Recruiting targets
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Throughout June and heading into the all-important July recruiting period, Jeff Goodman and Jeff Borzello will take a look at the summer checklists for the top 50 programs in college basketball, as revealed in Goodman’s preseason ballot published in late May. Goodman and Borzello will show you each roster the way the coaches are looking at it, projecting graduation/NBA casualties and areas of need ahead of 2016-17. Below is the summer guide for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Scholarship chart
Seniors (3): F Perry Ellis, PF Hunter Mickelson, PF Jamari Traylor
Juniors (5): PG Frank Mason, SG Wayne Selden, SG Brannen Greene, PF Landen Lucas, Dwight Coleby (redshirting)
Sophomores (2): PG Devonte Graham, SG Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Freshmen (3): PF Carlton Bragg, C Cheick Diallo, SG Lagerald Vick
Possible early entry losses after next season: Cheick Diallo, Wayne Selden
Available scholarships for 2016: four (possibly as many as six)
Committed prospects for 2016 and beyond: None
Biggest needs for 2016-17: big men, scoring on the perimeter
Must-haves: SF Josh Jackson (No. 3 in ESPN 100, 1Nation)
Targets: SF Josh Jackson (No. 3 in ESPN 100, 1Nation), SG Malik Monk (No. 6, Wings Elite), PF Edrice “Bam” Adebayo (No. 8, Team Loaded), SG Terrance Ferguson (No. 9, Mo Williams), C Uda Azubuike (No. 10, Georgia Stars), PG De’Aaron Fox (No. 12, Houston Hoops), SG Josh Langford (No. 13, Atlanta Celtics), C Tony Bradley (No. 21, E1T1), SG Mustapha Heron (No. 22, New Heights), SF Rawle Alkins (No. 27, NY Rens), SF Braxton Blackwell (No. 33, Atlanta Celtics), SG Seventh Woods (No. 39, Carolina Wolves), SG Markelle Fultz (No. 55, DC Blue Devils)
Summer scenario
The Jayhawks will focus on big men in the 2016 class, and that’s one of the reasons why they recently added Ole Miss transfer Dwight Coleby. He’ll sit out in 2015-16 and have two years left. KU loses front-line guys Ellis, Mickelson and Traylor, and coach Bill Self and his staff are preparing to lose Diallo after just one season in Lawrence. Josh Jackson is the priority, but Adebayo may be even more important because he’ll give Kansas a big body. The Jayhawks will also prepare for the departure of Selden, but KU can absorb that one far easier with the presence of guys like Greene and Mykhailiuk on the roster.
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You don’t have Svi as a possible early departure? Frank has been asked about the possibility of leaving after next year as well. Depending on how well the season goes he could opt to throw his name in the draft hat.
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Goodman and Borzello don’t have Marques Bolden on our targets list? Or Schnider Herard?
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I would add Bragg and Svi as possible early departures.
I doubt Mason leaves unless he has an amazing season (which I would expect would lead to a FF or national title). His size will keep him from being a sure thing lottery pick unless he and the team have a lot of high profile success. Of course, that’s exactly what we are rooting for, but Mason has to be the key reason for that, not just a piece of the puzzle.
The biggest focus for the next recruiting class has to be on scorers. Ellis is gone for sure. We will likely lose another big scorer beyond that, whether its Svi or Bragg or someone else (Selden perhaps). Coleby will replace Traylor nicely. Graham and Mason will both be back, so we won’t be searching for ball handling. We will still have solid size with Lucas, Coleby and probably Bragg up front, but we will need another big man, preferably one that can score in the post. Unfortunately, this class is much more guard/wing heavy than 2015, which was very much PF/C heavy at the top. I think that’s why Self has entertained transfers this year - he sees that this class is light on bigs (4 of top 15 are PF/C, vs 8/15 in 2015) and realizes that he may not land an elite big given that every bigtime program is fighting over 4 elite guys, then about 6 more guys, then a bunch of lower rated players.
And since we know that size has a huge influence on rankings, there is the possibility that many of these guys are not as good as some of the guards ranked in that same level, but benefit from the size they possess as opposed to the skill.
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The chances of Mason making it to the League are very small. NBA teams are looking for tall PGs and Mason is under 6’, probably closer to 5’-10". If he goes to the league it will be as a “walk-on” and not as a drafted player, so the chances of Mason leaving early are very small.
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Bragg- I just wonder how much he will play, as Perry’s back up he would really get around 10 mins per game. But if Perry and Chiek are the starters and you have 3 other experienced guys in the mix for playing time also, how many mins will he get? I think it will be interesting to see. If he is a candidate for early departure, then something special happens! Just crazy but could be a McD AA who only gets about 5-10 mins a game depending on foul trouble. Next year should be a starter, but this year I just don’t see him playing too much.
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Spot on. It all a question of timing and need. TRob did not play much as a Freshman and he was an absolute monster as Junior.
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Swap Svi for Selden as an early departure candidate and I think that would be more accurate. Svi is projected as a mid 1st round pick (same range as Oubre) in 2016 and Selden when I’ve seen his name has been in the second round.
I think a big is the top priority over a wing in 2016. A small guard is the 3rd priority for 2016. Mason, Selden, ???, Bragg, Lucas is probably the starting line up in 2016-17. I know this would imply a wing would be the need, but there’s different options here. Svi if he isn’t good enough to leave, Graham starts and Selden is the wing, or Brannen Greene starts in that spot among the current known options. Should Bill Self land a OAD type player to plug into that spot, I would not complain in the least.
I say a big is top priority because I don’t like the Lucas/Coleby option. Neither player is a good offensive player, and neither is an above average defensive player. I just feel better about the perimeter options in 2016-17 without landing a top level wing than I do about the post. Landing a small guard also makes sliding Devonte Graham into the starting line up a viable option for 2016-17 as well.
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tells you how much more we fans know than ESPN sometimes.
half these kids listed are not even being heavily scouted by KU. Jackson a must have, please let me barf first. I would place Bolden, Ferguson & Fox ahead on the must have category.
Wonder if the Duke offer of Bolden will have any effect on his recruiting…
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A “small” guard? We don’t want a “:small” guard…maybe a “shooting” guard???
just kidding…:)
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I know. There is no place for small guards like Isaiah Thomas in the NBA. Give me one GM that wouldn’t take Isaiah Thomas on their team because he is too small? I know he was the last pick in the 2nd round BUT he didn’t have to walk on either.
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@Statmachine @JayHawkFanToo I know y’all know what I mean by small guard. Just clarity for others, in Bill Self speak this would be a lead guard.
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@Statmachine I think the thought on the small guard thing is just that it makes it much more unlikely for Mason to leave early, and get drafted. Isaiah is a hall of famer. Mason, probably not. That’s not saying Mason can’t make it in the NBA. He definitely can. As Seth Greenberg said, he’s got a little Allen Iverson (another small guard) in him. Both Iverson and Isaiah were 6’1" I think.
@BeddieKU23 Agree completely.
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@HighEliteMajor Isaiah Thomas is listed at 5’9" actually.
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@Statmachine Pretty funny … I’m talking about the Indiana, 1981 title winner, first round pick Isaiah Thomas. You are talking about the current Isaiah Thomas, second round pick … which means you probably win this discussion. Good comparison.
Also, there are other short dudes – Nate Robinson is like 5’10" right?
Frank will be an NBA player (I think). But will he leave early? I really hope not.
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@HighEliteMajor The Indiana Thomas is spelled wrong. His name doesn’t have the first A in it. It’s just Isiah whereas the current Thomas from Washington is the biblical spelling of Isaiah.
Not intentionally being a grammar nazi here, but there’s a lot of people that don’t realize how the Indiana Thomas’s name is spelled like how a lot of people also misspell Brett Favre’s name by switching the V and R because of how it’s pronounced.
We are also going to see another physically small guard go in the first round that would be a top 5 if he was 6-3 or 6-4 in Tyus Jones. Kentucky is also going to end up with very good senior point guard in 2 years wit Tyler Ulis since he’s only 5-7.
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Briscoe is the one who scares me for them
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I hate to be a Nazi of any kind, but a spelling error isn’t grammar, right?
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@HighEliteMajor I’ve always been under the impression that spelling is part of grammar. I could be wrong about that one though.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 You win! You get a high five and a good job.
