Kansas Crimson

pdub wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 12:41 pm "the first 7 options will already afford enough weapons, and will already have a game plan established. This part of the roster just needs to be a well-rounded role player, not a stat stuffer focal point-type. It's just reserve minutes...They don't need to be All Americans here."

But why ( or why not )?
Sounds like looser talk to me.

I thought I already pretty much answered this, but - I think it’s better for a reserve big to be a tougher more defensive proven role player on good teams, than a softer more offensive stat stuffer on bad teams.

"Hey would could have a better player on our team but since he's coming off the bench, it doesn't really matter anyways...so let's ditch the All American for a role player."

A bench player IS a role player. But I get what you mean too, take the best talent available.

Say an opposing big is having a game and gets Cole/Dok in foul trouble. Would you rather have Hunter or Sasha to check in and bang with him?

I’d take Sasha. And I think in this hypo that situation is more likely for reserve big man minutes.

Hunter sure is a stat stuffer - but he's 7 foot 2 with a decent wingspan so he bothers players around the rim - and on a team with all those lockdown guards he'd be more than adequate. And it wasn't as if Sasha Kaun was some defensive monster ( of note, Dickinson made a conference defensive 1st team - just not in the B12 - Sasha never did ).

More than adequate, sure. But at the same point in their careers, Sasha averages nearly the same blocks but in nearly half the minutes.

While “monster” is a strong term, I do remember Sasha being a very very solid fundamental X’s and O’s defensive player. I think Hunter has been a comparatively inferior defensively, and at times even a defensive liability.

And then combine him at spots with Marcus? Both bigs can shoot the 3 or pound the rock? Hunter is also a good passer for a big.

I mean, yea sure great, but with Cole or Dok starting plus all the other dudes in this hypo lineup, I just think we’d have game planned a lot more schemes than to suddenly go all, let’s have our backup big start wandering out to the perimeter for jumpers!

And, Marcus is already such a mobile big. Prob the most “score from anywhere on the floor any way he wants” of the Self era. I think the complimenting big mostly just has to create spacing for everybody else, more so than shoot his own jumpers.

Kaun was kinda useless on the offensive end - with bad hands. He scored points from put backs.

With the other dudes we got, we don’t need much more than putbacks out of our backup big…lobs too, for which Sasha has the edge.

I cannot stand Hunter and i'd rather win without him

Sounds like something someone would say when they’re crushing on someone, hard.

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 10:58 am

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:25 am Fuck it...

Dok
Marcus
Rush
Chalmers
BIFM

Devonte
TRob

Frank
Devonte
McLemore
Rush
Cole

Marcus
Sherron

Ohhh illy going full small ball!

Yea, in hindsight, since my 8th man is already a big, I might do some wing/forward type instead of TRob.

Guess I already mentioned Josh Jackson tho

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:37 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 10:58 am

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Who do you think is better defensively?

And, if this team is as deep as advertised, it very well may cannibalize Hunter’s AA chances

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:43 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:25 am Fuck it...

Dok
Marcus
Rush
Chalmers
BIFM

Devonte
TRob

Frank
Devonte
McLemore
Rush
Cole

Marcus
Sherron

Almost surprised you left off Dajuan

Holy crap. Just got through that entire mess.

LOL

Don’t talk about Dajuan like that!

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:51 pm Ohhh illy going full small ball!

I went with All Americans, other than Rush... and he's one of my faves so I was biased.

Truthfully, I think I'd like to revise to

Frank
Devonte
McLemore
Marcus
Cole

Sherron
Dok

I think that's the correct list.

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:58 pm

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:37 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 10:58 am

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Who do you think is better defensively?

I have no clue what you consider defense...but, I'll bite....

Sasha averaged 2.3 defensive rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game at KU.

Hunter averaged 8.4 defensive rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last year.

This is such a dumb convo. 3x consensus AA vs a guy who never averaged more than 19.3 minutes per game (which actually came his sophomore year). Sasha started 6 games his senior year.

What a bizarre way to spend an entire afternoon....but appreciate more evidence that you're not a serious basketball poster on this board. This is pure dumb nonsense. Talking to talk. Lonely and looking for attention.

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:43 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:25 am Fuck it...

Dok
Marcus
Rush
Chalmers
BIFM

Devonte
TRob

Frank
Devonte
McLemore
Rush
Cole

Marcus
Sherron

But would you rather a guy who averages 13.5 rebounds per 40 and was on a conference defensive team or a guy who averaged 8.7 rebounds per 40 and wasn't because, well, toughness and role player!

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:58 pm

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:37 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 10:58 am

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Who do you think is better defensively?

And, if this team is as deep as advertised, it very well may cannibalize Hunter’s AA chances

Hunter was on the Big 10 All Defensive Team.
I think Sasha was a good, mobile big who was versatile on defense but got to come off the bench and not worry about fouls and just go balls to the wall.
Hunter, last season, probably had to be smart about how aggressive he was on defense because, well, Parker Braun was backing him up.

So personally, I might call last years Hunter to senior year Kaun's a wash defensively ( pure defense - not counting rebounding ).
They both are huge dudes - but Hunter is even bigger.

Hunter is also by all metrics a better rebounder. Per game. Per minute. Because he's 7 foot 2!

And all of this is not even mentioning he is worlds better on offense than Kaun ever was.

lolzboat.

Also:

Player A:
16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 51.3% FG, 37.8% 3FG.

Player B:
15.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2 APG, 1 SPG, .7 BPG, 49.5% FG, 42% 3FG.

pdub wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 8:18 pm

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:43 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:25 am Fuck it...

Dok
Marcus
Rush
Chalmers
BIFM

Devonte
TRob

Frank
Devonte
McLemore
Rush
Cole

Marcus
Sherron

But would you rather a guy who averages 13.5 rebounds per 40 and was on a conference defensive team or a guy who averaged 8.7 rebounds per 40 and wasn't because, well, toughness and role player!

Do either of them have a babyface? If not, then it depends who has the better body language.

pdub wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 8:18 pm

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:43 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 11:25 am Fuck it...

Dok
Marcus
Rush
Chalmers
BIFM

Devonte
TRob

Frank
Devonte
McLemore
Rush
Cole

Marcus
Sherron

But would you rather a guy who averages 13.5 rebounds per 40 and was on a conference defensive team or a guy who averaged 8.7 rebounds per 40 and wasn't because, well, toughness and role player!

like I said, if you wanna make a case for rebounding, I'm here for it.

As far as toughness tho - yea, it's a more qualitative observation. But Hunter seems to get pushed around way more than he should, particularly considering his size. I think Sasha was better about holding his ground in the paint.

pdub wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 8:24 pm
So personally, I might call last years Hunter to senior year Kaun's a wash defensively

man.

How to respond to this hot take? What's the word I'm looking for here?

Oh, here it is:

lolzboat.

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 5:16 pm

BiggDick wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:58 pm

DeletedUser wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2024 4:37 pm

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Who do you think is better defensively?

I have no clue what you consider defense...but, I'll bite....

Sasha averaged 2.3 defensive rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game at KU.

Hunter averaged 8.4 defensive rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last year.

This is such a dumb convo. 3x consensus AA vs a guy who never averaged more than 19.3 minutes per game (which actually came his sophomore year). Sasha started 6 games his senior year.

What a bizarre way to spend an entire afternoon....but appreciate more evidence that you're not a serious basketball poster on this board. This is pure dumb nonsense. Talking to talk. Lonely and looking for attention.

among other things - the irony of your smack talk about looking for attention is, you keep giving it to me.

I liked the Harris/Coit/Griffen/KJ/Bidunga lineup. Fastest guys on the team.

Switch Bidunga for Dickenson, the rebounding and half court offense are worth the speed drop, usually.

I think that's our starting lineup, unless Storr or Mayo can move their feet faster.

I'm guessing Self wants Storr to prove that wrong. I think having him in with the walkons was a message.

Some Self postgame notes:

We took, and made, more 3s last night than we did any game last season. Coach wants us to be 40+ percent of our shots. Last year it was around 30.

The ball can stick in AJ's hands. Coach wants him to go to the hole and get fouled, rather than settle for jumpers.

Coach likes how Diggy pressures the ball, says he does it better than Dajuan, and playing Diggy will make Juan better and allow him to be more of an anticipator.

Zeke came off the bench cuz Self couldn't get him to shoot at practice.

Coach likes Griffen's on-ball defense and length and quick release shot

Coach says KJ can guard whoever big or small, and 1-4 no matter the situation, but the issue becomes if an opponent rolls a guy and posts Diggy or Juan.

Hunter and Shak would have prob played if it was a regular season game.

Shak is more of a strong quick PG. Diggy's more of a 2.

https://247sports.com/college/kansas/lo ... 2/#2527602

If we're going to play Coit and Moore, then Passmore and McDowell are definitely the 2 left out of the rotation.

DH
Moore
Coit
Mayo
Griffen
Storr
Kj
HD
Bidunga

That's 10 guys. 2 of that bunch won't get much more than 10mpg. If we play Kj at the 5 at times, which I hope we don't, then Bidungas minutes will get squeezed down.

Storr went to the basket once or twice last night, we need more of that. He's being used like Gradey as catch and shoot 3 guy, and that's not his strength. Self also has to adjust, because it's not just as easy as saying "drive more" when HD is going to be in the paint and KJs guy is also going to be sagging off into the paint when he's out there. It's clogged up. I liked us shooting a bunch of 3s. We need that if guys are capable of hitting 35%+.

Passmore had an embarrassing breakaway missed dunk and promptly got benched. He's a year away, at least. Hopefully he develops a shot, because pairing him with non shooters in Elmarko McDowell and Bidunga is concerning looking a year or two down the road.

Griffen is going to be really good if he stays healthy. Looked like he tweaked something last night. Went hard to the basket and got fouled and when he landed he appeared to be in pain. Subbed out after the free throws.

Bidunga does a lot of good and a lot of bad.

Clemence, shockingly, does a lot of bad and not much good. His body looks good. He moves decent. Dribbles decent. But he just plays a little out of control and sped up. He was visibly frustrated last night. Mayo (iirc) said something to him and Clemence looked like he was sort of annoyed he was being told what to do. I think the writing is on the wall that he's not going to be very impactful this year. Does he have just this year or does he have another year of eligibility remaining? Was hoping he could be that Lightfoot type role, either as a 4 or 5 or both for 5-10mpg, and maybe he still hits that average for minutes, but it won't be in close games.


So far our 3 best players to me are HD DH and Griffen. Soon to be 3x AA, national champion, and a guy who has been a main contributor on a final 4 team.

I am still frustrated with KJ, but he's also known commodity. And we don't have anyone (worth a damn) capable of playing the 4 if the other team has size imo. Storr and Griffen aren't bulky enough to endure many minutes at the 4 against good teams.