B12 2024

[pdub]

McCullar is 1st team AA candidate so that's not an entirely wrong narrative.

[randylahey]

Last night made me nervous for next year. Kj is a liability on offense if he has to be looked at as option #1 or #2 and the ball movement stagnates. He can hit that little mid range shot occasionally, but when he has to force it the success rate goes way down. When the ball moves he becomes very effective and gets great looks, but he's a system player.

There's a conversation about KJ that surprisingly is never had. He's very likeable, unselfish hard working team player, high flying dunker, etc

But he's also 6'6 with a short wingspan and no perimeter jumpshot, an awkward fit in modern basketball

[KUTradition]

I think KU drops at least 3 more games before Selection Sunday and ends up as a 4 or a 5 seed. Maybe they figure some things out when McCullar decides to play again, fingers crossed.

i hate to say it, but i’m thinking 4 seed

[MICHHAWK]

kj was bad last night.

[twocoach]

kj was bad last night.

When Nick freaking Timberlake is the player of the game then you have serious problems top to bottom.

[MICHHAWK]

we had no player of the game last night.

[DeletedUser]

I think KU drops at least 3 more games before Selection Sunday and ends up as a 4 or a 5 seed. Maybe they figure some things out when McCullar decides to play again, fingers crossed.

Even if we lose 3 more games I still think we are a 2 or 3 seed.

We have a shit load of quality wins. Our losses are on the road, in conference, to decent teams (other than WVU).

[DeletedUser]

Last night made me nervous for next year. Kj is a liability on offense if he has to be looked at as option #1 or #2 and the ball movement stagnates. He can hit that little mid range shot occasionally, but when he has to force it the success rate goes way down. When the ball moves he becomes very effective and gets great looks, but he's a system player.

There's a conversation about KJ that surprisingly is never had. He's very likeable, unselfish hard working team player, high flying dunker, etc

But he's also 6'6 with a short wingspan and no perimeter jumpshot, an awkward fit in modern basketball

It's always interesting when DH gets bashed for not being a shooting threat even though he is a pretty good shooter, but nobody cares that Kj isn't capable of scoring consistently outside of the paint.

[KUTradition]

we’ve talked plenty about KJ’s limited offensive repertoire (despite being so much improved)…not sure how that’s a conversation that’s never been had

[DeletedUser]

we’ve talked plenty about KJ’s limited offensive repertoire (despite being so much improved)…not sure how that’s a conversation that’s never been had

Defenses ignore him on the perimeter vastly more than they do DH it looks like to me.

[twocoach]

Last night made me nervous for next year. Kj is a liability on offense if he has to be looked at as option #1 or #2 and the ball movement stagnates. He can hit that little mid range shot occasionally, but when he has to force it the success rate goes way down. When the ball moves he becomes very effective and gets great looks, but he's a system player.

There's a conversation about KJ that surprisingly is never had. He's very likeable, unselfish hard working team player, high flying dunker, etc

But he's also 6'6 with a short wingspan and no perimeter jumpshot, an awkward fit in modern basketball

It's always interesting when DH gets bashed for not being a shooting threat even though he is a pretty good shooter, but nobody cares that Kj isn't capable of scoring consistently outside of the paint.

Probably because he scores so much in the paint that it more than makes up for it. Go look at the advanced stats for this team. KJ is ahead of Harris in everything except steal % and assist % including defensive metrics. Harris' numbers are shockingly mediocre.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... /2024.html

[twocoach]

we’ve talked plenty about KJ’s limited offensive repertoire (despite being so much improved)…not sure how that’s a conversation that’s never been had

Defenses ignore him on the perimeter vastly more than they do DH it looks like to me.

Which I would expect from every PF in the game compared to that team's PG. What are we doing here?

[pdub]

[DeletedUser]

There's a conversation about KJ that surprisingly is never had. He's very likeable, unselfish hard working team player, high flying dunker, etc

But he's also 6'6 with a short wingspan and no perimeter jumpshot, an awkward fit in modern basketball

It's always interesting when DH gets bashed for not being a shooting threat even though he is a pretty good shooter, but nobody cares that Kj isn't capable of scoring consistently outside of the paint.

Probably because he scores so much in the paint that it more than makes up for it. Go look at the advanced stats for this team. KJ is ahead of Harris in everything except steal % and assist % including defensive metrics. Harris' numbers are shockingly mediocre.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... /2024.html

You missed the point, or more likely I was unclear.

It's not that Kj isn't better at offense, he is, he is one of the most efficient scorers in the country....but DH always has criticism about spacing, and I think Kj clogs things up as much or more than DH does.

Kj is an efficient scorer when he doesn't need to look to score and can let the game come to him. He is NOT someone you give the ball to and let them go to work. Thankfully we have KM and HD this year, next year we will have a big hole to fill without KM.

[DeletedUser]

we’ve talked plenty about KJ’s limited offensive repertoire (despite being so much improved)…not sure how that’s a conversation that’s never been had

Defenses ignore him on the perimeter vastly more than they do DH it looks like to me.

Which I would expect from every PF in the game compared to that team's PG. What are we doing here?

Huh?

Kj plays on the perimeter a ton (we play 4 out a lot, almost exclusively). In fact last night he was the 2nd ball handler quite a bit.

It's about spacing. Not the letters next to their name in the box score (PG, PF, Etc.)

[DeletedUser]

KJ looked awful last night and we couldn't create any space because they just dropped back and packed the paint every time he touched the ball.

Not a problem this year when KM is healthy because of ball movement and passing ability of our big 4.....but it'll be a huge problem next year.

[KUTradition]

KJ’s efficiency is a product of the system though, and having guys around him that get him the ball in scoreable (not a word) situations. that didn’t seem to happen last night. too often he was getting the ball out on the wing and was trying to create for himself…that’s not his game

he also seems to have fallen in love with that little pull-up push shot (which is fine when he’s on), but he lacks the soft touch to get friendly bounces when he isn’t on

[twocoach]

Defenses ignore him on the perimeter vastly more than they do DH it looks like to me.

Which I would expect from every PF in the game compared to that team's PG. What are we doing here?

Huh?

Kj plays on the perimeter a ton. In fact last night he was the 2nd ball handler quite a bit.

It's about spacing. Not the letters next to their name in the box score (PG, PF, Etc.)

Standing on the perimeter during the play isn't the same. KJ has to be accounted for. EVERY team scouts KU and knows to keep track of where KJ is because of the threat of lobs, how well he passes and how good he is at that short roll. Harris doesn't have to be guarded at all on the perimeter and is terrible at finishing at the rim. He is a great passer except for the three times a game he throws mind bogglingly stupid passes.

[DeletedUser]

KJ’s efficiency is a product of the system though, and having guys around him that get him the ball in scoreable (not a word) situations. that didn’t seem to happen last night. too often he was getting the ball out on the wing and was trying to create for himself…that’s not his game

Yes. He is great in the system.

When he becomes someone the defense can focus on he becomes very easy to neutralize. KM and HD are great passers and those 3 create easy opportunities for each other. When 1 is out, those opportunities don't occur.

[twocoach]

I'll adjust my expectations of the position when KU signs a 7 footer who can play like Dirk.