Recruiting

[randylahey]

I think one of the most important traits of a center is the ability to anchor your defense and protect the rim, hunter doesn't do that.

I think one of the most important traits of a pg is to have some quickness and ability to ignite an offense when it is struggling, dajuan doesn't have that.

I think one of the most important traits of a versatile forward is the ability to knock down shots and open the floor up for everyone, KJ doesn't have that

I think these 3 factors made us very vulnerable. We won a lot of games and beat good teams in the non con, but the big 12 exposed and exploited those weaknesses

Unfortunately all those issues could be here next season too

[DeletedUser]

We do have "good" players. I don't think we have elite players. Regardless of accolades.

[DeletedUser]

Unfortunately all those issues could be here next season too

Our outside shooting sucks.

[randylahey]

Furphy is the most important recruit this off season IMO. desperately need his shooting next year.

[ousdahl]

I hate to say it, but if we wanna avoid a repeat of this year next year, we might need to blow up at least some of this returning roster

A core of Hunter/KJ/Juan all poised to play 35+ a game again just seems like…shit, we’re gonna be relying on a couple transfers and/or true freshmen to play roles like, be our primary shooting and scoring, and be the “go get us a bucket” guy, and break down the defense, and set the tone for non-soft play, and actually be a leader on the floor.

That’s to say, if our returning core isn’t capable of roles as critical as that, what’s the returning core even for?

Hunter may have been an elite big for KU in a bygone era. And I honestly don’t pick up on much of the “he’s only in it for the money” narrative, that seems so self-serving. My criticism is he’s like 800-thread count soft. How’s a dood that big not have his way in the paint? And play below the rim?

I like KJ’s game, but also think KJ would have prob been a 6th man on most of our other teams we consider “good.” A non-shooting, poor-rebounding, tweener wing thing, what the F is even that.

And Dajuan. I know I’ve been critical of you. But if you don’t want criticism, don’t be the lead guard at a blue blood. And def don’t be the lead guard at a blue blood who’s not a good shooter, not a good rim finisher, not good at getting past your guy and in the paint, not good at just going and making something happen when we need it, not even a particularly good leader or floor general even tho that’s how your apologists bill you.

Speaking of “Bill” you, I think the one thing coach loves more than his teacher’s pet favorites, is actually winning. So I think he either blows up the core, or rather conspicuously recruits over them anyway.

[pdub]

"not even a particularly good...floor general even tho that’s how your apologists bill you"

Well this is a fail.
Dajuan is an extension of Self and this is a huge reason why Self loves the guy.
You might be mostly or partly correct about the previous things said about Dajuan but this was a whoopsie.

[DeletedUser]

Furphy is the most important recruit this off season IMO. desperately need his shooting next year.

Probably true/fair.

Bidunga will be very important as well (if HD leaves).

A lineup of

DH
Elmarko (or whoever)
Furphy
Kj
Bidunga (or HD)

Is still not a great lineup offensively without some serious improvement from all 4 returnees.

[ousdahl]

Yes he’s an extension of Self.

But in a “the only other school who even bothered with me is like directional mizzou state” talent kinda way.

Tyler Self was an extension of Bill too but that doesn’t mean he should be playing 35 a night.

Point is - if we were winning with Dajuan, then no prob. But since we’re not, well…

[ousdahl]

Go look at Dajuan’s stats.

I think his assists were up like .4 this year.

Other than that, the dood regressed in like every single other statistical category, despite more minutes and usage.

How often does a 5th year program guy do that?!

[twocoach]

"not even a particularly good...floor general even tho that’s how your apologists bill you"

Well this is a fail.
Dajuan is an extension of Self and this is a huge reason why Self loves the guy.
You might be mostly or partly correct about the previous things said about Dajuan but this was a whoopsie.

That's what Fran Fraschilla says but I am not sure how accurate it really is. Self sure has a lot of "WTF are you doing" moments towards Harris out there.

[twocoach]

Furphy is the most important recruit this off season IMO. desperately need his shooting next year.

Probably true/fair.

Bidunga will be very important as well (if HD leaves).

A lineup of

DH
Elmarko (or whoever)
Furphy
Kj
Bidunga (or HD)

Is still not a great lineup offensively without some serious improvement from all 4 returnees.

Four guys that can't (or won't) shoot is not good.

[pdub]

Dajuan is top 5 all time in assists right now in the history of Kansas basketball.
He should be in the top 4 before the season is over.
If there was a stat that exemplified floor general best, assists would be it.

[DeletedUser]

And Dajuan. And def don’t be the lead guard at a blue blood who’s not a good shooter,

Dajuan Harris has attempted 215 3pt attempts at KU. He has converted 84 of those 3pt attempts. He is a career 39% 3pt shooter.

He is a good outside shooter.

He is not a volume outside shooter.

There is a difference.

[twocoach]

And Dajuan. And def don’t be the lead guard at a blue blood who’s not a good shooter,

Dajuan Harris has attempted 215 3pt attempts at KU. He has converted 84 of those 3pt attempts. He is a career 39% 3pt shooter.

He is a good outside shooter.

He is not a volume outside shooter.

There is a difference.

He doesn't need to be guarded so the vast majority of threes he attempts are wide open. 39% on mostly wide open attempts is not good. If you took the attempts of good three point shooters and split them between guarded and wide open attempts, I would expect their percentages from wide open to be much higher than that.

[randylahey]

Dajuan isn't the problem. We won a title with him. We just need to put players around him that better compliments him.

We don't win that without Remy tho, that's why self went after arterio, dajuan needs a dynamic quick guard to play with in the back court, and needs more shooting around him

[pdub]

Dajuan is part of the problem.
Ousdahl and twocoach are correct about his shooting - this is probably his most glaring weakness.
He has improved this season on his ability to attack the basket - I wouldn't say it's a strength but it's not missing from his arsenal - he's not athletic/fast but a bit tricky/crafty.

[DeletedUser]

And Dajuan. And def don’t be the lead guard at a blue blood who’s not a good shooter,

Dajuan Harris has attempted 215 3pt attempts at KU. He has converted 84 of those 3pt attempts. He is a career 39% 3pt shooter.

He is a good outside shooter.

He is not a volume outside shooter.

There is a difference.

39% on mostly wide open attempts is not good.

Ok. We disagree..

[ousdahl]

As has been mentioned, Dajuan’s poor shooting means defenses gamble off him and sag off him, which means they can focus more D on the other players who ARE supposed to be good shooters.

Re: floor general, I think part of that billing as someone who can just make stuff happen. And the last couple year’s teams just haven’t been great in late game execution.

Of all the KU guards to have the ball in their hands down a score at the end of the game, Dajuan just isn’t real high on that list.

[DCHawk1]

Has Hunter declared yet?

[DeletedUser]

Dajuan is part of the problem.
Ousdahl and twocoach are correct about his shooting - this is probably his most glaring weakness.

I think his biggest weakness is lack of scoring ability.

Similar, but not the same as shooting (imo).

He struggles to get open enough to shoot. His brain is pass first, so he's also not an eager shooter.

He's a finesse, pass first, defensive minded PG. If he could score it like Devonte he'd be in the league.

And 39% is a good 3pt % over a 200+ sample size. Twocoach can randomly discount it because if it's open it doesn't count, but that's nonsense. We haven't won as many games as we have during the Self era by chucking up heavily guarded 3s. Only a handful of players have had that level of green light to take bad shots.