Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster
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Defense! Great subject! I earned my keep on defense. “Game plan - within first-minute knee cap your opponent and accept whatever the ref gives you. After that, it’s easy money!” From 8th grade, I never played a game without a cup or mouthpiece. lol
It’s hard not to listen to @Texas-Hawk-10 being pessimistic about this team. So many apparent weak defensive players and we don’t have the post swatter to equalize things. Hunter is maybe the worst footer we’ve ever had on defense. If the coaches can get a 10% defensive improvement out of him, we will probably win 2 -3 more games during the year.
I think Self overcompensated focusing only on trey shooting stats in the portal. I’m amazed he abandoned his claim to be a defensive-minded coach. At least I get to watch all the McCullar critics crap their britches next year when we don’t have him playing monster man.
If ever there was a reason for Self to convert to zone in November… it is this year. Come on, Bill! You proved the critics wrong when you modified your hi-lo and embraced a 4-1 offense.
Anyone want to bet the over/under, us versus opponents free throw totals next year? We need all these guards because we are going to have serious foul issues.
If Self doesn’t like my zone idea… how about he builds this team as a pressing team. Mask our weaknesses by trying to exhaust our opponents. Go from running 8 guys to running 11 or 12. There have been a lot of teams that suck at half-court defense but improved their stats by pressing.
I hope Juan isn’t played 38+ minutes per game this year. I’m starting to think his exhaustion is cumulative over the years.
I love KJ… but he really needs to toughen up. All those muscles on such a polite player. If he could become an alpha defender, I’d upgrade my current team defense projection up from “sucks” to “respectable.” He should be watching Dennis Rodman tape all summer to learn how to rebound and defend.
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@drgnslayr i’ll bet dennis rodmans wingspan was a foot larger
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Actually i think rodmans was 7’3 and kj’s is about 6’9
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@drgnslayr the worse defender ever, dedric Lawson. Drove me nuts.
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Funny @dylans I was hoping Self would adapt that “knee cap” em philosophy with Bidunga. Just bring him in and let him go ape shit for a few minutes. Totally agree with your first few minutes philosophy!
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@Crimsonorblue22 Young Perry Ellis just needed a cape and he could’ve been a matador too. (Not Dedrick bad, but sheesh.)
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@dylans said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
@Crimsonorblue22 Young Perry Ellis just needed a cape and he could’ve been a matador too. (Not Dedrick bad, but sheesh.)
When was Perry ever a good defender?
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@drgnslayr You know who wouldn’t be too arrogant to play zone if it means a title……?
We will never shoot as many free throws as our opponents because d2 isn’t a downhill straight line driver of the ball. He’s a ball swinger/rotator he doesn’t attack. 4 years of what he’s been that won’t change.
This team will D up better because it has athletes the question is if Bill plays them.
He will play Juan and Hunter two poor defenders and if Clemence the clod hopper gets more run than Flory we will have major issues guarding ball screens again.
Either way offensively we will be extremely difficult to stop which will help us on the defensive side where we don’t have to be perfect but after a few missed shots we can go on a 12-1 run quickly.
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@kuballin10 said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
@drgnslayr You know who wouldn’t be too arrogant to play zone if it means a title……?
Bill Self? Didn’t he do that in portions of both his title runs?!?
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@dylans negative ghostrider but good guess….
Bills stubborn he doesn’t change up his core philosophies
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@Texas-Hawk-10 said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
When was Perry ever a good defender?
Somewhere toward the end of his 9th year here, I think.
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@kuballin10 If you have a chance re-watch some KU tournament games with an open mind and in the rare occasion zone is used it’s mostly the 2/3 and once I believe the box-1 thrown was out there. Don’t remember any this year though.
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@kuballin10 said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
@dylans negative ghostrider but good guess….
Bills stubborn he doesn’t change up his core philosophies
When Bill trusts his team defensively he employs many types of defenses. I don’t think the team last year every got to the point where they could do the easy stuff well enough for him to even attempt to implement anything more sophisticated.
The most notorious example is the triangle and 2. Not sure I’ve ever seen anyone else run that but it has been a staple late in the year when KU needed to put the kibosh on a couple of guys going off. It won us some key games late in regular seasons to get the big 12 title and was a staple of the 08 team and made a few appearances in each of the final four runs.
Those years he also would drop in a 2/3 zone from time to time as well. I think particularly in 08 there was also a 3/2 with B rush playing at the top of the key.
I do think Self has a bit of rigidity in that he wants guys to earn it playing man to man before letting them play zone. But if it is a big game that matters, he WILL play whatever will give him the best chance to win. But him be willing to play zone or not is more a reflection of his trust in his players to execute the plan rather than of his willingness to be flexible philosophically.
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Sometimes coach puts Juan on a hot shooter just to deny him the ball. Juan also has quick hands and a very hi bb IQ. Last yrs team couldn’t be taught any special defenses! I was taught early on if you can’t move your feet on man, don’t think playing a zone is going to be easier! You don’t just stand in an area.
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Wow - no transfers out! Other than Philon de-committing… what a difference from last year…
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Current likely depth chart. Positions a bit murky.
PG Harris — Elmarko
SG Storr — Mayo — Passmore — McDowell
SF Griffen — Passmore
PF KJ — Clemence
C Dickinson — Bidunga — Clemence
Main Bench: Mayo — Passmore — Elmarko — Bidunga
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I think McDowell likely beats out Passmore for bench minutes unless Self wants to redshirt him.
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Well, with Noah Shelby now on the roster, is that it? We done cookin? One scholarship left to offer.
EDIT didn’t realize Shelby was a walk-on. keep on cookin, Bill!
Edit to the edit: still unclear officially if Shelby is on scholarship or a walk on
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Kansas Jayhawks
Departed or expected to depart: Kevin McCullar Jr. (18.3 PPG), Nicolas Timberlake (5.2 PPG), Parker Braun (2.2 PPG), Michael Jankovich (1.6 PPG), Johnny Furphy (9.0 PPG)
In limbo: None.
Expected to return: Hunter Dickinson (17.9 PPG), Dajuan Harris Jr. (8.5 PPG), K.J. Adams Jr. (12.6 PPG), Elmarko Jackson (4.3 PPG), Jamari McDowell (1.8 PPG), Zach Clemence (1.4 PPG in 2022-23)
Incoming transfers: Zeke Mayo (18.8 PPG at South Dakota State), AJ Storr (16.8 PPG at Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (11.2 PPG at Alabama), Noah Shelby (3.9 PPG at Rice)
Incoming freshmen: Flory Bidunga (No. 17 in ESPN 100), Rakease Passmore (No. 32 in ESPN 100)
Head coach: Bill Self
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@dylans Looks like the only real loss is McCullar; the incoming players should more than make up for his production. (Pump up Furphy all you want, but he was a liability in the second half of pretty much every game) I’m hoping for a major improvement as last years roster construction was terrible - just too few good players.
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@dylans The promise of a year 2 Furphy is a loss. But yeah, thats a lot of incoming ppg
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The two biggest factors for KU this season will be AJ Storr and Zeke Mayo. Is Storr going to be as selfish a player as he was last season? And, can Zeke Mayo play well enough to where Self can play a lot of 4 out offense?
If Storr plays selfishly and/or Mayo plays like Timberlake on offense, then KU’s offense isn’t very scary because there’s not much outside shooting like last season and teams will pack the paint to stop Storr from driving amd automatically doubling Dickinson.
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Ok being able to use numbers above 5 threw me https://x.com/kuhoops/status/1797721696532865291?s=46&t=c0LiaNrxev6XfT7LIH8dAQ
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some good looking numbers! like em. Bidunga at 40. Was Kevin Young #40?
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The staff took out all the camp staff for drinks tonight on Bill’s tab. Nice gesture
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Elmarko is out for the year with a torn patella tendon. Terrible news.
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@Woodrow said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Elmarko is out for the year with a torn patella tendon. Terrible news.
For real? Oh no!
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@rockchalkjayhawk said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
@Woodrow said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Elmarko is out for the year with a torn patella tendon. Terrible news.
For real? Oh no!
Unfortunately.
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That’s brutal. Looked ok yesterday but knees are weird like that
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Oh man, that sucks.
Another year of Dajuan without a backup? Eff. I hope Self has his eyes on an NBA draft dropout.
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This is really bad news for Elmarko. Is there a deadline for signing portal guys or even still unsigned kids out of HS?
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I had a 100% rip of my patella tendon. You know immediately there is a problem when your kneecap is halfway up your quad. It happened on the court and no one could look at it while they hauled me off. It marked the end of my playing days and I had to learn how to walk again and never regained athletic abilities again.
This is a huge loss… I hope he can rehab and play again.
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It’s what happened to Perry when he played in TBT in wichita, we saw it. My oldest son just recovered from the same injury in dec. playing bb, actually coaching. He was blocking a shot and came down, fell to the floor. Said the thought he was shot, loud noise. Had to be carried to a car. It was a nasty scar. Long a$$ recovery. I’m sure having rehab daily and being younger will help. His staples were from mid thigh to mid shin. Gross!
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@rockchalkjayhawk still have mayo who will hopefully be able to make the P5 leap and be an decent backup PG. If not, then year we are back in the same boat.
It also probably means we are relying on some 10-15 mpg from one of Passmore/McDowell which could be ok, but that is likely a downgrade from Elmarko getting those minutes.
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Horrible news about EJ! Hope he duly recovers!
Any chance Noah Shelby drops his redshirt (or does he play off ball)?
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Shak Moore come on down.
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Too bad we dont have a Chrysler Labaron Philon to jumpstart our Ford Tiempo
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@approxinfinity Did he commit elsewhere? Can he undo his uncommitment and recommit to committing?
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He signed with Alabama. His handlers wanted him elsewhere
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@BShark said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Shak Moore come on down.
Need 2 now…
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@BeddieKU23 said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
@BShark said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Shak Moore come on down.
Need 2 now…
I don’t think they will but I get where you are coming from. I think they get it done with Moore now that they have a clear role/path to PT available.
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@BShark said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Shak Moore come on down.
Probably the best PG available at this point and should be able to fill a back up PG role, but does he want to be a back up or is he waiting for a starting job somewhere?
I’m guessing KK Robinson from UALR would be another name KU tries to make contact with now and see if there’s any interest for him to return to the P5.
The market for PG’s isn’t great right now.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 Bill got it done. Being officially reported.
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Well now we can dream about what a 3rd year Marko could be like. Kid had all the physical tools. Are we saying full physical recovery unlikely?
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@approxinfinity said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Well now we can dream about what a 3rd year Marko could be like. Kid had all the physical tools. Are we saying full physical recovery unlikely?
Impossible to know, but sometimes patellar stuff is career ending.
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Makes getting an elite PG in 25 paramount though.
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@FarmerJayhawk said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Makes getting an elite PG in 25 paramount though.
Yep that spot is wiiiide open.
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@FarmerJayhawk said in Keeping track of the ever changing 24-25 roster:
Makes getting an elite PG in 25 paramount though.
Doesn’t Peterson run some point ? At one point thought we were pretty tick with him
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@jayballer67 he’s not coming here. Honestly wouldn’t want him as a full time PG anyway. He’s talented, but not good enough to come in and run the show.
