The portal.
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@rockchalkjayhawk I feel like Jim has been trolling this site and stealing my words.
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What do we make of Jayden Dawson?
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@Jhawk69 He’s no Len Dawson.
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@Jhawk69 it’s a start.
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Well, if we hear squat about portal additions over the weekend, we’ll know Kansas was belt tightening and being frugal as they wait for the Monday $$$ cap to kick in.
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@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
What do we make of Jayden Dawson?
Seems like a good bench piece. Don’t think it’d be a great sign if he’s starting next season.
Looking on Reddit, a couple of Loyola-Chicago fans chimed in on Dawson. He’s a streaky shooter with a quick release, can move without the ball, and isn’t afraid to let if fly. He’s a plus defender with average handles. The negative on him is he’s injury prone. Broken hand his freshman season limited him to 14 games, a leg injury his sophomore year cost him several weeks, and a broken ankle this season cost him a month.
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Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition
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Also, Dawson seems like a pretty respected and liked player based on some of the people who commented on an Instagram post about his commitment. Darryn Peterson, Josh Dix (wish he would’ve come here), Jon Tonje, Zeke Mayo, and the most interesting to me at this point are both Bashir brothers. Interesting to me because Abdi seems like KU’s top target at PG at this time. Abdi’s post was a simple “yessir” so that could mean he won’t be too far behind in committing as well, but we’ll see.
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@Kcmatt7 Totally agree… Self’s coaching style, pulling guys when they make a mistake, KILLS confidence… Rylan and A.J were both playing with trepidation because of that. He needs to have a MUCH longer leash, and let’s these guys play thru some errors, and it will pay off towards the end of the season. They will grow into studs.
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@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:
Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition
Diggy with defense is the kind of vibe I’m getting on him from based on Loyola-Chicago fans comments.
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@Bosthawk said in The portal.:
@Kcmatt7 Totally agree… Self’s coaching style, pulling guys when they make a mistake, KILLS confidence… Rylan and A.J were both playing with trepidation because of that. He needs to have a MUCH longer leash, and let’s these guys play thru some errors, and it will pay off towards the end of the season. They will grow into studs.
AJ and Rylan were bad fits because they didn’t know how to play in a motion offense and we’re frequently out of position. Storr was getting better towards the end of the season, but Rylan never seemed to grasp the concepts and was frequently out of position on offense.
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We good?
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@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:
@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:
Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition
Diggy with defense is the kind of vibe I’m getting on him from based on Loyola-Chicago fans comments.
Okay, but a lower end 3* per 247. Multiple other 4 and 5* commits over the past two days.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I would’ve started AJ over Rylan that last game. He had no passion or desire to play. Was a dud except for 1 game.
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@DCHawker said in The portal.:
@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:
@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:
Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition
Diggy with defense is the kind of vibe I’m getting on him from based on Loyola-Chicago fans comments.
Okay, but a lower end 3* per 247. Multiple other 4 and 5* commits over the past two days.
That was his high school ranking. He doesn’t have a transfer rating since he went in the portal just a couple days ago
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@DCHawker said in The portal.:
@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:
@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:
Film looks good. 86 made 3s on the season. Deadly spot up, off the dribble, pull up. I like the addition
Diggy with defense is the kind of vibe I’m getting on him from based on Loyola-Chicago fans comments.
Okay, but a lower end 3* per 247. Multiple other 4 and 5* commits over the past two days.
How’s that strategy worked out the past 2 years of trying take best available players?
This is a kid who should be a good fit in Self’s system and as I already said, likely a bench piece like Diggy was. I’d much rather see Self and staff focus on fit and who can compliment Darryn Peterson’s game in the portal.
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Why do you think Dawkins is a good fit for Self’s system and a good compliment for Darryn?
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@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
Why do you think Dawkins is a good fit for Self’s system and a good compliment for Darryn?
Bill Self runs a version of a motion offense. Motion offenses involve lots of cuts, screens, picks, and other actions that require being able to read the defense and make quick decisions for the guards and wings. Basically, players have to be able to move without ball very well to create the offensive looks needed whether it’s a 3, a post up, a back cut for a lob, or a post up, or a kick out.
Loyola-Chicago fans have said that moving without the ball is a strength of his and since he’s know as a good catch and shoot player. That works well for Self’s offense because he can get a quick shot off coming off a screen, or he can cut to a corner or wing for a kick out shot. He’s also good a drawing fouls so if a defender closes out too hard, he can drive by and create contact in the lane.
He’s basically a bigger version of Diggy on offense if you go back amd watch Diggy play next to Dejuan and how much he ran around to get open.
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@Crimsonorblue22 said in The portal.:
@Texas-Hawk-10 I would’ve started AJ over Rylan that last game. He had no passion or desire to play. Was a dud except for 1 game.
I would’ve made the switch in the Big 12 Tournament after the first game where AJ had his best game as a Jayhawk against UCF.
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@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
What do we make of Jayden Dawson?
The answer to what Kurtis Townsend was actually doing in New York.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 Bashir brothers are from Omaha, same as Dawson.
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@BShark said in The portal.:
@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
What do we make of Jayden Dawson?
The answer to what Kurtis Townsend was actually doing in New York.
Now relax…he also had a party to attend with Darryn and family as well.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:
@Bosthawk said in The portal.:
@Kcmatt7 Totally agree… Self’s coaching style, pulling guys when they make a mistake, KILLS confidence… Rylan and A.J were both playing with trepidation because of that. He needs to have a MUCH longer leash, and let’s these guys play thru some errors, and it will pay off towards the end of the season. They will grow into studs.
AJ and Rylan were bad fits because they didn’t know how to play in a motion offense and we’re frequently out of position. Storr was getting better towards the end of the season, but Rylan never seemed to grasp the concepts and was frequently out of position on offense.
The good news here is Loyola seems to actually run an offense.
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@TYOHawk said in The portal.:
@BShark said in The portal.:
@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
What do we make of Jayden Dawson?
The answer to what Kurtis Townsend was actually doing in New York.
Now relax…he also had a party to attend with Darryn and family as well.
Truly a legend.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:
@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
Why do you think Dawkins is a good fit for Self’s system and a good compliment for Darryn?
Bill Self runs a version of a motion offense. Motion offenses involve lots of cuts, screens, picks, and other actions that require being able to read the defense and make quick decisions for the guards and wings. Basically, players have to be able to move without ball very well to create the offensive looks needed whether it’s a 3, a post up, a back cut for a lob, or a post up, or a kick out.
Loyola-Chicago fans have said that moving without the ball is a strength of his and since he’s know as a good catch and shoot player. That works well for Self’s offense because he can get a quick shot off coming off a screen, or he can cut to a corner or wing for a kick out shot. He’s also good a drawing fouls so if a defender closes out too hard, he can drive by and create contact in the lane.
He’s basically a bigger version of Diggy on offense if you go back amd watch Diggy play next to Dejuan and how much he ran around to get open.
This is also why I also like the Tre White fit, should we be able to add him.
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@BShark said in The portal.:
@TYOHawk said in The portal.:
@BShark said in The portal.:
@Jhawk69 said in The portal.:
What do we make of Jayden Dawson?
The answer to what Kurtis Townsend was actually doing in New York.
Now relax…he also had a party to attend with Darryn and family as well.
Truly a legend.
No more jokes from me for the duffle bag legend.
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I like the addition of Dawson, seems like a good 2 way player that doesn’t turn the ball over. Great first step
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Hopefully we hit up Dioubate from Bama. Ideal 4. Really solid numbers for a rotation dude. Poised for a jump
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@BeddieKU23 reason to believe KU is circling back with Reed Bailey a bit. Word on the street is Hopkins took the 1.2 million offer that both of them had from St John’s first
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@BShark we have any 4’s or 5’s, besides Tiller?
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@Texas-Hawk-10 My concern with Bill Self’s motion offense is that it’s too rigid and predictable compared to other systems that allow players to make quicker decisions and be more flexible. Other offenses give players the freedom to think on their feet and adapt, which helps stretch their skills. With Self’s system, the focus is often on the post-up, and the high-low game becomes too predictable. His offense feels outdated and doesn’t allow for much creativity. Against more athletic teams, it becomes a liability, leading to too many turnovers and making us look bad.
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@msanchez technically, it’s called "slow motion offense "
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@msanchez It is rigid and predictable when poorly run. When well-run it is difficult to guard (as is the case with many different offenses). Last season it was run poorly. Rylan and AJ had no idea what they were doing, which was a big reason for this.
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Could be another commitment today…
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@msanchez said in The portal.:
@Texas-Hawk-10 My concern with Bill Self’s motion offense is that it’s too rigid and predictable compared to other systems that allow players to make quicker decisions and be more flexible. Other offenses give players the freedom to think on their feet and adapt, which helps stretch their skills. With Self’s system, the focus is often on the post-up, and the high-low game becomes too predictable. His offense feels outdated and doesn’t allow for much creativity. Against more athletic teams, it becomes a liability, leading to too many turnovers and making us look bad.
Self had two bad fits last season in the offense at the 3 and 4 spots. At the 3 spot, Storr and Griffen were lost because they’ve never been in that style of system. The light seemed to be coming on at the end of the season for Storr, but his background was playing iso ball, hence why I’ve always compared him to James Harden. Griffen came from an offensive system that had minimal structure and rules at Alabama and why he struggled so much here since he could never learn the reads he needed to as he would usually make a wrong read or be stationary.
KJ was a poor fit because he wasn’t an outside threat at all. Had KJ ever been able to develop 3 point range, the offense would’ve looked so much better the past two seasons.
Any offensive system can be successful with the correct skill sets at those positions. With Self’s system, you need a 1-4 that can move well without the ball and have quick releases on 3 point shots so defenses can’t ignore players on the perimeter. This was Dejuan’s issue, he had a very slow shot so defenders could sag off because if Dejuan caught a pass on the perimeter, a defender had time to close out on Dejuan. At the 5 spot, Self needs a post player that’s an above average passer and can set good picks/screens. For all the crap people here talked about him, Hunter Dickinson really was the perfect 5 man in Self’s offense with the added benefit of being able to knock down an outside shot.
If seems like the staff is being more picky in the portal this year in regards to targeting players with a background in motion based offenses which should result in the offense running much better next season.
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@BShark That would brighten up my day if that turned out to be true
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Tre White is another great fit for Self’s offense at the 3 spot.
“Since his perimeter game is limited, he does most of his damage as a cutter and around the rim, shooting a terrific 64% at the basket in 2024-25.”
He did shoot a career best 33% from 3 last year so he is capable and teams can’t ignore that.
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@CasterTroy said in The portal.:
Just saw if from On3 as well.
https://www.on3.com/news/illinois-guard-tre-white-commits-to-kansas-out-of-ncaa-transfer-portal/
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Shades of Kev. Nice get
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Nature is healing. Coach is getting guys with toughness and not podcasts…
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@Texas-Hawk-10 said in The portal.:
Tre White is another great fit for Self’s offense at the 3 spot.
“Since his perimeter game is limited, he does most of his damage as a cutter and around the rim, shooting a terrific 64% at the basket in 2024-25.”
He did shoot a career best 33% from 3 last year so he is capable and teams can’t ignore that.
Is he a starter or another bench piece, like Dawson? Played just 23 mpg for a middling Illini team. Even if so, we still need 2-3 starters. Anyone left who is a rim protector, can rebound, or light it up from the arc?
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@DCHawker said in The portal.:
Is he a starter or another bench piece, like Dawson? Played just 23 mpg for a middling Illini team
The article says started 31 of 32 games.
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Dusty May is reloading at Michigan. Lendeborg and Johnson will be a load in the paint…
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@FarmerJayhawk Does he defend like Kev?
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Another good pickup. Good size. Happy with this one
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@DCHawker Tre White is the starting 3 next season for KU.
Right now KU has 8 players with room for 6 more with a need for a starting 4 and 5 and possibly a 2. There are likely 5 or 6 rotation players set for next season with Dawson, Jackson, Peterson, Tiller, White, and possibly McDowell. I don’t see Calderon or Shelby being rotation level players next season.
Guards: Dawson, Jackson, McDowell, Peterson, Shelby
Wings: White, Calderon
Forwards: Tiller
We’re only halfway through the portal window and there’s still teams playing so there will be more good players entering the portal over the next 2+ weeks.
