We have three very good transfers that have been in the program for a year now, and some studly freshmen coming in.

wat.gif

Marcus Garrett

Yes, but that is alot of uncertainty.

I'm not as high on the Lawson's as most people. It all depends if Bill can get them to buy in. They shoot horrible shots, all the time. Volume scorers, who aren't very athletic. With that said, I fully expect Dedric to be on an All-American team next year.

I think they end up with Langford as well.

Udoka won't be a first rounder this draft. On the other hand, next year's class s*******s for bigs. He'd be wise to stay, especially considering that De Sousa is older than him.

I expect Garret to make a big jump next year. Seems like there's one every year who teased us as a frosh who comes up big as a soph.

0% chance.

2 of our 3 recruits even said in an interview, they don't think Langford is coming.

We'll see.

Other than KU his list is a bit meh, IIRC.

If he's not waiting on Vick and Newman, what is he waiting on? There's nobody on Indiana or Vandy affecting his decision.

If both those guys leave, bet your ass he declares for Kansas.

I'm guessing Newman leaves, but if he came back he could be the Big 12 POY and an All American.

Just a reminder that I started this thread and called Final Four or bust.

Time for a championship thread!

I like the cut of your jib, son.

It's not that the schools are "meh," it's that they're in Indiana, where he currently lives. Odds are he'll stay in Indiana.

Odds are Cliff Alexander stays at Illinois. Odds are Willie Cauley-Stein stays in Kansas. Odds are Kirk Hinrich never leaves Iowa.

Odds are you are making some pretty dumb assumptions.

Doke is a top 20 pick if he comes back and gets his conditioning better he could be a lottery pick next year

Bigs that can’t shoot don’t survive in the league

Top notch analysis!

Ayton, Bagley and Bamba can't shoot, just FYI

Dwight Howard

True

But they can also move really well. I’m not sure doke can cover bigs in the pick and roll game

Yeah, let’s use the hof freak athlete as an example

Cool

Besides if you continue to expand Dok's hook range that's technically shooting and he is preeeetty good at hitting those. Tim Duncan is a hall of famer in the short shooting range.

Duncan has a great 15 foot game

You’ve also gotta look at what the league is today. Current Big Men are in the mood of Towns and Davis

Can you imagine Doke trying to guard the brow?

You said big men who can't shoot don't last long.

I'm not arguing that he won't be good in the NBA. I'm arguing that he will go top 15-20 possibly higher.

Well, there are always exceptions to the rule I suppose.

Can we go ahead and mark you down as saying doke is the level of athlete that Howard was?

He can’t score outside of 8 feet and is a defensive liability

What’s he do other than be really big at this point?

Did Vanderbilt move?

What game are you watching? They can all shoot.

Bamba 68% FT Shooter, made 0.5 threes a game.
Ayton 73% FT Shooter, made 0.3 threes a game. 34% 3PT FG%.
Bagley 63% FT shooter, made 0.7 threes a game at 40% clip.

Udoka 37% FT shooter. 0.0 threes per game. Probably zero shots over 5 feet entire year, and for good reason.

Dok has assets that will get him drafted in the first round though. He doesn't have to be ADavis or Towns, who are generational.

He has soft hands, can catch and pass out of a double team. He has nimble feet for his size.

And he's younger than De Sousa. He's going to grow into a force. Some people are comparing him with Jahlil Okafor. That guy is like 6'9 tops.

No but he can be a good shot blocker/ rebounder at the next level.

For your viewing pleasure:


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...102-story.html

Davis and towns are great, but that’s the mold of today’s bigs in the league.

Look at what’s happened to okafor. The traditional post up big man in the nba isn’t exactly a hot position anymore.

Doesn’t mean he can’t play in the league, it’s just not valued like it previously was

Jakob Pöltl is a 7 footer for the Raptors. He was drafted #9 by Toronto in 2016.

He attempted zero threes in college or NBA.

Zero. He was a 43% free thrower in college.

Don't write off Doke yet.

Georgios Papagiannis is a 7 footer for Portland. He was drafted #13 by Portland in 2016.

He attempted zero threes in Euro league or NBA.

He was a 50% free thrower in the Euro league.

there are more, I could go on. I won't though, Doke can be lottery.

One more, just to show that there isn't a trend of NBA teams ignoring bigs who can't shoot.

Bam Adebayo was drafted last year by the Heat at #14. Zero threes, 60% free throw percentage. He's only 6'9.

Newman will go. He would have been a lottery pick out of high school if it was allowed. He can help an NBA team.

l hope Vick goes.

I just don’t see how Doke leaves. He’s just not ready. I don’t agree with KCC’s opinion that there is no room in todays NBA for the Doke’s of the game. That said, I’ve not seen a single mock draft with him being drafted. He’s going to play in Europe?

He can't even cover college players in the pick and roll game so NBA players would annihilate him.

I watch Poeltl every few nights here. He's an elite defensive big who is able to move his feet exceptionally well for someone his size and deals with the PnR game about as well as any 7 footer. No, he can't shoot but he does enough on the defensive end that it doesn't matter. Udoka does not provide those qualities right now.

If he wants to play in the NBA, he needs to get really good at something that isn't shooting within 5 feet from the basket (because that doesn't matter in the slightest in the NBA). And at the college level, he isn't particularly good at anything other than that right now.

Didn't Poeltl block like a kazillion shots in college?

He did in his freshman year and not so much in his sophomore year (which likely had to do with his offensive usage rate going up significantly and consequently not exerting so much energy on the defensive end). In the NBA, he's morphed more back into a Steven Adams/Andrew Bogut type player, which is what he resembled in Year 1 Utah.

This is called moving the goalposts.

Doke won't make it, because big men have to be able to shoot with range now!

*response providing several big men who don't shoot with range who were drafted high*

Doke won't make it, because big men have to be able to do something other than what I just said they have to do!

I mean, I don't understand this narrative: Udoka Azubuike will not be drafted ever in the first round or just this year? Because, if he comes out, he'll be drafted in the first round. Just hope it's low enough that he sees the merit in returning.

But knowing his backstory, if he can achieve any kind of financial success and get his family out of Nigeria, then I wish him every success and next man up.

But I think he'll be a beast next year if he stays. This was his first full year, you realize.

I don't think he'd go in the first round this year. From what I've seen, he isn't projected in the first anywhere.

I wasn’t the one saying Udoka can’t play in the NBA because he can’t shoot (although it doesn’t help). My low opinion of him as a prospect has been well established here. He is a one trick pony in college (low post scoring) who cannot do anything else at a high level and that one trick is significantly diminished in a league where everyone is as big as him and where said skill is going the way of the dinosaurs.

It’s quite possible that he develops other skills as he is still young and becomes a successful NBA player. Right now it’s hard to see why anybody would throw guaranteed millions his way and want to take that kind of project on, though.

I live in Indiana, pretty close to New Albany actually, and that’s the feeling here as well. He has to be waiting to see who leaves, unless he planned on announcing on a specific date beforehand.

l thought Newman has already declared and hired an agent?
Did l not read that somewhere?

Also, a rumor making the rounds here is that Langford’s parents are pushing him towards IU while he’s leaning more toward either Vandy, to play with his buddy Garland, or Kansas.

I don’t put much stock in that, it’s just what I’ve heard.

Newman declared. No idea if he is signing with an agent or not, but I'd assume he is.

Scratch that, looks like he's planning to hire an agent.

Man... talk about playing yourself into a draft pick.

I personally think he needs to stay one more year and he'd be a top 15 pick perhaps, if he played next season like he did the last month of this season.

He was VERY inconsistent just about all season long and then struck lightning in a bottle at the right time. And he can't play defense worth a shit, but granted nobody plays defense in the NBA. Good luck to him.

:facepalm:

Not true at all. In fact, there are countless examples of guys who can score that can't defend and are now out of the league.

It is true, it's a different game, new generation of softies who don't D up. They might during the playoffs...but that's about it.

It’s not true at all

Go sit courtsode and tell me they don’t play d

They’re just that good at scoring the ball

KU basketball lands another No. 1 ranking in early 2018-19 preseason polls
BY GARY BEDORE| GBEDORE@KCSTAR.COM
Yesterday
Kansas continues to be a popular choice for preseason No. 1 team in the country heading into the 2018-19 college basketball season.

NBCsports.com updated its rankings this week and, like ESPN.com, CBSsports.com, USA Today, Sporting News and Yahoo Sports, lists KU as the preseason favorite to win the 2019 national title.

“Losing Devonté Graham is a major, major blow for this program, but they had as much talent sitting out this season as any program in college basketball,” writes Rob Dauster of NBC Sports. “Cal transfer Charlie Moore should be able to step in and handle the point guard duties — if that role isn’t taken over by Devon Dotson — while Dedric Lawson and K.J. Lawson will give Bill Self actual power forwards, something he has been yearning for the last two years.

https://247sports.com/college/kansas...turn-118781224

Kansas fans received a bit of a curveball last week when Lagerald Vick’s mother revealed that Vick pulled his name from the NBA Draft pool and never signed with an agent. But his chances of rejoining the team in Lawrence don’t sound great.

“Lagerald and I talked at the end of the season, and it was a situation where he was going to do his best to prepare himself and put himself in position to stay in the draft,” Self told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. “And if he didn’t stay in the draft, there was certainly the option for him to transfer.”

If that doesn’t exactly sound like he’s rolling out the welcome mat with Kansas’ final scholarship, Self also said the door hasn’t closed on a potential Vick return.

“I haven’t made a final decision on the situation, but the talk we had at the end of the season would be that he would go somewhere else if he decided to stay in school,” Self said. “That was something we talked about; we kind of agreed on that.”

As the head coach of the USA U-18 team, Self won’t be back in Lawrence until mid-June, but he said he expects to discuss Vick’s status with the senior-to-be.

“He should look into whatever he wants to do, or look into other schools or whatnot,” Self said. “But there will be a point in time when I get back that I’m sure we’ll sit and down [sic] and we’ll visit and talk about the situation.

“But I have not planned on having him back since the season was over.”

Will Self take Vick back? The math has changed. Kansas has pursued shooters with the Jayhawks’ final scholarship, most notably Albany transfer Joe Cremo. And while Cremo chose Villanova, Vick could potentially represent the kind of proven outside shooting that Kansas currently lacks.

On the other hand, Kansas does appear to be pretty tight on the wings. Quentin Grimes, the No. 2 combo guard and No. 8 overall player, is likely to fill one wing spot, while sophomore Marcus Garrett and transfer K.J. Lawson could battle for the other. And that doesn’t count Sam Cunliffe or incoming freshman Ochai Agbaji, or even the possibility of Kansas playing Charlie Moore and Devon Dotson alongside each other in limited minutes.

None of those players currently match Vick’s 37.3 percent career three-point percentage (Moore, at 35.2 percent, comes closest). And while some of those players could emerge as shooters over the next year — Grimes shot 39 percent from three in his junior and senior high school seasons — Vick could provide a bit of a security blanket as a shooter who’s already familiar with the team and the system.

Vick’s chances of rejoining the team don’t seem great, given those Self quotes. But it’s still a situation that bears watching over the next few weeks.

That's what I expected. Self doesn't want this guy anywhere near the team again. It was tiresome watching him for 3 years not doing any of the stuff he was coached to do.

What they’re saying: How KU, De Sousa are approaching FBI probe
 

https://247sports.com/college/kansas...robe-119016511

Some of the biggest questions heading into the 2018-19 season for the KU men’s basketball team have been around the status of sophomore Silvio De Sousa.

De Sousa appeared to be linked to the latest release of the FBI probe into college basketball. Neither he nor his guardian were named in the most recent report, but some of the details in the indictment seemed to line up with De Sousa’s arrival at KU.

So far, De Sousa has been a full participant in KU’s offseason, at least publicly. He’s participated in camps, practices, autograph-signing sessions and scrimmages, while just about everyone interviewed about him has spoken of De Sousa as if he is going to be eligible for next season.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean everything is perfect behind the scenes, it is an approach worth noting.

With that, here are some of the voices that have spoken about De Sousa this offseason and what they’ve been saying:

Bill Self

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Seth Davis, Bill Self was asked specifically about De Sousa’ eligibility. He noted he couldn’t speak “specifically about that situation,” but said “at this time we feel very confident that everybody that is eligible to participate for the next year will be participating.”

“There’s been nothing at this point in time to lead us to believe anything other than that,” Self told Davis.

That comment wasn't especially revealing, but again, it's a different approach than if Self were just to "no comment" the question or say it's something with which KU will have to wait and see. It's also worth noting that according to the same FBI release that appeared to reference De Sousa, KU is only seen as having been potentially defrauded and not as having committed any alleged wrongdoing.

KU assistant coaches

The KU assistants have continued to talk about De Sousa as if they’ll have him for the upcoming year.

In an interview with 247Sports, KU big men coach Norm Roberts spoke about De Sousa unprompted when asked about the big men as a whole for the upcoming season. In a recent media session with several reporters, KU assistant Kurtis Townsend did the same.

“I think we’re going to have a really, really good team,” Townsend said. “I think Silvio is much improved and his body looks great. Doke is going to be really good. Dedric has a chance to be an all-league type guy.”

Again, this doesn't necessarily mean one thing in either direction. But it is worth noting considering the assistants could simply choose to leave his name out when they speak of the team. So far, the approach has been to talk as if it's business as usual.

Silvio De Sousa’s guardian

De Sousa’s guardian, Fenny Falmagne, has spoken on multiple occasions about the potential allegations against both himself and De Sousa. As recently as April, he told KUsports.com: “Nothing ever happened.”

“I have never taken anything from Adidas. Silvio hasn’t done anything for them,” Falmagne told KUsports.com. “That’s the whole thing. He had no affiliation with Adidas. Zero. He never played for Adidas.”

Falmangne also told KUsports.com that he was not going to hire an attorney as he didn’t feel it was necessary. He also denied the potential allegations to the Kansas City Star.

“He did not take any money, we did not take any money,” Falmagne told the Star. “The kids and I never took money from anyone.”

Silvio De Sousa

The most recent party to speak on the De Sousa news was De Sousa himself. The Kansas City Star caught up with him at a camp in Topeka and spoke with him about a variety of topics, including improvements he wants to make for the upcoming season and his adjustment joining KU in the middle of last year.

According to a story written by the Star’s Gary Bedore, when asked about the probe, De Sousa answered:

“I am not really worried about it. I know I didn’t do anything so I don’t need to worry about it.”

Charlie mother****in' Moore

The heir to the throne of Frank Mason and Devonte Graham. Watch.

watched a YouTube vid of him at the camp. It was “WOW”. But, it was camp, not even a exihibition game. Maybe hold off on the crowning?:hmmm:

Not basing it off of the exhibition game. He's going to be less of a distributor than Graham, but the kid is a scorer. And he has ZERO shot at going pro until after his senior year because he's undersized so we are going to see it all. Undersized Top 50 recruits. Moneyball of CBB.

Official schedule released. If there is a 2018-2019 thread, search didn't find it.


https://kuathletics.com/documents/20...9_schedule.pdf

Anywhere I can get a live stream?

Maybe you start by finding the current KU repository thread...

So ESPN plus is five dollars. You can do it