KU's Minutes Problem Goes Deeper Than You Think 🧐

📚 Extended: Last Chance for Book Giveaways!

Due to a family matter last week that kept me from sending a newsletter Friday, I'm extending the giveaway deadline to tonight at 11:59pm CT.

Thanks to you, we've sold over 670 books - meaning more than $1,200 will go to KU NIL - all thanks to the Wildcats 😂.

We’re just 30 books away from hitting 700 and adding another $100 NIL bonus! The total could reach $1,400+ tonight.

Two subscribers will also win the Bill Self signed commemorative basketballs pictured above.

To enter:

• Get the book: https://a.co/d/6GVU1vI

• Forward receipt to [email protected]

• Must enter by TONIGHT at 11:59pm CT

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Forward receipt to [email protected] or tweet to @M_Vernon by 11:59pm CT tonight. No purchase necessary - email subject "Basketball Giveaway" to enter. Winners notified ~Dec. 14. Must be 18+ and U.S. resident.

• 🔒 Major Hoops and Football Hearings

• 🏀 KU Hoops’ Rotation Issues

• 📝 Quick Links: Self presser after the Missouri loss

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Major KU News Weekend

So much went down over a massive KU Sports weekend:

1) Basketball roster shakeup?

VIP Intel: I’m Hearing a KU basketball player might leave at the end of this semester — and a new, eligible player may join the team.

2) Football staff changes.

• OC Jeff Grimes left for Wisconsin

  • He was replaced by internal Co-OC Jim Zebrowski

• DC Brian Borland retired ✅ 

  • He was replaced by internal Co-DC D.K. McDonald

    • More on this in VIP today

🏀 KU's Lack of Rotation is a Problem Right Now

Note: It’s December 9, and I’ll almost certainly regret pointing this out in a few months. After all, Bill Self has a pretty good track record at figuring these things out 😅

But this is something the team is struggling with today, so... away we go.

Bill Self knew what he wanted to do differently this year. It almost sounds like he was trying to convince himself before the season even started.

The minutes proclamation lasted about as long as Iowa State’s lead in the Big 12 Championship game this weekend.

Harris, Adams, and Dickinson are back to playing heavy minutes, especially in KU’s back-to-back road losses this week. The reasons are complicated: New players haven't done enough to earn extra minutes, yet limited opportunities make it harder to earn them.

The numbers tell two stories: Inconsistent minutes leading to hesitant play, but also players not capitalizing on their chances.

It creates a self-fulfilling problem.

All three of KU’s incoming transfer guards were proven scorers who seem to be struggling to find comfort in their new roles:

• Zeke Mayo

  • Last Year: 39.1% from three

  • This Year: 33% from three

  • Unguarded Jumpers: Dropped from 41.9% to 20% (Synergy)

• Rylan Griffen

  • Last Year: 39.2% from three

  • This Year: 33% from three

  • Unguarded Jumpers: Down from 43.8% to 33.3%

  • Has only cracked 20 minutes in a big game once this year.

• AJ Storr

  • Better percentage but taking fewer shots (36% up from 32%)

  • -1.4 attempts per game

  • Unguarded Jumpers: 60% but on just 5 attempts (up from 38.9%)

Self's tight rotation in big games is understandable. He's going with proven players when it matters most.

But there's the dilemma: How do new players prove themselves without consistent minutes?

It’s unfair and oversimplified say the solution is to just: “play them more.” Self will have to keep finding the right spots to develop confidence and rhythm.

But with Big 12 play starting in three games, time is running short.

The Jayhawks will need confident players who know their roles if they’re going to win a conference championship — and make a run in March.

P.S. Help Spread the Word:

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🏀 Watch Bill Self’s press conference after losing to Missouri.

🏈 Check out KU’s announcement for D.K. McDonald taking over as DC. And here’s the announcement for Zebrowski as OC.

🏈 Watch this beautiful play call from Zebrowski during KU’s bowl win vs. UNLV last season (he was interim OC).

👏 This John Brown beer and gear is pretty cool from Free State Brewing.