Interesting, NEW Name surfaced for 2016
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Those are the guys we might have to settle for if Bolden doesn’t come to KU. It’s not a great class for depth in the front-court that was this years class. Herard is a guy that has that KU feel to him. He’s definitely a few years away but he plays hard. Skill Set & BB IQ need work though, hes only played basketball for a handful of years.
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@BeddieKU23 Bah, I misread the article. He actually had a lot of positive things to say about Zona. Then the next paragraph he started talking about schools in general, saying that he wouldn’t want to go to a school that has never had a one and done because the odds of them having one (if he went there) would be much less than a blueblood school who has had a lot of them over the years.
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@drgnslayr I think Mitch Lightfoot looks pretty good. looks like he’s agressive and has some good basics of post moves. I am not impressed with Jayce Johnson. Not sure how tall he is (looks 6’9) but he has a hard time dunking and it looks like he just throws the ball up. Doesn’t look like that great of an athlete to me. Schnider Herard has a good looking stroke, but is it just me or does it seem like he has troubles palming the ball? Every dunk they showed was either a two hander or he had to gather the ball and swing it up for a one handed slam.
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He’s also planning to go to Late Night which could be the nail in the coffin for us getting him.
Nail in the coffin? Maybe “Icing on the cake” would be a better expression?
Just kidding, I know what you meant.
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I hope he doesn’t need a special Red Velvet cake!
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Crimson and Blue cake with Gold (medal) icing and 11…or 12… conference rings on top!!!
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Great thread. I haven’t been back on the site in a while, but I thought I’d chime in on this one.
I’m actually feeling really good about Ferg. I think he’s just paying lip service to appease his AAU coach (same as happened to us with Shabazz Muhammad). Every whisper I’ve heard about this kid has been strong KU lean. Josh Jackson is more of a toss up, but I like where we are with him. Either way, I think we’ll be securing a commit from at least one of these two. Ferg is the most likely, but I’d gladly take either. Both are scorers. Both are guys not afraid to take over a game. The real difference is Ferg is more of a shooter, and Jackson is more of an off-brand Wiggins. That’s not a sleight to Jackson at all, though. It’s tough to be (potentially) the 2nd coming. Josh is more a Pierce than a Jordan, though.
I think Duke is both real competition and probably the main threat with Bolden, but based on what I’ve heard, I think he’d prefer to stay Big 12. Like all great recruits these days, he wants to OAD, but I have my doubts as to how feasible that will be. He’s highly skilled and a good athlete, but not an elite athlete (reminds me a ton of Cole as a soph), and his motor has been an issue in the past. He has at least improved on the motor front.
As for who might replace him if we miss, or who there is to supplement, there’s been a lot of recent action. Both Sacha Killeya-Jones (a recent UVA decommit) and Wenyen Gabriel have exploded recently on the AAU circuit and wound up on KU’s radar. They are cut from the same cloth. High potential, long and lean type bigs. Both need to add size and work on D, but either could develop into a great rim protector. What’s most impressive, though, is that they’re both great shooters. Either can operate quite comfortably out to 18ft and they should easily be able to extend that range even more as they get stronger. Gabriel seldom dunks anything, but he has remarkably good touch around the rim. Jones is the better operator with his back to the basket. He has the turnaround jumper that I have always wished Ellis would develop. He also knows how to use his long, craning legs to step around defenders and finish on the opposite side of the rim, one of Embiid’s goto moves in his time with us.
I’d still like to add a guy like Herard so that we have a true bully in the post, instead of having Lucas as our ‘muscle’ (although Coleby should help in that regard), but either of these guys would be a fine consolation prize should we miss out on Bolden. Better yet would be a class of 3 bigs: Bolden, Jones/Gabriel, and Herard, as that gives you a (likely) 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year guy to build around.
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TFerg @T_Ferg2KU #winning #kubball @the2kferguson you get rings at Kansas!
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Add the WUG Gold Medal to that picture
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@drgnslayr Yea they do. But, remember how bad Withey looked in his first game as a Jayhawk. Or Sasha. And remember these guys have not been in a weight room with a collegiate strength trainer to really make them have explosiveness. If they add 3-5 inches on their verticals that is a big difference.
Of those guys, I did like Mitch Lightfoot. He gives me an Sam Dekker vibe…
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@Hawk8086 I don’t think so necessarily. I mean if you watch Jackson he will have to make the slide to SF. NBA teams will want him there. He is too long, athletic, and springy. Plus his body type is that kind that looks like it can hold a lot more muscle when he gets into the weight room.
If Bill can get Selden and Wiggins I don’t see why he can’t get Ferguson and Jackson.
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@approxinfinity like where’s Waldo. I see the lil guy, even better w/Mason plus the gold!
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• I don’t see WSU and Marsha mentioned in the running for any of these players. Looks like beating KU didn’t change much in their recruiting so far.
• This looks like another recruiting season suggesting the embargo on top domestic 1’s and 5’s continues.
• It seems like the domestic OADs are basically out of the discourse till the end of the 2015-16 season, when most go through the long ritual of milking branding publicity pretending to make decisions that were apparently made back in early high school.
• Since KU appears shut out of the domestic OADs, then the big question should be who is the next foreign OAD? The next Wiggins, Embiid and Diallo?
• Oh, the other thing to focus on are the high school juniors most likely to reclassify and come to D1 early? The next Vick?
• the other thing to watch for is the foreign, or domestic, OAD that appears to change shoe leans? The next Wiggins, or Jaylen Brown?
The only legitimate speculation this time of year is among the 4-star and less guys and the occasional 5-star tweener local.
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@jayballer54 Jayce would be a nice project that could pay off big down the road. Him and Hudy should become best friends. Here’s a mix tape I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Dj8Dqy3ns
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It’s a long shot… hoping big guys can strengthen up enough and extend their verticals and foot speed. And then there is coordination issues.
I think Withey was a rare breed… to make the improvements he made. He worked his butt off. Lucas is more the typical outcome.
Withey’s volleyball background helped him with his timing, as he added strength, pounds and esteem.
For the sake of depth, I’m okay grabbing a footer who isn’t great, just to have a player that size for possible match-up issues with other big teams.
But in the scheme of things… I typically prefer landing more guys around 6’9" that have better foot speed and coordination. They work better into a lineup, especially this year if we start picking up the pace. A wide-body 6’9" guy or a guy like Cheick who is a work horse can do a good job snagging boards and defending. Sure… I’d like a footer, but only if he has strength, foot speed and coordination.
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@jaybate-1.0 Peyton Allen from Texas a and m is transferring to WSU, sit out next year, 3 years left. Don’t know much about him.
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Hope he is a good one. We always need good basketball players that want to be Jayhawks.
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TF will be taking a unofficial visit to Alabama Thursday he announced on his Twitter page
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@blackmild33 Saw a note on KU Sports that said TF is scheduled late night at KU as well.
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@RockkChalkk YES I SAW THAT TO
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His visit to Alabama was good that doesn’t say we don’t have a chance but we do
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@blackmild33 he said it was a 10.
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@Crimsonorblue22 just because he said it was a 10 he didn’t commit to them show we’re still in good hands
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From what I understand, the visit was a 10 “so far.” Meaning the question was asked mid visit and not afterwards. It could have ended lower than a 10 but who knows. The more interesting comment to me came when he was asked when he would declare where he is going to college, his answer was “Its up to my mother and my coach when I make my decision.” So, does this mean that he already knows where he is going but is waiting for the green light from coach and mom to announce it? Thought it was an unusual comment. And if he knew he was going to KU, what benefit does the visit to Alabama provide? My gut still tells me he will be an elephant, hope I’m wrong.
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It could mean that he’s done making visits and will choose between either Bama or KU after discussing it with his mother and coach. That probably means it’s an either or choice with no other schools in the running, which is helpful for KU.
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That is the interpretation I have… between 'bama and us.
Players like to use up their available visits and get treated. Guess this one was an unofficial visit, so he had to take care of his own travel expense.
I think it is a good thing, especially if he chooses Kansas. You want him to be 100% on board as a Jayhawk with no second guessing.
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So, it was a 10…was that on 0-100 scale?
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I’m not sure this has been brought up, if so I apologize. If TF does commit to Alabama is this another strike against Snacks? 247 lists him and HCBS as the KU recruiters.
Or is it more a sign of what we saw this year; with big impact players choosing smaller schools so they can shine individually.
Either way the Snacks dialogue may quickly become a “what have you done for me lately” issue.
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Alabama has moved into the lead for TF
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@blackmild33
according to?
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@Crimsonorblue22HIS CRYSTALBALL
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Just wait until Late Night. TF will realize that he better try out for Alabama football if he wants the same kind of crowd energy we get in AFH. They don’t get nearly the crowd support in basketball.
I expect it to be the difference.
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@drgnslayr IF TF MAKE IT TO LATE NIGHT
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No real reason to come to LN if he isn’t still in the mix. It shouldn’t be too tough for Self to ask him if he will wait until then, just to be sure he makes the right choice.
But… kids are kids and who knows?!
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A new quote from TF from his twitter feed… relieves some of the doubt that has started to set in. Sounds like he will be at late night and that has to increase the odds for KU. Quote:
With Terrance Ferguson’s unofficial visit to Alabama last week the rumors are starting to fly around on every college basketball message board around. The latest rumor is that Terrance Ferguson will cancel his planned visit to Kansas on October 9th for Late Night in the Phog because he’s going to commit to Alabama.
Well, according to Terrance Ferguson himself, that’s not true.
“I will still visit Kansas,” said Ferguson via text to TheShiver.com. “The rumors are getting out of hand. I will never miss out on Late Night,” he added.
http://kansas.247sports.com/Bolt/T-Ferg-addresses-the-wild-rumors-38657595
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That’s good that he still going to visit for a late night
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"I will never miss out on Late Night,”
I’m a “read between the tea leaves” kind of guy… looking for any possible coded messages.
In my understanding of the English language… saying "I will never miss out on Late Night” infers FUTURE and doesn’t specify just a single event. Meaning… TF dropped a HUGE CLUE that he is going to be a Jayhawk!
In his own words, he will never miss a future Late Night. How would that be true if he goes to Alabama?
Think about it. Why would TF declare early? So he could have a good senior year without all the hassles? No… There is no advantage for him declaring early at Alabama because there is no other player at his playing level and position considering Alabama. Kansas is a different story. The advantage for TF signing with Kansas is he chisels his name on his position. There are other elites at his position considering Kansas. This will scare them off because why would they want to go to Kansas and compete against PT with TF?
All the tea leaves point Kansas… just hope he isn’t a coffee drinker!!!
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That would be great if that is the message. Late Night is our chance to bring in the closer and sign the guy. He’s the best shooter in the class and can flat out jump out the gym. He’s a highlight real at all 3 levels waiting to happen.
