DIALLO and OPENING TIP?
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Regarding yea or nay, Diallo in starting lineup, I have given considerable thought to my suggestion, a few days ago, that if he started we might have a much better chance at winning the opening jump tip. I have arrived at the conclusion that Bill Self really does not care to win that specific action. Bill’s mantra relies on DEFENSE. So, right from the get-go his players are to win a stop. Psychologically sound, if they indeed do, without assistance of the 7’4" wingspan. Also, why show a winning hand when nothing but pennies of ante are on the table? Hurl Cheick Diallo into the contest at a moment when the team and the crowd needs a giant boost. Like harnessing an energetic blue heeler until the cows begin to wander through the open gate. Or a wily gambler holding his cards until big money strikes the table. For as long as possible, I should think Bill will go with seasoned defenders, especially until he determines how the opposition intends to play the game. When opposing coach and players become comfortable in their game plan, SWISH! Number 13 pops off the Jayhawk bench. (That is, unless #14 gets the first nod.) Just my idle thoughts on a quiet Thursday morning, some 52 hours from Cheick’s next appearance.
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I would doubt he starts until closer to conference play. He’s going to have to earn the trust of Self on defense so that starting him doesn’t mean 2 early fouls and sitting for the rest of the half. I think that is the most critical aspect to start looking at. Can he go stretches without fouling. The 1 foul he drew after the mailman dunk was total crap, that was a block all the way. It’s Diallo’s nature to be aggressive on defense, he fouled a lot in HS because the defense around him would collapse way too easily. It’s going to take a bit for the game to slow down but once it does there is no telling how good he makes this team.
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Last season he started the guy with the tendency to quick jump and win the tip, according to @JesseNewell.
Inference: as soon as CD convinces Self he can handle a real center coming off the bench, he will get a start to win that first tip. It’s always better to get out ahead.
What Self does NOT want is to start him too soon and have to put him back on the bench for loss of confidence.
Self starts great players he may have only one year on the bench, because:
a.) he is trying to avoid the first trough of lost confidence most UK guys go through, when they start for UK from game 1.; and
b.) to keep developing his lesser talents with more experience, while the star is coming up to speed.
It’s a sane approach. Every season Cal has to deal with this 5-10 game slump with his freshman, while they learn to cope with lost confidence from their gaps in skills being schemed against. The most vivid case I recall is John Wall. The guy became a pop tart factory and finally Cal had to just turn him into the world’s most talented non scoring PG to get through the season; that’s what Self tries to avoid.
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Start Diallo now …
Start Diallo now …
Or I will have a cow …
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…by now you must be a veritable cattle baron…
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@HighEliteMajor So what are you going to have? A bull or a heifer? (Cause he ain’t starting now…we know HCBS)
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Patience is a virtue. Diallo’s skill will solve the PT issues.
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"A small sample size, but Kansas is playing at a much faster rate than any Self team ever has. The Jayhawks are averaging 75.4 possessions per game, per kenpom.com, which is nearly five possessions more than any of Self’s teams ever at Kansas. Pace is up across college basketball, but this start is still an anomaly for KU. The Jayhawks rank 20th in adjusted tempo, and they’ve never ranked in the top 50 under Self.
And Diallo is only going to speed them up.
“Cheick forces a pace that nobody has ever forced here,” Self told the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd this summer. “He can create pace better than any point guard we’ve ever had here. Just because the dude, from rim to rim, he’s as good as I’ve seen. I didn’t say [he’s] the best offensive player, but running rim to rim, I think he’ll drag everybody along with him. I also think it forces us to play at a faster pace when your big guys run like that.”
I like fast.
The full article on Diallo’s impact from Bleacher report is here.
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I reckon self never saw Bill Russell, will Chamberlain, Bill Walton and Dave Cowens Diallo forces tempo only because he is a good rebounder, so self does not have to have his point guard, Frank Mason, stay back and rebound!
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@jaybate-1.0 Good point. When you’re point guard is one of your top rebounders it’s NOT a good thing. Kind of like when the Chiefs kick 7 field goals in a game. It’s not good - It just means they can’t score a touchdown.
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@nuleafjhawk remember the other pt guard is getting back on D on masons defensive boards. He’s still impressive though.
