Analysis of Bill Self Quotes for Kansas Basketball
The first thing that caught my eye was the tremendous praise he gave Hunter Dickinson. It isn’t often that Self — who is usually stern with his newcomers — gives a player that much credit.
He called him the most talented big he’s ever had without playing a game in Allen Fieldhouse. Keep in mind, Self has coached some terrific centers in the past. So Dickinson must be absolutely killing it in practice, despite reports that he was struggling to adjust to his new head coach’s intensity.
His comparison for McCullar was sort of peculiar, though I assume he was referring to the level of leadership he brings to the program. Self has been outspoken about his love for Kevin. He believes he is the team’s leader and best player.
Per his own words, the plan is still to redshirt Zach Clemence. He’ll only be used as a practice player during the 2023-24 season, and we should see him on the sidelines warming up.
I don’t know how everything will play out, but I find it hard to believe Kansas basketball can make it through the year with nine scholarship players. It seemed like the entire bench was injured last year at one point, and they had 13 guys. We’re already hearing reports of Johnny Furphy sitting out of practice due to shin splints, which isn’t a good sign for the future.
Self likes to keep a tight rotation, but if a few injuries occur, we’re looking at a team with ZERO depth. He did say he was open to bringing someone new in after the conclusion of the first semester, which I think will need to happen eventually.
Finally, it’s really encouraging to hear what he had to say about Furphy and McDowell. Initially, the 2-guard spot seemed to belong to Elmarko or Nick, but Furphy seems to have performed well enough to at least give himself a shot. As for McDowell — who was expected to essentially be a nonfactor — it’d be great if he could contribute some quality minutes off the bench.