KU: Freshman Class

[Mr. Laz]

Posted on Mon, Sep. 05, 2005

KU's Fab Four freshmen ready to hit court

By JASON KING

The Kansas City Star

LAWRENCE — Bill Self says the crab legs were wonderful in Alaska, where he flew for a seafood dinner with point guard Mario Chalmers shortly before he became a Kansas Jayhawk.

The story of Micah Downs committing to KU when he was half-asleep still makes Self chuckle. But the most memorable moment of all happened that night in Chicago, when Julian Wright announced he was coming to Kansas despite never visiting Lawrence.

“Still can’t believe it happened,” Self said. “Needless to say, I had a nice trip home.”

Last spring’s loss to Bucknell may have jolted its pride, and the J.R. Giddens fiasco certainly damaged its image. Still — throughout one of the most tumultuous offseasons in the program’s history — KU’s 2005 signees continued to loom as a bright spot for Jayhawk fans seeking a reason for hope.

Wright (No. 8), Chalmers (12) and Downs (28) were all ranked among the country’s top 30 players by rivals.com, and each achieved McDonald’s All-American status as high school seniors.

As if that threesome weren’t enough, Kansas put a cherry on top of the most-hyped recruiting class in recent school memory Friday by adding small forward Brandon Rush to the 2005-06 roster.

Already in Lawrence, people are using the term “Fab Four.”

“This is one of the top classes I’ve ever seen,” said Shay Wildeboor, a recruiting analyst for rivals.com. “These guys aren’t overrated. They’re legit guys with ‘superstar’ written all over them.”

Micah Downs

Flattered as he was by the attention, all Downs wanted to do was sleep. It was just after 7 a.m. — on May 16, 2004 — when Self arrived at the Spring Hill Suites in Lawrence and found Downs crashed out on a lobby sofa while his mom checked out at the front desk.

A Seattle native, Downs had been in town on his official visit. Now, as he prepared to head for the airport, Downs was about to get one last pitch from Self.

“I kept trying to talk to him, but he was so tired,” Self said. “Finally, it was getting time for them to leave, so I said, ‘Micah, I’ve got to talk to you.’ He was like, ‘Coach, don’t worry, I’m coming.’ It was like he told me so he could go back to sleep.”

With that, Kansas’ 2005 recruiting class had begun to take shape.

In Downs, Self knew he’d gotten a steal. While players such as Wright and Chalmers had been known on the national scene for a while, Downs had just started to make waves. KU assistant Joe Dooley had spent months making the recruitment of Downs a priority, so when Duke began to show interest in this Mike Dunleavy clone, Kansas was already a step ahead.

“We felt like we beat everyone to the punch with him,” Self said. Along with being one of the top players in the Class of 2005, Downs is also one of the most interesting.

He has the offensive skills of a shooting guard, but because he stands a legitimate 6-foot-8 1/2 , he’d probably have trouble defending at that position. Instead, Downs will play small forward at Kansas, where he’ll easily be the team’s top shooter. Downs, though, is much more than a three-point ace. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket, and Self also dotes on his passing skills.

Downs is also one of KU’s more seasoned recruits when it comes to understanding the nuances of the game. His AAU team featured standouts such as Martell Webster, the sixth pick in last June’s NBA draft; Washington signee and McDonald’s All-American Jon Brockman; and current high school senior Spencer Hawes, one of the top five players in the Class of 2006.

“Micah has really benefited from playing with good players,” Self said. “He has a chance to be terrific, but he has to get stronger to be able to accomplish what he wants.”

Downs, who weighs 186 pounds, looked to be in line for a starting job before last week’s signing of Rush. Now, he’s more likely to be one of the top reserves.

Mario Chalmers

The way Self tells it, Mario Chalmers was ready to “pop.” In other words, Chalmers wanted to mimic Downs and commit to KU during his visit to Lawrence.

“But his parents wouldn’t let him,” Self said. “They said he needed to go back home and think about it and let everything absorb for awhile.”

For Chalmers, “back home” was a long way. Anchorage, Alaska, isn’t one of the more popular recruiting destinations for coaches. But for a player labeled as the country’s top point guard, Self was willing to make the sacrifice.

And his love of seafood made the trip even more worthwhile.

Like Downs, Self had assigned Dooley as the lead recruiter for the 6-2 Chalmers. Because four-year starter Aaron Miles was about to graduate, Self felt he could “sell” Chalmers on the fact that KU was a better fit than his two other options, Arizona and Wake Forest. Arizona returned point guard Mustafa Shakur, and at the time, Wake Forest thought sophomore Chris Paul would return, though he ended up leaving for the NBA.

“I was a little concerned about Wake, because his family grew up in North Carolina,” Self said. “Luckily, everything turned out OK.”

Indeed, on May 21, 2004, Chalmers called Self and informed him of his intentions to become a Jayhawk. Saddened as he was to lose Miles, the school’s all-time assists leader, Self couldn’t help but be excited about the potential of Chalmers, who will be more of a scoring threat than his predecessor.

Chalmers’ 19-point performance in the McDonald’s game only added to his anticipation.

“Some point guards are better with the ball in their hands, but he’s going to be a guy that can play with it and without it,” Self said.

Self — who hired Chalmers’ father, Ronnie, as KU’s director of basketball operations — said the fact Chalmers played against weak competition in Anchorage could be a hindrance early.

“My concern with Mario is that he can be way too casual,” Self said. “Some of it is his personality and a lot of it is him being in a comfort zone from what he’s been doing. He hasn’t benefited from playing with good players.”

Still, if anything about the 2005-06 season was certain at that point, it was that Chalmers would be KU’s starting point guard. Now Self just needed to find some talent to play around him.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12564331.htm

[Mr. Laz]

Julian Wright

Wright, a forward from Chicago, wouldn’t pick up the phone. Week after week, Bill Self left messages, but his calls were never returned. Wright was mad.

And Self knew why

Shortly after Kansas’ 2003-04 season ended, Self underwent stomach surgery that kept him out of pocket for weeks. Even when he returned to work, Self had been told by his doctors to take it easy.

Self had assigned former assistant Norm Roberts to be the lead recruiter on Wright, but things fell through when Roberts left for St. John’s after the season.

Feeling that KU had fallen too far behind to make a serious run at Wright, Self channeled his efforts elsewhere. He said he felt healthy enough to visit four players during the spring: Chalmers, Downs, Dallas guard C.J. Miles and Poplar Bluff, Mo., forward Tyler Hansbrough.

“Julian didn’t get the attention from us that he deserved,” Self said. “When we didn’t go up there in the spring to see a young man who was a top-10 player in America that everyone was trying to recruit, he eliminated us from his list.”

Even though he figured KU was out of the running, Self continued to leave once-a-week messages on Wright’s answering machine — just in case. He also had occasional conversations with Wright’s mother, Gina, who at one point told Self: “You’re out. He has no interest at all.”

“All I could do was keep leaving those messages,” Self said. “I’d just say, ‘Hey, you’re going to have to come to the phone to tell me no, bud. I’m not going to take no for an answer until you tell me no.’ ”

On Aug. 20, Wright’s mother called Self and asked whether he’d like to visit Julian in their home on Sept. 9. After visiting Arizona and Illinois, Wright still couldn’t decide on a school, so he figured he’d give Kansas a chance.

Self said he vividly remembers his conversation with Wright, who had never visited Lawrence.

“(Assistant) Kurtis Townsend and I were there 2 1/2 hours,” Self said. “The thing that amazed me was how open and honest he was. He let us know why he’d eliminated us and why he was letting us back in.

“At point I was talking and he just said, ‘Stop it! I’ve heard enough!’ Kurtis and I figured it was all over. But then he said he wanted to visit. I was shocked.”

But Self wasn’t nearly as shocked as he was moments later, when Wright called him on his way to the airport and summoned him back to his home.

“We went back, and he actually committed right then and there,” Self said.

No one argues that the 6-8 Wright is the most versatile player in the Class of 2005. He has the ability to play literally anywhere on the floor. A mediocre shooter, Wright isn’t known for his scoring. But he has the ball-handling and passing skills of a point guard — Self may actually use him to back up Chalmers — and, when playing in the paint, Wright is tenacious on the boards.

“He’s a positionless player,” Self said of Wright, who has drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson.

Wright’s sudden commitment sent shockwaves through college basketball circles. It also altered KU’s recruiting efforts.

C.J. Miles, the Texas guard who was leaning toward KU, was upset that Self had added Wright. He eventually committed to Texas before entering the NBA draft, where he was selected by Utah in the second round. Dallas forward Kevin Rogers, Miles’ AAU teammate and close friend, suddenly got dropped by Kansas and ended up signing with Baylor.

With the twosome out of the mix because of Wright, the Jayhawks still had one more scholarship. But Self gave it to walk-on Christian Moody.

Nearly a year went by, and everything seemed complete. Even when Alex Galindo transferred and Moulaye Niang retired because of back problems, Self didn’t anticipate using their scholarships on a player from the ’05 class.

Then again, he never thought Brandon Rush would be interested in Kansas.

Brandon Rush

Luckily, Self decided to go to the Price Chopper Invitational, an AAU tournament played each summer in Johnson County.

“I was there watching some guys we’re interested in, and word got to me that Brandon Rush was thinking about going to school,” Self said. “I immediately started asking people who might have his phone number.”

Rush, a Kansas City native, is the youngest brother of former Pembroke Hill standouts JaRon and Kareem Rush. JaRon starred collegiately at UCLA. Kareem, a former Missouri standout, now plays for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.

Brandon Rush, who played his final two years of high school ball at North Carolina’s Mount Zion Academy, had entered his name in the 2005 NBA draft. But he withdrew when it became clear he wouldn’t be selected in the first round.

“Even then, I figured he’d play overseas for a year or two or go to the IMG Academy,” Self said. “I never got his phone number that afternoon, but I made sure the word got out that we were interested.”

Rush obviously received the message.

A few days later, Self’s cell phone rang. It was Rush, who had called to tell Self he wanted to visit Kansas. The initial plan was for Rush to arrive Aug. 9 in Lawrence, but he didn’t show up and instead traveled to Indiana to tour the Hoosiers’ campus. Just when Self thought KU was out of the running, Rush showed up in Lawrence on Aug. 14. He liked it so much, he stayed two days.

“He said, ‘I want to come to school here if everything works out,’ ” Self said. “I think he had wanted to go to school for quite a while. He just hadn’t gone down the right avenues to let people know what he wanted to do.”

It took nearly three weeks for the NCAA Clearinghouse to sort through the transcripts from the four different high schools Rush attended. Finally, on Friday, he was deemed eligible. Just like that, Kansas’ already-banner recruiting class had obtained another — and perhaps most talented — member.

“I had heard all these negatives, but his family was like, ‘Coach, that was a generation ago. We’ve moved on. It’d be great if things worked out for him at Kansas,’ ” Self said.

Rush, a 6-6, 216-pounder, will be Kansas’ top player when it comes to creating his own shot. He’s also a strong three-point shooter, ball handler and passer. Imagine a taller, more athletic version of Keith Langford.

Rush hasn’t made any secret about his desire to enter the NBA. Although he initially said he planned to attend college for only one year, Rush now acts as if he could stick around for at least two.

“I said, ‘Hey, I don’t want you coming over here thinking you’re going to use Kansas to get to where you want to go,’ ” Self said. “He understands we need to help each other.”

With individual workouts already under way and the first day of official practice scheduled for Oct. 15, Self can’t help but spin scenarios in his head.

Should he start all four freshmen? How much will Wright play the point? Should he stick with Rush at small forward or use him at shooting guard, too?

“It’s just good to be thinking about that stuff again,” Self said. “It’s been a long summer.”

Self just hopes fans are patient with his team — and especially its newest players.

“It’s exciting to know that you’ve got some young, talented guys that are athletic and can play a style you like to coach,” Self said. “But it takes time. Remember, a while back there were three lottery picks (Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden) that had their struggles as freshmen.”

He pauses.

“It may not be smooth sailing early,” he said. “But if things pan out and they grow up, we could end up having a lot of fun around here.”

Great combos

Sure, back in the day, the Beatles were the hottest group of young guys around. But every now and then, a group of young recruits becomes the darling of college basketball. Some banner college recruiting classes the last three years:

NORTH CAROLINA ’02
Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Sean May, David Noel

CONNECTICUT ’03
Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Josh Boone

TEXAS ’04
Daniel Gibson, LaMarcus Aldridge, Mike Williams,Dion Dowell

KANSAS ’05
Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Micah Downs

[DaWolf]

While I love this class, I'm gonna have to see them together on a court playing good basketball before I get too excited. But on paper, it's looking real good. The sophmore interior guys are gonna have to step up though, because we need to be able to rebound the ball much better this year, and with Wayne gone, that won't be easy...

[Mr. Laz]

We need to be able to rebound the ball much better this year, and with Wayne gone, that won't be easy...
agreed..

julian wright should help that ... hopefully Sasha Kaun has gotten alot stronger and in better shape too.


if CJ can learn to play without all the fouls our rebounding/defense should be much improved too.

[jAZ]

What's this writeup from? Errr... I think I supposed to say "Link?"

[Mr. Laz]

What's this writeup from? Errr... I think I supposed to say "Link?"it's a secret ... shhhh STFU






















.

By JASON KING

The Kansas City Star

[Skip Towne]

May as well just send us that NC trophy and cut through all the formalities.

[DaWolf]

Yeah the good news is that CJ has aparently put on some bulk to that skinny frame of his. Now like you say if he learns to play smart and aggressive without the dumb fouls, we could be real good...

[kcjayhawks5]

What is going to happen to Russell Robinson? Is he going to be a back up or what?

[the Talking Can]

Bill Self is a pimp.


rock chalk

[DJay23]

I worry about Giles and injuries. He seems fragile. Hopefully he's put on some muscle to help with that. I think if he is stronger, he will be a rebounding and defensive monster.

Kaun was at a big man camp this summer and supposedly refined his game. We'll see. I'm leary of people who haven't played the game for very long. I think of him more as a long term project, where if he stays till his senior year we'll really see a huge return, maybe All-Conference first team.

Moody is solid and I hope now that he has a scholarship, won't let up. He's my favorite player on the team, and in my opinion the leader. Not only is he the most visible senior on the team, he is the guy who works the hardest.

Russell Robinson will add depth to the back court, but won't contribute much IMO. Jeff Hawkins will also give breathers, but he doesn't strike me as a serious contender for even the regular rotation. Besides Stephen Vinson he is the only other senior, but his lack of experience doesn't inspire much in the way of leadership.

Darnell Jackson is a rock, but not much offense coming from him. He'll come off the bench to eat up fouls from Giles and Kaun and grab some boards. Jeremy Case is supposedly the best pure shooter Roy Williams has ever recruited, but is he big enough to compete with the big boys yet? He's coming off a red shirt year so I expect that he's 100% ready to go get 'em, but I question whether he can put in the day in and day out of a college season. If he was really that good to begin with, he'd have seen more action than he currently has.

As for the freshmen, I see Wright and Chalmers being the stars here. I'm afraid of adding Rush to the mix. With Rush and Chalmers out there, I just feel there are too many "scorers" on the floor. Sounds like a great problem to have but I'm afraid of what it will do to chemistry. Not to mention that Downs seems to be a whiny prima dona after his snivel fest at the McD's game.

I really think the loss of Galindo was huge. I was sad to see him go. He got plenty of PT and did some good things with it. He made some mistakes, but he's a freshmen. Seems like every time he got in, especially early in the season, he left the game with a pretty good stat line. He reminded me of Captain Kirk in that he was always busting ass out there. He was a little injury prone too though.

I think Self could have trouble with his high-low again. I don't have confidence in the big men who are supposed to be the focus of this system. If you think about his Illinois teams he had some pretty good post players running that system (at least I think he ran a high low at Illinois). I feel like we may be worse off than last year when we complained about only having one good post player, now I don't see us with any. The 1-3 positions are solid and have good depth. I would love to see a motion type of offense where we can get those shooters loose, some one on one matchups, and the bigger guys easier looks moving to the basket without the ball.

I don't have huge expectations for this year. A lot of people are asking me how they'll be (I'm the only Jayhawk fan I know of where I live here in PA). I always tell them not to razz me too hard this year. It doesn't help that I live a half hour from Bucknell either.

[Mr. Laz]

What is going to happen to Russell Robinson? Is he going to be a back up or what?
depends on robinson mostly...

but imagine he'll be the traditional point with chalmer,rush and downs rotating at the 2 and 3 spots.

[DJay23]

depends on robinson mostly...

but imagine he'll be the traditional point with chalmer,rush and downs rotating at the 2 and 3 spots.
I think you'll see RR come off the bench. Chalmers and Rush are apparently too good to leave out meaning Robinson is the odd man out.

[Spicy McHaggis]

hopefully Sasha Kaun has gotten alot stronger and in better shape too.

Saw Sasha on campus, he looks like he's put on another 10 pounds of muscle. We really need him to be our banger this year, he's got the make-up to be an intimidating presence on the inside.

[Mr. Laz]

Saw Sasha on campus, he looks like he's put on another 10 pounds of muscle
:clap:

[Pants]

Self = best recruiter EVAR.

[ArrowheadHawk]

i love bill self

[Imon Yourside]

i love bill self

Cindy is that you? :p

If anyone had any doubts about this guy, they have been erased. Hey misery fans are you happy that you passed on self for nose candy?

[DJay23]

Cindy is that you? :p

If anyone had any doubts about this guy, they have been erased. Hey misery fans are you happy that you passed on self for nose candy?
I'm anxious to see what Self can do with his guys. If he doesn't win, he's no better than the Queen. That being said, he'll win, just don't have high expectations for this coming season.

[Skip Towne]

Cindy is that you? :p

If anyone had any doubts about this guy, they have been erased. Hey misery fans are you happy that you passed on self for nose candy?
Would Self have considered going to Missouri? KU has always been his deam job. What's with the nose candy reference to Quinn?

[chiefs4me]

May as well just send us that NC trophy and cut through all the formalities.





ROFL

[ArrowheadHawk]

I don't know how good of a year we will have but i would like to at least get a tournament win this year

[CarolinaChiefz]

The Jayhawks are LOADED! It's awessssome!

Anything less than the Final Four will be a HUUUGGE disappointment. I'm sure they'll do it, though!


Wooooooo!!!!! SElf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cmh6476]

rock chalk mo-fos! :thumb:

[schneider221]

might be a rough start with going to the maui shootout and all but look for this team to be feared by the middle of conference play.... also expect the streak against ksu to continue and and mu to play like crap again and finally realize quin needs to go...even though i wish they would keep him around forever

[CarolinaChiefz]

Rough start?!?!? NO WAY.

This team has a chance to;

1. Win it ALL
2. Go undefeated in Conference
3. MAKE HISTORY.

Mark it down, baby!

This one is gonna be HUGE. Anything less than a Final Four, and I'm gonna be RIPPED!!!!

[schneider221]

im hoping your being sarcastic because no matter how good these freshmen are(and they are very good) look at the teams at maui....Maryland, Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan State, Arkansas, Chaminade and Gonzaga. This will be a good test as we open with a team like arizona who could be good but who knows.

i cant wait to see chalmers dishing and popping the 3, julian doing a little bit of everything, micah draining the 3's and b rush slashing to the hole...throw in the hopefully beefed up CJ Giles and the new and improved Kaun( hopefully) after attending the big man camp this offseason

[CarolinaChiefz]

Nope.

Have you seen these kids play?

One word describes it: SPECIAL.

Those teams in Maui are tough--you're right about that. But these boys have something in the tank that you can't describe. The chemistry, the 'want-to'...I don't know what you'd call it. But I can tell you, from what I'm hearing, Maui is gonna be the coming out party. And I mean PARTY!

I'll be as disapointed as I've EVER been if this team doesn't make it to the Final Four. With the right coaching, they've got a real chance to make history. I think Bill can make it happen, and it's champagne time, fellas!

Woooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

[beavis]

I hope Kareem smashes his brother's head with a hammer. Weak.

[Mr. Kotter]

ROCK CHALK, baby. Heh.

:thumb:

[schneider221]

I hope Kareem smashes his brother's head with a hammer. Weak.

i hope you know that kareem told brandon that KU was probably the better option... on another note kareem is one of the few mu players that i respected and that must means he was a class act

[Dr. Chief]

Would Self have considered going to Missouri? KU has always been his deam job. What's with the nose candy reference to Quinn?

Self was a finalist for the MU job with Snyder. MU didn't want to end it's deep tradition of never going to a final four so they hired Snyder.

[Mr. Kotter]

Self was a finalist for the MU job with Snyder. MU didn't want to end it's deep tradition of never going to a final four so they hired Snyder.

Heh-heh. ROFL

[CarolinaChiefz]

I'm telling you all, the Hawks are going all the WAY BABY!

There's not stopping this runaway train. We're gonna be cuttin' down the nets.

Or else this will be the most disappointing season ever! Honestly, fellas...If we can't win it all this year, I'm gonna lose it!

Who's with me? Undefeated, man!!!

WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dr. Chief]

Ermmm, can't say I can go with you there. They are going to struggle this year. They are simply too young. I see them as a legitimate contender next year.

[CarolinaChiefz]

No WAY!

All aboard for Title Town, Kids!

Anybody who doesn't think Bill will take us to an undefeated season and a championship with this bunch...well, I gotta see some spirit!

We're gonna burn some rubber all over this season! Maui, you're up first!

WOOOOOO!OO!!!!!!

[cmh6476]

So who are are the starting 5?

[ArrowheadHawk]

So who are are the starting 5?
not determined yet but i bet 3 of the freshman along with Moody and Giles

[Saulbadguy]

Bling Bling.

http://proxify.com/p/011110A0000110/http:=2f=2fmedia.lawrence.com=2fimg=2fphotos=2f2005=2f09=2f03/sm_rush_t450.jpg

[ROYC75]

The future is bright with the baby Jays, but it is still aways away..... Maybe by mid season they can start to jell...expecting them to win right away and especially undefeated is just plain crazy.

[Lzen]

CarolinaChiefz,
I think you need to quit sniffing that glue. Seriously, KU will be very young and inexperienced this upcoming season. Plus, it will take time for all these new guys to get used to playing with each other. I don't expect much this year. I expect them to take some lumps early on but they will still be good. Just not great. ;)

[CarolinaChiefz]

NO WAY!!!

They'll be AWESOME, man! First Maui, then the conference...then cuttin' down the nets, my friends! This team is going to make history. You just watch.

I can't bear to think of them not winning it all. With all of this talent, it just HAS to happen! And it WILL! Bill will make it so!!!


WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! BILL!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr. Laz]

CarolinaChiefz,
I think you need to quit sniffing that glue. Seriously, KU will be very young and inexperienced this upcoming season. Plus, it will take time for all these new guys to get used to playing with each other. I don't expect much this year. I expect them to take some lumps early on but they will still be good. Just not great. ;)

i imagine carolinachiefz is more like faidersRock and he's just being a smartazz.

[CarolinaChiefz]

No way, Laz. My grandma went to KU (I ended up going out of state).

I'm just so excited by this team, and I think they're going to win it all. They have the pieces to the puzzle and the coaching. All that's left is to just go DO it!

Wooooooo!!!!! Hawks!!!!!!!!!!!