THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3. 2014
PAGE 4B
+
FRESHMAN PROFILES
Top-recruiting class ready to make immediate on-the-court impact for Jayhawks
CLIFF ALEXANDER
KELLY OUBRE, JR.
DEVONTE' GRAHAM
SVIATSLOV MYKHAILIUK
BEN FELDERSTEIN
@Ben_Felderstein
Leading the Kansas Jayhawks this season will in large part fall on the shoulders of junior forwards Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor. They are two of the oldest players on the roster and two of the most respected.
Traylor is a vocal leader, while Ellis is more of the type to lead by example. These two forwards will be responsible for molding another one of the nation's top five recruiting classes.
Among this class are, Cliff Alexander, Kelly Oubre, Devonte Graham and Sviatslov Mykhailiuk, who are a big reason the Jayhawks have the No. nine ranked recruiting class according to ESPN - a year after ranking No. 2 overall. These four players are ready to step in and make an on-the-court difference immediately. With the departure of two of the best talents this school has ever seen in Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, these four freshmen will have very large shoes to fill.
CLIFF ALEXANDER
Alexander is a 6-foot-8, five-star recruit from Curie High School in Chicago. As ESPN's number three overall prospect, he was named the 2014 Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year along
with Mr. Basketball USA
"Cliff is going to be fighting for some big minutes," Bill Self said. "Him and Landon (Lucas) are going to be going after each other for a lot of playing time."
Alexander is stepping into a crowded front court with the likes of Traylor, Ellis, Lucas, and Mickelson. Alexander will be expected to play big minutes and succeed offensively and defensively.
He has the role of replacing two NBA big men, Embiid and Tarik Black. Both men were defensive stoppers and had solid offensive skill sets as well. Alexander looked like he was ready to step into these roles during Late Night in the Phog this year.
"Cliff has been working on that left-handed hook a lot," Self explained after Late Night. "It's a move he need to get down to be successful in the college game."
Alexander has a lot of support and people to learn from on this roster. Bill Self has a history of talented big men, and they all tend to help each other out.
Lucas said. "He's a young, talented guy that we just want to help make better."
"It's Jamari and my self's responsibility to kind of look over him (Cliff)." Landon
KELLY OUBRE, JR
KELLY OUBE, JR
Oubre is another five star recruit a part of Kansas'
freshman class this season. Oubre is a 6-foot-7 guard from New Orleans who attended Findlay Prep. Oubre scored 11 points and sank the game winning free throws in the 2014 McDonalds All-American game.
The guard has perhaps the biggest shoes to fill in all of the NCAA. With the departure of the number one overall pick in the NBA draft, Oubre will have to step into a wing position and be effective immediately.
Similar to Wiggins, Oubre is long, quick and athletic, with a wingspan above seven feet long. Oubre's long arms allow him to be a force on the defensive end, a lot like Wiggins was last season.
"I'm excited." Oubre explained. "Andrew is a great player. I am not him, but we have similar play styles, I've watched him game a lot."
Oubre is already a vocal leader on the court for Kansas, but can often get caught up in his own head. He's the type of player that needs to think less and let his skills do the talking.
"He can play great defense and get a steal and a run-out, and then the next time when the shot clock is running down to three, he'll go gamble and miss and give a guy a wide-open shot." Self said. "He's just got to kind of figure it out. But certainly, he's a talented kid."
DEVONTE' GRAHAM
Graham is a 6-foot-2 guard from Raleigh, North Carolina. Graham attended the Brewster Academy averaging 17.2 points and five assists. Graham has had the most impressive off-season amongst the freshman propelling himself into a leadership role already.
"Without seeing him really go up and down a lot, he's going to be a hard guy to keep out of the lineup." Self said. "He's a little bit older. He's a great leader. He's probably as popular as any student is on campus. I mean, everybody knows him. Everybody likes him. He's got potential to be a great leader, and he's really a good basketball player."
Graham led Brewster to the 4A state championship where he averaged 14.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. By the end of 2014, Graham was named the number 36 recruit by rivals.com.
Graham was a late commitment to Kansas. In early May senior guard-to-be Naadir Tharpe left the program, and almost immediately, Graham committed to the University. With the recent transfer announcement of sophomore guard Connor Frankamp, Graham will look to split time with sophomore Frank Mason at the point guard position.
"Devonte' is going to be a guy that's going to challenge
for a starting spot." Self said. "I've said that all along. I don't know that Devonte' is quite ready for that yet, but I think that he could be a guy to challenge for a starting spot. That doesn't mean he will, but he's going to be in the mix."
One thing that has always been missing since the 2008 National Championship team, has been a pure, reliable point guard. Between Tharpe, Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor, the point guard play has been as inconsistent as possible.
Graham and Frank Mason will look to add stability at the position. Graham is a leader on the court, as he was constantly barking out orders and running plays during the late night inter-squad scrimmage.
SVIATSLOV MYKHAILIUK
Svi for short, this 6-foot-8 winger from Cherkasy, Ukraine is only 17 years old. Svi was apart of Ukraine's 2014 FIBA World Cup Team. He played in four games, which included three points in 11 minutes versus the United States.
Svi averaged 16 points and 4.1 rebounds in the U18 European Championships, where he earned alltournament honors.In 2013, Svi played in the U16 championships where he averaged 25.2 points and eight rebounds also being named to the all-tournament team.
Playing in Ukraine has given Svi a lot of experience the other players don't have. He played professionally in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague from 2012 to 2014 for the Cherkasy Mavpy. He also got to play against the likes of James Harden and Anthony Davis.
"Svi is a talented kid." Self said. "He is not going to red shirt, he doesn't need to. He's got a lot to learn, but he's ready to come in and make an impact."
Kansas has had a few foreign players under Self's tenure. Embiid last season and Sasha Kaun from the 2008 National Championship team are two that come to mind. Both players played big roles on their respective teams.
Svi is the youngest player in the Big 12, but will look to provide big, important minutes for Kansas off the bench.
"You'll see how impressive he is athletically, with his skill set and all those things." Self said. "The only knock on him right now is he's young. He should be a high school junior or senior, as opposed to a college freshman. But he's going to be really good."
Edited by Ashley Peralta
10 predictions for the Jayhawks this season
BRIAN HILLIX
@DoubleHillix
BLAIR SHEADE
@RealBlairSheady
KYLE PAPPAS
@kyle_Pap
BEN FELDERSTEIN
@Ben_Felderstein
1. KANSAS WINS ITS 11TH
STRAIGHT BIG 12 TITLE
With the influx of four talented freshmen and the returning talent of Wayne Selden, Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor, Kansas is primed to win yet another Big 12 title. Selden has the experience of not being a freshman this season and Perry is in his third year now. Junior year was Thomas Robinson's coming out party, and if Ellis or Traylor can make a similar jump, an 11th straight Big 12 title will be even more of a possibility.
2. CLIFF ALEXANDER STRUGGLES WITH FOULS EARLY IN THE SEASON
Power forward Cliff Alexander will bring muchneeded grit and attitude to the paint this season. A physically
imposing player, he will be a force of the defensive end with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. However, especially early in the season, that will draw a lot of referee whistles as he figures out what he can and cannot get away with at the college level. He will foul out of more games than any other Jayhawk.
3. HUNTER MICKELSON BECOMES A DEFENSIVE ENFORCER
Every year, the men's basketball team has a shotblocker that dominates the paint. Last season it was Joel Embiid, two seasons ago it was Jeff Withey, and this season will be junior Hunter Mickelson, a defensive enforcer. Before transferring from Arkansas, Mickelson led the Razorbacks with 2.25 blocks per game. Without a seven-footer this season, the Jayhawks will need an inside defensive presence and Mickelson will be that guy.
Kansas has one of the most vigorous non-conference schedules again this season. This is a time that Self uses to
4. COME CONFERENCE PLAY, THE STARTING LINEUP FEATURES THREE FRESHMEN
experiment with the starting lineup. By Big 12 conference play, Devonte' Graham, Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre will all be in the starting five. Graham is the stability the team needs at point guard, Oubre is the quick, athletic wing that will be able to lock down any other wing in the country and Alexander is the big body down low that Kansas will need to dominate the boards.
Once again, Bill Self elected for a tough non-conference schedule for the Jayhawks. Before conference begins, Kansas will have played at least three teams currently ranked in the top-25 poll: No.1 Kentucky,No.7 Florida and No.25 Utah in addition to the possibility of playing No.18 Michigan State in the Orlando Classic. These are all potential losses for a young Kansas team, along with tricky road contests against Georgetown and Temple.
5. KANSAS LOSES AT LEAST TWO GAMES BEFORE CONFERENCE PLAY
6. KELLY OUBRE WINS BIG 12 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Though Jayhawks' freshman
forward Cliff Alexander was chosen as the coaches' preseason co-selection for the honor, it's not hard to imagine that being ending up a reality. At 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, the freshman owns the tools to become a legitimate star, he's a cause for concern in the paint, but can also pull up from the perimeter to showcase his silky smooth jumper. A five-star recruit and No.11 prospect in the Class of 2014 according to ESPN, Oubre is a do-it-all guard who should be penciled in as a starter in Kansas' opening night lineup. With his 7-foot-2 wingspan and versatility, he could quickly become a focal point in Self's offense and a nightmare for opposing defenses.
7. PERRY ELLLIS AVERAGES A DOUBLE-DOUBLE (OR CLOSE TO IT)
Junior Perry Ellis averaged 17 points and seven rebounds and has only played 27 minutes per game. Ellis will be the go-to scorer, and coach Self will ask Ellis to be more aggressive and rebound more. Ellis' leadership and experience will keep him on the floor longer, which means
8. DEVONTE GRAHAM LEAPFROGS FRANK MASON AT POINT GUARD
more opportunities to grab rebounds.
TH
While the relatively surprising transfer of Conner Frankamp surely throws a wrench in Self's plans at guard, it should free up some additional minutes for freshman Devonte Graham. Frank Mason will likely get the starting nod to begin the season, but Graham should see significant minutes with the opportunity to expand his role as the year progresses. After his commitment to Kansas in May, Self called Graham "one of the premier point guards in the country" and claimed he was "an immediate impact guy". While both will see big minutes this season, look for Graham to get the bulk of those minutes as tournament time approaches.
Though Perry Ellis was the only Jayhawk to receive votes for any preseason All-Big 12 team, it's Selden who's most likely to finish the year there. He showed flashes during his
9. WAYNE SELDEN SELECTED TO THE ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
Co
freshman year (44 points on 59 percent shooting after his first two conference games) and should prove more consistent in his sophomore campaign. While the conference is exceptionally talented at the guard position, Selden is arguably the most physically gifted and boasts the highest ceiling of the bunch, it's simply a matter of if he can reach that ceiling. If he can, he's a first team AllBig 12 selection and potential lottery pick next year.
10. KANSAS USES MORE THAN SIX DIFFERENT STARTING LINEUP THIS SEASON
With four freshmen coming in, three of which are potential starters, there is a lot of uncertainty at the top. Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden are arguable the only locks in the starting five. Self has referenced Landon Lucas and Cliff Alexander fighting for big minutes multiple times this preseason. Frank Mason and Devonte' Graham will battle for the starting point guard position and Kelly Oubre will try to fight his way into a starting wing spot.
Edited by Ashley Peralta