Still fuming over Saturday’s KU-UCLA game? Curious as to who will stay and who will go? Any question you have, ask a man who was there for every step of the Jayhawks’ 33-5 season, Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan. He’ll be joining us Thursday at 3:30 p.m. to answer your questions.

Moderator

Hello everyone and welcome to today’s live Q&A session. I’m Ryan Greene, and I’ll be moderating today’s live chat with Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan, who hopefully by now has a re-charged battery after three straight weeks on the road. When does golf season officially start, Tom?

Tom Keegan

Tomorrow, and thanks for asking.

Moderator

Well, let us get to the obvious question on everyone’s mind…

DocBean

Do any incoming freshman make an impact next year?

Tom Keegan

I guess that wouldn’t be my first guess as to an obvious question, but it’s worth answering. You know your program is in good shape when you don’t have to count on anything from your incoming freshmen. That’s where Kansas is at, depending, of course, on which players return.

Moderator

Yeah, that was a good question, but I accidentally clicked the wrong spot to post the ‘obvious’ question…so here goes…

GitS

Should Brandon Rush stay or go?

Tom Keegan

I think the only ones who can honestly answer that are NBA talent evaluators. And I don’t think it’s an easy answer. He certainly projects as a good defender in the NBA. He’s a good shooter and he would rebound well for a shooting guard, but his ballhandling has a long way to go. I think Brandon has grown up a lot in his two years at KU and he’ll go about making the decision the right way. He’ll bank heavily on the input of Bill Self, who will be 100 percent honest with him. Big-time college coaches know that by telling a player he’s ready when he’s ready, that will help them in future recruiting battles. They can stare recruits straight in the eye and say, “I always give the advice that’s best for the player,” and they won’t be lying. If Self tells Rush he should stay, then Rush should stay.

BigBad74

If Brandon Rush leaves do you think it is possible Coach Self goes with a three guard starting lineup? Collins, Chalmers, and Robinson would be somewhat small but quick as any back court in the nation.

Tom Keegan

I do think that’s one possibility. I think a lot of small forwards would be bothered by Russell Robinson getting up under them. If that’s not working, they could always shift to a drastically different look and play Julian Wright at small forward with Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson in the post, backed up by Sasha Kaun. I also think Brady Morningstar has a shot at playing time if Rush leaves. Offensively, Morningstar looked like a Big 12 wing. The only question is whether he can guard Big 12 wings.

actorman

I really like Bill Self as a coach, but there were a few things that bugged me about the weekend:

1. What did he mean when he said KU couldn’t run any plays against Southern Illinois? How can a team not run any plays?

2. Why did Sasha Kaun barely play in both games? He seemed to have an effective start against UCLA, then disappeared.

3. Why was KU still trying to drive to the basket with 40 seconds to go down by 9, rather than trying 3-pointers?

Thanks.

Tom Keegan

1. They ran plays, but Southern Illinois defended so well they weren’t able to run the plays to completion, so Self adjusted and trusted his players to become playmakers. They won the game, so it worked. 2. Darnell Jackson was far more effective in both games than Sasha. 3. Three-pointers were covered all day, which resulted in all the drives to the hoop. If many of those first-half drives had been completed, Bill Self now would be compared to a “young” John Wooden. KU missed 19 shots classified as layups or dunks. Unbelievealbe numbers.

Moderator

That was a well-thought-out answer, Tom…

rohdek

Greene…excellent job in your first year with kusports.com. Hope I wasn’t one of the friends you called out in your last blog entry.

Tom, what do you make of the Self to Arkansas rumors? I think its just a school dreaming a little too big, like NC State did last year.

Tom Keegan

I found the Self to Arkansas rumors pretty amusing. Let’s look at that one for a second. Self’s family loves it in Lawrence, which is his No. 1 priority. He has possibly the entire roster, more likley all but one player, returning from an Elite Eight team. The athletic director, Lew Perkins, is super high on him and stays out of his way. Self is real tight with his staff and at least one member – Danny Manning – isn’t about to move out of Lawrence ever. I don’t see Self ever leaving Kansas for another college job. … By the wayy, rohdek, I agree that Greene did an excellent job this year, but as I used to tell my players when I coached fifth and sixth graders, “When you think you’re trying hard, try harder.” I would give the same advice to Greene: “If you think you’re working hard, work harder.”

t_bill

Everyone’s talking about who is leaving this offseason, but what about next year when Russell, Sasha & Darnell are all seniors? If there is a mass NBA exodus on top of losing those three where will it leave the Jayhawks?

Tom Keegan

Great question. The Class of 2008 is a huge one for Kansas. I’m going to use my life line on this one and call Gary Bedore. … I’m fine thanks, Gary, how are you? … Romero Osby, a 6-foot-8 wide body from Meridien, Miss. might as well build a room in his house for Bill Self to move in, as many trips as Self has been making to see him play. Willie Warren, a 6-foot-4 wing from Keith Langford’s high school, said he has been offered. Rivals ranks Warren No. 13 in the class and ranks Osby No. 15. KC guard Travis Releford from Bishop Miege High, a former AAU teammate of Tyrel Reed and Conner Teahan, likely will play at KU. Releford is ranked 50th in the class.

JHolihan

Tom,

What do you think the impact of Danny Manning taking over a full-time assistant coaching spot, will have on the team? Will coach Manning’s ability to make an impression on recruiting be more important than his ability to teach on the court? Also, I would love to see a story in the LJ World about the meaning behind Brandon Rush’s tatoo’s. You should think about doing that.

Tom Keegan

Bill Self: “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Shlabotnik, this is my assistant, Danny Manning. Danny was one of the greatest players in college basketball history. He was chosen No. 1 in the NBA draft and earned millions upon millions. He also received a degree from Kansas University. Danny loves to teach basketball and he can teach your son how to become the sort of player he was.” I like Manning’s chances of attracting big men to the school and coaching them up. … I’ll look into the Rush tattoos. Thanks for the idea.

ameraidi

My question is….do you honestly believe that Bill Self can actually lead us to the glory land?

Tom Keegan

No. My definition of the glory land is heaven. I do, however, believe Self can win a national title at Kansas. And I know readers sometimes can be suspicious of writers holding back opinions to protect their relationships with coaches. That’s not the case here. I don’t believe in that approach. Besides, I have no relationship to speak of to protect here. Think about what the man has done: In eight years, he has coached three different schools to the Elite Eight four times. That’s an average of every other year. If Kansas can get to the Elite Eight on an every other year basis, it is bound to starting winning about half of those games. He went 33-5 this season and made it to the Elite Eight. I don’t get why that would lead anyone to question whether he’s the guy who can take Kansas to a national title.

DSommersby

Hi Tom:

I enjoy your work. What do you see as the most important keys to success that the Hawks need to address and improve on to make it even further next March and hopefully win it all?

Tom Keegan

Hi and thanks. Foul shooting and foul trouble, both areas where Darrell Arthur can get better. If Arthur or Julian Wright is the most improved player on the team next year, look out. Both guys have so much potential it’s scary. …. Free throws are among the greatest mysteries in sports. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo can make 50 in a row with ease, yet some of the nation’s best players can’t hit 70 percent. Weird.

MGoble

Hey Tom,

Tough loss for sure, but what a great season and what a great time to be a Jayhawk fan. My question concerns next year’s rotation. Assuming all of KU’s “bigs” return next year (Kaun, Jackson, Arthur, Wright) how many players will Self include in his post rotation? Specifically, are there going to be minutes to be had for Aldrich? Also, will this change if Rush leaves and Wright moves to small forward? Thanks for your time and great coverage of the ‘Hawks. You and your staff do a great job.

Rock Chalk,

Matt G, Lawrence, KS

Tom Keegan

Thanks for appreciating everyone’s hard work. It’s been a fun season. I wouldn’t worry about whether there will be minutes for Cole Aldrich. Roy Hibbert only played 16 minutes a game for Georgetown as a freshman and he’s three inches taller than Aldrich. I think it’s important for all KU fans to be patient with freshmen, espeically big men. It takes a while to make the adjustment. If Aldrich doesn’t crack the rotation, he’ll get better in practice. If he works so hard and improves so rapidly, he’ll steal some minutes. If Wright can improve his ballhandling and hone his shot, he could play some small forward.

Moderator

Someone who knows Tom must have submitted this…

pitthawker

Do you think Jeremy Case will work his way into a more prominent role on the team next year?

Tom Keegan

I’d like to think so. He really is a terrific shooter and I was expecting to see him pop off the bench against Southern Illinois. If he gets another opportunity, I think he’ll do more with it than he did with the chances he had in his sophomore year, when he didn’t shoot well in the instant-offense role. Playing time will be hard for him to land, but my guess is if he gets another chance, he’ll make the most of it.

Moderator

Two more questions…

JayViking

Tom, everyone knows Rodrick Stewart is an outstanding athlete. Assuming Rush leaves, what do you think are his chances of getting some legit playing time?

Tom Keegan

My guess is his time won’t expand greatly, even if Rush leaves. He’s a good energy guy off the bench – the charge he took against Southern Illinois was huge – but he has offensive limitations and the roster will be loaded.

Moderator

Plus he was just 3-of-11 from the stripe…just throwing that out there…last question…

fabian_zimbabwe

I absolutely love the b-ball team, but I’d rather refocus on football for the moment. Any early prediction on how many wins are feasible this fall based on schedule and talent level?

Tom Keegan

A quick check of the color-coded schedule on kusport.com makes me guess a 7-5 record. There should be a lot of close games as there were last year. More experience at the quarterback position and more pressure applied to the opposing quarterback should lead to winning some of the close ones they lost last year. I think the schedule is a little tougher than last years. Just think, if not for blowing leads against Toledo, Nebraska and Baylor, Kansas could have finished 9-3, which would have qualified the Jayhawks for a pretty decent bowl game.

Moderator

Well, Tom, thanks to you for joining us, and thanks as well to your timely ring to the bullpen. What goals have you set for yourself on the course this summer?

Tom Keegan

Eat better. Exercise more often.

Moderator

I look forward to a Skins game sometime soon out at Eagle Bend. Thanks to everyone for joining us today.