Player Tarik Black

[Topher]

I truthfully love how distraught TDD is over this, as if the season is already over.

 

[WorldStar HipHop]

@ JonRothstein 45s
Big men that will practice for Kansas next year: Tarik Black, Perry Ellis, Joel Embiid, Hunter Mickelson, Jamari Traylor, Landen Lucas. Wow.

 

[dukebluedevils05]

I don't think it's over (that's silly) but it's a big blow IMO.

 

[childress22]

Glad we're done with this. Glad we didn't add a 13th dude to the squad.

 

[DukeNukem05]

LOL at some of the posts on TDD. The premium thread is arguably worse.

I actually look forward to kennydukebluedevil posts at this point for the comic relief rather than getting annoyed at them. I think I'm mellowing out.

It's because you have an outlet here.

 

[physicsfactor]

@ JonRothstein 45s
Big men that will practice for Kansas next year: Tarik Black, Perry Ellis, Joel Embiid, Hunter Mickelson, Jamari Traylor, Landen Lucas. Wow.

Lol. Only like two of those guys are any good.

 

[dukebluedevils05]

Glad we're done with this. Glad we didn't add a 13th dude to the squad.

Weird reasoning.

 

[childress22]

@ JonRothstein 45s
Big men that will practice for Kansas next year: Tarik Black, Perry Ellis, Joel Embiid, Hunter Mickelson, Jamari Traylor, Landen Lucas. Wow.

Lol. Only like two of those guys are any good.

Seriously. A real murderer's row there.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

I think that was a sarcastic wow and he's making fun of them.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Big men that will practice for Duke next year: Marshall Plumlee, Josh Hairston, Jabari Parker, Amile Jefferson, Todd Zafirovski. Wow.

How is this any different? The Duke guys have a higher average recruiting ranking, including Zaf?

 

[WorldStar HipHop]

@ JonRothstein 45s
Big men that will practice for Kansas next year: Tarik Black, Perry Ellis, Joel Embiid, Hunter Mickelson, Jamari Traylor, Landen Lucas. Wow.

Lol. Only like two of those guys are any good.

Under Self, they'll turn out to be all-conference or something.

But seriously...

I expect Ellis to have a breakout sophomore season. He averaged 5.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 13.6 mpg. (That's pretty respectable since he was a back-up)
I expect Embiid to be a shot-blocking / defensive juggernaut from the get-go because of his amazing combination of size and athleticism. If Withey could be Big 12 DPoY, then Embiid should be a great one.

Lucas redshirted last season. Not sure how anyone can have an opinion on him. Self will probably turned this mope into a future lottery pick.

Mickelson will have to sit out this year after transferring from Arkansas. He averaged 5.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg in 16.6 mpg as a sophomore. He'll probably be a near double double guy as a redshirt junior.

Jamari Traylor averaged 2.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg in 9.6 mpg as a freshman. He'll be KU's 4th or 5th option.

And now KU has Tarik Black who will probably be much more efficient under Self because Self >>>>> Pastner. Fact.

I don't see the point in downplaying KU's big man corps by saying "only 2 of them are good" since KU only needs 2 of them to be good and for the rest to not suck. That'll be enough for Self.

 

[physicsfactor]

Huh? I was downplaying how impressive it is to have two good bigs in your practice. Duke had more talent in their bigs practices this last season.

 

[physicsfactor]

Kentucky's big men practices will surely be more impressive this season as well.

 

[rhfarmer]

Not that anyone asked, but this is how I feel. I just don't see how the minutes would work with Black. I mean, even without him, I don't expect Jiggy or Marshall or Murphy to play much. If Dawkins hadn't come back, you could see where philosophically we could get Black and play bigger. But when Dawkins came back, the writing was on the wall with small ball.
Duke's best players are all 6'8 and smaller this year. It's gonna be bombs away, with Jabari at the 4 and I'm totally cool with that.

 

[rome8180]

Glad we're done with this. Glad we didn't add a 13th dude to the squad.

Weird reasoning.

I'm pretty sure the reasoning has been explained at length elsewhere. It's not weird just because you disagree with it.

 

[rome8180]

To add to Farmer's post and then leave it alone forever...

Coach K is at most going to play nine guys significant minutes. That means that even with only twelve scholarship players, three are not going to play. Therefore if you're going to bring in a thirteen, and have four guys not play, that thirteenth player better be a huge upgrade. Based on everything concrete we know about Black, he is not a huge upgrade.

Furthermore, I really love Jefferson's game and want him to play a ton next year. I don't really care if that means playing out of position. I just want him on the court. Because a senior Hairston is not going to see his minutes cut, and because MP3 is hardly going to play either way, landing Black would have had the most impact on Jefferson. Rather than give the minutes to a guy who will only be there one year, it seems more beneficial to the program in the long run to give the minutes to Jefferson. The likelihood of winning a title in any given year is small. Even if you could prove to me that this increased our chances by like one percent or something, I'd rather see Jefferson play.

Also, I don't really think Jefferson at center is a bad fit like some do. The traditional center is becoming an obsolete concept, and there are not a lot of teams with front lines so amazing they can murder us at that one spot enough to overcome our superior talent at four other positions. As for Jefferson in particular, he does his scoring within six feet of the basket. So he's not the stretch four that K loves to play. And yet he's clearly a really good basketball player. Where else would he play besides the five? Let's make a weakness a strength and play a pressure defense where Jefferson's quick feet and length will be a perfect asset.

 

[dukebluedevils05]

Glad we're done with this. Glad we didn't add a 13th dude to the squad.

Weird reasoning.

I'm pretty sure the reasoning has been explained at length elsewhere. It's not weird just because you disagree with it.

I really don't give a fuck where it was explained at length at. I read the comment here so I responded here.

In addition to that, just because you agree with it doesn't mean the reasoning isn't weird.

 

[rome8180]

I explained my thinking about it above.

I think it's fairly logical. No need for the hostility.

 

[rome8180]

Obviously my thinking might not jibe with Childress's, so I don't want to speak for him. But he's not a mouthbreather incapable of logical thought, so I'm pretty his reasoning isn't "weird."

 

[dukebluedevils05]

I'm glad you think it's logical. Some others don't see it that way.

Your thinly veiled snark is neither appreciated or helpful.