2024/2025 Lineup

[DeletedUser]

It's hard to take someone seriously who wants DH coming off the bench "just because".

He's having a really good year in my opinion. Averaging 10pts 6ast 2reb.

He's not the problem. And he's certainly not worse than Coit or Shak Moore.

I figured this round of message board grievances would once again get to this issue sooner or later.

Let's bear in mind, it's not just because...or rather, the "just because" is just because another Dajuan-led team is struggling, particularly on offense ("one of the best PGs in the country" be damned), and is not winning games, particularly not winning games we'd usually be winning. If that's the case, at some point you gotta try something else.

Considering all that, at some point the narrative appropriately can and should shift to, "it's had to take someone seriously who wants to keep defending DH even though DH-led teams keep loosing."

While I don't necessarily disagree that he's certainly not worse than Coit or Shak Moore, let's not forget we brought in Coit and Shak Moore precisely to better manage Dajuan's minutes.

but let's also bear in mind, I didn't even mention Dajuan specifically. There are other guys to which this applies.

"Try something else just because" is how coaches get fired. That's a terrible reason to do something.

That said, Harris is not having a good season, regardless what his stats are. It's his fifth season in college basketball yet he is somehow managing to have his WORST 3 point field goal % of his career and he gets wide open shots that should be hit at a far higher percentage than those that are decently guarded like everyone else has to deal with. How he has not addressed the biggest hole in his game after 5 seasons is mind boggling. They have a damn court right in their dorm building. Get some fucking shots up and keep getting them up until you are better at it. WTF else do you have to do in your off time?!?

DH had a slow start from 3. He's taking the most 3pt attempts of his career per game.

DH has improved his 2pt FG% by over 8% and is shooting the highest 2pt FG% of his career.

We can cherry pick stats until we are blue in the face.

10pts and 6ast per game is exactly what we need out of him. Zeke is doing everything he can do too. Those 2 are the least of my concerns.

[BiggDick]

"Trying something new" isn't a valid reason bench your best players.


And we're "trying something new" nearly every single game. We've played 10 guys in close games more than i ever remember.

Self IS 100% trying everything this season in my opinion. He's giving guys plenty of leash. They're just not very good and 5min more per game isn't going to be a magical fix to their ineffectiveness.

20 minutes a game of KJ's time should be split between Bidunga and Griffen.

The biggest issue we have is that neither Griffen or Storr are actually big enough or athletic enough to play significant minutes at the 4. They can't rebound or defend well enough.

And frankly, neither shoot well enough to make it a net positive to bench KJ. Which is why Self hasn't done it.

the "biggest issue" you identify with Griffen and Storr also very much applies to KJ. Not big enough, not athletic enough, can't rebound, or defend well enough.

I do realize tho that KJ is very athletic. But that still hasn't translated to things like, rebounding well, or guarding the post well. His defensive strength is versatility, ability to switch, usually on perimeter guys more so than bigs.

There's also some question of whether Griffen or Storr might shoot better with a bump in confidence, particularly the type of bump in confidence that could come with less of a short-leash treatment, precisely like KJ is afforded.

But I also think that last point might be exaggerated fanboy musing, considering both AJ and Griffen are getting like 20mpg anyway.

and, again, I think it might be easier for Griffen and Storr to get going if they weren't comparatively overguarded cuz opponents can gamble on underguarding KJ and Dajuan, but this dead horse sure is getting beat now, ain't it.

[DeletedUser]

But I think the bigger takeaway is simply, neither Dajuan nor KJ is the kind of talent we've come to expect at KU, and certainly not the kind of talent we expect to build the program around for multiple seasons in a row.

That applies to everyone on our team.

Zero NBA players.

[pdub]

You'll have to get KJ hitting those jumpers and 3 foot push shots at a very high rate or you'll need AJ to start hitting 3's at a more consistent rate.

The 3 and 4 spots are the most problematic in terms of output.
The 5 spot is the most problematic in terms of team identity and focus.

[BiggDick]

But I think the bigger takeaway is simply, neither Dajuan nor KJ is the kind of talent we've come to expect at KU, and certainly not the kind of talent we expect to build the program around for multiple seasons in a row.

That applies to everyone on our team.

Zero NBA players.

If we needed NBA players from the portal to justify another year of KJ and Dajuan in big roles, then we prob should have just reconsidered KJ and Dajuan in big roles instead.

[BiggDick]

The 5 spot is the most problematic in terms of team identity and focus.

while I tend to agree, I still think there's a big question of whether the most problematic is actually the 1 spot.

Let's bear in mind, one of the reasons our 5 spot is so frequently smothered defensively is in large part cuz our 1 spot doesn't need to be defended like a normal D1 starter.

[DeletedUser]

20 minutes a game of KJ's time should be split between Bidunga and Griffen.

The biggest issue we have is that neither Griffen or Storr are actually big enough or athletic enough to play significant minutes at the 4. They can't rebound or defend well enough.

And frankly, neither shoot well enough to make it a net positive to bench KJ. Which is why Self hasn't done it.

the "biggest issue" you identify with Griffen and Storr also very much applies to KJ. Not big enough, not athletic enough, can't rebound, or defend well enough.

I do realize tho that KJ is very athletic. But that still hasn't translated to things like, rebounding well, or guarding the post well. His defensive strength is versatility, ability to switch, usually on perimeter guys more so than bigs.

There's also some question of whether Griffen or Storr might shoot better with a bump in confidence, particularly the type of bump in confidence that could come with less of a short-leash treatment, precisely like KJ is afforded.

But I also think that last point might be exaggerated fanboy musing, considering both AJ and Griffen are getting like 20mpg anyway.

and, again, I think it might be easier for Griffen and Storr to get going if they weren't comparatively overguarded cuz opponents can gamble on underguarding KJ and Dajuan, but this dead horse sure is getting beat now, ain't it.

Griffen and Storr are both being allowed to play through mistakes. Certainly at a higher rate than any other first year players i remember. Their confidence is why they're missing shots? And 9 more min per game will fix that and they'll magically be better? LOL. That's not real basketball analysis. That's is not how minutes are earned on high level athletic teams.

Kj is much stronger than those 2. He's physically capable of playing the 4. Put those 2 against Cooper Flagg and they get torched.

[DeletedUser]

The 5 spot is the most problematic in terms of team identity and focus.

while I tend to agree, I still think there's a big question of whether the most problematic is actually the 1 spot.

Let's bear in mind, one of the reasons our 5 spot is so frequently smothered defensively is in large part cuz our 1 spot doesn't need to be defended like a normal D1 starter.

This is total bullshit.

Watch the fucking games. Nobody is sagging off DH the way they do KJ.

There are plenty of top 25 teams who play non shooters. I provided info a week or so ago.

DH is averaging 10pts. He's shooting 31% from 3. That's not great, but it's not as bad as your narrative tries to make it.

KJ is shooting 0% from 3. Thats a problem.

[pdub]

The 5 spot is the most problematic in terms of team identity and focus.

while I tend to agree, I still think there's a big question of whether the most problematic is actually the 1 spot.

Let's bear in mind, one of the reasons our 5 spot is so frequently smothered defensively is in large part cuz our 1 spot doesn't need to be defended like a normal D1 starter.

In terms of output, our 1 spot is more problematic than our 5 spot.
Dajaun is a favorite of Self's because he's locked into what Self wants to do.
But our 5, being the team's best player, acting like a child for 1.5 seasons, doesn't do anyone any favors to create a cohesive, focuses and tough team.

[pdub]

I think Dajuan is guarded more like a normal D1 guard at this point.
He's certainly not the focus and, when the ball is being moved, teams will still shift off him to close the space around Hunter, but it's not nearly as bad as it was in 2021-22.

It still is a strategy to give him space to shoot though - some coaches have deployed that this season - some effectively, others not so much.

[DeletedUser]

And let's be honest here, ousdahl doesn't know how normal D1 PGs are guarded because he doesn't watch much CBB.

That's not being a dick. That's an honest assessment. If he misses some KU games I simply don't believe he's sitting home watching a bunch of random CBB games to see how teams are defending the PG spot.

[KUTradition]

Finkelstein: "My number one New Year's resolution is directed towards AJ Storr and that is just simply this: You got to buy in, man. He's Bill Self. You got to do what he's trying to get you to do because although you have kind of ascended with each passing year, you had an intriguing freshman season at St John's, you had a really good sophomore season last year at Wisconsin. People are starting to notice the fact that you have been, going back into high school, I think six different schools in the last five years. ... We've seen this before where transfers have a hard time acclimating right away at Kansas, but when they do, they benefit. Their NBA stock is going to benefit. No one is denying that AJ Storr has the tools to eventually translate to the NBA but it has not been a smooth transition so far.

Through 11 games Storr is averaging under eight points per game, along with two boards, one assist in shooting just 40% from the floor. And as I said, this is six schools in five years. Now, Kansas is 9-2 overall, they're ninth in Kenpom. They've got wins over Duke, Michigan State, NC State, North Carolina, but also losses to Creighton and Mizzou. Honestly, when you look at the schedule to start, if you said they were going to beat Duke, Michigan State and UNC, you probably would have thought they were going to be undefeated. There's no doubt this team has another level to go to. Storr, in particular, buying in is going to make this team a national championship contender. It's also going to make him an NBA prospect. If he fights it, I think it's going to be a challenge to both of those things."

Trotter: "What do we know about Bill Self? He's one of the best X's and O's minds in college basketball. You can get six points a game if you cut hard at Kansas, you can get six to eight points a game if you run the floor hard and transition. You know it's not all that complicated to start to math your way to 18 points a game at Kansas, if your back door cuts are on point. We saw Kevin McCullar last year, there were stretches where he wasn't making threes for long parts of the season, and he was still able to put up big time numbers because he cut really hard, ran the floor hard, offensive rebounding, just doing all of the little things. 

So part of me wonders how much Kansas has to try to get AJ Storr a post up or two, or get him in isolation a couple times, just to get him feeling comfortable with being able to do the other things. But there's no question that Kansas needs more on perimeter defense, and AJ can be a big part of that. He is on a roster now for the first time where he doesn't have to have a 27% usage rate, it's going to be a little bit lower. That should, in theory, give you a little bit more energy to bring it defensively. So I agree with you. This Kansas group, they have the talent to be a tier one national title contender. It's just how much longer do we have to wait for the Rylan Griffen explosion and for AJ Storr to start playing like the player he was brought here to be. And he was paid handsomely as well. ... It's up to AJ to really find his way with this Kansas group or they’re going to get eaten alive in the Big 12."

(247)

[DeletedUser]

I think Dajuan is guarded more like a normal D1 guard at this point.
He's certainly not the focus and, when the ball is being moved, teams will still shift off him to close the space around Hunter, but it's not nearly as bad as it was in 2021-22.

It still is a strategy to give him space to shoot though - some coaches have deployed that this season - some effectively, others not so much.

Yes.

They go under ball screens. I actually wish he'd shoot a little more against it.

But it's certainly not fucking up our offense. Defenders go under ball screens against a lot of players.

Not sure if anyone has noticed, but they do it to Storr too.

[BiggDick]

And let's be honest here, ousdahl doesn't know how normal D1 PGs are guarded because he doesn't watch much CBB.

That's not being a dick. That's an honest assessment. If he misses some KU games I simply don't believe he's sitting home watching a bunch of random CBB games to see how teams are defending the PG spot.

once again, please spare the gatekeeping.

I've watched CBB for years, enough to be able to generally recognize talent. Dajuan is perhaps the slowest, softest PG Self has had here; and certainly the slowest softest PG Self has had starting for 4 straight years. But PG play is hardly our only issue, and maybe not even our biggest issue.

I'll admit though, this team is difficult to watch. It makes me less interested in watching, because of a general lack of talent, and cuz I'm afraid they're going to continue this season with the exact same issues that made last season so difficult to watch.

For our core guys, we've got quite the sample size to work with here. And unless the newcomers collectively get hot enough, I just dunno if this season's gonna be worth much.

oh, and just a thought: if you're posting things that prompt you yourself to declare that's not being a dick, then that might be being a dick.

[DeletedUser]

You can't compare everything to the glory days of 2008.

Those types of rosters don't exist anymore.

Nobody is attempting to gatekeep, but your basketball analysis is poor. Both in strategy and ability to analyze what you're seeing.

That's okay. I'm no basketball expert either, that's why I do appraisals instead of working for ESPN as a CBB analyst. But you seem to lack some of the basic understanding of things you love to discuss (which doesn't just apply to basketball).


Oh, and only showing up to discuss stuff after a loss is transparent.

[BiggDick]

I don't think I compared anything to the glory days of 2008.

I think those types of rosters certainly can exist, once we figure out how to use Dream Inception, wait I mean NIL, to its fullest potential.

(since we can just say that part out loud now)

[DeletedUser]

I don't think I compared anything to the glory days of 2008.

I think those types of rosters certainly can exist, once we figure out how to use Dream Inception, wait I mean NIL, to its fullest potential.

(since we can just say that part out loud now)

I don't think you're ever going to have multiple future NBA guys on the bench waiting their turn in this environment. Or playing lesser roles.

The high end talent is going to the highest bidder. And any players unhappy in their role who are worth a damn are being offered big bucks to leave schools.

Look no further than Rylan Griffen. Starter on a final 4 team who leaves to play 19mpg off the bench instead of chasing a title on a really good Bama team.

[BiggDick]

You can't compare everything to the glory days of 2008.

Those types of rosters don't exist anymore.

Nobody is attempting to gatekeep, but your basketball analysis is poor. Both in strategy and ability to analyze what you're seeing.

That's okay. I'm no basketball expert either, that's why I do appraisals instead of working for ESPN as a CBB analyst. But you seem to lack some of the basic understanding of things you love to discuss (which doesn't just apply to basketball).


Oh, and only showing up to discuss stuff after a loss is transparent.

Holy shit! Imagine claiming nobody is attempting to gatekeep, then doubling down on gatekeepy smack talk in literally the next clause of the exact same sentence, then doubling down again in the exact same post.

Holy shit!

I'll once again mention, this is the kind of shit that would be moderated by many/most admins on many/most other online discussion forums.

But, oh well, at least illy didn't say something snarky about Yesufu.

[BiggDick]

Is it possible for one picture to describe our issues?

[DeletedUser]

You can't compare everything to the glory days of 2008.

Those types of rosters don't exist anymore.

Nobody is attempting to gatekeep, but your basketball analysis is poor. Both in strategy and ability to analyze what you're seeing.

That's okay. I'm no basketball expert either, that's why I do appraisals instead of working for ESPN as a CBB analyst. But you seem to lack some of the basic understanding of things you love to discuss (which doesn't just apply to basketball).


Oh, and only showing up to discuss stuff after a loss is transparent.

Holy shit! Imagine claiming nobody is attempting to gatekeep, then doubling down on gatekeepy smack talk in literally the next clause of the exact same sentence, then doubling down again in the exact same post.

Holy shit!

I'll once again mention, this is the kind of shit that would be moderated by many/most admins on many/most other online discussion forums.

But, oh well, at least illy didn't say something snarky about Yesufu.

Speaking of soft.

You're entitled to your opinion, but not all opinions are created equally.

Am I supposed to pretend you're Jay Bilas? Because I'm not going to do that. That's not gatekeeping.

But I see you've found a new word to use (incorrectly).