Preseason Hype/Discussion
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Self on Agbaji
“That’s one of the ones that was luck that we got,” Self said. “We didn’t recruit Ochai hard, [assistant coach Norm Roberts] thought he could play well enough that I should go watch him. I went to watch him, and I go, ‘I think he’s better than who we’re recruiting.’”
The next step of evaluation revealed only more of the same.
“Then when you get to know him and you study him; you get to see length, explosiveness, attitude and toughness,” Self continued. “You also see that his sister plays volleyball at Texas. It’s a very athletic family. Both parents played [college basketball]. You start thinking that this kid has got some things, some intangibles.”
Of course, that final comment in and of itself would have been massive praise for any four-star freshman, especially one that was a late riser like Agbaji (even if he still finished well behind some of the more elite names in the class in the rankings).
Self, though, wasn’t done hyping up the freshman.
“I don’t want to make any predictions too bold, but he is going to be a guy who is going to start a lot of games, play a lot of minutes and score a lot of points while he is here,” Self said. “It just may not happen immediately for him because we have depth. He was ranked No. 337 when he committed to us and I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t pan out to be one of the best 30-40 players in this class.”
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Crazy. It’s exciting thinking what Agbaji could be in time. That’s some awful high praise
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http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/oct/22/he-will-he-wont-he-might-2018-udoka-azub/
http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/oct/23/he-will-he-wont-he-might-2018-dedric-law/
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@BShark Dotson/Garrett/Agbaji/KJ/Big Dave. Charlie and Lightfoot off the bench first. We’ll need more size, and more wings, but that is a super solid core of experienced players. 7 guys with that much experience is such a luxury for us.
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"Self has since recruited some big-time pro prospects on the perimeter: Xavier Henry, Ben McLemore, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre, but they all lacked one quality. “They were more shooters and scorers than playmakers,” Self says.
Williams was a playmaker, and in June 2016, Self found the guy to answer the question of what it would have been like had Williams run fist at Illinois. He called Howard.
“Quentin Grimes,” Self said from his seat at a tournament in Dallas. “He reminds me of D-Will, but he will be better.”"
Lots of nuggets in that article but yeah Grimes is really good.
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Dotson
Grimes
Vick
KJ
Dedric
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BShark said:
Dotson
Grimes
Vick
KJ
Dedric
What’s this list for?
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KJ over Dok for versatility? Is this your starting lineup @BShark or confirmed?
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Kcmatt7 said:
BShark said:
Dotson
Grimes
Vick
KJ
Dedric
What’s this list for?
Starters imo, maybe not right away but eventually.
I think now rounding out the 8 man rotation will be Garrett, Moore and Dok. McCormack as a spot duty guy.
Interestingly enough, I think Silvio going out is biggest for Charlie Moore. It slides KJ down to playing the 4 much more and frees up guard minutes.
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@BShark So Doks not even in your 8 man roster!?!
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dylans said:
@BShark So Doks not even in your 8 man roster!?!
I meant Dok instead of Mitch. I’ll edit that LMAO.
I think Dok plays around 22 mpg.
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I can’t imagine Doke not starting.
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@BShark Oh no way Self doesn’t start Dok. You can book that.
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Yeah Doke’s playing especially if he’s improved his FT’s. He’ll play anyway, he’s the dominate post player in the league beside his equally dominate teammate
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I think we see his rebounding and shot blocking improve this year substantially. He will be a force.
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Kcmatt7 said:
@BShark Oh no way Self doesn’t start Dok. You can book that.
I can see Dok starting for sure.
I think it will be interesting to see how Self plays it. I think once you get past Dok and Dedric, the bigs aren’t very good so it makes a lot of sense to play small some of the time. But maybe he wants more of a particular identity and Mitch/Dave get bigger minutes than I expect.
Edit: I’m counting KJ as a wing when I say the other bigs aren’t very good. KJ is much better than Mitch.
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@BShark I think you will see a lot of KJ at the 4 like you are wanting.
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Self just said Doke and Dedric have solidified themselves as the starting bigs.
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Woodrow said:
Self just said Doke and Dedric have solidified themselves as the starting bigs.
Makes sense. I want to dream damn it. I have small ball fever.
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BShark said:
Woodrow said:
Self just said Doke and Dedric have solidified themselves as the starting bigs.
Makes sense. I want to dream damn it. I have small ball fever.
Move to Pennsylvania, follow Villanova. LOL
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BeddieKU23 said:
BShark said:
Woodrow said:
Self just said Doke and Dedric have solidified themselves as the starting bigs.
Makes sense. I want to dream damn it. I have small ball fever.
Move to Pennsylvania, follow Villanova. LOL
Lol. Hard pass.
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Good to here reassuring words from Self.
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Grimes is learning to always be on the move when Lawson has the ball, and at a recent practice, the big man found Grimes cutting to the basket. He cocked the ball back as if he was going to dunk it until Silvio De Sousa met him at the rim. Instead of trying to dunk on De Sousa, Grimes adjusted in mid-air, going underneath De Sousa’s left arm and dropped the ball over the rim with a finger roll.
“I was like, ‘woo, that was crazy,’” De Sousa says.
“If that was me or anyone else,” sophomore Chris Teahan says, “they’re flat on their back because Silvio knocks them over.”
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“It’s definitely hard to guard him and keep him in front, especially if he hits you in the chest, it knocks you back a little bit and he can get separation and knock it down,” Teahan says. “He has certain moves in his body that are hitchy, and he’ll get you moving a half step one way and get enough room to knock it down in your face.”
These are the type of moves that won Self over, and once the Jayhawks started recruiting Grimes, the expectation was that they would land him because his mom, Tonja Stelly, also attended KU. But Howard says Stelly was no help. “She made it extra tough for us because she went here,” he says. “She wanted him to make the decision himself.”
Grimes was ultimately convinced it was the best system for him because of Self’s fist offense and the freedom he gives his guards to make multiple reads with the ball in their hands. When Grimes is asked about theoretical plays, he talks out the progressions and options he would have with the ball.
Close your eyes and you can picture Deron Williams, who would play methodically and then beat defenders with a burst. “Deron was sneaky athletic too,” Howard says. “But this kid, he’s freaky. And he’s fast too.”
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Told y’all Grimes has a great basketball mind.
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BShark said:
Told y’all Grimes has a great basketball mind.
Had no doubts either. Can’t wait to see it on the floor
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He was a really nice surprise at the U18 games when he played PG and was select the Tournament MVP. Kid can do it all.
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Lol found put from local sports talk. - The Big 12 screwed up , they commented that KU actually WAS NOT the 100% pick to win the Big 12 title this year - - Said that yes K-State received a pick to win it - - OSU head coach- Boyton said he has learned that experience means a lot - - And there you have it – the rest of the news - -this is " Jayballer " - - Good Day lmao - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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Interesting stuff from Ryan on the Phog here: https://247sports.com/college/kansas/Board/103719/Contents/Starting-lineup-tomorrow-123759798/
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Coaches cannot vote for their own team so no team gets all the votes.
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KSU got 2
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JayHawkFanToo said:
Coaches cannot vote for their own team so no team gets all the votes.
BUT yet the big 12 had come out and said that KU was a unmanious pick to win the Big twelve again – well actually they said K-State got 2 votes when they corrected, I do know you can’t vote for yourself , so there had to be 2 Coaches pick K-State
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Crimsonorblue22 said:
KSU got 2
Exactly - that is what I just responded to another on here - -All I heard them say was Boyton , but there had to be another also. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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Boynton and Self @jayballer73
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jayballer73 said:
BShark said:
Boynton and Self @jayballer73
makes sense jut didn’t realize self voted for K- State
He can’t vote for KU so had to be another school.
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@BShark ya I understand that but just didn’t know it was K-State he voted for - -maybe WV just didn’t know
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Interesting nugget from Matt Tait
Recent guards at KU and minutes played as a FR
Frank Mason III – 567
Devonte’ Graham – 506
Svi Mykhailiuk – 291
Brannen Greene – 184
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Marcus Garrett…748
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The teams was very shorthanded last season so that partially explains it. Also, Coach Self is big on defense and player that are willing to play tough defense will see more minutes. Very impressive either way.
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JayHawkFanToo said:
The teams was very shorthanded last season so that partially explains it. Also, Coach Self is big on defense and player that are willing to play tough defense will see more minutes. Very impressive either way.
10000000% correct.
In 2007-08 Self continued to play Russell Robinson(senior) over Sherron Collins(sophomore). It was all about defense and turnovers, Self’s biggest obsessions. Of course as the tournament went on Sherron got more of the minutes.
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@BShark He completely disrupts the other team. There is a ton going on with Marcus that never shows up in the box score. There were several balls he tipped that resulted in turnovers for us, and him picking up 9 rebounds, and challenging that taller player at the rim ( he picked up a foul ), the step through drive to the basket looked a little like Frank, with some Malik ankle breaking thrown in. His shot still looks terrible, but he did manage to guide one of those dead ducks in. He is one good jump shot away from being a star.
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ESPN has 3 Hawks listed in the Top 60 for the draft.
Quentin Grimes #6
Dedric Lawson #36
Udoka Azubuike # 57
**Devon Dotson #51 overall prospect but not listed in either round. Definitely one to monitor as the season goes on…
Vick & Silvio - Not in Top 100 or in Top 20 of their position groups.
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BeddieKU23 said:
ESPN has 3 Hawks listed in the Top 60 for the draft.
Quentin Grimes #6
Dedric Lawson #36
Udoka Azubuike # 57
**Devon Dotson #51 overall prospect but not listed in either round. Definitely one to monitor as the season goes on…
Vick & Silvio - Not in Top 100 or in Top 20 of their position groups.
Fully expecting Dotson to be back.
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Six Big 12 players on the Naismith watch list, and two Jayhawks. Dedric Lawson, Quentin Grimes, Dean Wade, Barry Brown, Sagaba Konate, and Lindell Wigginton.
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BShark said:
BeddieKU23 said:
ESPN has 3 Hawks listed in the Top 60 for the draft.
Quentin Grimes #6
Dedric Lawson #36
Udoka Azubuike # 57
**Devon Dotson #51 overall prospect but not listed in either round. Definitely one to monitor as the season goes on…
Vick & Silvio - Not in Top 100 or in Top 20 of their position groups.
Fully expecting Dotson to be back.
I hope so, he’s a sneaky wild card for the draft I think at the moment. Will let the season play out before I make any further judgement but if he’s the starter and playing well scouts will notice.
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Andy Katz has his pre-season brackets and KU does not make the Final Four losing to UNC in the Elite 8. I guess he did not get the memo that KU owns UNC in the NCAA.
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JayHawkFanToo said:
Andy Katz has his pre-season brackets and KU does not make the Final Four losing to UNC in the Elite 8. I guess he did not get the memo that KU owns UNC in the NCAA.
Imagine predicting a Roy team to beat a Self team. LOLOLOL.
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For some reason, Andy Putz is not a fan of KU…must be the ESPN thing…
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@JayHawkFanToo ESPN = ACC hype. Medcalf predicts Self will leave KU for the NBA at the end of this season. Go figure.
