KU ROSTER 2026-27
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Sounds like Blyden is on commitment watch heading into his visit which starts Saturday. He has the same agency as Dawes.
Hill remains a target but all chatter seems to point to him picking Tennessee.
Thiam remains a potential visitor early next week.
Bonke is likely to continue taking his scheduled visits
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@BeddieKU23 said in KU ROSTER 2026-27:
Sounds like Blyden is on commitment watch heading into his visit which starts Saturday. He has the same agency as Dawes.
Hill remains a target but all chatter seems to point to him picking Tennessee.
Thiam remains a potential visitor early next week.
Bonke is likely to continue taking his scheduled visits
The Bonke news makes me think Thiam is looking likely.
Blyden is likely.
Add Stokes and you’ve basically got a starting 5
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Look at all these eggs! And eggs hatch into chickens so we should count them as chickens right now
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@Kcmatt7 If Thiam, if Blyden and if Stokes, then with Dawes and Kinney, and Rosario swinging, I guess that is a starting 5 - but really??? Two small guards, neither of whom has played against bigger, P5 talent.
I don't quite get the love for Blyden (notwithstanding EvanMiya projections). Solid stats but against decidedly second-tier competition. Toledo played exactly one P5 opponent, MSU, and lost by 23. Blyden had 10 pts (4-10/2-8), 2 assists, no rebounds, and 4 fouls. The very best non-P5 players seem to be able to step up pretty well, but the track record for mid-teens scorers on mediocre non-P5 teams is pretty spotty (look at ours over the past 3 years).
Is Thiam better than Flory? No - maybe close to a push, but we aren't gaining anything at the 5. Is Stokes better than Peterson? Defnitely not coming in - a much weaker HS class. Is Dawes better than Tillerson with another year? Maybe, not by much. Perhaps closer to White.
Can that lineup defend - other than some decent rim protection? B12 guards would shoot over or back down Kinney and Blyden. Can Dawes or Stokes really defend on the perimeter and handle switches?
If that's our starting 5, I don't see how the results could be expected to be any better than the past few years - and I'm generally a glass half-full guy? But other than Momcilovic or Juke Harris, neither of whom we are in the mix for, are there any other P5 guys out there who have proven they can get you 20 points on any given night against the best competition?
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Tiller is almost as old as Dawes. Both players are what they are. Biggest issue with Tiller is his attitude. If you can somehow fix that, he could be great but I am not trusting Dennis Gates to get it out of him.
Thiam has dominated against Flory so there is that. I think in general bigs will get more of a chance to shine for Bill Self so he could very well do better in a structured offense compared to his time at UCF and Cincy.
Personally I LOVE Blyden, I watched 12 "condensed games" of Toledo yesterday and today. I wish they were full games but it still shows a lot of the action. I think he would be our best PG since Dotson. I'm not counting Darryn black hole Peterson as a PG.
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I think the distinction with Bonke and Thiam is the latter would be a surefire starter and the former they would like as a rotation piece. Bonke is looking for a starting role it sounds. If Thiam does visit that is promising and hopefully we could close there. Apparently getting him isn't exclusive to giving his handler a job anymore so that's also important. Thiam would be a very exciting player to match with Dawes and would be pretty thrilled if it ends up that way
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https://youtu.be/0nUSwE7GbOw?si=dLyZLguvdZno5wNu
For viewing pleasure. Tons to like. Runs the floor so well. Dominated KU this yr in Allen with 28
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Here's the rationale for my Bryson comment. For a kid to leave KU for Missouri means these rent a basketball player for a semester programs that's apparently NCAA sports now is failing. ANYONE who has bought into KU basketball as a player knows you don't go to Missouri when you've played at KU. Apparently the history of this program is not being sold to our kids. I just don't get this at all. Tiller should have been taught by now to hate Missouri. Like, I'd rather go play anywhere than there. Like the Jim Mora voice (old Saints coach) "Missouri? Missouri? You're talking Missouri? You kidding me? Missouri?" El Marko to Georgetown? Play in front of 6000 fans in a 20,000 seat arena? Play for a team that has missed the tournament more times in this century than KU has since the 50's?
@kjayhawks2.0 so yes, I exaggerated on 'fireable offense' but Bill Selfs seat must be feeling at least a little warm at this point.
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@wissox83 Yes.. we "rent a player" for one year periods. But doesn't that mean we have an opportunity to win them over as true Jayhawks in that one year? From this last year, I zero in on Melvin... that guy acted more like a Jayhawk than many 4-year, old school players. Wish he had another year of eligibility... not only in hopes he would stay a Jayhawk but test if he was that influenced by Kansas during his stay. We will never know the answer to that one.
CBB has changed. We don't have any other option except to accept it or leave. I was still attracted to March Madness... I think I just have to recondition my thinking to build my fanaticism around a 1-year clock only. I will accept supporting our team on a 12-month clock. Then, hopefully, continue the same practice in following years.
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If Missouri offers millions to a guy who has minimal Round 1 opportunity in the future, I got no problem with that someone making a financial decision. Days of an athlete wearing his letter sweater back home at the shake shop with everyone sitting in awe of him are quite over.
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@BeddieKU23 said in KU ROSTER 2026-27:
I think the distinction with Bonke and Thiam is the latter would be a surefire starter and the former they would like as a rotation piece. Bonke is looking for a starting role it sounds. If Thiam does visit that is promising and hopefully we could close there. Apparently getting him isn't exclusive to giving his handler a job anymore so that's also important. Thiam would be a very exciting player to match with Dawes and would be pretty thrilled if it ends up that way
Yeah Bonke is taking a world tour so he will find somewhere that will have him start.
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@mayjay Missouri doesn't have enough money to lure me there in any capacity. Muck Fizzou.
