Worst KU team

replayloungehawk wrote: x.com/haroldrkuntz3/status/1902892924351942863?s=46

After the last TV Timeout for #kubball (added names from the ESPN play by play)

3:13 - Turnover KJ Adams*
3:01 - Turnover Hunter Dickinson
2:34 - Turnover Flory Bidunga
1:59 - Turnover Zeke Mayo
:45 - Turnover Dajuan Harris, Jr.

Pretty much a team effort to throw this one away.


*I’d have to go back to check, but I think this was the one where KJ couldn’t handle Hunter’s horrible pass. I know I saw back to back turnovers that I and Konza63 both attributed to HD, not KJ.

Everyone keeps saying we need to get shooters and guards who can break down defenses, and this is where Self & Co have failed in the portal these past few years.

I do agree Self & Co need to do better in that regard, but for me the single biggest failure these past few years is not having a typical Self defense, with bigs in the middle who can obstruct any opponent who manages to get past their defender and into the paint. It was no coincidence in my mind that KU came back last night when Bidunga was in for Hunter.

And yes, I know kenpom ranks KU 11 in adjusted defense, but I don’t see it. We couldn’t consistently guard the 3 because we had to keep the opponent from getting into the paint. When we helped in the paint the 3s fell if we were unlucky, and missed if we weren’t. And as Jonas Aidoo (a solid but journeyman big) showed everyone last night, Hunter just can’t defend a competent, aggressive big on equal footing with him. And can’t score over him, either (3-9 inside the arc, 1-4 outside, 4-13 overall for just 11 points to go with a solid 9 rebounds but a horrid 4 turnovers (should have been 5 in my book, as with less than 4 minutes to go in the game KU had 5 turnovers, with KJ charged a TO on a horrid pass from Hunter, one of 2 TOs Hunter contributed to another closing fiasco this AY).

Some people are saying that OT loss to UH in AFH broke this team’s confidence they could win in close games when it counted. If true, the poster child would be HD.

I see hope for next year with Flory returning and Bryson Tiller (6-10/240, turns 20 in November) on board and healthy, to man the paint.

Add in Samis Calderon (6-8/200, will be 21 come December) and top dog recruit Darryn Peterson at SG and that top 10 recruit class leaves me optimistic we will see a return to form next year.

And that’s before Self fills any more of the at least 4 rides he still has available for next season.

Much will depend on the maligned and hated portal - who we lose to it and who we gain from it. And maybe a diamond in the rough from HS?

Seeing the light finally come on for AJ Storr in the past week+ I am hoping he opts to stay. I am also cautiously optimistic that Rylan Griffen can bounce back from what I hope can be best described as a “soph slump” delayed a year because of the transfer to Self basketball.

Add in the return of Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell and perhaps Rakease Passmore and once touted Noah Shelby and there is reason to hope for next season. Not sky high hopes as many had for this season (talk about “fools’ gold”!), but solid Bill Self basketball hopes.

NOW —- NEXT SEASON
Dajuan —- Elmarko (Diggy/Noah)
Zeke —- Darryn (Rakease, Jamari)
KJ —- Samis/AJ
Hunter —- Flory (Bryson)
AJ/Rylan —- AJ/Rylan/Rakease?

PLUS whoever Self & Co can add with those at least 4 open rides… hopefully 2 portal, 2 HS. I like the idea of recruiting balancing “The Future is NOW” with “Build for Tomorrow”.