J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic: It appeared that Kelly Oubre felt insulted that Dionte Christmas tried to bring the ball up against him in the summer league opener for both. He stripped him multiple times, and he threw the ball ahead to a streaking Micheal Eric for a breakaway dunk as the Wizards turned what had been a competititve contest into a rout. Oubre was busy flexing to the crowd at Thomas and Mack Center, with his back to the play, long before Eric went up for the finish.
Here are Oubre’s full highlights against the Jazz.
Bill Self on Malik Newman: “We talked about that. I wanted to make it very clear we were on the same page, and we are. The first thing we covered (in meeting with Newman after he announced plans to transfer from Mississippi State) was, ‘Hey, we’d love for him to come to school here. Even if there’s less of a one percent chance he’d want to go through the NBA Draft process again next year, then we’re out. You need to go somewhere else because we are not going to do that,’’’ Self said. “There’s nothing in writing. They (Malik and his dad) both gave their word that would definitely not be an option and he was definitely going to play at the University of Kansas,” Self added.
Malik Newman didn’t take it easy on Jeff Hawkins’ son.
Self also compares Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins in the same piece: “I think physically they look a lot alike as far as length and height and build,” Self said. Jackson is 6-foot-8, 207 and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Wiggins 6-8, 200. “I think that ‘Wiggs,’ (and) this isn’t a knock to Josh, (Wiggins) is a more explosive athlete, and Josh is very athletic. I think Josh is quite a bit better with the ball, but ‘Wiggs’ will probably make some plays you can’t coach. Both are special talents. I’ve got to watch Josh more, but he’s just consistently shooting the ball away from having a chance to be one of those very high if not the No. 1 (pick in draft),” Self added.
Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal World: “First-year running backs coach Tony Hull has opened up Louisiana for Kansas and his reputation already is paying off. Meanwhile, head coach David Beaty and cornerbacks coach Kenny Perry to continue to tap their Texas ties for talent. At defensive end, Anthony Olobia and Damani Mosby both are seniors, so the need for immediate help made it necessary to land a junior college recruit. Tago, who plays at Garden City Community College, is the only junior college recruit among the 12 committed recruits.”
Tom Keegan also ranked the top 10 quarterbacks in the Big 12
Brian Pederson of Bleacher Report: “It’s in the best interest of all Kansas players not assured of a starting spot to become really good at one or two areas of the game to ensure a consistent role, which is what Svi Mykhailiuk is planning to do after playing 12.1 minutes per game in his first two seasons. “For me, if you can’t play defense you can’t play basketball, so I’m just trying to play defense, and offense just comes naturally,” Mykhailiuk told DraftExpress (h/t KUSports.com). “If you can play good defense it gives you a fast break on offense, and it’s a basket. It just depends on how you’re playing defense.”
Looks like Bill Self added a walk-on.
Chris Flanagan of HornSports: “Kansas is a basketball school. Everyone, including Jayhawks, will agree with you on that point. Many Jayhawks fans believe they can have a competitive football program. The problem is the other 9 schools in the Big 12 either have a football tradition or end up being competitive in football. This is a tough conference and Kansas is the must-win for all teams, because if you lose to Kansas, you’re likely out of a job.