Ochai Agbaji

[Mjl]

Two games in a row and clearly better than Grimes in those games... Does he supplant him in the starting lineup at some point?

[Deleted User 75]

Not likely.

[Deleted User 89]

Not likely.

why not?

Agbaji has earned it...and i’m generally of the opinion that it isn’t who starts, but who finishes, that is more important

[Deleted User 104]

He's been better than I expected. Hope to see him get more minutes.

[thekid6]

I'm fine either way...off the bench as the 6th man, or starting. The dude can play!

[Deleted User 62]

Fran annoys me, but he did say that Ochai is the most likely NBA player on this years team.

[sdoyel]

Grimes disappears at times. Agbaji makes his precense known every possession. He’s so active.

[pdub]

Doyel makes a great post.

[vegashawk]

1) how do you go from basically an unknown high school player to a stud?
2) how frustrated must he have been while redshirted knowing how much better he is than some of those getting playing time.

[twocoach]

1) how do you go from basically an unknown high school player to a stud?
2) how frustrated must he have been while redshirted knowing how much better he is than some of those getting playing time.

1) By playing hard and making smart decisions even when the pressure is on.
2) It is rare that players who play hard and make smart decisions even when the pressure is on to get frustrated in such a scenario. Handle your own business and when your time comes you will be ready.

[DCHawk1]

Doyel makes a great post.

As we were trying our best to blow it, I kept thinking, "Goddammit, Doyel!"

[randylahey]

self made a comment along the lines of "If we would have known he would be where he is at we wouldn't have considered redshirting him" in reference to removing the redshirt from Ochai in early January. Makes it sound like they obviously knew he was going to be a good player for us, but he has improved a ton since the start of the season and is way ahead of schedule

[Deleted User 75]

An example that everyone improves at different rates....and also that you don't need game minutes to make improvement in every instance.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Again, Ochai's injury really factored into the redshirt decision. And Udoka's injury obviously majorly factored into playing Ochai.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Ochai was also a late bloomer. Not on the AAU circuit, so no early hype. Even at his HS, he didn't exhibit high D-1 caliber prospect stuff until his senior year. If he didn't like KU so much, we would have missed out on him and watch him be a stud at a mid-major.

[Cascadia]

Again, Ochai's injury really factored into the redshirt decision. And Udoka's injury obviously majorly factored into playing Ochai.

This is the truth

[Sparko]

The beauty of good coaching is that it really impacts players who listen and work hard without distraction. This is a high IQ player that benefited from practice without the pressure that comes with playing from the start. Self left himself with options. If he can get the others to play harder and smarter too, suddenly the ceiling is high. But we need a senior who can lead.

[jfish26]

self made a comment along the lines of "If we would have known he would be where he is at we wouldn't have considered redshirting him" in reference to removing the redshirt from Ochai in early January. Makes it sound like they obviously knew he was going to be a good player for us, but he has improved a ton since the start of the season and is way ahead of schedule

Yes, but what else was Self going to say? "Honestly, we probably wouldn't be in this position if our best recruit wasn't bad, our transfer PG wasn't bad, our most versatile guard can't shoot a lick and our most experienced guard wasn't prone to disappearing?"

[kubandalum]

KC Star article headline pointed out that Ochai played his first 46 minutes without one TO. I wonder how that compares. I remember Self pulling quite a few freshmen after early TOs. Anyone?

[CrimsonNBlue]

KC Star article headline pointed out that Ochai played his first 46 minutes without one TO. I wonder how that compares. I remember Self pulling quite a few freshmen after early TOs. Anyone?

There's something to be said about a freshman being asked to only be a role player.