Comment about Jay Wright's recruiting philosophy

Good stuff, Port. Consistent with some of the immediate post-game analysis on this board.

I personally think Wright is an outstanding coach. It doesn't hurt that he appears to be a very decent person, and seems to run a very clean, respectable program.

His willingness to learn and adjust over time is commendable, and no doubt contributed to the floodgates of success opening up for him in recent years.

Even the elite coaches have to be open to continual learning and progression, and then to actually commit to that and do it. One of the wraps on Self from the past was that he didn't adjust much, and remained committed (stubbornly) to his preferred system -- which, back then, was the high-low, with everything starting with the bigs. He wasn't a big fan of the 3-ball ("fools gold," as we all well remember him derisively referring to it). But he changed, adapted, and evolved, not only this season but the past one as well.

The one thing I think he'd do well to "go to school" on (get to work on) in his learning progression is 3-point defense. Here the quotes about Wright and his assistant systematically addressing that past weakness of theirs is quite apt. In that vein, while I hope it was just a quick reaction after a very embarrassing semifinal loss, Self gave an interview then that I found a little disconcerting, at face value. He was asked about KU's inability to impede the ridiculous Villanova 3-point shooting, and he said something to the effect of "If I were go to back and watch the video - which I probably won't [italics mine], I think I would see some of our guys coming up short on the wing."

He was essentially saying that our guards' defense was not good in key spots, but the thing that stuck with me (and still sticks, obviously) was the comment about him never going back to watch the video again. I sincerely hope that he didn't mean that, and it was just a quick reaction after the gut-punch or curb-stomping delivered by Villanova and Wright. Because, to my mind, Self and KU clearly need to "solve Villanova." That is, figure out how they're beating us, how to offset what they're doing, and go on the offensive to put them on their heels...make them play out of character, and start beating them, instead of the other way around.

Villanova isn't going away. Period. Wright is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career at this clip, assuming he doesn't go to the NBA, and he's a superb coach who can recruit very good talent up and down the east coast. At this stage, he clearly has gotten the better of Self and KU (unlike Squid, Huckleberry Hound, and Coach K).

Not only has he clearly gotten the better of Self, but he's done it with the highest of stakes in play -- along the path to two national championships. Think about the two KU teams he beat, and the games/opponents that followed in the tourney once we were defeated. Is it not highly plausible that KU would've won both national championships? (2016 and 2018) I submit it is. And yet both times, the obstacle in our path - the force that prevented KU from potentially adding championships 4 and 5 to the AFH rafters - was Villanova and Wright.

Watch the video, Coach Self. (Just like Wright and his assistant did in 2013 -- though, in that case, the assistant broke down all of their games, and every 3-point shot)

Learn.

Adapt.

Evolve.

Solve your enemy.


He and they aren't going nowhere, and we'll be playing them again (perhaps multiple times) for high stakes in future tourneys.

You rock. You're in the Hall for a reason. Do it.

I also think Coach would do well to become more open to the idea of a solid, potent Stretch 4 with a great face-up/outside game.

This is the one element that is often missing in the KU attack, and it's such a nice option to have. (See: Villanova this year, but also ISU every single year with Georges Niang)

It adds a great dimension to any scoring attack, and it's not like it has to be present at all times on the floor, but even as a change-up in personnel.

Self loves the back-to-the-basket game with his bigs, even to the point where he pushes that too hard on certain personnel who don't fit that profile. (See: Perry Ellis) Ellis was a great example (counter-factual) of how Self eventually did allow for some modest adjustment -- but only midway through Ellis's final year at KU -- and it paid off greatly. Sadly, Ellis (and Self?) went back to the back-to-the-basket game in the 2016 Elite Eight loss to Villanova, when Ellis couldn't handle the inside pressure and beef (it was never his game).

But the point remains. KU would do well to routinely recruit and train a stretch 4 (or 5) to add that to the attack arsenal. And as I've said before, we might just have an able prospect for that already on their roster heading into next year in Silvio. But he will need training on it all spring, summer, and fall, and the free pass to work on it (and fail but hopefully ultimately succeed) in games next season. He has a very pretty shot, with ingrained nice form, so it might just work. Having a man of his beastly size able to pop out (and take his inside defender with him) would be a huge bonus, opening up not only his shot but opportunities for cuts and dunks inside.

Just my $.02...while on the learn/adapt/evolve/improve kick.

Rock Chalk...