HOLY MOLY - MIGHT BE THAT TARIK WILL BE GETTING A LAKER CONTRACT.
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And actually there is room for quite a bit of improvement in his game, as he tweaks his game to fit NBA officiating.
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@drgnslayr he had that figured out at the beginning of last year!
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Black is a perfect selling point to Thorne. “See what KU can do for you?”
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What is your opinion of Thorne? To me he looks like the last girl left at the bar after last cal,l and much like Tarik last year, he is getting looks from top programs trying to use up leftover scholarships, including Kentucky, Arizona, KU, Pitt and St Johns. The difference is that although both payed in Conference USA Tarik had decent number in a team that was always at the top, while Thorne has OK numbers in a team that has always been towards the bottom (tied for 11th last season) and I just don’t see him getting close to those numbers in the Big 12. Would he really be an improvement over Lucas and Michelson or just another player fighting for scarce minutes?
I would say that since he ties the scholarship for only one year, get him only if there is no other 2-4 year player that can be signed and developed. Thoughts?
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@JayHawkFanToo My initial impression was that he’s just another guy. But when I looked at his numbers over the weekend, his numbers compared pretty well with Black from Black’s season with Kansas. But more importantly, look at Black’s numbers at Memphis vs. Kansas. Black’s numbers got much better at Kansas. His rebounds and blocks went up quite a bit, turnovers down. The biggest stat for Thorne was the turnovers. But I don’t know Charlotte’s offense, and whether he had to come out on the perimeter, which would likely increase turnovers. What we can see is that Black’s turnovers were almost cut in half at Kansas.
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Thorne - .385 points per minute played, .281 rebounds, .038 blocks, .094 turnovers.
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Black - .405, .286, .038, .034. (at Kansas 2013-14)
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Black - .388, .231, .030, .064 (at Memphis 2012-13)
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Traylor - .233, .182, .051, .074.
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Lucas - .230, .286, .037, .063.
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Mickelson - .338, .255, .142, .067
I think it’s really tough to speculate. But if we assume that Thorne will improve at the same rate as Tarik Black, I think he’d be better than Traylor or Lucas. I think it’s fair to assume Thorne will be better just by being in Self’s system, with our talent, with Self as the coach. I kind of disregard Mickelson because he’s clearly not Self’s cup of tea.
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interesting. I am not sure how to factor that Black was “kinda/sorta” the odd man out at Memphis in his last year there and his numbers are probably lower that they would have been otherwise.
I know that there are several players left with KU in their lists, but do you think that a Diallo/Thorne combination is the best possible outcome for KU? After watching Thon Maker I believe he is just not ready for prime time and Zimmerman’s attitude is not conductive to success at KU and those are the other options at this time, although Georgios Papagiannis is an interesting prospect but likely to stay in Europe and make money while getting ready for the NBA.
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Maker still plays rough… and the question is where do you play him?
I could see him in a good place in our offense as long as Self keeps his offensive positioning with our post players popping up to around the FT line. That is the place where you want Maker. So we have 3 perimeter hot shot players, one deep post scorer and Maker in the upper post area. With his height he could be excellent for feeding the assist, and teams that don’t take him serious on the drive will get burned.
I think if he is used like that, he could be very very effective in his one year at Kansas… or was it 1/2 year? (seriously, was someone just making a joke with that?)
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I think he can improve as Tarik did by being in the KU system.
But I also wonder if having a better supporting cast may have an impact on their stat lines too. More open looks, more rebound opportunities, put backs, etc…thoughts?
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@SoftballDad2011 stats aren’t everything!
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From what I have seen, Maker would play behind Lucas and probably Mickelson as well. The whole Maker “legend” was predicated on one highlight video and when playinmg against capable players he is really over matched. Based on my limited viewing of him, he would appear to be a long term project…although I could well be wrong.
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We need to sign at least three near footers to go with Lucas to stay big when we meet big. Period.
For whatever reason, Self does not view Hunter as a near footer capable of being in the rotation. Hunter is a practice player in Self’s opinion. It seems nuts to me, but that’s how he sees it and its his call.
Perry is 6-8 when he has slept on a medieval rack for two days.
Perry is a 3 playing 4.
Jamari is a 3 playing 5.
So: this team has only one near footer–Lucas.
Gotta have 4 total.
Gotta get 3 more.
Bragg counts as a skinny near footer, if we put him on the rack AND give him some growth hormone.
Diallo is really just Perry without the medieval rack and a mad on. Diallo is a great get, but not a near footer.
REPEAT AFTER ME: WE NEED STANDING HEIGHT.
Thorne, Maker, and Zimmerman are the only real near footers out there.
WE NEED TWO OF THEM TO GET REAL ABOUT COMPETING FOR RINGS.
Anything less and we are talking titles.
We don’t care if they play hard. We care if they are tall.
We already know that all OADs are 3/4 speed 20 minute types during regular season that are given 2-3 stat pump games against lesser competition during the regular season. They don’t turn up the candle until the Madness and even then only if they think the team is going somewhere.
ALL WE CARE ABOUT IS TALL STIFFS.
Okafor was a joke most of the season and he was incredibly lame in the final game, too. He was just 3/4 speed standing height. He will probably “find his game suddenly” in the NBA the same way Wigs found his assists and high 20ppg scoring. But in D1, Okafor was standing height.
This is all we are ever going to see in opposing OAD footers and so that’s all we need, or should expect, in ours.
Zimmerman wants to talk about taking no risks? Fine, you pencil neck. Just shut up and stand there with your arms high then.
Heck, I’m not even sure Caulley-Stein has a full speed. Caulley-Stein looked like non legendary footers back in the 60s-70s.
But Cal was smart enough to see this 3/4 speed shizz coming. He knew Unibrow was freak, a throw back, and not the future. Cal realized that all the OAD big men are now standing height stiffs from here on out, so whenever you can pick up a non OAD footer do it.
Thorne was soft and lardy in a weak conference? Shut up and stand there with your hand reached high, Mike.
Get four however you can, Bill.
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I think that is pretty harsh. Maker shows tons of potential. He is completely raw… but he has a lot of energy. He would grab a lot of rebounds in the B12. He moves his feet well and he’s a footer. I’d take him, but I’d make him commit for more than a 1/2 a season…
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@jaybate-1.0 Agreed about having several near footers, though Diallo is a rim protector and is close to being a near footer because of his 7 - 4 wingspan.
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I am not the only one that came out with that impression based on his Nike Hoops Summit performance; SB Nation posted basically the same thing…
When you consider that he wants to play only half a season, I juts don’t see too many programs going along with that. Of course there is always the chance that if he comes for half a season he might end up staying another, but that is a big gamble.
