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Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self, who on Tuesday held an in-home recruiting visit with the mother of four-star shooting guard prospect Wayne Selden in New Hampshire, today visits five-star James Young in Rochester Heights, Mich.
Selden, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior from Tilton (N.H.) School, who is ranked No. 23 nationally by Rivals.com, has a list of KU, Florida, Missouri, Ohio State, Syracuse and UCLA. He told Jayhawkslant.com he’d like to make a recruiting visit to KU.
“I’ve just become very fond of the Kansas program over the years,” Selden said. “The staff sees me as a guy that can come in and play the one (point guard), the two (shooting guard) or the three (small forward).”
Selden is regarded as one of the most physical players in the country.
“Checking in at nearly 230 pounds, Selden is built more like your typical tight end than a high school shooting guard,” said Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi. “An explosive athlete, Selden’s ability to strong arm opponents is a big advantage.”
Young, a 6-6, 200-pound senior from Rochester (Mich..) High who is the country’s No. 8-rated prospect, has a list of KU, Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan State and Arizona. Some analysts believe Kentucky is the favorite to land Young.
More on Randle: No. 1-ranked Julius Randle, a 6-9 senior forward from Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, tells ESPN.com he had a great visit to Kentucky last weekend.
The highlight?
“Me, Archie Goodwin and Julius Mays went to the practice facility and put up shots at 1:30 a.m. to about 3 a.m. I love having access to the practice facility when I want to go into the gym and shoot,” said Randle, who has a list of KU, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, N.C. State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas.
KU, of course, also has a practice gym in which players can use their own personal codes to enter at any time.
“I was scheduled to visit Florida in October and now they want me to reschedule it during the season so I can attend a game. I am also looking at Duke, Kansas, UNC, N.C. State and Texas to visit,” Randle told ESPN.
Jackson update: No. 27-rated Demetrius Jackson, a 6-1 senior point guard from Marian High in Mishawaka, Ind., will visit Notre Dame this weekend. He has a list of KU, Notre Dame, Illinois, Florida State, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan State and Xavier. Notre Dame, Illinois and KU are believed to be favorites.
He’s been a priority of Notre Dame since his freshman year of high school.
“It’s a big step,” Jackson told the South Bend Tribune, referring to the Irish’s jump to the ACC. “They’re playing against the big dogs now. It will be a great move for them as a program. It does change my thought process. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Jackson added. “My dream and my goal are to be the best. Playing in a conference like (the ACC) is definitely a way you can earn being the best.”
Jackson told the Indianapolis Star he’d like to decide before the start of his senior season.
“But a lot of things can happen. Look at the Penn State (football) situation and the kids that are there now. I really feel for them because it’s nothing they’ve done to be in that position,” he told the Star. “A big reason why I’ve waited this long is because I felt like I wasn’t educated enough. Through this process I’ve learned a lot,” Jackson said of recruiting.
KU coach Bill Self talks about signing of Andrew Wiggins May 14, 2013
Ben McLemore interview March 28, 2013
360 QTR of Cowboy Stadium March 28, 2013
Jayhawks arrive in Dallas March 27, 2013
Jeff Withey talks about the team staying loose March 23, 2013
Comments
ParisHawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Self visited the Mom? The recruit skipped the visit?
Randle gushing about UK.
Jackson gushing about the ACC.
Depressing.
JayDogger 8 months, 1 week ago
Not to add to your depression, but Baylor got a verbal from forward Leron Black, #13 in the class of '14. I guess we were recruiting him but from the ESPN article it sounds like he was Baylor all the way. It's no big deal but it's worth mentioning because he'll play in the Big 12.
Yeah, Jackson seemed pretty excited about Notre Dame in the ACC. Wasn't the Big East the conference to beat? That's some realignment fallout I hadn't thought about.
It seems like forever since we signed a 4-star player...well, maybe only nine months. I know I'm spoiled but it would be reassuring to sign Shepperd or someone of his caliber or better.
I'm not sure about Sleden. My first reaction was that we don't need another wing but he sounds like a good ball handler so maybe it makes since, though my instinct says we'll be the bridesmaid on that one, too. I'm not even going to bother commenting on Young.
I'm kind of getting sick of the recruiting process and just want the season to start so I can watch this year's team instead of thinking about next year's squad.
nuleafjhawk 8 months, 1 week ago
JayDogger - If you're a highly touted high school basketball player, it would be extremely difficult to leave Baylor off of your wish list.
Who wouldn't want to move to Waco, Tx and have your skills refined by Scott Drew?
Bwa-hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
REHawk 8 months, 1 week ago
A bonafide jawbreaker of a program, that's for certain.
dylans 8 months, 1 week ago
Worth dying over.
JayDogger 8 months, 1 week ago
Ha! No kidding. Every kid has his own reasoning. From the article:
"Baylor had one thing that set it apart from the rest of the field. 'At first it was the religion,' Black said. 'Then, second of all it was the basketball. They've been to the Elite Eight the past two years and this year they sent three players to the NBA. When I was on campus the academics were real good.'"
Alohahawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Not to downgrade KU's other recruits, but Selden would be a very good get. He reclassified to 2013, from the 2014 class, and even before that I believe Self was recruiting him heavily, probably thinking he'd be an excellent replacement in case McLemore jumped early. That could still happen and Selden could also fill that PG space Self has as a priority for this recruiting class. Rivals has him at #23, but if I remember correctly Scout has him ranked about 13 or so (which would be higher than Jackson is ranked in both). Don't know how quick on his feet he is, but ranked that high, he has to be pretty fast. I could imagine him barreling down the lane, and at 6' 5" and 230 pounds he'd create some room, sort of like a taller version of Sherron Collins.
Would be nice if he could attend Late Night.
offline 8 months, 1 week ago
Maybe Self should have Doc Sadler go on the recruiting trip.
KansasComet 8 months, 1 week ago
Not worried one bit about recruiting.
Troll_or_AntiTroll 8 months, 1 week ago
Employing the tools of psychohistory, I have determined that KU recruiting faces a "Seldon Crises."
Troll_or_AntiTroll 8 months, 1 week ago
Actually, several such "crises"
LTCUSARet 8 months, 1 week ago
Hari thought! A's 'e mov of that!
HawkOverseas 8 months, 1 week ago
Did Jackson really just cite the Penn State situation as a reason he'll be hesitant to commit somewhere??? I know I'm reading into that, but why's he throwing Penn State into an interview?
HighEliteMajor 8 months, 1 week ago
The kid was simply giving an example as to why it might be unwise to decide on a school too quickly (note that it followed the reference that he'd like to decide prior to his senior season beginning) -- he then said “But a lot of things can happen. Look at the Penn State (football) situation ..." It is an example. Another example might be Calhoun resigning. Another example might be Gillispie imploding. Another example might be Bobby Petrino's escapades. Just an example.
HawkOverseas 8 months, 1 week ago
Thanks, don't know what I'd do without you.
sbendjayhawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Also, that interview with the IndyStar was August 24 or 25, right around when the Sandusky trial was going on and ?s about NCAA death penalty were all over the news. It's not like he made those comments yesterday. Also, that article stated that Jackson has a visit date set to KU for Oct 27. Don't recall if that has been listed here, but pretty sure that date is set. I said before the only real shot ND has at him is possible momentum from the ACC move. Interesting that each time there is an update on Jackson here, the school lists keep changing back and forth. Everything he has said indicates the only 4 schools in the mix are KU, Illinois, UK and ND. And I think that may be the order he would list his preference at this point (tho I'm just guessing).
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
Mclemore, White, Greene, (Ellis).
4 deep with guys that will all be freshman/sophmores
Why is the staff still targeting wings?
HighEliteMajor 8 months, 1 week ago
I'm curious .. you had mentioned in earlier posts that we don't need a point guard. Here you question targeting wings. What is your suggestion on how to fill the last three open scholarship spots?
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
2 bigs
1 OAD 1 solid 3 year guy
That would give us OAD and Ellis as a front court next year and your 3 year guy and whoever pans out from the Peters/Lucas/Traylor competition moving forward
5th schollie is a wildcard. Maybe a gift falls to us in the spring
konkeyDong 8 months, 1 week ago
benny,
The way you talk about recruiting, you make it sound like Self can just go down to the local QuikTrip and pick up a blue chip, but chooses not to. Selden being a 2/3 is a reason he probably won't pick us, but it's no reason not to try, especially if he really is an option at the point, a la Lorenzo Brown, and because we've already offered.
Of the potential OAD players we're still looking at, 2 are 2/3s, 3 are bigs, and Kansas is the front runner for none of them. We'll be lucky if we can land one. A more likely use of the schollies is to get a quality big and a pg option and whoever else we can. With that, our best chances are in Roberson, Lawrence, Shepherd, and Anya, then figuring out a plan B if Jackson commits to ND or Ill. Selden as a point guard could be that plan B.
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
This is the university of Kansas. We should be able to "select" blue chips rather than "recruit" them.
Thats essentially what UK, UNC, and Duke do. Sure we should expect to miss out on recruits that choose to go to another blueblood program but it is unexceptable the number of kids the staff misses on that end up going to schools that dont deserve to be mentioned in the smae sentence as KU. My concern isn't that the staff doesnt "select" recruits its that it CANT.
We've got better facilities, better fans, better tradition, better player development, better arena, and are a more winning program than the Louisville, Florida's and NC states of the world.
I realize KU isn't the front runner for any of the OADs left. i was simply giving HEM what my ideal scenario would be.
konkeyDong 8 months, 1 week ago
You just don't know what you're talking about. Nobody "selects" who plays for them. Calipari, Williams, K, and everybody else in the game are out there busting their collective asses to get the best players they can. When John Calipari calls on a kid, they don't just say, "Sho-nuff" and show up on demand. He works at it like anyone else. He's cultivated a system that works for him, but the main reason he can get big time players over and over again is cause hardly anyone sticks around. Why pick a program where you're guaranteed your position rather than having to compete for minutes? And he's looses his share of targets to the Floridas and Louisvilles of the world too. You've got a bad case of envy, my friend, and it's blinded you to the real world.
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
Never said the other guys dont work for their recruiting classes. They "select" recruit in the sence that they identify someone they want, go out and work their buts off and then much more often than not they sign that target. That use to be the case with Bill Self in his early tenure here at KU. That was the case during Roy's stewardship(although Roy refused to target some kids he could have) and that is the case for Roy now at UNC along with K and Cal.
I'm not envious at all, I'm just one of the few realists on this site that call a spade a spade and identify that Self is performing below his peers on the recruiting trail.
konkeyDong 8 months, 1 week ago
So in that sense, Self didn't "select" Ellis? Or Frankamp? Or Greene? Or White? Or BMac? They just kind of fell into his lap and he said 'okay'? You think he's just out there durdling around on the recruiting trail? What exactly do you think those other coaches are doing that Self isn't? You aren't calling a spade a spade. You're ignoring what has been accomplished because you see the grass as being greener somewhere else. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if that's really what you want, you should just switch your allegiances to UK now.
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
No i guess the difference is, Self "recruits" 15-20 guys and ends up signing 2-3.
The other bluebloods "Select" 9-10 and end up signing 4-5.
I wish there was some way to compile data on percentage of scholarship offers accepted by recruits.
konkeyDong 8 months, 1 week ago
Every time you put your fingers to the keyboard, you get dumber and dumber. Last season you were whining because Self went all in on Tarc and missed. Now he's recruiting too many players? Since you've obviously figured this whole recruiting thing out, why don't you just educate us on how it should be done. I need to learn how to "select", I guess. You're a total joke and I officially revoke your KU fandom.
bennybob 8 months ago
Everytime your fingers touch the keyboard you can't help but launch a personal attack at me? Have I ever done anything to personally insult you? I enjoy having civilized debates but I'm starting to believe they aren't possible with you.
I was upset with Self last year because if your going to go all in on a Guy like Tarc, you better land him which Self didn't. I give credit to Self for learning from that experience that he's no longer the recruiting force he once was and has to start casting a wider net(ie "recruiting" rather than "selecting")
But that doesn't change the fact that having to cast a wider net is indicative of a less successful recruiter.
HawkKlaw 8 months, 1 week ago
You sound like an entitled KU fan that expects way too much out of Bill Self. This isn't an EA Sports video game. And not all recruits that KU misses on go to other blueblood programs.
Also, it is not "unacceptable" at all. Missing on recruits is part of the game. There's no science behind it. Kids choose other schools for all sorts of different reasons. Take off your crimson and blue blinders. KU is not the only school that matters to everyone.
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
Wow, never thought I'd be accused on having "crimson and blue blinders" lol
All I expect from Bill Self is recruiting results on par with his peers. Similar to what he use to do pre the Selby debacle.
Yes, every program misses on kids. I;m not expecting 100% success rate. waht I am excpeting is a success rate at least as good as Roy, K and Cal. Self hasn't had that for 3+ years
HawkKlaw 8 months, 1 week ago
Self's recruiting results are on par with his peers. Cal recruits top-ranked players with a higher success rate than Coach K, Roy Williams and Bill Self, in case you didn't notice. But Coach K, Roy and Self (and a few others) are all on par with each other. There is no recruiting problem at KU. If there were, the first sign would be seeing ESPN and every other sports media outlet in America reporting on it. Headlines like "KU MISSES ON TOP RECRUIT AGAIN" and "MORE WOES FOR SELF AND KANSAS" would exist. They don't. It's in your head. You want these recruits so badly for KU that you don't understand how they can choose a place like Kentucky or Duke. That's what I call "looking at the world through crimson and blue blinders".
Kip_McSmithers 8 months, 1 week ago
Agreed Hawk, Just look at the top 50 or so 2012 recruits. Kentucky did miss out on a few of them. Perry Ellis? Muhammad?
bennybob 8 months, 1 week ago
I would wager those stories would be creeping up had Self not pulled the miracle out of his A** last year by getting that team to the championship game.
By all rights we had no business being in that game. that was Selfs least talented squad since he's been at KU.
He lost his two best players from his least talented team and reloaded with a below average recruiting class by his old standards.
konkeyDong 8 months, 1 week ago
You call yourself a KU fan? Go back to Columbia, benny...
HawkKlaw 8 months ago
Well now you're just making stuff up. Below average recruiting class? Bah!
bennybob 8 months ago
This one I actually do have data on.
Bill Selfs historical recruiting class rankngs(pre Selby) according to Rivals:
8th, 2nd, 4th, 12th NR(2 man class w/ Aldrich), 2nd, 6th.
average class ranking ignoring unnemrated '07 class: 5.67
2012 class ranking: 10th
Statistcal fact that class was below historical average.
konkeyDong 8 months ago
benny,
Numbers without context are meaningless. Do you know why Self was able to have so many good classes in a row early on? It's because he had terrible retention problems. Getting a big time class doesn't do you much good if you can't keep those players on the team. His first full recruiting class lost David Padget, Omar Wilkes, and eventually, JR Giddens (that's 75%). In his next class, we dropped Alex Galindo and CJ Giles (40%). The next year we get a great class, but Micah Downs dropped out early (25%). After he finally got the roster loaded up, recruiting slowed down a lot.
When the 2008 team moved on, then we had two strong years of recruiting. With the roster loaded up again, it slowed down. 2011 was the only legitimate down year where we didn't get as much talent as we should have. Since then, recruiting has picked back up as we're working through the top talent on the roster. And since 2007 we haven't lost any of our top guys to transfers/dismissals which was not the case when Self started.
Self has kept the fridge STOCKED and you don't see that because you just look at the class rankings rather than paying attention to the quality of teams we field. I'm still shocked and horrified at the suggestion you made that we had "no business" playing in the national title game last year. WTF! Of course we did. We didn't have a deep team, but we had a very talented team just as we do right now.
So just sit back and watch. We'll have a top 5 class this year handily. If we get a break on Randle or Parker or Gordon or Young, we'll have a top 3 class handily. And just to let you know, nowhere in the world do coaches get 50% of their prospects to commit. Calipari is hands down the best in the recruiting game and he targets 3 - 5 players for every one that he signs. Most coaches are in the 4 - 6 range. No one gets 50%. It might happen every now and again, but not with any regularity. And the information on it is readily available if you want to bother to put it together.
Bulkmania 8 months, 1 week ago
Ellis isn't a wing. Stop calling him that. Or even suggesting Bill might play him there. Prototypical 4 in Self's system.
HighEliteMajor 8 months, 1 week ago
It would appear by putting him in ( ) that he was suggesting that Ellis might be a 4th wing option, but not primary. And he's right. You'll see Ellis on the floor at times this season with two bigs, like Withey and Peters. It's a "look" for periods of time in a game. You'll also likely see Tharpe, EJ, McLemore, and White on the floor at the same time with Withey, or even Ellis. Again, a "look" that may be dictated by game situations. Or you could see Ellis as a wing due to emergency (injury/fouls).
I would agree, though, that Ellis is a perfect 4 in Self's system and that will be his primary role.
Blown 8 months, 1 week ago
Looks like Kansas State just landed a top Guard from Texas--shooting guard Wesley Iwundu (Houston, Texas/Westfield).
soapisurfriend 8 months, 1 week ago
Not really, that was like a week ago. And I know a couple of twins who might disagree with you about being the top guard in Texas. As a matter of fact, he was no where close to the top guard, and he chose KSU because it was his only chance to play in the B12.
JayhawkinLexington 8 months, 1 week ago
"a top guard" not "the top guard"
Blown 8 months, 1 week ago
"a top guard from Texas"
Not the top guard from Texas. Not a top guard in the Nation.
A top guard from Texas. That's it.
PS. September 17 wasn't last week. It was Monday, and that's when he committed.
soapisurfriend 8 months, 1 week ago
I was being sarcastic about his commitment date, as there have been tweets about him committing since he visited manhattan September 1. Nobody is saying he is a top guard in the nation, but in the ultra-talent rich state of Texas. Which he is neither in Texas, nor the country, although the upside is there for the 3-star prospect.
Robin Smith 8 months, 1 week ago
Dave Telep, yesterday, reported the commitment on his blog with the teaser link saying literally, "Kansas State lands top Texas guard"
Note, he means a top guard, not the top guard, just as the OP said. What the strict definition of 'top' is is debatable. Either way, it seems like your initial response is a tangent, which misses the point.
BTW, did you know that sarcasm is derived from a Greek word meaning 'to tear one's flesh' -- ugh, not a very nice idea. Did you also know that sarcasm does not really get conveyed well over the internet, especially sans signifiers like the tilde.
soapisurfriend 8 months, 1 week ago
A tangent? I'm not so sure. Argumentative and maybe unnecessarily confrontational? I'd agree. My apologies to BJ for that, I simply do not like to give the Wilcats praise, even if warranted. I will agree with you that the meaning of "top" differs depending on how you're looking at it. There are literally hundreds of high school ballers in Texas, so I guess, from this view he is considered a "top guard". When I look at the top, I mean guys like the Harrison twins, Keith Frazier, Matt Jones, Kendal Harris or Emmanuel Mudiay (who by the way is at the too of my wish list in 2014).
Robin Smith 8 months ago
"A tangent? I'm not so sure. Argumentative and maybe unnecessarily confrontational? I'd agree."
--- Hahaha, I love it, great response (no sarcasm). I agree with you, except I'm down with anyone repping Kansas on the national scene, even if it is our delinquent little brother. Your point about how many guards there are in Texas was exactly what I was thinking too. I would also be very happy if we got any of those players who by comparison make KSU's guy look not-so-top :D
Morttom 8 months, 1 week ago
Selden seems like a great prospect.
by Morttom
Blown 8 months, 1 week ago
Selden's description reminded me a bit of Royce White. I would like that Match Up Advantage any day if he can really handle the rock.
BigManU 8 months, 1 week ago
I think that sounds about right! A little shorter, but pretty spot on. Wouldn't you take the chance for a year to develop a "Point Forward" in order to get a guy like Selden?
Blown 8 months, 1 week ago
Ya, I have a feeling Bill would love to scheme with that!
wildjayhawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Wesley will be a great fit for K ST.
ralster 8 months, 1 week ago
Why dont you talk about your purple players on your KStutter Purple(pussy) website instead of here? We all know Bruce Weber cant even hold Self's j-strap. Shall we go ahead and hold the "funeral" for Weber now, or do ya want to actually go thru the pain of watching the actual games? Or more aptly described as royal-blue beatin's. Even in that Sherrontagon-o-gloom, er, I mean Tyshawntagon building on your purplePussy(cat) campus...
nuleafjhawk 8 months, 1 week ago
ralser - true statement about BW not being able to hold Self's j-strap.
But - it doesn't mean that he wouldn't LIKE to........
dylans 8 months, 1 week ago
Succeed at Illinois get head coaching job at KU. Fail at Illinois get head coaching job at KSU.
ralster 8 months, 1 week ago
Sorry to thump you with the truth, but since you clearly need to be told: Frank Martin & Jake Pullen LONG GONE. Now it is simply Manlesshattan...Well at least your Ahearn donor crowd will be happier as Weber will at least smile alot, and not be such a distraction (that Frank reputedly was) from the last few months of Purplegasm going on in Snyder Stadium...
Blown 8 months, 1 week ago
Having a bad day Ralster? Jumpin his ass for a comment about our in state rival? Geesh, Man! Seems relative to me.
Well-technically not a rival, though--I take that back.
ralster 8 months, 1 week ago
BlownJay, Not a bad day, just always looking to have fun at Purple's expense. They are the new "target" now that Mizzou is gone. They want to be. I dont know about other KU alums or fans, but I personally have had too many Purple fans say too many jackazz things, so I am now always ready to give those pretenders the double-barrel blast. Afterall, they come to our site to talk their rubbish. I have never posted anything on a purple website. Why do they come here? To get put in their place by daddy.
Lulufulu85 8 months, 1 week ago
man, cant they just start the season already? Im sick of waiting for it.
BigManU 8 months, 1 week ago
Why all the long faces KU fans? It is still September and the early signing period is still a month away and KU currently has two Top 30 prospects already for next year. I would say KU is ahead of schedule unlike some recent years in the recruiting world.
Yes, KU has apparently missed on a couple of PG targets that KU seemed confident in getting 1 of 3 in Barber, Jackson, and Jones, but that's the craziness of recruiting and that shouldn't be foreign to anybody.
I am really hoping Self and Staff are thinking outside the box here because KU's roster and future options actually allow Self and KU to mix it up a bit over the next couple of years. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise or for the half empty group out there............your drepression pills may very well be getting a refill.
I like Blownjay's and Aloahawk's thinking here. If you could land a Selden, Parker, or Randle and "Create" a position for these folks...............wouldn't you take that opportunity? Bill Self is a highly intelligent individual and he gets paid 3 million for a reason. You can't have a robotic system that looks the same year after year. You have to adjust and you have to adapt to the personnel that is on your roster.
Obviously, KU may miss on their 2013 PG targets, but wouldn't you make an exception for one year to develop a "Point Forward" in order to get a Selden, Parker, or possibly Randle or any combination of the two until a PG arrives in 2014?
IMO, the 2013 class is so deep, you do whatever it takes to land some of these recruits, even it makes you have to go back and restructure your offense around your roster. You have to be able to change and adapt and I hope that is what Bill Self is thinking here.
ralster 8 months, 1 week ago
Good post. Regarding the "long faced ku fans", I have come to realize there are many, many apparently male posters here that b*tch better than many women. Same stuff under the basketball stories. And especially under the football stories. Like any football coach in the United States would have forged a juggernaut on the gridiron after 3games played, without even a single full recruiting season. And regarding basketball recruiting, people think anything they say matters at all compared to the level Bill Self Recruiting operates at? Dimwits who forgot ku's recruiting under Roy. Fraidy-cats cowering under their own insecurities to acknowledge Self's program is the winningest Div1 program the last 6yrs running. Better than KY, better than Duke, and better than UNC. Oh, but they got no faith that the Man will craft a winner no matter how the recruiting chips fall. They miss the nuance of the fluidity of how Self patches things together if he has to. Brilliant example is how Tyshawn/TRobHawks were coached even after supposed recruiting "failures". Y'all dont need to drink our koolaid or even stand with us believers-->how about just shut the hell up and wait?! Applies to basketball recruiting as well as the football rebuilding project. Bored already from the avg-30 win seasons Self gives ya? And just stay home from Kivisto Field, until us diehard alums tell you it is "safe" to come watch our Jayhawks, eh?
bennybob 8 months ago
Question?
If i "shut the hell up" can i at least reserve the right to say "I told you so" when the on the court performance inevitably drops unless recruiting efforts improve?
twocoach44 8 months, 1 week ago
Dear Demetrius Jackson, shouldn't the goal be to play FOR a great team, not AGAINST a great team? Come to Kansas, where you will actually have a chance at accomplishing something, versus Notre Dame, where you will only get a chance to play AGAINST teams that have accomplished something.
OakvilleJHawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Let's expand the box a little more and come up with a Shooting Point Strong Forward position!!
My Personal Number One Priority is Karvier Shephard. You can teach and coach ball handling, smart distribution, floor vision by with mixing and matching guard strengths, play style, practice, etc.
You can't coach 6'-10"/7'-0" height...it just has to be there.
BigManU 8 months, 1 week ago
I think that sounds great, but you realize he is still a couple of years away, right? He's not going to be an "Impact" player right away.
BigManU 8 months, 1 week ago
Just some other food for thought.............Maybe Brannen Greene is the one being groomed at the "Point Forward" position and everybody else will just fall into place.
OakvilleJHawk 8 months, 1 week ago
HHMMMM....interesting thought!!
jhawkrulz 8 months, 1 week ago
That 5th scholie needs to go to the 7 footer that just popped on the radar. If there is a coach that can do a lot with a 7 footer it is Bill Self. The center position has been steadily built at KU over the past few years (of course Danny was here to help), but I still think the system plays well to that position.
ralster 8 months, 1 week ago
I am feeling better about our bigs development now, as was really hating the fact we lost DManning--until I recalled those 3 years Self was at Illinois...with no Danny, his bigs were still tough, versatile, and aggressive. Just like how he personally pushed the Twins from "soft" frosh--> to the tough ballers we saw their junior season (which too many "ku" fans misinterpreted totally). Would be nice if ku fans actually took a moment (or 3) to analyze, consider, and pontificate their own coach's persona, track record, and methods.
JayhawkJohn 8 months, 1 week ago
Okay, I'm done pontificating now.
kellerman411 8 months ago
Pontificating: To express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic.
PikesPeakSmitty 8 months, 1 week ago
Randle is spending twice as much choosing a college as he's going to be there.
JayhawkJohn 8 months, 1 week ago
Then Kentucky is the right place for him
RockChalk26 8 months ago
Never thought about that with the OAD. But you are spot on
ParisHawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Since BigManU picked up on my word "depressing" - I meant the article, not our recruiting situation overall. Ku basketball is exhilarating!
Robin Smith 8 months, 1 week ago
ATTN: posters responding to a lark
HawkKlaw 8 months, 1 week ago
Everyone keeps talking about Bill Self's recruiting struggles. Simply put - they don't exist.
I'll give you that ONE year, when the Morris twins (and less-importantly Josh Selby) waited until very, very late in the recruiting game to tell Bill Self that they wouldn't be returning, we had some recruiting troubles. But we should all remember that during the season, the feeling was that there was a decent chance they would both return for one more year. They hadn't made up their minds. They did so many good things on the court at KU that they earned that time to make up their minds. So yeah, Self struggled ONE year (and rightfully so). Other than that, I can't even begin to entertain the notion that KU has recruiting woes. As my sort-of-sometimes friend HEM would say, "Give me the next tier who isn't a sure-fire 1st round pick. A kid whose professional playing career will be decided by how well he develops at KU." That's what I've been saying all along, and that's exactly how Bill Self continues to win big every year.
What you perceive as "recruiting troubles" are what I perceive as a combination of "recruits choosing other schools for other reasons (guaranteed PT, location, family, etc)" and "Bill Self opting for talented, team-oriented recruits." Sure, there are higher-ranked players out there looking at places like Kentucky and UNC. And occasionally Self does land the Josh Selby's and the Xavier Henry's of the world. But KU has always recruited (and continues to recruit) some of the best "team-oriented" players in the country. That's how last year's team got so far and that's how Bill Self runs things. He does just fine recruiting-wise. There are a myriad of reasons that kids choose to play at other schools. Bill Self is one of the factors that lures recruits to KU, as opposed to driving them away. Nobody lands 100% of the recruits that they target. That's just how it goes.
So buck up, friends. Here's a bold prediction for you: KU is going to win a lot of games this year. And next year. And the year after that. So on and so forth.
actorman 8 months, 1 week ago
Very well said, HawkKlaw.
JayDogger 8 months, 1 week ago
Yeah, the recruiting glass is certainly half full.
I can't wait for the season to start to watch this year's recruits instead of obsessing over next year's potential recruits. HCBS is the best and I'm confident that over time things will fall into place.
OakvilleJHawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Unless Bill Self gets hit by a train [or a trainful of money from Oklahoma City], he is going to be our coach for a very long time.
Eight [or is it nine...I lose track] conference titles, Coach of the Year three times, with two Final Fours and an NC, and no World Wide Wes helping him, he is the best coach around.
As Hawkklaw has pointed out ..."so on and so forth." The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Kansas will be the house of Streaks...Conference Titles, NCAA appearances, 30+ win seasons, NBA First Rounders, Toughest venue in America and so on and so forth.
iamakufan 8 months, 1 week ago
Mishawaka is right next door to South Bend. The kid grew up with Notre Dame.
rockchalk1990 8 months, 1 week ago
I think it's absolutely a laugh riot that this kid said Notre is now playing with the big boys! What a slap in the face to the likes of Louisville, UCONN, Villanova, Georgetown, on and on and on. Good one!!! I love this dude!
jhox 8 months, 1 week ago
Personally, I'd like Parker as our point forward for a year. I've mentioned him here before, but there is a very talented Junior point guard at Grandview High, Tyrone Taylor. He's a Tyshawn clone with a better shooting stroke than Tyshawn had at that age. He's not getting a lot of love from the recruiting services mainly because he plays the two on his Under Armour team,, but he is definitely a true point guard. He has the best court vision I've seen from an athletic point guard in the KC area in a long time. Killer first step. I didn't get out and see him this summer, but I'm told he made the all tournament team at nearly every major tournament he played in this past summer, and he was playing out of position. I'm thinking Parker as point forward for a year, then bring in young Taylor and maybe one other point guard to battle the following year.
JayDogger 8 months ago
That guys is rated by ESPN as a 2-star--worse than Doyle. You obviously must know something they don't.
ralster 8 months, 1 week ago
The main thing with bennybob's argument (if anyone unfolded the 10 reply exchange above), is that he is assuming Kentucky, UNC, Duke "select" and "get" a much, much higher percentage of the kids they target and recruit heavily. He also refers to Self's recruiting as being "below" the standard Self himself set early in his KU tenure. My counterpoint to bennybob is that the 06+07 classes back to back "loaded" the roster nicely, but it may not have given a National Championship if Rush hadnt returned. Also, 1 missed 3pt shot from Davidson, and no natl championship even with Mr. Rush. What bennybob also seems to be doing is going by "gut feeling" about Duke's and UNC's recruiting. How on earth does he know just how many kids UNC and Duke are going after? He cannot know their recruiting target list as well as we at KU know Self's...and we all dont know/not supposed to know what our own coach is up to...so where is the foundation for the Self-slams that bennybob keeps trying to hit Bill with? Okay, take last year's TyshawnHawks. One could argue recruiting failures caused that particular roster...but then give some weight to eligibility bullcrap about McLemore and Traylor, also. But then the whole argument is BLOWN because that very short-handed roster makes the champ game and comes within 3 missed dunks and 2 clanked FTs of...(y'all know). Wish Bennybob would quit expecting Self to measure up to other coaches about whom Bennybob knows even less. Way less. Apparently bennybob doesnt know much about Self either. No way he can rationally comment on all the secret recruiting targets of Duke+UNC+Kentucky! Not possible. He just mad that Self doesnt recruit a Calipari-level class every single year. No one else does it every single year. And Self is not Calipari. And if Calipari missed out on 2 guys, that is 40% of his team, and he'd be sunk (not Sweet16 material). I dont want to live on the wire like a Calipari/Kentucky fan would (no thanks!). Nor do I want to be a UNC fan right about now. Duke has very stringent academic requirements that wouldnt allow a Bill Self to mentor handpicked athletes in a fatherly manner and create those success stories KU is also known for nurturing. God in heaven, bennybob---> all I want to say to you is LET BILL SELF BE BILL SELF. I love the job he does. He cannot get inside a recruit's head anymore than you and I could. Just lay off your shtick...getting really old. You have the right to your opinion, but analytically speaking, you have no basis (other than hypothetical whiffs) and I disagree with you 100%. No offense intended.
dynamitehawk 8 months, 1 week ago
Great analysis as always. I've been on the road with work and been busy Daddying Dynamite Jr., so I've not been so active here. Lot's to be happy about. I'm as happy as ever to be a Jayhawk. Self is unreal. Can't wait for the season.
bennybob 8 months ago
Great point Ralster.
I fully concede my interpretation of recruiting success is gut feeling. I tried to collect some actual data but frankly i just don't care enough about winning the argument to do the work.
I would counter that I do know as much about the other blueblood programs recruiting efforts as KU. My younger plays on the Top AAU team in minnesota along with Tyus Jones(#1 pg in '14), Rashad Vaugh(#15 overall '14) and a couple other D1 bound kids. I see coaches from big schools every weekend. I'm very tapped into the rumor mill and get access to information that isn't available on Rivals and scout. can anyone on this site quote what John Callipari's recruiting pitch to Tyus Jones was? I can. Can anyone say what Roy Williams top targets are for the class of '14? I can, he told them to Vaughn. Anybody know where Tom Izzo was Saturday night? Apple Valley Minnesota!
With that said. As always I wouldn't trade Bill Self for anyone, I dont want a Callipari like NBA feeder system. All i want is the KU program of 5 years ago.
You'll probably get your wish because i am getting really tired of having to defend a stance that all evidence proves is true(that being KUs recruiting has dipped in recent years) just because most people on this site are too blinded by their bias to accept any negative information at face value.
kellerman411 8 months ago
Dude, Ralster is a psycho, he attacks everyone on here. I've seen him blow up on at least a dozen people who he thought were ripping Self. I think Jaybate signs in as Ralster whenever his prescription runs out...
bennybob 8 months ago
lol,
actually he's reached out to me on personal basis to appologize for his less-than-nice treatment of me in the past.
look at the last sentence of his post, he went out of his way to say although he disagrees with me he still respects my opinion.
jaybate 8 months ago
kellerman,
Man up, will ya?
ralster hard on board rats? You have to be flipping kidding yourself and everyone else.
ralster is one of the most civilized, rational and fair posters on this iWildWildWest. You have to be whistling this through your own seminal vesicle on this.
I've never seen ralster really undress anyone outside of some trolls.
ralster just thinks it through, brings his reasoning, and gently persists in explaining the point that another (including me sometimes) is missing.
bennybob is similar, but slightly more skeptical about certain trends and not as consistently upbeat as ralster.
But bennybob has his crits and strong crits prompt ralster's brain meat to go into reasoning mode.
This is what the board is all about.
Assertions/crits and counter commentary.
This is the essential dynamic that makes it worth coming here.
Just because one or the other of them occasionally gets his back up about the other just means they are unneutered KU basketball fans.
Let them bark and bite a little, because they are both trying to get at something, sometimes affirming to know, and sometimes disturbing, but worth the effort, and few sparks, to get to it.
And whenever either one gets to the point of asserting they are tired of asserting something that all evidence proves is true, it just means he is frustrated that what seems manifestly true to him must require further refinement.
Real discourse is a dance of running into rock walls, first others, and then your own.
The truth is out their, as Chris Carter used to say in the credits of the XFiles. :-)
Rock Chalk!!!!
bennybob 8 months ago
"And whenever either one gets to the point of asserting they are tired of asserting something that all evidence proves is true, it just means he is frustrated that what seems manifestly true to him must require further refinement. "
Ha! SO TRUE! i'm not acutally going to quit arguing, just frustrated at the moment!
HawkKlaw 8 months ago
"I fully concede my interpretation of recruiting success is gut feeling. I tried to collect some actual data but frankly i just don't care enough about winning the argument to do the work."
The white flag of surrender!
phogphan2000 8 months ago
Calipari is definitely taking the road of only signing the highest guys he's interested in first, then working down the chain to who's left if he misses out. He definitely wanted more out of this class, missed on a few but still put together a roster. I'm not big on them coming into next year, the odds of Noel being the next AD are low, Harrow should be good but we'll see, Goodwin and Poythress are impressive, WIltjer can shoot it, Cauley will be okay off the bench, backup PG is a transfer that could be okay, might not be. Definitely for those who worry about injuries it's a thin roster, but how many teams have sustained a major injury and still made the FF in the past? Depth is nice, but if you lose a star you're in trouble on any team. Calipari has to be a little careful not to sign too many Cauleys and Wiltjers that might scare somebody off in a year or two. To me it's more of a question of do you want to have guys around you can root for over 3-4 seasons, or guys come in, play a year and leave and start all over. Personally I enjoy getting to know the players over their time at KU, I like watching them mature and improve. No matter your strategy, if you're KU, UK, UNC, Duke...with your current coaches and name brand, you'll find success. I think it's clear UNC and Duke players, probably throw in UK at this point as well are going to get a little more exposure and hype from people at ESPN, little bit better coverage than KU gets. That's a slight handicap, but KU gets a lot of recognition as well. Big12 has taken a slight step back in bball with the conference realignments though WVU could change that if they improve from last season. Having 2 games/yr against teams like BU and Texas helps. In general though the smaller conference probably hurts 'cause the Big12 won't be as represented in the NCAAs as it has been in the past, especially when you consider that the ACC and SEC will be bigger than they have been. Bottom line, huge handicap to compete for top10 talent with UK 'cause they have so many minutes available each year. Bit of handicap with UNC/Duke 'cause they have huge publicity around their programs and the head-to-head games. Self is doing an excellent job bringing in top50 talent and developing them.
Robin Smith 8 months ago
This season is going to be great! Next season will be great and we already have fantastic guys lined up. It's all golden (like Super K's jersey in my pic). It can only get goldener.
The bottom line with recruiting is this:
1) Self and his staff are great at recognizing talent so all of their targets are great (more or less)
2) Self and his staff are excellent at teaching the game and developing players
3) Hudy and her crew are going to transform everyone
4) From the pool of excellently talented prospects, we will get the guys who WANT to be at KU
it's pretty much foolproof.
forget all of the hype and rankings and remember that Thomas Robinson was a workmanlike no-name who was initially thought to be Darnell Jackson Part 2 rather than Consensus AA BEAST
damn it feels good to be a jayhawk.
phogphan2000 8 months ago
Selden sounds like he'd be a great pickup. Jackson sounds like the ACC deal probably sealed it for him at ND. Can't imagine Young picking UK with most likely Goodwin returning and the twins most likely coming in. Depending on how things look for BMac and White this season I could see him becoming more interested in KU, but it's not like there isn't a lot of competition out there. Self has definitely worked hard on the recruiting trail this year, so thank you to the staff for their diligence.
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