Jarrett Allen Decision

There is no intent here to disparage Allen at all. He's had a very good year and will be a pro next year.

But, I would love to hear from him on how he feels now about going to TX. He would have been dominant at KU, and likely a piece that would carry us very far in March.

He went to TX, has a losing record, and won't even play in the tourney.

I wonder if all OAD's that go to a lesser school for guaranteed playing time, rather than fighting for time at a contender, and end up in a losing situation, wish they had chosen differently.

Good question, AZ87...I've often wondered the same thing.

Keep in mind that the mindset of an OAD is very different than that of a KU fan, or anybody actually looking for a degree or "college life experience."

Think of the season as a job interview. A kid needs to get seen by the right people as often as possible. So here's what comes to mind in that equation:

>Reputation of the program: Playing for a blue blood is great, playing at a major school/contender is good, playing at an obscure school is a problem because....
>You need to play someplace that will generate national attention and TV coverage. Sure, if you're a OAD kid, the scouts will come to games, but you need to get on sportscenter too...hard to do if you're not getting media coverage to add to your resume.
>You need to pick a program where you're assured to get the minutes you need to take advantage of the coverage your team gets. If you're a great PG and you've got to take minutes from a kid like Frank Mason, you won't get enough floor time to show your stuff.

There are other things that go into the equation too...coach's ability to develop talent, opportunity to play in the post season, etc. Nevertheless, those seem to be the biggies. I imagine that Josh Jackson knew that Selden was leaving and that he'd be able to get a good amount of minutes. If not, he'd have been better suited to go somewhere else where he could get his 35 minutes a game.

One other note on the coach thing: JJ seemed to come in willing to be a team player and learn. Allen seemed to be more interested in showcasing himself. JJ was smart enough to realize that if he came in and bought into the system, he'd have plenty of opportunities to showcase himself.