One more borderline 5 star guard on the KU basketball RADAR



  • @Crimsonorblue22 It does say KU contacted him so I guess the answer is absolutely!



  • I like this guy a lot better than Mack. Vick has an explosive smoothness to his game. Mack is probably a better shooter at this point, but Vick’s mechanics suggest he could be a very good shooter, in addition to having the ballhandling and athleticism to be a very good scorer.

    On top of that, @HighEliteMajor will appreciate that Vick is probably not an OAD. I absolutely love the fact that he can finish around the rim with either hand, and does so with equal proficiency. He dunks left handed quite a bit even though he is a righty.

    He’s not as big as some guys (just 6-4), but the length and athleticism play up. He could afford to add some bulk.

    He hasn’t really been on the radar in part because he was part of the 2016 class, but is looking to reclassify to 2015. He probably won’t start right out of the gate, but he could be a nice scorer on the second unit.



  • @Statmachine Has anyone mentioned Marcus LoVett? According to Zagsblog he’s a 5’11" PG who has an offer from KU plus numerous other schools.

    Oops, should’ve read the whole story. Doesn’t look as though he’s interested.



  • @Statmachine This seems like cannibalizing SMU for Adidas, unless L B has agreed to it. It also sounds like Adidas getting into the stacking thing.



  • Statmachine ‏@calanr · 29s29 seconds ago
    @TarikBlack25 PLEASE TALK TO THIS KID AND TELL HIM ABOUT KU. Memphis SG LaGerald Vick!



  • @Statmachine

    Maybe we can trade LB and Janks one or two of our back up bigs for this guy!



  • Maybe?



  • Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops · 3m3 minutes ago Florida, USA
    Per @ArRecruitingGuy, Florida 2015 signee g KeVaughn Allen asking out of LOI. Big blow to UF’s 2015 class. Highest rated player.



  • Recruit Hawk ‏@RecruitHawk · May 1 KU could be going after former Florida commit KeVaughn Allen if he reopens his recruitment. Top 50 player nationally. #kubball



  • TalkBack Live Sports ‏@TalkBackLive · 47m47 minutes ago
    KeVaughn Allen asks for his release from Florida - John Curry, KeVaughn Allen’s stepfather called into the… http://tmblr.co/ZTjuck1k70MN6



  • @Statmachine Allen, perfect!



  • Legrald vick has been offered by ku



  • @blackmild33 I’m not sure KU has officially offered Tevin Mack, Lagerald Vick, or Kevaughn Allen BUT he has reached out to all of them and I am sure he would take any of them at this time. This late in the game you don’t get to prioritize. Take what you can get especially with UK reaching out to all of them as well.



  • @Statmachine said: vick was offer yesterday

    @blackmild33 I’m not sure KU has officially offered Tevin Mack, Lagerald Vick, or Kevaughn Allen BUT he has reached out to all of them and I am sure he would take any of them at this time. This late in the game you don’t get to prioritize. Take what you can get especially with UK reaching out to all of them as well.





  • @drgnslayr LOL UK will trend on everyones CB. UK was like 90% on Brown.



  • what i find interesting about KU recruiting Mack & now Vick is the staff must not be satisfied with just Svi & Greene at the wing. Especially since Greene will be returning from injury. I’m all for getting another wing but I’m interested in the reasoning.



  • @BeddieKU23 Going into next year with Mason, Graham, Selden, and Svi without Greene at 100% in the championship classic we could run into foul trouble? Then what? I think we could use another guard.



  • @Statmachine

    “LOL UK will trend on everyones CB. UK was like 90% on Brown.”

    🙂 Precisely!

    “Going into next year with Mason, Graham, Selden, and Svi without Greene at 100% in the championship classic we could run into foul trouble?”

    None of these guys are a SF. Svi and Greene might have the size but neither have the tenacity, strength and skills of a 3. What we really need is a 3. But at this late stage, perhaps Self will settle for a big 2 just so we can throw more people into the 2 and 3 spots. Vick is thin-bodied. maybe he can drive the ball and put on some strength and play some 3. Or maybe Greene and/or Svi will be slotted mostly for the 3.

    I’m not sure why, but Self always goes for 2s. He seems to always chase 2s, even if we have 5 or 6 of them. I believe it relates to his “utility guard” concept that I’ve never really accepted. And that concept is that a big 2 can play anything from a 1 to 4. It just doesn’t pan out.



  • THIS GUY CRACKS ME UP! A REAL LIFE GANGSTA.

    Sports Gangsta ‏@SportsGangsta · 23m23 minutes ago
    KeVaughn Allen ta axe fo’#release from #Florida, stepfatha zayz: facebook twitta googlepluz… http://goo.gl/fb/1Dgbax



  • @Statmachine

    Absolutely agree, we need a guard for Korea before hand with only 3 guys able to go from the 5 we have. Seems though that Mack & Vick are guys with loads of potential that could get playing time as a freshman. I’m all for getting a guard as we will have questions surrounding Svi & Selden going to the draft plus losing at the min 3 frontcourt guys. So getting a guy in the system now that can be an impact going forward is a must.



  • David Schneider ‏@ShowtimeNation · 1m1 minute ago
    2016 Douglass (TN) SG LaGerald Vick (@Vicklovekicks) picks up an offer from Kansas. #SN (HT @majorprepsports) http://showtimenation.com



  • Does anyone here realize…or care…that KU is still listed as the most likely destination for one Thon Maker? would you want him to come and play for one semester? Would he get any playing time at all if he comes for the second semester only?

    If he is going to come for just one semester, I personally would not want him here; it will be a distraction and the chances he contributes or gets meaningful playing time are small. On the other hand, there is a really good chance that he stays past the first year since he does not seem to be ready for the NBA, but then, you can always depend on the ridiculousness/stupidity of NBA recruiting.



  • @JayHawkFanToo I personally wouldn’t mind adding a guy with one of the highest ceilings in the 2015 class and we will probably have a scholarship to give anyways. He could end up being crucial if Ellis, Bragg, or Diallo get injured.



  • @Statmachine

    The legend of Thon Maker is based on one highlights video that makes him look like the next Embiid, but he was seriously exposed at the Nike Hoops Summit where he showed he is not at the same level as other comparable players. He might have a high ceiling based on his height and athleticism but this ceiling is not in the immediate future…in my opinion of course.



  • @JayHawkFanToo

    As much as I’m grinding my teeth over a guy showing up 2nd semester… I’d have to say I would like to see him at Kansas. It isn’t uncommon for guys to arrive at a school after the first semester.

    I agree with @Statmachine in thinking he will then stay an extra year or so to develop.

    A lot depends on his attitude and how much mental junk he is carrying with him from handlers.

    You are right that Thon was exposed at the Summit. But he still showed great potential, mostly on defense. His energy level is frenetic… and he has a crazy long reach. He could easily become a “steal master” in the near future. And he rebounds the ball fairly well, and will surely improve. That guy is going to develop quickly, he just needs to get with a real coach (coaches). I think if we have him a couple of months he’ll have something to offer in March.

    And I feel certain he will offer us a great deal if we can get him to stick around for another year. He really needs to, for his own sake.

    The other issue is his eligibility. That has to be dealt with first, and he has to get the green light from the NCAA.

    Thon’s video was what it was… and people over-hyped on it. I know it got me jazzed up. It still showed things that other footers can’t do. With some polishing, Thon would become a real difference maker in D1.



  • KU All American and Hall of Fame college basketball coach Ralph Miller (Chita State, Iowa, and Oregon State) always said that he could always go to a high school and find a kid 6-8 or over that had never touched a basketball and turn him into a useful back up post man for any team he was shy of height on. He did it a couple times to prove it and it worked. Because of that, I am for signing 7-0 Thon Maker for sure. IMHO, people worry way too much about the effect of an individual player’s effect on team chemistry. Its right to worry if you absolutely were to have to play the guy to field a credible rotation, but not if not. If he were just an optional piece, like Thon Maker would be, then it is incredibly easy to get rid of a bad actor. So since we’ve got a credible array of short to medium bigs, and could get along without TM, then I say sign him and try to squeeze something out of him, unless there is another player that offers a lot more.



  • @JayHawkFanToo " he was seriously exposed at the Nike Hoops Summit"

    I don’t believe you can judge ones talent level over the course of ONE game. Ivan Rabb had 2 pts, 1 blk, and 3 reb in that same game so based on that one game is he a bust?



  • My biggest concern with taking on Thon is when he has a game and scores a couple of buckets the media will start chiming, “Kansas fans better not get too attached to Thon because he’s gone this summer to the league!” And then, he leaves.



  • The problem with hype is that it doesn’t give us a real view of what a guy is or is not.

    Thon Maker is a prime example of this.

    The hype machine says he’s the next great big man even though most of his game is still in a very raw state right now, especially offensively. He’s a mobile 7-footer, so people assume he’s going to change the game, but there isn’t much in his game that separates him from a guy like Isaiah Austin (former Baylor player). In fact, I would say that his likely upside is a more athletic Austin.

    He’s not a freak athlete like a Dwight Howard. He’s a good athlete yes, and certainly more mobile than most guys his size, but he isn’t Dwight Howard by any stretch. His energy level reminds me somewhat of a young Kevin Garnett, but he isn’t anywhere near as polished as what Garnett was coming out of HS.

    He’s not the shooter that a guy like Dirk Nowitzki is (very few are). He can handle it a little bit, but he’s not going to start playing point center all of a sudden.

    His offensive game at this point is basically dunks, spot up jumpers and a couple of basic post moves. He hasn’t shown any real post arsenal like Jahlil Okafor has, so if you think you are getting a guy that will command double teams, you are mistaken because I don’t know that he can actually score with his back to the basket.

    About the only refined element of his game is his shot blocking. He uses his size and length very well and can snuff out just about anything. The downside is he’s a free swinger, so better players will get him in foul trouble as he flails away.

    Right now, he’s a potential defensive game changer, but a very limited offensive player. He would be effective offensively in college because of his size and athleticism, but he has nothing at the pro level on that end. As a one on one defender, he can probably be fooled into silly fouls because he wants to block everything.

    He would be a nice addition, but only with the understanding that he may not bring much offensively, especially because there is no evidence that he is a refined passer at this stage in his development, meaning he could be a black hole offensively.



  • @drgnslayr

    Actually I said that he would likely stay an extra year, so I am not completely opposed to Maker coming to KU…if he stay one additional year; otherwise he might be more of a distraction than an asset.

    @Statmachine

    It is not just the Nike Hoops Summit; he chose to go play in Canada against marginal competition instead of staying here or attending one of the many basketball Prep schools that have a much higher level of competition; my guess is that his handlers did not want his very raw skills exposed…yes, he has lots of potential but it is potential that might not be usable in one semester. Have you noticed that his name is hardly ever mentioned anymore after the Nike Hoops Summit?



  • Updated word from the twittersphere is that Kobe Eubanks might be visiting, possibly this weekend. I could have sworn he crossed us off his list but I guess not. Recent CB picks even have him heading to KU.

    Wish these recent possible recruits were a little bigger but they all look like they will add quality to the bench.



  • Rock Chalk News ‏@rockchalk_news · 12h12 hours ago
    Rumors have LaGerald Vick visiting #KU soon too.



  • Seems clear we will get somebody. Mack seems out with him visiting Texas and no scheduled visit to KU before his announcement next week. Vick, Eubanks come on down…


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