Bill Self’s 2014 Basketball Boot Camp is over. ... sort of.
Self’s 16 Kansas University players successfully completed a series of timed sprints and other drills from 6 to 7 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, with the 12th-year coach stating “the guys did great in making their times. I was very impressed with all of them.”...
Now, in the wake of intense early-morning conditioning the past week and a half, Self today and Friday turns the reins over to Marine Eric Kapitulik, who is bringing “The Program” to town.
“The Program” is a physically and mentally grueling two-day regimen that many schools in the country have had their athletes participate in, including Notre Dame, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State and Texas, to name a few.
…“It doesn’t have anything to do with me or our staff. It’s a Marine basically showing our guys some things I think he’s probably learned throughout his time that makes them more mentally tough and more of a team,” Self said.
“One thing with so many young guys and not a senior on scholarship on our team, we need to develop some leaders. Certainly we’ll rely on some really young kids to be in different roles, to be different-type leaders. This will teach us how to be better leaders, how to be better teammates, how to pull together when things get a little fragmented,” Self added.
…As far as the traditional Self Boot Camp, Self said scholarship freshmen Cliff Alexander, Devonté Graham, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Kelly Oubre Jr. all performed well.
“I’d say on a scale of 1 to 10, they were all 8s and 9s. They were good. All of them made their times without any problems,” Self said. “They didn’t just get through it, they tried to really push through it. Svi, Devonté, Kelly and Cliff showed me a little bit more than what I thought they would have this early in their careers from a mental-toughness standpoint.”
LJW
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Kansas coach Bill Self and Arizona coach Sean Miller don't see a huge recruiting advantage for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski or Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim coaching the men's national team. But if there is one, both coaches say they should promote it as much as possible.
Discussing the topic on ESPNU's College Basketball podcast with Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg, Self said, "When you recruit against Duke and Coach K, that's hard enough. Throw in USA Basketball and that's a big deal.
"But I know this," Self added. "We all look for edges and angles to get as much exposure for our programs as possible."
Kansas will represent the United States in the World University Games in South Korea in 2015 and Self said the Jayhawks will use that to their advantage.
"You don't think we're using that in recruiting?" Self said. "You have to look out for what is best for our sport and more than anything else. And of course, coach Krzyzewski coaching USA Basketball has been good for our sport and no one can question that."
ESPN
ESPN podcast w/Coach Bill Self
The label of No. 1 pick is, in itself, a burden. Wiggins will be able to ask new teammate Anthony Bennett about just that. Wiggins will be subjected to the same strain of comparative analysis, only the standard of acceptable performance will be set even higher than it was for Bennett.
However, unlike when Wiggins entered the college game last year, no realistic observer will expect him to destroy everything in his path right away. Wiggins needs time to round out his game, just as the Timberwolves need time to fashion a roster suited to compete in the loaded West. There could be hints of Wiggins’ long-term potential, but a realistic expectation is that Wiggins will use his first season to develop a feel for the pro game.
“I don’t think there’s any question he can be a franchise player for Minnesota,” Self said. “I think he’s going to be terrific. I think when you put Andrew in a position – and knowing his personality and how he operates – when you put him in a position, where he knows you really need him to be this or that, I think he responds to that very, very well. I like where he’s at, personally. I would have loved him getting a chance to play with LeBron, too – that could have been good. But I don’t think that even though there would be some unbelievable positives in doing that, I still think there are some great positives for him being where he’s at in Minnesota, too.”
SI
The Timberwolves unveiled the bounty they got for All-Star Kevin Love at the Minnesota State Fair, and Wiggins wore an ear-to-ear smile for most of the day as hundreds of fans followed him around the fairgrounds. It was a warm welcome after the disappointment of being drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland, only to be shipped out when the Cavaliers decided to acquire the veteran Love to help James chase down a championship.
"It's been a crazy summer, really up and down. Kind of lost, not really knowing where I'm going," Wiggins said. "But I wanted to play for a team that wanted me. I felt the love as soon as I got off the plane at the airport, so it's all good now. I'm excited for this season."
…Earlier in the day, the players visited Target Center for the first time as Timberwolves. Wiggins walked around the locker room and slipped on a white No. 22 Wolves jersey with his name on the back. As he sat down in the chair in front of his locker, he let out a big sigh.
Finally, all the trade talk, all the uncertainty, all the posturing was over. He is a Timberwolf now. And instead of being a sidekick for James, he's one of the central figures in a team that appears to at least have a sense of direction for the first time in the last decade.
"It was a big relief," Wiggins said. "Now it's solidified. I'm situated in a spot where I know I'm going to be at for a very, very long time. It's comforting."
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Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown told SiriusXM NBA on Thursday that, when the team selected Joel Embiid in this year's draft, it made him rethink the way he'd use Nerlens Noel. Brown, a longtime San Antonio Spurs assistant, also said that he thinks the Sixers can learn from how Tim Duncan and David Robinson played together on defense.
Originally I kept talking about, 'Is [Noel] Tyson Chandler? What type of 5 man is he? Is he gonna be Joakim Noah?' Since we have drafted Joel Embiid, I've sort of reshifted my own vision of the program, where from only a height perspective, I wonder if there are things to be learned from Timmy and David Robinson to roll out two big men and really think about the rim protection and the defense that we could have here. Which puts him more at the 4 spot. So I'm flexible. I think this year you're going to see him at both positions. I think at the end of the day where he's going to help us the most is a rim protector and from the defensive end.
Neither big man has played an NBA game yet, and there's a strong possibility Embiid will miss the entire 2014-2015 season. Still, it's not too early to get excited about the pair's defensive potential. Brown's not exactly comparing them to the Spurs legends, but rather he's saying that Noel, Embiid and the staff can study how they functioned together. If the young Sixers can stay healthy, based on the way they played in college there is certainly potential for them to be dominant on that end.
CBS
“Pay Heed. The game you love began here. Respect those who came before you. Make their legacy your own. Because destiny favors the dedicated. And rings don’t replace work. In this game you don’t get what you want. You get what you earn. We are Kansas. Together we rise. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Originally I kept talking about, 'Is [Noel] Tyson Chandler? What type of 5 man is he? Is he gonna be Joakim Noah?' Since we have drafted Joel Embiid, I've sort of reshifted my own vision of the program, where from only a height perspective, I wonder if there are things to be learned from Timmy and David Robinson to roll out two big men and really think about the rim protection and the defense that we could have here. Which puts him more at the 4 spot. So I'm flexible. I think this year you're going to see him at both positions. I think at the end of the day where he's going to help us the most is a rim protector and from the defensive end.
Neither big man has played an NBA game yet, and there's a strong possibility Embiid will miss the entire 2014-2015 season. Still, it's not too early to get excited about the pair's defensive potential. Brown's not exactly comparing them to the Spurs legends, but rather he's saying that Noel, Embiid and the staff can study how they functioned together. If the young Sixers can stay healthy, based on the way they played in college there is certainly potential for them to be dominant on that end.
CBS
“Pay Heed. The game you love began here. Respect those who came before you. Make their legacy your own. Because destiny favors the dedicated. And rings don’t replace work. In this game you don’t get what you want. You get what you earn. We are Kansas. Together we rise. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Big 12 / College News
Blue Ribbon’s Top 25
1 Kentucky
2 Arizona
3 Wisconsin
4 North Carolina
5 Duke
6 Kansas
7 Wichita State
8 Virginia
9 Gonzaga
10 Florida
11 Louisville
12 Texas
13 Villanova
14 VCU
15 Ohio State
16 Connecticut
17 San Diego State
18 Iowa State
19 SMU
20 Michigan State
21 Syracus
22 Stanford
23 Michigan
24 Nebraska
25 Oklahoma
http://blueribbonyearbookonline.com
For the first time in conference history, the entire Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship will be televised nationally on ESPN networks, the league office has announced.
This year’s championship will see every game broadcast on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU for the first time. Previously, selected contests during the event were shown in certain areas on the Big 12 Network, the Conference’s syndication agreement with ESPN. In addition, the final will move back to its traditional 5:00 p.m. local tipoff after a later start one year ago.
Big 12 Sports
1 Kentucky
2 Arizona
3 Wisconsin
4 North Carolina
5 Duke
6 Kansas
7 Wichita State
8 Virginia
9 Gonzaga
10 Florida
11 Louisville
12 Texas
13 Villanova
14 VCU
15 Ohio State
16 Connecticut
17 San Diego State
18 Iowa State
19 SMU
20 Michigan State
21 Syracus
22 Stanford
23 Michigan
24 Nebraska
25 Oklahoma
http://blueribbonyearbookonline.com
For the first time in conference history, the entire Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship will be televised nationally on ESPN networks, the league office has announced.
This year’s championship will see every game broadcast on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU for the first time. Previously, selected contests during the event were shown in certain areas on the Big 12 Network, the Conference’s syndication agreement with ESPN. In addition, the final will move back to its traditional 5:00 p.m. local tipoff after a later start one year ago.
Big 12 Sports
Stanford announced Wednesday that it has extended the contract of head coach Johnny Dawkins.
Per university policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dawkins led the Cardinal to an upset of No. 2 seed Kansas in last season's NCAA Tournament. Stanford, who was a 10-seed, defeated No. 7 seed New Mexico and Kansas before falling to No. 11 seed Dayton in the Sweet Sixteen.
SI
N.C. State junior guard Trevor Lacey was arrested Friday for a failure to appear in court.
Lacey missed his Wake County court date for a traffic violation in April. He received a second traffic violation Friday for riding a moped without a helmet. When he was stopped by N.C. State University police at 12:39 a.m. on Western Boulevard in Raleigh, he was arrested for missing his original court date.
Lacey, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Alabama, sat out last season and is expected to be the primary scorer for the Wolfpack this season.
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Recruiting
Rayjon Tucker, a top recruit from North Carolina getting interest up and down the East Coast, verbally committed to FGCU tonight, perhaps the biggest score of the Joe Dooley era.
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Recruiting Calendar
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Recruiting Calendar
My Late Night in the Phog videos, KU Alumni games videos, 2011-12 Border War videos, Legends of the Phog videos, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/kcjcjhawk
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