Some Ways to Survive Being Ranked #2 While Dealing with the Horror of Diallo and Bragg Not Playing Much Yet



  • @KUSTEVE

    Thankeee kindly, Jethro. Let’s go have some pork bellies on the billiard room’s fancy eatin’ table.



  • @jayballer54

    It is too soon to tell about Cheick.

    If he proves he can adapt to D1 speed and violence, which I expect him to by January, or February at the latest, and make reads on defense, and offense, I reckon he is the kind of guy they would draft on potential if he wants to come out this season. He doesn’t really have to be a big scorer, just show that he has enough touch to make it seem like a couple of years shooting practice and he could Knock’em down and that’s enough for the NBA these days.

    But I get the feeling Cheick is a very smart cookie and enjoys the team. And that NBA D-league is increasingly looking like a player graveyard to me. So: if it looks like they will just draft him to control him and then send him to the D-League, money, or not, I expect him to hang around one more year, if he doesn’t have some handler breathing down his neck to jump after one.

    Those handlers appear increasingly decisive in all of this. Its not just about players and their parents IMHO. Its the handlers that stand to loser their fee if he gets injured.



  • @jayballer54 It is early for sure to predict that. But, if he progresses at a reasonable pace but is still somewhat raw, I don’t think that matters. The NBA drafts on potential. If I had to make the call right now…he’s gone after this year.



  • @HawkInMizery

    I would not place much weight on the Coaches Poll; I believe most of the elite program coaches (including Coach Self) have indicated in the past that they have an assistant take care of it and they do not “vote” themselves, so naming the coaches as the voters is somewhat disingenuous…

    Here is the current list of coaches that vote…

    The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 32 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The board for the 2014-15 season: Tommy Amaker, Harvard; Randy Bennett, Saint Mary?s; Jim Boeheim, Syracuse; Todd Bozeman, Morgan State; Glenn Braica, St. Francis Brooklyn; Rick Byrd, Belmont; Scott Cherry, High Point; Tim Cluess, Iona; Ed Conroy, Tulane; Keith Dambrot, Akron; Scott Drew, Baylor; Matt Driscoll, North Florida Steve Fisher, San Diego State; Bruiser Flint, Drexel; Mark Fox, Georgia; John Gallagher, Hartford; Ray Harper, Western Kentucky; Dick Hunsaker, Utah Valley; George Ivory, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa; Rob Jeter, Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Danny Kaspar, Texas State; Mike McConathy, Northwestern State; Greg McDermott, Creighton; Matt Painter, Purdue; Dave Paulsen, Bucknell; Randy Rahe, Weber State; Joe Scott, Denver; Bobby Hurley, Arizona State; Shaka Smart, Virginia Commonwealth; Bob Williams, UC-Santa Barbara; Mike Young, Wofford.

    I would venture to guess that the great majority of smaller school coaches do not even watch elite program games much as they are too busy with their own programs and small staffs. There are two Big 12 co0aches that “vote” Scott Drew and Shaka Smart…what are the chance they will vote KU high?



  • @JayHawkFanToo think boeheim gets to vote now?😱



  • @BeddieKU23

    There is a good chance Diallo goes to the NBA, provide he can show enough to be a lotto pick. No question that he is one of the greenest recruits ever but with a huge potential and unless he is a savant like Embiid (can’t think of another player like him) it might take more than one year. and he will likely be top 5 r even top 3. The NBA is carefully moving away from pure potential since many unproven players with just potential have not quite panned out.



  • @JayHawkFanToo

    I definitely agree, I’m just waiting for him to get court time before really deciding what his ceiling for the draft can be. I would bet most would agree that he could go top 5 if he becomes a starter or gets enough minutes to display his game to go along with his potential for the long term.

    Even Self has said he’s got a chance to be a NBA All-Star in time…

    But right now if you said he was going pro and was going in the lottery or top 10, don’t plan on him playing in any games next year. He would be overwhelmed. Its going to take this whole year for him to even get comfortable just playing in Self’s system, can’t even imagine a NBA team trying to plug him in their system and having confidence.

    But from his background it would be hard to turn down a payday for him, or for his family if his stock and play keep where it is…



  • @wissoxfan83 ya, I’m just curious that’s all. Yes he looked pretty good, but as you say that was against a very over matched opponent They feel he really needs to develop his offensive mind set for the N.B.A. I have very mixed ideas on it. I am definitely leaning more that YES he will be gone after the 1 season, whether that will be a good decision or not. As it is well known the N.B.A. as been stated drafts on potential for the most part so with that being the case chances are he is gone, plus there are always others factors for him to consider. Using as an example if he is a projected top 10 pick, pretty good money in that and not really sure, but from being from the foreign land, really not sure about his financial situation, true he is living in the States, but I’m sure he is wanting to help his parents and give them what he can so that’s an issue, the he always take a risk. Say he is projected at a pretty high spot BUT yet he returns to work on his offensive game as the NBA people says he needs, and then he is injured, gets hurt possibly screw something up bad and end up not being able to play at all, so he has to consider that, a lot to weigh out.I’m just sayin there is always a slim chance HE MAY come back for the 2nd year, if he doesn’t progress like he needs to, maybe see his stock drop some. LOL and thanks for the signature of myself just something I’ve always said, when I talk to friends even when not on here, when we converse at the end that’s my Good bye lol but thanks bud appreciated. So with that- - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jaybate-1.0Agreed. I wonder about his offensive set in the league which has been discussed, but as you say, good points. Plus another thing also, if I remember Dennis Rodman wasn’t really a prolific scorer, alot more of a rebounding machine and some blocking ability, so he doesn’t have to be some guy that scores 15-20 a night in the NBA, there are alot of teams that will draft him just for his rebounding, his energy and shot blocking ability, and any points he scores will be just a bonus for them, will be interesting to see, but if he doesn’t progress and his stock drops this year- - -who knows. ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @Hawk8086 YA in all honesty, I’m feeling the same thing your feeling bud, but then thete is just this slier of doubt, but that’s a long way off, just something that crossed through my little pea brain lol. ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @JayHawkFanToo You make some very good points. I just thought the difference between the two numbers was odd because it was so big. I’ve seen before where they are 1 or 2 different but not 5 at least that I can recall off the top of my head.



  • @Crimsonorblue22

    Yes, Boeheim gets to vote since the polls and NCAA are not related…I bet he cheats on that too… 😃



  • @jayballer54 There is no doubt that a player can have a career in the NBA where the task is rebounding and defense. The only question deals with draft position and therefore money. Rodman was drafted in the third round when they had that many rounds. He played most of his career with Detroit and Chicago which were very good teams and didn’t need scoring. Lottery picks are usually drafted by bad teams or teams that are not doing as well as they have in the past. That also means that the drafting team probably needs to put butts in the seats. The non die-hard NBA fan is usually more interested in offense.

    Diallo is kind of a tweener. He has a very long wingspan but he is only 6’9" measured with the KU tape. His chances of being a lottery pick are diminished if he is viewed as a defensive player only. That is not to say that he won’t be drafted high; but only that his chances would be better if he were a scorer or 6’11".



  • @jayballer54

    If Diallo can board and guard like Rodman and 2 inches taller, he is NBA gold!



  • @jaybate-1.0 A Freshman with Vick’s skiilset, when given a chance, can help propel a team on a deep tourney run. I hope Self gives the young man a chance. Plus it’s great for recruiting.



  • @jaybate-1.0 Oh, the agony of being ranked 2nd…it’s almost more than a mere mortal can take…OH THE HORRORS OF BEING A KU BB FAN.



  • @JayHawkFanToo It’s the nostrils…you can tell when he’s lying when he flashes the nostrils. I am permanently scarred from watching old Big East basketball games, and ESPN would zoom in on Boeheim’s caves.



  • @KUSTEVE

    Can’t wait until the law catches up with the squid…



  • I am glad some others are excited about Vick as well. He looks like one of the best athletes on the team to me.

    The all potential and talent lineup.

    Vick, Svi, Selden, Bragg, Diallo ?

    No dig on Perry, I just think he is about at his ceiling. I do love Mason and Devonte and think they are or will be great college players, but will they be future NBA players?



  • Last night, OU DRILLED top 10 ranked Villanova. Tonight, WVU is currently manhandling Top 10 ranked UVA. I think our 12th consecutive conference championship will be special, because we’re going to beat some really good teams.



  • @KUSTEVE

    Ugh, UVA GOT OFF THE ROPES



  • @jaybate-1.0 WVU curled up, and died the 2nd half. ouch!



  • @KUSTEVE

    Foul trouble did them in. We should use our deep bench and foul them out early.



  • @JayHawkFanToo

    poor shooting night from 2 of their starters Carter and Miles go something like 2 of 17 from the field. Virginia also shot a salty 62% from the field. But yeah that 2nd half collapse was something, Virginia did what KU will have to do, survive the first 5 rounds of havoc and then wear them down…



  • @KUSTEVE

    I forgot to say how much I loved Lonnie putting it to the poster boy for jerks, Jay Wrong.



  • @jaybate-1.0 Hubba, hubba. Nova fans are the most annoying in the world. I absolutely went to town on that blow out…



  • @KUSTEVE

    You know, now that you mention it, I have never talked to a Nova fan. There are a lot of programs with bad fans, and mercifully some with good ones. I will be on alert for them, as I trust your judgement.



  • @BeddieKU23

    I agree. WVU was in control in the first half and ran out of gas in the second. I am sure all the conference coaches will remember this.



  • @JayHawkFanToo

    I doubt WVU will shoot that poorly against us, especially in Morgantown which they have won the last 2 meetings. Losing Staten was huge for having that go-to leader. Their guards really rebound just like last year so if our rebounding doesn’t start to improve that’s another area of concern when playing them. I remember them getting all their missed shots in their win last year against us.

    They really are just a gimmick team, high reward, high risk situation that Huggins has created. Williams scares me especially if Diallo hasn’t ascended to starters minutes when we play them.


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