The Kansas v Missouri battles still play out, although nowadays it's mostly just a basketball rivalry. I think it's one of the best in the country; it sprung (like a hydra) from blood; Duke and North Carolina have had some epic basketball games, and Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry is legend, but I bet those guys didn't have a guerilla war to fan the flames.
And now, it looks like the University of Kansas is going to get a Missourian by the name of Brandon Rush to play a year or two of basketball at the University of Kansas (in Lawrence). A Missourian Jayhawker?! Oh, the humanity!
Brandon is probably good enough to play in the NBA already, but didn't think he'd go in the first round of the draft, so he needs to play a year or two of college ball to shore up his prospects. Kansas will be a great stage for him-- highly respected program, major competition, lots of TV time. He's definitely a "one and done," mercenary, but boy oh boy is he good. He's likely to be the teams' leading scorer his freshman year . . . if he gets cleared to play by the NCAA, and if he picks KU.
If Brandon does come to Lawrence, it would make this Kansas recruiting class the second-best in Kansas history (after the one in which Wilt Chamberlan became a Jayhawk-- Wilt's presence alone made it college basketball's Best Ever), and one of the best in the nation since they started tracking high-school players' rankings twenty years ago. Michigan's Fab Five from 1991 is still the tops, and Duke and UCLA had a couple of better classes, but goddamn.
Kansas 2005
#8 Julian Wright (McD, 2nd team Parade All-American)
#10 Mario Chalmers (McD, 3rd team Parade AA)
#12 Brandon Rush
#23 Micah Downs (McD, 4th team Parade AA)
#36 (in '03) Rodrick Stewart* (3rd team Parade AA in '03) --- * Rodrick is a transfer, and has yet to play for the Jayhawks, which puts him in this incoming class.
Compare and contrast with:
Michigan 1991 -- The Fab Five, the best recruiting class of recent times.
#2 Chris Weber (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#4 Juwan Howard (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#10 Jimmy King (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
#12 Jalen Rose (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
#76 Ray Jackson
^ It just doesn't get any better than that. Whoo.
Duke 2002
#9 Sheldon Williams (ineligible for '02 AA teams, 4th team Parade AA in '01)
#12 J.J. Redick (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
#15 Shavlik Randolph (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#23 Sean Dockery (McD AA)
#32 Michael Thompson (McD, 4th team Parade AA) NR Lee Melchionni (walk-on as a FR; made some top 100 lists)
UCLA 1998
#4 Dan Gadzuric (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#7 JaRon Rush* (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#16 Ray Young (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
NR Jerome Moiso (from France with no HS in USA; #11 pick in 2000 NBA draft)
#54 Matt Barnes
*Yes, JaRon is Brandon's older brother. JaRon was recruited by Kansas, but was dropped when he questioned coach Williams substitution patterns during a press conference. JaRon had also been involved with some shady stuff, taking money from an AAU coach, and its possible that the KU recruiters found out about that, and contrived an excuse to drop him.
JaRon left UCLA after a year and kind of flamed out at the pro level. His brother, Kareem (the middle brother), played for Missouri, was a class athlete and a deadly shooter. He was a hell of a player-- Kansas fans loved to hate him! Kareem is playing in the NBA now, for the Charlotte Bobcats.
Traditionally, Kansas has been the kind of program where the kids all stay four years and get diplomas. There is no chance in hell barring injury that Brandon Rush stays more than two years. The only reason for him to come for even one year is that if he can go in the first round, or better yet, the top ten, the money gets really fucking good.
So do we want a mercenary one-and-done Rush at Kansas? After watching in 2003 a Kansas team led by two All-American seniors lose the National Championship game to a Syracuse team led by a guy just there to polish his game for the pros . . .
Hell fucking yes we do.
And now, it looks like the University of Kansas is going to get a Missourian by the name of Brandon Rush to play a year or two of basketball at the University of Kansas (in Lawrence). A Missourian Jayhawker?! Oh, the humanity!
Brandon is probably good enough to play in the NBA already, but didn't think he'd go in the first round of the draft, so he needs to play a year or two of college ball to shore up his prospects. Kansas will be a great stage for him-- highly respected program, major competition, lots of TV time. He's definitely a "one and done," mercenary, but boy oh boy is he good. He's likely to be the teams' leading scorer his freshman year . . . if he gets cleared to play by the NCAA, and if he picks KU.
If Brandon does come to Lawrence, it would make this Kansas recruiting class the second-best in Kansas history (after the one in which Wilt Chamberlan became a Jayhawk-- Wilt's presence alone made it college basketball's Best Ever), and one of the best in the nation since they started tracking high-school players' rankings twenty years ago. Michigan's Fab Five from 1991 is still the tops, and Duke and UCLA had a couple of better classes, but goddamn.
Kansas 2005
#8 Julian Wright (McD, 2nd team Parade All-American)
#10 Mario Chalmers (McD, 3rd team Parade AA)
#12 Brandon Rush
#23 Micah Downs (McD, 4th team Parade AA)
#36 (in '03) Rodrick Stewart* (3rd team Parade AA in '03) --- * Rodrick is a transfer, and has yet to play for the Jayhawks, which puts him in this incoming class.
Compare and contrast with:
Michigan 1991 -- The Fab Five, the best recruiting class of recent times.
#2 Chris Weber (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#4 Juwan Howard (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#10 Jimmy King (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
#12 Jalen Rose (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
#76 Ray Jackson
^ It just doesn't get any better than that. Whoo.
Duke 2002
#9 Sheldon Williams (ineligible for '02 AA teams, 4th team Parade AA in '01)
#12 J.J. Redick (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
#15 Shavlik Randolph (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#23 Sean Dockery (McD AA)
#32 Michael Thompson (McD, 4th team Parade AA) NR Lee Melchionni (walk-on as a FR; made some top 100 lists)
UCLA 1998
#4 Dan Gadzuric (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#7 JaRon Rush* (McD, 1st team Parade AA)
#16 Ray Young (McD, 2nd team Parade AA)
NR Jerome Moiso (from France with no HS in USA; #11 pick in 2000 NBA draft)
#54 Matt Barnes
*Yes, JaRon is Brandon's older brother. JaRon was recruited by Kansas, but was dropped when he questioned coach Williams substitution patterns during a press conference. JaRon had also been involved with some shady stuff, taking money from an AAU coach, and its possible that the KU recruiters found out about that, and contrived an excuse to drop him.
JaRon left UCLA after a year and kind of flamed out at the pro level. His brother, Kareem (the middle brother), played for Missouri, was a class athlete and a deadly shooter. He was a hell of a player-- Kansas fans loved to hate him! Kareem is playing in the NBA now, for the Charlotte Bobcats.
Traditionally, Kansas has been the kind of program where the kids all stay four years and get diplomas. There is no chance in hell barring injury that Brandon Rush stays more than two years. The only reason for him to come for even one year is that if he can go in the first round, or better yet, the top ten, the money gets really fucking good.
So do we want a mercenary one-and-done Rush at Kansas? After watching in 2003 a Kansas team led by two All-American seniors lose the National Championship game to a Syracuse team led by a guy just there to polish his game for the pros . . .
Hell fucking yes we do.
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That day was not today. Today, my movement is strictly limited as the result of a loud and unpleasant *crack* that emanated from me neck when observing an upside-down 'L' just didn't cut the mustard.
Ticked, but not discouraged.
Hell fucking yes we do.
Now who's being a mercenary?