Grade The New Kansas Recruiting Class
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I love this class. To me it is a perfect blend of players and talent levels.
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It has an OAD and only one OAD. This is perfect. Get one guy who is NBA ready. You have to to try and keep up with Kentucky, Duke, etc.
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McD’s guy who is not an OAD. I really love this. If Bragg can be another Perry Ellis I am all for that. I’d take this kind of player every day of the week.
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A guy that is unheralded and just now getting the love he probably deserves from the scouts. Mason and Graham are proof that Bill gets these diamond in the rough players and turns them into studs.
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A big body transfer who already knows how to play D1 level defense, etc. The guy has played against the bigs from UK and is a physical presence. Needs polishing and needs to learn how to make post moves. This is one of Bill’s specialties.
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I would say it is an 8. Like others said we addressed needs, and that is more important than rankings in my opinion. If we miss on CD and he goes to ISU or St. John’s we are looking at this class as maybe a 5? 6 at best? Bragg is going to be special, hoping this year, but expecting next year; but he isnt the style of big we needed. (Side note we could have out Iowa Stated Iowa State with a combination of Frank, Graham, Svi, Greene, Bragg and Perry on the floor! )
I think we got what we needed a power 5 that plays with energy and then 3 guys that have high ceilings. Vick and Bragg should push Wayne and Traylor for PT and that is a great thing. Seems like this is a great year for the WUG, we will get to see guys compete early. To me it jump starts the starting 5 arc we always talk about, who starts in November may not start in Feburary. This year maybe a Bragg or Vick becomes a 6th or 7th man because of how well they played in the WUG…
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I like baseball analogies.
I’d say this was a triple. If we had landed Chukwu instead of Coleby, it would have been a home run. That’s because (in my mind) Chukwu was more highly rated than Coleby, didn’t fail to break into a starting lineup for two seasons like Coleby (Chukwu only one), Chukwu has three more seasons left, and, of course Chukwu is 7 foot tall and fits the rim protector ideal that seems to work in Self’s system – perhaps I missed the posts of folks saying he was a “guaranteed star” or something as @Texas-Hawk-10 suggests.
Home run, in my mind, would be – could we reasonable expect/hope for anything better than we got? If the answer is “no”, then it’s a home run.
Bragg’s addition was huge – the must have foundational piece, and Vick’s late signing was terrific … both projected multi-year guys. Diallo was what we were left with, our only option, the must have OAD. And Self got him. If we’re running in the OAD world, Diallo was a huge signing (and no hint of prima donna in him, to this point).
Stand up triple.
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I’ll let you know in April
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@HighEliteMajor I haven’t seen anyone use that specific phrase, but the way he’s been talked about just gives me the impression that a lot people (especially on KUSports) think Chukwu will be an instant star once he’s eligible just because he’s 7-2. His numbers last year make me believe he is a massive project that has a decent chance of never panning out. His rebounding numbers were horrible for someone his size, his foul rate was really bad (7,5 per 40 min) and his shot blocking form is why his foul rate is so bad. He swings down on his blocks and makes a lot of contact with opposing players in the paint even when he makes a block.
Just like you’re never going to be convinced to be a Jamari Traylor fan, I’m just not a Chukwu fan and there’s nothing that can be said to turn me into one.
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Can’t be a 9-10 because only one reputed OAD in the age of stacks, and no Brown to replace Oubre, or a scoring footer to make us a serious threat in Madness.
So: it’s anywhere from an 8 down to a 5. It would be an 8 if all four can play in the rotation through March. 7 if 3 can. 6 if only two can. 5 if only one can.
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@drgnslayr It’s a 10 for me, A motivated OAD, along with two 2- 3 year players are what the Dr ordered. Not sure about Coleby, but he’ll have a year in the program before he hits the floor, so he’ll give us a big body we’ll need next year.
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I’m doing this on the fly as I type. But I’m breaking it down into two grades for each player. The first being immediate impact and the second being future impact.
Diallo
- 9.5/10 immediate need. (Only because he isn’t 7ft)
- 5/10 future impact. Not sure he will be OAD, but if he is it still helps future recruiting.
Bragg
- 9/10 immediate need. (Need some scoring help in the frontcourt outside of Perry).
- 9/10 future impact. Odds are he is around for another year and will be THE guy.
Vick
- 4/10 immediate need. (Not sure what to think of him still. Should barely see the floor, but I could be wrong).
- 9/10 Future impact. A rangy SG with a solid upside. I like his future in the program.
Colbey
- No grade for immediate need. So stacked at the frontcourt that this seems to be a great move.
- 7.5/10 Future impact. I like the toughness I’ve seen. Seems like he will be a solid rotation guy.
So adding all of that together I came up with roughly a 7.5/10.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I do think he is a project as well. Seems like the perfect project, though, to take on if we could. Do you think that his flaws are coachable? Swinging down on his blocks, for example, seems fixable. Saying he’s our next Jeff Withey might be a bit of stretch, but I don’t see how anyone could not view adding Chukwu as a positive. If you take him on, the worst you have is an underachieving 7 footer as your 5th big guy. On the other hand, it would seem like he’s the classic upside gamble.
But it’s irrelevant. He visiting UVA, MSU, and UConn.
I have to say that my position on Traylor is based on seeing him play for three years in a Kansas uniform. But if Traylor plays well, I’d be more than happy to become a fan. Rebounding would be a good start. Of note, Chukwu’s rebounding rate is 33% better than that of Traylor (which supports your point a bit … should be a bigger margin). And Coleby’s was about 20% better than Chukwu (again supporting your point).
@KUSTEVE If Bragg, Diallo, Vick, and Coleby are a 10, what would Rush, Chalmers, Wright, and Downs be? Is this recruiting class on par with Bo Derek, the original 10? Or Morris twins, Tyshawn, Releford and Withey’s transfer? Or even TRob, EJ, and X? I’m skeptical. Maybe your 10 is like how they do grades now in high schools – where a kid can get better than a 4.0? I think this giddiness deserves an explanation.
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Like a couple of posters here (we are in the minority) I am not sold on Chuckwu; he did not do much at Providence, that plays in a league not nearly as good as the Big 12, so there is nothing out there to suggest he will do well in the tougher Big 12. Yes, he is a footer and as such he always will have potential, but beyond that, he has not shown much. I have done some reading on Coleby and he seems to have as much or more potential than Chuckwu and he seems to be more ready to contribute than Chuckwu as well. I guess we can compare notes in couple of years and see how each developed.
BTW, I give this class a solid 9.
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@JayHawkFanToo hoes?
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How…
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@JayHawkFanToo just kidding you! I was using the old hoe today!!
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@HighEliteMajor If we’re going to compare this class to a class that was integral to our 2008 championship, lets compare it to the bigs-heavy class that preceded the Chalmers, Rush, Wright, Downs class…
Galindo, Giles, Jackson, Kaun, Robinson… If this new class is an integral piece to an NC as that one was? Yes, a 10 I’d think, at that’s the goal That 2004 class would have to be a 10 as well.
Pre and post OAD-era-at-Kansas comparison is very difficult. Even the class you mentioned had a supposed OAD in Rush, and it was a bit of luck that we had him until his Junior year.
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I give the class a 9.5
The only reason its not a 10 for me is missing on some kids and wasted recruiting time on certain kids.
I had to do some digging but some of my first posts on this site were in response to what I wanted from this class. I wanted Bragg, Diallo, Brown & Tyler Davis. Bragg & Diallo were my top 2 choices so we hit a home-run there. The Diallo circus sucked and even though we won that battle, some of the shadiest recruiting tactics happened to try and get him.
I’m super excited for what we got. Vick could really be an ace down the line & Coleby looks to have some development talent left
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@HighEliteMajor I figured you’d give them a 10 as well. This is your Kaviar Shepard class, with 75% of the class highly likely to return for multiple years. That bodes well for our future.
I guess I could attempt to sell you on the idea that Diallo could make the largest impact of any OAD in the Self era, but I know how upsetting this concept seems to be to some of the brethren around here. So, I will soft-sell the idea of watching Diallo instead of Jamari/Lucas at the 5 should be worth the 10 ranking by itself.
I was unaware of a guy named Carlton Bragg until a poster named HEM referenced him long before the recruiting season as the essential “go-get” out there. I happened to agree after watching this guy absolutely light it up, and was thrilled when he signed with us. Now, I know now from our other brethren on here there could be “no possible way” that Bragg could ever make up the 9 ppg we lost from Oubre, but just call me a blind optimist by saying he will score that much.
Then we have that “low rated” guy named Vick, who i said would bring lightening fast quickness, and speed that our team needed. Thank God the “board experts” were right on hand to correct me that NO…Vick doesn’t have Div 1 quickness. Quote from Coach Self yesterday:
“He may be the best athlete on our team. He may be the highest jumper. He may be the quickest player … Lagerald Vick,” Self said of the 6-foot-5, 175-pound freshman combo guard from Memphis.
I guess Self hasn’t gotten the memo yet…lol.
So, I admit my 10 ranking was a reaction to the wave of beatdowns I received for being excited about the new guys we have coming in. And I apologize in advance for using your simple question to fire back…lol. As Jaybate says, no malice intended.
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@KUSTEVE You’re certainly an optimist, but I don’t think you’re blind. Call it rational optimism. Heck, we all know this class could be gold, or it could go the way of the dodo bird. No way to tell yet. But the rational optimism is appreciated. Amazing where we sit now vs. 60 days ago.
I would have gone a 10 if we had gotten Tyler Davis instead of Diallo.
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I can’t tell if these WUGs will be the mid summer fix I need or akin to being teased by a beautiful woman?
I cant wait to see Vick and Bragg play, because when we have the full squad in November I’m not sure how much they will contribute this year.
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I love the responses.
60 days ago the ship was on the verge of collapsing, Self called in his 9th inning Closer and pulled 3 recruits in less than 2 months time.
He fought off all the vultures for Diallo, jumped the gun on the competition at word of Vick being available (don’t tell me Brown didn’t probably have some influence in that) & got a transfer big with 2 years left.
Bragg started the parade with his mid-season verbal. That got us off the ledge from the fall signing period.
We coulda woulda shoulda gotten Tyler Davis or Dorsey, or Jaylen Brown or Brandon Ingram but in the end we landed the kids that wanted to come to KU. I have no problem with recruiting into the early parts of the summer as long as the quality of the player is the same. Self has proven once again he can haul in the guys especially late in the game. Now its up to him to coach em up…
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@BeddieKU23 You said, “Self has proven once again he can haul in the guys especially late in the game. Now its up to him to coach em up.”
Boy that’s true. Graham and Svi last year late, and now the three guys this year.
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“…in the end we landed the kids that wanted to come to KU.”
I think that is the key to good recruiting. I was really hopeful we would land Jaylen Brown because I thought he was the final piece in a serious March run this next year… but in the end… if he wasn’t feeling it for being a Jayhawk, he would have just created synergy issues with the team. Even though Vick is a lower-rated player, he has the tools to play at a high level and he appears to be extremely happy being a Jayhawk! So, in the end, we got the right player for us!
Team chemistry is vital… we all know that. It seems like the guys we got all fit well together. Very important.
As far as ranking this class… as @wissoxfan83 said… we’ll know in April! That is true… largely the impact of our new guys will be determined by our veteran players. For example… Cheick’s offense will be accentuated or negated by players like Perry, Frank, Devonte and Wayne. These are the guys who will be counted on most for execution and have to FIND Cheick’s offense with him. Get him the ball in the right spot and he’ll score. Get him the ball in the wrong areas and he will have troubles scoring.
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Grading this class is dependent on what you think of Bragg and Vick.
If Vick can contribute this year in a way that makes KU a more creative offensive team, that raises the grade. If Bragg is an off the bench two way force, that also raises the grade. However, those are the best case scenarios.
Scenario 1 (Class Grade 6)
Diallo is a good defender, but offers very little on offense, fouls a little too much and generally is a one way (defense) player. As a result, KU’s offense sometimes stagnates with him on the floor. However, his defense and athleticism still makes him an OAD.
Bragg shoots the ball well from the perimeter, but is a project on defense and isn’t aggressive enough attacking the rim after being bitten by the turnover bug early in the year, making him very one dimensional on offense as a spot up shooter and is prone to defensive lapses. Returns for his sophomore year.
Vick barely plays, getting spot minutes, fails to take care of the basketball or defend effectively. We worry that he is more like Woolridge and White.
Scenario 2 (Class Grade 8.5)
Diallo is great on defense and is useful in the deep post. The jumpshot is still a work in progress, but he brings enough to the table that he always occupies a man on defense. He makes the jump to the NBA as a surefire top 10 pick.
Bragg is a bench scorer, effective both on the perimeter and in the post. He’s a little shaky on defense, but Diallo cleans up a lot of the messes he creates. His athleticism covers some lapses as well. He returns to KU to shore up his game.
Vick provides a spark in a couple of games, but is mostly used in mop up duty. He shows flashes, but doesn’t burn brightly on a consistent basis.
Scenario 3 (Grade 10)
Diallo is a one man destroyer on defense. In addition, the offensive game isn’t just a few rudimentary post moves. He has a nifty jump hook and a decent face up jumper to go along with his rim attacks, making him a solid scorer to go along with plus plus defense.
Bragg is a dynamic scorer off the bench, averaging double figures in limited minutes. On top of that, his defense improves as the year goes along, making he and Diallo a nightmarish frontline pair for 10-12 minutes a game. Bragg does a bit of everything off the bench, and his ballhandling is good enough to allow him to be a secondary playmaker when the offense stalls.
Vick forces his way into the rotation just before conference play and becomes a surprising defensive monster. His defense gives KU a jolt in the transition game, which allows everyone else to shine. He takes care of the ball in the halfcourt, and his slashing allows the shooters space to spot up and hit from deep.
If I had to pick a most likely scenario of these three, it’s Scenario 2. I think Vick is likely to struggle a bit more than most. I see some Tyshawn Taylor potential with him, but I think that comes more in his sophomore and junior years. I think Bragg will help us offensively, but may not be ready to bang in the post or slide on the perimeter. The real question is how far Diallo’s offense comes this year, because I think he is only in Lawrence for one year.
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I totally agree with you on Brown he was the type of player Self has thrived on getting. And he would have continued the trend of freak SF’s with un-measurable ceilings.
I’m not sold on Svi or Greene being the answer at the SF spot, some of it may have to do with the fact that I think we will miss how athletic Wiggins & Oubre were the last 2 years and now with Svi & Greene its an unknown if they will take 15 shots inside the arc combined. Any doubt I have is more with the fact that neither has been put in the situation to be the man at that spot. I’m sure either will be fine and erase all the doubt but I do wonder if missing an elite SF will hurt us…
Report is Svi is being much more aggressive (a good sign) but Greene we all know is doing next to nothing while recovering so we know he isn’t going to change his game yet.
Brown would have been that guy you can clear out and say hey get in the lane and get to the line. That’s what Brown will do at Cal, and I’m sure their fans are giddy about getting him. I’m hopeful as Self has said this spring that Wayne Selden will realize he’s 6’5 of pure brut force and to use that body for once and consistently. HS mixtape Wayne where are you??
I’m really excited about Vick, something about him says he can get some minutes here and there and remind us why Self was so quick to lock him down and get him to re-classify. If he’s a freshman who needs time, that 's fine but I just have a feeling we may see a few good games from him this year. He really is dialed in offensively and that is something that can be used immediately. As a side note it looked like Tyler Davis wanted to go to KU but the offer wasn’t genuine enough? We may have never gotten Diallo in the end who could be a game-changer. So there’s always trade-offs to who you get and who you don’t.
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@drgnslayr said:
“…in the end we landed the kids that wanted to come to KU.”
umm…i’m not so sure about that. Bragg’s first choice was UK and once he didn’t get any attention from Cal, he chose his 2nd option.
Diallo was a lock for ISU till the mayor told him he wasn’t going to be back (that coupled with Abdelmassih leaving pretty much sealed the deal with KU).
to add to these, look at all the other transfers (hunter, graham, coleby…).
The kids are here and they will be playing for KU, so all the above is moot. but lets call it like it is.
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Why is it that when a fan believes a player is going to be great, others say you’re just being hopeful and projecting your own want full thoughts? Yet those same people will say the same player is more likely to do this or be this kind of player? Is that not projecting also?
I think this class is a ten, because as a fan I’m more excited about an upcoming season than I have in some time. I love this class because they’ve had nothing given to them. Even the star of this class Diallo still gets no credit for taking on the best and walking away MVP twice. Are you kidding me? This kid has a chip on his shoulder like not other. Yep this kid is going to be nasty. Bragg wants to be a Jayhawk, the best part he doesn’t have to be the man on such a veteran team. No he can let the game come to him. Late in the season look for all the hoopla that comes with being a star. The kid has game. The addition of Coleby Cheese is perfect and most important. with all the bigs KU will be losing next year. Mister Coleby is perfect for KU. A footer with a chance to learn how to play basketball the right way, and spend all that time with Hudy. No way anything wrong with this. Lets not for get the Vick? The surprise none of you know about but will soon enough
Sometimes we want to rate recruiting classes off the level of talent and the amount gathered. Yet what about a recruiting class that fills a teams need that very year and future needs? Reality says this KU class is no ten. However rating basketball players and recruiting classes isn’t about reality it’s about perception and projection.
A perfect 10 for this KU recruiting class. I’m calling it.
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@DoubleDD sounds good!
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I love your optimism! I don’t always agree with posters optimism… but I don’t like to shoot them out of the water for feeling it. Optimism is a big part of what attracts us to our teams. Enjoy your 10 optimism! We should all try harder to be more optimistic.
Imagine all the criticism in '88? People were glad Danny was back, but there was plenty of criticism that we didn’t bring in enough talent to help him out.
You called it right… your optimism is your projection, just like for others their projection is negative or neutral. We all just throw out our predictions based on our own egotistical concepts that each of us truly know better than the rest… including even Self! I’m pointing fingers… at many and also myself! I’ve often typed myself into being a real scholar on basketball. It just feels good to think I know something about anything! With all the information at our fingertips… these days… it is so easy to find others more knowledgeable.
I do have to say that I pick up a plethora of great information about everything Kansas, Kansas basketball, and just basketball (in general) by tuning in to this website.
I often feel a bit dumb after reading others in here. I’m not about to say that concerning specifics because I already have a wife capable of keeping me in my place! ( @Crimsonorblue22 , I’m not being a P, just showing some humility!)
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@elpoyo Bragg’s finalists were Kansas and UK. There were zero reports that UK didn’t give him attention. Diallo was not a “lock” for ISU. ISU was never the favorite. Kansas was pretty much the leader starting last December. And as additional info, Graham was not a transfer.
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@HighEliteMajor said:
@elpoyo Bragg’s finalists were Kansas and UK. There were zero reports that UK didn’t give him attention. Diallo was not a “lock” for ISU. ISU was never the favorite. Kansas was pretty much the leader starting last December. And as additional info, Graham was not a transfer.
Either he has an obsession with UK or he’s just trying to go out of his way to diss them
https://twitter.com/carltonbragg31/status/577534119304912897
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@elpoyo I guess I’m not tracking with you at all. Your response has nothing to do with the discussion you began.
You said “Bragg’s first choice was UK and once he didn’t get any attention from Cal, he chose his 2nd option.”
I responded saying that “Bragg’s finalists were Kansas and UK. There were zero reports that UK didn’t give him attention.” You didn’t cite anything to show that UK didn’t give Bragg attention. In fact, Calipari made an in home visit and Bragg had an official on campus visit during their Big Blue Madness. UK was pressing hard for Bragg. Bragg just chose KU.
So it wasn’t a matter of Bragg choosing his second option as you state. He chose his preference.
Your reply today was to say “Either he has an obsession with UK or he’s just trying to go out of his way to diss them” and to cite the article where he accidentally said UK in his hat ceremony, and some twitter link about his NCAA bracket where he picked Kansas?
That makes zero sense, and doesn’t address the discussion point you began.
In your original post, you were suggesting that you were calling “it like it is”, but each of your statements were incorrect.
I take this time to address your incorrect post because it was specifically (and misleadingly) made to demean our recruiting efforts – to suggest that we got guys only by default, or that transfers (at least the two you got right) are less worthy adds. I’m sure you aren’t a Withey fan.
Self flat out won the recruiting battles for each guy we got, just like he lost the battles for some guys we didn’t get. The turnaround in 60 days of recruiting was amazing. That’s what we want from our coach.
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@elpoyo Or, he was nervous at being in front of the spotlight, and made a mistake.
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@KUSTEVE he really was!
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I like how you broke it down in scenarios. I tend to agree with your assessment that the second scenario may be the most likely outcome.
I can see Vick struggle, too… at least, early on. His movements are very fast, but he’ll be playing in a faster game than he is used to. If the game is moving faster than his mind can keep up, we can expect to see lots of TOs because he’ll be telegraphing everything. But maybe he is a fast learner… and if he is, then by late in the season he can shore up his TOs and see the game slow down for him.
He will have this “extra season” of WUG ball to work on bringing his game up to speed. I think him and Carlton have a big advantage and if they really work hard they don’t have to play like total freshmen all year… instead play like a hybrid of freshmen/sophomores. That would be a monster advantage for us in March!
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@drgnslayr Who plays at the 3? Man it would be great if Svi had a Frank-type fresh/soph improvement, Is he the starter, or does Greene slide in there? Or a split reminiscent of our 5 rotation last year? I have parked my Bragg at the 3 fantasy after watching Trey Lyles school Bragg on drive after drive on Youtube. And, is Vick going to play the 3, or is he going to play at the 2? what say you?
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@elpoyo Neither of those links proves your point. Bragg had a slip of the tongue when announcing his decision. Everyone has them, his just happened to occur in front of a camera. The twitter link isn’t dissing Kentucky, he just picked the school he had been committed to for several months at that point. It was a biased, homer pick
I would also like to know where there was any evidence ISU was ever in the lead for Diallo. Someone could probably convince me that St. John’s was ahead at one point, but that’s about it.
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You have to give credit where credit is due. Trey Lyles will be playing in the NBA in six months. When he faced Bragg, he was a year and a half from being in the NBA. No surprise that he was doing what he wanted on the floor. Bragg might be an NBA caliber player a year from now, but it is more likely that he won’t be ready for the NBA next summer. That means that you had a guy that was older and a year away from being an NBA player facing a younger guy that was nearly three years away from being an NBA player in a best case scenario. And you can’t discount that Lyles was/is the better player anyway. Lyles isn’t the type of 3 that Bragg would see on a regular basis. He’s the toughest type of opponent. Most college 3’s would be far less skilled.
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@justanotherfan So my fantasy isn’t dead?..lol.
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The 3 is the spot that is really up for grabs this year. We’ve been blessed with crazy talent at SF for so long and now it could be our weak spot on the floor.
I think Self doesn’t know who will play the 3 most of the time this year. He is going to definitely have tryouts for the job. Up for grabs, but the winner better show tons of aggression! We need a very aggressive 3 that can drive the ball, rebound and defend… using strength and athleticism. And throw on there the ability to nail the 3.
Player / strength / weakness
Svi / well-rounded skill set / physical strength and lacks aggression
BG / spot up shooter / lacks aggression, handles, ability to create his own shot
Vick / athleticism, can drive and create / freshman rookie
Perry / shooting skills and ability to create / inconsistent aggression, medium handles
Carlton / athleticism and build / freshman rookie
This is what I think up til now. I’m doubtful Perry will get a shot at many minutes at the 3, but would be great if he could.
I look at someone like Carlton and think he should be in the KU video vault studying old tape of Marcus Morris. Those skills could get him minutes at the 3 thru 5.
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@drgnslayr I’ve rolled around the thought of Selden at the 3, with Devonte running point, and Frank at the 2. Is that a pipe dream?
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I think it is a pipe dream because I view Wayne as having the same mental over-sensitivity that EJ had. You move this kind of player around and his game goes haywire. Sometimes I still imagine EJ being left at the 2 all 4 years and wonder if he would have gotten on track and a shot at playing in the league…
I think what threw Wayne into a year-long slump was partly based on the comment Self had that he could put Wayne at any position 1 thru 4. That must have sent his mind into chaotic calculations!
I’d like to see Self come out this year and announce that Wayne will be locked in as a 2 this year. I think it will make a huge difference in what kind of year he has.
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I don’t like the thought of Frank and Devonte playing a lot together because we do not know yet if Vick can be the lone ballhandler on the floor if both Frank and Devonte need a break. Remember how much Frank wore down last year when he basically played 38 minutes a game while Devonte was out with injury? We have to keep Frank fresher this year, which means that we have to be able to rest both he and Devonte regularly to keep their minutes around 28-30 each. That means they can only play about 20 minutes a game together, which is not enough for your starting/best group.
I like Perry, but question if he has the lateral quickness to handle smaller 3’s (which would be what he would see basically every night). I think Bragg is better equipped to handle that on the defensive end, which is why I like your first idea. I think we see an early season starting group of Mason-Selden-Svi-Ellis-Diallo. Once we know how healthy Greene’s hip is, he enters the mix and may even replace Svi in the starting lineup, depending on how Svi plays. Bragg will help out up front, but because he has the best perimeter skills, if Svi and Greene struggle at the 3, Bragg will be an option because Traylor, Mickelson and Lucas can’t play there and Bragg will be one of our best 7 players, so getting him on the floor should be a priority.
Speaking of the best 7, I think that is (in no particular order) Mason, Graham, Ellis, Diallo, Bragg, Selden, Svi or Greene. That’s the base rotation right now. Vick may get in there, but I didn’t see enough in his high school highlights to put him ahead of Selden, so he’s on the edge of the rotation now. I still think he has a role ultimately, but he may not have much impact until early in the conference season.
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@drgnslayr I agree. I really like the idea of Wayne being at the 3 but I don’t think it is the best thing for him and the team.
Mason may not be a “pure” point guard but I think he and Graham will split time playing the PG which is great as we should always have a good ball handler in the game. It is beating a dead horse but a lot of our early exits from the tourney can be blamed on bad guard play (not sure last year is that reason but 2014 and 2013 are examples). This year we should have some of the best ball handling we have had since 2008…or so I hope.
Wayne is due for a great season and I think he will have that if he stays focused on the 2 guard spot. That is the position he has played for the last 2 years as a starter and it is his time to shine. Wiggs is gone. Oubre is gone. Wayne should have the green light and hopefully will string together an entire season of games like Florida and Baylor and not pull the disappearing act like the WSU game.
This year’s team is exciting for a number of reasons but my #1 reason is guard play. Mason / Graham / Selden are going to be a force.
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@drgnslayr I agree with your approach completely, but I would just lock Wayne into the 3. Let Mason Graham and Svi do the 1-2 thing. Keep Wayne out of the ball handling situations as much as possible. Let him be that “big wing” that Self said he really was, with Greene as his back up. But locking into the 2 is fine with me. Svi and Greene then can do the 3 thing. The point is the same, but your argument is probably better since he has been at the 2 primarily for his two seasons here.
Either way, when Wayne’s on the court, he is nothing other than what his predetermined position is. Leave him there.
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@drgnslayr Agreed on EJ. he was never the same after going fulltime to the point. I enjoy chewing the fat on possibles in the off season - we have such a deep team with so much experience, along with some really talented rookies coming aboard. This is going to be a year to remember, imo.
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@justanotherfan Don’t worry about Graham and Mason together. Self would stagger their rest. Further, Svi is your third ball handler, not Vick.
Believe me, I like your rotation. I doubt Self does.
Here’s my rotation viewing it from Self’s eyes right now.
Starters: Mason, Graham, Selden, Ellis, Lucas.
Rotation Subs: Traylor, Svi, Diallo, Greene.
Minimal Play Sub: Bragg.
No play subs: Mickelson, Vick.
My only hesitancies are Graham or Svi starting, or Lucas or Traylor starting.
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@KUSTEVE I think he’s a 4.
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@HighEliteMajor If Landen Lucas starts over Diallo I really hope he has improved a TON as I did not see anything last year that said “Starting center for a top 5 program”. I know you hate seeing Jamari in the game and I personally feel like that about Landen. I hope I am wrong but I just don’t see a very high ceiling for him. He really is not great at anything. Good at certain things and plays his ass off but Diallo was brought in to start as far as I’m concerned.
I think the only way an OAD is worth the time and effort is if they come in and make an instant impact and put up numbers. Diallo will be a bust in my eyes if he comes in and gets 15-20 minutes while backing up Landen Lucas during his 1 year.
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@HighEliteMajor said:
some twitter link about his NCAA bracket where he picked Kansas?
Some twitter link was a link to his twitter account where he picked kansas to win it all (no problems there), but singled out UK by picking Manhattan to beat UK and even circled Manhattan. Seriously, he fills 1/4th of his bracket and then picked UK to lose in the first round to Manhattan and you think that doesn’t mean anything? Clearly something was off and its obvious he was peeved at UK and even posters on KU boards said he was big on UK, but they cooled off him and he apparently didn’t like that.
I know its all sunshine over here , but just pointing out what i see. This is afterall a message board where people can put in their opinions…right?
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@Crimsonorblue22 You’re probably right, but i can’t get that step back 3 out of my head, the drives to the hoop that remind me so much of a right handed Oubre, and the way he swats lots of shots away from behind ( trailing plays). My fear is he’ll be Perry Ellis2 on the blocks.
