Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - OFFSEASON REHASH: How Kansas Got Better + Jayhawks Superlatives for Which KU Players Are the Best

Starting point is 00:00:00 On today's Locked on Jayhawks, we're going to recap the KU basketball off season. We're going to get into some of the biggest player superlatives. Who's the best shooter? Who's most likely to be in the Bill Self Doghouse? We're getting all that on today's episode of the show. 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 going on? Derek Johnson here. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Thanks for making it your first listen every day. And thank you the everydayers catching each and every episode of the show. We are free and available anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe. And on today's edition of the show, we are breaking down, recapping, rehashing the KU basketball off season. What have they added? And what does the roster look like? What is it probably going to produce on the floor for KU? We'll also get into some of the team superlatives. Who's the best?

Starting point is 00:00:57 or that. And they'll finish for some of the latest news, including KU coming in at 19th in the original preseason poll for the season. Today's episode of Lockdown Jayhawks is brought to you by Game Time, which you can use to get tickets to some of the KU basketball games upcoming this season. And with game time, you can use our code Locked on College for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. So KU Basketball had a very interesting offseason to say the least. This was a off-season for KU in which you lost a lot of players who have accomplished a lot, I guess you would say, at the collegiate level.

Starting point is 00:01:38 Obviously, Hunter Dickinson was a multi-time All-American, and you lose him. You lose, you know, KJ Adams, who's now kind of on staff as a assistant coach. You lose Duane Harris, who's your team leader in assists for several years, operated a point card, Ryland Griffin, AJ Store transfer away after those didn't work. Shaquille Moore graduates. Zeke Mayo, who was just unstoppable shooting the ball at home and averaged over 14 points per game, all of those guys are now gone for Kansas. And it's one of those situations where, you know, I continue to say, like, I think

Starting point is 00:02:14 KU could have made it work around any of Hunter, KJ, or DeWan, because Hunter had a lot of, you know, I guess box score success and had success at moments at Michigan. went to, you know, two second weekends, he went to an elite eight as a one seat. DeWan Harris was the starting point guard on the national championship team. KJ. Adams was the starting center on a one seed. Like, I think any of those individual players could have worked and had some skills that you could have worked with. The problem was all three of those guys didn't fit together.

Starting point is 00:02:42 And it basically got ran back last year. And so it didn't work out for KU. And I don't think all of that was their fault necessarily. But I do think the end results now is a little bit of addition by subtraction for KU. And I don't mean that for any of the individual players. I think is the overall, just having kind of a roster reset after where you were the last two years and getting to kind of reset this, getting to kind of reshape the roster in this team around Darren Peterson. I think that that is a huge thing. That's a good thing for Bill Self and where Kansas is at.

Starting point is 00:03:16 So what did they do in the offseason? Well, first of all, who came back on the roster? Florida Badung is the big one. He's the one who people think could be all big 12, could be an all-American. breakout candidate this year in a bigger usage role we saw some of the flashes last year especially when he was starting when kj was hurt i personally one of those people that thinks florrie is going to have a huge season for kansas he comes back then you have el marco jackson played a lot as a freshman gets injured last year in the offseason now he's fully back but you know he was a guy who when

Starting point is 00:03:45 we saw him on the court as a true freshman wasn't totally ready to be out there but that kansas team was too thin they couldn't afford not to play him now he has more time with the system but he's coming off an injury. How is it going to look now? I think El Marco's going to have a good year this year and kind of a role player role, but what is that going to look like? Then Jamari McDowell, he's coming off a redshirt, and then I guess technically Bryson Tiller as well, he's coming off a redshirt, joined mid-semester, very talented big man, could get some minutes of the four, could get some minutes of the five for KU. You added four freshmen, obviously the most notable is your most notable player on the team. That's Darren Peterson. He's the number one rated recruit on 24-7 sports.

Starting point is 00:04:23 This dude is an all-world, all-everything wing guard type for KU. He's going to be the lead guard for Kansas, and he's somebody who has a real chance to be the number one pick in the NBA draft, and this is like a very good top of the NBA draft. So it's not just, you know, I mean, any time you're the number one pick. Like, that's a big deal, but it's an even bigger deal in what potentially this draft could be. Peterson is a very, very good player. Now, you supplanted that or supported that with Cole Rosario, who finished just

Starting point is 00:04:51 outside the top 70 on 24-7 sports. rankings, but felt like somebody who, if you would have stayed this year and not reclassed in overtime elite, it felt like he was trending in the right direction that he would have ended up ranked even higher and seems to be killing it in the offseason. Samis Calderon, just ranked outside the top 80 on 24-7 sports rankings, very good athlete. What are they going to get from him outside of that? But is that enough to get you on the floor? And then Corbyn Allen, who's a three-star, kind of a local kid, play for Sharon Collins in

Starting point is 00:05:17 high school, more of a developmental player for KU. You look at Peterson, he's going to be the dude. Flory and him become the dynamic duo for KU. And then you kind of look at Cole Rosario as being a competing for a starting lineup or rotation spot. Smees Calderon competing for a rotation spot. It looks like, I don't know, Sumice Calderon and Bryson Teller, like that's going to be a big competition for who can play more of the minutes at the four, specifically, as a backup four possibly. Marco Jackson, going back to the Turner's, like feels like he's going to be in that rotation as well for KU. Then you have your international editions, Gengala, the transfer guard.

Starting point is 00:05:52 from Canada who's like 25 years old. A good three-point shooter, quick guard. I don't know how much you'll be in the rotation for KU, but good to have that experience. And somebody else who can come in and hit a three if you need them. Paul Mbia is your larger-than-life center, seven-nine center coming over from overseas. And Mbia was playing in the French League,

Starting point is 00:06:11 was playing at a youth level. But again, the seven-nine wingspan transfers over. How ready is he going to be? How raw is he going to be? But how much does, again, having a seven-nine wingspan kind of over the overdue for that and make him super effective for KU and then you have your transfer additions which as much as it felt like you know we're hampered and talking about the transfer portal all the time felt like KU added six transfers they added three really not as much

Starting point is 00:06:38 as you might think um now I guess if you counted the international guys then then it would be a little bigger but uh Melvin council is the first one transfer from St. Bonaventure before that was at Wagner, super high minutes guy, very good athlete, good defender, really good assist to turnover ratio, not the most efficient score or shooter. Then you had Jaden Dawson, who is an efficient score and shooter, but how is he going to translate over, making the jump from Loyola, Chicago. And then you have Trey White, who's kind of a jack of all trades, was formerly committed to Kansas when he was like a sophomore in high school, ended up going the long route to get here to KU, but again, does a lot of things well, figures to play a lot of minutes for KU at the

Starting point is 00:07:18 four. And when you look at the portal class KU brought in, it's not super sexy. It doesn't have your Hunter Dickinson, so to speak. But it does have a lot of guys who fit. It does have, in my opinion, two guys who are going to start probably in Melvin Council and Trey White. And it is another guy in Jane and Dawson who's going to have a chance to start or at least be a rotation player. And when you look at the fit of these players around Darren Peterson and how they've built it, they really did prioritize this offseason fit over just pure talent. Now, ideally you want to get the best talent that does fit as well, but the fit is so darn important, man. And we've seen that over the last couple of years.

Starting point is 00:07:54 You have the high-end talent with Darren Peterson. You know, you have some other guys who have a chance to potential to pop this year. Yeah, I think it was smart to recruit the portal for fit. And I think Kansas and Bilsuff did a really good job of that. It just felt like could they have landed one more? The Darien Williams is the one that everybody points to. If you would have landed that one other one, maybe it makes the offseason an A-plus. but I still think they got more than enough done this offseason

Starting point is 00:08:20 that they can be a really good basketball team this year. Now you look at the coaching staff too. That was part of the off season as well for KU. Bill Self, the health scare stuff. Like, what is that going to mean long term for him? Is it going to mean anything? Norm Roberts retires. Fred Kordelbaum gone.

Starting point is 00:08:34 Kansas ads, Jock Vaughn, could he be the future head coach of Kansas basketball? At the very least, seems to be, you know, helping with the current team in addition on the recruiting trail. Tony Planned gets at it as an assistant coach. That definitely seems to be helping KU on. the recruiting trail. So it's been a very busy offseason for KU.

Starting point is 00:08:50 And I think the overall bottom line here is this. Kansas has overhauled their roster, partially because they had to, but they've done it in a way that is a more fitting roster. It is one that is way more athletic than we've seen in a couple years in Lawrence. I mean, shoot, I don't know. This might be the most athletic rock. I guess you go back to the 22 to 23 roster that got a one seed and then Bill Self couldn't coach in the tournament.

Starting point is 00:09:15 That was a really athletic roster, right? but even then that wasn't like i think this one's more athletic than that wouldn't you go the the 1921 was pretty athletic because you have christian brown and oh chai and devon dots and super fast and dope athletic for a center and stuff but what being this a very athletic roster it's one that's switchable it's going to give bill self a lot of opportunities on defense to make this an elite defense they're going to throw down a lot of dunks how good is the shooting i don't know but i think there's a lot of dogs on the roster i think bill self's going to enjoy coaching this team and i think they're going to be tough i think they're going to be gritty and i I think fans are going to like this team is kind of where I'm at based on what happened in the off season. Let's get some team superlatives. Who's the best shooter? Who's the best dunker? Who's the best rebounder? Who's most likely to be in the Bill's Health Doghouse?

Starting point is 00:09:58 We get to all that next. This is Locked on Jayhawks. And today's episode of the show is brought to you by Wayfair. The holidays are going to be here before you know it, which is exciting. But getting your home ready for guests and celebrations can feel like a lot. Maybe your, you know, silverware needs a refresh. or the guest room could use new bedding. Wayfair is everything you need to let your home or get your home holiday ready from Christmas

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Starting point is 00:11:36 Thanks to join us on this episode of Lockdown, Jayhawks. You can find our show anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page. You can like and subscribe. Check out Lockdown College Basketball. for a second, listen everywhere as well. I just appeared in Locked on College of Basketball to help preview. KU. All right, some of the support for this team.

Starting point is 00:11:54 Best shooter. Let's start there. Now, I think Cole Rosario is going to have some games where you're going to point to that. I think he's going to be a streaky shooter. There's going to be some games where you see it. There's going to be some games where maybe he's over five because that's kind of what it was last year at Overtime Elite. And with younger players, you tend to be more inconsistent shooting.

Starting point is 00:12:10 That's what typically it's better as you go along. I think Jaden Dawson will be in the mix there and that I think Darren Peterson is the other one that I would kind of look to there and that's my answer I'm going to try to do I'm a little worried as we go through these superlatives am I just going to keep saying Darren Peterson because he just might be the best at everything for kids

Starting point is 00:12:28 because he's not good player but I go back to the Fran Frasilla story that he tweeted out when he was at a practice and they were doing a scrimmage and Peterson hit eight threes in a scrimmage and I'm like I don't know how long was this scrimmage? how real was it, were you being guarded by a walkout? Like, who knows all the details, but like the fact that that was even in you, I mean, think about eight threes and I don't know, that seemed really impressive to me.

Starting point is 00:12:51 And again, I just go back to that he's good at everything. So I'm going to actually take Darren Peterson for that one there. Best driver on the team. I think you could make a case Melvin Council could end up being the one there. But he's not somebody who averaged a bunch of, like even though he was fast and able to get to the rim, it wasn't always the score, sometimes drive and kick, sometimes just wouldn't score it. So I don't know if that would be the best one that you would point to. I do think maybe you'd just go back to the well and say Darren Peterson on that one.

Starting point is 00:13:19 Best score. Let's also go with Darren Peterson there. This is a more interesting conversation to me, though, if you get this to a point of, because I would be surprised if Peterson's not the leading score. It could be 16, 17, 18, 19, even 22 points per game. I don't know. Who's the second best score on this Kansas team? I think is a real conversation. I think right now, like maybe the favorites for that conversation would have to be one of either Melvin Counsel, Trey White, whoever wins the starting three job between like Rosario, Jaden Dawson, and the floor of Badunga. I do think White counsel and Badunga would be higher up on that odds board or lower, depending which way you're looking at it. I think White's going to be out there a lot. You don't have a lot of other logical fours.

Starting point is 00:14:03 Again, Tiller and Calderon can play there, but no guarantee either guy is locked into the rotation. And White could end up averaging 12 points per game. And that's the thing. You could have like Peterson could give you 18 to 20 a game and then you could have three or four guys between like 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 points per game. There's a chance Flore he could average like 14 a game, kind of like a Cole Aldridge. There's also a chance the Flore average is like 10 a game and the offense isn't totally diverse. And he's getting 10 a game, but he's getting 12 rebounds and three blocks per game. And I almost would go with Melvin counsel from a standpoint of he's playing 38 minutes per game last year.

Starting point is 00:14:38 And if you're somebody Bill Self trusts and you're playing good defense, which he's known to have, and you are kind of a dog and you can take the fatigue of playing that many minutes, which he's shown he can at the college game, Bill Self will ride you. Bill Self will play you lots of minutes. We've seen him play guards a lot of minutes before, right? Like, if you think of Frank Mason and Devante Graham, some of those guys playing 35, 36, 37 minutes a game and some of their. seasons. I could see counsel playing to that notion 32, 34 minutes per game. And if he does, 12, 13 points per game for a guy I was averaging over 14 a game last year, doesn't seem entirely impossible. So maybe that would be the answer there. Best passer on the team. Again, let's go with Darren Peterson. But you could make the argument Melvin counsel, look at his assist to turnover numbers.

Starting point is 00:15:22 It's funny because for a guy who's been compared a lot to Tyshaun Taylor with his athleticism with being a bit of a taller guard. And Tyshawn was a better score or a more efficient score and a better shooter. But counsel, like the big bugaboo against Tyshawn was sometimes there were games where he had too many turnovers. Counsel has really good turnover numbers. Counsel is really good assist to turnover numbers. So you could make that argument there as well.

Starting point is 00:15:48 Best rebounder on the team, this is one that I would pick somebody else. I guess you could say pound for pound. Maybe it is still Darren Peterson. Maybe even Trey White if we're talking pound for pound. but I think this has to be Floributka. Excellent offensive rebounder last year. It's interesting. The defensive rebound rate numbers were actually really good for Flory last year,

Starting point is 00:16:04 but it did feel like in watching the games, there were too many times where playing against the center, he got like out-muscled, outsized, and the opposing, you know, guy he was guarding, ended up getting an offensive rebound. So that's something I'm looking at to see if he can be better at this year. But, yeah, I mean, Florey's probably going to average double-ditch of rebounds per game or at least darn near close to it.

Starting point is 00:16:22 So he's the best rebounder. Also the best shot blocker, I think would have to be Flore Baduga. on this team. I mean, he was like the best shot blocker in the Big 12 last year playing limited minutes. Now, maybe there's an argument coming in that you add Paul Mbio with a 7-9 wingspan. What if Mbia actually ends up being the better shop blocker on the team? Just because you have two elite ones and he's just slightly better. I do think he's a little more raw. I would go with Florey in that answer, but that'll be at least a fun one to kind of monitor and watch. The best glue guy on this Kansas team. So this kind of depends how you view it. Like,

Starting point is 00:16:52 Trey White makes a lot of sense for this answer because there's a connective piece is the four when you don't have a lot of other fours when you don't have a lot of other wings on the roster like true wings he makes a lot of sense and he's kind of a jack of all trades does a lot of things well and for a lot of people that is what the glue guy is it's like do you just do a lot of things pretty well maybe you're not like a lead at something but you're just helping a lot of ways and that makes sense i also do wonder though like is tray white too skilled to be a glue guy in the way that like maybe it ends up being a cole rosario or jaden dawson in terms of If you're looking at the glue, the connectivity, this team needs three-point shooting.

Starting point is 00:17:27 I don't know how much of it they're going to have. Both of those guys could provide it. And when you look at, you know, I look at like Cole Rosario, he's a good rebounder for a guard. He also makes a lot of hustle plays. Like also if we're talking like who's most likely to make the most hustle plays on this team, for that's a parolative, I think it would be Cole Rosario. And so if you're looking at the guy who, okay, in Rosario's case, you're going to get a lot of rebounds for a guard. You're going to be kind of a gritty player. you're going to make a lot of hustle plays and shoot threes

Starting point is 00:17:53 and that part of it being a connective piece for this team maybe the answer for glue guy is colisario for Kansas so I don't know that that would be an interesting one there and then best defender on this team I think most valuable defender is floribudunga the center has so much impact on the defensive end of the floor because everything kind of gets funneled to them right they can erase somebody else's mistake with either a shot block or just by being a presence

Starting point is 00:18:20 that prevents the opposing player from getting a good look or, you know, missing a layup potentially. Maybe it ends up being a situation where, like, Melvin Counsel ends up being your best perimeter defender, though, and having that different conversation. Bill's favorites. Bill always has his favorites, right? Darren Peterson, obviously, answer there. I wouldn't be surprised if Melvin Counsel was a Bill's self-favorite. Now, I could see Melvin Council also being in kind of the,

Starting point is 00:18:50 the Russell Robbins and Tyshawn Taylor Vane of like they clash heads at some points. But like, I could see him being a favorite that he does play a lot of minutes because he trusts the defense in his game and everything. And then who is most likely to be in the Bilself doghouse? I mean, you, it's interesting because like typically you think of the guys in the Bilsuff doghouse as being like guys that, yeah, Bilsuff is like clashing heads with or, you know, maybe are a little more explosive personalities. Al Marco Jackson is such a good kid and he's like such a nice kid.

Starting point is 00:19:22 Is there a chance that Bill Self for like if El Marco is not fully, I don't know, like the game looked like it was moving a little too fast his freshman year at times. If that is still the case this year, does it frustrate Bill Self and that cause him to go in there? That's entirely possible. I don't think that would be my pick, but at least the situation scenario that I wanted to bring up, maybe it's a Jaden Dawson, you know, somebody who we thought was going to come in and possibly be a starter and maybe Cole Rosario beats him out and that ends up being the case. The other pick I think would have to be Bryson Tiller.

Starting point is 00:19:52 He's a big man who I think is very talented, very skilled. He's been compared to the Morris Twins. I think there are probably times where the Morris Twins were in the Bill Self doghouse. And also Bryson Tiller, I think at times is kind of a, he wants to play like a wing at certain times at a big man body. And when he does that for Bill's self, it's going to be a quick hook. And Bill's going to be like, what are you doing? So those would be the answers for I think of that one there. Let's finish up, though.

Starting point is 00:20:19 KU just got picked 19th in the AP preseason poll. We get to that and some of the other latest news. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Today's episode of the show is brought to you by game time. College football is here, and now college basketball is about to be back. And I don't know how you couldn't be more excited. Tailgates, the rivalries, the energy in the stands are in the arena. There's just nothing like it.

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Starting point is 00:21:12 game you're like i have no idea like where where's a good seat in there so Like, what does this seat look like? Is there an instruction in front of me? Well, check it out on GameTime and take the guestwork out of buying college football or college basketball tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code Locked on College for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that's promo code.

Starting point is 00:21:29 Locked on College, L-O-C-E-O-N-C-O-L-E-G-E-E-G-E for $20 off. Swipe, tap, Ticket Go with Game Time today. So thanks for joining us. Check out Locked on College Football, Locked on College of Basketball, for your second listen every day at D Johnson Radio on Twitter at L.O underscore Jayhawks for the team account. So KU coming in at 19th in the preseason AP poll. They actually just came in at 21st in the preseason Ken Palm. And I do think both those will end up being underrated. Now, I've kind of said before, like, I can see the logic and the understanding of why some people have them in

Starting point is 00:22:04 the 15 to 20 range. And I'm okay with that. I would have them closer to the 8 to 12 range because I am a full believer in what Bill Self has done with this roster and how good Darren Peterson is going to be and how well it's going to optimize around it. But again, I can understand some of the hesitations and three-point shooting and some of the other things of like, do they have another, you know, star score or star player or whatever? Like, those are real questions. The people who have them, because again, if you're preseason 19th, that means for everybody

Starting point is 00:22:31 who picks you 15th, essentially somebody's picking you 23rd, 24th. I can't really get on board with like the late 20s, the, I know, people who might not even like have them ranked. Like I remember John Rothstein all offseason had him like 32. or something. And so I just can't help but think like it's going to work and they are going to be underrated a little bit here. I think back to Michigan State who have made this comparison before that, you know,

Starting point is 00:22:59 the Spartans were, I don't know, preseason 35th, I think on Ken Palm finished 7th, May the elite 8. So maybe that's something for KU. But kind of a similar comp, um, in terms. terms of like not the best three-point shooting team was a good rebounding team play good defense and then you know um ended up like over over exceeding or they had a one and done too and jace richardson and i think ku's one and done is even better with darren peterson so i do think this team is a little bit underrated there um as far as the k u woman's basketball selection they

Starting point is 00:23:37 were picked sixth in the big 12 preseason poll that's a good spot to be right because you've lost a lot players over the last couple years, but you bring back a junior, Samaya Nichols, you have the best recruiting class of the Big 12 coming in. If you can finish six in the Big 12, you're going to be an NCAA tournament team. That's been the case the past couple of years in the Big 12. So do that, and then you're going to be just okay. And then the last bit of news here is KU football. Their game against Kansas State has been announced for 11 a.m.

Starting point is 00:24:06 on Saturday, October 25th. Obviously, you know, you would have hoped for the season that it would have ended up being a night game, but closer we got to the game, K-State now 3 and 4. KU now 4 and 3, that probably wasn't possible. But I guess in the last couple of years, KU's lost close games and night games, so maybe switch it up with a day game. But real conversation, debate, question, is that the most important game of the Lance Light Poldera? I think my early indication, I would say yes, honestly, and we'll get more into that on a future episode. Also get more into some more KU basketball, late night in the fog, KUUUville exhibition,

Starting point is 00:24:42 Again, that KUK State game, plenty coming at you. We've got Big 12 media days next week. So it's going to be a very busy this and next week. So make sure you subscribe to the show anywhere that you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe. I'll see you next time with Locked on Jayhawks.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - OFFSEASON REHASH: How Kansas Got Better + Jayhawks Superlatives for Which KU Players Are the Best

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