2022-2023 Lineup

[ousdahl]

player 1: 6 for 22 in 118 minutes


player 2: 20 for 62 in 1158 minutes
player 3: 0 of 3 in 112 minutes

on one hand yea that question does feel dumb.

But on the other hand, we've never really been in a situation in which we had a center get the green light to take 22 threes in limited minutes as a freshman, combined with not one but two point guards for whom the deep ball is pretty explicitly NOT a featured part of their games.

[Deleted User 863]

I don't think it's a dumb question.

My answer would be Clemence.

[randylahey]

I dont see why some of you get so worked up. A comparison does not mean "i think this guy will turn out exactly like nick collison"

It just means there are some similarities between their skillsets. And clemence has good potential. Its obviously unproven so far

Still think this board is sleeping on clemence tho. Hes so much more than just a 3 pt shooter. He showed brief flashes of being a big tough skilled forward

[ousdahl]

posting here too to ask, among those 3 doods, a couple more likely starters, and a 2-3 more off the bench...who scores?

[pdub]

Jalen Wilson.
Dejuan Harris.
Gradey Dick.

[KUTradition]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... eason/amp/

… Though many of the faces in the rotation will be new, two starters do return, and a plethora of talented players are poised to emerge from reserve roles or from the nation's No. 4 ranked recruiting class to help replace the departed production. Ultimately, a significant drop-off would be surprising for a program that hasn't missed an NCAA Tournament since 1989.

…

Projected starting lineup
1. Dajuan Harris Jr.
6-1 | 170 | Redshirt Jr.

Harris is one of KU's two returning starters after logging 29 minutes per game in his redshirt sophomore season. Though undersized and athletically limited, he's proven to be a steady hand for the Jayhawks in facilitating the offense. Harris also has a knack for ripping opposing ball-handlers and sneaking into passing lanes on defense. Predecessors Devon Dotson, Devonte' Graham and Frank Mason set the bar quite high at point guard in terms of offensive production. But so long as other players step up to carry the offensive load this season, Harris can keep thriving as a role player.

2. Kevin McCullar
6-6 | 210 | Redshirt Sr.

With three years of Big 12 experience under his belt at Texas Tech, McCullar arrives at KU's as one of the league's most-proven perimeter players. He's a rugged defender and physical presence who can help with distributing and scoring while also handling challenging defensive assignments. His career 29.9% 3-point percentage isn't great, especially when paired with Harris, who is only an average shooter. But as the No. 19 ranked transfer of the offseason, he'll be instrumental in helping KU replace Agbaji and Braun.

3. Gradey Dick
6-8 | 205 | Fr.

Dick finished the 2022 recruiting cycle ranked as the No. 21 player in the class by 247Sports. As a McDonald's All-American and former star for powerhouse Sunrise Christian, the Wichita, Kansas, native figures to make an immediate impact. 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins described Dick as a "long and lean shooter with a strong basketball IQ and great size for the wing position." Given that KU's top four 3-point shooters by percentage from last season have departed, Dick's shooting prowess will be needed.

4. Jalen Wilson
6-8 | 225 | Redshirt Jr.

Wilson's production stagnated a bit in his redshirt sophomore season while Agbaji and Braun took their play to new heights, but he still averaged 11.1 points. Now, it's his turn for a breakout year. Wilson can score at all three levels and guard multiple positions, making him the type of versatile weapon that coach Bill Self will rely on in almost any type of lineup. If he can improve on his career 29.8% 3-point mark, Wilson could become a 2023 NBA Draft pick because of that versatility. He's the most-proven player in a Kansas uniform on this roster.

5. Zach Clemence
6-10 | 225 | Soph.

Clemence appeared in 24 games and logged just 118 total minutes as a true freshman stuck behind a group of veterans last season. But in the time the former four-star prospect did play, he flashed the type of skill set that should get Kansas fans excited for what he can do in an expanded role. For example: in four minutes during the 2021-22 season opener against Michigan State, Clemence scored seven points, hit a 3-pointer and collected two steals. He's a true stretch big offensively and should be athletic enough to block shots and defend pick and rolls defensively. Physicality may be a concern.

Bench
MJ Rice
6-5 | 220 | Fr.
Rice earned McDonald's All-American honors and finished the 2022 recruiting cycle as the No. 37 player in the class, according to 247Sports. He's listed as a bench option here, but Self made it clear this summer Rice will be in the hunt for a starting job. Though originally from Durham, North Carolina, Rice averaged 20.1 points per game for Prolific Prep in Napa, California, last season. 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins wrote that Rice "has the physical build of a Mack Truck but combines his powerful frame with a great amount of athleticism and skill."

Bobby Pettiford Jr.
6-1 | 190 | Fr.
Pettiford played a steady role during the first month of last season until an abdominal injury derailed a promising freshman campaign. Self had no problem deploying Harris and Martin together as an undersized duo in 2021-22, so there should be plenty of minutes available for Pettiford at either guard slot as Self figures out his backcourt rotation.

KJ Adams Jr.
6-7 | 225 | Soph.
Adams is an incredibly athletic forward who played a utilitarian role in 37 appearances as a true freshman. With an increase in minutes, he could become a human highlight reel for the Jayhawks on both ends. He's not an outside threat, but he's the type of player who can make winning plays off the bench and develop into a fan favorite as his career continues to progress.

Joseph Yesufu
6-0 | 180 | Jr.
Yesufu burst onto the national scene in the 2020 NCAA Tournament with two huge offensive performances for Drake. Now in his second season at Kansas, he is fighting for a steady role after his minutes waned in last season's NCAA Tournament run. Though one undersized guard departs in Martin, the return of Harris and Pettiford means there is still a battle for minutes among undersized guards.

Depth
Ernest Udeh Jr. | 6-11 | 240 | Fr.
Zuby Ejiofor | 6-9 | 235 | Fr.
Cam Martin | 6-9 | 230 | Redshirt Sr.

Unless Self is ready to embrace a small-ball mantra, the Jayhawks will absolutely need some help in the frontcourt as McCormack and Lightfoot depart. Clemence appears to be a good bet to hold down a starting role, and Adams seems likely to play some power forward off the bench. After that, it looks like three players will have a chance to steal a role in the frontcourt. Ejiofor and Udeh are four-star true freshmen, while Martin is the polar opposite as a sixth-year senior who transferred in from Missouri Southern State before last season. Martin was a Division II All-American who spent last season as a redshirt. Don't be surprised if one of these three finds their way into the rotation. As a McDonald's All-American, Udeh certainly has the high school pedigree to make an early impact.

[Cascadia]

“ Adams seems likely to play some power forward off the bench.”



That position doesn’t exist in modern basketball.

[pdub]

Yes it does.
Dedric Lawson is an example at KU.
( Dok got hurt to save you the next response )

[randylahey]

“ Adams seems likely to play some power forward off the bench.”



That position doesn’t exist in modern basketball.

I'm excited to see him on the floor with any combination of clemence Wilson dick Mccullar and a guard. KJ can guard the fuck out of anyone

[pdub]

Harris, McCullar and KJ will be out there for stretches - that's a good defensive group.

[Overlander]

Harris, McCullar and KJ will be out there for stretches - that's a good defensive group.

No doubt. Run killers

[UnholyLivingDead]

Harris, McCullar and KJ will be out there for stretches - that's a good defensive group.

No doubt. Run killers

This tells me that Self is really going to love this team. There will be nights where we won't be able to score to save our lives but we'll win because this team will be even tougher to score against.

[ousdahl]

Yea.

I think we’ll be good defensively. The biggest question mark on D is the bigs, and whether/how much rim protection we get. Isn’t this the time of year we should get a story like “Clemence tacked on 20 pounds of mass plus got some ink” ?

But yea, I worry we’ll struggle to score. Might come down to Dick. Or Yes. Or maybe pick and pop with Zach? Who knows.

On one hand Jalen seems most likely to get the star treatment, but on the other he’s just such an effective garbage guy, and not exactly the type of game to be the focal point of an offense

[Deleted User 863]

I don't think we will struggle to score. But our outside shooting consistency will be an issue as at times I think.

[ousdahl]

Yea.

But outside shooting is such an important part of scoring, particularly in the modern small ball game.

But if our shooting sucks and we’re still scoring, does that mean our driving game will be it? Or feed the post? Or just toss bricks and let Jalen get the rebound putback?

[CrimsonNBlue]

Harris, McCullar and KJ will be out there for stretches - that's a good defensive group.

No doubt. Run killers

This tells me that Self is really going to love this team. There will be nights where we won't be able to score to save our lives but we'll win because this team will be even tougher to score against.

I don't think that's how it works anymore. Our teams in the last 10ish years that have struggled to score have not been good.

My worry for this team is scoring droughts, but yes, our defense should hopefully keep us in striking distance in most games.

Dick might be more important for this team than we thought, and McCullar was on his way to a better offensive season last year before getting hurt. He should be better with a better offensive coach. Hopefully we end up fine on that end--I think a key could be to push the ball in transition again with Jalen in the mix.

[Deleted User 863]

Yea.

But outside shooting is such an important part of scoring, particularly in the modern small ball game.

But if our shooting sucks and we’re still scoring, does that mean our driving game will be it? Or feed the post? Or just toss bricks and let Jalen get the rebound putback?

It means we will have good defense. Sometimes the best offense for a poor outside shooting team is defense.

And maybe we won't be a poor outside shooting team. Jalen Yes DH Dick and Rice could all be decent outside shooters for us. Maybe even McCullar especially now that he won't have/get to shoot as much.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Yea.

But outside shooting is such an important part of scoring, particularly in the modern small ball game.

But if our shooting sucks and we’re still scoring, does that mean our driving game will be it? Or feed the post? Or just toss bricks and let Jalen get the rebound putback?

I think we will see our normal 4 around 1 again and try to get one of Harris, Jalen, or McCullar downhill to create a play.

McCullar has a great handle and played PG last year and is a much better shooter when he's set, so it might work out in this particular offense.

I hope DaJuan can develop into a "just keep them honest" 3-point threat, that would hopefully be good enough to stop teams from guarding him how they did last season that really jammed up the spacing and allowed them to fade Och and CB.

Jalen just has to turn into a more consistent 3-point threat. The team and his pro aspirations depend on it.

MJ is going to play a lot, but it doesn't sound like he's going to be a shooter. Dick will be a shooter, but if he's our only one, he's easier to guard.

There's a path to being a good offensive team, but it feels kind of narrow. I am hopeful, but that's the biggest reason why I was fine with DMac coming back. He would have been good for an automatic 13-14 points/game and taken pressure off the perimeter.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Also meant to say I don't think it's out of the question that we will see a 5 out offense at times when Clemence or Adams are in at the 5. Just open the lane up and run downhill.

[ousdahl]

That’s a good point that we should be able to play more 5 out with this roster.

We went through a lot of pounding it to Dave even though the opposing D knew we would, and could get away with doubling the post cuz non-shooters and/or just passiveness on the perimeter