-- Kansas has a big visitor coming in this weekend in Nick Timberlake, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard from Towson. This past season, Timberlake averaged 17.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Offensively, Timberlake shot 45.5 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from behind the arc, and 84.5 percent from the free-throw line. He's already visited North Carolina and will trip to Kansas this weekend. News is hard to come by, but I haven't been told of any additional visits following his visit to Kansas. Obviously, he's done a great job of keeping things down for the most part, so something might already be scheduled, but nobody just knows about it.
I do expect Coach Self and his staff to roll out the red carpet this weekend when Timberlake arrives. He's exactly the type of player that Self is looking for in the portal and I firmly believe that he would make a huge impact this next season. Don't be surprised if Self and his staff push hard for a commitment this weekend. Not saying it will happen or that I expect it to happen, but I think the staff will make it clear how they feel about Timberlake and how he's wanted in Lawrence.
-- As I mentioned yesterday, Kansas has conducted a zoom call with Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, the 7-foot-1, 260-pound center from Hyattsville, Md. This past season, Dickinson averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. I've been told that he is currently in the process of lining up some visits and deciding what schools to visit. Again, much like Timberlake, this is exactly the type of player that Self is looking for in the portal.
Self wants a proven big man that can score, rebound, and block shots. Hunter Dickinson certainly checks all the boxes.
-- I know that there has been some talk about Primo Spears scheduling a visit, but I'm not so sure that the visit is actually set-in-stone at this time. Listen, I'm sure he's going to visit, is seriously considering taking a visit, or plans to take a visit unless things change, but I've just been told that the visit is absolutely not set at this time. Just something to watch moving forward.
-- In the back of my mind, I always knew that Coach Self was eventually going to meet with the media and continue coaching at Kansas, but until I actually saw it, I always had those questions in the back of my head of "what if" and things of that nature. I heard so many rumors during his time away but was always told that he had plans to meet with the media and was set things right, which is exactly what took place on Wednesday. If you haven't watched the video I posted yet, I highly encourage you to do so. It was so good to see Coach Self yesterday and he looked really good and, without question, was fired up and ready to get going.
Here are just a few quotes that stood out to me.
"Well, unless my athletic director, my chancellor makes a decision to contradict that, I am 100% positive I will be coaching at the University of Kansas this upcoming season, and hopefully many more after that," said Self.
"So my goal is to take this place to a whole different level that we've never been to before, and we've been to a really high level," said Self. "I know I need to have my energy and I need to be healthy and feeling good in order for us to do that, and I'm believing this spring is the first step to us getting to that level."
"No, no, no. I'd say it was a process," said Self. "I didn't realize it when I was in the hospital and I don't think it's fair for me to realize that while we were still playing, because I was still coaching, I'm talking about when I got away from it and, "Okay, what are you going to do today?" "Well, you know what? I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to have breakfast and then I'm going to sit around and go for a walk maybe, and then come back and watch TV or read or something like that." I realize then, "No, this is not what I need to be doing. I need to be on the phone. I need to be living in the portal right now." And that's what we're doing. And we've had a lot of shake up with our team, which is great. It's not only, it's a great opportunity for those kids like I saw where Cam going to Boise. I mean, it's great. He'll have a chance to go there and impact and do all that stuff.
"And when kids make decisions, they're making those because it's a better opportunity for them," he added. "But what that also does, it gives us an opportunity to address our needs too. And you guys know as well as anybody that covered us, we have some needs that we certainly can address."
I've got no idea what's going to happen moving forward, but when the best coach in college basketball starts making comments like the ones above, Kansas fans can't help but feel that energy and passion, and level of excitement. Listening to Coach Self speak on Wednesday and seeing the look on his face and the tone of his voice, I can safely say I don't think he sees an end in terms of when he might step away just yet.
I really don't know for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me, let's say two weeks from now, that KU has added some studs to the roster via the transfer portal.
I do expect Coach Self and his staff to roll out the red carpet this weekend when Timberlake arrives. He's exactly the type of player that Self is looking for in the portal and I firmly believe that he would make a huge impact this next season. Don't be surprised if Self and his staff push hard for a commitment this weekend. Not saying it will happen or that I expect it to happen, but I think the staff will make it clear how they feel about Timberlake and how he's wanted in Lawrence.
-- As I mentioned yesterday, Kansas has conducted a zoom call with Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, the 7-foot-1, 260-pound center from Hyattsville, Md. This past season, Dickinson averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. I've been told that he is currently in the process of lining up some visits and deciding what schools to visit. Again, much like Timberlake, this is exactly the type of player that Self is looking for in the portal.
Self wants a proven big man that can score, rebound, and block shots. Hunter Dickinson certainly checks all the boxes.
-- I know that there has been some talk about Primo Spears scheduling a visit, but I'm not so sure that the visit is actually set-in-stone at this time. Listen, I'm sure he's going to visit, is seriously considering taking a visit, or plans to take a visit unless things change, but I've just been told that the visit is absolutely not set at this time. Just something to watch moving forward.
-- In the back of my mind, I always knew that Coach Self was eventually going to meet with the media and continue coaching at Kansas, but until I actually saw it, I always had those questions in the back of my head of "what if" and things of that nature. I heard so many rumors during his time away but was always told that he had plans to meet with the media and was set things right, which is exactly what took place on Wednesday. If you haven't watched the video I posted yet, I highly encourage you to do so. It was so good to see Coach Self yesterday and he looked really good and, without question, was fired up and ready to get going.
Here are just a few quotes that stood out to me.
"Well, unless my athletic director, my chancellor makes a decision to contradict that, I am 100% positive I will be coaching at the University of Kansas this upcoming season, and hopefully many more after that," said Self.
"So my goal is to take this place to a whole different level that we've never been to before, and we've been to a really high level," said Self. "I know I need to have my energy and I need to be healthy and feeling good in order for us to do that, and I'm believing this spring is the first step to us getting to that level."
"No, no, no. I'd say it was a process," said Self. "I didn't realize it when I was in the hospital and I don't think it's fair for me to realize that while we were still playing, because I was still coaching, I'm talking about when I got away from it and, "Okay, what are you going to do today?" "Well, you know what? I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to have breakfast and then I'm going to sit around and go for a walk maybe, and then come back and watch TV or read or something like that." I realize then, "No, this is not what I need to be doing. I need to be on the phone. I need to be living in the portal right now." And that's what we're doing. And we've had a lot of shake up with our team, which is great. It's not only, it's a great opportunity for those kids like I saw where Cam going to Boise. I mean, it's great. He'll have a chance to go there and impact and do all that stuff.
"And when kids make decisions, they're making those because it's a better opportunity for them," he added. "But what that also does, it gives us an opportunity to address our needs too. And you guys know as well as anybody that covered us, we have some needs that we certainly can address."
I've got no idea what's going to happen moving forward, but when the best coach in college basketball starts making comments like the ones above, Kansas fans can't help but feel that energy and passion, and level of excitement. Listening to Coach Self speak on Wednesday and seeing the look on his face and the tone of his voice, I can safely say I don't think he sees an end in terms of when he might step away just yet.
I really don't know for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me, let's say two weeks from now, that KU has added some studs to the roster via the transfer portal.
