Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Samis Calderon the Next Brandon Rush?!? Plus Jayhawks Get Commit from 2026 DL Lucas Smalls-Allen

Episode Date: June 29, 2025

Kansas Jayhawks basketball's incoming Samis Calderon is drawing a rave comparison from a former KU legend to Brandon Rush; does it add up, and what would it mean for Bill Self and KU hoops? Host Derek Johnson analyzes Calderon's impressive physical attributes and Overtime Elite performance, drawing parallels to the Jayhawks legend. The discussion shifts to football as Lucas Smalls Allen commits to KU, potentially elevating their 2026 recruiting class. Johnson breaks down KU's rise to the top of Big 12 athletic spending and its implications for future success. The episode wraps up with updates on former Jayhawks entering the NBA, including Hunter Dickinson's two-way deal with the Pelicans.Tune in for expert insights on how these developments could reshape Kansas Jayhawks athletics across multiple sports.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at www.monarchmoney.com/lockedoncollege for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.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)

A prominent former Jayhawk compared Samiz Calderon to Brandon Urash. We're going to get into that in addition to Lucas Smalls Allen, a really good defensive line commit, adding to the KU class of 2026 and a little financial news as KU may be surpassing K-State in a big way. 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 here. This is locked on Jayhawks. Thanks for making it your first listen every day. And thank you

to the everydayers catching each and every episode of the show. We are free and available anywhere you get your podcasts, including on our YouTube page where you can like and every day is catching each and every episode of the show. We are free and available anywhere you get your podcasts including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. And on today's edition of LOJ, we're talking a little Samiz Calderon, what could he bring to the table for this Kansas team kind of one of those wild cards of where he's going to fit in? Is he going to be the rotation? Is he gonna be the

outside? Well, there were some comparisons made from a former prominent Jayhawk comparing him to a player who has his jersey hanging in the rafters now in field house. So that would certainly speak to him being a possible player right away for KU. Once again, a little KU football talk, as Lucas Smalls Allen, a 2026 recruit has committed to the Jayhawks adding to that really good class from KU standards. And then we'll finish up with a little bit of

the latest news where some players are going in the NBA and also a little financial stuff between KU and K state today's episode of locked on Jay Hawks is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook and right now new customers can get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins do that over with FanDuel are we gonna get started with Samiz Calderon So Samiz Calderon is the six foot eight two hundred pound forward I think he's somebody somebody who can, you'll play the three or the four. There have been some places that list him as having like a seven foot two wingspan, which I guess theoretically you could play him as like if you wanted to play a really small ball five lineup where he was the small ball five and just have like, I mean, he's bigger than KJ was and KJ was playing the five right? I don't think that's what KU ever wants to do. But you know, in a pinch, it's like, Oh, what if Bryson Tiller is injured and Flory gets in foul trouble and then Paul and be I get some foul trouble. It's like, Okay, well, you would be the next guy up.

But I think for the most part, he's a three, four. And I think in a deal world, he's the perfect college for right. He's a really good athlete. It's six foot eight, who can athletically keep up if teams are playing smaller with guards on the wings. But also he has the length that he can play like a real big like a power forward in there. He's originally from Brazil, he's a bit older first class. So he's 20 years old right now. And that is where

maybe some hesitations coming into the season of like, okay, what is he going to bring to the table? Because this is a kid who yeah, he's not a McDonald's All American. He's not a top 30 recruit in the class. He is somebody who has really good tools and athleticism and length. But also this is a kid who yeah, he's not a McDonald's All American. He's not a top 30 recruit in the class. He is somebody who has really good tools and athleticism and length. But also this was a player who was on the worst team in overtime time elite. They went just three and 17 this year, though they did, you know, upset the first round

opponent, which it's seated the four seed plays the eight seeds. It's kind of weird, but they made the semi finals, right. And the stats are fine for Calderon. but you know, it's not like ultra efficient. And it's not something that like jumps off the page. It's 26% from three. So like, you look at it across the board, and it's an interesting player, one that I think makes sense for the staff to take a gamble on because the athleticism like this could turn into something. But I think because of those things, you kind

of get into a situation where it's like, well, maybe he could be part of the rotation, right? Seems like he's doing pretty well in the off season. And because Kansas is a little lighter on having, you know, wing type players, three, four type players, it would make some sense if you were to be a part of the rotation at the end of the day, right? At the same point in time, if he is a little bit more raw,

it does make you wonder, okay, is he gonna be on the outside looking in of guy like Cole Rosario, who Cole Rosario, for instance, was in the same OTE, put up better stats than Calderone and was on a more winning team. So like, where does that factor in for instance, right. But this comp that was made by one Wayne Simeon is certainly going to add to the hype train for Simeon Calderon. So Wayne Simeon, obviously former All American at

the University of Kansas, Jersey hanging on the rafters, former first round draft pick of the Miami Heat, had a money-making career in the NBA, and now he has been a part of the staff with KU. And that's the important part that he has, I think now his official title, I think it changed, I forget what he was for a while, he was like, what, like team chaplain? And he's done all sorts of things around the program. Now he's associate athletic director, right?

So this is somebody who is of things around the program. Now he's associate athletic director, right. So this is somebody who is clearly around the basketball program. This is somebody who like, I don't think he's not. He's not just doing this just because he thinks this is going to be the case. I'm sure he's been around practice. I'm sure he has watched some or all of the practices so far. And this is what he tweeted out. It was in response to an interview with Samiz Calderon and Greg Gurley on a video and he responded to it

and said, I am really excited about Samiz. Reminds me of Brandon Rush. Now this is I think a couple things right? It certainly is going to add to the hype train of Samiz and if he is anything close to what Brandon Rush was at Kansas, that would be a great player for KU. You also add to it the Brandon Rush was like a stud for Kansas right away as a freshman. So does that get the idea that like, oh, he could be a stud right away for kids. It's also a unique one too, because

like, in none of my wildest dreams that I think okay, and you know, I've seen highlights of Samiz Calderon. I haven't seen you know, I'm not watching full game some OTE, right? I am not envisioning Samiz Calderon as the archetype of Brandon Rush. You think of Brandon Rush as this smooth player who's a good athlete, right? Who's just this knockdown shooter,

just a pure score, really good defender. And from Calderon, I think of more of this athletic Marvel who is more of like a power athlete, whereas Rush was more of kind of that smooth athlete. And I don't think of the three point shooting again, like you look at Calderon, in the regular season for OTE, he shot 26% on three point shots, he shot 67% from the free throw line. That doesn't give me Brandon Rush vibes. I also look at what he

did at OTE, he was averaging, in the regular season, 8.4 points per game and 2.7 assists per game, 5.5 rebounds per game. 8.4 points per game in OTE, whereas B. Rush is putting up like 13 points per game right away as a freshman at Kansas. So there are parts of it that I'm like, I don't know if I totally buy that comparison, but here's where that's very exciting. If he is seeing that, what that is telling me is that his athleticism does look smooth. And we knew he was a good athlete, but there is that different level of being

maybe more of a herky-jerky athlete and a smooth one. So that would be a good sign. What that really tells me is that he is shooting the ball well in practice so far. Now, is that gonna hold up over the long haul? Is that something where he's just at a hot month or so? I don't know, but if you're doing it every day in practice so far. Now, is that gonna hold up over the long haul? Is that something where he's just at a hot month or so? I don't know, but if you're doing it every day in practice, you're probably getting more shots up in practice

than you are in a game, or in the regular season when you're playing. So that is encouraging that maybe the shot is coming around because that's the big thing. If Samiz Calderon can even be a 30, I mean, shoot, Jalen Wilson was playing the four on the national title team in the year they won the title. He was shooting what, like 26% from three point range.

It is a little bit more about, are they respecting you and guarding it? You know, at least a little bit. And there were teams that sagged off Jalen Wilson that year, but it wasn't like a full sag off. It was like, we're gonna sag off a little more than normal, but still be there. Whereas with like when KJ Adams is in at the four,

it's like, we're gonna fully sag off, right? There's a little bit of a nuance in between there. And so that is important for Samiz Calderon. But it's also interesting, because I think of rush is more of a, I mean, the NBA, he was a shooting guard. For Kansas, he mostly played the three because they're using multiple ball handlers.

Whereas with Calderon, if you have more as a three, four. So again, I think kind of a unique one, but it has to be encouraging. At the same point in time, you know, and different people saying this, right. But I just go back to last off season and at the banquet, Bill Self said Zach Clements was the most improved player for KU. And I know he had an injury he had to deal with this season,

but like that didn't bear the fruits of it labor into the regular season. So I'm not just going to go ahead and sit here and go, okay, well, Samiz Calderon is Brandon Rush. He's going to be the best player on the team. And he's going to start from day one or the second best player on the team to Darren Peterson or third, whatever you want to say with Flory, right. going to be the best player on the team. And he's going to start from day one or the second best player on the team to Darren Peterson or third, whatever you want to say with Flory, right? I'm not ready to get to that point.

Does it inch me closer to being like, okay, maybe Calderon, does he have a leg up for the final rotation spot, right? Because if you're looking at it from a standpoint of even if it's a 50th percentile outcome for Calderon is 50% of what be rush was right away as a freshman that probably plays in the rotation, right? And you look at the roster for KU with the, I guess I would say like the four main guards Marco Jackson Melvin council, Jayden Dawson and Darren Peterson. Those guys are going to be in the rotation floor.

But um, plus backup center, let's say it's Paul and be a, maybe it ends up being Bryson tiller, right? He was more of a four or five, but let's just say backup center, right? That's six guys that you're looking at right there. And then Trey white on the wing, right? Who's probably going to be your starter at the the four. So that's seven guys. So you're basically have one more spot left in the rotation. Does that go to a Bryson tiller or maybe you play a little bit too big basketball where you can play

the four or the five? Does it go to Cole Rosario, who again, same league as Samiz Calderon, you know, better stats on a better team? Or does it go to Calderon? And maybe to like there is something to the idea of, okay, maybe this Calderon kid was a raw prospect who just needs to be refined and maybe the tools are there. And maybe that situation, I mentioned this before, OTE isn't always the most organized setting for basketball, right? And so maybe Calderon goes to the what ended up having the

worst record in OTE. And yes, you could hold that against him and say maybe he's not impacting winning. Maybe it's also possible that he just went to an organized team in kind of an unorganized league that has weird rules like they have like power plays that happen that where you get like a five on four if like something happens with it. It's a weird leak point being you get some nice Calderon with and I don't know for sure for all I know he did have a really good coach, right? He did have a good

developmental coach that didn't care about wins losses. And that's why they went three and 17 and they were just developing players. I have no idea. But you get a player like that who's molded and sculpted and looks like an Adonis and you get him in a structured system. Even though maybe he is a little bit older. I mean, players still improve in the NBA when they're 22, 23, 24, right? That you get him with Bill Self, you get him in a structured system, you get him on campus where he can go in and

take shots. I don't know. Maybe it is different. Maybe that maybe the sky is the limit, right? And maybe this is the breakout season for Samiz Calderon, because some guys, they break out between their sophomore, junior years, and that would be the age range that Sam Semis Calderon is realistically in. So I'm not gonna fully buy into that he is the next coming of Brandon Rush, but it does at least cue my interest

a little bit more to the idea that maybe he has the advantage for that final rotation spot for KU, at least for the time being. And if we're continuing on with the comparisons of this roster and how Bilshoff has built it, similar to the 2019-20 roster, I think he'd kind of be that Tristan Anaruna role for KU. And you might not remember Tristan Anaruna playing like a huge role for KU. And he wasn't, but he was playing, let's see, 11 minutes per game

for 30 games in the 1920 season. You might not remember that 11 minutes per game. So maybe it's that type of role for KU where he can kind of play the three four mostly as a four and like, you know, give you a flexible versatile type of Ford. So at least an interesting quote there from Wayne Semeh in her tweet, I guess. All right, KU football got another recruit in Lucas Smalls Allen. Let's break him down next. This episode of the show is brought to you by Fandool Sportsbook. Summer

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is gonna go over seven and a half wins. Do that right now FanDuel for new to FanDuel new customers can bet just $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Open the FanDuel app today. Visit FanDual.com to get started. Fandual, the official sportswear partner of the Lockdown podcast network. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Lockdown Jayhawks and little KU football talk here on the show is Lucas Smalls Allen is

the latest commit for Lance Leipold and the class. So Smalls Allen posted this to Twitter. I think this was Friday. I'm excited to announce that I'm committed to the University of Kansas, and then all sorts of tags, hashtags, cool little graphic on there, yada, yada, yada. I really like this kid in watching some of his stuff. So he is the if we're talking class as a whole for KU he's the 19th commit in the class of 2026 for the Jayhawks and make no mistakes on the name with Smalls and the name this a big dude six foot four 270 pounds I think

another site Adam at 632 65 regardless big dude that they'll probably try to add even more weight to he could play D tackle or the end I think does profile more to being a D tackle but this is something we brought up when Nick one, Nick Wayne Carter committed to Kansas that like Iowa State has been playing this 335 defense. And I mentioned that Carter is somebody that like size wise, he's kind of a mix between you can either put more weight on him

and make him a D tackle or if you end up playing like a three down front defense, then maybe he's a D and a three down front. And that's the same way that I feel here with this player. So who knows maybe KU eventually does go to that because I mentioned Iowa State because DK McDonald, your current defensive coordinator has ties there. Maybe there's gonna be a four man front and he'll be a defensive tackle. But I did find that interesting. By the way, he did choose Kansas over Wake Forest in the end.

That was kind of the big race at the end there. But yeah, 19 commits for Kansas in the class. And some of the recent, you know, recruitments have mentioned this where Kansas stands compared to some of their past classes in KU football history, I'll just reiterate it again, they're up to 19 commits now in the class of 2026, which just by pure volume, that would be the biggest class that Lance light pulled is brought in at Kansas, they have four top 500

commits that equals the amount of top 500. This is the 24 seven composite I should mention for the rankings that equals the amount of top 500 commits that KU with light pulled has gotten in his previous four classes at Kansas and the four is the most the KU has gotten in the 24 seven sports era it's tied with the 2010 class with Turner Gill but had that had 24 commits. It also has nine top 800 commits in this class, which the previous high was eight for KU also in 2010. High under Lance light

pole previously was seven. So there are two above that right now. And obviously recruiting rankings change and shift and will as these players play their senior year of high school, top 1000 commits 11 of the commits are top 1000 at this point for KU, which would currently be second most. The only time they had more was 13 back in 2011. They had 32 total commits though that year. So if we're talking about the percentage of your commits in a class that are top 1000, this year's class right now for Kansas is about 58%. The previous two were over 50%. No other team before Lance Leipold,

because they were also 43% in 2023, got above a 40.6%. Turnergill was 40.6, and then there were some other ones that were 33 or in the 20s. So they're stacking up classes, they're bringing in a lot of quality. And if we're looking at players on the 24-7 composite, if we're not just talking rankings, if we're talking grade,

because some years can be better recruiting classes than others, if we're just talking the score of.8600 or higher on the composite, 15 of the 19 commits are that. That means 79% of the class for KU are.8600 or higher. The previous high for Kansas is 82%. That was the class of 2024. Previous high before that was 73%, which is 2025. Previous high before that is 64%, which is 2023. All those are Lance lightbulb classes. If you're

talking non Lance lightbulb classes, you have to go all the way back to 2010 Turner Gill, it was only 33%. So this is an awesome class of 2026. For Kansas, I know that was a lot of info rewind, relisten if you need to kind of digest that again. But when you're looking at smalls Alan what he brings to the table. He's from Roswell, Georgia played at a blessed Trinity Catholic and 24 seven rates him as an 87 graded three star. He's a top 90 defensive lineman in the country. Rivals ism is a five point five three star.

So it's interesting because the 87 graded three-star, 247, that's a bit of a higher rated three-star. Their scale is a lot easier to remember. It's like 90 as a four-star, right? So he's getting a little closer there. With rivals, I want to say it's like 5.5 to 5.8 are their distinctions of three-stars. So it's interesting the difference there.

You look at him in high school. He's a multi-sport sport athlete track and field. He was a state qualifier as a junior in the shot put. And he also plays football obviously, where as a sophomore, he had two sacks, three tackles for loss in more limited play in this past season 71 tackles 16 tackles for loss 10 sacks. In high school, he's actually playing defense events, there will be a bit of an adjustment there. But he moves really well for his size. And you can tell that

immediately from pulling up highlights the film, whatever you want to call it uses the speed well to chase down pursue quarterbacks, he does still have solid power. I think sometimes maybe plays a bit high, which you know, six, three, six, four. And again, he's mostly been a defensive end in high school. So like that will be a bit of an adjustment in terms of both adding the requisite weight to play defensive tackle. And also, you know, some of the I don't know, fundamental things footwork,

hand in the ground, whatever that you might be doing that you might not be doing, you know, the kind of crossover back and forth, but it still is a similar position, it still is defensive line. So at least, you know, he's not moving from, I don't know, defensive end to safety, right? Like, I guess, the reverse Kyron Johnson, in a way. But, you know, I got to be honest, like after watching some of the highlights in the films, and even, I guess, looking at the stats, like, I don't know

the level of play he's playing at high school, maybe that's part of it. But like, I was pretty surprised in watching him, that there weren't more big offers and I do find it interesting the Wake Forest in Kansas are the ones in the end because Both of those schools whether I think of Lance Lippel and I guess Wake Forest now has a new head coach But previously with their their other head coach Dave Claussen They were very much a developed program and was a program that was doing more with less, right? And I do find that interesting that those would be the schools in on.

But like, I was surprised that the ranking wasn't higher. I was surprised there weren't more offers because this dude looks good. Like I think everybody has their guys, so to speak. Like, you know, I have like a lot of these recruits that the KU has brought in. Still, there's always gonna be another level and this can apply for anything, right?

Everybody has their favorite players. Everybody has their guys that they think are underrated on their favorite team or on a team that maybe they watch a lot for anything, right? Everybody has their favorite players. Everybody has their guys that they think are underrated on their favorite team or on a team that maybe they watch a lot or whatever, right? It's just sports. Everybody has their guys that they think are underrated or that they think, whatever. This is gonna be one of my guys, one of my guys.

So like, if I was picking my three to five, my guys, the guys that I would be willing to be like, yeah, they're gonna turn into something at Kansas. I'll be honest, he would be in that list for me, not that he's going to be the most impactful or maybe has the highest ceiling though. I don't know, I think he could turn into something pretty special at Kansas. I I'm high on him. He'd be one of my guys in the class is one way that I put it. And so

you look at the the the future room, you now have two defensive tackles in the class, assuming that's where they play the queen Carter, and Small have two defensive tackles in the class, assuming that's where they play the Queen Carter and Smalls Allen and then defensive end Hunter Higgins and Drayton punt. So for total defense alignment. I don't know if this will do it for Lance Leipold and KU football in the class of 2026 or maybe it would more so be about are there any late risers or somebody you can find in fall at this point in time.

But yeah, if it is good way to round out the class for Lance Leipold. All right, we're going to finish up here on Lockdown Jayhawks. We're going to talk a little bit about a little financials and KUK state kind of more financial rivalry, so to speak, and a little more latest news. This is Lockdown Jayhawks. Thanks for joining us on LOJ. And don't forget, you make it your first listen every day. You can check out Lockdown College football or Lockdown College basketball for a second listen every day as well. We're gonna have an episode coming up three new KU football players that are going to determine how good Kansas football is going to be in 2025. We're also going to talk a little episode later this week about too big basketball. Is it coming for KU basketball this upcoming season? All right, a little latest news. This was

interesting. This was sent out about new spending data between Kansas and Kansas State and how Kansas is now number one in the Big 12 in total athletic spending, whereas Kansas State has dropped to last place. You look at the Director's Cup, where that's just like a combination of all your different sports together, where Kansas is a decent size ahead of Kansas State there. You look at, I don't know, enrollment growth,

where Kansas is up about 8%, which actually is on the lower end of the Big 12. But compared to Kansas State, it's down 24%, right? And Kansas, after maybe going down a little bit or starting to flatten a little bit, it started to go up just a little bit there. Do you think maybe there's something to be said about the new stadium, getting students excited?

Like, there always is a correlation between athletics doing well, football doing well, basketball doing well, and your enrollment going up. And I wonder how much of it is that? How much of that is the new stuff that they're doing? I mean, there's been a lot of money invested to the university as a whole with new buildings and new departments and stuff. But I don't know, just kind of interesting to see

where they're at. And as we continue to work in a lens of what's going to happen, what's the future of college sports? Are we eventually going to split off? Are the Big Ten or SEC going to add more schools down the line if one adds and you know, the other is looking to respond. And you're always just looking to position yourself in the best possible light and get the edge up on others. And so it certainly doesn't hurt that this stuff is kind of happening for Kansas. Other latest news

for KU basketball relates to some of the pickups of the players that were on this past season and where they're going in the NBA. Hunter Dickinson got a two way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. That's the only guaranteed deal. So he will basically be in and out of the G League and NBA lineup. And then a couple summer league additions as DeJuan Harris will be with the Hornets and Zeke Mayo will be with the Wizards. Obviously, the most interesting of those is the Hunter Dickinson 280L.

We'll see if he's able to have himself an NBA career. I know he was never really popping up on draft boards, but there still are even the old school center where maybe they're not the most know, the most proficient defensively or getting out in space like Nikola Vucevic or Jonas Valentunis that are in there. Those guys are strong physical, they're double, double machines that describes Hunter. Those guys though are still knockdown shooters,

at least in the case of like Vucevic that they can go out. So that'll be a big swing skill for Hunter to see if he can carve out any sort of an NBA career. Otherwise he'll probably make a lot of money playing overseas and in Europe with the one and Zeke Mayo, you know, maybe Zeke and hit a bunch of shots in Vegas and Summer League. And we'll see how that goes. What I think will be interesting.

So I think Summer League is like July 10th through the 20th. I think the TBT, the basketball tournament where KU is putting together that team is like, so like July 19th or something is the first game. I do wonder, could you add any reinforcements like let's say to one Harris or Zeke Mayo don't get a, you know, exhibit 10 contract or two way contract or some sort of contract with their teams after playing summer league, and they're just looking for

available opportunities. That'd be a pretty cool opportunity to go play in that event if they could. I don't know. We'll see if that happens because that roster still needs some more guards. So I guess I'm on event if they could. I don't know. We'll see if that happens because that roster still needs some more guards. So I guess I'm on the lookout for that. I don't know if that is a possibility or not. All right. We're done 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.