Miles, Bieniemy, and Calixte

[inoref]

But as I said in my post, dunno yet

 

[AdaSooner]

I like what I have seen so far of all of our newbies.

Jamal Bieniemy is even better than I expected him to be. I think our coaches found a gem when they signed this kid. He obviously has a high basketball IQ. He’s so versatile as a scorer and defender, I have very little doubt that he could play three positions if need be. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he breaks into the starting lineup by the halfway point of the season.

Calixte and Reynolds appear to be a perfect fit for this team. Calixte is the point guard we were desperate for following Trae’s departure for the NBA and Shepherd’s decision to transfer to another school. Reynolds gives us more quality depth in the backcourt, where he has some impressive skills as a scorer and as a defender. They also give the team more experience,

I owe Kur Kauth and the coaches who recruited and signed him an apology. I don’t know if he has improved that much in the past few weeks, or I was just blind to how good he could be. He still has a lot to learn on both ends of the court. But I was wrong when I questioned the wisdom of using a scholarship on him. No doubt in my mind that Kur is going to help us this year!

 

[coolm]

I owe Kur Kauth and the coaches who recruited and signed him an apology. I don’t know if he has improved that much in the past few weeks, or I was just blind to how good he could be. He still has a lot to learn on both ends of the court. But I was wrong when I questioned the wisdom of using a scholarship on him. No doubt in my mind that Kur is going to help us this year!

His activity level is so high. He's aggressive and not trying to "feel his way around". I am very happy with them all as well.

 

[Darwin]

Maybe Kur can catch a little time at 4 if he can defend a pick and roll/pop.

 

[dsuits]

I owe Kur Kauth and the coaches who recruited and signed him an apology. I don’t know if he has improved that much in the past few weeks, or I was just blind to how good he could be. He still has a lot to learn on both ends of the court. But I was wrong when I questioned the wisdom of using a scholarship on him. No doubt in my mind that Kur is going to help us this year!

I thought Kur would redshirt when he committed. Based on what we had returning and losing after this year, it made sense. Throw in Kur being a juco and needing to add some weight, I liked the plan to bring him along and hopefully have him ready to replace some of those departing minutes next year. Kruger insinuated a couple times this week that was originally in the cards but as Leopard pointed out a few weeks back, he will help us from the jump. How big of a impact? He will have off nights like everyone else but the kid has a athletic motor and has some natural instincts for a guy that hasn't played ball for very long. I'm anxious to see how he develops not only from this year to next but from week to week. He's got an inspiring family story, a good personality and a fun style of play that will make him a fan favorite IMO. It may sound a little hyperbolic but you're not going to find many front court guys out there that are as athletically gifted as Muni and Kur on the same team.


Below is an article from the desert news interview with Kur's High basketball coach Dan Cosby if anyone is interested or missed it. At the end of the story Cosby briefly mentions Kur's younger brother Majok Kuath. Maybe someone to keep an eye on going forward.


Kuath needed some tough love from Cosby to get in gear early in his high school career. Although Kuath had good height and incredible length — he’s now 6-9 with a massive 7-5 wingspan — he just didn’t put forth the effort to maximize his size.

Cosby bluntly asked Kuath, “Are you willing to do what it takes to play?” Kuath responded, "I don’t even like basketball enough for that."

“Oh," Cosby replied, "you’ll be tall for nothing.”

The Kearns coach didn’t stop there, though. He challenged Kuath to harness his God-given physical gift for bigger things than basketball, including assisting relatives who remain in a tough situation in Africa.

“If you care about them,” Cosby said, “get a college education through basketball and then go help your family.”

Cosby worked with Kuath’s teachers to give him another chance. Some teachers had written the struggling student off, concerned “he’s going to amount to nothing” because of the path he was on.

But Cosby wouldn’t give up on him.

“He was a great influence on my life. If it wasn’t for Coach Cosby, I don’t think I would be playing basketball right now,” Kuath said. “He pushed me. He made me who I am. He was a great coach. I need to thank Coach Cosby every day.”

Kuath’s said Cosby "changed my life" when he challenged him.

“He was just straight up with me and told me if I’m not going to train or do anything to get better then I won’t make the team next year, so that just motivated me to get better and just got me right,” Kuath said.

“I wasn’t really into basketball too much over the years. … I found out I loved the game. It’s just been great.”

Doubters became believers because of his efforts.

“Kur is just a good kid,” Cosby said. “He has a motor most guys don’t have. You never have to tell him to hustle.”

Phillips was a doubter. He didn't think Kuath was at the Bruins' level after the skinny kid came out of Kearns in 2016. The SLCC coach helped him find a playing opportunity at Western Wyoming Community College. Two things led Kuath to SLCC: 1. He was miserable in Rock Springs, Wyoming; and 2. He grew an inch and a half while improving.

Phillips watched Kuath on the court with his players in the offseason and told himself, "Oh my gosh. I made a big mistake."

The combination of athleticism, mid-range shooting, interior dominance and defensive tenacity make Kuath a nice player. But Phillips said his Rudy Gobert-like wing span sets him apart. There are a lot of 6-9 guys. There are very few whose arms stretch out 89 inches wide.

Four-year universities agree. Though it appeared Kuath might attend Utah, he decided to play out of state to "focus more on basketball without distractions."

Kuath recently verbally committed to play for Oklahoma. It's easy to see why colleges covet his skill set. The 19-year-old is averaging 11.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, four blocked shots and makes opponents second-guess going in the paint. Phillips calls him "a game-changer" because of his length and mobility.

"Blocks are definitely one of my favorite things of playing basketball," Kuath said. "… I just let people know, 'Don’t come into my paint.' It's just what I do."

Added Cosby: "He was a late bloomer. … He was a good shot blocker, but now he's amazing."

Both student-athletes still have work to do and challenges to overcome, but Phillips likes where they're headed.

"They'll both succeed," he said.

There was a time not too long ago — before a caring coach went out of his way and they got out of their own way — when that was not a given.

A bonus for Cosby: Their younger brothers — Journey Buba and Majok Kuath — are two of his best players on this year's talented Kearns squad.

 

[coolm]

thx for that article dsuits. that was interesting.

 

[aliasou]

I don't know how long they were on the floor together, but a combination of Doolittle, Odomes, and Reynolds stresses me out. Guards passing up open threes bothers me. It's one thing to have one guard who is not a shooter, but having multiple players on the floor at the same time who won't pull the trigger is going to frustrate us at some point. I do appreciate all the positives those players brought, I am not complaining about them individually. It's just I see this as a problem in the future.

 

[OULad]

I doubt that lineup would be on the floor much.