2015 C Diamond Stone, Young Legends 16s, Saturday, April 27, 2013 Jayhawk Invitational

Brekkott Chapman '14 Utah Prospects (#23 black jersey) competes at the 2013 Jayhawk Invitational vs the Illinois Wolves

Six-foot-10 Arkansas transfer Hunter Mickelson told the Journal-World on Thursday he will be transferring to play for Kansas. The big man will have two years of eligibility for KU starting with the 2014-15 season.

Here'a a look at Mickelson's statistical profile from his two years at Arkansas (stats from KenPom.com).
LJW Newell


KUAD Press Release: Kansas adds forward transfer


A former top-100 recruit, Mickelson will sit out next season and use a redshirt year to grow into a mature, program player. It’s a long-term addition, though, and that’s one reason Self is still looking to add instant-impact pieces to the Jayhawks’ roster for next season.

“I think the current roster could add a piece or two to make it great,” Self said on Friday, after officially announcing Mickelson’s transfer. “I’ve said all along, our recruiting class, I think, is really, really good. Adding Hunter to the mix, although he won’t play next year, makes it better.

“And if we were able to steal one or two more, I think our recruiting class could be as good as we’ve ever had here.”

Indeed, the Jayhawks are slated to add a five-man freshman class in 2013-14, including four players ranked in the top 40 of Rivals’ top 150 rankings. But there are a few big fishes remaining, namely top overall recruit Andrew Wiggins, who is still considering Kansas, Kentucky, Florida State and North Carolina.

“There’s not a lot of high school guys out there available. But we’re certainly open to the recruitment of a couple of those guys that we’re pursuing.”

Another potential target is Memphis transfer Tarik Black, a 6-foot-9 junior forward who is expected to graduate this spring and will be eligible to play right away under the graduate transfer rule. (The Jayhawks, according to ESPN.com, are not pursuing Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey.)

A player such as Black could provide an immediate impact, something that Mickelson won’t be able to do while sitting out. Still, Self believes Mickelson will benefit from what will essentially be a redshirt year.

“When we recruited him (out of high school), we didn’t know that Hunter would be a great player as a freshman, but we knew he had a chance to be a great player,” Self said. “That’s exactly where we are. He’s going to be a very good player for us we firmly believe, but I think it is going to take a little time. So the redshirt year will be much better for him.”

…Self is still in the beginning stages of his search to replace former assistant Joe Dooley, who recently took the head coaching job at Florida Gulf Coast.

But you can cross one candidate off the list. Self said he will fill the position from the outside, meaning Doc Sadler won’t be promoted from his position as the Jayhawks’ director of basketball operations.

In fact, Self said Sadler, the former head coach at Nebraska, may not return to Kansas.

“Doc and I have visited,” Self said, “I do know this: He’s probably gotta do more than what he’s done for us, to be honest with you. He was an asset to us in that position. But he wants to coach, so we’ll see how that plays out.”
KC Star


In 2011, when Hunter Mickelson committed to John Pelphrey at Arkansas, he was highly regarded. He was the No. 8-ranked power forward in the class, the No. 55-ranked overall player, and a key part of the recruiting class that was supposed to save Pelphrey's job. It didn't. When Mike Anderson took over, there was some question where Mickelson would fit within "40 Minutes of Hell," whether he was the type of player that could really excel in Anderson's run-and-gun system.

He didn't and now he's transferring. And, to paraphase the immortal words of Jon Lovitz in "The Wedding Singer," Kansas is reaping the benefits.

Mickelson announced his decision to transfer to Lawrence Thursday afternoon, ending a pretty brief examination period during which he considered a handful of schools, Butler most seriously. But you can't fault the decision either way, and you have to think Mickelson could be a really nice addition for the Jayhawks.

Sure, he averaged just 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16.6 minutes a game last season, with an offensive rating of just 97.0 and decent, but unspectacular, rebounding rates on both ends. Those aren't high-impact, elite-transfer type numbers. But it's entirely possible that Mickelson was simply lost on a team and in a style of play that didn't fit him. That was the consensus during his departure which was amicable as it gets, by all accounts). He could still be scratching the surface. Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, Bill Self's staff at Kansas tends to make players better. Like, every player.

And even if none of that is true, Mickelson is a good defender and a great shot-blocker. He finished with a 13.5 percent block rate as a freshman, which took a dive last season (to a still-very-respective 8.2 percent); he once went 20 games in a row with at least one blocked shot. Even if that's all you get from him, fine, right? Plenty of coaches would take it.

Memphis forward Tarik Black has taken over the transfer circuit this season, because everyone wants a big, physical, veteran big. If Black is desirable enough to earn the affections of the nation's best, by 2013-14 Mickelson might just be the steal of the summer.
ESPN


Mickelson, who broke Arkansas’ freshman shot-block record (72) two seasons ago, averaged 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds his sophomore season (16.6 minutes/game), while never really adjusting to coach Mike Anderson’s pressing style of play.

“He is a great coach. It probably is a good style for big men, but it just wasn’t for me,” said Mickelson, who, as Rivals.com’s No. 100-rated player in the high school recruiting Class of 2011, chose John Pelphrey’s program over KU, Florida, Baylor, Arizona, Kentucky and 19 others who offered scholarships. Pelphrey was fired before Mickelson’s freshman year.

“KU was my No. 1 choice out of (Jonesboro Westside) high school, but he is a homestate kid and wanted to play for the Razorbacks. We gave that a try even though we knew the system and style probably wasn’t the best one for him,” said Mickelson’s dad, Darien.

“KU is a good fit with the type of players he (Bill Self) turns out as far as the Cole Aldriches and Jeff Witheys,” Darien added. “The storied tradition of KU basketball … it is like Notre Dame football. It doesn’t get any better than that. The biggest factor is, KU really recruits itself, but just being on the court with three or four other high-quality talented kids makes everybody better. You can’t have the success and history and expectations maintained that many years by not doing it right.”

Mickelson, who will practice but not play in games next season in accordance with NCAA rules, chose KU as a transfer destination over finalist Butler. He and his dad have never been to Lawrence.

…“Kansas has landed a key addition in Arkansas transfer Hunter Mickelson. He’ll fit much better w/ Bill Self’s system,” said Jeff Goodman of cbssports.com. CBS’ sources said Mickelson tried to get out of his letter of intent when Pelphrey was fired, but was denied by coach Anderson. Mickelson’s recruiting class included Devonta Abron (now at TCU), B.J. Young (recently declared for NBA Draft) and Kyle Madden, who remains at Arkansas.

…KU will play the University of New Mexico on Dec. 14 in Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. It will be a one-time game with no return game to UNM. Former KU guard Merv Lindsay will be eligible at New Mexico next season. KU will play Duke in Chicago next season, travel to Colorado and Florida, play Georgetown and San Diego State at home and play in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
LJW


Standing out at first glance with his 240 pound frame and 7'5 wingspan, Embiid looks the part of a NBA center. Very new to the game of basketball, the Kansas commit has a limited feel for how to make his presence felt consistently, and doesn't always know his limitations, but flashed some intriguing tools on both ends of the floor, even though he wasn't at 100%. Knocking down a 20-foot jump shot, making a nifty move to score a left handed hook shot in the post, and putting in some impressive efforts on the offensive glass, Embiid has some unique skills for a player only beginning to pick up the nuances of the game.

On the defensive end, Embiid is a talented shot-blocker who has the tools to become an excellent defender on the ball and rotating over from the weak-side down the road. The Basketball Without Borders product is a bit foul prone and could stand to be more aggressive pursuing the ball off the rim, but his timing was impeccable at certain moments in practice.

Noted for developing big men, the Kansas staff landed an ideal long-term project in Embiid. If he can get stronger and continue developing as an interior scorer, rebounder, and defender, it would not be surprising to see Embiid emerge as an extremely interesting NBA prospect down the road and a valuable contributor for the Jayhawks as they look to replace Jeff Withey.
DraftExpress.com


From noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Kansas Jayhawks fans can get autographs from three players from the 2012 Final Four basketball team.

Elijah Johnson, Kevin Young and Travis Releford will sign free autographs on Saturday, April 27 at the Goodcents Deli located at 796 East Main.

810 WHB will be broadcasting live from Goodcents from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

At the event, donations can be made to an organization that purchases air conditioning units for senior citizens to use during the summer.
However, donations are not required to receive the autographs.
Gardner, KS


Openings remain for the Bill Self Basketball Fantasy Experience, scheduled for May 3-5. The camp, open to participants 35 and older, includes games, practices, film sessions and other activities designed to replicate the experience of playing for the Jayhawks.

“We even play 'One Shining Moment' at the end for the team that wins,” Self said.

Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson will be among the featured guests, Self said. Registration is available at www.billselfexperience.com.

Tickets also are available for Bill's Basketball Boogie, a fundraiser for Self's Assists Foundation scheduled for June 8 at Abe and Jake's Landing in Lawrence. The website for that event is www.basketballboogie.org.
TCJ


Kansas led the NCAA Division I in field goal percentage defense at 36.1 percent and finished second nationally in blocked shots at 6.7 per game. Both stats led the Big 12. KU also led the conference in scoring margin (+13.2), field goal percentage (48.1), rebounding (39.2) and rebound margin (+6.2). The Jayhawks ranked in the top four of the Big 12 in scoring (third, 75.2), free throw percentage (third, 73.7), rebound defense (third, 32.9), assists (fourth, 15.5), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth, 1.1) and three-point field goals made (fourth, 5.8).

Kansas held a double-digit lead in all but seven contests. KU held the lead in all but one game in 2012-13.

Out of its 37 games, Kansas held 21 of its opponents to 60 points or less, including 57 against Western Kentucky and 58 versus North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
KUAD: 2012-13 Wrap Up


In the 40 years since Bob Geoghan founded the Capital Classic in 1974, the event has served as an early stage for household names like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James. And while it’s anyone’s guess as to what level of stardom this year’s collection of high school seniors will reach, when the Capital All-Stars take on the U.S. All-Stars at 4 p.m. Sunday at T.C. Williams, Geoghan believes the game’s 40th installment will be known for its depth.

“This is probably as athletic and as talented a group of kids that we’ve had in a number of years on both teams,” Geoghan said. “And it’s not about patting myself on the back because I’ve had a lot of help. I’m proud of the group that was able to pull this all together.”

Capital all-stars
Guards: Nate Britt, Oak Hill Academy (North Carolina), Aquille Carr, Princeton Day (Overseas), Will Ferguson, Herndon (Massanutten Military Academy), Nick Griffin, Magruder (George Washington), Nigel Johnson, Riverdale Baptist (Kansas State), Marquis Wright, North Point (undecided)
Forwards: Junior Etou, O’Connell (undecided), Josh Hart, Sidwell Friends (Villanova), Kris Jenkins, Gonzaga (Villanova), Ishmail Wainright, Montrose Christian (Baylor)
Centers: BeeJay Anya, DeMatha (N.C. State), David Kadiri, Coolidge (UMBC)
Coach: Gary Hall, Herndon

U.S. all-stars
Guards: Rysheed Jordan, Vaux, PA (St. John’s), Frank Mason, Massanutten Military Academy, VA (Kansas), Stanford Robinson, Findlay Prep, NV (Indiana), Kameron Williams, Mount St. Joseph, MD (Ohio State)
Forwards: Brandon Austin, Imhotep, PA (Providence), Rodney Bullock, Kecoughtan, VA (Providence), Lennard Freeman, Oak Hill Academy (Undecided), B.J. Johnson, Lower Merion, PA (Syracuse), Mike Young, St. Benedict’s Prep, NJ (Pittsburgh)
Center: Moses Kingsley, Huntington Prep, WV (Arkansas)
Coach: Jamie Ross, Vaux (Pa.)
http://dcbasketball.com

ESPN says former Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps has been diagnosed with bladder cancer.
The network said Thursday that Phelps has had surgery and will start follow-up treatment next week near his home in South Bend, Ind.
The 71-year-old Phelps has been a college basketball analyst for ESPN since 1993 and says he's preparing for next season. He went 393-197 in 20 seasons coaching the Fighting Irish.
AP


DraftExpress Early Entry Tracker


CBS NBA Draft Early Entry Tracker

4/26/13, 6:13 PM
Any Jayhawk targets you will be watching? #kubball" Norm Roberts was watching Rashad Vaughn. # EYBL
@jerrymeyer247


Some of the country’s best prep hoop recruits will descend on the Kansas City area this weekend for the Jayhawk Invitational, an Under Armour-sponsored grassroots basketball tournament.

The three-day event, which will begin on Friday in locations in Olathe, Gardner and De Soto, comes with a little added cache this time around.

Previous versions of the tourney were held in Lawrence without NCAA certification, meaning college coaches were barred from watching. But this event, according to local AAU coach L.J. Goolsby of the Run GMC organization, is NCAA certified, meaning college coaches can attend and evaluate during this April evaluation period.

“It’s a certified event for the first time,” Goolsby said. “There should be plenty of coaches in town to watch.”

And they should have some solid talent to scout.

Among the top players expected to play this weekend: Diamond Stone, a 6-10 center, is the No. 4 overall recruit in the class of 2015, according to Rivals.com. Stone, a native of Milwaukee, will play for Young Legends (Wis.).

Dom Collier, a 6-1 junior guard from Denver, will play for Kansas City-based Run GMC’s U-17 squad. Collier, the No. 61-ranked player in the class of 2014, has offers from Arizona, Kansas State, Missouri and Oregon, among others, according to Rivals.com.

Blue Valley Northwest junior Clayton Custer, who led the Huskies to the Kansas 6A state title, will play for Team YOBO. Custer, the 101st-ranked player in the class of 2014, has verbally committed to Iowa State.

Class of 2014 (Rivals' national class ranking)
Malik Pope, 6-8 SF, Team Superstar (No. 7 )
A Kansas target, Pope has been battling injury and may not play this weekend.
Keita Bates-Diop, 6-7 SF, Illinois Wolves (No. 20) (Ohio State commit)
Quentin Snyder, 6-0 PG, Louisville Magic (No. 29)
Dominique Collier, 6-2 PG, KC Run GMC (No. 61)
Melvin Swift, 6-7 PF, Houston Defenders (No. 72) (Xavier commit)
Myles Turner, 6-10 C, Texas Select (No. 78)
Rising center is on Kansas’ radar.
Shaquille Carr, 6-0 PG, Las Vegas Prospects (No. 84)
Brekkott Chapman, 6-8 F, Utah Prospects (No. 87)
Another rising talent who has drawn interest from Kansas.

Class of 2015
Diamond Stone, 6-10 C, Young Legends (U-16) (No. 4)
High major prospect will draw interest from dozens of major programs.

Locals players to watch
Clayton Custer, 6-0 PG, Team YOBO (No. 101 in 2014) (Iowa State commit)
Blue Valley Northwest junior is slated to play for Fred Hoiberg at Iowa State.
Tyrone Taylor, 6-2 PG, KC Run GMC
Grandview junior has interest from Missouri Valley schools Wichita State, Missouri State and Creighton, according to Rivals.
Ezra Talbert, 6-7 F, KC Run GMC (Creighton commit)
Olathe East junior has committed to play for Greg McDermott at Creighton.
Ahmaad Wainright, 6-2 SG, KC Keys
Younger brother of Ishmail Wainright, a former Ray-South standout who has signed with Baylor
Kevin Puryear, 6-7 PF, KC Run GMC (U-16)
Blue Springs South sophomore has drawn early interest from Missouri and K-State.
Jimmy Whitt, 6-3 SG/PG, KC Run GMC (U-16)
Columbia Hickman sophomore guard could mature into a top-75 talent.
KC Star


4/26-4/28 Jayhawk Invitational


KC Star All-Metro Team


Recruiting Calendar


2013 Spring/Summer AAU & Camp Schedule


My KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos, Late Night in the Phog, and more now on YouTube

4/24/13, 1:51 PM
Look what showed up today at the office. Block Party Hardware. #witheyblockparty
@KU_Hoops

LJW Newell: 10 years ago this week, Bill Self was hired at KU


1. Kansas may have the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and the top nonconference schedule for 2013-14 season. The Jayhawks haven't finished the slate as of yet it but it's getting better with each game that they finalize. The Jayhawks are hosting Georgetown, San Diego State, playing at Colorado, Duke in the Champions Classic in Chicago, and are the marquee team in the Battle 4 Atlantis with Villanova, Tennessee, UTEP, Xavier, USC, Wake Forest and a team to be determined (was going to be Michigan State but the Spartans couldn't get out of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Brooklyn). The SEC-Big 12 Challenge isn't set yet, but according to multiple sources the Jayhawks could be headed to Florida. The inaugural SEC-Big 12 Challenge will have a number of marquee games but some are already determined like Kentucky playing Baylor in Dallas, which will be folded into the event. Kansas also plans on playing two to three "guaranteed" buy games against top 100 teams.
ESPN Andy Katz


4/25/13, 7:06 AM
@ESPNAndyKatz Kansas also playing 'Neutral' game against New Mexico in Kansas
@feezsupreme (Random tweet, but I thought it might pertain to the Sprint Center game)


@b_greene14 will officially visit Kansas May 3-5. Shay #kubball
https://twitter.com/JayhawkSlant


30 days till graduation... 37 days till I'm in Lawrence...
https://twitter.com/WayneSeldenJr


1. ANDREW WIGGINS, (6-8, SF) 
There is no question Wiggins has the highest ceiling of anyone in the incoming freshmen class. He’s essentially a 6-8 shooting guard with a 7-0 wingspan. Andrew possesses elite athleticism, can score the basketball at all three levels, and defends four positions on the floor. He can change the game in more ways and exploit a wider variety of matchups than anyone since LeBron. Wiggins has a nose for the rim and his second jump is explosive. He operates baseline as well as any prospect since Carmelo and has a perimeter game that’s growing daily. Defensively, Andrew has quick feet, takes good angles, and takes pride in locking someone up. Despite the fact that being the only player on the list uncommitted makes his fit at the next level unknown, Andrew possesses the kind of rare DNA that only comes around once a decade. He’s the most unique seven-month rental of the one-and-done era and thus a no brainer for the No. 1 spot on this list.

9. WAYNE SELDEN, Kansas (6-5, SF)
 Ben McLemore put his name in the draft, leaving a vacancy on the wing for the Jayhawks. Selden doesn’t have McLemore’s talent or ability to score the basketball. What he does have is a physical presence and toughness which should become contagious to his teammates. Selden gets to the rim at will and should make a living on the free throw line as a freshman. His perimeter game is a work in progress, but he is making strides. As a freshman Selden will play major minutes and bring the kind of energy and toughness that coach Self will appreciate. He’ll be dominant in space and is capable of being a shutdown wing defender. Offensively, picture something similar to Dion Waiters. If he’s able to stay in his lane and continue to attack the basket, Wayne will finish the year on this list where he started: One of the 10 best freshman in America.

15. JOEL EMBIID, Kansas (7-0, C)
 There is no doubt Joel Embiid has the tools to one day be a lottery pick. The question is how quickly will he transform from prospect to player? Lately, there’s been enough evidence to suggest it’s going to happen faster than many expected. It feels like the calm before the storm. Embiid has the talent and opportunity to emerge as a one-and-done star for Kansas. Jeff Withey is gone and a vacancy in the middle is ripe for the picking. Embiid can protect the rim, rebound his area, and make shots out to 10 feet. As his feel for the game improves, the sky is the limit for the international big man. His freshman year might be similar to what we saw with Andre Drummond at Uconn. Early in the season he might even look like he’s running wind sprints while there is a high level basketball game going on around him. But eventually the light is going to come on. When it does, he’s going to shoot up this board.
Dime Magazine Top 15 Incoming Freshmen

Don’t slam the door on future college conference expansion and realignment just yet.

The trendy instant reaction Monday to news that members of the Atlantic Coast Conference agreed to a “grant of rights” clause for its television and media was that it would halt realignment.

By the schools “granting” media rights to the conference for 14 years, the theory is that it would be too costly for a school to change leagues because it wouldn’t have much of value to “carry” to a new league.

Several old friends in the business of college athletics I talked to Monday said they wouldn’t bet their own money on that.

These people — from conference offices and major-college athletic departments — all agreed that any number of lawyers would be delighted to challenge those deals in court.

The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 have such deals.

As one buddy with a wicked sense of humor said, “Do you really think Texas would sign up for something it couldn’t get out of?”

As a sidenote, two sources have told The World-Herald that the Big Ten has done prior “homework” on Oklahoma, Kansas and Vanderbilt among other schools who might some day be expansion targets. The Big 12 grant-of-rights deal didn’t stop a look-see for OU and KU.

Besides a legal challenge, the potential future TV money available could still make it profitable for a school to move.
Omaha World-Herald


Kansas' returners have combined for a total of four starts, three from sophomore Perry Ellis and one from sophomore Jamari Taylor.

Bill Self has had to rebuild before, losing Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor in 2012, the Morris twins in 2011 and Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins in 2010. Kansas missed out on Class of 2013 five-star prospect Julius Randle, who could have instantly helped the Jayhawks remain Big 12 favorites but committed to Kentucky instead. The Jayhawks still landed Wayne Selden, the No.12 overall recruit according to ESPN, and Joel Embiid (No. 28 overall), who should both make an immediate impact for Kansas. But neither is good enough to make up for the Cowboys’ returning talent. Self will keep the Jayhawks in contention, but reloading again will be too much for Kansas.

It is because of all of this that Kansas’ reign in the Big 12 will end this season. The Jayhawks will not beat the Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena two seasons in a row, and the Cowboys will start the year a vastly more experienced team. The Cowboys knocked off the Jayhawks in Lawrence last season, and may be poised to do it again.

Oklahoma State is the "Smart" pick to win the Big 12. It made tremendous strides last year and with Smart continuing to develop it will be even better next season. I bet the team finishes 16-2 in Big 12 play and should be favorites in every matchup, with the possible exception of the showdown in Lawrence. The Jayhawks will be good, and probably the second-best team in the conference, but I see them losing four or five games in Big 12 play next season and, more importantly, failing to win a 10th consecutive Big 12 regular season title.
Daily Texan


Wayne McClain is leaving the staff of Kansas State basketball coach Bruce Weber, returning to Illinois to become head coach at Champaign Central High School.

McClain was director of student-athlete development at K-State. He previously was on the staff at Illinois for 11 years, nine under Weber and two under Bill Self. Prior to that, he was one of the most successful coaches in Illinois preps, winning three straight state championships at Peoria Manual from 1995-97.
TCJ


Former WSU Final Four team member accused of sexually assaulting a 20 yr old woman at a teammate's house
https://twitter.com/JennBates12


The phone lit up on a Sunday in Kansas City, producing a mix of relief and joy that nearly knocked to Will Reed Sr. to his knees.

His son, Willie, was on the other end of the line, telling his father the four words that every parent longs to hear.

Dad, I’ve made it.

“I cried,” Will Sr. says now. “I’ll be honest with you.”

It’s been 10 days since Willie Reed, a Kansas City native, signed a contract with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and gained a spot on the Grizzlies’ playoff roster. But for Reed, a graduate of Bishop Miege High School, the road to the NBA has been a cloudy and chaotic ride, a journey marked by missteps at the high school and collegiate level.

Tonight in Memphis, however, when the Grizzlies play host to the Los Angeles Clippers in game three of their first-round series, Reed will be in the buildingfor his first home playoff game, though. The Grizzlies trail the Clippers 2-0, and Reed he may not even suit up.

But that won’t stop his dad,Will Sr., from making the trip to Memphis for game four on Saturday.
KC Star


What’s already shaping up to be a really compelling 2013-14 college basketball season just got more, well, Russdiculous. Louisville guard Russ Smith, a driving force behind the Cardinals’ national title this season, announced on Wednesday that he will be returning for his senior season. Smith, who somehow was only named third-team All-American by the AP, averaged 18.7 points a game for the sometimes-offensively challenged Cardinals while teaming with senior point guard Peyton Siva to form the best on-ball defensive backcourt in the nation.
SI


What's the biggest concern -- above all others -- we should have about college basketball? How about the fact fewer fouls were called this past season than in any other on record. That is negatively startling, at least to me.

Some might say, "But fewer fouls means smoother play! The refs are finally not calling ticky-tack stuff. This is a good thing." Alas, that's not the case. Because what's happening is rougher play that leads to fewer fouls called. How can that be? Players are fouling with their chest and grinding up the game because that's exactly what many coaches are teaching them to do.

It's creating a slog, and it's why nearly everyone reacted so positively to that national final between Louisville and Michigan; the game was antithetical to the greater trend.

A story from USA Today by Daniel Uthman details the findings, which were released by the NCAA Tuesday.

The NCAA's 2013 final trends report reveals the following: Scoring in Division I men's basketball is at its lowest point since 1951-52. Teams averaged 67.5 points per game in 2012-13. Team 3-point shooting percentage declined to its lowest mark since the 3-point line was introduced in 1986-87.

Foul calls reached an all-time low, and teams shot the fewest free throws of any season since 1976. Teams averaged for 17.68 fouls each per game, and they shot fewer than 20 free throws a game (19.76) for only the fifth time in history. Assists and turnovers reached extremes they haven't seen since 1993, when the report first tracked them. Assists saw a low of 12.82 per game, continuing a trend that began in 2007. Turnovers, meanwhile, also reached a low for recorded history, falling to 13.30 a game.

Turnover average was so low in part because teams have become more efficient -- but they're also using fewer possessions in each game. With that comes fewer opportunities to give the ball away. What we're seeing is coaches use up a lot of shot clock to try to get a better look at a better shot, and that has an erosive effect on game flow while actually upping team efficiency.

As points per game continue to dip, points per possession actually increase. It's an interesting inverse of trends. As a result, the past 13 seasons have seen fewer and fewer turnovers per game. The options for chaos don't exist on most possessions, and so the game becomes more predictable by nature.

"I'm no more concerned this year than last or year before," director of officials John Adams said in the story. "Because we've been looking at a decline in points (for a while). Clearly a 10- or 11- or 12-year decline is something to be concerned about."
CBS


Atlantic: The college basketball victory that seemed too good to be true - and was. (Basketball history buffs will enjoy)


DraftExpress Early Entry Tracker


CBS NBA Draft Early Entry Tracker

Tarik Black, a junior power forward from the University of Memphis who has announced plans to transfer, is being courted by Kansas University and Duke, among others.

He will be immediately eligible next season, following his graduation in May.

KU coaches were slated to visit with the 6-foot-9, 262-pounder on Wednesday night — a day after Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski met with Black in Black’s hometown of Memphis. Zagsblog.net reported that Black has also met with coaches from San Diego State.

Black averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds a game off 58.9 percent shooting (103 of 175) last season. He hit 52 of 116 free throws for 44.8 percent. He started five of 32 games, averaging 20.8 minutes a game for the (31-5) Tigers. He was ranked No. 54 nationally by Rivals.com in the recruiting Class of 2010.

Wrote Matt Giles of ESPN.com: “Though his playing time was limited, he has shown the potential to carve out space on the interior and grab a plethora of offensive rebounds, posting an offensive rebounding percentage of more than 10 percent in his three seasons in Conference USA. There were reports that Black recently met with the ACC program’s (Duke) coaching staff, but Gary Parrish of CBSsports.com clarifies: ‘Duke put a fullcourt press on Tarik Black yesterday. Mike Krzyzewski, Steve Wojciechowski, Nate James visited his home.’”
LJW


It makes little sense, on the surface, that a player who averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds coming off the bench for a fringe Top 25 team this season could, within hours of announcing a transfer, become the most desirable recruit in the country not named Andrew Wiggins. But that's what Tarik Black has done.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and two assistants were in his home Tuesday.

Kansas coach Bill Self visited Wednesday night.

…Duke, Kansas and Ohio State -- three of the sport's best and most consistent programs coached by one Hall of Famer and two others who figure to be viable candidates someday -- are working every angle imaginable in an attempt to land a player who's been remarkably disappointing relative to expectations, and not only because he walked out of a practice, basically just quit, on Josh Pastner in November. Black finished his career at Memphis with an all-too-familar six-point, two-rebound, four-foul effort in a loss to Michigan State in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. The 32 minutes played in that game were representative of his junior year in general and Exhibit A of why this prospect once projected as a first-round pick in the NBA Draft would now go unselected even if the draft were stretched to three rounds.

I'm not saying Black isn't very good or that he can't be very good.

I'm just saying he wasn't very good at Memphis.

But that doesn't matter now because, even at his worst, Black has shown he's at least capable of playing rotation minutes at the high-major level, and who couldn't, at this point, use a big who can play rotation minutes at the high-major level? Answer: Almost nobody. So Duke, Kansas, Ohio State and at least 20 other high-major programs are all lined up and working like they're the last 25 dudes in a bar with just one moderately attractive girl. Closing time is in 15 minutes. Somebody just yelled last call.
CBS


Just got offered by the Jayhawk nation!!#Bless #HardWork
https://twitter.com/OneBigHaitian/ Skal Labissiere


When he's on a basketball court, Skal Labissiere makes quite the first impression.

Legendary Tennessee high school coach Terry Tippett clearly remembers his first encounter with Labissiere.

It was 2010, and the 6-foot-10 Haitian had left his homeland in hopes of playing basketball in the United States.

Tippett, a Hall of Fame coach with 40 years of experience in Tennessee hoops, was in charge of Evangelical Christian School in Memphis.

When he first saw Labissiere, Tippett was skeptical.

"He was a string bean," Tippett said. "I thought he was so thin and so weak."

Then they went into the gym.

"He shot the ball and I said, 'Oh, man!'" Tippett recalled. "It came out of his hands so soft. Jump hooks. He went right and left. He can really do anything with the ball."

Labissiere (pronounced La-biss-EE-ay) ended up enrolling at Evangelical Christian and playing for the varsity basketball team as an eighth-grader.

Word eventually spread to Kentucky Coach John Calipari, who called Tippett — an acquaintance from his Memphis days — to ask if Labissiere was "good enough" to play for the Wildcats.

"I think so," Tippett told him.

On that recommendation, Calipari made the trip to see Evangelical Christian's first game of the season.

"He came and took a look and really liked him," Tippett said. "And he offered him that night. He just came in and saw the potential that the kid has.

"That was great that he would think that much of him."

Labissiere, who ESPN ranks as the No. 5 overall player in the class of 2015, was scheduled to play in a showcase in Louisville on Saturday, but the game was canceled by the event's organizers.

He remains the only sophomore in the country with a scholarship offer from Kentucky.

Memphis, Georgetown and Mississippi State are among the other schools expressing early interest.
"He's still taking everything in and seeing what might happen," Tippett said. "But I know that he loves Cal and loves Kentucky and was very impressed with the offer."

The journey hasn't been easy for Labissiere.

He was 13 years old when a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. The disaster killed more than 200,000 people and left hundreds of thousands of others homeless.

Labissiere was in his home at the time. It crumbled around him, leaving the basketball-crazed teenager pinned under a pile of rubble and fearing that he'd never play again.

It took several hours for his father to dig him out, and Labissiere's legs had gone numb in the meantime.

Gerald Hamilton — Labissiere's legal guardian in the United States — said Labissiere wasn't able to walk for a few weeks, and he took several months to get back in basketball shape.
1/31/13 Lexington Herald Leader


4/24/13, 4:44 PM
Met with Coach Keller and Texas A&M earlier today. And Coach Self & Kansas just now. Both meetings were great.
@Chief_Justise  Justise Winslow


Five-star point guard Tyus Jones says his list is down to seven. No favorites, no leaders, no one school ahead of or behind another; he's just down to those seven.

Yet according to Twitterverse, the rumor mill and the recruiting blogs, his list of seven is just posturing for now. Duke, they all say, is his leader.

"That's not true," Jones promised at last weekend's EYBL event in Los Angeles. "A lot of people are talking and stuff like that, but I'm not leaning anywhere."

Jones swears he's not lying. His list of Michigan State, Duke, Baylor, Ohio State, Kansas, Kentucky and Minnesota is steadfast, and nobody is standing out right now.
Rivals


4/26-4/28 Jayhawk Invitational


Recruiting Calendar

Joel Embiid is probably a year ahead of Gorgui Dieng was when he arrived at Louisville. Long, gangly big man. Will anchor pivot for Kansas
https://twitter.com/jonrothstein


Based on the schedule that is taking shape, nonconference play could be a trial by fire for Kansas and its five new starters next season.

KU hasn’t released its 2013-14 basketball slate, but the schedule could be finalized within the next week, said Larry Keating, who handles hoops scheduling as a special assistant to athletic director Sheahon Zenger.

The Jayhawks are waiting for an eighth team to join the Battle 4 Atlantis field, Keating said, plus another date or two. Several games already have been announced, including matchups against Georgetown, San Diego State, Duke and Colorado.

Factor in the Big 12/SEC Challenge (anticipated opponent: Florida), and it’s clear the Jayhawks will learn a lot about their young roster in the first two months of the season.

Coach Bill Self hasn’t raised any objections, Keating said, even though the Jayhawks will have at least five freshmen and only one experienced upperclassman in junior Naadir Tharpe.

“Every game that we do he OKs, so I think he's OK with it,” Keating said. “I think it's a good test for our kids. I also think we're going to be a lot better than people think we're going to be.”

The first big date will be Nov. 12 against Duke in the Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago, followed by a trip to the Bahamas for three games in the Battle 4 Atlantis from Nov. 28-30. The Atlantis field also includes Tennessee, Xavier, UTEP, Villanova, Wake Forest, Southern Cal and an eighth team still to be announced.

In addition to playing at Colorado, the Jayhawks will play host to Georgetown on Dec. 21 and San Diego State on the first weekend of January. The San Diego State game could be either Saturday, Jan. 4 or Sunday, Jan. 5 depending on the NFL playoff schedule.

“We've done it almost every year,” Keating said. “We've played a national game, usually on CBS, that sometimes swings to Sunday based on the NFL schedule. We've done that for years just to get a good game on national TV.”

KU hasn’t confirmed the game at Florida because the Big 12/SEC Challenge has yet to be announced. It initially was reported that KU and Florida couldn’t work out a date, but Florida reportedly has told ticket holders it will play host to a “historic powerhouse from the Big 12.”

KU also will play its customary nonconference game at Sprint Center against an opponent that has yet to be announced. The Jayhawks faced Oregon State in Kansas City this past season, and Keating said next year’s Sprint Center opponent will be a recognizable name.
TCJ

http://www.billselfbasketballcamp.com/


http://www.billselfbasketballexperience.com/


There's nothing like one last experience to extend the memories of college teammates.

Kevin Young, Jeff Withey, Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson — all graduating seniors from the University of Kansas men's basketball team — are living proof of that.

Saturday night at The New Garden at Garden City High School, the KU Barnstorming Tour came to town and thrilled approximately 1,500 fans and likely even more who lined up for hours awaiting to get autographs of some of their favorite Jayhawks.

…"This has been amazing," said Young, a 6-8 forward from Perris, Calif., who came to KU after two seasons at Loyola-Marymount (Calif.) before sitting out a year as a red-shirt. "The fans have been incredible to us so far. Driving out here, it's just incredible how far the (state) line is from Lawrence. The crowds show how much the team has touched the state of Kansas and how much over the years people have been following us. It's just crazy, crazy!"

…"It means a lot for us to be able to come out here and interact with fans who don't get a chance to come and watch us play live," Releford said. "It shows how much they appreciate us and it's our way of giving something back. The love they've shown us is incredible."

…"It doesn't get any better than that, playing in the national championship game," the 7-0 center Withey said. "It's meant a lot to play at KU. You gotta wait your turn. It's hard getting playing time as a freshman when you're playing behind great players. I'm happy I waited my turn. I'm a better player, a better man because of my experience at KU."

…"No question, that is something that I'll always have a fond memory of," Johnson said of the 108-96 win over the Cyclones. "Lots of other great memories. Playing in Allen Fieldhouse, which is the best place to play basketball in the country. There's nowhere like it."

Johnson said he had enjoyed this final opportunity to be with his senior teammates.

"It's fun for us to make this last trip together," Johnson said. "We're enjoying doing something together for the last time. The fans have been great. It's cool to see how much they care and that we can give them something back."
Garden City Telegram

T.J. Sparr was present when the players arrived on Friday for the 2013 Kansas Barnstorming Tour stop at Wichita East.

“It’s crazy. They pulled up in this huge van, and we were like, ‘These are real celebrities,’ ” Sparr said. “When they put on our baseball hats, it was really cool. All these KU all-star basketball players wearing East High baseball hats. It seemed like they loved it.”

Sparr, a member of East’s baseball team, helped greet five former Kansas basketball players to the school for an autograph session, auction and scrimmage to help raise money for East’s baseball program.

“We are just thankful that KU can do this,” East baseball coach Ryan Bensch said. “The facilities that we have, the uniforms that we have, the things that we get to do, are unlike any other City League schools. We are very fortunate for that.”

This was the eighth year the tour has come to Wichita, all at East High. KU fans started lining up as early as 3:30 p.m. for autographs even though the doors didn’t open until 6 p.m.

Representing the Jayhawks were four seniors from this year’s team: Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson, Travis Releford and Kevin Young. Conner Teahan, a 2012 KU graduate, joined them as the fifth player and coach for the scrimmage.
Wichita Eagle
Photos


For the first time since 1947 White Auditorium will have members of the Emporia State Hornets and Kansas Jayhawks competing with each other when the Kansas Barnstormers make a stop in Emporia.  The Barnstormers are represented by Kansas University men's basketball seniors Elijah Johnson, Travis Releford and Kevin Young along with Emporia State seniors Taylor Euler and Chris Sights. They will take on a team made up of former Emporia State players including Wes Book and Troy Pierce.T

Tickets are $10 and all general admission. They can be purchased in advance at the Emporia State Athletic Ticket Office in the Memorial Union, Reeble's Country Mart, Price Chopper.

The ticket booth at White Auditorium will open at 6:00 p.m. on game night with an autograph session with the players on Slaymaker Court going from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

There will be a limited number of VIP passes available that will allow access to a special autograph session in the Little Theater of White Auditorium from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 

Contact the Emporia State Ticket Office at (877) 341-6378 for more information.
Link


Fort Scott Community College and Fort Scott High School are teaming up to sponsor the University of Kansas Barnstormers appearance April 28 at the Fort Scott High Gymnasium. The event starts at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. for an pre-game autograph session.
Link


Eight former Kansas men’s basketball players begin their quest for an NBA title.

The eight Jayhawks – Darrell Arthur (Memphis), Mario Chalmers (Miami), Nick Collison (Oklahoma City), Drew Gooden (Milwaukee), Kirk Hinrich (Chicago), Paul Pierce (Boston), Thomas Robinson (Houston) and Tyshawn Taylor (Brooklyn) – represent eight of the 16 teams in the 2013 NBA playoffs. Former Jayhawk Brandon Rush’s Golden State team also qualified, however Rush sat out the 2012-13 season recovering from a torn ACL.

Hinrich’s Chicago Bulls and Taylor’s Brooklyn Nets, and Gooden’s Milwaukee Bucks and Chalmers’ Miami Heat will square off in the East quarterfinals, guaranteeing a Jayhawk matchup in the East bracket semifinal. In the West quarterfinals, Collison’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Robinson’s Houston Rockets will meet, which means a Jayhawk will be in the West semifinal round.

Last year, Chalmers joined elite company when his Miami Heat team won the 2012 NBA title.
Chalmers joined former KU great Clyde Lovellette in becoming only the second Jayhawk to win both an NCAA National Championship and an NBA title.
KUAD


VIDEO: BCTV presents In Bounds with Tyshawn Taylor (part 1)


The 10 Most Stylish NBA Players (Ty #8)


VIDEO: Keith Langford regular season highlights


They’re all in.

Florida Gulf Coast University officially unveiled new men’s basketball coach Joe Dooley during a Monday afternoon Alico Arena news conference, five days after the decade-long Kansas assistant to Bill Self accepted the position.

Despite it being the week before finals, nine of the eligible Eagles were present and they gave Dooley, 47, a grinning standing ovation. So did holdover assistants Marty Richter and Michael Fly and Joey Cantens, the director of basketball operations.

They’re all staying and it looks like highly regarded signees Logan Hovey, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound small forward from Oviedo-Hagerty, and Jordan Neff, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound power forward from North Cobb (Ga.) High, will join them.

“We’ve all talked, and I think we’re all going to be here and we’re going to keep progressing and keep the same recruits we have coming in and add on and get even better,” said FGCU sophomore point guard Brett Comer, who attended “a couple” Jayhawks camps when he lived in Overland Park, Kan., from his eighth-grade year through his sophomore high school season.

Dooley said he last spoke to Hovey and Neff on Sunday and, “They seem to be onboard.” Comer has spoken with Hovey and junior forward Chase Fieler has talked with both signees. He even texted with them during the news conference. Comer and Fieler agreed with Dooley’s assessment.

The Eagles campaigned hard for the 36-year-old Richter, who was a viable candidate and who served as the interim head coach after Andy Enfield took the USC job on April 2 after leading FGCU to a stunning Sweet 16 run in his second season.

“My first impression was I was mad,” Comer said. “I wanted Marty to get the job because I wanted to keep what we had. But after talking to Dooley and realizing I know the guy, I’m happy. I’m happy with him and what’s going to happen here. It’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be an advancement to big things.”
Naples News


“He was a big part it,” said Chalmers, who called Dooley to congratulate him on the FGCU job, of the national title. “He was a guy that always kept us working, motivated us, kept us going.”

Some might even say Dooley pulled off his own miracle, convincing Chalmers to come to Lawrence.
Dooley recruited Chalmers, an Anchorage, Alaska, native who was considered one of the best guards in the country, persuading him to pick Kansas over the likes of Arizona and North Carolina.

“I think he’s going to be a great head coach,” said Chalmers, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 National Championship game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

“He’s going to be a guy who’s going to get some players. With players who have a lot of talent, you can do anything, especially if you’re a good coach like that.”

“Besides my dad (Ronnie, Kansas’ new director of operations at the time), that’s the person I trusted most when I first got there,” Chalmers said. “And over the years, we developed a close relationship. To this day we have a close relationship.”

During his NBA summers, Chalmers worked out with Dooley at Kansas.

“On those days that you’re tired and don’t really feel right about working out, he was the guy who motivated you and changed your mindset to want to be out there,” Chalmers said. “He’s definitely a player’s coach. He’s going to teach you a lot of things about the game, and he just wants what’s best for you.”
Naples News


The Kansas women's basketball team will travel to the Virgin Islands for three games in the Paradise Jam next season.

The Jayhawks will face Central Michigan on Nov. 28, followed by Xavier on Nov. 29 and Duke on Nov. 30. The Chippewas and Blue Devils both played in the NCAA Tournament this past season, with Duke going 33-3 and advancing to the Elite Eight.

"This is a terrific trip for our players and fans," coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "We will face some quality opponents on a neutral floor. It will be a great trip and a chance for a young team to grow and prepare for Big 12 Conference play."
TCJ

A desire to be closer to his family in Puerto Rico was behind the surprising announcement by sophomore point guard Angel Rodriguez on Monday that he is leaving the Kansas State basketball program.

Rodriguez was a two-year starter for the Wildcats, earning second team All-Big 12 honors this past season and a spot on the all-conference defensive team. The distance between himself and his mother and siblings prompted him to request his release from K-State.

“It is important that everyone understands that this was a really difficult decision,” Rodriguez said in a statement released by K-State. “I have really enjoyed my time here and this decision was based entirely on my family and has nothing to do with Kansas State, basketball or the coaching staff. It’s unfortunate after the year we just had, but I just feel right now this is the best thing for me and my family. Whether it is the right choice or not, family has and always will be first with me.”
TCJ


Alabama guard Trevor Lacey, who led the team in assists and 3-pointers, is transferring before his junior season.

Crimson Tide coach Anthony Grant said Tuesday that he has granted the two-year starter a release from his scholarship.

"It was a family decision to pursue other opportunities," Lacey said in a release from the university. "This definitely was not an easy decision to make. It's been great at Alabama during my two years. It was tough my freshman year coming off surgery and having to work my way back. I wanted to improve during my sophomore season and I thought I did that. I want to thank the coaches and staff, my teammates and all the fans for their support."
AP


The push for a 30-second clock is a reaction to a season in which offensive production was episodically horrific—who can forget Tennessee failing to reach the 40-point mark in consecutive games, or Northern Illinois scoring four points in a half?—and statistically depressed.

Per team scoring fell from 68.01 points per game in 2011-12 to 67.50 this past season, the lowest average of the shot-clock era—in fact, the lowest since 1952.

The knee-jerk solution to this concern is to assume a shorter shot-clock cycle will create more possessions, and that more possessions will lead to higher scoring totals.

It’s really not that simple. As explained by Jeff Waksman, proprietor of the Basketball Predictions website, scoring plunged in college basketball soon after the shot-clock cycle was trimmed from 45 seconds to 35, from a 45-second high of 76.7 in 1991 to 70.2 in 1997. That’s a dozen fewer points per game between the two teams.

“Once you start reducing the clock close to 24, you’re going to make the basketball sloppier. You’re going to have more turnovers and more missed shots,” Wakman said. “I’m not sure it’s going to make total scoring go up significantly, and it’s going to make the basketball uglier.”
TSN


There's no doubt West Virginia was a bigger and better football brand than Louisville was/is, and had a team that got folks everywhere excited for Year 1 in the league. The latter doesn't matter all that much, but when people talk Louisville, they always talk about them instead of West Virginia. Talking about them in addition to West Virginia is a much more interesting conversation. There was a case to be made for Louisville last year, but I agreed with the Big 12's move to go with WVU instead.

A year and a half after that decision was made, it's easy to say, "Well, come on, Big 12?! Why didn't you let 'em in? Now they're headed to the ACC!"

For one, I do think the prospect of Louisville being big enough to add $26 million in value to the Big 12 is doubtful now and was doubtful then. It's not crazy, but I don't think it's worth the risk for a Big 12 that's experiencing some serious unity lately and a major lack of drama off the field.

Does Louisville still even play its way into a BCS game if it's in the Big 12? I would definitely argue no on that front. The BCS team that whooped up on Florida is the same team that went to the wire with Southern Miss, (who was 0-12 last season) South Florida, North Carolina and Rutgers. It went 10-2 with losses to Syracuse and UConn, and I'm betting they would have lost at least a couple more in a super-deep Big 12. That means no BCS.

So, I really don't think Louisville's recent year of success is enough reason to rethink the Big 12's position. Basketball is mostly irrelevant, and WVU's success on the field put it in a much more advantageous position to grab a ticket to a much better conference. It's hard for any program in an AQ conference to match WVU's six conference titles since 2003.

The Big 12 wouldn't necessarily have made a huge mistake with bringing Louisville in the league, but 11 teams posed some logistical issues that the Big Ten dealt with that the Big 12 didn't necessarily want. West Virginia was pretty close to a home run when you consider the caliber of the program that came into the league, not considering its failures in 2012. WVU went 7-5. I'm betting Louisville goes 8-4 in the Big 12 last season and doesn't sniff a BCS game. That's not a huge difference. '
ESPN


College basketball's offseason could be shortening.

The informative John Infante, he of the Bylaw Blog, passed along word this weekend that some legislation could go through that would move up the start of college basketball's first practice. As it stands, the NCAA permits teams to start formally playing on Oct. 15 of each year. That date could get bumped up by a few weeks, snuggling into September.

The Legislative Council -- a group whose power includes deciding what rules go into effect for Division I sports -- is proposing teams be able to practice as a group, with coaches, earlier in order to better adapt for the season ahead.
Hmm. Too soon? Infante explains.

This was to ensure that the start of practice would fall on a Friday for Midnight Madness events, rather than on a Sunday which it would have without the change. Women's basketball has had this rule for a couple of years. It basically moves the start of practice up two weeks, but requires two days off per week before the first game. This creates a period of acclimatization rather than the abrupt jump from 8 hours per week straight to 20 hours per week with just one day off.

In essence, the players wouldn't be drastically upping their practice time. Instead, this is seen as the natural segue from offseason, informal workouts to full-blown learning/practice time with the program. But it won't be as intense or heavy as a mid-November practice schedule. This doesn't mean most players will spend any more time in the gym than they already do.

The proposal also includes a separate, smaller side proposal that would allow teams to begin practice at any point on the first allowed day of the season. Currently, the practice has to begin at 5 p.m. or later on the earnest opening to the season. (This could allow teams more flexibility to have a true Midnight Madness -- at midnight -- if they wanted.)

"The rule creates a flexible preseason practice schedule that allows practice days and off days instead of the current schedule that leads to practice occurring every possible day," according to the NCAA. "The more flexible approach provides coaches with the ability to determine how to use practice opportunities."

The Board of Directors will have the choice to approve or deny this change on May 2. If no strikes are taken against it, the new season timeline will be in effect for the 2013-14 season.
cbs


College football's most powerful entities will assemble in Pasadena, Calif., this week for meetings that will determine several aspects of the new playoff system that begins in 2014. It will be a celebration of progress and riches for the schools involved and a validation of the bowl industry, which kept its seat at the table despite heavy criticism in recent years.

One group, though, will surely dominate the cocktail party and golf course conversations, even while its influence in the future of college football further weakens: the NCAA.

As college athletics sifts through an avalanche of foundational issues, the credibility and viability of its governing body has never been more in question. Among realignment that has deepened separation of the haves and have-nots, the legal challenges to the NCAA's amateurism model, an explosion in football and television money and embarrassing misconduct in the NCAA's enforcement arm, the calls to start over are louder than ever.

Although the notion that big football schools might eventually break away from the NCAA is not new, the overwhelming sense within the industry is that some sort of major change is on the horizon. Whether that change includes the NCAA completely, in part or not at all is now talked about openly and frequently among administrators, according to conversations with more than two dozen high-ranking college athletics officials across a spectrum of Division I conferences.
Link


DraftExpress Early Entry Tracker


CBS NBA Draft Early Entry Tracker

Reggie Rankin: I have to go with Kansas. The Jayhawks have added excellent perimeter talent with ESPN 100 prospects Wayne Selden, Brannen Greene and Conner Frankamp. Frankamp is a smaller version of former Kansas star Kirk Hinrich, Greene has excellent size and deep shooting range, and Selden is a powerful wing who attacks the rim and scores through contact with a college-ready body. In addition, ESPN 100 center Joel Embiid is a long, athletic, above-the-rim finisher, rebounder and shot-blocker who has great size and is improving daily. Coach Bill Self will plug these immediate-impact freshmen into the KU system with a few personnel tweaks, and the Jayhawks will not miss a beat next season.

Adam Finkelstein: Kansas has the second-best recruiting class in the country, in my opinion. Not only do the Jayhawks have great depth and balance, they also have two prospects in Wayne Selden and Joel Embiid who have distinguished themselves against the best prospects in the nation in recent weeks. Selden is the most capable of putting up big numbers right away next season, but when it comes to long-term potential, Embiid is off the charts. Surround those two with a pair of shot-makers to stretch the floor in Brannen Greene and Conner Frankamp and a defensive-oriented lead guard in Frank Mason, and the Jayhawks haven't just accumulated talent -- they've strategically built a class with complementary parts.

Joel Francisco: In reality, you can't go wrong going with either Memphis or Kansas for the most impressive recruiting class other than Kentucky. In a normal recruiting season, either of these two classes would be, in all probability, a No. 1 class. Under John Calipari, however, Kentucky is revolutionizing the recruiting process. With that said, Kansas appears to have the most complete class when comparing it against Memphis' class. The difference for me is in the backcourt. Lightning-quick Frank Mason teaming up with one of the most prolific shooters in high school in Conner Frankamp trumps Memphis signee Rashawn Powell at the point guard spot. There's Kansas-bound center Joel Embiid, who is the best unknown talent in the nation with an extremely high ceiling. Nevertheless, both Kansas (Wayne Selden, Brannen Greene) and Memphis (Austin Nichols, Kuran Iverson) are bringing in elite, deep classes that deserve more attention outside Kentucky's shadow.
ESPN Insider Top recruiting class after Kentucky's($)

My Pops and coach Self think they cool. Haha pic.twitter.com/y1Z8G2eYC0
https://twitter.com/jahprobound

@jahprobound 👌👌 yessir
https://twitter.com/WayneSeldenJr

@WayneSeldenJr Lol what's good bro
https://twitter.com/jahprobound

@jahprobound lol im chilling bro, how u? You hurt ?
https://twitter.com/WayneSeldenJr

@WayneSeldenJr Yeah I'm straight bro. Just a high ankle sprain.
https://twitter.com/jahprobound

@jahprobound oh aight cool, get healthy and dm your number
https://twitter.com/WayneSeldenJr

@jahprobound idk about pops... But ole dude on the right is legit
https://twitter.com/b_greene14

@b_greene14 Haha you crazy bro.
https://twitter.com/jahprobound


Joel Embiid, C, Kansas Jayhawks 
The 7-foot Embiid, who hails from Cameroon, was very impressive in the Jordan Brand game a week ago in Brooklyn, and although he played only 16 minutes in the win over the U.S., he contributed 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Here is all you need to know about Embiid: He has played organized basketball for only 18 months. He will be a contributor for Bill Self as a Jayhawks freshman and is already a potential top-5 pick in the NBA draft as a sophomore.

...Andrew Wiggins, F, Undecided 
The 6-foot-8 Canadian, for the most part, played effortlessly in this game after three straight weeks on the road. He was the best athlete on the floor but played very unselfishly, picking his spots to show off his ability. He is considered the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

While Wiggins is an overwhelmingly right-handed driver, he rarely had an issue in getting to spots on the floor to create his own shot. His great jumping ability allows him to easily shoot over defenders. In addition, he has great head-on-the-rim and second-jump explosiveness around the basket.

While Wiggins will have little trouble scoring at the college level, his lack of a consistent outside shot is something he should look to iron out immediately. He should use the next year and a half to improve it before leaving for the NBA.
ESPN Insider ($)


No. 24-rated Craig Victor, a 6-8 junior power forward from St. Augustine High in New Orleans, tells Rivals.com that he’s being recruited by KU, Arizona, LSU, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Miami and others. He competed in an adidas tourney in Duncanville, Texas, last weekend.

“Sometimes seen as a bit of a cruiser in the past, Victor put in serious work on the glass Saturday,” wrote Eric Bossi of Rivals.com. “He attacked the rim and got to the free-throw line in his first game and started hitting jumpers in his second.”

Mission on tap: Payton Dastrup, a 6-9 junior center from Mountain View High in Mesa, Ariz., tells Rivals.com he will take a Mormon mission and will not play college ball until 2016. He has a list of KU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Florida, BYU, Virginia, Texas A&M and others.

“I’ll sign everything, but I’ll defer my scholarship for two years,” the No. 52-ranked Dastrup told Rivals.com at the EYBL Los Angeles tournament.

KU in top 10: Justise Winslow, a 6-5 junior small forward from St. John’s High in Houston, who is ranked No. 10 in the Class of 2014, has a list of 10 schools: KU, Baylor, Arizona, Duke, Florida, Houston, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Stanford and UCLA. Winslow, who averaged 29 points and 15 rebounds a game his junior season, made unofficial visits to KU, Duke and Arizona last winter.

McLaughlin likes KU: Jordan McLaughlin, a 5-11 junior point guard from Etiwanda (Calif.) High, who is ranked No. 33 in the Class of 2014, revealed a top seven to Rivals.com at the Los Angeles tournament: KU, USC, UCLA, San Diego State, UConn, Indiana and Gonzaga.

Upcoming visits: Tyus Jones, a 6-1 junior point guard from Apple Valley (Minn.) High, told Rivals.com in L.A. that he had in-home visits with Duke, Baylor, Ohio State and Michigan State last week, with KU coaches to enter his home Tuesday. He’s ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2014. Today, KU coach Self will visit Jahlil Okafor, 6-10 junior from Whitney Young High in Chicago and the No. 1-rated player in the Class of ’14.

Diamond eyes KU: Diamond Stone, a 6-10 sophomore from Dominican High in Milwaukee who has KU on his list, played on the Young Legends team that fell to KC Run GMC in Sunday’s 16-and-under title game of the NY2LA tourney in Minnesota. He’s ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2015. Jimmy Whitt, a 6-foot point guard from Columbia Hickman, had 15 points for KC. Another Run GMC standout is Kevin Puryear, a 6-7 sophomore from Blue Springs South High. Rivals.com’s Robin Washut says Puryear, “currently holds offers from Creighton and Miami (Ohio), but has been getting heavy interest from schools like Missouri (which he unofficially visited in January), Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Marquette, Wichita State and Arkansas.”
4/21 LJW


They never identified themselves, and their phone numbers were always blocked. But when they called Diamond Stone’s home, they were clear with their threats.

The intimidating correspondences were designed to steer the No. 2 prospect in the 2015 class per RecruitingNation to their favorite schools -- the nasty side of the recruiting battle for America’s best players.

“Sometimes we get phone calls, threats [from] college fans … ‘Come to my school’ and sometimes they just hang up,” said Stone, who competed at the NY2LA tournament in the Minneapolis suburbs over the weekend. “One time, [they said], ‘If you don’t choose this school, something will happen.’ It’s insane.”

…The coward(s) that has harassed the elite prospect, a player who’s received interest from every high major program in the country, represents college basketball fanaticism at its worst.

The incidents also demonstrate the ugliness that the recruiting game can entail for young men seeking the complicated balance between playing basketball, executing in school and enjoying their youth.

But it’s difficult to avoid the static.

Social media has created an unfiltered pipeline to these kids.

And in good times, it’s a tool that’s often used to attract those players.

And in bad times, it can become a cesspool of hatred that’s directed toward 16- and 17-year-olds who deserve better.

“That’s just craziness. That’s just America,” said Bob Stone, the father of Diamond Stone. “It gets crazy, man. …. He gets all kinds of crazy stuff. Tweets [like] ‘[Diamond], what’s cocaine like?’ Crazy stuff.”
ESPN


DYK? - #Big12 MBB has 6 of the top 40 recruiting classes in ESPN.com rankings.
https://twitter.com/big12conference


Bout to watch this Jackie Robinson movie. The reason why I wear #42 in school ball. #Legend
https://twitter.com/chief_justise


We basically just reiterated things we've talked about before like Coach K talked about he wanted to use me and how well he thinks I could run his team. Coach Izzo talked about how well things would play out if I came there. All of them basically were saying the same things they'd been saying for a while.

It was just fun to see them and hangout with them for a while. It was really laid back and chill. We had some appetizers for them. A lot of the coaches weren't really hungry so we didn't cook a whole meal.

I talked to my boy Jahlil (Okafor) after the visits to compare how his visits and my visits went. We talked about similarities and differences and things like that. And, yes, we're still planning to play together in college.

I don't plan to cut the list down anymore.

I'm looking at the early signing period in November, and I'm hoping to have a decision made by then. I mean you never know, but that's what I'm hoping for.

I want to take my five official visits in the fall. Not sure where to just yet though.

Now I'm looking forward to Kansas coming for an in-home either Monday or Wednesday of next week. I'm not sure which day yet. That's all that I've got planned as far as visits go.
Tyus Jones blog in USA Today


A slew of high-major coaches flocked to see Rashad Vaughn this weekend at the Nike EYBL stop in Los Angeles.

Playing for Wisconsin Playground Elite against ICP Elite, Vaughn went for 31 points in 26 minutes on 13-for-20 shooting while adding seven assists and five rebounds. He made four 3-pointers. (Here’s the boxscore.)

“He was the best player there,” one high-major assistant told SNY.tv. “He’s 6-5, shoots the hell out of it, is athletic and unselfish.”

“I feel I played really good,” Vaughn, the Rivals No. 6 player in the Class of 2014 out of Robbinsdale (MN) Cooper, told SNY.tv by phone. “We won, we went 3-1, my team played good, so overall it was a good weekend.”

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina coach Roy Williams, Kansas coach Bill Self, Minnesota coach Richard Pitino, Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, Michigan coach John Beilein, Baylor coach Scott Drew, Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin, Oregon coach Dana Altman, Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, Florida assistant Rashon Burno, Maryland assistant Bino Ranson, Louisville assistant Kevin Keatts and Georgetown assistant Kevin Broadus were among those watching Vaughn.

“I saw a couple,” Vaughn said. “I saw Coach Roy Williams. I saw Coach K. Yeah, there was a lot of coaches there. I don’t really pay attention to them, but it’s good to see all of them there.”
Zags Blog


KU is expected to have an in-home visit this week with Elbert Robinson, a 6-10 junior from Lakeview Centennial High in Garland, Texas. He’s ranked No. 66 in the Class of 2014.
LJW


Former UCLA pledge Allerik Freeman has re-opened his recruitment

“Yes,” Findlay Prep coach Todd Simon told SNY.tv. “I think Al just wants to exercise all due dilegence in making this major life decision.”

Freeman initially pledged to former UCLA coach Ben Howland, who has since been fired and replaced by Steve Alford.

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Findlay Prep initially chose the Bruins over Ohio State, Villanova, Kansas and Duke.
Zag's Blog


ESPN: Players and families react to new NCAA recruiting rules
and Coaches react


4/26-4/28 Jayhawk Invitational


Recruiting Calendar


USA Today feature on Rivals' Alex Kline

4/18/13, 4:41 PM
Watched @nikehoopsummit World Team with @chadfordinsider &@PaulBiancardi this morning. Joel Embiid's potential is scary.
https://twitter.com/franfraschilla


4/19/13, 1:21 PM
Kansas commit Joel Embiid (94) is so HUGE! 7 feet tall with 7-5 wingspan. Looks like young Dwight Howard. Raw offensively though. Big upside
https://twitter.com/rafjuc


Best World Team players at practice were: Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Sergey Karasev & Dennis Schroeder
https://twitter.com/chadfordinsider


4/19/13, 10:20 PM
@22wiggins is the man
https://twitter.com/jojo_embiid


4/20/13, 7:54 PM
Embiid is raw, but he has had a few awesome flashes. He's made some NCAA 3's, lefty hooks, and blocked shots. C w/upside for Bill Self.
https://twitter.com/draftexpress2


4/20/13, 9:10 PM
I hope the brother @22wiggins liked those passes
https://twitter.com/jojo_embiid

Andrew Wiggins was solid, scoring 17 points and pulling down 9 rebounds. Despite going 6-16 from the field, he didn't force too much on the offensive end, mixing in plenty of flashes of the talent that one would expect from the potential 1st overall selection in the 2014 draft, including some great defensive possessions. Content to spread the wealth on a very talented team, the fact that Wiggins didn't try to take over the game was a positive here and a testament to his unselfishness.
DraftExpress.com

Kentucky and Florida State have long been considered the frontrunners to land Wiggins, but his decision may come down to this, says Kentucky Kernel sports editor Alex Forkner: “Does Wiggins want to share the limelight on the way to a national title at UK, or be the main man at FSU? I'd call it a coin flip.”

Brendan Bures, the sports editor for the FSView and Florida Flambeau, gives Wiggins a 75 percent chance of coming to Tallahassee, even though the Seminoles are not the basketball powerhouse that the other three finalists are.

“I believe Wiggins chooses Florida State because of his father's (and mother's) alumni status, his best friend Xavier Rathan-Mayes (who’s already committed to FSU) is attending, and he wants to be the guy, not just one of many,” Bures said.

The intriguing school in this mix is North Carolina, especially considering Williams has an opening for a wing scorer with Reggie Bullock off to the NBA. UNC’s other three 2013 recruits are either big men (Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks) or a point guard (Nate Britt). And much like Lexington, Chapel Hill would be Wiggins’ best bet at a national title, should that be on his priority list. Teaming with P.J. Hairston and James Michael McAdoo would form a formidable team.

Meanwhile, Kansas has its own big hole to fill with Ben McLemore declaring for the NBA draft. Wiggins could star in Lawrence with McLemore’s departure, but Pat Strathman, the sports editor at The University Daily Kansan, the school’s student newspaper, gives it a 10 percent chance.

“With Marcus Smart heading back to Oklahoma State, the urgency to get him increased drastically, but I think with the history of "one-and-done" players, Wiggins won't choose Kansas,” Strathman said.
The Oregonian

4/17/13, 4:50 PM
Conner Frankamp putting on a show at Derby Festival Classic practice.
https://twitter.com/jdemling


4/18/13, 6:20 PM
Zak Irvin and Conner Frankamp beat Derek Willis and Anton Gill in 2-on-2
https://twitter.com/stevejones_cj


4/18/13, 6:43 PM
Conner Frankamp, KU-bound sharpshooter, with 19 in 3-point contest.
https://twitter.com/stevejones_cj


4/18/13, 7:01 PM
Frankamp, Agau, Avare and Levitch advance to Friday's 3-pt finals at halftime of Derby game
https://twitter.com/stevejones_cj


4/18/13, 8:42 PM
@CFrankamp_23 is the biggest boss ever. Knocking down those 3s like layups. #teamfrankamp
https://twitter.com/gocards985


4/18/13, 8:55 PM
@CFrankamp_23 is the real deal
https://twitter.com/liljacky_1


4/18/13, 8:58 PM
@CFrankamp_23 ran the court tonight
https://twitter.com/ihbasketball3ie


This kid, Conner Frankamp, who is going to Kansas has "off the bus" range. #derbyfestivalclassic
https://twitter.com/bulldog62606

VIDEO Dunk Contest: Anton Gill dunks with assist from Conner Frankamp


VIDEO Derby Festival Classic Game Highlights


Watch archive video of the Derby Classic Night of the Future Stars here


Lexington Catholic senior Dillon Avare won the three-point contest with 15 points, defeating a field of finalists that included Kansas signee Conner Frankamp, who is considered one of the nation's top shooters.
Lexington HL


Keith Frazier, a McDonald’s All American who is headed to Southern Methodist, was the White team MVP, with 18 points. Kansas-bound Conner Frankamp and Louisiana State recruit Jarell Martin had 20 points each to lead the White team.
LCJ

Future Kansas University basketball player Conner Frankamp scored 20 points while playing 20 minutes in Friday’s Derby Festival Classic high school all-star game in Louisville.

The 6-foot guard from Wichita North hit eight of 15 shots, including four of nine three-pointers in the White squad’s 124-113 loss to the Black squad. He had two assists and no turnovers.

Frankamp had 13 points the first half off 5-of-6 shooting. He hit three of four threes in playing just nine minutes. Frankamp also won the Papa John’s “Slice Award” for core values.
LJW

Joe Dooley — who has worked as an assistant coach at Kansas University during the entire 10-year Bill Self era — says it’s going to be extremely difficult to say goodbye.

“(It was) quite a run. Being part of 300 wins in a 10-year period, 15 of 20 (Big 12) championships, guys growing up and getting better, the friendships we made with other staff members, players and community members. There’s no better place (than KU),” Dooley said Wednesday after agreeing to a five-year contract to take over as head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University.

“Tanya (wife), Max (son) and I will always be proud to have been Jayhawks,” the 47-year-old Dooley added.

Dooley — he was named the top assistant coach in the country in 2010 by foxsports.com — has always said it would take a “special situation” to leave KU.

“My wife and I and coach Self came up with criteria — to go to a place where you could win, work for a great administration and to top it off a place with great quality of living,” Dooley said. “Fort Myers (Fla.) is attractive to live in and recruit to. All those things told me it was a great fit.”

Still ... “this is bittersweet,” added Dooley, who replaces new USC coach Andy Enfield, who led the Atlantic Sun Conference school to a berth in the Sweet 16 of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. “We have unbelievable memories here. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Dooley — who according to the Fort Myers News-Press will be paid $225,000 a year (he made $300,000, plus use of car and country club membership at KU) annual salary, not counting media money and incentives — has extended offers for assistant coaches Marty Richter and Michael Fly to remain with the program along with director of operations Joey Cantens, the paper indicated.

“Joe certainly gave us 10 years of excellent service. I’m sad to see him leave, but happy for he, Tanya and Max. They deserve this opportunity,” KU coach Self told the Journal-World.

“He’s had several opportunities where he could have made a move but this one just felt the best for him and his family. Joe has meant an awful lot to our program in the last 10 years and a big reason why we have been successful. Although we hate to see him leave, it’s one of those situations that you are so happy for him and know that he will be ultra-successful living on the beach in Florida. He’s been so instrumental in not only coaching our guys but also with the development and skill improvement of our players. All of our players have enjoyed playing for him, knowing they were going to get his best effort every day.”

…Self said he was in no hurry to name a replacement for Dooley.

“I really don’t know what I’m going to do, obviously sit on it awhile, get input from Kurtis (Townsend) and Norm (Roberts, assistants) and see what direction we are going to move. I do have some individuals in mind in case there ever was a potential opening. I’m at the preliminary stages on doing anything,” Self said.

If Self wanted to, he could ask the NCAA for an emergency recruiter during the rest of the spring period, such as director of basketball operations Doc Sadler.

“I don’t know if we’ll need that. We only have basically 10 days left (in recruiting period),” Self said, “and three guys can be on the road. We have a limited number of total days we can be out so I don’t think that will be a factor,” Self said of being shorthanded.

“It’s not bad timing. Most of our recruiting was done in the fall by signing five guys. We’re in the process of trying to bring in a couple more guys. I don’t know if there’s ever perfect timing, but the timing is fine,” Self said.
LJW


4/17/13, 2:10 PM
I’m also appreciative of all that Bill and Cindy Self have done for us and the great players and fans at Kansas ...
It’s been a great 10 years and a great experience at KU for me and my family.
@FGCUCoachDooley


There’s only one emotion FGCU’s hiring of Joe Dooley as its men’s basketball coach should elicit from the Eagles players, fans and supporters.

Elation.

Total, complete, absolute elation.

A program precious few outside of Southwest Florida and — let’s be honest, not all that many inside of — knew or cared much about one month ago just got its coach from the University of Kansas.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk Kansas.

Phog Allen Kansas.

Wilt Chamberlain Kansas.

Wow.

Even the last fan on the FGCU bandwagon, the one who enjoys “Chris Feeler” and his loopty-loop slam dunk shots, knows the Jayhawks are one of a handful of college basketball bluebloods.

Kansas may not have invented basketball, but the man who did, Dr. James Naismith, was its first coach. He started the program in 1898, just 32 years after the first person settled in Fort Myers.
This cradle of college basketball is a coveted destination spot for coaches.

…As for the Eagles’ fans and supporters, both new and old, they should all be excited that FGCU basketball has not only reached the big time, but has a chance to stay there.

Not because its coach is a millionaire married to a model, or its players are exciting dunkers or its campus has a beach.

But because the Eagles’ future is so bright, a coach as accomplished as Dooley wanted to be a part of it.

Now that’s a Cinderella story.
News Press


Excited for Dooley’s opportunity, but a bit sad at losing not only one of his top assistant coaches, but a close friend.

“He’s done just about everything you can do as a basketball coach in a program,” Self said in a phone interview with The News-Press. “But it’s time. He’s had opportunities to move to get other jobs, but this is the one he felt most comfortable with. He told me all along this is the best opportunity he’s seen come his way. He’s so excited about it.”

“You’re going to get a guy who’s unbelievably well-connected,” Self said. “You’ll get a guy with a lot of personality that’s extremely tough. Works guys the way they deserve to be worked to put a great product on the floor. You’ll see a guy that’s tremendous at making relationships and guys love playing for him.

“He’s an excellent skill development guy and he’s a basketball junkie. He watches more basketball than anybody. He gives me more ideas than anybody that we can potentially implement to help our team. I’ll miss his ideas.

“But more than anything I’ll probably miss his friendship. We’re colleagues but we’ve also become very close. That is one reason why it’s not bittersweet, I’m just so happy for (Dooley’s wife) Tanya and (son) Max and himself to have this opportunity.”

“He’s a fun loving guy; he’s hilarious,” Self said. “His personality is very dry. He’ll say some things that you will stop and think about and say ‘That’s some funny stuff.’

“But he’s not one of those outwardly guys that are trying to be the life of the party. He always fit in but he has a great presence about him, when he walks into the room everybody’s going to know it.”
News-Press


With FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh naming Kansas assistant Joe Dooley as the new coach on Wednesday, Canzano is hoping it lends a bolt of energy.

“It’s awesome,” said Canzano, who was prepared to offer Enfield $50,000 off a home to stay and will offer $50,000 off a home he’d build for Dooley. “I’m glad they moved quickly.”

One person excited about the hire is Chris Welling, a member of FGCU’s booster board. He’s a Kansas graduate and has followed the program closely.

“I did joke I’d wear a Kansas shirt to the next meeting, sure,” said Welling, who earned his pharmacy degree from the school in 1996. “I’m in good standing. I’d wear it over or under my FGCU shirt. I tell everyone I like to cross dress.”

Calling it a “great hire,” Welling said the Jayhawks’ success the last 10 years speaks for itself.
“It’s one of the best in the country, they’ve averaged 30 wins a season,” he said. “He was a good aide to coach (Bill) Self.”
News-Press


This FGCU basketball team has talked openly and lovingly in recent weeks about being a “family.” That family dynamic was just altered and not in a small way.

We saw last month how everyone at FGCU handled success. Now we’ll find out how they handle disappointment.

For his part, Joe Dooley could not be doing any more to keep the family together. He has offered jobs to both Richter and Fly. Most incoming coaches want to hire their own staffs. Andy Enfield retained no one at USC. One assistant is sometimes kept but rarely two (Dooley also wants to keep popular Director of Basketball Operations Joey Cantens). Both Richter and Fly have been pros long enough to know this gesture is more than an olive branch.

If that’s not enough to satisfy the players, Kansas (like FGCU) plays an up-tempo style which Dooley has pledged to continue. Dooley has previous head coaching experience (four years at East Carolina, winning record, one trip to NCAA tournament), is a big-time recruiter and is popular with his former players (players at different schools talk to one another all the time).

From a basketball perspective, this is a stunningly good hire. It is bold but it does come with risk.
Which when you think about it, is how FGCU plays and why they’re in this situation to begin with.
Dooley is eminently qualified and Ken Kavanagh has a great track record when making this hire.

The basketball program seems poised to pick up where they left off but that depends on which team Dooley will be coaching.

He signed on for Dunk City not Transfer City.
Naples News

4/17/13, 4:20 PM
Straight Flexin who u got? We got @A_Hudy #KUCMB @AndrewWhite03
@Ntharpe1


Students at the University of Kansas will benefit from a new center to be built on Naismith Drive, thanks to a leadership gift from KU alumni Paul and Katherine DeBruce, of Mission Hills.

The three-story center will provide much-needed dining and meeting facilities for students, faculty and visitors on the south part of campus. Moreover, it will become the permanent home of James Naismith’s original "Rules of Basket Ball" and will be connected to the northeast corner of historic Allen Fieldhouse.

The facility, which will be named the DeBruce Center, will be funded solely from private gifts and is estimated to cost $18 million. KU Endowment is working to complete funding for the 31,000-square-foot center; construction is expected to begin this year.

Paul and Katherine DeBruce graduated from KU in 1973. Katherine earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and Paul earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

“Katherine and I are excited and lucky to be a part of this new facility at KU,” said Paul DeBruce. “Our years on the Hill helped provide a foundation for each of us to be successful and give back to our community. Part of that experience was academic, but a lot of it included the many friends we made there and the fond memories of attending basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse. We hope the new center will be a place on campus that students and faculty will want to come to and enjoy. It will be a meeting place for friends and a place to further honor KU traditions.”
KU News


The building’s centerpiece, Naismith’s original basketball rules, will likely be located on its second floor, where the building will connect to the second-floor concourse of Allen Fieldhouse, Seuferling said. Surrounding the rules, and lining the walls of the walkway into the Fieldhouse, will be other exhibit materials celebrating the history and tradition of KU basketball, he said.

“The rules will serve as a prominent beginning for the exhibit space, and obviously a big tourist attraction,” Seuferling said.

The exhibits in the Booth Hall of Athletics at the Fieldhouse’s east entrance will expand up some stairs into the second-floor concourse, he said, where they will connect with the DeBruce Center’s walkway.

Planners also envision a small theater that will show videos on KU basketball history, as well as a retail space for KU memorabilia and clothing. Elsewhere in the center will be restaurant and dining space, a possible coffee shop area and meeting and event spaces.
LJW

Ever notice that it’s the off-Broadway players who are the biggest hits with the Allen Fieldhouse faithful? It’s usually not the guys who lead the team in either scoring or NBA dollars earned, rather the ones who hustle their way onto the floor and play supporting roles. Kevin Young was that guy on this year’s Kansas University basketball team.

Just watching him play, it’s obvious he doesn’t think he’s special. And he comes across the same way in conversations off the court.

Young’s appearance in the Douglas County Fairgrounds livestock arena Wednesday did nothing but grow the popularity of the senior from Southern California. It was quite the sight watching the long, slender basketball player doing battle in the Rubik’s Cube with an Olympic shot-put medalist whose shoulders look as wide as the lane on a basketball court. It was easy to tell the shot-put celebrity from the basketball player. About three of Young’s arms could fit into one of Hoffa’s.
LJW


Hoffa was able to defeat KU senior basketball player Kevin Young in the celebrity Rubik’s Cube-solving competition. Hoffa, who has completed the Cube in a personal-best 38 seconds, needed a minute, 25 seconds to solve the Cube.

“Once I saw his cube, I knew I wasn’t in any trouble. If he had a Chinese or well-lubed Rubik’s Cube, I knew I’d be in trouble,” Hoffa said. “I take it seriously. Mine is a competition cube. The cube he has is 9 bucks; this is a $26 cube.”

Young said he had a lot of fun competing before a crowd that KU officials estimated at about 1,000.
“When he pulled his cube out of a case, I was, ‘Oh,’” Young said with a smile.

“I got a new cube and a shirt for this,” added Young, who bought a Rubik’s Cube hooded sweatshirt and T-shirt for the event. “It’s impressive on his part. He’s legit.”
LJW


Cole Aldrich Basketball Camp June 24-27 (K-8th grade) Olathe, Kansas. More details at ColeAldrich.com
@colea45


Seniors Carolyn Davis, Monica Engelman and Angel Goodrich each held center stage Wednesday night at the annual Kansas women's basketball year-end banquet in the KU Union Ballroom, as the three 1,000-point scorers finished their collegiate careers as the winners of the coveted Ms. Jayhawk Award.

After a highlight video to start the event, Kansas Director of Athletics Sheahon Zenger welcomed the crowd of 300 or so and congratulated the Jayhawks on their second-straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run. Head coach Bonnie Henrickson then addressed the group of staff, team and supporters before handing out the team awards.

Davis and Goodrich joined sophomore Asia Boyd on the stage as members of the AD Honor Roll, while Goodrich was highlighted for her Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors. Davis and Goodrich were also recognized for their All-Big 12 efforts with Goodrich being named to the first team and Davis claiming her third-straight honor with a second-team plaudit. Goodrich was also recognized for being named to the WBCA All-America honorable team, the WBCA All-Region 5 squad and being selected in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Tulsa Shock with the 29th overall pick.

Henrickson finished the award portion of the ceremony by presenting the Ms. Jayhawk Award, the evening's top honor. The award is bestowed each season to the player, or players, that encompass what it means to be a Jayhawk. It is a reflection of a player's high-character, high-motor and competitive drive.

"We saw you bring the swagger back (to Kansas women's basketball)," Henrickson said as she addressed the seniors. "We saw you change the program. We have seen you triumph. We have seen you cry; and we have seen you overcome - all three of you. We watched it with you. Shared it with you and struggled with you, but now we watch you hang diplomas on your walls. For each of you, we cannot wait for bigger, better and brighter."
KUAD

It’s official. Marcus Smart is putting off his NBA career for at least one year to return to Oklahoma State for his sophomore season.

To say his decision was unexpected would be an understatement. Smart was more or less assured of being a lottery pick had he turned pro. Instead, he is staying in school for what is sure to be the most anticipated Oklahoma State basketball season in recent memory.

Smart’s return will make such an impact that many now consider Oklahoma State the favorite to win the Big 12 next season.

With that in mind, here is a look at how I would vote if my preseason Big 12 basketball poll was due today:

1. Oklahoma State
Smart, Le’Bryan Nash and Markel Brown were three of the most talented players in the Big 12 last season. Just think what they could accomplish together next season. The Cowboys return the Big 12′s Player of the Year in Smart, a talented forward in Nash and one of the conference’s most underrated scorers in Brown. And the only key contributor they lose is Philip Jurick. Some will doubt Oklahoma State because of underachieving coach Travis Ford, but the Cowboys have to be considered the preseason favorites with so much returning talent.

2. Kansas
If the Jayhawks want to extend their Big 12 championship streak to 10, they will have to do it with a new starting five. Though talented reserves Perry Ellis and Naadir Tharpe return, Kansas will lose the bulk of players who helped it reach the Sweet 16 last season. It won’t be an easy rebuild, but there is a reason the Jayhawks were projected by most as the preseason league favorite before Smart announced he was coming back. They are bringing in an impressive five-man recruiting class, which is ranked second nationally. Five-star recruits Wayne Selden and center Joel Embiid will join Brannen Greene, Conner Frankamp and Frank Mason. Kansas is also still in the hunt for Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 rated recruit in the country. Bill Self has guided young teams to conference titles before, but there is no way to tell how so much new talent will jell until the season starts.

3. Kansas State
Angel Rodriguez, Shane Southwell, Will Spradling and Thomas Gipson provide a nucleus. If incoming guard Marcus Foster is as good as advertised and Wesley Iwundu can play meaningful minutes as a freshman K-State will finish near the top of the Big 12 standings.

4. Baylor
It’s hard to predict how good Baylor will be without knowing whether Cory Jefferson and Isiah Austin are coming back. If both big men return, the Bears will have one of the most formidable front courts in the nation and should be able to compete for a higher finish than fourth. If one or both turn pro, Baylor will have to learn to play without them and point guard Pierre Jackson. A strong recruiting class will join Rico Gathers and Brady Heslip, regardless. So the Bears will be talented. But they were talented last season, too, and had to settle for the NIT.

5. West Virginia
The Mountaineers were downright bad in their first Big 12 season, but with Bob Huggins in charge I expect that to change. West Virginia is losing three transfers, but is replacing them with three top 150 recruits.
Wichita Eagle


Somewhere Oklahoma State University team owner T. Boone Pickens has to be smiling. Kansas' run of Big 12 titles, which stands at nine consecutive, should be over.

Smart was expected to be top five pick in the 2013 NBA draft had he elected to enter. This is a major coup for Okie State and coach Travis Ford, and for college basketball. Not many guys of Smart's caliber stick around for two years.

He is by far the best player returning to the Big 12 next season. The 6-foot-4, 225 pound freshman from Flower Mound led the team in scoring with 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He set a conference freshman record for steals with 99.

The two things he needs to clean up: 3 point shooting (38-for-131) and ballhandling (139 assists to 111 turnovers).

Oklahoma State finished third in the Big 12 last season and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Oregon. This should be a Sweet 16 team next season, at least.

Along with Smart, Okie State should return Markel Brown (All-Big 12 second team), Le'Bryan Nash (All-Big 12 third team), Michael Cobbins (honorable mention) and Phil Forte (team record for 3s by a freshman).

If this team does not win this conference, T. Boone will not be pleased.
FW Star-Telegram


K.J. Bluford, a 6-2, 185-pound shooting guard from Northeast Community College (Nebraska), signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Iowa State for the upcoming 2013-14 season, Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg announced today.

Bluford is considered one of the best shooters in junior college hoops, drilling 205 3-pointers in his two-year career. A second-team All-Region XI pick in 2013, Bluford averged 17.8 points and made 113 3-pointers at a 38.8 percent clip.
DMR


Junior college standout point guard Kenny Chery has signed a national letter of intent with NIT champion Baylor.

Chery, a 6-foot guard who played the past two seasons at State Fair Community College in Missouri, signed Wednesday. Three post players signed with the Bears during the early period in November.
Chery, from Canada, averaged 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26 games last season, when he made 45 percent of his 3-pointers.
AP


Grant Jerrett has declared himself eligible for the NBA after one season at Arizona.
A 6-foot-10 freshman, Jerrett announced Wednesday that he is leaving the Wildcats to pursue his lifelong dream of playing professional basketball.

Part of a heralded recruiting class by coach Sean Miller, Jerrett averaged 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 games, including two starts. He had a high of 15 points against Oral Roberts and had 10 rebounds against UCLA.
AP


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Derby Classic (Frankamp scheduled to participate)
4/18 Night of the Future Stars (3pt and dunk contest)
LIVE online feed (H/T jayhawk42000 on jayhawkslant.com)
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AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE ALL-USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Andrew Wiggins | G-F | Huntington (W.Va.) Prep | 6-8, 205 | Undecided



The facts: Averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists this season, leading team to 30-3 record and a No. 7 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25. Son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins and Marita Payne-Wiggins, a two-time Olympic track silver medalist for Canada. Grew up in Toronto but played at Huntington Prep the past two seasons.



My game in song: I like that song that Cityphil made for me (Andrew Wiggins). He was rapping about me and talking about my team.

MORE: Wiggins has his own country song, too

Favorite teachers: Mr. (Sean) White for art. I can be myself around him. We make jokes. In Canada, it was Mr. (Constantine) Gymnopoulos. He was my basketball coach, but he also taught phys ed.



Most embarrassing: I scored on my own basket when I was in a game in fifth grade.



Most used phone app: Instagram on Twitter.



People don’t know that I: Play a lot of video games, mostly Call of Duty.



Underrated virtue: A passion for others.

MORE: Wiggins adapts to attention as college decision nears

Good read: Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun (by Arvella Whitmore). About a boy who finds a watch that takes him back in time and he lives the life of an African who is a slave in America and it shows him how fortunate he is. He gets back into regular time and he didn’t want to join a gang, so they beat him up or shoot him, I can’t remember. It was a while ago when I read it, but he survives. It was an excellent book.



What I miss most about Canada: Not being with my family and friends and that environment.
USA Today

AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE THIRD TEAM

Joel Embiid | C | The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) | 7-0, 230 | Kansas
Averaged 13.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg.
USA Today


4/17/13, 7:05 PM
Gotta run the floor like a cheetah, be physical in the paint like Amare, rebound like Reggie Evans, pass like Marc Gasol, block like Ibaka!!
https://twitter.com/jojo_embiid


Just kicked @KATis32 ass in FIFA 6-1
https://twitter.com/jojo_embiid

On the video below see Embiid (#11 black jersey) in action during the scrimmage, go to 1:55 for his shooting practice

White Team – Dante Exum, Sergey Karasev, Tomas Dimsa, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, and Livio Jean-Charles.


Black Team – Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Karl Towns, Nikola Ivanovic, and Gabriel Deck

Although the score went back to 0-0 after each quarter the White Team won the scrimmage 68-51 when the totals from each quarter were added together (Exum and Schroder both scored 2 points in the first quarter conveniently canceling each other out). Below are stats from the scrimmage which was watched by a throng of NBA scouts.

Livio Jean-Charles – 19 PTS, 8-12 FGs, 0-1 3FGs, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 1 TO, 1 blk, 2 steals, 3-3 FTs

Andrew Wiggins – 17 PTS, 7-16 FGs, 2-7 3FGs, 3 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1-2 FTs

Mouhammadou Jaiteh – 15 PTS, 6-10 FGs, 9 rebs, 3 TO, 1 steal, 3-3 FTs

Karl Towns – 14 PTS, 7-12 FGs, 0-1 3FGs, 3 rebs, 1 assist, 1 TO, 1 blk, 1 steal

Tomas Dimsa – 14 PTS, 5-8 FGs, 4-6 3FGs, 3 assists, 2 TO, 1 steal

Sergey Karasev – 13 PTS, 5-11 FGs, 3-8 3FGs, 5 rebs, 3 assists, 1 TO, 1 steal

Dennis Schroder – 11 PTS, 4-9 FGs, 2-3 3FGs, 5 assists, 2 TO, 3 steals, 1-2 FTs

Dante Exum – 7 PTS, 1-4 FGs, 0-1 3FGs, 6 rebs, 2 assists, 4 TO, 2 steals, 5-6 FTs

Joel Embiid – 4 PTS, 2-3 FGs, 2 rebs, 1 TO, 4 blocks, 1 steal

Gabriel Deck – 4 PTS, 2-5 FGs, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 1 TO

Nikola Ivanovic – 2 PTS, 1-7 FGs, 0-4 3FGs, 2 rebs, 1 assist, 1 TO
CityLeagueHoops

In case the above Wiggins vid from OregonLive doesn't work for you click here.


Self next week will conduct an in-home recruiting visit with Jahlil Okafor, the No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2014, according to Rivals.com. Okafor, 6-foot-10, 280 pounds from Chicago Whitney Young High, has visited with Ohio State coaches. He’s also considering Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina, Illinois, DePaul, Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor and others.
LJW


I remember when I interviewed former North Carolina standout and current NBA rookie Harrison Barnes, the No. 1 prospect in the 2009 recruiting class per RecruitingNation, following an AAU tournament. He was the most mature young basketball player I’d ever encountered. His responses were measured and substantive, much like his maneuvers on the court.

He was ready.

And then we found out that he wasn’t Michael, just Harrison.

Talented and fluid but raw in some areas of his game.

The doubts soon followed. I was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when he went 0-for-12 in a loss to Minnesota during a nonconference tourney. I talked to NBA scouts who’d attended the event. Just months into Barnes’ freshman campaign, they wondered if he had the necessary edge to compete at the next level.

That’s how quickly things can change.

That’s the scrutiny Wiggins will face in 2013-14.

His contemporaries have already made their decisions. His delay is a message, whether he realizes it or not.

“I’m that good, that legit. So I’ll make the world wait.”

I understand the philosophy and respect his right to take his time. It’s a huge decision.

But he should know that the pressure is growing. Every day.

Wiggins can’t be a good player next season. He has to be an All-American, a star. That’s the only status that will justify the early praise.

Anything less than that will be considered a disappointment. Is that fair? Doesn’t matter. It’s the reality.

I know it seems like a lot to put on the shoulders of a teenager. But that’s college basketball in 2013.

He’ll be applauded when he finally makes a choice. He will not, however, have a grace period to prove his worth.

If he goes to Kentucky, he’ll have to be the best player in a recruiting class that’s already been labeled as “the greatest of all-time” without him.

If he goes to Kansas, he’ll be expected to lead the Jayhawks to their 10th consecutive Big 12 championship and second Final Four bid in three years.

If he goes to Florida State, he’ll be asked to turn the Seminoles -- who went 9-9 in conference play last season -- into ACC contenders and lead them deep into the NCAA tournament.

If he goes to North Carolina, he’ll have to be the next great Tar Heel and take the program to Dallas.

Again, Wiggins is not naive. I’m sure he gets all of this.

But the reality, once it materializes months from now, could surpass everything he’s predicted about his collegiate experience.

I’ve watched Wiggins play multiple times. He is a special talent.

Next season, however, he’ll have to confirm the rankings and ratings that place him one step above a class that features a multitude of one-and-done athletes.

So I hope he enjoys this.

Whenever he makes his choice, the news will warrant headlines throughout the country. He’ll elevate the projections of the team he picks. He’ll be lauded as a game-changer.

But he can’t answer this pressing question until next season: Was Wiggins worth the wait?

I hope he’s ready.
ESPN Medcalf


Next week, Wiggins will also have visitors as coaching staffs from his finalists plan to stop by.

“They all called and said they were going to swing by and give it one last crack at it,” Huntington coach Rob Fulford said.

Kentucky was already in town two weeks ago for face time. North Carolina arrives Monday, followed by Kansas on Tuesday and Florida State on Wednesday.

Even after the visits, it’s not like Wiggins will go into hiding to make his decision. Those visits simply mean that Wiggins, who doesn’t like the attention, will have each piece of the recruiting process fully out of the way.

“After Wednesday, we’ll shut it down and let him have some peace,” Fulford said. “He hasn’t given us any indication [he’s ready].”
ESPN Insider ($)


At last week’s Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn, Wiggins shared very little information, and nothing new, on his recruitment.

“He talked to a few of the national media, but he really did not talk to anyone locally,” said Rob Fulford, Wiggins’ coach at Huntington (W.Va.) Prep. “He talked to USA Today and one group from Canada, but he refused Sports Illustrated. He just didn’t want to do a lot of interviewing. It’s the same questions about wanting to know the timetable for a decision and where he’s going. He doesn’t know.”

Yet the speculation never stops. Fulford was sitting at dinner when Keith Jenkins, the editorial graphics producer at ESPN, tweeted the decision was Florida State.

“I texted Andrew across the room and said he needed to tweet out something to stop this from blowing up so I could enjoy my dinner,” Fulford, who was one of the Jordan Brand coaches, said.

Then there’s the theory that Fulford might get a job on Rick Pitino’s staff at Louisville and bring Wiggins with him.

“If the position was offered to me at Louisville, I would take it. But that’s not saying Andrew is coming there,” Fulford said.

But what about speculation that Wiggins will make his college choice  during the Nike Hoop Summit Saturday?

“He’s not said anything about the 20th to us. I am not saying he might not do it at the Hoop Summit. But I until I hear it from him, it doesn’t exist in my mind,” Fulford said. “He has been too busy to really worry about it. These kids have funs at these games. It’s not like they are sitting around talking about him coming to Kentucky or North Carolina.”

Fulford says he knows Wiggins, and others playing a third straight week, have to be tired.

“I am wore out and I did not play. We spent a lot of time in traffic,” Fulford said. “Andrew flew out of New York Sunday about 6 p.m. and texted me when he landed in Portland at 11:56. He had weigh-in and measurements at 9 the next morning and then two practices. They are doing a lot.”

But one thing has not changed during all this time. Don’t believe the speculation about Wiggins or what any so-called source says.

“I have old everyone from day one, and apparently some people do not want to listen, if the information does not come out of Andrew Wiggins’ mouth, there is  no accountability period. I keep saying that and have all year,” Fulford said. “Everybody says, ‘I got a source.’ No you don’t. The only source for this is Andrew.”
Kentucky's Larry Vaught's Views



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Coaches Recruiting Calendar


2013 Spring/Summer AAU & Camp Schedule


My KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos, Late Night in the Phog, and more now on YouTube

Ok State becomes the favorite to win the Big 12 title. Of course, I can remember plenty of yrs when Kansas won it w/o being picked to do so.
https://twitter.com/JasonKingESPN


Agreed. Self >>> Ford. @nickryan10: @GoodmanCBS Even as a wildcat, foolish to bet again Self.  Dudes a machine
https://twitter.com/GoodmanCBS


Ppl saying OKL St over Kansas in conference play - advice -DON'T BET AGAINST @CoachBillSelf  & Jayhawks  - still must go thru Lawrence Baby!
https://twitter.com/DickieV

KU assistant coach Joe Dooley is a candidate for the head coaching post at Florida Gulf Coast, ESPN.com reports. Other candidates: Ohio State assistant Chris Jent, Oklahoma assistant Steve Henson and Gulf Coast assistant Marty Richter. The Fort Myers News Press on Monday said that Wichita State associate head coach Chris Jans and Florida State assistant Corey Williams were also in the running.
LJW


Before every game you’ll find Tyshawn Taylor working on his game with assistant coach Doug Overton. Taylor is always one of the first players to hit the court and one of the last to leave.

Taylor routinely works on his ball handling with a weighted ball, his mid-range shooting at the elbow, and pick-and-roll game with Overton. On Monday night against the Wizards, Taylor’s dedication was validated.

Taylor scored a career-high 14 points, including a career-high three three-point field goals. None of which showed Taylor’s progression more than the final three-pointer he sank to put the game out of reach at 106-101.

Taylor used an in-and-out dribble to create space on a pick-and-roll before backing the ball out. Once Wizards forward Trevor Booker switched on the pick-and-roll Taylor had the confidence to hoist one final three-pointer that sealed the win.

“I knew it the whole time,” said Taylor. “They called a timeout and I shot it after the timeout. It went in and I told myself I’m shooting it again. Then I got the switch with Trevor Booker so I was just like, yeah, I’m going to let it go.”

As the ball hung in the air, Taylor leaned back on one leg while maintaining the flick of his wrist behind his back to guide the ball in, but it wasn’t necessary. The ball swished through the hoop, just like it has done numerous times during warm-up routines with Overton. This time, the major difference was Taylor heard the thunderous roar of a nearly capacity crowd at Barclays Center cheering him on along with his teammates.

Coach P.J. Carlesimo felt comfortable putting the ball in Taylor’s hands in a position where he has seen his most success when called upon.

…As Taylor continues to hone his craft as a point guard, he believes he’s found his niche in the league and will look to strengthen it.

“I’m working on pick-and-roll because I feel like that’s a lot of the NBA game and I think I’m a pretty good pick-and-roll player,” Taylor told SNY.tv. “But I think that’s it’s just a different level. So just working on that and just trying to get stronger and be a more consistent shooter.”
SNY


"You can't teach the way he runs pick-and-rolls," Carlesimo gushed.

Carlesimo may not think it's teachable, but Taylor says he's used this season as a learning experience. "All I've been doing is working on pick-and-rolls and my jumpshot. Towards the end of the game, that's the play coach (Carlesimo) was calling for me. Everything was a first option, and then if that option wasn't there, he'd come back to me for a pick-and-roll."

…His third and final three-pointer put the Nets up 106-101 with 22 seconds left, icing the game. Taylor responded by throwing up a "3-holster" as the crowd roared. "I love playing in front of a crowd," Taylor added. "That gets my blood going. At Kansas, we played in front of 16,300 every night no matter who we played. So that gets me going."

Taylor finished the night with 14 points on 5-8 shooting, hitting all three of his three-point attempts, and his three assists and two steals all came in the game-deciding fourth quarter.
Brooklyn Game


Kansas University officials on Tuesday officially broke ground on the multimillion-dollar Rock Chalk Park athletic complex in northwest Lawrence, with the hope of unveiling a world-class track and field stadium in time for the 2014 Kansas Relays.

In other words, a ribbon-cutting should be on tap for the complex near Sixth Street and the South Lawrence Trafficway about this time next year.

“I’m still feeling good about (the timeline),” said Thomas Fritzel, the Lawrence businessman who is the lead donor for the park and the chief contractor for the project.

Feeling good was the general mood of about 250 KU officials and boosters who gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony for a project that KU Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger said will address 20 years worth of frustrations with facilities for the track, softball and soccer programs.

Still to come: the start of construction of the city’s proposed 181,000-square-foot regional recreation center, which is slated to be adjacent to the KU facilities. City officials are scheduled to receive construction bids for the recreation center on May 14.

The Rock Chalk project — which KU officials have said would cost KU about $40 million to build, but is being constructed and financed by Fritzel and leased back to the university — will include several components:
LJW
KUAD Photo Gallery

The time for Marcus Smart's announcement appears to have arrived.

A news conference concerning Oklahoma State basketball has been set for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Student Union Atrium and is open to the public, a team spokesman said.

The topic was not disclosed, but a source indicated Smart and teammates Markel Brown and Le'Bryan Nash will announce they are staying in school instead of declaring for the NBA Draft.

Smart, the Cowboys' freshman point guard and the Big 12 Player of the Year, has spent the past three weeks weighing his decision. He is projected to be a top-five pick in this year's draft.
Tulsa World


The University of Texas played host to a Big 12 Commissioners Panel earlier today, during which current Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and former commissioner Dan Beebe answered questions on a range of subjects, including conference realignment. Current Big 12 Deputy Commissioner Tim Weiser was also on hand to field questions.

Bowlsby discussed the summer of 2010, during which it was rumored that the Pac-12 had invited the Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the Texas A&M Aggies to head west. Bowlsby said that no official invites were sent, and that such moves wouldn’t have made geographic sense.

It was somewhat surprising to hear a conference commissioner talk about the importance of geography given that a conference branching outside of its traditional borders to add members is becoming more common. It was more surprising hearing it from the man who ushered the West Virginia Mountaineers into the Big 12. Continuing on the point of geography, Beebe said that location can’t be the only factor, and that where the students attending a school come from was also important.

Beebe used the Colorado Buffaloes as an example saying that they were a good fit in the Pac-12 since many of their students come from the west coast. He also pointed out that the Big 10 adding the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Maryland Terrapins made geographic sense because it helped connect the Penn State Nittany Lions to the east coast where a large number of their attendees hail from.
Link


How do we make college basketball watchable again?

Tom Izzo thinks he has an answer. He went on a radio show and discussed what he thought were a couple ways that the nationwide scoring drought could be addressed. Namely, reducing the shot clock.

“One of the guys I have great respect for — Johnny Dawkins, who is at Stanford — and we were in our meetings the other day, and he said, ‘We have the slowest game in the world,’” Izzo said. “As you say, the international is less. The pro is less. The women’s is less. And here we are with 35 [seconds].”

The NBA and FIBA use a 24 second shot clock, and women’s college basketball uses a 30 second clock despite the fact that they don’t have a 10 second back court violation.

“It was talked about at our meetings in Atlanta,” Izzo said. He was on the NABC’s Board of Director’s this season. “You know the bureaucracy of committees and what it’s got to do, but I think there is getting to be a growing run at maybe doing that, and I think more coaches are in favor of it.”

This is a topic that has bounced around basketball circles for a while. Will reducing the shot clock in college hoops really have the desired affect, increasing tempo, or will it further erode the quality of play at this level. The argument made against reducing the clock is that NBA possessions quite often devolve into isolations and ball-screen actions, and with so much college talent fleeing for the NBA before their eligibility is exhausted, there isn’t the kind of talent left to be effective in mainly iso’s and pick-and-rolls.
NBC Sports


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Joel Embiid
Height w/Shoes: 7'0
Weight: 240
Wingspan: 7'5

Andrew Wiggins
Height w/Shoes: 6'8
Weight: 195
Wingspan: 7'0
DraftExpress.com Hoop Summit Measurements


DraftExpress.com: Early International Team Storylines


Another scary prospect is seven footer Joel Embiid who has a ridiculous amount of potential on the defensive end. Embiid put on a clinic in the first practice using his length to block and alter shots, get steals in the post, and physically dominate other post players.
Link

Kentucky may be the most popular choice, North Carolina the most glamorous and Florida State the most likely, but from a strictly basketball perspective, the least talked about finalist of all may make the most sense for Huntington Prep wonder boy Andrew Wiggins.

Even for a Canadian transplant, there’s no place like Kansas.

Ignoring all miscellaneous variables, the birthplace of basketball presents the most appealing collegiate checkpoint for the sport’s fastest-rising star.

KU may not have any one signature selling point to contend with the other three schools, but the net value of its total package is enough to win the Wiggins showcase. More than the stand-alone star power of Kentucky, cachet of North Carolina and familial comfort of Florida State, Kansas hoops has a program, better yet a culture, that unites a combination of the three.

If Wiggins desires a coach capable of producing pros through radically different courses, Rock Chalk Nation is worth a second look. In a decade-long stint in Lawrence alone, Bill Self has coached 24 pros, 18 current or former NBA players and 10 first-round picks, with several more to come this June. He has reared one-and-dones, four-year projects and everything in between. Better than any other coach in the game today, Self has maximized the individual components in his talent trove, both for short and long-term benefit.

If Wiggins values a culture of winning. Kansas, a storied program with a spate of recent success, should garner special attention. The Jayhawks have won nine consecutive Big 12 regular season titles and six of the last eight conference tournament crowns. They’ve made the NCAA tournament in each of the last 24 years — all the while without a player of Wiggins’ ilk — and have reached the Sweet 16 in six of  the last seven. They invariably make Final Fours. They win national championships. Don’t forget, KU is a blueblood too.

If Wiggins fancies a strong supporting cast capable of competing for a title, don’t overlook the KU crew. Yes, Kansas must replace all five starters from a 31-win team, but the reinforcements lining up in their wake are ready to step up in true Self-ian fashion. The Jayhawks have an emerging point guard — which is critical to Wiggins — in rising junior Naadir Tharpe plus a returning interior presence with sky-high potential (Perry Ellis) if he can ever finish at the rim. Incoming freshmen Wayne Selden and Conner Frankamp are talented imports on the perimeter and 7-foot fiend Joel Embiid, a late-bloomer, has the highest upside of any center in his class. Bruising big man Jamari Traylor will stabilize the frontcourt rotation, and the soon-to-be sophomore could be in store for a quantum leap in production with available playing time aplenty. Pundits are quick to write off KU as a national threat year-after-year, as talented stars matriculate out of the program, yet the Jayhawks remain one of the most consistent presences in the Top 10 today.  The role players are already in place for next season. All Kansas needs is the centerpiece around whom to build. Paging Andrew.

If Wiggins wants to be “the guy” without forfeiting a legitimate chance to win, KU ought to be his future domain. He’d have no prominent competition for floor time or touches in Lawrence, and Self would most certainly tailor his offense to run through the Canadian hotshot. Kentucky has a cavalcade of highly-skilled freshmen competing for touches, never mind a returning sophomore (Alex Poythress) sure to bite into Wiggins’ minutes. North Carolina returns P.J. Hairston and James Michael-McAdoo, two players sure to shoulder a large percentage of the team’s shots next season. At Kansas, Wiggins would have the spotlight to himself, absent the do-or-die expectations at the other two bluebloods.

If Wiggins wants familial comfort, Kansas has him covered. His older brother Nick plays at nearby Wichita State, a two-and-a-half hour drive away.

If Wiggins covets a legacy, James Naismith’s alma Mater can offer quite an opportunity. Wiggins could be the best player (shy of Wilt) to ever suit up at the school responsible for inventing the game of basketball. How’s that for a legacy?

Each of the remaining four suitors for Andrew Wiggins has its own unique bargaining chip. The Jayhawks claim an entire stack. Kansas may not be the next stop on the Wiggins NBA expedition, but it isn’t for lack of a compelling pitch.
Busting Brackets


“If we could get a couple more if they are the right couple, then I think we’d be interested in doing that,” KU coach Bill Self said heading into the spring signing period, which runs today through May 15.
“We’re involved with some guys. I don’t know if it’s a situation where it will probably benefit us if we are able to sign a couple more from a depth standpoint. I’m really happy with the guys we have coming in.”

...Tyus Jones, a 6-1 junior point guard from Apple Valley (Minn.) High, tells USA Today he will have an in-home visit with KU’s Self either Monday or Wednesday. He has a final list of KU, Duke, Michigan State, Minnesota, Baylor, Kentucky and Ohio State.
LJW


Tyus Jones’ heavy recruiting season began last weekend in his home.

The Apple Valley junior, considered by many national recruiting services the Class of 2014’s best point guard, was visited by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on his first stop of the April recruiting period. The Blue Devils are considered by many recruiting analysts to be among the front-runners on Jones’ list of seven colleges he’s considering, including Michigan State, Minnesota, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio State.

Duke has yet to offer a scholarship to another point guard in the 2014 class and seems to be in good standing with Jones’ close friend, center Jahlil Okafor at Chicago Whitney Young High. The pair has continually said they plan to play together in college.

Over the weekend, Jones also met with new Gophers coach Richard Pitino, Ohio State’s Thad Matta and Baylor’s Scott Drew. The point guard said he likes Pitino’s energy and vision for the program.
None of the visits led Jones to narrow his list, but he continues to say he would like to make a decision by this fall. He also said he might considering delaying the decision to see how Pitino’s first year with the Gophers begins.
Minn Star Tribune


Recruiters fawning over Apple Valley’s Tyus Jones required the nation’s top-rated junior point guard to implement a new move of misdirection to his repertoire.

Upon each request for his phone number, Jones recites 10 digits that belong to his mother.

“They don’t need to call all day or night. Nothing over the top,” said Jones of college basketball coaches eager for his attention. “I definitely give out my mom’s phone number a lot.”

A change in NCAA rules in October 2011 reformed men’s basketball recruiting practices to allow unlimited contact with players beginning June 15 after their sophomore year. The deregulation unleashed limitless phone calls, text messages, e-mails and private messages on social networks to elite high school athletes such as Jones and other highly sought players.

The NCAA, which believed the changes would help coaches and recruits build stronger relationships and reduce influence of third parties such as AAU coaches, is also considering such deregulation in football and women’s basketball.

To manage the attention, star athletes sometimes utilize parents or coaches as intermediaries, or try to manage when and how often they can be contacted. But with cellphones as indispensable commodities, these teenagers often end up dealing with buzzing and ringing that they either have to answer or ignore.

“All … the … time,” said Rashad Vaughn of the frequency of incoming messages. The Cooper shooting guard, who has yet to narrow his college considerations, said he has received up to 30 messages in a single day. One night in January, he heard from coaches at North Carolina, Louisville, Florida, Iowa State and Baylor.

“It’s nice, I guess,” Vaughn said of the attention. “Sometimes it’s overwhelming.”

…Debbie Jones was ready for the attention directed at her son.
“We had a plan, and that included calling coaches and telling them one text message or one phone call a week is enough,” she said.
Minn Star Tribune


Kaleb Joseph & I were on the phone with Kansas University today. They will be in Dallas this weekend & will be recruiting @kalebjoseph15.
https://twitter.com/RivalsNation


Derby Classic (Frankamp scheduled to participate)
4/18 Night of the Future Stars (3pt and dunk contest)
4/19 Derby Festival Basketball Classic


4/20 Nike Hoop Summit


4/26-4/28 Jayhawk Invitational


2013 Spring/Summer AAU & Camp Schedule


My KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos, Late Night in the Phog, and more now on YouTube

Kansas University seniors Travis Releford and Jeff Withey were named co-winners of the Danny Manning/Mr. Jayhawk Award for contributions on and off the court at Monday’s basketball banquet at the Holidome.

“Travis is an absolute stud — unselfish, an unbelievable competitor. He’s our rock,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Jeff is KU’s all-time leading shot-blocker, which tells you he is the best defender in the history of the school.

“Over the course of their careers, those guys have graduated and done everything they’ve been asked to do and made sacrifices. I think you could make a case for a couple more, but I think it was pretty much a no-brainer that they deserved it,” Self added of the only award distributed at the banquet, attended by more than 600 fans.

Withey, a 7-footer from San Diego, said: “It’s an honor, a cool award. It’s really nice I get to share it with ‘Trav.’ He definitely deserves it.”

Releford, 6-6 from Kansas City, in his speech thanked his teammates saying, “You made my last year a time to remember.”

…Self on Johnson, who starred in KU’s overtime win at Iowa State. “Talk about Elijah’s 39 points. ... It was great, but the last two almost got my (bleep) whipped after the game,” Self said, referring to an ISU fan getting in his face on the way to the locker room ... Self on freshman Rio Adams, who is transferring to a yet-to-be-determined school. “If you ever want to get caught up on social media now that Tyshawn (Taylor) is not here, here’s the guy,” he cracked of Adams, who complained about playing time on Twitter during the season.

Tragedy addressed: The tragic events at the Boston Marathon were referenced by former KU player Wayne Simien, who offered the opening prayer, as well as emcee Bob Davis and Self.

“This is a somber day from what has taken place elsewhere, but it should be a very happy day to honor these young men who represented all of us the past four or five years,” Self said. “This team maximized their abilities and played to their ceiling about as well as any team that I have ever had in my 20 years of being a head coach.”
LJW


Both Withey and Johnson have signed with an agent and plan on working out in Lawrence for a few weeks until taking their training elsewhere. Withey said he would move to Los Angeles to continue preparing for the draft, while Johnson plans on going to Houston.

Both Johnson and Releford recently participated in a pre-draft camp, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and they faced each other in the final game. Johnson contributed five points, four steals, four assists and six turnovers in 30 minutes for K&D Roundscaping, which beat Releford’s team, Roger Brown’s Restaurant, 87-78 in the final game. Releford notched two points, two turnovers and one steal in 28 minutes of play.

“I realized that we had a chance to play each other and we talked it up,” Johnson said. “We had a couple of smart comments for each other but not nothing too risky, risking our relationship for nothing like that.”
UDK


Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self received the John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honor at the annual John R. Wooden Award Gala, Friday in Los Angeles.

Self was officially named the recipient of the accolade in Oct. 2012 and received the trophy at Friday's John R. Wooden Gala honoring men's and women's college and high school 2013 John R. Wooden Award winners.
KUAD


LJW Newell: Top 10 KU dunks of 2012-13


It looks as if KU’s basketball team will play Florida, not Arkansas, in next year’s Big 12-SEC Challenge. The Palm Beach Post quoted Florida officials as saying, UF will “host an historic powerhouse from the Big 12” next season.

KU officials would not confirm or deny the report, only indicating KU’s opponent in the challenge should be finalized in the next two weeks. KU will also travel to Colorado next season, play Duke in Chicago and meet Georgetown and San Diego State in Allen Fieldhouse. KU will compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in a field that includes Villanova, Wake Forest, Tennessee, USC, UTEP, Xavier and a yet-to-be-determined squad.

Self the speaker: KU coach Bill Self will be a featured speaker at “Leadership Game Changer: Developing Business Champions,” a professional training event May 9 in Atlanta. Leadership Game Changer is produced by Kansas’ multimedia and licensing partner IMG College. For more information visit www.Leadership-GameChanger.com ... Self will speak at Eric Berry’s third-annual Man 2 Man event benefiting Big Brothers and Sisters of Greater Kansas City at 6 p.m., April 18 at Arrowhead’s North Club.
LJW


Colorful 2012 Olympic shot put bronze-medal winner Reese Hoffa will test his body — then his mind — in a pair of Kansas Relays competitions Wednesday night in downtown Lawrence.

First, the 5-foot-11, 320-pound native of Evans, Ga., will compete in the 6 p.m. shot put competition against a field that includes 2008 Olympic silver medalist Christian Cantwell.

Then, immediately following the event, Hoffa will participate in a one-on-one celebrity Rubik’s Cube challenge against Kansas University senior basketball player Kevin Young. Hoffa, a noted speedcubist, has solved the puzzle in a personal-best 38 seconds.

Young, at this year’s NCAA Tournament, fiddled with a cube in front of reporters in the Jayhawks’ locker room and said he’s solved the cube in about two minutes.

“This should be a lot of fun,” Young said Thursday. His body type is just the opposite of Hoffa’s, at 6-foot-8 and a rail-thin 190 pounds. “The Relays are always great. This year I’m excited to get a chance to meet the athletes, especially Reese Hoffa, who shares a hobby with me.”
LJW


All the elements that make March Madness great – talented student-athletes, invested fans, and a suspenseful outcome, among others – were in play Sunday night as Naadir Tharpe and Christian Garrett helped the Lawrence Public Library reveal the winner of its Tournament of Kids’ Books.

A crowd of nearly 100 children and their families cheered in the events room as Tharpe unwrapped this year’s winner, part of a now annual celebration of reading with a hint of basketball tournament drama. In this year’s 16-book bracket, “Cabinet of Wonders” defeated “Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Cabin Fever” by a single vote.
KUAD (Video at the link)


4/14/13, 8:18 PM
Big shout out 2 @colea45 for killin tonight despite the loss. 6/7 from field 12 pts, 12 reb, 4 blks. #bigfellahighlights
https://twitter.com/treed14


Eurobasket: Interview with Aaron Miles


Markieff Morris led the defensive way with career highs for blocks (six) and steals (five), becoming the first NBA player to do that in a game since Josh Smith in 2007. Morris added 21 points and seven rebounds.

“I had a little bit more pop off in my step after I had the day off (Sunday),” Morris said. “I feel like I can guard different positions. I was just going off everything and getting it.”
Link


Angel Goodrich, the all-time assist leader in Kansas University women’s basketball history, became the sixth KU player to be chosen in the WNBA Draft, when the senior point guard was tabbed as the 29th pick overall by the Tulsa Shock in the third round of the WNBA Draft on Monday night.
Goodrich is from Tahlequah, Okla. Goodrich joins Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins as the two Tulsa draft picks this season. The two point guards faced each other in the regional semifinal on March 31 in Norfolk, Va.
LJW

Nerlens Noel enters draft


Otto Porter enters draft


Trey Burke enters draft


A person familiar with the situation says Loyola of Chicago has accepted an invitation to the Missouri Valley Conference and is leaving the Horizon League.
AP


https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com (Results)


Pre-draft Measurements


DraftExpress Early Entry Tracker


CBS NBA Draft Early Entry Tracker

4/15/13, 6:22 PM
This is so crazy, prayers go out to those affected..🙏🙏 I drove by the finish line yesterday to catch the bus back to school.. So sad man..
https://twitter.com/wayneseldenjr


10. Conner Frankamp, PG/SG, Kansas ESPN 100 Rank: No. 47

He is not real big or fast, but Frankamp has a high basketball IQ with the handle to play some point guard and the shooting skills to play the 2-guard. Kansas loses its best 3-point threats from this year's team -- Ben McLemore, Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford -- so Frankamp's role will be to play either guard spot and always be ready to shoot the ball because that's what he does best. Last summer at the Elite 24 showcase, he scrimmaged against NBA players like James Harden, Brandon Jennings and DeMar DeRozan and was comfortable on the floor with those pros. When Frankamp steps on the court he possesses the ultimate confidence in his game because he has invested countless hours into honing his shot. As a freshman he could be the Jayhawks' best 3-point shooter.
ESPN Insider ($)


Derby Classic (Frankamp scheduled to participate)

4/18 Night of the Future Stars (3pt and dunk contest)
4/19 Derby Festival Basketball Classic


Wassup Portland?
https://twitter.com/jojo_embiid


Portland bound!!
https://twitter.com/22wiggins


Andrew Wiggins showcasing his athleticism and skill set in the 3 on 3 drills. Nobody on the floor capable of stopping him.
https://twitter.com/nikehoopsummit


4/20 Nike Hoop Summit


So Roy Williams visits Wiggins Monday, Bill Self Tuesday, Leonard Hamilton Wednesday...does Calipari swoop in for a Thursday "what up"?
https://twitter.com/KySportsRadio


Joel Embiid—Embiid played a tremendous game defensively on the interior and on the backboards. He averaged only 1.8 blocks per game in high school, but sent away 5 shots in 19 minutes at Barclays. We’re not talking meager attempts either; he had numerous blocks on hard charging drives, including one from the man-child Julius Randle. He has the feel of a prospect that steps up as his level of competition is enhanced. He showed no fear mixing it up. At 7’0 (7’5 wingspan) Embiid has an already impressive frame to build on, undoubtedly with room for substantial gains in muscle mass. If his on-court ambition to fire away from the perimeter is any indication, he wants to learn and develop his raw, albeit highly intriguing, skillset.
nbadraft.net


Wayne Selden—The Kansas commit currently has a bigger body than most NBA swingmen. Watching him physically bully opponents on the high school level reminds you of Corey Maggette at the NBA level. Unfortunately, Selden failed to get going in this game, going scoreless on 0-4 shooting with four turnovers. But this line is likely no indication of the impact this player will have in his career at Kansas, and potentially at the professional level. Selden generally looks to take the ball aggressively to the hoop, and once he gets a half step advantage and a shoulder into his defender, he is able to finish well. Selden is also comfortable shooting from the outside, though it is not currently one of his overt strengths. Selden is intriguing as a prospect due to all the reasons mentioned above, and at 17 he will likely get even bigger and stronger, allowing him to continue to be an effective driver at the next level.


Andrew Wiggins – Wiggins, the son of two former professional athletes, is a world-class athlete in the truest sense of the word. The swingman is one of the best leapers the game has ever seen. An undeclared senior, Wiggins tied teammate Julius Randle for leading scorer in the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic with 19 points, many of which came in very short spurts throughout the game (more on that later) on high-flying dunks.

At 6’7” with a thin but wiry-strong frame, Wiggins has prototypical NBA swingman size already at age 17. He has decent shooting form and the ability to knock down shots out to about 21 feet, as well as a soft touch around the hoop. Despite his slight frame, Wiggins is able to absorb contact well and finish. Although not as advanced offensively as some other elite recruits we have seen in the past, Wiggins has a few very effective moves that he utilizes frequently. His floater is quite advanced for a player of his age and speed, as well as his spin move. Otherwise, Wiggins’ offensive arsenal is somewhat limited at this point, especially as it relates to creating for teammates. Granted, he is always far and away the best athlete on the court when playing against other high schoolers, and is very effective just blowing by his defenders and dunking.

Wiggins does, on occasion, pull up from mid-range with decent form, though it is not necessarily a strong point of his game. He does not currently have a post-game he feels comfortable using in games.

In comparison to Jabari Parker, the “other” top recruit in his class, Wiggins is a much rawer commodity. While Jabari trades some of Wiggins’ athleticism for size, standing slightly taller and weighing in about 25 pounds heavier, Parker has excellent shooting form, good passing ability, and can mix things up both in the post, off the dribble, and from mid-range. Wiggins may be viewed as having more upside, but he is not currently as “next-level-ready” as Parker.

The main concerns relating to Wiggins revolve around his desire to play hard consistently, with more passion, and if he loves basketball enough to completely dedicate his life to the game; as all great players do. As mentioned earlier, Wiggins scored the majority of his points in short bursts. He went through long stretches where he appeared complacent, and there does not seem to be much reason why Wiggins does not routinely dominate more at this level. The physical potential is there for Wiggins to become an elite NBA swingman and a household name for years to come, but he will need to play with more consistency, energy, and work to improve his offensive skill set and general understanding of the game to become a star.
nbadraft.net


Kansas added a few stars to its recruiting class without signing anyone on Monday.
Rivals released its final recruiting rankings for 2013, and the results seemed to solidify KU's class as No. 2 behind Kentucky pending the decision of the No. 1 player, Andrew Wiggins.

Center Joel Embiid and wing Wayne Selden both earned the five-star designation, with Selden coming in at No. 12 and Embiid at No. 25. Selden moved up from No. 26 after playing well at the McDonald's All-America game, while Embiid generated some buzz with his performance at the Jordan Brand Classic.

Brannen Greene and Conner Frankamp both stayed in the high four-star range, with Greene going from No. 26 to No. 29 and and Frankamp going from No. 31 to 34. The biggest mover was point guard Frank Mason, who shot up the rankings to No. 76 and earned four-star status.

Before the new rankings were released, coach Bill Self said KU's recruiting class was ranked No. 2 and still a bit underrated based on his own evaluations. That probably has a lot to do with Embiid and Mason, both of whom were under-the-radar prospects when they committed. If Embiid reaches his ceiling -- which people now seem to see as "lottery pick two years from now" -- and Mason becomes a contributor, Self is going to look pretty prescient.

And, of course, Wiggins is still on the board.
TCJ


Richard Pitino already has phoned Tyus. “Yes, [Pitino] will be recruiting [Tyus],” Debbie said. “Yes, definitely.”

This will be a real recruiting test for Richard Pitino and the Gophers. One Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach who has been recruiting Jones is Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, and he was in the Jones’ home Thursday night, one of several visits he has made with the family.

Coach K already has a commitment from Jabari Parker, a 6-8 forward player from Chicago, who was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in 2013 by Rivals.com. Krzyzewski’s great recruiting ability has helped him win more college basketball games than any other coach.

Another coach who has been recruiting Jones is a future Hall of Famer in Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. He also has visited the Jones family several times.

Those close to the Jones family believe Tyus will sign with either Duke or Michigan State.
Pioneer Press


4/26-4/28 Jayhawk Invitational


My KU Alumni games, 2011-12 Border War, Legends of the Phog, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos, Late Night in the Phog, and more now on YouTube