2024/2025 Lineup

[pdub]

Who is replacing Dajuan at point?

[pdub]

I also think it's possible KJ won't have as prominent a role as we think depending on how our other players step into the limelight.

[jfish26]

Who is replacing Dajuan at point?

At this point you have to guess we'll either YOLO it with Mayo, or it'll be one of the McDowell/Moore/Coit group.

And of course this is a result of every recruit in the country having known that there are no minutes.

[DeletedUser]

I am sorry, but playing DH and Kj doesn't = "playing with 1 hand tied behind our backs".

That's ridiculous. They'd start on nearly every single top 25 team.

Ok, but our aspirations are not of the 3-6 seed variety. We have seen, over and over and over, that ceilings are dramatically lower when you play guys like this so many minutes.

Can you win that way? Obviously, yes. But it's so much harder, and we're choosing to do it that way.

I disagree. I don't think Self is "choosing" to do anything other than create the best team he possibly can each year. And he must think DH and Kj have been better than the alternatives. I trust he knows what gives the team the best chance to win a lot better than we do since we don't watch practices.

As I go through some of the top teams in the preseason rankings, basically ALL of them have players projected to play big minutes that are not as good as DH or Kj, or that have limitations, either offensively or defensively.

I do think Kj will lose some minutes to the new guys this year. But I also recognize he averaged almost 13pts per game last year. Thats more than a lot of guys have averaged here who people would say are better at offense than Kj.

[pdub]

If you get 2 shooters ( Storr and Zeke? ) out there with Dajaun ( who can shoot the 3 well enough to at least acknowledge him deep ) and Hunter ( who can shoot the 3 as well ) I think KJ being in the lineup is still very doable.

KJ needs to take that mid range jumper he used throughout the season and amplify that up this year in order to clear/take space. Pick and roll should still work with Dajuan.

[randylahey]

Nobody knows what the rotation is going to look like yet. Not even self. But we have good depth and talent. I'm excited to watch self tinker with lineups

[jfish26]

I am sorry, but playing DH and Kj doesn't = "playing with 1 hand tied behind our backs".

That's ridiculous. They'd start on nearly every single top 25 team.

Ok, but our aspirations are not of the 3-6 seed variety. We have seen, over and over and over, that ceilings are dramatically lower when you play guys like this so many minutes.

Can you win that way? Obviously, yes. But it's so much harder, and we're choosing to do it that way.

I disagree. I don't think Self is "choosing" to do anything other than create the best team he possibly can each year. And he must think DH and Kj have been better than the alternatives. I trust he knows what gives the team the best chance to win a lot better than we do since we don't watch practices.

As I go through some of the top teams in the preseason rankings, basically ALL of them have players projected to play big minutes that are not as good as DH or Kj, or that have limitations, either offensively or defensively.

I do think Kj will lose some minutes to the new guys this year. But I also recognize he averaged almost 13pts per game last year. Thats more than a lot of guys have averaged here who people would say are better at offense than Kj.

I think this takes an overly deferential and reverential view of Bill; he's not (and should not be expected to be) perfect. That doesn't make him not the best - he is - it makes him a human being.

Harris was worse last year - in his redshirt senior year - than he was the year before. He graduated from high school before Epstein was even arrested.

The fact that he wasn't barbecuing college players LAST year should have been enough, particularly with how poorly our season went and ended.

But it wasn't, and so here we are, running it back.

[randylahey]

Dajuan KJ and hunter will steady this team. But the strength of our team could be the new additions. Zeke, storr, and Griffen make this team look a lot different than last time. Especially if they can give us consistent perimeter shooting

[BiggDick]

I'll be cautiously optimistic, and suggest Bill Self with a bunch of upperclassman vets to fuck with is enough to warrant a preseason number one.

History also suggests Dajuan and/or KJ and/or Hunter all have the potential for the unexpectedly pleasant senior/final season in the program leap in production. It's happened so many times before.

[BiggDick]

also, yall been slipping.





now you dare me to challenge Flory to a sit-up contest?

[randylahey]

I'll be cautiously optimistic, and suggest Bill Self with a bunch of upperclassman vets to fuck with is enough to warrant a preseason number one.

History also suggests Dajuan and/or KJ and/or Hunter all have the potential for the unexpectedly pleasant senior/final season in the program leap in production. It's happened so many times before.

Dick you are not wrong. I don't see a big jump statistically for any of them, with the extra depth and talent infused into the roster. But that doesn't mean we don't see a big improvements

[BiggDick]

Who is replacing Dajuan at point?

At this point you have to guess we'll either YOLO it with Mayo, or it'll be one of the McDowell/Moore/Coit group.

And of course this is a result of every recruit in the country having known that there are no minutes.

also...RIP Elmarko's knee

sigh.

[randylahey]

I seldom hear his name mentioned, but there is one other returning player who should factor into our rotation and have some impact: jamari McDowell.

He understands bill's team concepts. He guards and moves the ball. Don't sleep on him being a rotation player

[BiggDick]

Yea, not sleeping on McDowell.

Also, perhaps paradoxically, wouldn't be surprised if he's a top candidate for a shirt.

He may be more an off the ball 2-guard/wing than a lead PG, and we brought in a lot of off the ball 2-guard/wings who we can expect to play a bunch this year, so who knows.

Maybe McDowell's 2nd year development will be a pleasant surprise. Or maybe he'll get reps just by knowing the program more.

There's also the question of whether Self gets Selfy and tries for some Dajuan/Shak/Diggy 2+ small guard lineups.

[DeletedUser]

Ok, but our aspirations are not of the 3-6 seed variety. We have seen, over and over and over, that ceilings are dramatically lower when you play guys like this so many minutes.

Can you win that way? Obviously, yes. But it's so much harder, and we're choosing to do it that way.

I disagree. I don't think Self is "choosing" to do anything other than create the best team he possibly can each year. And he must think DH and Kj have been better than the alternatives. I trust he knows what gives the team the best chance to win a lot better than we do since we don't watch practices.

As I go through some of the top teams in the preseason rankings, basically ALL of them have players projected to play big minutes that are not as good as DH or Kj, or that have limitations, either offensively or defensively.

I do think Kj will lose some minutes to the new guys this year. But I also recognize he averaged almost 13pts per game last year. Thats more than a lot of guys have averaged here who people would say are better at offense than Kj.

I think this takes an overly deferential and reverential view of Bill; he's not (and should not be expected to be) perfect. That doesn't make him not the best - he is - it makes him a human being.

Harris was worse last year - in his redshirt senior year - than he was the year before. He graduated from high school before Epstein was even arrested.

The fact that he wasn't barbecuing college players LAST year should have been enough, particularly with how poorly our season went and ended.

But it wasn't, and so here we are, running it back.

I think DH being viewed as worse last year has a lot more to do with the pieces we had around him that it does with DH.

A facilitating PG is only as good as the pieces around him. This year, on paper, the pieces fit better. More shooting. More guys who can get their own shot. Last year we had 1 guy who could get their own shot (KM) and he was hurt for the portion of the year where we were the worst.

[DeletedUser]

also, yall been slipping.





now you dare me to challenge Flory to a sit-up contest?

Welcome back

[BiggDick]

I been waiting to see Flory next to another dood for reference.

Seen him listed as high as 6'10", but over the summer coach candidly commented he's prob only like 6'7".

He's officially listed on the website as 6'9." That's what Gradey was listed at during KU too! So if he's BiggDick size but more jacked, that'll play.

With Zach right behind him, looks a couple inches shorter. But Zach is listed at 6'11" now, so maybe it checks.

Peter Griffen to his left is listed 6'6", and Flory looks a good deal bigger, so maybe this big is actually big.

[BiggDick]

Injuries got us last year. That's part of the game. I'd have to go through each season to be certain, but off the top of my head I wouldn't put last year as one of Self's bottom 3 seasons at KU. But it's close.

I think it was... off the top of my head, in bo particular order...05, 19, 23-24

We were top preseason in 10 too, and held that rank bell to bell at least in the regular season.

But then go figure we tripped on our own BiggDicks against directional second round.

[TDub]

Injuries got us last year. That's part of the game. I'd have to go through each season to be certain, but off the top of my head I wouldn't put last year as one of Self's bottom 3 seasons at KU. But it's close.

I think it was... off the top of my head, in bo particular order...05, 19, 23-24

We were top preseason in 10 too, and held that rank bell to bell at least in the regular season.

But then go figure we tripped on our own BiggDicks against directional second round.

hi Ous

[jfish26]

I disagree. I don't think Self is "choosing" to do anything other than create the best team he possibly can each year. And he must think DH and Kj have been better than the alternatives. I trust he knows what gives the team the best chance to win a lot better than we do since we don't watch practices.

As I go through some of the top teams in the preseason rankings, basically ALL of them have players projected to play big minutes that are not as good as DH or Kj, or that have limitations, either offensively or defensively.

I do think Kj will lose some minutes to the new guys this year. But I also recognize he averaged almost 13pts per game last year. Thats more than a lot of guys have averaged here who people would say are better at offense than Kj.

I think this takes an overly deferential and reverential view of Bill; he's not (and should not be expected to be) perfect. That doesn't make him not the best - he is - it makes him a human being.

Harris was worse last year - in his redshirt senior year - than he was the year before. He graduated from high school before Epstein was even arrested.

The fact that he wasn't barbecuing college players LAST year should have been enough, particularly with how poorly our season went and ended.

But it wasn't, and so here we are, running it back.

I think DH being viewed as worse last year has a lot more to do with the pieces we had around him that it does with DH.

A facilitating PG is only as good as the pieces around him. This year, on paper, the pieces fit better. More shooting. More guys who can get their own shot. Last year we had 1 guy who could get their own shot (KM) and he was hurt for the portion of the year where we were the worst.

This is one of those things where I'd love for my concerns to have been overblown.

I will feel a LOT better if someone steps up to be a starter-level lead guard type, who can play both with and for Harris.

I will feel a LOT better if Storr can, in our offense, get his own without being too inefficient to make it worth it.

It still worries me, quite a lot, that Harris looks like a JAG even when he has 1-4+ years of experience on everyone he's playing against.