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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Gary Bedore’s KU basketball notebook

By Gary Bedore

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Winged Foot on tap

Kansas University coach Bill Self and Tennessee's Pat Summitt tonight will receive the Winged Foot Award at the New York Athletic Club. The award is presented to coaches of the NCAA men's and women's national championship teams. Self and members of his staff, including Michael Lee, who Tuesday accepted an assistant's post at Gardner-Webb, flew to New York Tuesday.

Recruiting update

J'Mison "Bobo" Morgan, a 6-foot-11 senior center from Dallas South Oak Cliff High, on Tuesday received his release from his letter of intent at LSU. His AAU coach told Rivals.com Morgan would consider UCLA, Kansas and Alabama. Morgan told the Dallas Morning News last week he plans on attending UCLA. ... Xavier Henry, 6-6 senior-to-be from Putnam City (Okla.) High, tells Rivals.com he has a final four of KU, Memphis, UCLA and Texas. He said KU and Memphis were his co-leaders.

Simien settles in

Former KU power forward Wayne Simien has joined Scot Pollard and Jacque Vaughn as NBA players who reside in Lawrence. Simien recently purchased a house in Lawrence where he lives with his wife and daughter. The power forward, who was released by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the preseason as he recovered from offseason knee surgery, hopes to catch on with an NBA team as a free agent this summer.

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Comments

plasticJHawk (anonymous) says...

I was gonna say... in order to be an NBA player who resides in Lawrence doesn't he have to be on an NBA team? Good luck Wayne, just stay healthy for a little while and you'll get your shot!

May 14, 2008 at 7:15 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Timmay97 (anonymous) says...

Is this going to be the norm? Memphis vs KU in recruiting. I know it's not true, but it seems to me that so many recruits have Memphis and KU as their final two choices (not ucla, unc, Duke, etc....). Message for Xavier......there IS no decision......KU's your choice. Too much tradition and history here, not to mention the fans are second to none. We have a spot just waiting for you. Good luck to Simien! A true Jayhawk!Who do you guys think would win a fight between Self and Summit? :-) She's a tough lady!

May 14, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkinatl (anonymous) says...

That's interesting that the AAU coach still believes that Morgan's recruitment is still open. I thought it was settled weeks ago when he said he was going to UCLA.

May 14, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

crooner (anonymous) says...

Welcome home, Wayne. We know you can be an impact player in the league next year.

May 14, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

tomike (anonymous) says...

The reason for Xavier Henry to come to KU is very simple. According to Scout. his weaknesses are ball handling and defensive presence. If he goes to Memphis, he can improve his ball handling for sure. But KU will help him in both. Rush is an example if he needs one.

May 14, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

DSommersby (anonymous) says...

Wishing the best for Big Dub - Wayne Simien. Got to see him following the Welcome Home Celebration for the team at Memorial Stadium. The guy could not be nicer. He is a great ambassador for KU. I hope he can get fully healthy and again unleash the powerful and tenacious Big Dub we saw in his time at KU and especially in that home game where he tore up all of OSU. Get well Big Dub! National Champions!

May 14, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

What's the chance that Wayne doesn't make it back to the league, but does come back to KU as Mike's replacement? Can you imagine the learning experience for the new frontline with Danny and Wayne on staff. Excuse us son. Let us show you how the post position is suppose to be played.

May 14, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

aew20 (anonymous) says...

Coach Self is amazing, but if I were him, I'd be picking Coach Summitt's brain and soaking everything up. Coach Self has had a great career and it will only get better, but don't forget, there has never been a NCAA Division I Elite Eight that didn't have Pat Summitt and her Lady Vols in it. Tennessee is the 'it' of women's college basketball and KU is up there in the top 3-5, but I know that Coach Self wants KU to be the 'it' also.

May 14, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

jayhawkinatl...I heard the very same thing! what gives?

May 14, 2008 at 11:17 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printed...

May 14, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

pilot100 (anonymous) says...

Morgan better postpone his wish for UCLA until the NCAA has investigated the Mayo incident.

May 14, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

pilot100...maybe Im having a moment and missing the connection. (Mayo played at USC.) Educate me, please...

May 14, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

WhatleysMustache (anonymous) says...

pilot is talking about the incident that happened in the UCLA cafeteria where disgruntled lunch ladies filled super soaker 2000's with mayonnaise and killed over 1100 squirrels.

May 14, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

KU needs a four big rotation.BoBo is a big and would help, but...One and done guys really aren't worth much to a program unless they are the kind who can deliver a ring in one year.But the fact is almost none of them can.No one says BoBo is as good as Kevin Love and Love could not deliver a ring.Beasley couldn't deliver a ring.Rose couldn't deliver a ring.Durant couldn't deliver a ring.Oden couldn't deliver a ring.Recruiting these guys just blows a hole in your lineup the year after they DON'T win a ring.I'm beginning to think Self shouldn't even both recruiting guys who won't promise to stay two years, even if they do want to come and do their one year thing in Lawrence.

May 14, 2008 at 8:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

the one-and-done player, "...to recruit or not to recruit". That IS the question.I think the solution is to recruit for the longevity of your program. However, adding a one-and-done player TO the base of your team can't hurt you. If they leave after one year, so what? You still have your base team. The fact is the college landscape is going to be littered with these players because of the age limit for the NBA (which Stern says he'd like to increase pending an agreement with the Players' Association). Therefore, the college game is changing--it is not static. Recruiting philosophy will have to change with it, like it or not. No coach wants 4-5 one-and-done players on their team for the very reason you mention; namely, that it disrupts continuity of the program after they leave. And though none of the names you mentioned delivered a ring, they pushed programs ahead. Rose and Oden took Memphis and OSU to championship games. Beasley helped KSU not only MAKE the tournament but actually win a game. Durant reinvigorated a fan base at Texas and if he had stayed, I'd have loved Texas' chance to beat Memphis in their regional final this year. The blue-chippers DO improve programs. The cost is that if you recruit poorly, you may again shoot yourself in the foot with building a team over time. Clearly, role players serve a purpose! Darnell Jackson and Russell Robinson were crucial to our success. Both four-year seniors, I think a straw poll would indicate we couldnt have done it without them. Jackson, for one, bolstered/buoyed a formidable frontcourt and was one of the heads of a four-man beast. Robinson gave defense, fouls-to-give and depth to a backcourt that allowed them to run a high-octane offense that didn't tire throughout 40 minutes of a game. You need role-players, no question about that.But the blue-chipper should NOT be shunned for the cause of building a program.Just guessing (cause really I dont know much about him and I could perhaps be proven wrong), I dont think J'Mison Morgan is at the level of Durant, Beasley, Rose, and others. I do think he'll be a heavy hitter. But I've been following college basketball a long time and you can kinda get a feel for the "buzz" that's generated around a player whether or not he's going to be the next Lebron James (incidentally, can you imagine if HE played in college? WOW!). I dont know about YOU, but I'd make him a Jayhawk if I could!

May 14, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

lee3022 (anonymous) says...

I think KU is fine with our recruits. The twins and Thomas will bring some size alongside Cole and perhaps Matt Kleinmann will also provide some depth (with experience in practice against some great bigs!).Next year's class is in good shape no matter who we end up with because most of the best want to consider KU. We should get a couple of good recruits.

May 14, 2008 at 10:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

brooksmd (anonymous) says...

Wednesday's New Orleans paper reported that BoBo had been released from his commitment and that "mama Morgan" wants her baby to go to UCLA.

May 15, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

J'Mison Morgan I've felt will be more of a traditional post player who would fit into a "team" like KU better than some place that is hoping he'll be their playmaker. I agree with your assessment jross. I'll just add my main point is that one-&-doners haven't delivered as many rings because of what the REST of their team consists of. If we had landed a Beasley, he would have had a slightly different role here than he did at KSU. The problem with the obvious one-&-doners is where they choose to go. Their choice is to be THE man... they don't want to be on a team that is going to be an obvious contender for a title anyway. They want to lead and carry a team to the title. I have no problem with a kid trying to live out that dream. It's just a tough task because they are at a deficit in experience.There have been a few that I look at as exceptions to this mentality. Derrick Rose was one... his team was obviously capable, and he was willing share with other stars on the team. Greg Oden was another.. he was a traditional big man and didn't have to be the offense... and they went to a championship, too.If you get an obvious one-&-done talent, and they are willing to share the scoring load and be a team player, that usually means success for their team.I think Bobo is going to be a smaller version of Oden... and he'll be the type of player that helps his team win without being the leading scorer. I still hope we pull a major upset and land him.

May 15, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

BrockIII (anonymous) says...

I do remember Carmello delivering a ring though, Jaybate.You're completely right about building a team with 4 year guys and role players and avoiding the constant flow of one and done players like at Ohio St, jross. Henry is most likely a one and one player, possibly two and done. If we can add Henry next year on top of our deep 2008 class, we could be a formidable team in 09-10.

May 15, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

Carmello didn't deliver squat, and I'm SICK of him getting credit for that title. KU not being able to hit a free throw, combined with a horrendous call that fouled out Langford, delivered the ring to Syracuse. Carmello played very well but KU was a better team and should have won that day.

May 15, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

Lebowski...RE: "I'll just add my main point is that one-&-doners haven't delivered as many rings because of what the REST of their team consists of. If we had landed a Beasley, he would have had a slightly different role here than he did at KSU. The problem with the obvious one-&-doners is where they choose to go. Their choice is to be THE man... they don't want to be on a team that is going to be an obvious contender for a title anyway. They want to lead and carry a team to the title."You're spot on! I couldn't agree more. The rest of the team makes a difference. coaching does as well. Memphis and Ohio State made it to the championship games BOTH because of strong TEAM play (Conley et al. at OSU and CDR and others at Memphis) and great coaching. While I realize that Calipari is a cheeseball in front of the media and that his coaching at the end of the title game blew it for Memphis, no one questions his credentials as an X's and O's coach. No one, at least, who has a shred of sanity. On the other hand, Rick Barnes and Frank Martin really arent great X's and O's guys. Niether of them stands out as a motivator to me either, and these things are what I chalk up Beasley's and Durant's truncated title runs to. Barnes is a hell of a recruiter and maybe that's why his salary is so inflated. It just seems hard for him to do anything in big games. I dont even have to address Martin. Look at Kevin Love. Great supporting cast...great coaching...result? Final four at UCLA. Look at USC and Mayo. Great talent he was, but a mediocre supporting cast at best with mediocre coaching. It's not that the kids cant deliver rings, it's that the situation they go into when they choose a college has to be right. Self should use this as a selling point for Kansas. Why? With Coach Self we have the great coach. Additionally, there is no question he's going to put the right base of a team together. Against these variables I see no harm in going out and getting a one-and-done player. What happens when we lose him? Well losing Julian Wright maybe actually HELPED the team. Isnt that ironic? I dont fear losing great players because at Kansas the rest of the team seems to coalesce together under Self.What I fear is having all the other power-houses becoming heavy laden with talent, and we don't keep up all in the name of "continuity of a program". It sounds like we agree on this as well. I say go out and get the guys if they wanna come here. Coach Self will see to it that we dont have too many off years.

May 15, 2008 at 4:34 p.m. ( | suggest removal )