Posts made by Texas Hawk 10

@SlimShaddy54 said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 Who do you see backing Flory ?— Still no back up Big.

That’s potentially one of the needs, but if Tiller can recover from his ankle surgery in an expected timeline which would have him cleared in time for summer workouts, that would be the ideal option behind Flory. Tiller has less shooting range than KJ did so he wouldn’t be much use at the 4 on offense, but as a back up 5, would be a good situation. This might be what the staff is anticipating as well considering KU hasn’t really been connected with many post options in the portal to this point.

Right now, Self is more focused on trying to find his 5th starter rather than a back up post option so we might see more movement in regards to a back up 5 after the Williams/Stokes situation is settled. That said, I wouldn’t be all that surprised if Bryson Tiller ended up being Flory’s primary back up.

@DCHawker The roster is still incomplete. There’s still quality players in the portal and there will be players withdrawing from the draft who are mostly the highest ceiling players available.

As far as scoring, yes Darryn Peterson is that good. Flory should see a big bump as long as he bulks up a bit this offseason and probablymore than doubles his scoring output. Tre White will likely see a little scoring bump as he’ll likely play closer to 30 mpg, but is a proven double digit per game scorer in a power conference at both Illinois and Louisville.

I also believe that since KU hasn’t really been linked to a high level PG that the staff expects Elmarko be a major factor and if he plays anywhere near his ceiling, he’s another double digit per game scorer.

KU will be fine, Self has clearly shown this offseason that he has a better understanding of the portal and has recruited players that should be much better fits than last season.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/04/2025-nba-draft-early-entrants-list.html

This has a list of players who have declared for the draft and has a list of players who could withdraw before the May 28 deadline. Somewhere in that list is likely where the last big piece of the puzzle will come from. Even if not, I do believe there will be at least 3 future NBA players on KU’s roster next season with Peterson, Flory, and Elmarko.

@DCHawker said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 Agree re Council. Seems like a really solid rotation guy willing to go hard when he is in. But, a starter? A <15ppg scorer at St. Bonaventure? FG% 44%. 3pt% 30%. Just 2 FTAs per game averaging 37 minutes. Against much lower competition. Just 6’4’’ and 180lbs. Not sure how he will measure up against other B12 guards/wings. Same with Dawson. 14ppg for a double digit loss team in the A-10. Just 41% from the field. Also 6’4" and 185lbs. White also seems like a solid rotation piece, but just 10ppg for an okay Illinois team and just 23mpg. Is he really a starter on a team that aspires to titles? 6’7’’ and 210lbs. Not really a 4 and doesn’t shoot well enough from outside to be a 2-3?

All good rotation players, but starters??? Are we going to have to get 25ppg+ from DeP?

I don’t think Dawson should start and I don’t think White should be the starting 4, he should be at the 3. White’s scoring average last season would’ve been 3rd best on KU. KU isn’t asking him to come in and be the guy. As a 3rd or 4th option depending on who else comes in, I’m good with White’s production. Just remember, that okay Illinois team was a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament than KU was.

Peterson might be good enough to be the highest scoring player Bill Self has had at Kansas, or at least join Jalen Wilson, Frank Mason, and Wayne Simien as 20 ppg scorers and Brandon Rush, Ben McLemore, and Andrew Wiggins as the only freshmen to lead KU in scoring under Self. I also think Flory, Elmarko, and Tre White can all be double digit scorers for KU next season.

I think KU has 4 of their 5 starters for next season and most of the rotation.

I don’t see Council starting over Jackson (I know people will argue that one, but Council doesn’t scream Big 12 starter to me, at least KU level starter). I also don’t think Dawson should start either.

Right now, I’d roll with Jackson, Peterson, White, ???, and Flory to start with Council, Dawson, ???, and Tiller/??? as the rotation pieces off the bench.

This team won’t be a great shooting team, but on paper at least, it looks like this team should be an above average scoring team and defend at an elite level. This absolutely looks like a Bill Self basketball team at this point on paper.

Passmore and Griffen were reportedly visiting Miami today. Would be interesting if they both landed there as Miami already landed one former Jayhawk in the portal this season with Udeh.

AJ Storr to Ole Miss for his final season.

@dylans said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 I had no idea they would withhold the playbook from Tiller while he recovered. Figured he would be at practice soaking it in like Elmarko. That seems like a ridiculous strategy.

The staff didn’t withhold the playbook from Tiller. He was never medically cleared for 5 on 5 drills so he wasn’t able to do scout team stuff and was likely doing whatever individual drills he was medically cleared to do like Elmarko was.

@dylans said in The portal.:

@MR11 I don’t hear much about Tiller. He’s been with the program practicing for a semester. He was rated around the 25th ranked recruit. But no hype, it’s interesting. I expect someone ranked that high with a 6’10” frame to find some minutes. But it’s pretty much crickets.

He hasn’t been hyped because he hasn’t been practicing. He came here early from Overtime Elite to get acclimated to college and rehab and ankle injury and then had a surgery to repair a lingering issue with his ankle about a month ago. He was never cleared to participate in 5 on 5 during the spring semester.

His current skill set is much more suited to play the post because he doesn’t have a lot of range yet which is probably the biggest hole in his game. We’ll see how the ankle surgeries affect his athleticism, but he has been someone that can guard on the perimeter a bit.

His defense is pretty far ahead of his offense so that’s why Self is looking for a post who can score because Flory and Tiller aren’t that player yet. As long as Tiller is healthy, he should have a spot in the rotation next season.

Turf is cheaper to maintain over a long period of time so in places that are already strapped for cash, it’s a money saver. Since most college baseball programs operate in the red, it makes financial sense to do so. A lot of youth leagues do as well because of heavy usage their fields endure.

@TYOHawk said in The portal.:

@BShark said in The portal.:

Talk of a second visitor this weekend as well…

Please be a big or a wing

PG Xaivian Lee from Princeton. 1st team all-Ivy League last year while averaging 16.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.5 apg, and 1.2 steals per game. 22.7 PER last season and 24.7 as a sophomore and over 36% assist rate last season. Like other targets, not a great shooter, but gets to the line and he is a playmaker. 4.4 FTA as a sophomore and 3.8 FTA last season. Having spent his first 3 years at Princeton, we also know he’s very smart and should pick up Self’s system pretty easily.

I really enjoy how good of a passer he is in his highlights. He can create some pretty crazy passing angles and find lanes that shouldn’t be there. Him and DP in a little two man game would be insane.

@drgnslayr said in How will our coaches adapt to rosters full of 1 to 2 year guys?:

Good zone takes practice, like any other defense. And it plays out differently depending on what players are on the floor. I like our 1-2-2 sometimes.

A 1-2-2 is not a standard zone and Self rarely uses a traditional 2-3. The ones he does run do take time to learn since they aren’t typically a 2-3.

I know there’s been a lot of movement already, but one I saw today was Dan Hurley being linked to the Nuggets. He’s had his flirtation with the Lakers in the past. Does anyone actually think his antics would fly in the NBA?

@drgnslayr said in How will our coaches adapt to rosters full of 1 to 2 year guys?:

DEFENSE - if you ask Self what his calling card is, he would say his focus is defense.

Is it realistic for Kansas to only play M2M? It’s always seems to be effective when we sometimes flip to a zone when our M2M isn’t cutting it. Self always mentions they barely practice zone or don’t.

Should we practice more zone and use it more? Isn’t it a multi-year education process to learn M2M? When was the last time our guys fought hard to get out in front of picks and not switch?

A 2-3 zone is what most kids are taught as their first defense playing organized basketball. They know how to play zone because it’s what you do when you can’t play man. That’s why Self and most teams spend very little time on a 2-3 because most kids grew up playing it. Come tournament time, Self may throw in non traditional zones because those can be effective is short bursts.

@msanchez said in The portal.:

Does anyone have some insights on Amarri? ref: https://www.si.com/college/kansas/basketball/transfer-portal-update-aj-storr-flory-bidunga-amarri-monroe He’ll definitely a day-1 heavy contributor IMHO.

Already announced he’s staying at Quinnipiac several days ago.

https://midhudsonnews.com/2025/04/07/maac-player-of-the-year-amarri-monroe-decides-to-remain-at-quinnipiac/

@approxinfinity said in The portal.:

Indiana is the highest value Adidas program and was Flory’s likely destination before Kansas decided to pay him the NIL he was worth. Peterson basically said he was coming back to KU no matter that we looked like a complete dumpster fire at the time.

Pretty clear that shoeco money rules the CBB universe and university NIL is just the part of the iceberg visible above sea level.

Flory has already said it was either KU or Auburn for him just like when he was coming out of high school.

I assume Peterson has the biggest piece of the NIL pie and I’m guessing Elmarko’s NIL deal is over $1 million considered his projections out of high school and what he would’ve gotten at the time as a projected OAD.

@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:

Quintance to Kentucky. Rumor is 3 million… Yikes

UK also landed Dioubate from Bama who would have been nice at the 4 spot…

UK so far is king of the portal on paper it looks

Quaintance is coming off a torn ACL in late February. Best case scenario is he’s ready for the opening of camp in October, worst case is he’s out through non-conference play. UK is gambling a bit there with his health.

@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:

Ian Jackson from UNC in. Would love to land him.

St. John’s most likely.

UConnjust absolutely destroyed South Carolina by 23 to win their 12th national title and first since 2016. I really wouldn’t have guessed this was their first title in 10 years. Paige Bueckers has been so much fun to watch over her career and will now be going to Dallas in the WNBA draft on the 14th.

@BShark said in Transfer Rumblings:

@rockchalkjayhawk said in Transfer Rumblings:

@BShark said in Transfer Rumblings:

RJ Luis

Is that a wing and a prayer or a bit or reality?

KU is actively recruiting him and has the money to get it done. We will see.

Everything I’ve seen with RJ Luis is UConn or Miami if he comes back to college.

@BShark said in Transfer Rumblings:

@kuballin10 said in Transfer Rumblings:

DP, Flory, Tre and Dawson plus hopefully a still athletic Elmarko……so far looking good!

Dawson is a pitbull. Total dog. Shows up on tape too. Shit talker.

I think a back-up big, another 3/4 type wing (has to be starter good) and one more decent guard. Then filler probably.

We now sit with:

Guards: Dawson, Jackson, McDowell, Peterson, Shelby

Wings: Calderon, White

Bigs: Bidunga, Tiller

As of right now, I would assume the rotation players are next season are: Bidunga, Dawson, Jackson, Peterson, Tiller (dependingon his recovery), and White. That would leave 2-3 rotation spots open and I generally agree there needs to be starting caliber 4, a back up 3/4 player, and back up PG should be the priorities and 3 filler players.

@BShark said in The portal.:

@kjayhawks said in The portal.:

I keep hearing about Nigel Peck to Kansas haha that could be funny

It’s on the table. Him and Kyan Evans are options for another handler/shooter.

Big issue with Pack is the same as Dawson and that’s health. Both a pretty injury prone players.

State Department ruling on South Sudan could impact basketball players. The US is revoking the visas of all South Sudan passport holders. One of the most prominent names that could be affected by this and potentially face deportation is Duke center Khaman Maluach whose family fled South Sudan during the Civil War over there amd grew up in Uganda. Malachi is expected to be a top 10 pick in this year’s NBA draft so this is something worth keeping an eye on.

Whatever personal feelings you may have towards Duke, it sucks to potentially see a kid like this be denied his dreams because of that Oompa-Loompa in the White House.

@dylans If Flory’s guardian is seeking more money, how is that accomplished if there’s no real threat of Flory leaving Kansas? College sports is a cutthroat industry, even before is was legal to pay players, especially when it comes to recruits/players from Africa because of their guardians. In a lot of cases, including Flory’s, kids from Africa have guardians living here in the States looking to make as much money as possible to exploit these kids that don’t actually care about what’s best for the kid, just about how he money they can make off of that kid (see Cheick Diallo and Silvio DeSousa).

I would just about guarantee if the decision was solely Flory’s, he would choose either Kansas or Indiana and Auburn wouldn’t be in the picture right now like they currently are.

@approxinfinity said in Transfer Rumblings:

@Texas-Hawk-10 yeah that just hasnt been the type of coach Self has ever been. If that happens it will be the best coaching job Self has ever done.

And the way Self is going after players in the portal this offseason shows Self is learning and adapting because he isn’t just targeting the best players, he’s targeting fit. Jayden Dawson and Tre White’s strengths as offensive players match what Self wants to do as did Josh Dix who is the other name we know for sure Self aggressively pursued.

@approxinfinity said in Transfer Rumblings:

Tbh i still assume that we will be several years out from any chance of a title with the return of Flory. It means we avoided a nuclear meltdown this offseason and next year will be enjoyable to watch. Much needed continuity.

It’s year to year at this point as far as building title contenders. Darryn Peterson may very well be the best player in college basketball next season and we just saw the best player carry a bunch of other freshmen and newcomers (only 2 returning rotation players) to a Final Four.

@msanchez said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 No offense taken — just sharing my perspective here. Kelvin’s system might not be flashy, but it’s adaptable. It does blend motion offense principles with ball screens, and more importantly, it empowers everyone on the floor to contribute. Every guy is expected to defend, rebound, and score.

On the flip side, Self’s offense often feels too rigid — overly structured and built around one or two primary scorers. That’s exactly the issue: by building the roster to ‘complement’ a central piece like Dickinson, oh, now DP, you’re creating a hole elsewhere that never really gets filled.

I’d much rather watch a team full of solid, versatile, gritty, physical & athletic players who can all handle the ball and score — not just stand around while the system runs through a couple of ‘go-to’ guys.

What you want to see in regards to scoring isn’t how the vast majority of basketball teams function. Why would you not make the person who is currently projected to the #1 pick in the 2026 draft the focal point and build a roster based on his strengths? That’s what Duke just did and it got them to the Final Four. As for the two teams that just reached the title game, Florida rebuilt their team around Walter Clayton Jr. and Houston added pieces to compliment what LJ Cryer does well. Auburn built their offense around what Jhonni Broom did well this season.

The player a lot of scouts are comparing Peterson to is a bigger version of Damien Lillard. So if KU is getting a version of “Dame Time” next year, you go out and find other players who compliment his game. KU has done that so far with Jayden Dawson and Tre White. No, KU’s current roster is not complete as KU still needs to fill out the rest of the starting line up with at least two more starters and potentially another starting caliber guard given Dawson’s injury history. This is where KU is likely to find their second leading scorer for next season at the 4 or 5 spot and if rumors play out as true, it’s likely to be a name very familiar to everyone here.

@Crimsonorblue22 said in NCAA Tournament Discussion:

I just read an article on Golden, how on earth is he still employed?

Look at what school he is at and what they let Urban Meyer’s players get away with.

@RockkChalkk said in The portal.:

@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:

@FarmerJayhawk DaJuan caliber defender?

Hope not! Need way better.

Than a guy who was a 3x all-conference defender and a former conference DPOY? I’d take level of defender any day and twice on Sunday, but apparently that’s not good enough for you.

@SlimShaddy54 said in The portal.:

KJ Lewis ?-- from Arizona is still out there - -How about Kenon Katchings from BYU as a quality player as back up off bench ?

Probably just a bunch of lips smacking together hot gossip not nothing but:-- Read from TOS poster said we should have two other players locked up about this time next week.- - -One w will be very happy about and the other one not sure. Like I said it’s just a FWIW. Wait and see next week.

KJ Lewis should be off the table now with Tre White’s commitment since they play the same position and doubt either wants to come off the bench next season.

@msanchez said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 You nailed it, Self’s offense relies heavily on ball movement, spacing, and using post play to create scoring opportunities. While that system is effective with the right players, in today’s game, you often need guards who can create their own shot—something that a more free-flowing offense like what we see at programs like Kentucky, Duke, or even some of the up-tempo systems like Sampson’s team. Unfortunately, we have yet solid guard (in the past 4 years?) with the ability to stop, pull up, and make a shot under pressure is critical when a defense collapses or when a set play breaks down. We need someone like Cryer. Can Marko be that guard?

Today’s college basketball demands versatility, with many players flourishing in systems that emphasize individual development over rigid, structured offense. Yes, player development - this is an area where the coaching staff falls short. CB is one in decades. Ochai? He was redshirted — an afterthought, really. The staff had no idea what he was capable of… until the perfect storm came.

I’m sorry, but this is a ridiculous take. Scheyer’s system works because he has specifically targeted players who fit what he wants to run. Also, Cooper Flagg is the best NBA prospect of the last 20 years which covers a lot of other potential holes. Kentucky was a good, not great offense this year, amd absolutely terrible defense that was 315th in points allowed this season, not a recipe for long term success. And on what planet is Kelvin Sampson’s system up tempo? You do know that UH was ranked 360 out of 364 teams this season.

Also, LJ Cryer and Elmarko Jackson are two very different players that don’t play the same position or have the same strengths as players. Self is clearly building the roster around players who compliment Darryn Peterson and will continue to do so as we’ve seen with Dawson and White’s commitments.

I’m sorry you think Self’s system is too rigid and outdated when many other currently successful coaches have stolen plenty from how Self does things offensively including Bruce Pearl. There’s a reason why Self and Pearl are frequently fighting over the same players in recruiting.

@DCHawker Tre White is the starting 3 next season for KU.

Right now KU has 8 players with room for 6 more with a need for a starting 4 and 5 and possibly a 2. There are likely 5 or 6 rotation players set for next season with Dawson, Jackson, Peterson, Tiller, White, and possibly McDowell. I don’t see Calderon or Shelby being rotation level players next season.

Guards: Dawson, Jackson, McDowell, Peterson, Shelby

Wings: White, Calderon

Forwards: Tiller

We’re only halfway through the portal window and there’s still teams playing so there will be more good players entering the portal over the next 2+ weeks.

@CasterTroy said in The portal.:

https://x.com/TiptonEdits/status/1908597334432170256

Just saw if from On3 as well.

https://www.on3.com/news/illinois-guard-tre-white-commits-to-kansas-out-of-ncaa-transfer-portal/

Tre White is another great fit for Self’s offense at the 3 spot.

“Since his perimeter game is limited, he does most of his damage as a cutter and around the rim, shooting a terrific 64% at the basket in 2024-25.”

He did shoot a career best 33% from 3 last year so he is capable and teams can’t ignore that.

@msanchez said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 My concern with Bill Self’s motion offense is that it’s too rigid and predictable compared to other systems that allow players to make quicker decisions and be more flexible. Other offenses give players the freedom to think on their feet and adapt, which helps stretch their skills. With Self’s system, the focus is often on the post-up, and the high-low game becomes too predictable. His offense feels outdated and doesn’t allow for much creativity. Against more athletic teams, it becomes a liability, leading to too many turnovers and making us look bad.

Self had two bad fits last season in the offense at the 3 and 4 spots. At the 3 spot, Storr and Griffen were lost because they’ve never been in that style of system. The light seemed to be coming on at the end of the season for Storr, but his background was playing iso ball, hence why I’ve always compared him to James Harden. Griffen came from an offensive system that had minimal structure and rules at Alabama and why he struggled so much here since he could never learn the reads he needed to as he would usually make a wrong read or be stationary.

KJ was a poor fit because he wasn’t an outside threat at all. Had KJ ever been able to develop 3 point range, the offense would’ve looked so much better the past two seasons.

Any offensive system can be successful with the correct skill sets at those positions. With Self’s system, you need a 1-4 that can move well without the ball and have quick releases on 3 point shots so defenses can’t ignore players on the perimeter. This was Dejuan’s issue, he had a very slow shot so defenders could sag off because if Dejuan caught a pass on the perimeter, a defender had time to close out on Dejuan. At the 5 spot, Self needs a post player that’s an above average passer and can set good picks/screens. For all the crap people here talked about him, Hunter Dickinson really was the perfect 5 man in Self’s offense with the added benefit of being able to knock down an outside shot.

If seems like the staff is being more picky in the portal this year in regards to targeting players with a background in motion based offenses which should result in the offense running much better next season.

@approxinfinity said in Hot Take: We Overvalue our own players:

@Texas-Hawk-10 so my thought was that Auburn probably has a more competitive, complete roster and we have 3? scholarship players so far. I take your point that Darryn is expensive but I dont think I fully appreciate the point that we could get 3 other useful players for the 3 million for Flory. If Auburn has the same amount of NIL as us, Im confused how paying for Flory 3 mill wouldnt leave them short on other impact players, something which would surprise me if it happened.

Auburn is losing a minimum of 10 players this offseason based on the roster. I don’t know how many of those seniors are scholarship vs. walk ons and 8 underclassmen, again not sure how many scholarship or not. I think it’s safe to say Auburn is replacing a lot of players. This year is also their first time past the 2nd round since 2019 so it’s not like Pearl has been knocking his roster construction out of the park every offseason.

At the end of the say, KU’s staff simply doesn’t think Flory is worth $3 million and I agree with them in this case. KU has made their pitch and offer, Auburn probably has or will in the near future and Flory and his guardian will decide where the best option is.

As for Auburn, committing $3 million to Flory may very well cost them other players in the portal, but they Flory worth that investment whereas KU’s staff doesn’t believe Flory is worth that.

@approxinfinity said in Hot Take: We Overvalue our own players:

@Texas-Hawk-10 thanks for a well considered rational counter-perspective. I’m still unclear exactly how much cheddar we are operating with. How does Auburn have that much more than us?

I don’t know if Auburn actually has more NIL than KU doesn’t for basketball. I think it’s more that KU doesn’t think Flory is worth what his handler is asking for in 2025-26 and the money they have would be better spent on other talent.

We know Darryn Peterson is making a crap ton of money in NIL and someone who’s projected as the #1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft is worth that much money, or however much he’s getting in NIL.

@approxinfinity said in Hot Take: We Overvalue our own players:

Jason Werth wasn’t worth his contract in his mid thirties when the Nats paid him. But he was a domino that led to building a championship roster. Sometimes you need to pony up.

Considering what we went through the last 2 years with Hunter and AJ taking the majority of NIL, I think Self might be a bit gun shy committing that much money to one player, especially one who wasn’t going to be a focal point of the roster.

The potential is there, but Flory was still bullied by stronger players and his offensive game is still pretty raw. This isn’t meant as saying Flory is a bad player because he’ll likely be in the NBA one day, but he’s not going to the NBA in 2026.

For that $3 million KU could add 2 or 3 other players that would collectively contribute more than Flory would next season and in the future. So while I’d like to have him back, it doesn’t make financial sense to the staff when there’s so many other needs they have this offseason.

@Crimsonorblue22 said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 I would’ve started AJ over Rylan that last game. He had no passion or desire to play. Was a dud except for 1 game.

I would’ve made the switch in the Big 12 Tournament after the first game where AJ had his best game as a Jayhawk against UCF.

@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:

Why do you think Dawkins is a good fit for Self’s system and a good compliment for Darryn?

Bill Self runs a version of a motion offense. Motion offenses involve lots of cuts, screens, picks, and other actions that require being able to read the defense and make quick decisions for the guards and wings. Basically, players have to be able to move without ball very well to create the offensive looks needed whether it’s a 3, a post up, a back cut for a lob, or a post up, or a kick out.

Loyola-Chicago fans have said that moving without the ball is a strength of his and since he’s know as a good catch and shoot player. That works well for Self’s offense because he can get a quick shot off coming off a screen, or he can cut to a corner or wing for a kick out shot. He’s also good a drawing fouls so if a defender closes out too hard, he can drive by and create contact in the lane.

He’s basically a bigger version of Diggy on offense if you go back amd watch Diggy play next to Dejuan and how much he ran around to get open.

@DCHawker said in The portal.:

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:

@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:

Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition

Diggy with defense is the kind of vibe I’m getting on him from based on Loyola-Chicago fans comments.

Okay, but a lower end 3* per 247. Multiple other 4 and 5* commits over the past two days.

How’s that strategy worked out the past 2 years of trying take best available players?

This is a kid who should be a good fit in Self’s system and as I already said, likely a bench piece like Diggy was. I’d much rather see Self and staff focus on fit and who can compliment Darryn Peterson’s game in the portal.

Flory is a player with a bright future, but at this point, he’s not worth $3 million in NIL at this point. It does suck to lose him because of his future, but he doesn’t still have enough holes in his game that if someone else is offering that to him, then he should take it.

@SlimShaddy54 I’ve seen some reporters that have been to spring practices say KU is a team to watch in the Big 12 as a dark horse and one reporter that thought KU could potentially reach 10 wins this season.

@Bosthawk said in The portal.:

@Kcmatt7 Totally agree… Self’s coaching style, pulling guys when they make a mistake, KILLS confidence… Rylan and A.J were both playing with trepidation because of that. He needs to have a MUCH longer leash, and let’s these guys play thru some errors, and it will pay off towards the end of the season. They will grow into studs.

AJ and Rylan were bad fits because they didn’t know how to play in a motion offense and we’re frequently out of position. Storr was getting better towards the end of the season, but Rylan never seemed to grasp the concepts and was frequently out of position on offense.

@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:

Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition

Diggy with defense is the kind of vibe I’m getting on him from based on Loyola-Chicago fans comments.

Also, Dawson seems like a pretty respected and liked player based on some of the people who commented on an Instagram post about his commitment. Darryn Peterson, Josh Dix (wish he would’ve come here), Jon Tonje, Zeke Mayo, and the most interesting to me at this point are both Bashir brothers. Interesting to me because Abdi seems like KU’s top target at PG at this time. Abdi’s post was a simple “yessir” so that could mean he won’t be too far behind in committing as well, but we’ll see.

@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:

What do we make of Jayden Dawson?

Seems like a good bench piece. Don’t think it’d be a great sign if he’s starting next season.

Looking on Reddit, a couple of Loyola-Chicago fans chimed in on Dawson. He’s a streaky shooter with a quick release, can move without the ball, and isn’t afraid to let if fly. He’s a plus defender with average handles. The negative on him is he’s injury prone. Broken hand his freshman season limited him to 14 games, a leg injury his sophomore year cost him several weeks, and a broken ankle this season cost him a month.

Keyshawn Hall to Auburn. I know some here will be disappointed in that, but I personally don’t think he would’ve been a great fit in Self’s motion offense. We’ll see what happens with Dix, but sounding like he may not end up here either. That would be a much bigger blow than Hall IMO.

@BigBad Back when athletes could work, fraud was pretty common in that an athlete would take a job with a boosters business, not do any work or even show up and still get paid.

The Ostertag story is a good one because while yes, he had an NBA future, that doesn’t mean that his kid didn’t have immediate needs while Ostertag wasn’t allowed to earn an income and needed handouts that could’ve been considered NCAA violations.

The old system of players not being allowed to work was absolute bullshit and pure exploitation. People talk about athletes getting free room and board along with tuition like athletes are the only people on campus receiving those things. How many other kids on a college campus also get free rides through academic and financial needs based scholarships? At a place like KU, I’m sure that number is in the thousands. Are any of those kids restricted from having a job as a condition of their scholarship while they focus solely on whatever their major is? No, those kids are allowed to have jobs earn money beyond what their scholarships pay so why shouldn’t athletes be allowed to do what every other group of students on a college campus are allowed to do?

Does the current model need tweaking? Absolutely, but the notion that an athlete that helps generate millions of dollars for a school shouldn’t be allowed to do what every other group on a campus can do and earn extra income through a job is a garbage take IMO.

Does anyone know what the actual expectations are for Jaden Nickens next season? Is he still going to be allowed to play with new scholarship rules and if so, would he actually be good enough to contribute, or would this be more of a Noah Shelby situation he’s more of a practice body than anything else?