Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Melvin Council vs AJ Storr - Does Bill Self's Transfer Swap Better FIT the Roster???

Starting point is 00:00:00 On today's Locked on Jayhawks, why Melvin Council will give Kansas more as a transfer edition than what KU got from AJ's store last year. You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, what's happening? Derek Johnson here. This is Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. On today's edition of Lockdown J-Ox, we're comparing and contrasting Melvin Council Jr. to AJ Storr coming in from the transfer portal for KU, comparing the additions for KU and why. After looking at this, I think Melvin Council's set up for more success than what KU got out of AJ Storr. Also getting into our KU superlative of the day, and maybe we'll even do a little comparing and contrast between Council and Tyshaun Taylor. It's been a common comparison among people

Starting point is 00:01:07 watching their games. Today's episode of the show is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances of Monarch Money. Use code LOCKDOWNCOLLege at MonarchMoney.com for 50% off your first year. So we're going to be comparing Melvin Council and AJ's store. I had another episode on yesterday where we compared Jayden Dawson to Ryland Griffin. And the reason for that comparison was two guys who were going to be out there to be four spacers

Starting point is 00:01:34 who could play the two-three. And we kind of came to the conclusion that, yeah, okay. Well, Dawson does enough other things better that it's going to endear him more to Bill Self. And so with Melvin Council and AJ Storr, it's a little bit of a different comparison because one's more of a combo guard, one's more of a wing.

Starting point is 00:01:51 But then when you kind of think about it, you have these guys who were athletic for their position, guys who are gonna be better scoring in transition than in the half court. There are some similarities and especially knowing that if Darren Peterson's gonna be your primary on-ball player anyway, both of them would be playing off ball positions more at Kansas. And then I add to it that I think it's important to make these comparisons and contrasts with players that Kansas brought in because as we look at last year, you're trying to look at okay,

Starting point is 00:02:21 what went wrong? What can they do better? And as we've talked about, they've done a good job with Bill Self and staff looking for more fit than just pure get the best talent necessarily or get the highest rated on these transfer lists. And I think these are helpful in that. So that's why comparing council to a store. And once again, we're gonna be comparing. So last year council, which will be his be comparing. So last year, Council,

Starting point is 00:02:45 which will be his year at St. Bonaventure, we're going to be comparing that to AJ Stores' season at Wisconsin so that we can compare and contrast where both of these players were or are before coming into KU to see if we can figure anything out or hindsight in 2020 something here. Okay, so without further ado, so we have council versus AJ store here.

Starting point is 00:03:08 So store average more points per game in Wisconsin, couple more points per game. And it is important to bring up that, yes, of course, AJ store stats came at the power level. He did it in the big 10, while the council did it in the Atlantic 10, right? Those are a little bit different. The A10 is a good conference.

Starting point is 00:03:24 It's not quite the big 10. So you do give a little bit of an The A-10 is a good conference. It's not quite the big 10. So you do give a little bit of an edge to Stor in that regard. But effective field goal percentage, actually pretty similar between the two players. The free throw attempt rate much better for AJ Stor, about double the amount that he was getting to the free throw line than Melvin Council.

Starting point is 00:03:40 We didn't really get to see that as much at Kansas. I don't know if that was because of the lack of spacing, which I think they'll have a little more. I don't know. I guess we'll wait and see on what King's Finals editions are this year. The rebounds per game though, this one is interesting. Council with one and a half more rebounds per game, the defensive rebound rate is better.

Starting point is 00:03:59 The offensive rebound rate is a little better for Storr. But when you look at what store did at Kansas, he did not really grab many rebounds. And that, you'll hurt him with Bill Self, certainly. And with counsel, you're getting a better rebounder as a guard, and that's him having to play point guard. If he has having to play, if he is having to play more off guard at Kansas,

Starting point is 00:04:23 which I think he will with Darren Peterson, I think he'll be a much better rebounder than what Stor provided. Also, you're getting much more passing. I mean, it's not even close. 4.1 assists per game for Council, 0.9 for Stor, the assist rate, 23.5% for Council, 6.9% for AJ Stor.

Starting point is 00:04:40 And then you look at the assist to turnover rate. It's about 2.3 assists to every turnover from Elvin Council, which ranked in the 92nd percentile. AJ Store is at 0.56 assists per turnover. That ranked in the eighth percentile. So when you're looking at things that caused AJ Store to get a quick hook, how many times can you think about just like a dumb turnover?

Starting point is 00:05:03 Maybe we should have looked back at this a little more and gone, hey, he's got really bad assist and assist to turnover numbers, how well is he really going to play if the ball is not in his hands? Versus with council, you can almost draw the correlation of, okay, he's a good passer, he's going to find other teammates, he doesn't necessarily need to dominate by trying to shoot the basketball, which is what Stor tried to do. The steal rate, also much better for Melvin Council. Almost three times the amount of what AJ Storrs was.

Starting point is 00:05:30 He ranked in the 93rd percentile, and steal rate Storr was in the 19th percentile. And then block rate, which again, this is one where Storr has like three inches on Melvin Council, he's a wing, but Council had three times the block rate, one and a half percent to Storrs stores point five percent. He totaled it up, Hakim rate, block plus steel rate, and Melvin counsels was 5.1, AJ Stores was 1.9, so two and a half times better. So you're talking about better rebounder, that one a little closer, much better passer with less turnover issues, much better, you know, defensive numbers with steals and blocks.

Starting point is 00:06:06 And then you also talked about the usage, right? It didn't work with Storr because he came in and had to be not the guy with the ball in his hand. It was Hunter Dickinson, it was Dewan Harris. Other guys had their ball in their hand a lot for Kansas this past season that were in AJ Storr. He had to play off ball a good amount, right? Well, with Melvin Council, even though yes,

Starting point is 00:06:24 he's been the point guard at St. Bonaventure and Wagner, his usage rate 23%, Storr's was at 32%. There's still a sizable difference there. And so the learning curve of how to play without the ball a little bit at less, I don't think it's going to be as big of a deal for Council necessarily. What's interesting too is even though Stor had the better shooting percentage and better offensive rebound rate, the offensive windchairs was actually very close between the two. Defensive windchairs not even close, Council dominated that one. The on-off offensive rating was way better for Council, interestingly enough. This should have been another maybe sign when they got AJ Stor. Wisconsin with AJ Stor was about two points better per game when he was off the floor.

Starting point is 00:07:07 And maybe we, I don't know why we just brushed past that. I don't know. Anyway, but with like, Council, they were seven points better when he was on the floor. So that's worth something, obviously, right? Then you look at the shooting comparison between these two players.

Starting point is 00:07:22 And Council and Store very even in terms of field goal percentage, 43 and a half percent to 43.4 percent. The two point percentage actually slightly better for council 49.2 percent for council 48.3 for AJ store, but store was better at the rim 64 percent council at 61 percent at the rim. I do think this is something that at the rim where Kansas didn't do store justice, right, the lack of spacing that they provided him made it harder for him finishing at the rim. So that was like, you know, even though some of it is on on AJ store, some of it's on Kansas to write and they didn't do a good

Starting point is 00:07:56 enough job there. Council better in that floater range almost 50% in the paint, but beyond four and a half feet and stores only 34 and a half percent at Wisconsin. So better floater game in Melvin council. I don't know if that means anything fit wise for KU. Mid-range though was really bad for Melvin council. 18 and a half percent store was good in the mid range. 38% at Wisconsin, which is 60th percentile.

Starting point is 00:08:20 Three point percentage. You look at the above the break council at about 30%, store at 32%. So slight advantage for store there, or I'm sorry, that's overall three point percentage. 30% for counsel, 32% for store. So slight advantage there. The three point attempt rate,

Starting point is 00:08:35 both of them are actually very close in three point attempt rate. The above the break threes, 30.5% for store, 27.5% for counsel. So again, edge there for store. Corner threes was actually percent for store, 27 and a half percent for council. So again, edge there for store. Corner threes was actually edge for store, 43% to 36% for council, but store took very little corner threes.

Starting point is 00:08:53 That's a very small volume of corner threes he took, which he was taking a lot more of them at Kansas in the role he was asked to do. And that didn't really translate over. So the small sample size did mean something there. The deep threes was a problem for Melvin Council. 7% on deep threes this past season, which 25 or more foot threes,

Starting point is 00:09:12 according to CBB Analytics, eighth percentile. Can Bill self-coach that out of him? If you get the deep threes out of his game, the three-point percentage becomes much more manageable. But anyway, that was a slight advantage for Stor there as well, just because of what Council did less than what Stor did.

Starting point is 00:09:28 Free throw percentage, slight advantage for Council over Stor there too. Overall effective field goal percentage, the advantage for Stor, but it's by 0.3%. True shooting percentage, advantage for Stor by a little over 2%. By PER, 19.7 for Stor, 19.2 to Council. So again, all these numbers are coming

Starting point is 00:09:44 against better competition for AJ Stor and 19.2 to Council. So again, all these numbers are coming against better competition for AJ Stor and what he had to do that against than Melvin Council. But the shooting percentages, slight advantages for AJ Stor, but I don't think that's the idea of why you're bringing in Melvin Council. With Stor, you were bringing him in under the guise of you wanted him to be a scorer and to shoot for you

Starting point is 00:10:05 and to add to your offense. With Council, he'll add to the offense in certain ways. His driving ability, his transition game, his speed. But I do think he's being more so brought in because of his all around game, because of his defense, because of his athleticism, because of his rebounding ability from a guard position, because of the ability to be an extra ball handler

Starting point is 00:10:26 and pass the ball without having a bunch of turnovers. And so when you look at that, and you look at the areas that, again, as we look at what are better fits with Bill Self, the more rounded player for specifically Bill Self is going to be Melvin Council. And I think that's what that cross comparison showed. What about some comparison?

Starting point is 00:10:43 A lot of people have been copying them to Tyshaun Taylor. So how about we get into that next? This episode of Locked on J-Hawks is brought to you by Amazon 4K TV Fire Stick. And with the Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can also turn it into an Xbox. You can turn any TV in your gaming and entertainment hub with the Fire TV Stick 4K devices, no

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Starting point is 00:12:03 third generation with Amazon Fire TV stick. Thanks for joining us here on Locked on J-Hawks making us your first listen every day. Don't forget to check out Locked on College Football or Locked on College Basketball for your second listen every day. And we're going to be having a fun episode coming out for you on Friday, where we go over the top head coaching candidates once Bill Self retires. If you were to retire today, who would those top guys be? We'll get into all sorts of those.

Starting point is 00:12:39 So we're gonna, we started that last year. We'll do a re-up of that this year with also updated rankings and updated coaches. Okay. So there's been a lot of comparisons between Melvin council and Tyshaun Taylor. Now, if I'm making this comparison, I don't think it's fair to make the comparison to senior year Tyshaun Taylor.

Starting point is 00:12:57 If, if that's the expectation, fine. But like that senior year Tyshaun Taylor was really good. He was, I think third team all-American when it was all said and done. But really over the last half of that season, he was probably, I don't know, you can make a real argument instead of just 13 all-American top 15 player in the country

Starting point is 00:13:16 that he was maybe a top 10 player in the country. He was so good over the last three months or so of that season. But also like when you look at the role he's in, because it was T-Rob and it was Taishan Taylor as being the high usage guys on that season. But also like when you look at the role he's gonna, because it was T Rob and it was Tyshaun Taylor as being the high usage guys on that team. I don't know that that'll be the case for Melvin Council, right?

Starting point is 00:13:32 You have Darren Peterson. I don't know what the usage is gonna be offensively for Flory, like I think he'll average double digit points, but I think his bigger impact will be defense and rebounding. So I don't know who is gonna be the second biggest usage guy. Maybe it's somebody still to be added for KU. Is it Trey White? Is it Melvin Council?

Starting point is 00:13:50 I don't know. I guess that's TB. So it's entirely possible. But if you look at like the I don't know, I guess if you want to go back even further, I was going to take the junior year, Tyshaun Taylor, because, you know, the next year is when he had that huge year for KU and that's what you're hoping Council will have in his final year with KU but if you are talking like role allocation specifically, you could go back to the 0809 year with Taishan Taylor right because when you go back to the

Starting point is 00:14:16 0809 year that's the year that Kansas defending champions they lose all these players and then they end up winning the big 12 they get a three seed to make the sweet 16. They probably should have beat Michigan State to go even further, but solid season overall and you look at that team. It was Sharon Collins and Cole Aldridge this dynamic duo guard center carrying the team. Well, you could have that with Darren Peterson and for Budunga and then it

Starting point is 00:14:40 was it was obviously a lot of guys we recognize as being really good players and future NBA players with Tyshaun Taylor Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris. But like at the time those guys were freshmen and you know they had their flaws. They had their faults. Those weren't the complete products of those players. They were still good at the time, but they weren't nearly as good as you thought. And then it was a bunch of role players, right? Brady Morningstar, Tyrell Reed, Mario Little, Travis Relliford as a younger guy. So I think there are some similarities too to that team. And if we wanted to take off that team, what you got from Tyshaun Taylor that year was 26 and a half minutes per game, 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.1 steals on 51% from the floor.

Starting point is 00:15:20 Only 1.93 per game, 36% there. I think council would shoot less than those percentages, but you're probably getting more three point attempts, probably better rebounding numbers. The assist numbers, I have no idea where to go with those, but also less turnover numbers. Tyshawn was 2.4 turnovers per game compared to three assists.

Starting point is 00:15:37 We just talked about and just raved about Melvin Council's really good assist to turnover rate. So I think there's some comps there if you want to comp that roster. And then if you look at the junior year of Taishan Taylor, 27.1 minutes per game, 9.3 points per game on 48% from the floor, 38% from three, but again, low volume, 1.4 per game.

Starting point is 00:15:57 1.9 rebounds per game, 4.6 assists to 2.7 turnovers. Again, you're talking about with counsel, I can see those point totals being around what he ends up going for, but less efficiency, but you're getting more rebounding. I don't know that you're going to get 4.6 assists, but again, you're going to get better probably turnovers per game. Like that's going to be a much more efficient number and you're going to get some of that good defense as well. And I think Tyshawn was was more of a gambler defensively in terms of he would get steals and turn them

Starting point is 00:16:25 into things. I don't think he was a bad defender. I just don't think he was like the most sound defender ever at the same point in time. Again, I think he was probably a solid defender. I just don't think he was like Marcus Garrett necessarily. I think council might be a little more stern on that end. So I do think there's some comparisons there and it goes beyond the stat sheet with that comparison too. It's the six foot four lengthy guard who has a ton of speed,

Starting point is 00:16:49 has a ton of athleticism, can get in transition, can do some fun things. But I think those are some fun cops. And honestly, now that I bring it up, I might want to do some more diving into that 08, 09 team because I do think there are some interesting cops there when you talk about, okay, Sharon Collins, that year was an all-American guard for you. That would be your Darren Peterson on this year's team. Cole Aldridge was your all big 12th center who was not the most complete player offensively, but like he did enough things well with the build-self system that he could score enough. He was a good rebounder, good rim protector, good defender. That could be Flory Budunga. And then you're kind of talking about filling it out with

Starting point is 00:17:27 role players and another ball handler and a young Taishan Taylor. Is that freshman year Taishan Taylor similar to Melvin Council? Yeah, it might be an older Melvin Council. Role players like, you know, Brady Mooringsar and Tyrell Reed. Is that going to be kind of like your Jayden Dawson? And I don't know, I guess, I don know who they don't Marco Jackson comp would be necessarily the Morris twins. Right now you don't really have a cop for that because, you know, even if you're playing them at the four, like that's not really what Trey White is. But there's at least some interesting cops of like the top two guys and what they could be and then

Starting point is 00:17:57 filling it out with with role players or young talent. Maybe that young talent is like Marco Jackson and, and Bryson tiller, right? Maybe the maybe tiller is I've seen some people comp tiller to the Morse twins, you know, so that is kind of an interesting one. And yeah, I do think Melbourne Council be a good player bottom line here for KU. Alright, KU Superlative of the Day next. This episode of the show is brought to you by Monarch

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Starting point is 00:19:18 You can get your podcasts. And again, you know, we're going to have a KU basketball head coach who would be the future guy after Bill Self on tomorrow. We did another cross comparison on yesterday's episode, talking a little Jaden Dawson. So make sure to check out those and thank you to the Everdayers if you already did. Our KU Superlative of the day,

Starting point is 00:19:36 we had who was the fastest on the team yesterday. Today, who's the best shooter on the team for KU? And I think that Darren Peterson shot really well in the, you know, AAU ranks and high school ranks and stuff that like, it might just end up being him. At the same point in time, I don't like to put, like I think a lot of times for freshmen coming in, the shooting can be one of those things that comes last.

Starting point is 00:20:02 So like Peterson to me could shoot 34, 35%. I think that'd be a fair number to expect. Again, he's so good that it wouldn't surprise me if it's better than that. But like, I don't know that I would have him to start this. Then again, not a ton of options. Maybe Jamar McDowell, you know, the idea would be a three and D player,

Starting point is 00:20:19 but also under 30% his first year, so probably wouldn't choose him. Jaden Dawson, about 36% from three from Loyola Chicago on good volume. He would certainly be in the conversation along with Peterson. I don't think I'd take Council. I don't think I'd take Trey White too low volume.

Starting point is 00:20:36 Wouldn't take Calderon, wouldn't take Tiller. Obviously wouldn't take Flory. And then the last guy here is Noah Shelby, who ended up in practice, former shooter from Rice and Vanderbilt. I think that's where your conversation goes. Noah Shelby, Jaden Dawson, Darren Peterson. And I think, I guess like if we're talking about who's going to really be in the rotation, I think you'd lean Jaden Dawson for this answer. If you're talking about multitude

Starting point is 00:21:04 of shooting like mid-range, three-point ability to get it off in a bunch of different ways, off the dribble, off the catch, whatever, it might be Peterson for the just diversity of his ability to score and shoot. And then if you are just talking like pure flamethrower, like can you come off the bench and just hit an open three? I think it'd be Noah Shelby at this point in time. Now, is it a little concerning that those are the names? That one of them is a guy that right now, you probably project to be outside of the rotation and Noah Shelby, that one of them is a freshman that, like I said, you're going to be asking him to do a lot of different things and you don't always expect those high shooting numbers

Starting point is 00:21:40 from freshmen. Yes, that is the case. And that is why with the final scholarships that KU has, they need to address some shootings. So go out and get another bench shooter. Get that other starting wing that can also shoot the basketball. If you're Kansas, that is of the utmost importance because right now this isn't one of those teams where it's like, who's the best shooter? Well, I don't know. DeFonte is a really good shooter and Malik Newman can shoot and Svi can really shoot. Say, well, Gerald Vick can even have his hot nights. It's like, you know, you're kind of you're kind of picking and choosing. You're there, right.

Starting point is 00:22:11 And it doesn't mean they can't be a good team, right. I mean, but it is important to kind of find for the rest of the portal. And who knows, maybe getting to play off Darren Peterson, everybody's three point shooting goes up around the team just because the spacing opens up to right. I don't know for this episode of Lockdown Jayhawks, you can find our show anywhere you get podcasts, including on our YouTube page. We'll see you next time with LOJ.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Melvin Council vs AJ Storr - Does Bill Self's Transfer Swap Better FIT the Roster???

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