Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - GAMECHANGER: Can Kansas Jayhawks CAPITALIZE on Dusty May's NBA Jump by Targetting Estrella & Thiam?

Starting point is 00:00:00 A shocker in the college basketball world as Dusty May, national champion head coach of Michigan is gone. Is there a way Kansas could benefit from this? You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What's up, Derek Johnson here? This is Locked on Jayhawks. Thanks for making your first listen every day, and we are brought to you by Odu.

Starting point is 00:00:32 Great organizations win because operations matter, that's why you should get Odo. Try it for free at Odo.com slash locked on. That's ODO.O.O.com slash locked on. We're going to break down the latest with Dusty May leaving from Michigan to go to the NBA, what it could potentially mean for Kansas. Is there any way KU could snipe some of these good players from Michigan to be a final edition for KU?

Starting point is 00:00:57 Also finish up with some of the latest news with NBA draft week here and a little bit more. But let's just start here. The news of the day, shocking news is Dusty May, the head coach of the defending national champion at Michigan Wolverines and somebody who, I mean, if you asked a lot of people who's the best coach in college basketball right now, I think most people would answer if you're just saying like right now, not taking into account like history and like if you're taking into account everything they've accomplished, it'd be either Bill Self or Rick Petino. If you're taking into account like if you just said who's right now, it probably the answer would have been either Dusty May or Danny Hurley at this point in time. And so he goes to take the Dallas Mavericks head coaching job when he'll get to coach Cooper Flag and Kyrie Irving and whoever they pick in the top 10 of the NBA draft.

Starting point is 00:01:43 And, you know, this was going to be a slightly different show until Mike Boynton was announced as the interim head coach. There's also some talk and some thought that Boynton might be given the full head coaching job, not just the interim head coaching job, which I imagine would be the case for the year. Obviously, we're later in the game. And if they made a coaching change and went for somebody else, it would lead to a lot of probably

Starting point is 00:02:11 roster influx, right? Now, we'll say this. The last time a Michigan head coach did leave for the NBA was in John B-line left for the Cleveland Cavaliers job. And that worked out pretty well for Kansas because Jalen Wilson was committed to Michigan at the time, ended up decommitting, comes to Kansas instead, ends up being a player who eventually will have his jersey in the Rafters as a former first team all-American and a former national champion. So worked out pretty well there. We'll see if they can get as fortunate from it on

Starting point is 00:02:38 at this standpoint, right? But a couple reasons that this has an impact for KU potentially, or at the very least, could be a positive impact for KU is, I mean, for one, we've seen good college coaches go to the NBA and it just not work out, right? And sometimes that can be because, I don't know, different messaging, different people you're talking to. Sometimes it can just be a roster thing. Like at the end of the day, in college, you're able to recruit your guys. There's only so much recruiting you can do in the NBA. You can recruit the free agents, but at the end of the day, they're probably signing for more money. You're given what you're given, and you just hope it's good enough, you know?

Starting point is 00:03:16 And so like Rick Petino is one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. Well, he flamed out in the NBA, right? John Calipari has been a super successful college basketball coach. He flamed out in the NBA. And I'm not saying that's what's going to happen here with Dusty, may he is set up for success because the mavericks are willing to spend money in free agency you have cooper flag who looked really really good this past season kairie irving and some other things but theoretically what if he does flame out and he's gone in two to three to four years you know and

Starting point is 00:03:50 like i would say if bill self were to last as many years as like if it perfectly lined up that he would let go from an NBA job and then bill self retired that could work out for kansas because in a world where he was still the head coach at Michigan, if Bill Self retires, there's no guarantee he takes the Kansas job. He might just say, hey, I'm having success at Michigan. Like, the only job I'm leaving for is an NBA job. But if you get him now bouncing back from an NBA job or what if he even flames out in three years? What if Bill Self is able to, you know, he feels great.

Starting point is 00:04:22 He coaches for another four or five years. And then Dusty May, wherever he bounces back from, he then uses that as a stepping stone job. So like in a weird way, this almost makes it, it gives you a better chance, not if Bill Self is only one more year. If this is only the last year for Bill Self, then no, it doesn't. But if it's, if Bill Self can still coach for Kansas for three more years or so, then this actually maybe makes it a little better as long as he does flame out in the NBA to be able to potentially have him as a higher down the road. Now, I think he's a really good coach. Like I said, I think he's set up for scy.

Starting point is 00:05:00 I don't think he's going to flame out there, but you never know. The NBA's fickle. It's hard, right? Does Mike Boynton become a candidate down there? Like, obviously, he's not right now. But if Mike Boynton has a lot of success at Michigan, would he become a candidate down the road for the KU job? I don't know. It's easy to say no right now because of the Oklahoma State tenure. But who knows? Again, if self-coaching for three, four more years, which I don't know if that'll even happen, But if he does, what if Mike Boyden does completely turn around how you think of him, you know? Beyond that, I think the personnel standpoint is the one that is probably most privy to right now and one that people want to know about what's going to happen here. So the transfer portal is closed.

Starting point is 00:05:48 But when a head coach leaves their job from like, I think it's like five days or so from when it's officially announced, the players have like 15 days. to enter into the portal or something like that. I don't know, there's like a 15-day window and a 30-day window for something else. Anyway, KU's been waiting for the Malikian eligibility ruling. The center from Arkansas was trying to get another year of college basketball, and he'd be a great piece if they can make that happen. But the opportunity here of a really big school with some pieces

Starting point is 00:06:24 that immediately, if they were to enter, would become the biggest names available in the portal for a Kansas team that, you know, has a lot of openings left. And there are some other teams that have so openings left. Do you think like BYU and Kentucky or money ready to spend if it does happen? Unfortunately, hiring internally and rehiring Mike Boynton, who is seen as somebody who, you know, usually, everything I've heard about Mike Boynton is he usually has pretty good relationships with his players. and, you know, that he was an assistant coach on a team that just won the national championship. I guess, like, okay, so, so Tray McKinney, who was, like, he might be a projected 2027 first round pick,

Starting point is 00:07:07 really a player for Michigan this past year. He's expected to, you know, take another step forward this upcoming season for Michigan. He already, like, tweeted out that he's not going anywhere. If you're a player who was just on the team that won the national title, wouldn't you want to stay on that same school, even if it's different, coach, especially now that it's an internal hire, because just think about it from the lifestyle standpoint. You're the big man on campus. When you walk around, when you go out to parties, like when you, you are the guy, you get to celebrate your national championship that way, you know?

Starting point is 00:07:38 So I wouldn't think those guys like the Elliott Kadoes of the world want to leave. It also, by hiring internally, lessens the potential pool of players that could be entering the portal. Because think about it, if Michigan hires an external head coach, it's, it's, you know, it's, It's not just some of the Michigan guys could enter the portal. It's that that school now could have players enter the portal. And that if they hire somebody, the next school could have players enter the portal. It could have led to a big ripple effect. It seems like this is going to avoid that.

Starting point is 00:08:06 So the way I'm viewing it, if we're looking at like names that, because again, I'm expecting all the guys who were on the team last year and won a title, at least the ones who were playing as a part of that, to just stay where they are, especially with Boynton back. I also would say that it doesn't really make sense for KU probably to go after like LJ Kaysen and Jalen Reed. Both of them are nursing injuries to start the season or are probably going to miss time into the season. You're already dealing with that with Christian Reeves. I don't know if you want to deal with that for another guy that would potentially be in your rotation, right? I don't think it makes sense to add any of the young guys if they were to decommit.

Starting point is 00:08:44 And again, I don't even know if all these guys might just stay with Michigan. But, you know, Brandon McCoy is a really good recruit, but he didn't really even have Kansas on his finalist list, right? So I think if any of these enter the portal, you obviously jump all over them. And the names here are J.P. Estreya, who is the transfer from Tennessee, just came into Michigan this year. And there might be a little bit of a worry of how he would fit next to Dawes. We're going to dive a little deeper on Estreya and Chom in our next segment. But Mustafa Chom would be the other one where both of these guys are transfers into the program so that maybe don't feel all the loyalty of, oh, Mike Boynton is now the head coach.

Starting point is 00:09:22 like they might have been like, hey, I signed up to play for Dusty May, not Mike Boynton, you know, and maybe they do decide to reenter and see what's there. Then again, Michigan paid them a lot of money to be there, though they might just be like, I don't care, you know, still around a lot of other good players and still getting paid a lot of money, we're still going to probably be a pretty good team. One underrated one, if he were to enter the portal as well, would be Marcus Mueller, who is a seven foot three center who was battling testicular cancer. He's cancer free now, but he was playing in the Spanish Junior League, where he's averaging like 12 points, 9 rebounds over three stocks per game.

Starting point is 00:09:59 But he didn't play this past year for Michigan. So anyway, let's break down more on Estrella and Shaam and Segment 2, just in case something does happen in Kansas gets another opportunity with either or both players. Today's episode is brought to you by Indeed, workplace chaos can show up fast. That's where Indeed sponsor jobs comes in. Indeed, sponsor jobs helps you reach candidates who actually fit what you're looking for based on skills, experience and location. Finding the right person can make all the difference, whether it's building a business or building a winning team. Think about how important adding Remy Martin was to KU for the 2022 title, right? You might not have known it over the course of the regular season, but you think of the Creighton game in the second round.

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Starting point is 00:11:30 Need to hire. This is a job for Indeed, sponsored jobs. You can join the Everyday Air Club bringing the ad free version of the show at locked on Jayhawks. Dot supercast.com. So Dusty May leaves for the Dallas Mavericks head coaching job. And this opens up potential that any of their players could enter into the portal. again i'm under the belief that like if you just won the national title with miche bointin is is internally hired with ins you have familiarity you just stick around and you stay at

Starting point is 00:12:04 michigan so you know trey mcini already tweeted out he's not going anywhere i'd imagine elli kuddoe ain't going anywhere like he's a michigan legend being a final four mopi why would you mess with that right the guys who would make sense that if they did want to retest again and enter would have to be moustafam and jp estralla and the good news for Kansas with those is both of them are positions of need and both were guys that KU was at least interested in varying levels. It seemed like they were interested in both them. Maybe the price tag was a little bit out of the range the first time. That becomes a bit of a problem though, right? Because first of all, these guys have already signed their NIL or their RevShare deals

Starting point is 00:12:44 with Michigan to this point. So would you be having to pay a buyout or would the player have to pay a buyout to enter the portal at this point in time? Or is there an out? Is there a clause in there about Dusty May or, you know, the head coach leaving that allows them to leave without paying a buyout? But the flip side of this is, but there's a reason Michigan got them. It wasn't just Dusty May. Like that was probably a big part of it in program success. The money was another big reason why. And I don't think the money is going away of what was offered to them.

Starting point is 00:13:14 So like, realistically, are you able to back channel communication with the agent and be like, hey, we're willing to pay this? but if you're offering less than they're getting at the school, why would they leave? So you're going to almost have to back channel to the agent, hey, we can pay more. And based on the numbers that we're floating around with, you know, Chom and Estreya, that might be more than Kansas is comfortable with or has or has the ability to do, you know? And we'll say the fact they're even going after Malik Uin and trying to make this a thing, getting him another year of eligibility, it does tell me there's a little bit of money left over. and maybe if you can sell a donor on the idea that like, hey, this is an extra opportunity we have to potentially get one of these guys, then you can do enough and raise enough funds to make something happen to at least poach one of them into the portal.

Starting point is 00:14:03 That would be the ideal situation for KU. So I don't even know if either of those guys are going to enter, but let's be hopeful and say that either one, if not both, do enter. Who would you have more interest in if you're Bill Self, if you're Kansas? Here's the rub on Mustafa Chom. He is a 7-foot-2, 250-pound center who started his career at UCF. Then he goes to Cincinnati for a year, and they transfers to the Wolverines earlier this off-season. First career, talking 11.5 points per game, almost seven rebounds, over two blocks per game on 51% from the floor, also 29% from 365 at the foul line. Strong rim protector.

Starting point is 00:14:44 You're talking to 88th percentile in block rate this year after he was in the 96th percentile, a year prior at UCF. And interestingly enough, he had below average defensive rebounding marks at UCF. He had excellent defensive rebounding marks at Cincinnati. He was in the 86th percentile in defensive rebound rate at Cincinnati. Now, the offensive game, not the most efficient in the world because you have to live with some mid-range shots that don't always go in. live with some threes that again aren't the most efficient but at least he can take him a little bit and stretch the floor but um he does have some offensive game he's double digit score twice now in big 12 play uh now the rub on jp estrella he is a 6 foot 11 240 pound forward slash center you can play him

Starting point is 00:15:30 at the four or five and he was a key piece on i i guess he was a part of three straight tennessee elite eight teams but uh really didn't become a key piece till this season where he averaged 10 points five and a rebounds per game shooting 60% from the floor. And the first thing that jumps off the page for Estrella is his incredible offensive rebounding. He was in the 99th percentile in offensive rebound rate this past season. And part of that is the Tennessee scheme. They asked you to do that, but he was elite at doing it, right? Also, I have a pretty solid post attack. He had good efficiency scoring on the block. He also has been part of some really strong defensive teams at Tennessee with Rick Barnes like that is required of you to be able to play defense. Now, interestingly enough,

Starting point is 00:16:15 the defensive rebounding has been more average and the rim protection has not really been there. It's been below average to pour for Estrella. So it hasn't really been as much of that. But when you look at the advantages that one has over the other between those, right? Estrella, I think, is the more efficient and better offensive player. And I think Chom is the better defensive player, right? So Estrella sports the better field goal percentage. effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. All of them are by like a handful of points. It's not just like by a percentage point or two.

Starting point is 00:16:47 It's like by 5% plus. And then you look at it and analytically, it kind of adds up to that too. Estrella is the more impactful offensive player, but also analytically, CHOM is the more impactful defensive player. And the big reason why is CHOM is somebody who can get you two plus blocks per game,

Starting point is 00:17:04 whereas Estrella is more of that like half a block per game. It was even lower than that this year. for Tennessee, but obviously if you're up in the minutes a little bit, maybe it gets closer to, you know, above a half, under one, somewhere in that range. Now, Estrella is the better playmaker of the two. Neither are great at it. But if you're asking a big man to be able to pass a little bit and fling it to somebody else or working out of a double team, I think Estrella more adept at doing just that.

Starting point is 00:17:31 When you look at rebounding, Estrella is the better offensive rebounder. Chom's the better defensive rebounder. Overall, though, Chom actually has a better overall rebound rate. just slightly, but that's pretty neutral either way. So it kind of comes down to this. Would you rather have the offense or the defense? Now, in general, I've operated most in this offseason thinking, hey, Bill Self can cover the defense. Give me the offense, right? But it is enticing to get a big man who could come in and block a bunch of shots and still be able to stretch out and space the floor from three to allow Stokes to drive while he's spacing from three. I think,

Starting point is 00:18:10 I slightly lean Estrella. Like if you were able to work back channels to both agents and the money was the same and, you know, you were able to get one to enter the portal and come to you, I'd lean Estrella. I'd be very happy with either one. The only reason I would lean Estrella is just because of the, not just the offense and the idea that, you know, if you're playing Estrella next to Keanu Dawes, I would have concerns about the rim protection.

Starting point is 00:18:40 is fair, but you know what would be really elite the rebounding. Dawes is an elite defensive rebounder. Estrella is an elite offensive rebounder. That would be a really fun pair to have both of those guys there, right? And then the versatility of Estrella where you can play him at the four or five to where it allows you to do some different things with the light. Like if you want to play Estrella next to Dawes, if you want to play Estrella next to Mbia or Reeves, if you want to play Dawes next to Mbia Reeves. You can do more than with Chom where it's just you're just playing Dawes next to like you're not going to play chom next to Mbia.

Starting point is 00:19:15 You know what I mean? I don't know. Maybe if you're playing a team with like two humongous guys inside and you just want to like cut off the inside but most likely you're not, right? So I just think there's a little bit more you can do with Estrella. And at the end of the day, you'd be happy with either one. It would be a home run edition either way in a time of KU was looking for that one other piece. right um and it also gets complicated because the malik uin thing if it comes down to hey you can get one of

Starting point is 00:19:44 these guys but you have to leave malik uin in the dust you have to do it because you don't know what the eligibility is going to be for you and you have to take what you know now but we don't even know that these guys are going to enter the portal so ideally they do for kansas's sake but we'll wait and see and if they do we'll break them down more with uh i think we actually already did deep dives on both players but maybe we'll re-up some of that all right let's uh get to do uh some of the news. NBA draft day is here. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Brought to you by Odu running a business shouldn't feel like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. One app for accounting, another

Starting point is 00:20:22 for inventory, another for sales, and somehow none of them talk to each other. That's where Odu comes in. Odo is an all-in-one business management software that brings every part of your business together in one powerful platform. From sales and accounting to inventory and marketing, everything works in one place, helping your team move faster. stay organized and focused on growing the business instead of managing software. The best organizations know that success isn't just about talent. It's about having everyone working toward the same goal. And that's true in sports, just like it is in business.

Starting point is 00:20:53 Like I think of KU Baseball this past season, right? Like KU Baseball obviously had a lot of talent, but they didn't have all the five stars in the world. They had a bunch of really good Juko players who were diamonds in the rough. They had a really good coaching staff to help them develop and scout. They had a really good man with the plan and Dan Fitzgerald and assistant coaches like John Coyne. But it also goes up to the athletic department, Travis Goff and the athletic department believing in them, giving them opportunities and things and trying to build this indoor practice facility, right? It's the entire organization that makes something happen.

Starting point is 00:21:26 And great organizations win because operations do matter. That's why you should get Odo. Try it for free at Odo.com slash locked on. That is ODO.com slash locked on. Thanks you have for joining us here on Locked on Jayhawks. It is NBA draft day. If you're listening to this on Tuesday, I guess if it's after, it's already happened. But Darren Peterson, I think, seems like a lock to go in the top three.

Starting point is 00:21:53 I know there's been some Caleb Wilson. Could he emerge in the top three? I don't think that's going to happen. Now, Peterson didn't want to be drafted or doesn't want to be drafted by the jazz. I just don't think they're really going to care. Like, Ace Bailey didn't want to be drafted by the jazz. They said, we don't care. And they took them anyway.

Starting point is 00:22:09 So I don't think it's going to matter there. if that's what happens. And I'll just say this. Like, I hope Peterson, I was hoping Peterson would go one. I just thought it would look cool for KU and stuff. After Trey Young re-signed to that four-year mega deal with the Wizards, I hope Peterson goes number two or, you know, three or whatever.

Starting point is 00:22:29 Because I don't want Peterson to be stuck in a, oh, Trey Young's just dribbling the ball for 20 seconds and now I can just be a spot-up shooter, the whole game. Like, I want to see him flourish. I want to see him just like go off in the NBA. that would be good for Kansas basketball recruiting down the road, right? And then from the Melvin Council and Trey White perspectives, I don't think either one gets drafted.

Starting point is 00:22:50 Like, maybe in the late second round, sometimes we'll see, it's kind of like deals between teams and agents where they kind of agree like, hey, if you take us in the draft, if you take us with pick, you know, whatever, 56 you have or whatever, we'll agree to this deal with you. or, you know, I'm, I'm an agent you want to be in with, do me a favor here, and I'll direct my guy you want on a two-way contract to your team, as opposed to this other team as an undrafted free agent or whatever.

Starting point is 00:23:22 Like sometimes there are deals that happen. So maybe that happens. I haven't really seen either guy pop up in like the top 70 of like draft boards or anything like that. I think both will get shots, though. Obviously, they'll get opportunities in Summer League. The big question is can either get scooped up with a two-way contract, right? because if you get the two-way contract,

Starting point is 00:23:39 that would at least give you a runway to make the team or have some real playing time in the NBA. So that'll be cool to see because I hope both guys get an opportunity to do that with Melvin Council and Tray White. Last bit of news here, this comes from a former Jayhawk, which I didn't even realize was a current UCF night,

Starting point is 00:23:57 and that's Dean Miller, had no idea that he transferred to UCF. Obviously, he's out of eligibility, but he's trying to prevent that from happening. This was a, they were tweeted out by Ross Dellinger, another NCAA eligibility suit filed. Former Kansas and current UCF defensive end, Dean Miller is seeking an additional year of eligibility, arguing that his two co-season should not count. NCAA denied his waiver, potentially costing him $300,000 what he's set to earn at UCF.

Starting point is 00:24:24 First of all, good for him for making that sort of money. Second of all, that's another one that kind of goes in line with. We've been talking about Malik Ewan for, you know, can he, get another year. I'd imagine Ewan is he's got to be further ahead in the line, right, than Dean Miller, but maybe another court case to watch out for

Starting point is 00:24:45 of what the precedent tells us for could Ewan get that another year? Could one of these other players get another year that could potentially make for another target for KU? All right, I don't know for this episode of Lockdown Jayhawks, you can find our show anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. See you next time on L.O.J.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - GAMECHANGER: Can Kansas Jayhawks CAPITALIZE on Dusty May's NBA Jump by Targetting Estrella & Thiam?

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