Kirk (anonymous) says...

Nah, give me the "one and done" guys who are true ATHLETES who don't waste their time going to class pretending to be students -- the guys whose M.O. is the highlight reel, guys who talk about their individual statistics and keep looking in the mirror at their projected draft status.

Now THAT'S basketball.

February 22, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

truehawkfan (anonymous) says...

I agree with this article 100%. I don't mind one bit that we don't get top 5 nationally ranked recruits. (one would not be bad though!!) The guys we have now with Conner, Tyrel, Cole, Brady,and the recruits we have coming in, we will continue to have some consistency in our roster from year to year. We all know that next year will be some what of a rebuilding year(if everyone jets for The League), and when you are trying to rebuild, you need guys that will stick it out for 3 or 4 years. Coach Self proves to me that he knows what he is doing and is here for the good of KU basketball. He has gotten the big time recruits, but has also recruited and signed kids that can be the glue, or X factor on a team that keeps everything going, much like the seniors we have now. It is nice to have the top recruits, but to me, the heart and soul of KU basketball are the blue collar players that prove through hard work and 4 years of college can still get you to the NBA. These are the players that don't see dollar signs, or probably really never thought they had a chance to play in the NBA. They play for the love of the game, for the love of the fans, for the love of Kansas. The seniors we have now are what KU basketball is all about. Coach Self has given me confidence that we will see seniors like these great young men of 2008 again. GO HAWKS!!

February 22, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ku_bball_11 (anonymous) says...

wait, I thought we were STILL PLAYING THIS SEASON?!?! Why are we writing articles about next year's title chance and potential lineups....all of these articles on here are jokes

February 22, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jayhawk909603 (anonymous) says...

Can't we finish this year before looking to next? Not sure you can compare Bucknell to the top 25 teams of this year - especially since they beat a senior-led team that had been to 2 Final 4's and an Elite 8. The worst part about losing to Syracuse was a turd like 'Melo gets a title and great guys like Nick & Kirk get second. If Darrell leaves, maybe he can average better than 8 points and 4 rebounds in the Sweet 16/Elite 8 - unlike another guy who left before he was ready.

February 22, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nicka (anonymous) says...

reed, aldrich, teahan, morningstar....forget a "white out" in the stands, we'd have a "white out" on the court....as well as the losingest season in ku history.

February 22, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Timmay97 (anonymous) says...

First things first.......Collins is NOT going anywhere, and technically, neither is Chalmers. Neither of them are NBA ready. Some might disagree, but if you ask me, I think the most NBA ready person on the team is Darnell Jackson. There's something about his play, his style of play that makes me think he would thrive in the NBA. Arthur plays too soft and out of control.....he would benefit with another year of college. The fact that he's 6'9" would help him immensely. YOU CAN'T TEACH SIZE!

I'm not worried about next year. Someone who we don't expect will emerge on the team and step up. Just a matter of who. For all we know, it could be one of the twins , or Releford.

Also, I think how KU fares this year in the tournament will help make decisions for some of our players as well. If we get far, these guys will bolt. If we win it all.....forget it......kiss them goodbye.

February 22, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

truehawkfan (anonymous) says...

Whoa, wait a minute!! Do you really think that COLOR has anything to do with how good a team is? That is not only ignorant, but completely insane!! White, black, blue, yellow, red, WHATEVER the color, as long as they play together, and produce, who cares what color they are. Seriously, when are we going to get past the difference of color. We all put our shoes on one at a time. As long as they bleed crimson and blue, who cares what color they are.

As far as looking ahead, what fan, or coach does not look to the future. To stay on top, you must always think ahead. Planning, thinking, and recruiting for the future is what has kept KU on top for many years, so while I realize that we are still playing now, why not think and dream about what is to come for KU fans.

As far as the turd getting the title, I agree. I still hurt when I think about that shot getting blocked. I just think how nice it would be to have another team of seniors in the championship game, and this time come out with the W while the NBA wannabee's go back to the locker room losers!

February 22, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

1977kufan (anonymous) says...

Super article, Bill and exactly right on so many points. The future is bright including the more immediate future (this year). After the "NBA pseudomen from Mancrappin" have shown their "NBA skills???" in Lubbock and Lincoln (not taking anything away from the fine teams in those two cities), the immediate future is even brighter. It is now a 2 team race in the B12 (especially after March 1). In the near future, it is time for some Final Four action and in the next years, it is time for some additional Final Four action. Thanks, Bill (each of you) ROCK CHALK JAYHAWKS!!!

February 22, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

distracted (anonymous) says...

Winning a title may persuade a few of them to make the jump, but it's not necessarily a guarantee (please see Florida). This group genuinely looks like they enjoy playing with each other (no immature comments here please) and that could be enough to keep those who may be on a thin line between first round pick and 3:12 minutes of NBA playing time (read Wright) from making an ill-advised decision.

That being said...
I'd definitely take a title this year over a roster that includes Rush and Arthur next.
Just saying...

February 22, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

86finalfour (anonymous) says...

This makes me look forward to upcoming years, especially next year, which will have some players with great touch and shooting ability - something we've lacked a bit with Self teams.
Teahan, Aldrich, Reed and Collins are all good shooters and have great offensive potential!

But first, let's see if this year's team can win their conference....

Rock Chalk!

February 22, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Jhawkerman (anonymous) says...

NBA ready = 1 Jackson (and only because he at the end of his years in College) I would love to see him have one more year to continue the improvement he has produced in the last year.
NBA NOT-Ready = all the rest
Rush needs another year to get back his aggressiveness and polish his skills
Arthur - Not even close... although a great shooter he needs to gain 20+ lbs of muscle and polish his rebounding skills he is to light for the NBA at this time.
Chalmers - Another year will do nothing but increase his stock price.
Collins - Shooting needs to improve and another year will be a BIG plus in polishing his skills.
I know the money is a huge distraction but all of our players will go higher in the draft next season if they apply themselves to improving the areas noted.

February 22, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Johann Ross) says...

Darrell should NOT come out...period.

He sees this from an interesting vantage point though. On the one hand, he's seen that injury can affect your timing and stock in the draft when looking at Brandon Rush, which probably makes him want to jump. On the other hand, he's seen making a jump early can get you into a situation like Julian Wright.

(Aside: how many of you think Julian is sitting on the bench, WISHING AND PRAYING he'd stayed at Kansas one more year? This is not a call to bash Julian--dont do that. But it SHOULD BE a wake up call for everyone considering leaving early.)

Darrell is not NBA ready? Does he have the raw talent? Yes. Can he learn more before leaving? Yes. Will it hurt his stock by staying? Who knows...it's possible. But will more consistency in his game help his longevity in the NBA. No doubt.

February 22, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KUbsee69 (anonymous) says...

No matter who goes and who stays, and of course, we'd all like all the underclassmen to stay, there's one truism:

KANSAS DOES NOT REBUILD, KANSAS JUST RELOADS.

Rock Chalk

February 22, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

txrockchalk (anonymous) says...

jross -

I agree Darrell is not ready to leave. However, as we saw with Julian, the NBA drafts on perceived potential. I think Darrell will leave if he is projected as a lottery pick. I also believe Julian probably wishes he had stayed now, but we all know hindsight is 20/20.

Great info on Bill Walker in your post last night, by the way.

February 22, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

DarthJayhawk (anonymous) says...

I bet Julian can afford a really nice cushion to put between him and the bench.

February 22, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

chuckberry32 (anonymous) says...

Pointless article and pointless debate. Any projected lottery pick is going to leave early regardless of what has happened to the people he knows who have done the same. There is just no reason to pass on the guaranteed money. Somehow I doubt Julian is sitting on the bench wishing for one more year. I bet he's sitting on the bench thinking about what he's going to buy next.
Frankly we've been lucky we haven't seen more early departures. Remember when Rush came in, enrolled late and everyone assumed he'd be a one and out.

February 22, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KGphoto (anonymous) says...

The point is team play. Everybody is trying to show themselves to the NBAs isolation game and nobody is playing like a team. These mid-majors have no choice but to play as a team and it is working.

You don't see mid-majors doing crazy reverse ally-oops. They just get the ball in there. And get back on defense.

February 22, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

I liked this article and I'm one who believes team cohesivieness definitely overshadows any 9 McDonald's All-American team (Duke for example this year). Roy use to have a couple of teams of 6 or more McDonald's All American teams (Most Recent 99-00 Season) and they were a good team, but nothing that compares to the great teams that we've had since the early nineties. I would rather have 2 or 3 McDonald's Americans surrounded by good recruits than a team full of spoiled, whiney Blue Chippers. I have to give props to Bill Self because he has somehow been able to mesh all this talent pretty well this year and it's pretty exciting to see how much they like playing with each other. I just hope it transitions over to the NCAA Tournament. I agree with a couple of other posters that Darnell Jackson is the most NBA ready right now. Everyone keeps saying that Darrell is the guy we need to follow, but he is the softest guy on the team. Darrell's play reminds me exactly of Drew Gooden his Junior year. Drew had that awesome year and then was completely outmatched by Wilcox in the final four against Maryland. The similarities are scary, but it's true. I also think that out of anybody on the team besides Darnell, that Mario is the second most ready for the NBA. NBA likes people who play defense and he has completely put his ego on the side for the betterment of the team. NBA GM's love that!
One other thing, Why does everyone always say this when the topic turns to race, "That is not only ignorant, but completely insane!! White, black, blue, yellow, red, WHATEVER the color, as long as they play together, and produce, who cares what color they are. Seriously." It just frustrates me that everyone always uses the entire spectrum of the color rainbow to describe race. I mean whatever happened to Orange and Purple. Orange and Purple always seem to be left out. I would though lean towards magenta as my favorite color for describing someone when it comes ro race. I do have to say that there is one individual in the world that is actually classified as "Blue" because he has a rare metal disease that has turned his skin blue. So I guess he would classify as someone who could actually produce on the court. I love rants.

February 22, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

klineisanazi (anonymous) says...

I agree with this article, only to the extent Ol Bill is referring to "support". However, to make a run at a Final Four and NC, it is necessary to recruit NBA talent. And with that talent will come the constant speculation of early departure, lottery pick, etc. The better the player, the more talk about such issues.

As for the players Ol Bill mentions, I say that only Aldrich has shown potential thus far. I don't know about the others, because we haven't seen them against top competition. Reed and Morningstar? I would say that crowd favorites are often those that come in at clean up time and sink some threes. Much easier to do at that point in the game. The fact no one besides Aldrich has had a sniff of meaningful minutes this year is not the best sign. It probably means they aren't capable of playing defense at a high level yet. Yes, KU is loaded, but if someone was showing it in practice, they would get a chance (see Aldrich) The odds are these guys will play more next year, and be pushed out if Self lands another big class in 2009. Self thought he had Willie Warren, another five star prospect coming in next year, but he was lost to OU. Warren would have had major minutes from the start.

Ol Bill yearns for the days when a class of locals could be put on the court and compete at a high level. Those days are long gone. At least they are if KU is competing for championships. A good supporting group of players? Yes , the team needs them. Roll players? You bet. Highly rated recruits with pro prospects and the chance of leaving early for the League? They had better, or they will not compete for a Big 12 championship, much less a national one.

February 22, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

soobawls (anonymous) says...

Who will be the mid-major who knocks us out of the tournament this year? That's the question everyone should be asking because this group isn't going sniff the final four. They have built a resume of cupcake wins and shown that one loss (KSU) has a lasting mental effect on them. They have not played at anywhere near the level they were before that game. Bill used to be known for his tough teams before he came here but I wouldn't describe this bunch as tough.

February 22, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

kushaw...I get your point about Duke, but the fact is they're playing 6 McD's AAs this year. It may not seem like it, but they are. Henderson, Scheyer, Paulus, Singler, Smith, and King. The notion that Duke is down a little as far as ability goes is just wrong, in my opinion. While they lack in the post, that team is loaded with scorers. They have more than KU, honestly, and they typically play harder, IMO. Their lack of post defense or if they go cold from the arc will be their eventual dowfall most likely, but they're damn good.

As far as Mr. Mayer comments, I don't completely disagree, but the notion of a backcourt of Collins, Reed, and Morningstar next year doesn't get me too excited. I think Reed and Morningstar will continue to develop into solid role players the next few years, but I'm not expecting much more than that. Like others have mentioned, Teahan hasn't had the opportunity to prove anything other than that he can make open 3s in garbage minutes. In the time he does play, he hasn't shown the ability to beat people off the dribble or guard anyone. Jury is still out on these guys. Let's hope for the best. Whatever happens, I believe these next few years will finally show us what kind of coach Bill Self really is.

February 22, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Displayhawk (anonymous) says...

One thing that wasn't mentioned is the publicity the school gets when the Burger Game is played. They always talk about what kid is going where during the telecast. I doubt if I watch it this year though, because KU doesn't have a recruit playing in it. 'Course if Coach Bill can win a National Championship with 3 and 4-stars, then that is even better publicity for KU!

February 22, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

"Everybody is trying to show themselves to the NBAs isolation game and nobody is playing like a team."

Huh????? Are you watching the same team the rest of us are? That's the same type of ignorant comment as Stacy ("the difference between this year and last year ...") King. One thing that you almost ALWAYS hear about KU is that they are unselfish to a fault. So I have no clue what you're talking about.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is another reason for Sherron to come back: to try to prove he can play a full season without an injury. I imagine that would be important to NBA teams.

Kline, I can understand your point about Reed not playing meaningful minutes, but I don't think you're right about Morningstar. He's redshirting this year so that's not relevant. And as I recall, he DID occasionally have some meaningful minutes last year, and looked good when he did. It wasn't just his shooting, but he looked like a solid ballhandler and floor general as well. Throw in the fact that he's older than most players, and I think he has the potential to be a very good player.

As for Aldrich, I can't WAIT to see how good he becomes! I think he could have a big impact on the tournament this year, as someone who could come in and get the tough rebounds. Right now he's clearly the best rebounder on the team.

February 22, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jcepp (anonymous) says...

http://basketballprospectus.com/artic...

February 22, 2008 at 1:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oldalum (anonymous) says...

According to Self, the reason Reed hasn't played is he's still fighting that nagging ankle sprain. He says he's just now getting back to normal. He played extended minutes for the first time against Colorado.

February 22, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

Wow jcepp, that a terrific article and an interesting read (when comparing the numbers).

Nice find.

February 22, 2008 at 3 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

NH_JHawk (anonymous) says...

Nice find jcepp.

To further the point made in the article, Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl was on the Dan Patrick radio show this morning and mentioned that he thought Memphis, KU, and UCLA are the odds on favorites to go to the Final Four and have the best shot at winning the Title. His opinion is that Duke is limited defensively on the low post and that UNC is limited defensively period.

February 22, 2008 at 4:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CasperCorps (anonymous) says...

I swear this dude must read my posts cause I've been saying the same thing.. Recruit four year players and then spinkle in a few one and dones and two and outs here and there.

February 22, 2008 at 7:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

klineisanazi (anonymous) says...

actorman, thanks for pointing out my gaffe concerning Morningstar. My intention was not to degrade any of these guys. They might well grow into good to very good players that make valuable contributions.

February 22, 2008 at 7:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jhwkfanincali (anonymous) says...

Aside: how many of you think Julian is sitting on the bench, WISHING AND PRAYING he'd stayed at Kansas one more year?

How many of us wish he'd stayed

February 22, 2008 at 8:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Darrell seems the fourth coming of Wayne Hightower, Norm Cook and Julian Wright--each one a very good, slender college big the pros drafted. There were probably some others that I can't recall, but these make the point.

Hightower had an NBA career, but he was a journeyman.

Cook disappeared in the L.

Julian has too.

Darrell will make it as a journeyman, IF he stays another year at KU, and IF he becomes good at one aspect of the game, which he isn't yet.

If he becomes a freakishly good trey shooter for a big, like, say, Robert Horry, and can defend, then he'll be an NBA starter...someday.

If Darrell leaves this year, he will probably disappear like Cook and Wright.

Darrell is one of those fellows who looks so fabulously gifted just walking onto the floor that he triggers sky-high expectations that can never be fully realized unless he plays like a superstar. It was the same way with these other players mentioned. All great lookers, but all just good players, not great ones.

This is hardly a knock. To be even a good college player is an enormous accomplishment to be hugely proud of.

But Darrell is not a superstar, nor a great college player...not yet...and very likely never will be.

Neither was Julan. Neither was Cook. Neither was Hightower. And notice that Cook and Hightower stayed four years.

February 23, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Staying four years makes you better, but it doesn't change you into another kind of human being.

A lot of psychologists suggest our personalities are set in stone by the time we are 5; the rest is all working out the drama under uncertain circumstances.

Great players play better than peers the minute their bodies permit them to. Period. People intoxicated on the anticipation of skill development, both board members and NBA management, all too often forget this.

Great college players start as freshman and play and contribute substantially, though often as complements as freshman. They don't bench themselves. They don't foul to the point of being non factors for 2/3s of most games and non factors for the rest. They play very well the minute they get to a school. They become DOMINANT well before they leave. They have good pro careers and are starters, whether or not they are stars, unless, as with Manning, injuries strike them down.

Brandon Rush is the ONLY great player Self has recruited, since he came to KU and Rush got hurt and now he's not a great player. Maybe another year's recovery will change that, but probably not.

And this is not a knock on Brandon. He has exhibited exemplary courage and a great player's work ethic and tenacity in recovering as far and as fast as he has. We're not talking about a hulking 7 footer with some reduced mobility. We are talking about one of the truly top talents at the three that I have ever seen come along--a guy with the spring and body control of a leopard, the touch of a long range bomber, the anticipation of a great rebounder, the pride and tenacity of a great defender, and the cool and charisma of a natural leader. Players like Brandon are as rare as they come. And a knee injury cuts to the heart of physical tools that all their other virtues build upon to make them great.

KU probably won't win the championship this year, because they lack a great college player. Champions usually have to have one--a guy who will go on and at least be a starter in the L, even though maybe not a star.

Brandon can't dominate a game this year. He's tried. Great college players can dominate and pretty consistently if called upon to do so. He's no longer a stopper on defense, and he's not the effortless scorer he was.

I wrote earlier this year Brandon could be dropping 25-30 per game if he and Self wanted him to. I was wrong. My thinking of Brandon was frozen in the past. I was writing about last year's Brandon--thinking he had recovered to that, but the reality is different.

This year's Brandon can't do it. This year's Brandon is a good college player, but as happens with most guys with severe knee injuries, their greatness is sapped from them. They become "just good," as Danny became "just good" in the pros after his knee jobs.

February 23, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

But this is about Darrell and not Brandon, or Self's inability to land more than one great player--just bushels of good ones.

A lot of persons on the board say Darrell (and Julian) are viewed by the L as having huge upside aka big potential. They say Darrell (and Julian) will one day grow into being fine players as the pros anticipate.

Because Darrell has a decent touch, Darrell has a better chance, at becoming such a player, than Julian has, if one remembers that the chance is slim for both.

Here's the thing: great players don't magically transform into being great, because of a few years maturity between 20 and 25 years of age. They work at it from the beginning.

Even Michael Jordan, the poster boy for non linear development, the guy who got cut from his junior high school team, because the body was not yet there, and because his coach had the insight of a petrified turd, was an absolute animal about working at being great.

Great players are more driven than most (but not all) players. Their greatness comes from being ferocious competitors, gluttons for work AND having exceptional physical tools.

When was the last time you read about Darrell Arthur's ferocious competitiveness, or his boundless work ethic? I'm sure Darrell is a hard worker and quite competitive, but he does not seem to be the freak in these ways that great players tend to be.

There is another tell tale sign that Darrell (and Julian for that matter) is not destined to be a great college player, or a solid NBA starter with a long career, whether or not some idiots in the NBA draft him at the end of this season.

It has to do with the kind of ball KU plays and the way he has performed in this system.

February 23, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

KU's system, i.e., 70-point, take-what-they-give-us Bill Ball (descended from Eddie Ball) is tailor made for players with consistent match-up advantages to dominate. Put another way, KU's scoring is evenly distributed, because KU's offensive talent is evenly distributed. Put yet another way, no one on KU is a dominant offensive threat.

What you see in a player at KU under Self is what he's got. It was the same way with guys at UCLA under Wooden. Self and Wooden, though they go about it differently, get the MOST out of their players' performing capabilities. They tightly tailor their systems to fit their players and then drive them through discipine, hard work and inspiration to excel. What you see in a KU player is what you going to get.

The above is 180 opposite of the way it was under Roy at KU and UNC, and under Dean Smith at UNC. Roy and Dean routinely subordinated great players to their system.

I could see pros drafting guys from Dean's and Roy's teams on potential, because they sometimes had some NBA starter caliber players on their teams and those players were forced to play a brand of ball that subordinated their performance to the team. Those players went on to shine much brighter in the pros.

Roy and Dean played a style of ball that squelched the free lancing style that can blossom in the pros, after being suppressed in college.

Bill Self doesn't. Wayne Simien carried the team on his back almost MORE than Danny Manning carried the '88 team on his back.

It wasn't hard to see that Michael Jordan and James Worthy were virtuoso solo violinists being forced to play buddy fiddles in Dean's string quintet back at UNC.

Same with Paul Pierce at KU; you knew this guy was a man among children at KU and he was being asked to be just another piece in a puzzle.

But Self's KU teams never suppress anything in any player except ego. Self knows all his players think they are better than they are. But Self ALWAYS exploits match-up advantages within in 70-point-take-what-they-give-us Bill Ball. When he had Wayne Simien, he rode that horse for all he was worth. With Brandon his freshman season, he tried to do the same. With Brandon his sophmore year, he did it even more though he did it not by making Brandon score more, but rather by making him do everything for the team but wash the socks and jocks and draw up the plays.

Self was also totally willing to let Julian take games over. Coach Self practically begs guys to take games over--to beast as often as they can--to be superstars.

February 23, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Coach Self does not love five guys in double figures unless that is what the match-ups dictate. He knows five guys in double figures indicates that he has no superstar.

Coach Self's problem is: he hasn't recruited any great players at Kansas capable of taking games over consistently, except for Brandon and he got hurt. Julian could do it occassionally, but he could never get over the wildness, and he never had the shot you have to have to be a dominant 4.

To digress even further on Julian, I for one think he was smart to go to the pros (another recent change of opinion on my part). He was finally like Drew Gooden. He was never going to get better, just more physically mature. He was always going to be wild. But where Gooden had a man-mountain body head-to-toe-tailor-made for the prison body mould of the NBA, Julian had a slender frame.

Gooden can play in the L even though he'll never be more than a journeyman. Julian can't even be a journeyman, unless he adds 50 pounds. He's got no J. He's too skinny. And he was only a good defender, not a stopper. Remember: Rush had to take Durant in crunch time. When Julian couldn't handle Durant, that was when I knew he was destined for splinters in the L, whenever he went.

If you're not a prison body, and you haven't got a J, and you're not a rebounding freak like Dennis Rodman, and you're not a defensive freak like Ron Artest, then you wind up in Europe when your first NBA "drafted-on-potential" contract expires.

Let's enjoy Darrell for what he is: a good college player. As with Julian, whether he goes or stays, won't drastically change him, or us. He is what he is and we're most fortunate to have him, even if only for two years. He's our leading scorer at 13.8 ppg (by 1.4 points per game over Jackson) and our second leading rebounder at 6 per game. It won't kill us to replace 13.8 pts and 6 reebs if he goes. And he might move up to 14.5 and 7 if he stays.

February 23, 2008 at 2:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

TaCityHawkFan (anonymous) says...

One frustration I have with building a team around kids that will stay around for 4 years and contribute... REDSHIRT some of these kids their freshman year! Tyrel Reed gets mop up duty in some games... but wouldn't it be nice to not have wasted an entire year of eligibility on mop up duty. Cole contributed enough to warrent not being redshirted, but I think Teahan and Reed should have at least started out as redshirts with the possibility of removing the redshirt if needed.

Think about that for next year if Rush and Shady come back, which they should, think about redshirting some if not most of the freshmen if all they will see is some mop up duty.

February 24, 2008 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

bringheatwavewheat (anonymous) says...

I think any post over 3 paragraphs should be disallowed..(j/k but not really)

Oh, and the racist comment about white guys was probably harmless, but still doltish.

February 24, 2008 at 1:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

RedJay (anonymous) says...

Shooting (or maybe reluctance to take shots) is KILLING us. Anybody agree that we should take the hit on defense and put in our 2 freshmen that are hitting 45+ % from 3?

I'm tired of waiting for our "lock-down defenders" to pull the trigger and sink some shots, defense be damned. Yeah, I said it!!!

February 25, 2008 at 1:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

WilburNether (anonymous) says...

The notion of a team with Morningstar and Reed in the starting lineup going far is laughable. Has this guy forgotten 1998 already? Two first-team All Americans on the front line, a #1 seed -- and a second-round loss to Rhode Island because Ryan Robertson and Billy Thomas were too slow to handle Rhode Island's guards.

Robinson and Chalmers have now firmly established their inability to handle quick guards (K-State, Texas, Okie State), and they are much faster than Reed and Morningstar. Look for another early exit this year if we have the bad luck to face yet another team with quicker guards -- and look for disaster if Mayer's foolish vision ever became reality.

February 25, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )