2024/2025 Lineup

[randylahey]

A body of 3 or a 4.
He would be completely totally fine as a 4 physically ( and defensively ).
He just can't shoot or attack the basket off the dribble very well.

I agree he would do fine at the 4. Ideally , he'd be just a little taller with a better wingspan to physically be the prototyical 4.

But he's so freakishly athletic and strong that he's just fine at the 4 Absolutely not a 5 tho

[pdub]

My worry with Doke is that we didn’t have enough shooting or shot creation (especially once McCullar went down) to make an anchor 5 work on offense.

I think we would have been so significantly improved on defense that we would have just had to lean into that - we had this discussion in some ways last year.

[randylahey]

Kj actually isn't half bad at attacking the basket off the dribble now tho. The shooting is awful tho, which makes it harder for him to attack, when his man is already sagging off a long ways

[jfish26]

My worry with Doke is that we didn’t have enough shooting or shot creation (especially once McCullar went down) to make an anchor 5 work on offense.

I think we would have been so significantly improved on defense that we would have just had to lean into that - we had this discussion in some ways last year.

Like I said, I can be talked into this. I can see an outcome where last year was better with Doke than with Hunter.

[jfish26]

Kj actually isn't half bad at attacking the basket off the dribble now tho. The shooting is awful tho, which makes it harder for him to attack, when his man is already sagging off a long ways

Agree with that - but unlocking this really requires a big who can pull his own guy out.

[randylahey]

Kj actually isn't half bad at attacking the basket off the dribble now tho. The shooting is awful tho, which makes it harder for him to attack, when his man is already sagging off a long ways

Agree with that - but unlocking this really requires a big who can pull his own guy out.

Yeah, and those kind of guys don't stick around in college very long. Especially if they KJ adams athleticism

[jfish26]

Kj actually isn't half bad at attacking the basket off the dribble now tho. The shooting is awful tho, which makes it harder for him to attack, when his man is already sagging off a long ways

Agree with that - but unlocking this really requires a big who can pull his own guy out.

Yeah, and those kind of guys don't stick around in college very long. Especially if they KJ adams athleticism

Then how lucky we are, to have just such a guy to pair with KJ!

[mjl2]

Our issue last year wasn't our defense as much as it was our offense.
We finished top 20 in kenpom and top 15 in bartorvik in defense.

Hunter is not an excellent defender, no, and the things you mention he does have issues with - but i'm sorry, he's a better defender than Landen Lucas.

I'm with Randy here.

Hunter is a worse defender than Lucas. He's slower, and it completely fucked us on guarding pick and roll, and some teams took advantage of it, and some didn't. But it was a huge issue for us.

You earlier mentioned McCormack, which was true when his foot was injured. But that's what turned things around for us that season - once McCormack could move again the defense improved drastically.

There's a LOT more to defense for a big than blocking shots in Self's system.

[DeletedUser]

but when you're comparing him to Sasha Kaun -- come the fuck on.

This.

[DeletedUser]

Kj actually isn't half bad at attacking the basket off the dribble now tho.

Correct. As long as he is driving against smaller guys and he isn't challenged at the rim by length. He scores best in dribble hand off action where he can turn the corner and pick and rolls with DH.

[BiggDick]

really super lame that anyone would try to gatekeep the hoops discussion.

Tempted to comment some more on the Sasha/Hunter talk - and Landen! And DMac! - but for now lemme just say these fanboy musings is fun.

Re: KJ, of course he's not half bad when "he isn't challenged at the rim by length," but every player on the court can be affected by being challenged at the rim by length.

I kinda think he could be effective catching in the low/mid post and making a quick strong move in rhythm - whether going right up for his little jump hook, a quick strong dribble or two into that jump hook/runner, or a quick stronger dribble or two right to the rim.

It's not gonna be there every possession, but it'll be there some, especially considering he's not likely to be scouted as our number one (or two, or three even potentially) scoring option.

When was it - I think like January 23? - that he led us/among the leaders in scoring for a few games to start conference play, even with guys like Wilson and Dick as primary scorers.

[DeletedUser]

Let. It. Go.

[pdub]

Our issue last year wasn't our defense as much as it was our offense.
We finished top 20 in kenpom and top 15 in bartorvik in defense.

Hunter is not an excellent defender, no, and the things you mention he does have issues with - but i'm sorry, he's a better defender than Landen Lucas.

Hunter is a worse defender than Lucas.

I think you need to go back and watch some Landen tape then.

A freshman Udoka took Landen’s spot in the starting lineup in Landen’s senior season.

[randylahey]

Hunter is actually a really good defender when he is 1 on 1 in the post. Hunter is a load, he's 7'2 and plays smart. You're not gonna back him down and score on him. If he's allowed to stay inside around the rim he's a really effective paint protector (different than rim protector)

It's when hunter gets pulled out a little and put in ball screens that he struggles. Or when the ball moves side for side and he has to rotate. He just didn't have the agility/quickness

[BiggDick]

trying to remember if freshman Dok took Landen's starting spot more cuz of defense, or more cuz even as a freshman feeding Dok was already pretty much an automatic dunk.

[DeletedUser]

trying to remember if freshman Dok took Landen's starting spot more cuz of defense, or more cuz even as a freshman feeding Dok was already pretty much an automatic dunk.

I don't think it was his 5pts per game and 38% free throw average.

Do you ever look at stats before making posts?

[KUTradition]

LL was a serviceable defender…smart, with good positioning

Dok was a game-changer, literally. opposing guards just wouldn’t attack as much with him guarding the paint

[DeletedUser]

LL was a serviceable defender…smart, with good positioning

Yes. He developed into a guy who would stay vertical and challenge shots without fouling.

But for guys who have started a significant amount of games at the 5 during the Self era, he's got to be in the bottom few for worst defenders at the center position we've had.

Which isn't a knock. We've had awesome defenders at the 5. Withey Cole and Dok were all awesome. Embiid slightly below them with a smaller sample size, but was showing flashes.

[KUTradition]

that transition would’ve happened a whole lot sooner had Dok 1) been in better shape, 2) not gotten the hand injury, 3) been able to stay away from fouls, and 4) been better than 50% free thrower

[pdub]

The transition happened ( Lucas loosing his spot ) both due to Lucas picking up a minor injury and Dok then basically wally-pipping him because he was simply a better defender and rebounder. As a freshman. With Lucas a senior. Before conference play.

Illy is correct that freshman Dok wasn't much of an offensive threat - he built on that.

I'm not saying Lucas was a 'bad' defender his senior year -- but I think Hunter does more around the rim, and holds his own against bigs than Lucas ever did.

I recall Lucas getting burnt to toast by some skinny eastern european dude vs TCU.