Kansas basketball notebook

Wise choice by Xavier. There is no hurry - just get well and then you can choose. We wish you the very best and speedy recovery friend.

November 5, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Coaches gather at clinic

Part of recruiting is to gain contacts throughout the country with HS coaches. Not only important to have Kevin Boyle come and share his knowledge and experience but for other HS coaches (mostly from the region I assume) to hear how other successful coaches in another part of the country do things.

Coach Self teaches a style of basketball that is easily compatible with NBA teams. Memphis, by contrast, runs an offense that is not and the Memphis players struggle more to make it in the NBA. At the same time, the HS coach can go back to his team and drop into his routine a drill he learned here as "Bill Self showed me this". It works for all concerned. Coach Kevin Boyle also does the same thing while gaining some insight into Midwestern practices.

Success networks with success. It is pretty much the same everywhere in business, science, academia, etc. And Coach Self earns a penny or two from hosting the camp.

Thanks Gary.

October 28, 2008 at 12:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Vegas prep Johnson feeling better after choosing KU

ESUjayhawk thanks. I know Wall had been here but read somewhere that he originally had planned to come to Late Night on his own.

Wall is apparently a terrific player but has some question marks about his off-court entourage etc. Not saying he is a bad kid, only doubting the he was offered a non-conditional spot and now that Johnson has committed while Wall is still maintaining his interest in KU it does not look to me that Wall was the better pick for KU. The story in Sportline.com indicated some of this.

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebask...

October 20, 2008 at 12:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook

froggiemlm - that link apparently requires a subscription? It did not work for me.

October 19, 2008 at 11:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Vegas prep Johnson feeling better after choosing KU

Well said Dagger108. The best place for each player is the ideal and none of us can answer that for the recruit. It is why there are numerous teams that compete each year for the championship. Different systems and different developments and different time lines for their players. Fans can offer our opinions but show ignorance to proclaim a player is best or not.

What some may not understand is that, although there are a dozen or so players each year that claim to be offered by Kansas, the system works more precisely than first-come first-signed. Coach Self is honest with these guys and likely tells them "you are in my top priority group" but not many get offered a no-conditions offer. Most likely Orton, for example, was told if another player did not come to KU he would. When Robinson committed, clearly Coach Self called Orton and told him the higher post player has committed and Orton is free to take his next choice (Kentucky). Same with Henry and the other wings. It may be that only one wing was going to get to come to KU (with a post and a guard) or maybe two. Stevenson wisely chose to wait until spring because an additional spot may open up then and he was not given an outright offer. The presence of Johnson at Late Night and not Wall may indicate that Johnson had a firm offer and Wall had to wait. Just because Rivals or Scout or ESPN thinks a player is the top recruit is not indicative of Coach Self and staff's opinion of who best fits KU. I think most national writers were surprised at Darnell Jackson's scholarship but Coach Self knew what he had and now so does Cleveland in the NBA. Some higher rated players are now likely out of basketball (graduated and working for a paycheck).

All this means I choose not to disrespect players who have not committed or who commit to another school. I still believe in the student part of student-athlete and they will get the education they need, if they apply themselves, at nearly all of these schools. I don't know what has been said by KU and what conditions are right for the player.

Welcome to KU Mr. Johnson.

October 19, 2008 at 10:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

'Late Night' nears

Parrish also reported offers from other schools and did not mention KU. It may be that Robinson commit ended the possibility for Orton from Coach Self. The remaining three (Henry, Wall and Cheek) are all apparently great players, any of which will help us to our next championship after this year. My gut is that two of them will commit to KU and the third then will pick his alternate just as Orton has done.

October 14, 2008 at 12:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook

KU will be in the finals for most top recruits simply because they can brag that they were offered by KU and Memphis is the current flavor of the month as well. Some really do like both schools. More likely there are a finite number of spots at the top schools and the offer may be contingent upon someone else not taking it.

If I am a top recruit I would love to visit several "name" schools to see the differences first hand and to experience being there. Frankly we all want to be loved!

September 28, 2008 at 11:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook

Lebrowski the problem with one and done is that they need a star system to get that lottery pick in one year. Most KU players realize that they gain such a big jump in their 2nd year that they stay at least that long. Working in a team orientation system means having to learn defensive principles and passing principles and being part of a greater whole.

We did take Brandon Rush as a one and done but he stayed and benefited greatly. (and even more in hiss 3rd year). So I agree that we can take them. I just don't agree that they will leave after one year.

Shady would probably have benefited as well to stay his 3rd year. Collins will be awesome this year. Cole might end the year as a #1 pick after backing up his 1st year.

September 28, 2008 at 12:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook

Good discussion here.

KU loves athletes who work hard and never stop. Darnell fit that mold. David Padgett (here) did not. We loved the hard worker and not the more talented player who seemed to wilt. Neither had anything to do with race.

Memphis offers a different experience for a recruit than does KU. One part of that difference is the star system there vs the team system here. However to date not one of the Memphis "stars" under Coach Cal has excelled in the NBA. By contrast Deron Williams is a Coach Self player who just helped the USA team win an Olympic Gold medal and and is the starter for Utah Jazz. Julian Wright became a key bench player in New Orleans at the end of his rookie year. He will be better this year. Mario Chalmers is the favorite (according to Dwyane Wade) to start at PG as a rookie for Miami. Brandon Rush is poised to be a key player in the youth movement in Indiana. Darrell Arthur will be an integral part of the youth movement in Memphis. And of course there are many other KU players such as Paul Pierce (NBA Champion and Finals MVP 2008) that show the depth of history and preparation for the NBA.

By contrast the single player I can recall who has shown he can get a lottery pick from Memphis is Derrick Rose. Rose was handled fairly easily in summer league this year in the NBA and it remains to be seen if he is worthy of the #1 pick. He certainly lacks experience in an NBA-type offense and does not defend the pick and roll. But here is Memphis' advantage - he could be the #1 pick after 1 year because of the star system. So players who want to be one and done get exposure and think they will be ready for the NBA. I say look at the history to determine if you want to be prepared for a professional career or be a bust (Dajuan Wagner).

September 28, 2008 at 12:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Prep Henry to skip KU visit

wow - some good information here and some misconceptions as well.

KU has two scholarships for this class and Coach Self has said he is recruiting as if he will have more.

CJ Henry has chosen well because he is older and needs to start his pro basketball career ASAP.Memphis will allow him to get national attention and leave in one year. His choice to return to school this year a school that had a scholarship to give. Yes, he could be a walk-on but that does not get a player drafted in the NBA or even playing time in college.

Xavier may have another set of needs and wants. Tradition is more valuable now. Coaching and improvement and readiness for the NBA over a 2-3 year period means maximizing more than image. How many Memphis players are playing in the NBA? Here is my count: 1 plus rookies. No NBA team last year used the dribble drive offense from Memphis. All of them run pick and roll.

Reaper187 - delay has nothing to do with liking KU. These guys get really wooed once for college and maybe if they are really good once as a mature NBA player. Enjoy the opportunity.

KGPhoto - the reason the hotel security came to the Arthurs/Chamlers room was that the smoke detector went off. They were not cited by the NBA for drugs. They were cited for the women in their rooms. Beasley was fined much more because he lied about it and refused to cooperate. I am not an apologist for the NBA but the players were there to learn how to avoid exactly that situation.

September 23, 2008 at 1:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )