Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - LEGENDS: Kansas Jayhawks’ Top Players RANKED Over Last Decade - Frank Mason, Ochai Agbaji LEAD List

Episode Date: June 16, 2026

Kansas Jayhawks fans get the definitive ranking of the program’s top basketball stars from the past decade. Which Jayhawk legend claims the number one spot, and does Frank Mason's national player of... the year hardware outweigh Ochai Agbaji’s championship credentials? Derek Johnson breaks down the best multi-year and one-and-done performances, spotlighting names like Devonte’ Graham, Jalen Wilson, and Remy Martin, and dissects how team success, individual accolades, and clutch moments shape Jayhawk greatness. Defensive prowess takes center stage as Marcus Garrett, Udoka Azubuike, and KJ Adams headline a debate about the most impactful stoppers in recent Kansas history. From elite rim protection to lockdown perimeter defense, which KU player redefined what it means to anchor Bill Self’s system? Don’t miss this power-packed retrospective celebrating the top Kansas Jayhawks basketball players and defenders since 2016. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!   Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.  RugietGet 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhlRugiet. Performance medicine for men. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast   FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel.Visithttps://FANDUEL.COMto get started now.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Let's rank the best Kansas Jayhawks basketball players over the last decade. 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 going on, Derek Johnson? Today is the 10 year anniversary of the Lockdown Podcast Network, and so we're going to be ranking the top 10 Kansas Jayhawks. We're going to get into the top 10 defenders over the last 10 years for Kansas. we're going to get to the top 10 one and two year careers.
Starting point is 00:00:37 And we're going to start things off in our opening segment with the top 10 Jayhawks since 2016, 17 with three or more year careers. So three, four, five, six in the case, I guess, of Miss Lifefoot. But when we look at the criteria for what matters here, you know, I'm looking at, were you good for multiple seasons? What is your peak season? Bonus for team success. But it's not just about the peak season. It is about the career here, right? And it does make this an impossible science.
Starting point is 00:01:04 because for some people, they might want to rank it more off what was just your peak season, the very best of you versus some people might want to view it just as a totality and the winning. Like it becomes different in what everybody values. But these are just going back to 2016, which is the 10-year run here now of the Lockdown Podcast Network. So since the 2016 to 2017 season is our first year to look at. And let's start with this. An honorable mention goes to Legerald Vick for a three-plus year career Kansas. over 1,100 points, 48, 41, 74 shooting splits.
Starting point is 00:01:39 Just tough when you get booted off the team in the end. If that doesn't happen and he finishes the year, and who knows, maybe the team has a better performance too, gets a better seed and makes a deeper run in the NCAA tournament. If that happens, then he's probably on the top 10 list. Instead, because that, he ends as an honorable mention. Number 10 on the list for the three to four-year careers or plus, Lannon Lucas, who was all big 12 honorable mention.
Starting point is 00:02:02 He scored over 600 points, over 700 rebounds, shot 61% or 61% from the field. He was a good defender. He was a really good teammate and a really good glue guy to have overall for KU. Number nine on the list, again, this is just over the last 10 years for KU of three plus year careers is Svi Mikhailuk. He was a first team all big 12 performer or one time all big 12 performer in the 2017 to 18 season. wound up scoring nearly 1,200 points, shot 41% for his career. from three point range. Obviously, he helps his team go to Final Four, and it's a pretty big shot to do it in the Elite 8 against Duke. Sveed didn't have as much longevity as maybe some other guys on the top of the list, more of a role player the first couple of years and then started to expand on that his junior year and then really broke out as a senior.
Starting point is 00:02:51 And who knows, maybe if he joins KU, you know, more age appropriate instead of when he was 16. If he's 18 when he joins, does he end up having even more success over the course of his career, KU? All right, number eight for Kansas since over the last decade here. Marcus Garrett, he was a two-team all-Big 12 performer. I think third team both years. He was three-time all-Big 12 defensive team, though, and he was a Big 12 defensive player of the year. One out up to 16 points shy of 1,000 for his career, but also had over 500 rebounds, was a good passer as well.
Starting point is 00:03:21 He was actually the team leader in assists per game on the 1920 team. Ended up shooting 45% from the floor for his career. I mean, defensively, we're going to get into the top 10 defender. I think you have a feeling he's going to be toward the top of that list. Offensively, he was still a good passer. He could drive it a little bit. There were some games that he got hot from three in general. The shooting, though, holds him back from being in the top seven.
Starting point is 00:03:44 Okay, number seven on the list is Christian Brown. He was a all-big 12 performer. I forget if it was second team or third team, his national championship season for KU won a title, and he was on the NCAA All-Tournament team that year, finished his career over 1,000 career points, over 500 rebounds, ended up really efficient, 45 from the floor, 38 from 3, 75 at the foul line for his career, ended up being a first round draft pick. This is one of those players where it worked out for him, right?
Starting point is 00:04:10 He ends up being a first round pick. He ends up winning an NBA title. But theoretically, if he comes back for his senior season, he probably ends up being like a first team All-American. And who knows where he winds up on this list. You know, you would think, I don't know, we'll get to it. It's certainly in the top four would be, I think, the conversation there, if that's, happened. But as of now, still really good career. And he ends up number seven there. Number six on the list is David McCormick. Two-time all big 12. He was on the NCAA tournament team probably should have won five. No, in fact, should have won final four MOP. He had over 1100 points, almost 700 rebounds, 53% for his career. It's interesting because
Starting point is 00:04:50 on that team, like for the totality of the season, the best player was Oachbosje. The second best player on the title team was Christian Brown over David McCormick. But that's where you're not just ranking off the pinpoint. Like the high point of Christian Brown, sure, was better than David McCormick. But the two years prior, David McCormick was better than Christian Brown. You also get an extra All-Big 12 team from McCormick. You have more career numbers for McCormick. You have those key shots for the title team.
Starting point is 00:05:19 So he ends up number six here on this list for best three plus year careers for KU over the last decade. Into the top five, number five on the list is one. Udoca as a bouquet. Two-time All-Big 12. He was a Big 12 player of the year. He, depending on what site you look at, either a first or second team All-American during the 1920 season. And this is one where, you know, depending,
Starting point is 00:05:42 if there would have been an NCAA tournament and Doak leads Kansas to a final four or a national title, I don't know. Maybe there's a chance he is in the top three. I don't know. Is there a chance he could have been number one? I don't know. It's kind of tough with some of the guys in front of him. But certainly would probably be, again,
Starting point is 00:05:59 It's really hard. But like over 1,000 career points, nearly 700 rebounds, unbelievably efficient, shot 75% from the field for his career. Over 170 blocks. He was an incredible defender. For the beginning of his career, he was more of a great defender from being just plugging up the middle of the lane and then being a good one-on-one defender because he couldn't move him, being a good defensive rebounder, decent shot blocker.
Starting point is 00:06:22 His last year in college, he also added a little more mobility and switchability on defense that made him just a terror of a defender for opposing teams to go against. And, you know, again, if there would have been a tournament in 2020 and he could have made a final four, he would have had two final fours under his belt at KU, which, you know, I think Teehan accomplished that, I believe so. But like among players who were actually players who were actually like in the rotation or in Dokes case starting, he would have been the only Bill Self player, I believe, to accomplish that now that I think about it on top of my head. But unfortunately, that was, you know, taken away from us with the NCAA tournament.
Starting point is 00:07:01 But still an unbelievable career. And one that, again, it's not just the what if of the tournament. It's the what if of the injuries. If he doesn't have all the injuries that he causes him to miss games, where does he wind up on this list too? Or does he just go pro earlier and then you never get that opportunity? Okay, number four on the list. Again, best three plus year careers at Kansas over the last decade, 10 year anniversary of
Starting point is 00:07:22 locked on. J.1 Wilson is in a number four. So I think the peak version of Doke, which is funny because some places out of second team all American, but it's I think more so because some places were like, do I vote Dotson first team for Kansas or do I vote Doke first team for Kansas? Because they only wanted to give one representative and then ended up splitting the votes and causing both guys to be second team when realistically they probably both could have been first team. But anyway, with Wilson, he was a first team all American. He was a big 12 player of the year, two time all big 12. I do think that the peak version of Doke, the best version of Doke we saw in 1920, probably a little more valuable than the best version we saw of Jalen Wilson. That's not to take away, though.
Starting point is 00:08:00 Jalen Wilson was awesome. I mean, Bill Self called him something to the tune of like the greatest winner that he's had in his time at Kansas, right? The career of him is really good. You look at his redshirt freshman season where he comes in, ends up not being the best KU team in the world, but ends up, you know, just hitting the ground running right away during the year after the COVID. year for Jalen Wilson and he just carried that on he was a a key piece of a national title team finding a way to fit in and then being the guy on a team that gets a one seat um accumulated almost
Starting point is 00:08:33 1,500 points over 800 rebounds was just a grinder just found ways to win was a two-way player a really impressive career for Jalen Wilson so he's in at number four number three on the list and I think you could you could argue this should be number one I have at number three and That's O'Chag Baji. The way you would argue O'Chag could be number one on this is he has the national title, and the two guys in front of him do not. He also has a Final Four MOP, which to me, again, should have gone to Dave, but whatever. He still played very well over the course of the Final Four.
Starting point is 00:09:11 1652 career points, over 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 37% from three for his career. And he was a big 12 player of the year, right? if you're just talking accomplishments over one season, does it get better than OCHI, right? First team, All-American, Big 12 player of the year, Final 4 MOP national championship. Once we start dragging in the career stuff into this, good career, but like the guys in front of them
Starting point is 00:09:36 had multiple All-Big 12 selections, right? Or maybe even in the case of one of them, three All-Big 12 selections. One of the guys in front of them has a national player of the year. As good as O-Cai was, he wasn't a national player of the year. the career points. The two guys in front of him have more career points and assists than him on even better shooting percentages. So, okay, unbelievable career. I have him number three here. But the reason he's not number one is because number two on the list is Devante Graham, two-time All-Bing 12, Big 12 player of the year, first team All-American, goes to a Final Four, over 1,700 points, 41% from 3, 79 at the foul line. Devante was both elite as a role player and as a, you know, go-to alpha option for KU. And it's just really hard to, you know, I'm not going to say anything negative.
Starting point is 00:10:28 Unbelievable career for De Montague Ram, right? Number one on the list is Frank Mason. He's the only guy under Bill Self to win national player of the year. But he was also three-time all-Big 12 selection. Big 12 player of the year, first team, All-American. You're talking over 1,800 career points. You're talking 500 career rebounds. You're talking over 500 career assists.
Starting point is 00:10:47 Like, that's really hard to do all of those, have 500 plus and all of those. Also, 42% for his career from three, 45 from the floor 76 of the foul line. It seemed like he never missed an important free throw. Yes, he didn't have the final four, but I don't blame Frank for that. I mean, Frank still had like 20 points in the Oregon game. You look to the Villanova, like, you just ran into a couple unfortunate buzz saws. You know, it just stinks. That's the way the tournament goes.
Starting point is 00:11:14 right i wish frank had a national title i really do uh but i have him in at number one um for this list all right so those are the three four and on year careers over the last decade for k u what about the one and two year careers we get to that next of the show is brought to you by ruggiet throughout the n hl finals which just came to a thrilling close here every shift mattered every moment was intense and everything came down to execution when the pressure was at a ties and just like the athletes had to be ready to perform when the puck dropped. A lot of guys want that same level of readiness and confidence in their own lives, too. That's where Ruggiette comes in.
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Starting point is 00:12:58 Ruggiat performance medicine for men. Don't forget you can join the everyday air club locked on jhawks. That's supercast.com and get the ad-free version of the show. All right, continue on with our 10-year anniversary episode for the Lockdown Podcast Network since that time, so over the last decade, who have had the best one to two year careers for Kansas. Quick honorable mentions, Isaiah Moss, Johnny Furphy, Zeke Mayo, Melvin Counsel, and Trey White. It's really difficult comparing guys with one year careers to two years, like three to four, maybe not the biggest difference in the world, one to two.
Starting point is 00:13:36 I mean, you're talking double the output. So number 10 on this list, and this is the guy that I think is hardest for me to rank in general on any of these lists is Remy Martin. because if you're talking about importance, you're trying to win a national title, you don't win a national title without Remy Martin. So in theory, he should be higher because a lot of these other guys didn't win you a national title. But we're talking to individual careers here. And at the end of that, he missed a lot of games.
Starting point is 00:14:00 We're just talking production, 259 points, pales in comparison to everybody else on this list. So he's on there in at number 10, super important for KU, but hard comparing with some of these other guys. Okay, number nine on the list is Grady Dick, all big 12 second team performance. over 500 points in his one season at KU, shot 40% from three. Opportunistic defender getting steals had a really good one-and-done season for KU and really productive player on a one-seed for Kansas. Number eight on the list, sticking with another one-and-done is Darren Peterson. He was also all-big 12 second team, 484 points, shot 38% from three,
Starting point is 00:14:36 really good two-way player, really sturdy on the defensive end. Obviously, the story stuff and the missed games keeps, him lower on this list, right? If we're doing this list based on who do I want to start a pickup game with, assuming that everybody's healthy and we're not taking creatine or anything, then yeah, Peterson's going higher. Peterson's going number one or whatever, right? But this is just based on what they actually accomplished. And for that, he's in at number eight. Number seven on the list is Malik Newman. Now, Peterson better, you know, averages than Malik Newman, at least from the point scoring perspective. Newman was actually more efficient, 42% from three, though much better spaced
Starting point is 00:15:12 floor for Newman's team. But here's the deal. At the end of the day, you know, Newman played his best ball at the end of the year. And Peterson was playing pretty good ball. He, you know, was solid enough in the NCAA tournament. But Newman was exceptional in the postseason. He was the big 12th tournament MVP. He was the NCAA tournament all region team puts up, you know, 32 points in the elite eight against Duke, 28 more in the second round against Seton Hall. For that reason, I just have, you know, they're both one year careers at Kansas. Newman. technically too because he sat out a year. But I just think the Newman one becomes more important.
Starting point is 00:15:47 And you know, you'd give a boost to that performance at the end of the year. And I struggle with the Newman one, we're to rank him too because of the hop finish. Like, do I rank him in front of this next guy who, you know, for the most part of the regular season, Newman was having a fine season. And then it just became T's playing A plus basketball at the end of the year.
Starting point is 00:16:04 This guy was an All-American. So it's hard to like, where do you rank those two things, right? Again, we're just ranking the individual career. The team success becomes a small, part of it, but it's not as big, right? And Deidre Glausen is in a number six year. He was all big 12 first team. He was depending where you look, either a second team or a third team all American, depending on which publication, scored 700 points in his one year at KU, had nearly 400 rebounds, super efficient, 49% from the floor, 39% from 3, 82% at the foul line. I really wish
Starting point is 00:16:34 don't go to state healthy. I mean, we look at two big lineups being in vogue, or just big lineups in general being in vogue in college basketball right now. That's what KU had with Diedrich Lawson at the four and Doke at the five. And you didn't really get to see it, you know, kind of play out, which is unfortunate. Because Lawson average like 25 points per game in their two NCAA tournament games that year. He didn't, you know, shy away from the big moment. Number five on the list, and this is a new one to add for your budunga.
Starting point is 00:17:00 And I went back and forth with Diedrich and Flory, but he got two years from Flory. He wasn't an all-American, but he was all-big 12 first team, end up scoring six hundred. 164 points over the two years, which actually less than loss and scored in the one. But Florey's on here, not as much because of the offense, but because of the defense, the rebounding, the efficiency, shooting 66% from the floor, just a very impactful defender overall for KU. So he comes in at number five. Speaking of impactful defenders, a two-year career for Kevin McCuller, who was a third-team All-American, his last year at Kansas, unfortunately was injured, which holds him back.
Starting point is 00:17:35 He was two-time all big 12 for KU. toward over 800 points, nearly had 400 rebounds, dropped 45% in his two years at Kansas. And it is unfortunate with the injury stuff because had he been healthy and finished the year for KU? And let's say instead of limping to the finish line, getting a four seed, you know, do they find a way to get a three seed? And do they find a way to avoid Gonzaga in the second round? I mean, that team still had a lot of flaws that you don't know how far they go, but could they have at least made a sweet 16 and McCuller's healthy and he's making an impact in the tournament?
Starting point is 00:18:06 and, you know, would he end up in the top three or even top two on this list? That would have been entirely possible. Instead, he comes in at number four. Number three on the list is Hunter Dickinson. So like McCuller, two-year career, Kansas after transferring in, two-time All-Big 12, the difference is when McCuller was a All-American one of the years, which was the year with Dickinson, where I do think McCuller was the better player between the two, but again, he wasn't as healthy.
Starting point is 00:18:31 And Dickinson played through the injury in the NCAA tournament. And Dickinson was a two-time All-American. at Kansas. He put up ridiculous numbers in just two years at Kansas. You're talking to almost 1,200 points over 700 rebounds on 54% from the floor. Obviously, the tournament success wasn't there. There were some fatal flaws on defense with the lack of mobility, but also roster construction and Bill Self didn't do him any favors in terms of lack of spacing around him offensively, right? Like if you would have put him as the center around some real scores, like what would that have looked like right so he comes in at number three the number two on the list
Starting point is 00:19:10 only a one year career and he's our highest one year guy in here uh which is hard because you're like with dickens and it's two-time all-american why would you not take that i don't know josh jackson was just so good man and uh it it's unfortunate what has kind of gone on with jackson's off the court career obviously but from on the court perspective third team all-american if not for having frank mason you know who knows what josh jackson would have been probably first team All-American, right? All-Beg 12 first team, over 500 points, 51% from the floor, 38% from three. Dude was an alpha and a killer. I was re-watching some highlights of one of their games, the game they went close in Waco against Baylor. Unbelievable, like springiness for this kid.
Starting point is 00:19:51 And it was a two-way player as well for Kansas. But number one over this last decade for Kansas of one-and-two-year careers is Devon Dotson. He was a two-time All-Big 12 player, obviously on the lower end of things his freshman year, but a first-team performer. his sophomore year where he was also, depending on where you look, first team or second team, All-American, depending on the publication. Unfortunately, it didn't get to play in the NCAA tournament for what that would have meant. Also, the Big 12th tournament, because he had 986 points. So he would have been a thousand points score at KU, 47% from the floor, 33% from three.
Starting point is 00:20:23 And it's also unfortunate that this predated NIL because Devon Dotson probably would have got a huge NIL check to come back to Kansas for another season and just kind of ball out for KU another year, right? Okay, now we're going to switch to the top 10 defenders over the last decade for Kansas. We'll get to that next. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Today's episode is brought to you by Indeed, workplace chaos can show up fast. The problem is that finding the right candidate can take a lot more time than your business can afford. That's where Indeed, sponsor jobs comes in.
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Starting point is 00:22:06 Thanks again for joining us here. We'll also have a football top 10 list to celebrate the 10 year of Lockdown coming out here. So be on the lookout for that as well, anywhere you get your podcast or on YouTube. Who are the top 10 defenders for KU since the 2016 to 2017 season? So 10 years of locked on. Audible mention for Frank Mason and Devante Graham pre-high usage when they had to be high usage. It's not that they became bad defenders. It's just that it's really hard to maintain, especially the smaller guard, a high level of defense when you're exerting as much as you needed to on the offensive end. But early in their careers when they were more role.
Starting point is 00:22:42 players, the defense was, you know, intense for those guys, I would say the high pressure, right? Number 10 on the list is Christian Brown. He was never honored on an All-Big 12 team, but I think you've seen it now as he goes to the NBA. Like, he's been a defensive stopper for the Denver Nuggets. And he was always a really good team defender, knowing where to be for Kansas, you know, and that kept him in the rotation, got him playing time early on in addition to, you know, kind of being a three-and-d wing, right? So Christian comes in at number 10. Number nine on the list is David McCormick. And honestly, this probably should be higher. I don't know. There's a lot of good defenders here, right? But I can make the argument it's higher. Anyway, I do think his mobility
Starting point is 00:23:22 defensively was underrated when you come like he was he was hobling around on a broken foot and he was still able to get out there. And the amount of like hard hedging and icing ball screens and stuff, KU was able to do with him is pretty incredible considering that. And here's a fun stat here. There have only been three Jayhawks with a defensive rate. of 90 or better. So 90 or lower, right? The lower the number, the better, right? In a season for KU since 2016, 17, which is when we're, you know, taking the data from here, right, who have also played 330 minutes or more in a season. So around 10 minutes a game or so, right? Two were on this list that we'll get to with Udo Casabook and Marcus Garrett. The other player, David McCormick,
Starting point is 00:24:05 right? So I do think of really underrated defender there in Dave. And you saw that in the national title game, right? Armando Becock goes what? It was like, 3 of 13 or something like that. Anyway, number eight on the list is Landon Lucas, 86 blocks, 45 steals. Not a great shop blocker necessarily. He was fine at it, but he was just really, really good positional defender, knew where to be, knew how to influence shots in a good way, and a really good defensive rebounder, which is part of the defensive side of things.
Starting point is 00:24:31 Number seven on the list is actually Darren Peterson. Now, I don't think Peterson got enough credit for how good of a defender he was. His anticipation and quick hands to get steals out and to get some shot blocks and even at times he would get switched down into the post and he would hold his own strength-wise. I think Peterson was a really underrated defender at Kansas. Number six on the list is DeWan Harris. Harris, over 260 career steals. He was a former Big 12 defensive player of the year. Also a three-time all-big 12 defensive performer, really good quick hands that was able to get steals, really pesky defender.
Starting point is 00:25:06 I will say this. I do think sometimes the ward voting on the defensive end, I think sometimes it comes down to which guy had the most steals, which guy had the, like I was in an event once where Bill Self made fun of Mario Chalmers defense, that he was a turnstile defense, that all he was trying to do is get steals and was not actually a solid defender. And if you ask most KU fans,
Starting point is 00:25:28 they'd be like, Mario Chomers is an elite defender all time, not if you ask Bill Self, right? There's a difference between getting steel. And steals are very important, right? like that's like forcing a turnover in football it's a really important thing but it's like being a corner who you're going to get burnt give up a touchdown then you'll get to pick six and sure you could argue what's more important what's more impressive and stuff but um i do think sometimes they they flub it and here's a good example i actually have kj adams in a number five kj somehow was never
Starting point is 00:25:56 on an all big 12 defensive team the versatility of kj to be able to guard centers guard wings guard power forwards was really, really incredible. And I always think back to the game that Kansas beat Cooper Flag and Duke and how KJ Adams performed against Cooper Flag on the defensive end of the floor. For my money, Adams was the more versatile defender to DeWan Harris and was really the key to KU maintaining what wound up being what, like top 10 defense, his final season at Kansas, even though they had some other flaws on the roster. Number four on the list is Kevin McCuller. He was a all big 12 defensive team performer for KU and had he stayed healthy probably would have been a two-time pick there again a player where you know I don't know should should he have been the big 12
Starting point is 00:26:42 defensive player of the year in well would that have been 2023 for Kansas I think there's a really good argument for it but his versatility he could legit guard like two through five for Kansas so like incredible defender with versatility like I'm going to really value the versatility because it allows you to do different things there he he just had quick hands yeah just really, really good defender overall. Number three on the list is Flory Bedunga, another versatile defender, but he also adds a level of rim protection with the versatility, 145 blocks. He was just Big 12 defensive player of the year and was the all big 12 defensive team here. So Flory comes in at number three, but obviously if he was playing against bigger centers, might struggle a little bit more there.
Starting point is 00:27:22 That wasn't a problem for this next guy on the list, which is Yudoka as a bouquet. Now, Doak was as a good as a shot blocker as Flore. He was good at it, but Flore he was like a lead at it. But like I said, you couldn't move Doke off the block. If it was a bigger center, you ain't doing anything against him. And then his last year, Doke added that extra mobility that made him filthy on the defensive end of the floor. And because of how strong and wide he was in the lane, it was just tough for other teams to do anything driving in against him. And honestly, there is a real case that Doke should be number one on this list because in general, it's like quarterbacks in football. Like, why do quarterbacks always win MVP?
Starting point is 00:28:01 Well, because they are actually the most valuable, right? If you're given out a player of the year, that's usually different than most valuable, though, right? And so it's like defensively, centers are the most valuable inherently. If you're a really good defender-wise, you make things easier on everybody else. And so if you're talking most valuable, it probably is dope, is the number one defender. But if you're just talking about who is the best defender for what they do, I do think that's been Marcus Garrett at KU. And I think that would be the entire self-era.
Starting point is 00:28:27 Obviously, we're just talking about for this show, the last 10 years of KU basketball, but I do think if you went during the self-era, it would be Garrett. I guess with you would be the argument there because, again, the value of a center. But who knows, in today's day and age where you space things out more, does Garrett become even more important? And you can talk about the awards, Big 12 defensive player of the year, even over Doak, who won national defensive player of the year. So that's just always kind of funny there. Three-time all Big 12 defense, 181 steals.
Starting point is 00:28:55 I remember the 1920 team when they went into a game. Morgantown and he basically just wins him the game with his defense. It is unbelievable how good a defender he was. And he could legitimately guard one through five. You hear that sometimes they're super switchable. I think he gets overblown. I think a lot of times like people are like, okay, he's switchable on threes and fours. He's switchable's on three through five.
Starting point is 00:29:14 He's switchable on one through three. Marcus Garrett was legitimately switchable one through five. And my favorite piece here to just say the best, Brady Manick, who helped the lead North Carolina to the national title game and, you know, gave KU. fits in the national title game. That same dude when he was on Oklahoma, Lon Kruger, Hall of Fame head coach, took Brady Manick and just sat him in the corner because Marcus Garrett was guarding him. He was so afraid of Marcus Garrett messing up their offensive plan that he took Brady Manick out of the play and just said, we'd rather play four on four where Marcus Garrett is
Starting point is 00:29:49 not a part of it. That to me rings why he is the number one defensive player over the last decade. All right. Well, happy 10-year anniversary with Lockdown. Here's the 10 more and be on the lookout for a football episode as well. That'll do it for this episode of Lockdown, Jayhawks. See you next time on LOJ.

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