To be fair, this is 3 or 4 years in a row we've had a big not able to play for a variety of reasons; which is why Self has moved to more of a 4 out 1 in offense.
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KU's team defense has really suffered the last couple years, too. It's easy to say it's directly related to not having enough big guys, but don't think that's fully it. Honestly, it has more to do with having a shit ton of boneheads on the floor (see Ellis, Johnson, Vick, Selden, Greene, Bragg, a younger Svi)... it brings the level of overall defensive cohesiveness down when the collective IQ levels are lacking.
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Not looking past this year, but next year is going to be pretty damn fun to watch.

KU should have plenty of depth in the front court next year. With the Lawson brothers who averaged basically a combined 33/18 together their last year in Memphis. Then add in De Sousa with a full offseason to work on his game. Azubuike isn't going anywhere. Plus freshman David McCormack. Oh and Lightfoot as well. Someone will probably have to redshirt next year.
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Not much left to discuss on this until the 1000s of other fans here weigh in on this subject.
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:-)
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This is why you owe me tickets to a men's KU home basketball game. :-)
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It feels a little "slipping away" because this team is bad. The only guy that is an NBA talent is Doke and he isn't going until he can do SOMETHING besides dunk.

Bottom line is this: Preston is a go-tard who can't drive. And during the recruiting of this year's class, Diallo was on nobody's radar as even a remote chance of declaring and he's gone. This team looks far different with Preston and Diallo on the floor.

And with NBA type talented kids, that's what you get - Volatility. These high ass recruits have been coddled the whole time and pretty much haven't had to live any life. Consider what Releford brought to the table in terms of being coachable and putting himself on the line out there versus a guy like Xavier Henry. I'm a pretty good sized X Henry fan. He came and worked the defensive end hard. But while they ended up being in the same universe of productivity for KU, the year over year gains were far better for Releford than X. As well as taking a redshirt, defending the 4, some other stuff Releford was a good soldier that you weren't going to get out of X. Now, on the recruitment trail, you don't tell X to fuck off and go find Releford, but the dynamics of 1 and done is different than guys that are a tick lower on the talent scale.

With one and dones, sometimes you get Josh Jackson, sometimes you get Josh Selby.



They also changed the rules to make it harder to defend on the outside.

Also, the youth system continues to change, especially with bigs. I'm not sure there is a college kid today that is as comfortable working with his back to the basket as I was coming out of high school. Granted I was a no talent, but I could still run a post move. There are virtually no post moves anymore. If you go look at what Arthur was able to do in 08 vs what these kids do, it's night and day.

So the skills these guys come in with is ever changing.
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Any more, bigs have to be able to hit outside shots more & more.
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Right. And that all trickles down from the NBA. But they can still score with their back to the basket. It looks different because they’re usually trying to work motion or penetration but you still see guys get fed with their back to the basket.

But it’s still remarkable to me. I’m all about skilled big guys that can shoot and dribble and what that does to the defense. But at the same time a big guy in the lane with his back to the basket is still a very efficient look with a tiny bit of skill.
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Why? I think it's a nice way to "relax" half way through the conference grind.
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Just FYI, I looked at a mock draft the other day and it showed Svi, Vick, and Devonte all going in the 2nd round. Also, it had Billy Preston as the last pick in the 2nd round.
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Svi and graham are gone. I can’t imagine Vick going if that’s where is projects. Sounds like Preston has some work to do in Bosnia :-).
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