Now I know what you're thinking, "Oh God here comes The Burn writing once again about his alma mater and how amazing the KU Basketball program is." What? Did K-State or Mizzou have any players drafted last night? How many coaches have each of those programs had in the last 20 years? Yeah, spare me it folks.
I wanted to talk though about Bill Self's innate ability to develop low ranked recruits into stars and potential NBA greats. It's what sets him apart from the other Blue Blood coaches, ones that mainly subscribe to the "One and Done" rule and that don't have nearly as good of player retention as Self. Last night's draft was a prime example of Self's attitude toward his players. He was one of the only coaches that actually SHOWED UP to see these guys off to the NBA, guys that 4 years ago you'd never even think would START for KU Basketball, let alone become all-time greats. You then look at guys like Frank Mason, Devonte Graham, Sherron Collins, and others that again, were not highly recruited but turned int0 legends of KU Basketball and college basketball as a whole. Bill Self has the ability to bring out the great in players, if they let him, and make them into stalwarts by the time their upperclassman years roll around, and he is PRESENT with his players. Again, going back to last night, Coach K had a nice little cameo for Paulo Banchero when he got drafted NUMBER 1 OVERALL but nothing else. Don't point to how Duke or Kentucky or any other blue blood "Is just one of those NBA factories so what would be the point?" No, these schools are stepping stones and there is little chemistry with their rosters. It's why Kentucky has not even sniffed the FINAL FOUR, let alone made the championship in quite some time, and why Duke is not constantly winning championships. They don't develop, they're a glorified AAU program, and to me personally? That's what makes Kansas the best blue blood and why they are ranked #1 in all time wins. The Self Formula and the fact that this fanbase and personnel genuinely cares about these guys, it's really a microcosm of KC sports if you think about it.
Burn Notice: 10/10 Did y'all see Mrs. Braun's dress last night??? YAASSS SLAY QUEEN.
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