I wasn’t expecting to well up in tears for someone I hadn’t personally met, but I did. I’ve been to four funerals of friends and family this year and was able to stay composed, but this hit me harder than expected. @RockChalkinTexas apparently holds a special place in my heart. I enjoy my bucketteers; don’t any of you dare leave!

Everyone stay safe and healthy as possible this holiday season!!!

@wissox said in My crisis of faith in Bill:

Bill Self had a phase where he recruited some questionable character guys. It really impacted this program, saddling us with the black eye of the half decade long investigation. The dude with the car accident (I’ve repressed the memory of his name and couldn’t care less to learn his name), the dude with the shoebox money (ditto my other parenthesis), Josh Jackson the most talented of all the lowlifes we brought in. The dude who raped the woman. Vick, had some issues, forgetting exactly, Jalen Wilson DUI, and the aforementioned Cliff Alexander, a victim of his own ma if I recall correctly. I might be wrong but Selfs first decade with us was his strongest and we avoided these headlines.

The original post, excellent btw @approxinfinity, and @MoonwalkMafia, was what’s happened to recruiting. Bill Self is still struggling to recover from the black eyes of the last decade.

But part of this is waiting for NCAA to work out the negativity of the NIL and portal eras. We brought in some highly ranked 5 star for next year. Normally I’d be stoked but now I’m just thinking he’s another Grady or Furphy (who had like 1 good game while he was here using us to get to the league). So while maybe the character issue has been resolved, finding loyal guys to the program who see all of the ‘trappings’ that come with being a KU player has been difficult. I laugh at guys like Grady Dick who took the money and play for a gosh awful Toronto team. Must be really fun playing in a boring league in front bored fans. He was getting paid here and would be a huge part of KU lore had he stuck around. Instead he’s an NBA afterthought. Would’ve gotten paid after this year or even his senior year a bunch.

88, 08, and 22 have forever etched themselves into my mind and make enduring these down periods a little less difficult. But I fear the aura of KU ball wearing off a little bit and always look at IU basketball, or Nebraska football as examples of programs that ruled their sport that haven’t been able to get it together since. Anyone see IU fans abandon the Assembly Hall the other day against Illinois before the first half was even done? My worst nightmare for KU right there.

Having met Jalen Wilson and seeing as he has had no other issues I take offense to his inclusion on the bad actors list. He made a childish mistake, atoned for it, and didn’t have another single issue - if I’m not mistaken. His attitude and demeanor improved drastically after that and he became a model student athlete on and off the court.

Worst case scenario- KU in line for the number one overall seed, plays no games due to a pandemic. Leaving nothing but what if’s for all.

@BeddieKU23 Yes, Kelly should’ve stayed another year, but I’m still upset that Paul Pierce left early.

I love that Bill Self is being blamed for tuning out a roster devoid of post talent and yet his team is playing the best basketball in the nation, undefeated, and ranked #2.

The warts will show, but Bill is doing a masterful job once again.

Wow. Hope he figures life out quickly. He’s blowing a couple once in a lifetime opportunities.

Just realized Buckets turned 10 years old last October!!! Thanks to all who have helped make this site entertaining!

As a Chiefs fan, Mahomes is payback for watching other teams do that to our D for years.

Win at all costs and the fans cry about not looking to the future. Sit Cliff and lose tonight with an eye on the future and fans cry. It’a a good thing KU basketball coach isn’t an elected position. The man has done nothing but win games at a historic rate. KU is 14-3 with a freshman and sophomore dominated line-up in what has been the hardest schedule in the nation. I’m estatic with the win loss record, but think there is much room for improvement in play. That’s what has me excited, KU will be better in March and even better next year.

If Bill manages to win the conference title this year it will be quite the feat with 8 teams in a 10 team conference having been ranked in the top 25. That means 8 teams have been rated in the top 7% of all college basketball. KU will have to earn this championship!

@rockchalkjayhawk said in KU Roster for 25-26:

****** With the recent House v NCAA settlement, things are complicated with roster size. It’s hard to say if KU has two more spots to fill, or less. Also, apparently there’s a new fule for “designated student athletes.” These are players who would have been removed given the new roster rules, but now may stick around until they run out of eligibility, but may not count against roster size. This could easily be ALL the KU walkons. ******

May as well look ahead to see what’s in store for next season.

I’ll try to keep track of the offseason drama here. I’ll keep this mostly official, so no portal projections here.

But the portal window is: March 24 to April 22

Roster size: 14 (includes ALL but DSA players. Normally it’s 15, but we lost one to NCAA sanctions)

Roster size at the moment: 12 (a bit sketchy given the DSA rules)

RETURNEES (4)

G Elmarko Jackson

G/F Jamari McDowell

PF Bryson Tiller

C Flory Bidunga

RETURNING WALK ONS? (4 – and potential “designated student athletes”)

G Noah Shelby

G Wilder Evers

G Will Thengvall

F Justin Cross

IMCOMING FRESHMEN (5)

G Darryn Peterson

F Samis Calderon

G Corbin Allen – Oak Park High School

SG Kohl Rosario

C Paul Mbiya — not sure what year he is

PORTAL ADDITIONS (3)

G Jayden Dawson via Loyola Chicago. One year of eligibility left.

G/F Tre White via Illinois – previous stops at Louisville, USC. One year of eligibility left.

G Melvin Council Jr. via St. Bonaventure – previous stop at Wagner. One year of eligibility left.

BIG QUESTION MARK (1)

SF Jaden Nickens – A football player who may play hoops. May have to count against the roster before the season begins.

HAVE ENTERED PORTAL (6 initially – Bidunga entered, but will return)

G/F AJ Storr – signed with Ole Miss

G/F Rylan Griffen — signed with Texas AM

G/F Rakease Passmore — signed with Maryland

PF/C Zach Clemence – signed with Texas A&M

G David Coit – signed with Maryland

Great info! Thanks!!!

@nuleafjhawk congrats! I started working 10 hour days instead of 14 and I’m at a loss of what to do with my time. I can only imagine having your entire routine upended would be interesting. Enjoy!

@approxinfinity weak draft it seems.

@SlimShaddy54 Duke had all five starters drafted. No KU players draft worthy. KU beat Duke… maybe Bill can coach a bit.

@MR11 If you’re going into a field so specialized there are only a few openings, you know where they are located, it’s no surprise. Your other option is to be so good you can do it from wherever you want. If there were 30 locations to work at you would get to choose one. It’s not like if one of them offers you a job you can’t be employed by the others since they own your rights to work in that field.

The military has multiple branches that you can choose from that have bases located in multiple locations. Generally speaking you get to choose from multiple locations when they move you and unlike being traded in sports they pack you up and move you. In addition you can choose how you enter the military as enlisted or an officer to take further control of your destiny.

I think the draft in sports is quite unique and flies in the face of capitalism - while still making a boat load of money. I also don’t know what would help floundering teams bounce back, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue in college sports. Maybe the entire philosophy of the draft is antiquated.

@dylans back to how this affects KU with no draftable players - a HS player draft for college ball would ruin the product we love, would it not? Would laws even allow it? Could removing the NBA draft create a more enjoyable product? The player stability of NBA rosters is enviable- everything in college is just one year deals. Both leagues have room for major improvement.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/recruiting/story/_/id/44574905/2026-college-football-recruiting-class-rankings-top-teams-schools

Only two big 12 teams on that list. Maybe, I struggle to recognize the current Big12 teams - limited shared history.

@wissox this isn’t really directed at you just a general pondering. I wonder what it would be like if teachers were drafted out of college and told where they could teach? - or they could pick a different profession of course. I’m sure the underprivileged would be better served if the teachers (or plumbers or carpenters or accountants or doctors or whatever profession) had no choice in where they worked - slippery slope

I don’t like the draft; it’s probably needed to even the playing field, but socialism is un-American at heart. I’d be curious what the league would loom like with no draft and just a salary cap - most NBA teams only keep one rookie if any on the roster. Draft picks are traded away like candy - just do away with the draft and let it be a mad dash of free agency and allow players more agency in their career trajectory- getting ie drafted by the Kings is a career killer.

It is what it is and like amateur sports in college I’m sure it’ll never change. ‍️ (…well not the way we want )

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45592658/chiefs-seek-extension-kansas-stadium-financing

Also https://ballparkexperience.athletics.com/

Looks nice for a park that’s not happening.

@Texas-Hawk-10 Sounds good. Thanks