LAWRENCE, Kan. — McDonald's All-American Bryce Thompson has impressed during early-season basketball practices, Kansas coach Bill Self said recently on former KU guard Jeff Hawkins' first "The Field of 68" podcast.
"Bryce has been good," Self said of Thompson, a 6-foot-5 freshman combo guard out of Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla.
"He's advanced IQ-wise, has great feel," Self added of the No. 21-rated prospect in the recruiting Class of 2020 according to Rivals.com. "As far as helping a team win, being a little bit tougher than what you anticipate most freshmen being ... he tries to guard, talks all the time and does some intangible things that this team will need because we're not great at some of those things. I think he has a chance to impact us a lot early."
Of KU's other two true freshmen, Latrell Jossell, a 5-11 point guard from Keller High School in Dallas and Gethro Muscadin, a 6-10 forward from Haiti, Self told Hawkins: "Latrell hasn't practiced yet because he's hurt (ankle injury). Gethro is a little ways away, although he's a tremendous athlete."
The Jayhawks' returnees and newcomers have been practicing since Oct. 15 in preparation for the season opener, which is expected to be Nov. 25 against Gonzaga in Fort Myers, Fla.
Self mentioned three players that, in his opinion, may have progressed the most from last season to this season.
"I thought David (McCormack, junior forward) and Ochai (Agbaji, junior guard) were our two most improved. I mean, they are right there, but as we've gotten into practice I think there's been some leveling off," Self said. "The guy that is doing it right now is Christian Braun (sophomore guard).
"He has no fear. He can really make an open shot," Self added of the 6-6 Blue Valley Northwest graduate. "It's amazing how important making an open shot is. I think he is poised to hopefully become an all-league type performer. I know Ochai's got it in him. I know David's got it in him. Marcus (Garrett, senior point guard) obviously has it in him but Christian may be the one guy you think he's really good and he's going to be a good player that may be better than what anybody ever thought."
The 6-10, 265-pound McCormack is primed for a big season as a replacement in the middle for Udoka Azubuike.
"We had our first scrimmage, David was 15-of-20 (shooting) from the field and 5 of 5 from the line," Self said. "Our fans would say, 'Five of five from the line ... we haven't seen that in a long time from our centers.'
"David can score the ball. Granted you are not going to go 15 for 20 often. He was on a roll. Plugging the hole (in middle), defending the ball screen, being a presence that made people think twice about ever putting their nose in there, we don't have that yet. David has got to improve that in order for us to have a chance to be what we did last year," Self added of last season's 28-3 team that won the Big 12 title.
"I personally think he can. We are thin inside obviously with basically Mitch (Lightfoot, senior forward) and Gethro being our other bigs. Mitch will have a good year, there's no question about that. We are going to have to do it differently. I don't know that you replace Udoka. I don't know if fans really appreciated how good he was until maybe you remove him. Those same shots people are getting now they weren't getting last year. That's a big credit to him," he added of Azubuike swatting opposing players' shots in the paint.
Self was asked by 2006 KU graduate Hawkins, the first year varsity boys basketball coach at Pembroke Hill School who has just started his new podcast, if either of the Jayhawks two scholarship seniors (Lightfoot, Garrett) might take advantage of an NCAA rule that would allow them to return for the 2021-22 season. Players do not lose a year of eligibility this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Well Mitch could come back for his 12th season. He could do that. He and Brady Morningstar would probably be the two oldest players ever at Kansas," Self joked.
Lightfoot, 23, is a 6-8, fifth-year senior out of Gilbert, Ariz.
"Marcus might," Self added of senior point guard Garrett, "but Marcus I hope has a good enough year where he needs to go (to NBA). If the timing's right he needs to go, but if it doesn't work out he could always come back. That would be great. Those are things that are distinct possibilities.
"It kind of impacts recruiting. What do we really need right now? We won't need a point guard if Marcus comes back but I can't bank on that. We've got to recruit like he won't. We really wouldn't need a backup big so to speak if Mitch comes back. We don't know that. David may be good enough to go himself. It's more a crapshoot now than ever."
How so?
"You have the rule that will be passed ... I don't like it but will be passed that kids can transfer and be eligible immediately regardless of situation," Self said. "Is it more important to go out and recruit a sophomore who has been in the battle or maybe recruit a freshman who hasn't?
"Who knows what the formula will be on that. It's just a different time, such an inexact science. We've had the NCAA stuff, (a) cloud over our head. We don't we know at all when that will conclude and how that could potentially affect us. We hope not at all. I mean we're fighting (against five Level I NCAA violation allegations) and we know what we believe. I don't know all those things. It is an uncertain time to be recruiting right now."
As far as recruiting ... KU during the Nov. 11-18 early signing period is expected to land signatures from a pair of forwards who have orally committed — Zach Clemence, a 6-10, 215-pound senior from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., and K.J. Adams, a 6-8, 220-pound senior from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. KU has one additional scholarship to award to a player in the Class of 2021 at this time, more if any non seniors leave the program.
