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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.

A Quick Note from Mike

It's been a few weeks since my last newsletter, which is longer than I like.

I wanted to quickly address that gap. (Everything is OK on my end!)

Life has been busier than expected these last couple of weeks, and I don't like to send newsletters unless I feel good about the Hearings I'm sharing with you. That takes time, and it's the standard I'm holding myself to.

There was also a natural lull before both football and basketball season got going at the same time. I should’ve done a better job of keeping you in the loop along the way.

While I’ve been able to send VIP subscribers Hearings and news quickly via text, I wanted to be upfront about why it’s been quieter than usual here. We’re normally not quiet at all. 😏

Speaking of, I've been working on some deeper dives that I'll share soon. But now we're at Late Night, hoops practice is rolling, KU football remains dramatic, and the Hearings are flowing again.

Let's get to it.

What I'm Hearing Before Late Night (No Stream Edition)

For the first time in seven years, Late Night in the Phog won't be streaming online for KU fans around the country.

KU hasn't said why tonight’s event won’t be streamed this year. My guess is this is a combination of bringing some incentive to fill Allen Fieldhouse*, the cost of streaming it, and fans generally not being thrilled with the broadcast quality (music rights always make it feel weird).

*Note: Attendance does… not look ideal as Late Night begins. The Jayhawks will at least be on ACC Network next Friday playing an exhibition at Louisville.

For now, I’ve compiled offseason Hearings and turned them into the emerging questions for this season.

This roster is young, talented, and loaded with question marks. I’ve Heard generally that the team looks solid overall… but not great, either.

These are the storylines brewing behind the scenes:

Can the good vibes continue?

I’m Hearing: Chemistry with this year's team has been really strong; much better than the past two years.

They actually like each other. They've been getting after it in practice.* There’s a renewed sense of energy around KU hoops right now.

*Note, I think there’s been some October boredom lately. This is standard when you practice against the same guys every day. We’re right on schedule.

But it's easy to have good chemistry before the season starts.

The real test: What happens when sh*t hits the fan? When they lose a couple of games in a tighter timespan, do they band together? Or do they silo off and play the blame game like last season?

The best-built Self teams hold each other accountable but stay tight. Right now, things are good. Can they keep it going when things get tough?

Will this team know how to close out games?

I’m Hearing: The staff doesn't yet know which, if any, upperclassmen will be a veteran leader late in games.

KU’s got top tier talent: Darryn Peterson is otherworldly, Kohl Rosario has impressed, and Flory Bidunga is looking good. But you're leaning heavily on two freshmen and a sophomore center who's never consistently played extended minutes.

The older transfers (Melvin Council, Tre White, Jayden Dawson), have the experience and makings of guys who can step on throats when needed.

They’ve all had good moments this offseason. Council has been a vocal leader. White has been really solid at the 4. Dawson can shoot it.

But it's unclear which veteran will be the guy KU trusts to help close games out.

Will KU play differently with the coaching changes?

I’m Hearing: Jacque Vaughn likes to play faster, more up-tempo basketball.

But Bill Self runs the show. The question is whether we'll see any real shift in KU's approach during games.

Self isn't exactly known for delegating, especially to newer staffers. It usually takes assistants a while before they have a major voice in the room.

But Vaughn's different. He's an NBA head coach with 15+ years of pro experience. That's a pedigree no other Self assistant has ever brought to Lawrence.

Add in Jeremy Case's promotion to associate head coach (the first under Self), and you've got a real step change in coaching staff dynamics.

How Will This Team Space the Floor?

I'm Hearing: This isn't an elite three-point shooting roster.

Peterson can shoot. Dawson can shoot. Beyond that? You got a lot of average-to-decent shooters. It’s not the worst thing, but it’s also not the best thing.

When you've got a ball-dominant point guard and a rim-running center, you need shooters to space the floor and make defenses pay. Right now, that's a question mark, largely because of how unproven the roster is.

Tre White shot 32.9% last year, which can work for your four-man. Melvin Council shot 29.9% last year, which will need to improve. And Kohl Rosario has emerged as a real scoring threat for the Jayhawks. 

KU shot it 35.4% from three last year, the 88th best clip in the country per KenPom. An improvement by White and Council can make the Jayhawks extremely difficult to guard.

They're betting on player development, elite playmaking, and confidence to drive these improvements through. But spacing issues have tanked the last two KU offenses and they can't afford to whiff on shooting again.

Coming soon to VIP!

A preseason roster deep dive. You can get the VIP scoops and live updates here.

How to Support KU Hearings!

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🏈 Here’s ESPN’s story recapping the alleged pocketknife incident at the Texas Tech game.

🏀 Watch Darryn Peterson answer questions at KU Hoops media day earlier this week!

🏀 The first Kenpom rankings for this season are out. The Jayhawks are a lot lower than we’re used to. Check ‘em out.

🏀 Bill Self held a 30-minute press conference earlier this week to preview his team. He looks good! Watch the full vid below.