What Kansas Losses and Returns Next Season

[SoonerTraveler]

As always, KU reloads, and will be loaded next season. Kansas losses two players that were starters at the end of the season (senior Perry Ellis and junior Wayne Selden). They return two starters that each played more than 1,000 minutes in 2015-16 (junior Frank Mason and Sophomore Devonte’ Graham). Junior Landen Lewis was a starter at the of the season and also returns. Talented underclassmen (Svi Mykhailiuk, Carlton Bragg, Cheick Diallo, Lagerald Vick) all gained playing time behind the veteran players. The two incoming freshmen are both 4-Star post players, plus Dwight Coleby (6-9; 240) transferred from Ole Miss a year ago, and is now eligible after a redshirt season. Plus, KU could get two more 5-Star recruits to close out the 2016 recruiting class in the late signing period.


Kansas Departing Scholarship Players
Minutes ............ Points .............. Player
1,150 (30.3 mpg) .. 641 (16.9 ppg) .. Perry Ellis (SR; 6-8; 225) .. started 38 games
1,134 (29.8 mpg) .. 523 (13.8 ppg) .. Wayne Selden (JR; 6-5; 230) started 37 games
_ 503 (13.6 mpg) .. 109 (2.9 ppg) ... Jamari Traylor (SR; 6-8; 220) started 8 games
_ 371 (12.4 mpg) .. 161 (5.4 ppg) ... Brannen Greene (JR; 6-7; 214) played in 30 games
_ 201 (7.7 mpg) ...... 61 (2.3 ppg) ... Hunter Mickelson (SR; 6-10; 245) started 11 games

3,359 minutes for these players = 44% of total team minutes
1,495 points for these players = 48% of total team points

Kansas Returning Players (> 90 minutes playing time)
Minutes ............ Points .............. Player
1,272 (33.5 mpg) .. 489 (12.9 ppg) .. Frank Mason (JR; 5-11; 185) .. started 38 games
1,238 (32.6 mpg) .. 430 (11.3 ppg) .. Devonte’ Graham (SOPH; 6-2; 175) .. started 36 games
_ 664 (18.4 mpg) .. 207 (5.8 ppg) ... Landen Lucas (JR; 6-10; 240) .. started 19 games
_ 449 (12.8 mpg) .. 188 (5.4 ppg) ... Svi Mykhailiuk (SOPH; 6-8; 195) .. played in 35 games
_ 338 (8.9 mpg) .... 144 (3.8 ppg) ... Carlton Bragg (FR; 6-9; 220) played in 38 games / 5-Star Recruit
_ 202 (7.5 mpg) ...... 81 (3.0 ppg) ... Cheick Diallo (FR; 6-9; 220) played in 27 games / 5-Star Recruit
__ 91 (4.8 mpg) ...... 39 (2.1 ppg) ... Lagerald Vick (FR; 6-5; 175) played in 19 games / 4-Star Recruit


Kansas has 4 newcomers so far (including 1 already on the roster ##)
> Dwight Coleby (JR; F; 6-9; 240) Ole Miss Transfer ##
> Mitch Lightfoot (F; 6-8; 200) Gilbert, AZ | 4-Star Recruit
> Udoka Azubuike (C; 6-11; 265) Jacksonville, FL | 4-Star Recruit (Top-30)
> Josh Jackson (SF; 6-7; 185) Napa, CA | 5-Star Recruit (Top-5)

As expected, KU landed 5-Star wing Josh Jackson (committed 4-11-2016)
http://www.scout.com/college/basket...five-star-wing-josh-jackson-commits-to-kansas

And, is in the hunt for 5-Star 7-footer Thon Maker:
http://247sports.com/player/thon-maker-20987

Once again, Kansas will be LOADED!!

 

[sperry]

They've won the conference pretty handily the last few years with teams taht were much worse than this one should be. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference is likely to take a big step back. That streak isn't going anywhere.

 

[skyvue]

They've won the conference pretty handily the last few years with teams taht were much worse than this one should be. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference is likely to take a big step back. That streak isn't going anywhere.

They're obviously going to be good, but I don't know that I'd rank next year's returning talent as better than, say, this year's. Ellis and Selden are big losses.

 

[TheGimper]

For the record, Diallo has declared for the draft but has not yet hired an agent. And Thon Maker is trying to gain eligibility for this year's draft.

 

[Zimwillett]

For the record, Diallo has declared for the draft but has not yet hired an agent. And Thon Maker is trying to gain eligibility for this year's draft.

From everything I've read, the chances of Thon Maker ever playing college basketball are extremely low.

 

[bgrch1350]

Jackson will be the deciding factor on how good they will be. Diallo and Maker isn't going to define this team. They have plenty of post players. They still have Lucas, Bragg, Coleby, Lightfoot, and Azubuike.

 

[sperry]

They're obviously going to be good, but I don't know that I'd rank next year's returning talent as better than, say, this year's. Ellis and Selden are big losses.

Ellis is definitely a big loss, but I'm not particularly high on Selden. And I expect that Graham/Lucas backcourt to do what experienced backcourts tend to do: dominate.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

For the record, Diallo has declared for the draft but has not yet hired an agent. And Thon Maker is trying to gain eligibility for this year's draft.

Thanks!

Amazingly, we can scratch those two off the list and KU is still loaded.

 

[SilliSooner]

I think I also read where Bragg and Graham were thinking of declaring for the NBA. is the Azubuike coming in related to Kelenna from Tulsa?

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Josh Jackson added to the list of newcomers in the OP above.

 

[152219]

Rumor is the Diallo is gone even if he gets a 2nd round grade.

 

[sperry]

Rumor is the Diallo is gone even if he gets a 2nd round grade.

Not sure how the recruiting services messed up so bad with Diallo. He was a straight up developmental project like Lattin or McNease. The size and athleticism is there, but the skill isn't yet. And because he was a 5* coming out of high school he probably had a billion people telling him college was just a one year pit stop til he was a lottery pick, while McNease and Lattin were told if they were patient and developed they could achieve big stuff.

 

[bgrch1350]

Not sure how the recruiting services messed up so bad with Diallo. He was a straight up developmental project like Lattin or McNease. The size and athleticism is there, but the skill isn't yet. And because he was a 5* coming out of high school he probably had a billion people telling him college was just a one year pit stop til he was a lottery pick, while McNease and Lattin were told if they were patient and developed they could achieve big stuff.

He will lose millions entering. He could come back and be a lottery pick. Kansas has proven that they can develop big men better than the rest of the colleges. They have a history of post players struggling early on and then exploding. Thomas Robinson is a perfect example.

 

[sperry]

He will lose millions entering. He could come back and be a lottery pick. Kansas has proven that they can develop big men better than the rest of the colleges. They have a history of post players struggling early on and then exploding. Thomas Robinson is a perfect example.

Not necessarily. If he comes back and doesn't do much, he won't even get looked at again. Returning to school is a big gamble if you had a bad freshman year.

 

[bgrch1350]

Not necessarily. If he comes back and doesn't do much, he won't even get looked at again. Returning to school is a big gamble if you had a bad freshman year.

He has 3 years to work his way into the first round and into the lottery. He enters, and goes into the 2nd...It will take him years to make the money he could have made his first year had he waited. Leaving when you are clearly not ready for the nba is a sure fire way to never make it in the nba.

 

[sperry]

He has 3 years to work his way into the first round and into the lottery. He enters, and goes into the 2nd...It will take him years to make the money he could have made his first year had he waited. Leaving when you are clearly not ready for the nba is a sure fire way to never make it in the nba.

Ask Alex Poythress how 4 years of school worked out. He went from 1st round pick to undrafted. Happens all the time. The NBA drafts on potential, but the longer you stay in school if you aren't super productive your "potential" dries up.

For some guys it's better to get paid and develop in the d league than to play in college. Especially considering he probably won't start at KU next year.

 

[fksooner]

He will lose millions entering. He could come back and be a lottery pick. Kansas has proven that they can develop big men better than the rest of the colleges. They have a history of post players struggling early on and then exploding. Thomas Robinson is a perfect example.

That was while Manning was coaching there. What big from KU has improved after Manning left. Alexander nope Traylor nope Mickelson nope. Lucas nope no offense moves at all. This myth that KU develops big men is crap. The last few have went from lottery picks to second round picks.

 

[bgrch1350]

Ask Alex Poythress how 4 years of school worked out. He went from 1st round pick to undrafted. Happens all the time. The NBA drafts on potential, but the longer you stay in school if you aren't super productive your "potential" dries up.

For some guys it's better to get paid and develop in the d league than to play in college. Especially considering he probably won't start at KU next year.

1) Poythress had a huge injury.
2) He was never going to be in the NBA but he will make money overseas still. Just like Nash.

 

[bgrch1350]

That was while Manning was coaching there. What big from KU has improved after Manning left. Alexander nope Traylor nope Mickelson nope. Lucas nope no offense moves at all. This myth that KU develops big men is crap. The last few have went from lottery picks to second round picks.

Lucas, Ellis, Embiid and Withey all developed.

 

[fksooner]

Lucas, Ellis, Embiid and Withey all developed.

Withey's improve was under Manning. Ellis was with Manning as well for a while. What has Lucas improved at? He is a good rebounder and defender that's it, his offense is bad. Rebounding and defense at this level is more about desire and drive than coaching. Sure there's things coaches can teach but if the player doesn't have the desire to do those things it's pointless. Embiid maybe