Posts made by DCHawker

@approxinfinity said in The portal.:

So Dame Sarr coming to KU is contingent upon Coward not going pro right? When do we anticipate knowing whether Coward will go to Duke or NBA?

If true, that is effed up - we get Duke’s leftovers??? This process begs the question I posed much earlier in this thread. What is plan B if the high reward - high risk gamble of playing the draft withdrawal waiting game doesn’t play out??? Why not just focus on getting a complete starting line-up committed much earlier in the process, like most other top tier teams have done???

If we don’t get Sarr or Williams, what then? I like the guys we have, but its not close to a contending starting lineup now - we have no size, bulk or shooters on the roster now. I get trying to be smarter about good fits, and don’t have any problem with adding Council, Dawson and White, but we are at least one starter short right now, with no front court size or depth…

Tiller and Calderon so little thought of that even with DP, KU’s recruiting class isn’t in 247’s top 25 classes. Nor is our portal class as of now…

@SlimShaddy54 said in KU Roster for 25-26:

@Texas-Hawk-10 quite possible , complete package

He may be the real deal, but what does that mean? Not very often that single freshmen carry teams to NCAA titles - Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Davis? Each of those had other NBA players on the roster. Hakeem Warwick was on the Syracuse title team with Anthony. Milt Wagner and others with Davis. DP may be the real deal and a complete package, perhaps the best freshman next year, but is he a NBA first team talent? Perhaps. Is there anyone else on the roster who is NBA starter level??? Most NCAA champs have multiple future NBA players - true of KU as well…

Coward to Duke. Would have been fine going after and getting him in lieu of waiting on Williams…

So, regarding Williams… Would definitely be a good get - can hit from outside and post his man on the blocks. But it seems like all our eggs are in one basket? What if he stays in the draft? What is plan B? If he does come to KU, does White stay? If so, do they both start at the 3/4? Still not a particularly long or big line-up. If White leaves, Williams is the better version of a similar player, but at a really high cost. Then we are still left with the problem of needing another started at the 3/4.

I’m still struggling to see the bigger picture. I get trying to get guys who “fit” and I don’t have issue with any of the adds as rotation players, but it seems like we are looking at some of the same issues as this past couple of years with roster construction. Floor spacing, rebounding, and lack of 40% 3pt shooters…

St. Johns is a good comp. All Pitino had coming back was Zuby, similar to KU with Flory (although even that was in doubt). So Pitino hit the portal hard and landed a complete complementary starting roster - Hopkins, Mitchell, Sanon, Jackson, and Sellers. Any of the 3 probably better than the 3 we’ve signed so far. 5 guys - size, shooters and ball handlers plus Zuby. DP might be the only guy on our roster who I would take over any of the Johnnies. So, how is SJ able to do that, with I assume a much smaller NIL budget???

@BShark said in The portal.:

@BeddieKU23 Doesn’t make much sense to me

I don’t understand it either. Played 20mpg for UTEP. Yes, shot 44% from 3 with some volume (up from 20% freshman year), but only about 35% from inside the arc. Against lesser competition than in the B12. Based on stats, can’t do much else. Who does he sub for? Do we run plays to get him open looks? Just 6’3’’ (if) - can he get off shots off consistently?

We don’t have anyone on the roster who can really score at three levels, and he isn’t the answer. We need at least one, if not two starter calibers guys who can do that. All the FF teams had multiple guards/wings who could score at three levels, and multiple shooting high 30s or even over 40% from deep.

@BShark said in The portal.:

@approxinfinity well Tre White is a guy that started for a better team last year and word around Omaha is Bill promised Dawson he will start.

Best case right now is one more high caliber player while keeping everyone currently on the roster.

Splitting hairs, but not sure Illinois was really a better team - 22-13. Regardless, White averaged only 23mpg, 6th most on the team. 5th leading scorer. Only 70 3PA - seventh on the team and half of every other starter. 33% on 3s. Decent rebounder, but less than 1 APG for a guard/wing? Seems like more of a solid rotation piece than a starter on a title contending team. Fine with Dawson as a starting combo guard with DP, with Council and Elmarko rotating, but we need another big wing/4 who should be the 1st or 2nd scoring option. We have no size right now. Even then, unless we are confident that Elmarko and Tiller are fully recovered from injuries and can contribute serious minutes, we are woefully short of quality depth, esp. up front…

Pitino has completely restocked SJU in the portal with quality players - can’t imagine that the Johnnies have a bigger NIL budget than KU? Same with several other teams that, at least 'til now, appear to have done a lot more with the portal. I fully support getting guys who “fit”, which wasn’t the case last year, but the wait and see game is excruciating…

What is the play now that the portal has closed, the vast majority of entrants committed (certainly of the top 100), and we have the 31st ranked portal class (per 247)? I assume someone on the board has a good idea.

Are we putting a lot/all our eggs in the Stokes or Williams basket? Where are the points (and rebounds) going to come from with who we have now? We have 5ppg coming back - that’s it. Flory should be improved, but he is not going to be a big scorer. Are White, Dawson and Council going to up their scoring averages against B12 competition? Doubtful. Let’s assume they can maintain their scoring average and Flory doubles to 10ppg. Those four get us less than 50ppg. Maybe DP can get 20ppg+. Bench points? If opponents clog the middle and dare to knock down 3s, who can consistently do that?

Do we currently have a roster that can be competitive game to game? Yes, but compete for a B12 title, let alone a NC? Doesn’t seem to be close to that. DP better be the best player in the country and unstoppable…

If Stokes for '26 only, that doesn’t help the coming year - major holes - still have no size and shooting at this point. Personally, I would have preferred getting Coward.

@TYOHawk said in Recruiting Notes:

@DCHawker said in Recruiting Notes:

@BShark said in Recruiting Notes:

@TYOHawk said in Recruiting Notes:

Stokes is in town let’s roll…

The things Trilly and some others are saying right now…I’m BRICKED.

Translation for us Luddites???

We have some momentum in regards to Stokes and BShark is excited by that.

Thx - guess I’m BRICKED as well…

@BShark said in Recruiting Notes:

@TYOHawk said in Recruiting Notes:

Stokes is in town let’s roll…

The things Trilly and some others are saying right now…I’m BRICKED.

Translation for us Luddites???

@FarmerJayhawk said in The portal.:

Mini Peja in the portal yes pls

Yes. Surprisingly not a good 3pt%, but averaged 18ppg for a P5 team and definitely progressed from freshman year. DP, Dawson/Council/Elmarko, White/Stojakovic, and Flory plus another 20mpg quality big would start to get the juices flowing. Coward, Stokes would be icing on the cake…

@Texas-Hawk-10 Agree re Council. Seems like a really solid rotation guy willing to go hard when he is in. But, a starter? A <15ppg scorer at St. Bonaventure? FG% 44%. 3pt% 30%. Just 2 FTAs per game averaging 37 minutes. Against much lower competition. Just 6’4’’ and 180lbs. Not sure how he will measure up against other B12 guards/wings. Same with Dawson. 14ppg for a double digit loss team in the A-10. Just 41% from the field. Also 6’4" and 185lbs. White also seems like a solid rotation piece, but just 10ppg for an okay Illinois team and just 23mpg. Is he really a starter on a team that aspires to titles? 6’7’’ and 210lbs. Not really a 4 and doesn’t shoot well enough from outside to be a 2-3?

All good rotation players, but starters??? Are we going to have to get 25ppg+ from DP?

@jayhawks2010 said in The portal.:

I don’t think you can play two bigs unless your 4 is athletic and can shoot like Marcus Morris. We’ve struggled bc we’ve played two bigs and they both can’t shoot lol

Florida rotated 4 bigs, almost always 2 on the floor. Only one could shoot. Houston rotated 3 bigs, none of whom had an outside shot. Auburn played two bigs, one of them a scorer. Duke played one true big, but 3 and 4 were 6’11’ and 6’8’. Michigan played 2 bigs. TTU had a starting line-up similar in size to our current projected, but Toppin > Flory and Williams > White. Fredericko also played almost 20mpg. UConn teams only had one true big, but he was dominant and they had a lot of size across the line-up - 6’4" to 6’8".

The problem isn’t with necessarily 2 bigs that can’t shoot - it’s that the past two years we haven’t had guards/wings who could attack the paint and finish at the rim and/or consistently hit from the arc. Both shortcomings are why we have had double digit losses and early exits.

@FarmerJayhawk said in The portal.:

@kuballin10 too early to say. 4 more roster spots to fill. Another starter and a backup big are the main priorities right now. But as of 11:28 PM 4/16 it’s DP, Council, Dawson, White, Flory.

Therein lies the problem. Decent 5 to have on the floor for stretches, but is that really a line-up that can compete for a B12 title, let alone make a run in the tournament? 4 guards/wings, and an undersized 5. No real shooters. The recent formula for championships and FF success is 3 guards/wings who can attack the rim, hit 35%+ from 3, and defend the perimeter, and 2 mobile, rangy bigs who can set screens, execute the pick and roll, rebound, and defend both on the perimeter and at the rim (they don’t have to be scorers other than lobs and put backs). We need another wing who is a starter ahead of Council, Dawson, White, and a starting caliber 4-5 to rotate, not just back up Flory. Would also be good to have a true point guard, even if just as a bench piece.

@BeddieKU23 So, he seems like a solid rotation piece, but more than that? Did we choose Council over Lee, or did Lee choose Florida over us?

If the former, do we think HCBS and staff is better at talent evaluation than Golden and the UF staff? Gators just won the Natty without a single top 100 recruit.

Are White, Dawson and Council better than portal guys signed by 2-3 dozen other schools, including some in the B12?

@dylans said in KU Roster for 25-26:

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44689483/mens-college-basketball-way-too-early-ranking-top-25-teams-2025-26-texas-tech-byu

Three big12 teams in the top 6 of these extremely way too early rankings. (Spoiler, none of them are KU). Another 2 teams ranked in the top 15 also not KU who checks in at 19.

A lot of roster left to build, but it needs to be impactful to keep pace.

Projecting DP, Flory, Elmarko, White and Dawson as starters, which isn’t going to intimidate anyone. Small line-up. No real shooters. Won’t be able to handle other bigs. Critical that we get 2 more starting caliber players, but pool of ranked ones is dwindling…

@SlimShaddy54 Agree. Against MD in the tourney, Brennan had 8 RBs, but only 2 pts as GCU got blown out.

@BShark Is a third-team MAAC guy a starter for us? Or, just a good bench piece?

Would love for him to commit, as well. And, agree, we need to fill other slots. Patience? How much? Most the top 100 ranked transfers have already committed. Several schools have 2-3 of them. Louisville has 3 of the top 30, Michigan 3 of the top 33, Kentucky 3 of the top 52, 4 of the top 72. Curious why we need to be more patient than others?

@Jhawk69 That’s playing the Ivy. Not sure if he could match that in the B12? No question a good player. But, what position? Would he be the PG? DP is more of a 2, even though would probably have the highest usage. A small 3? We would really need a big 4.

@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:

Whoa, Xavian Lee visiting this weekend as being reported by Tipton

Would be a good get - can hit from deep and is actually a ranked transfer. White just 73 on ESPN’s list; Lee is 25. No one else associated with us is in the top 100. How is that possible??? Does it make sense to ink both Lee and Council? That is lot of perimeter players, none with much size. We need at least one true rotation big. Would Brennan really fill that need?

@BShark said in The portal.:

@BeddieKU23 said in The portal.:

We have to keep in mind having to basically pay Flory double what was perhaps expected has changed things. I still think it was the right decision but it’s making it harder for KU to pursue certain players we thought might be attainable

Bill just last weekend went to get more money, which he did get. They definitely want to get a reasonable back-up big and you are right that the Flory stuff changed the calculus a bit.

We need more than a back-up 5 - we need a front-court rotation player with size/bulk who can set screens, rim protect, rebound and put back misses. All of the FF and most of the E8 played two bigs and rotated in others. Florida rotated 4 bigs with 2 on the floor, Houston 3 with 2 on the floor. Same with Auburn. Duke had a lot of size in the front court and on the wings. Flory, Tiller and a just a 10 mpg back-up isn’t going to measure up. And, while we now have depth on the perimeter, it’s a pretty undersized group and no one who can consistently shoot the 3ball.

@drgnslayr said in The portal.:

@DCHawker

No doubt they are well rounded. But look at that Duke game. They had 18 ORs on the tallest team in the nation! And for the game they had 11 total rebs more than Duke.

I bet if they can create 18 ORs on Florida tonight they will take home the trophy!

What makes their rebounding prowess even more remarkable is that they don’t really play anyone over 6’8". Size of their 3 bigs. And, their guards don’t have that much length either…

@drgnslayr Agree with most, but respectfully would argue that offensive rebounding is not the ONLY reason Houston lost just one game in conference and is now playing for the title - best defense in the nation and 3 starters who shoot better than 40% from the arc certainly had something to do with their accomplishments…

@BShark said in Transfer Rumblings:

Sounds like we do have a good back-up plan at the 5 if Flory goes to Auburn. Not in the portal yet, so I will refrain from naming.

If Flory does come back, we may not need a back-up plan at the 5, but we still need a back-up there. Would be good to get a banger…

@FarmerJayhawk said in NCAA Tournament Discussion:

Florida is just so tough and well coached

Both are. A LOT of talent and athleticism in this game…

Dusty May is reloading at Michigan. Lendeborg and Johnson will be a load in the paint…

@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?

@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.

This is getting seriously depressing. Almost every other top P5 program already has one or more 247 4* commits. Louisville has three - Wooley, McKneely, and Conwell. Clemson, Baylor, LSU, Michigan, SJ, Miami, Creighton are among those with at least two. Significant majority of the 247 top 50 have already committed (or have 100% predictions). Who is in the mix now? At what point does Peterson look at this and question whether there will be any talent on the team?

@SlimShaddy54 said in The portal.:

So are we at a Defcon THREE yet in the worry room ?- - -I mean don’t look now Chester But I don’t think Marshall Dillon is coming through that door anytime soon to wrap some up.

Hard to assess what the plan is. We’ve lost 6 players to the portal, including 2 ranked in 247s top 50 - and that was before Storr. If Flory doesn’t come back, we need at least 3 high-level starters - a big and some athletic wings who can shoot, penetrate and defend. Decreasing number of guys left who fit those needs. Every other top level program has commits already and predictions for others.

@patoh3 said in The portal.:

@DCHawker I’ve read that the staff are being more intentional with their picks looking for a better fit and if the ask on NIL is too high, then on to the next one. That is why AJ entered the portal.

Hhmm - so the other teams aren’t doing their diligence and just taking flyers on their portal commits. Today, including UGA, which got a commit from Demary?

And, @nuleafjhawk even if we are now just Kansas, is that less than just Michigan, Baylor and St. Johns?

Seems like we are putting a lot of eggs in the Dix basket. Sure, he would be a good get, but that isn’t certain, and we need multiple starters.

Riddle me this - why is that we’ve had most of the team without remaining eligibility enter the portal, but we haven’t yet gotten anyone from the portal??? Several of the top 50 or so portal guys have already committed - St. Johns, Baylor and Michigan have 2 each from the top 50 ranked. Why are they able to reload so quickly, and we are still on the side-line?

Assume that Flory is definitely gone??? If he does end up staying, he, DP and Elmarko would provide a pretty strong foundation. Add Dix and Hall, and that would be a salty starting 5. But trust there is a lot more portal drama ahead, coming and going…

@Texas-Hawk-10 said in NCAA Tournament Discussion:

Tech choked that one away at the FT line.

UF 23-25 from the line; TTU 7-13. Two late missed front ends were the real difference…

@Crimsonorblue22 said in What does “faith in Bill” mean?:

Heard they are meeting w/staff tmrw.

Flory camp? Or, just a staff meeting? Who is meeting with staff?

FTA disparity in the Duke - Baylor game is ridiculous - 19-2…

Watching UF and UConn - just much better teams and athletes - going after rebounds - defending the perimeter - multiple guys that can beat their man off the dribble. McNealy would have been our best player…

@SlimShaddy54 said in NCAA Tournament Discussion:

You realize the Big 12 is - – - 9-1 so far in the tourney ? – we won - -6 out of 7 first round games and then we went 3 =3 today/tonight, I’d say that’s not to shabby

Yes, 9-1 with the good guys being the 1… B10 and B12 have dominated so far - the former is 10-2. SEC was just 8-6 in the 1st round; lost one more yesterday, although Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas looked good. ACC a complete flame out and the BE has underperformed.

We ended up winning or even on all the stats excepts TOs, and that was the difference…

one bucket with 10 seconds left in the last 5 minutes…

This team at the end of games…

Another game seemingly in hand…

3 consecutive TOs…just pathetic…

The most experienced team in college ball and we cannot execute at the end of halves and games…

WTF!!!

FG% and TOs have evened up a bit, which is why this is now a 1 pt game… But every Razorback starter has more RBs than KJ…

@BeddieKU23 said in Lets Dance - Arkansas vs KU:

Mayo has 16 on 6 shots. Get him some looks. Good grief

Non Power 5 portal guy was not supposed to be our main go to guy… but it is what it is…

Remarkable that KJ has no low post game other than lobs…