2024-2025 recruits

[DeletedUser]

And if Hunter and McCullar don't come here, Self finds other players to.
You're quite bad at this.

You're getting way too worked up over this. No reason to get mad.

I honestly think it sucks that you dislike Hunter as much as you do. Instead of being able to enjoy a Kansas player having a historically great year for a KU big you've convinced yourself that players don't matter and that Self can coach anyone to results that even you wouldn't be satisfied with.

Even if Self could somehow work magic and get an Udeh+Zuby team to a 5 seed, is that really what we're going for here?

It's a no brainer to take HD over those guys.

[pdub]

It's not magic. Or fantasies.
He's a good coach.
He's shown year after year after year he can coach rosters to top 25 seasons.

"It's gonna rain tomorrow, I just know it."
"It hasn't rained in 25 days."
"Trust me. I know these things."

[DeletedUser]

And Bill Self didn't coach in the B12 tournament and was extremely doubtful to coach for the first weekend IF at all.

I'm not sure what your point is but it sure seems like you STILL, after a year, don't think Self could have coached better than Norm in that game enough to have gotten us a win.

I think we COULD have won that game with Self coaching, absolutely.

I don't think in any way it guarantees we don't lose that game. Otherwise I wouldn't know who Bucknell Bradey Northern Iowa or VCU is. Self's got his fair share of upset losses in March....I'd be willing to guess we were bigger favorites in those games than we were in the Arkansas game.

[pdub]

God.
I quit.

Classic illy.

[DeletedUser]

Moving in a different direction...Do you think Self is doing a great job with this team we have this year? Developing players. In game coaching adjustments. Etc.

What grade would you give him?


I'd probably say C+/B- (on the Self grading scale)...of the many great coaching jobs he's done over his years at KU, I wouldn't put this one near the top...We've got some huge marquee wins, but largely offset by the really bad losses. The 2nd natty a few years ago really helps stomach this season being somewhat underwhelming so far...and I still feel like if KM is healthy this team is built for the late rounds of the tournament when we matchup with the big boys. The tournament will totally mold my feelings about this season, where some years that isn't the case (for me personally). A final four or natty this year and when we look back in a few years it'll be remembered more fondly than the feeling that has surrounded our bad performances and more specifically some of our players who the fans don't like.


(Edit: awww don't quit PDub, LOL...it's just fantasy land basketball talk)

[randylahey]

I will say that people are over valuing hunter as an upgrade over udeh and zuby. He's better offensively but

Hunters defense is so bad, he makes everyone else worse on defense too. He rotates so slowly that his teammates get farther off their man trying to play help defense while he recovers. Zuby and udeh would've improved our defense, not hurt it. I think udeh especially would've grown into one of the best defensive centers we have had here

Hunter also doesn't strike me as a great rebounder. He's 7'2 and plays a lot of minutes so his numbers look good, but can anyone remember a play where Hunter grabbed rebounds outside his area?

[randylahey]

I'm curious what zuby and udeh do next season. If they stayed at KU, they would have been familiar with the coaching, system, playbook etc. When a player transfers, they don't have that familiarity and have to start over to some degree

Self in his 2nd year with them would have gotten a lot more out of them than what we are seeing from them at their new schools

[DeletedUser]

Kj might still be playing 15min per game at the 5 if we had Zuby and Udeh instead of HD.

Hunter is 7th in the country in rebounds per game. I'd think it's safe to say he's a great rebounder. He has 2 games with 20rebs this year.

Udeh a top defensive center we've had here? Better than any of Dok Withey Cole or Embiid? Seems doubtful to me he could pass those guys. Those guys were pretty good at defense. But maybe he could be (well, could have been) ranked 5th during Self era? Middle of the pack of Self bigs?

I think Udeh could have developed into a really good college player at KU. But he's probably not skilled enough to be a star. And he's not a great fit with offensively limited DH and Kj. I think Self made a good GM move "trading" Udeh+Zuby for Hunter.

I don't think he made a good GM move trading Yesufu/Pettiford/Rice for Elmarko/Timberlake/McDowell.

[pdub]

Of course Udeh could have been at star here at KU.

Short term, yes, Hunter was probably the most beneficial for winning this season ( I’d still say not the right move ).

Long term I think Udeh easily had the potential ( HERE I repeat HERE don’t go saying but TCU ) to be one of our keystone defensive centers. All American good.

Udeh showed so much potential in his limited minutes.
He was a top 20 recruit where it was obvious that he had talent his first year ( far more so than say Elmarko this ).
B of H would say you have a very low BBIQ.

[DeletedUser]

Well, you've got Randy agreeing with you, so I think that means you win.

[pdub]

randy bats .250 when it comes to Kansas basketball. He bats .005 when it comes to other things.

He hit a double here.
You struck out looking.

[DeletedUser]

If you say so.

I think you're really struggling to be objective about anything Hunter Dickinson related. Which, sucks. I don't think he's nearly as unlikable as he's been made out to be. Feels like the hate is collateral damage of NIL.

[twocoach]

hd will go where the biggest payday is. why wouldn't he.

We've had the most conference losses ever under Bill Self WITH him so I think we'd be just fine without him. If the stays, great. If he doesn't, great. No one is irreplaceable.

We've had the most conference losses ever under Bill Self with him?
Am I wrong believing we currently have 6 conference losses and in 19 and 21 we also had 6 conference losses?

You do realize without him we would probably have more conference losses. Right?

If he leaves in the offseason, we have a chance to replace him, which I think we can do just fine. And without him, I think our offense isn't just "stand around and throw it in to Hunter" like it was with Dedric Lawson. Some guys are both the reason they win as much as they do and the reason they lose as much as they do.

Like I said, if he stays, fine. If forced to bet, I bet he stays. I hope we get more shooters around him as he seems to pass out of double teams well. This year he's just passing mostly to Adams, Harris and Timberlake, who either can't or won't shoot. The roster as currently constructed, is tremendously vulnerable and needs McCullar to be playing really well to succeed.

As for McCullar? Fuck him. You can't play for weeks due to a bone bruise? Just know that NBA scouts are going to call Self and ask for his take on your injury. I'll bet he's magically feeling better soon after Self's recent comments.

[twocoach]

I'm curious what zuby and udeh do next season. If they stayed at KU, they would have been familiar with the coaching, system, playbook etc. When a player transfers, they don't have that familiarity and have to start over to some degree

Self in his 2nd year with them would have gotten a lot more out of them than what we are seeing from them at their new schools

Agreed. After seeing the apathy, stiffness, and terrible three point shooting from HD, my opinion on if we won this trade for Udeh and Ejiofor has changed.

[pdub]

I'm going to give McCullar the benefit of the doubt up until the NCAA tourney.
If he doesn't play in that, I will join the 'fuck him' twocoach train.

[pdub]

If you say so.

I think you're really struggling to be objective about anything Hunter Dickinson related. Which, sucks. I don't think he's nearly as unlikable as he's been made out to be. Feels like the hate is collateral damage of NIL.

I have said I think Hunter is a better short term option.
I think we would have a worse seed without him this year.

But I think, no, wait, I know you're really struggling to understand historical data.

[DeletedUser]

2yrs of HD is the better long term option too.

[DeletedUser]

I liked Udeh too. At the time, I was not happy he and zuby got shown the door (essentially) by HD coming to KU. But I get it now. This roster needed offense badly and we still aren't very good offensively.

I think Udeh's ceiling was more David McCormack-ish than Udoka Azabuike-ish.

Which isn't a knock. I loved DMac. We won a title with DMac.

[pdub]

Totally different player.

[DeletedUser]

Totally different player.

Every player is unique.

Similarly ranked coming out of HS. Big guy who stayed 4 years at KU developing under Self.