotson 33-37 Marcus Garrett 23-27 Ochai Agbaji 25-29 Silvio De Sousa 20-25 Udoka Azubuike 25-30 Isaiah Moss 18-22 David McCormack 15-20 Jalen Wilson 13-17 Issac McBride 5-10 Tristan Enaruna 3-7
Really playing 8 guys, 9 if Dotson gets in foul trouble or we need some shooting immediately or something like that. Mitch and Braun will probably RS. KU has a pretty good graduate engineering programs so I’d think that would be pretty attractive to Mitch
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@FarmerJayhawk I like that minute distribution. I would say a little bit higher for Moss and a little bit lower for Azubuike who has never averaged more than 23.6.
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I sure hope Marcus works on his shot before November to get that many minutes. I remember numerous opposing teams not even bothering to guard him and doubling up on whoever our best scorer on the floor was.
Great defender, Self’s dependable go to guy, great attitude, experienced, seems like good kid, all the above. Just couldn’t score. Man, if he can make at least a few jumpers to keep opposing defenses honest, then heck, I could see him play full games. Keeping my fingers crossed.
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@FarmerJayhawk If Mitch takes the RS, that does look pretty on target to me, as well.
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HighEliteMajor said:
@FarmerJayhawk If Mitch takes the RS, that does look pretty on target to me, as well.
Pretty sure he will. I mentioned it earlier and Farmer did as well that he might as well get his 5th year of school paid for.
We need to remember that he was going to RS last year when the staff thought they would have Doke and Silvio all year.
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@KirkIsMyHinrich that’s where my head is at too. If Moss gets more consistent (since playing for Fran would get in anyone’s head) I could see him pushing 25 MPG, mostly at the expense of Garrett. I could see Wilson surprising with how well he defends too. Could mean we play small a bit more.
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@FarmerJayhawk Moss starting and Garrett coming off the bench makes a lot of sense to me. Even an inconsistent Moss helps every other starter in that lineup on offense with the spacing he creates. Bringing Garrett off the bench with a rangier 4 than De Sousa (Wilson or maybe Enaruna) presents fewer issues with spacing and Marcus can handle the ball for a while if Dotson needs a break.
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I thought Mitch switched his major.
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@Crimsonorblue22 - from the KU Athletics web site:
“ACADEMICS - Plans to study in the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas.”
I thought he had switched to Business…
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@Gorilla72 I know I heard him say he switched. I’m sure they haven’t changed it.
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@FarmerJayhawk Like I said, redshirt Mitch.
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@FarmerJayhawk Braun will get about five minutes a game.
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@KirkIsMyHinrich I think we should redshirt Garrett and Mitch.
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Let me say it, redshirt Mitch and Garrett. Oh no, Garrett might transfer! Go ahead… Really, what does he offer? Not squat. Play McBride and Braun.
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I think Marcus, if healthy next year, will be an integral part of our special sauce that will carry us far into the tournament. He stands to become the defensive leader on our team and with defense being half the game Marcus will be very important. His tenacity should be contagious, especially next year as more of our players start to buy in to Selfball. I think of a lineup with Devon, Marcus and Silvio and I see a team capable of becoming an outstanding defensive team. One look back at last year, and the National Champion, should put the exclamation mark back on defense again… where it belongs.
Obviously, fans get excited with offensive potential. Some of our recent signings fill the holes on offense. But it is still defense you want to count on at tournament time. All teams seem to have a bad offensive night in March. It only takes one to be sent home.
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@drgnslayr i think Big Dave could be part of that lockdown defensive unit. He may surprise with his speed. I think he can close out on the perimeter much faster than Doke
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Marco said:
Let me say it, redshirt Mitch and Garrett. Oh no, Garrett might transfer! Go ahead… Really, what does he offer? Not squat. Play McBride and Braun.
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@BShark That’s right Bunk.
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@approxinfinity Anyone that is saying to play Braun over Garrett…I just can’t take their basketball takes seriously.
On Dave: he might end up being the best 5 on the roster. Will be interesting to see how he does as a JR/SR.
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@Marco You’re killing me, Smalls.
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@BShark, @Marco also believes all 4 freshman will play 10+ mpg next year.
I think it’s a good development group and Tristan Enaruna looks like an elite level prospect later on, but Jalen Wilson is the only freshman who might play big minutes and that’s largely dependent on Mitch redshirting, and even then Wilson may not play 10+ mpg with the depth KU has.
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@drgnslayr It wasn’t offense that sent us home in the Final Four against Villanova- it was a total defensive collapse. Last year, we were down by 25 to Auburn at halftime. 25 points. The most exciting part of this team is they will defend better than what we’ve seen in years.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 So, are you thinking a Doke/Mac at the 5 and a Silvio/JW at the 4 rotation of bigs? That would certainly help free minutes up on the perimeter if JW was at the 4.
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@KUSTEVE Only if Mitch redshirts. If Mitch doesn’t redshirt, I think McBride plays the most among the freshmen and that’ll just be a few minutes here and there to give Dotson a breather. If Wilson isn’t ready to play, expect Garrett to be the universal sub and play spot minutes at the 4.
Isaiah Moss is the one newcomer who should play big minutes. I don’t see it with the rest of them this season.
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Texas Hawk 10 said:
@BShark, @Marco also believes all 4 freshman will play 10+ mpg next year.
I think it’s a good development group and Tristan Enaruna looks like an elite level prospect later on, but Jalen Wilson is the only freshman who might play big minutes and that’s largely dependent on Mitch redshirting, and even then Wilson may not play 10+ mpg with the depth KU has.
We see it fairly similarly. There is no way all the FR play 10+ minutes. I do think Mitch takes a RS and that Wilson ends up getting there on minutes. I believe that if Mitch didn’t RS, he’d play more.
Someone recently (don’t remember if it was here or elsewhere) that they could see Moss going the Moore route. I simply do not see that AT ALL. He’s 6’5’’ and can shoot + defend. His defensive numbers not being great are in part due to Fran switching defenses frequently and having helter skelter rotations. I actually think Moss could really shine under Bill. The BIG is also kind of a meat grinder compared to the Big 12.
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I think Wilson will play 10+ minutes regardless of whether or not Lightfoot takes a RS. I think around 15 ± a few minutes for Jalen. And I think Enaruna has a better chance of getting above 10 minutes than McBride (or Braun), but that depends more on Mitch. If I had to guess I’d say only 1 freshman gets more than 10 mpg next season and that’s Jalen Wilson.
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http://www2.kusports.com/news/2019/jun/17/redshirt-or-not-redshirt-kansas-senior-mitch-light/
@KirkIsMyHinrich Really, for McBride, it’s the ball handling. My view is that high level skill makes his PT opportunities better, because he has no competition for that, really, other than Dotson. And the skill is one that is critical. Everyone can dribble, but not like a PG. If we plan Garrett or another player at top, our entire attack changes. I’m not suggesting McBride is really ready. I don’t know. But when assessing McBride vs. Braun and Enaruna, I think this give him a big leg up because the others have major competition. McBride has a natural slot. If McBride can spell Dotson 7-8 mpg, and maybe get a touch of time together with Dotson (the two PG thing is something Self likes), that might = 10 minutes. Just my speculation.
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I think Wilson settles in at the SF position here as a freshman. He’s a big guard and his combination of size and skill is an advantage for him doing what he does naturally which is score and play well within a team structure. There’s certainly scenario’s out there hypothetically that would put him in a 4 guard lineup defending and scoring from those 4/1 sets Self instituted with past units. As a freshman I don’t expect they put that much pressure on him to be a duel position player.
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@KirkIsMyHinrich Self will not expand his rotation deep enough to have Enaruna play big minutes this season.
Even with the deepest rosters Self has had, he’s never willingly gone beyond 8 deep. Why is this year going to be any different? I can realistically see Self using a 7 man rotation this year if Wilson’s game isn’t B12 ready. Garrett can sub 1-4, so if Wilson isn’t good to go, Self will have no issues playing Garrett as a universal sub.
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@HighEliteMajor I agree with your post but I don’t see Dotson playing fewer than 30 minutes per game next season (I’m thinking around 32 or 33), and so I don’t see McBride getting more than 10 minutes per game unless Dotson goes down. Enaruna has more competition for minutes but he also has a lot of upside and I could see him playing his way into minutes off the bench, especially if Mitch takes a RS and Jalen spends time at the 3.
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@KirkIsMyHinrich Jalen won’t spend much time at the 3 next year because that’s not the need next season. His minutes will come spelling DeSousa for the most part.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 How do you know? Wilson or Enaruna haven’t even played a game in college yet. Maybe Enaruna ends up being better than Wilson. Maybe Braun or McBride end up being better than both.
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@KirkIsMyHinrich There’s this thing called YouTube where you can watch videos of players. Knowing Self’s history in regards to freshmen and rotation depth also are guiding my thoughts on this.
Of the 4 freshmen, Jalen Wilson is the most college ready today, but not an NBA level prospect. KU’s current roster composition also says that most of Wilson’s minutes will come at the 4 this year as a stretch 4. Foul issues or injury is when Wilson will play the wing because he doesn’t have the handles to be a perimeter player right now, even a wing.
Tristan Enaruna is the best NBA prospect, but like Svi, he needs a lot of refining to get to that point. He’ll be a very good player, it just won’t happen until year 2 or 3 at KU.
Isaac McBride has the Mason and Graham diamond in the rough potential, but he’s not an immediate impact player and likely won’t be a polished player until years 3 and 4 (if he becomes polished). There’s a reason McBride is a 3 star player and with a different roster composition, he would see minimal meaningful minutes this season.
Christian Braun is a local kid that hopefully turns into a Brady Morningstar level of impact, but don’t depend on that though.
KU’s 2019 recruiting class is a developmental class that doesn’t have an obvious superstar player in it. These are all players that currently have major flaws in their game that will keep them at KU for at least 3 seasons.
