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KU Basketball: Top Recruits Not Getting Playing Time

By Zach Blochlinger

Dec 19, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Carlton Bragg Jr. (15) is fouled by Montana Grizzlies center Bryden Boehning (35) in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 88-46. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Carlton Bragg Jr. (15) is fouled by Montana Grizzlies center Bryden Boehning (35) in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 88-46. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /
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KU Basketball is arguably the best program in college basketball right now, but with their immense depth Bill Self has decided to go with the more experienced players over the first-year players.

KU Basketball is on a roll right now coming off of a 109-106 victory over the second ranked Oklahoma Sooners, proving that they deserve the top ranking that they were given earlier in the day. With the win the Jayhawks improve to 13-1 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play thus far.

The Jayhawks’ bench this year is extremely deep, but head coach Bill Self doesn’t seem to want to use it. In the Oklahoma game, the starters (not including Hunter Mickelson), played pretty much the entire game. In fact, other than Landen Lucas who played in all of the overtime periods, the bench got just 46 total minutes including the three overtime periods.

The talent on the Jayhawks’ bench is headlined by two big-time freshmen in Cheick Diallo and Carlton Bragg. A third freshman, Lagerald Vick is also not getting many (if any) minutes in these early-season games.

CHECK OUT THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS’ 2016 RECRUITING CLASS

Vick has played in just eight games this season, averaging just 6.5 minutes per game as a 4-star recruit coming out of high school. Bragg is another 4-star freshman who is averaging 11.0 minutes per game so far, while Diallo was ineligible early in the season but has averaged 5.4 points in just 9.6 minutes per game (stats courtesy of ESPN).

Bill Self has a history of this in the past though. He has always forced freshman to earn their minutes unlike some other coaches around the college basketball landscape (*cough* John Calipari *cough*).

In the past we’ve seen guys like Joel Embiid, Ben McLemore, Frank Mason, and others that came in as freshman and really struggled to get out onto the court for the majority of their first seasons. The same is now happening with Diallo and Bragg. They both are immensely talented and are honestly the best NBA prospects on the roster, but are just not developed enough in Bill Self’s mind to get consistent minutes as of yet.

None of the three freshmen saw the court in the overtime periods against the Oklahoma Sooners, as Self decided to go with the same five players for all three periods.

Some might ask if this could pose a potential problem with recruiting for the Jayhawks in the future. I personally don’t believe so.

Bill Self is one of the best and most accomplished coaches in college basketball and nothing will take that away from him and the success of his Kansas basketball program. Forcing the freshmen to earn their playing time is to their best interest. If they are just given a starting job in the recruiting process, why would they work as hard as if they were trying to earn something?

Self doesn’t only impose this on freshmen, but all players and makes everyone play under the same rules, which is what makes him such a great college basketball coach.

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Let me hear what you think! Do you think the Jayhawks’ freshman should get more playing time? Is Bill Self being fair with his distribution of minutes? Let me know what you think in the comments section below!

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