Kansas Crimson

Except for that one.

Just when you thought you couldn't recognize LaGerald Vick, he shows up late and gets taken out of the starting lineup.

damnit Laura Bauer!

What did he do?

Showed up late to shootaround.

Seems minor on the surface but given the entire LaGerald Vick picture, Bill is absolutely right to sit him for a long time to tonight.

Yeah, hope it doesn't mess with his head too much.

SELF HAD TO BE CONVINCED TO TAKE VICK BACK

Bill Self was heading to Canada to coach the U-18 National Team when he got the call. Self and the rest of the Kansas staff had already come to the conclusion that LaGerald Vick was gone – with both sides basically understanding it was the best move for the senior guard to move on to his professional career.

Self figured Vick was calling about what he needed to do to get his degree, whether he could get closer to graduation before pursuing his professional basketball career – likely in the G-League or overseas.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Self recalled Vick saying. “I want to talk about coming back to Kansas.”

Self was caught completely off-guard and told Vick he needed some time to think about it. There were concerns whether Vick would be completely “bought in” after watching most of the key players from a year ago leave for the NBA Draft. With a talented freshman class that includes wing Quentin Grimes, Self didn’t need Vick.

“I was 100 percent sure he would test the NBA draft process, and 95 percent sure – based on his home situation and everything else – that he would play pro,” Self said.

Vick didn’t get invited to the NBA Daft combine, and he wasn’t blowing teams away in workouts. Then he got the call in early June en route to Canada.

“I told him I wasn’t going to worry about it while I was coaching the Under-18 team in Canada,” Self said.

Self would later talk to his coaches, and revisit the situation with Vick a couple weeks later upon returning from Canada.

“We knew he’d help us,” Self said. “But we also weren’t sure his head would be into it.”

Self flew down and met with Vick and his family, calling the meeting “not great, but OK.” He was honest with Vick on what he wanted, what he needed in order to bring him back for this season. Then came a phone conversation a couple days later in which Self spoke about expectations, and Vick countered with his goals. Self spoke about how he felt Vick could have given more than he had in his first three seasons, especially in the intangible department.

“I told him that whether he liked it or not, he’s going to have to be a leader,” Self said.

“That I needed to bring positive energy and be a leader,” Vick recalled.

It hasn’t been all rosy for Vick. There was 32 against Vermont, 33 in a win over Louisiana and 27 against Stanford. He was Kansas’ best player in a five-game stretch from Nov. 12-Dec. 1, averaging 24.6 points per game and making a ridiculous 28-of-43 shots from deep.

Then he was late to shootaround on the day of the Wofford game on Dec. 4, and has struggled while coming off the bench in the past two games – scoring a total of five points in wins over Wofford and New Mexico State.

“I was impressed with the way he handled it,” Self said. “He told the team he deserved it. It was mature of him.”

https://watchstadium.com/news/goody-bag ... 2-12-2018/

“He told the team he deserved it. It was mature of him.”

Like.

Like the words, sure.

Every time I see this thread bumped I am afraid it's going to be news that he was booted from the team

I'm pulling for the kid.

Interesting article. I kind of imagined it went like that. Vick did hide in the shadows of our other guys, but we've already seen he is very capable of being a leader and putting on a show. It's just that you don't know which Vick you're going to get. I expect he'll settle in by January.

he’s capable of putting on a show

if he were a leader, he wouldn’t have been late to shoot around and wouldn’t have completely disappeared since the demotion (and i don’t mean just scoring)

TraditionKU wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:57 pm he’s capable of putting on a show

if he were a leader, he wouldn’t have been late to shoot around and wouldn’t have completely disappeared since the demotion (and i don’t mean just scoring)

Yeah, he f-ed up. I get the impression he is hard on himself and loses confidence after these things. He'll get it back though. I think he is capable of being a leader, but he isn't leading at all times.

We saw similar things happen with the Morris twins and other good guys that were leaders while here.

lobster wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:56 pm . I expect he'll settle in by January.

Im pulling for him. We need him to be fully engaged. But, I mean, he is a senior, he's had 3.5 years to "settle in" - i think he just is what he is, a capable player with huge upside but inconsistent and prone to vanish for long stretches when he gets his head in the wrong space.

i’m hoping he’s got some extra motivation today

don’t wanna go 0-3

TDub wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:14 pm

lobster wrote: ↑Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:56 pm . I expect he'll settle in by January.

Im pulling for him. We need him to be fully engaged. But, I mean, he is a senior, he's had 3.5 years to "settle in" - i think he just is what he is, a capable player with huge upside but inconsistent and prone to vanish for long stretches when he gets his head in the wrong space.

This role isn't close to the one he has had the last 3.5 years. Still going to take some time to settle in to a role his personality says doesn't suit him.

Don't get excited about vick. On to the next. Amirite?

Feelin hot hot hot.