"Who's our fifth guy?" power rankings!!!
In conference season, I do not try to bank newsletter posts based on wins that have not yet happened. However, this week required me to get ahead with the writing, and anytime that happens, everything goes straight to hell. In this case, that means one of the worst in-conference losses in recent memory—a game where KU both showcased their best, most electric basketball (briefly) and all of their worst qualities (more extensively). I’ve learned my lesson, basketball gods!!!!
Anyway—KU has four guys they can count on, and it’s increasingly clear that KU’s fortunes depends on Dajuan Harris’s play. He’s been down this season—shooting 38% on twos when he decides to go up, and turning it over at a clip we’re just not used to from #3. A 44% mark from three point hides the damage a little. I’m confident Harris will regain his form a little bit. Right now, his decline is trickling down, all over the floor.
A fifth starter must emerge, eventually, and a decision seems nearer—and more important—than ever. I’m going to grade each candidate’s likelihood from one to five basketballs. Let’s go!
JOHNNY FURPHY—Every report coming out of Lawrence right now suggests that Johnny Furphy has been improving rapidly behind the curtain. Furphy addresses a lot of needs, namely shooting, size and the fact that he doesn’t need the ball to do stuff. I believe the ship has sailed on our fifth guy being a super-spark that can wrench KU out of a half-court funk. The best we can hope for is someone that can space the floor and do some of the dirty work for the core four, and Furphy—who is a year young for the level, keep in mind—has momentum here. KU is massive when he’s on the floor with McC/Hunter/Harris/Adams. I am increasingly curious about his future in Lawrence and elsewhere. Five balls! 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
ELMARKO JACKSON—Before last night I was higher on EJ’s case, especially after the Wichita St. game in KC. But two straight 0 point outings—as well as an early hook in last night’s UCF game—demands a deduction.
I don’t think it’s in the cards, but I would love to see Elmarko run the offense for 4-5 minutes at a time. Optimizing Jackson involves having the ball in his hands, an upside made inaccessible by Dajuan Harris’s on-ball dominance. He’s a better player than he’s been able to show. Now that Jackson’s got his feet under him a little more, he’s poised to be a useful wingman with useful strengths, especially in transition, in 2024. His defense has come a long way, and in the rare moments where he’s given space to create, he’s shown some sizzle. This happens every year with Bill, doesn’t it? Four balls! 🏀🏀🏀🏀
NIC TIMBERLAKE—Shooting is such a need this season that Bill Self will give Timberlake every opportunity to shoot it. While Timberlake showed a springy all-around game at Towson, little of that made it to Kansas. He is very in his head, and the best case scenario for Nic is that he emerges as a shooting specialist in the Isaiah Moss mold who can make a few key shots per game and doesn’t hesitate getting those shots up. If he doesn’t dribble again this season, no one will notice. I haven’t given up hope. But the beginning of the Timberlake era has been all sputter, no spark.🏀🏀
PARKER BRAUN—Braun has almost no chance to be our fifth guy, I just wanted to give him dap for that backdoor pass in the TCU game. A wild and savvy pass… the older Braun is kinda good! 🏀
JAMARI MCDOWELL—McDowell’s surprising emergence as additive connective tissue has been one of my favorite developments of the season. He is well-coached, plays like a maniac on defense, doesn’t make mistakes, and does the dirty work for KU’s stars. He’s shooting under 30% from three—not ideal. He’s been a boon to smaller lineups, though, but those lineups are definitely small. He’s gonna play, though I’m not sure he’s ready to supply the boost that KU might need down the line. 🏀🏀
MICHAEL J—One day soon, we must let Jank cook! 🏀
SOME BUSINESS
If you follow media news at all—if you don’t already, please don’t start!—you know that Substack has generated controversy over its content moderation policies.
I agree with Substack’s critics. I find the fact that Substack’s leadership is unwilling to take a stand against literal Nazi language and iconography deeply disturbing. So, I’m leaving.
I will continue to run Streak Talk on Substack through the end of the NCAA Tournament, and then I’ll use the first few weeks of the offseason to port everything over to a new platform TBD. At that point, I will pause all subscriptions so no one gets charged further. We will figure out a new subscription system—I might just selectively fundraise for certain initiatives at once, rather than spread it out through the year. If you have a platform you like, please reach out! I’m doing research and need to know what you guys think.
At the end of the day, I’ll use this unexpected development as an opportunity to change things up, even if it will require some logistics legwork down the line. It’s possible Substack does an about-face that makes me reconsider this decision, but I do not think that’s in the cards. So it goes. Thank you for reading, and I’ll keep everyone posted.
Rock Chalk.