But it was talent recruited to play a highly structured offensive game. In terms of the new guys really the only real disappointment has been Blake Young, but he's also playing out of position.
Games like last night scream Hannah and Walker. The miss on Hannah and Walker's injury are profound for this team right now. Those are two guys that can create things anytime they want to, there is nobody on this team that can do what they can. There is nobody on this team that can create matchup problems like they can. Imagine a starting 5 of Hannah, Stewart (playing his natural position), Martin, Hoskins and Walker. All wishful thinking right now.
This year has to be big picture thinking . . . get into the NCAA tourny. It's going to take getting the ISU game, the CU game, and at least 1 from the Oklahoma Schools to make that happen. Get Walker healthy, get Beasley and Dominique Sutton into camp. Then maybe a Tyree Evans (who is buddies with Brandon Rush).
Ya know, the other day Leabo and Keitzman were talking about how Bennett kind of reminded them of Bryant Reeves. Now when Bryant Reeves was a freshman he was a clutz. But he never had a lines like this:
9 Minutes, No Rebounds, 2 Points
11 Minutes, No Rebounds, No Points
6 Minutes, 1 Rebound, No Points
4 Minutes, 0 Rebounds, 0 Points
7 Foot effing 3, 30 minutes of Basketball, 1 Rebound, 2 Points . . . that's been Jason Bennett in 4 of the last 5 games. I say the Texas game is a fluke because inside they're soft.
Tell me, at 7 Foot effing 3, how in F_ck do you manage to pull down exactly 1 REBOUND in 30 minutes of basketball?? Is that possible, you almost have to freaking try to not rebound the ball.
Bryant Reeves had 34 points and 12 Rebounds in his Sophomore year against Arizona State, anybody see any games in Jason Bennet next year like that?? Reeves scored 556 points in his soph season at OSU, nope, don't see that out of Bennett either. Reeves averaged 19.2 ppg as a Soph. Reeves shot 62.5% from the floor as a Soph, he averaged 10 boards a game as Soph. There is no Bryant Reeves upside in Jason Bennett.
If Jason Bennett is around next year, and I hope he isn't and if he halves Bryant Reeves output as a soph. I will for the first time in my life put on a shirt with a Jayhawk on it, and wear it for 3 full hours.