[JoeWolf1]

As a die hard Kansas fan, and one with a small piece of my heart missing from the once greatest rivalry in college sports, I don’t think there was any question that I’d somehow find a way to watch the Kansas versus Missouri scrimmage yesterday afternoon.

Here are some of my impressions of the players from the game.

Michael Porter Jr. – Porter is a graceful athlete, while not overtly powerful, he moves easily and gets off the ground quickly. He showed off a nice outside stroke and a knack for grabbing offensive boards. This was his first collegiate action, and just a scrimmage, so I wasn’t too bothered by a lack of intensity, but he came off a little soft as he settled for long jumper after long jumper despite being the most physically gifted player on the court. He’s gonna be fun to watch this year, and hopefully he can get a little tougher when games matter more.

Jontay Porter – Michael’s 17 year old brother Jontay doesn’t look like many 17 year olds I’ve seen, he’s very strong and plays hard. Pretty good stroke too. I think he’ll play a pretty big role for MU this season, and I like his chances of developing into an NBA role player…maybe more.

Blake Harris – A 4 star recruit, Blake Harris is poised to have a really nice freshman season for the Tigers. He’s got great ball skills, and has the ability to really make his teammates better. The Porter brothers will not be the only freshmen getting recognition in Colombia this year. NBA outlook is still a ways off for him, but at 6’3” and 190 pounds, he’s got pretty decent positional size for a point.

Devonte Graham – It was pretty evident that Graham has taken a lot of jumpers over the summer. I know at one point early in the game he had 11 of KU’s first 14 points, and at that point he was 3-3 from downtown. Even with Malik Newman sharing a backcourt spot, Devonte is the top dog for Kansas. At 6’2” with a pretty solid wingspan, I wouldn’t be shocked if he played his way into the middle/late 1st round this year. Look forward to a season to rival Frank Mason’s last year.

Malik Newman – It had been a while since I had seen Malik play in a game, but he showed a nice ability to get in the lane, and while his jumper has a hitch, he still hits them at a pretty good clip. He and Devonte are going to be real fun in transition, and I think Newman has upped his defensive intensity from what I saw from him during his freshman year. He’ll have a big year as well. KU will rely on their backcourt for the majority of points.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – You can’t jump on or off a bandwagon from 1 exhibition game, but Svi didn’t look very good. He was playing soft, turning the ball over, and while he still has a solid overall floor game, it wasn’t truly on display yesterday afternoon. He’s going to have an uphill battle to play himself into the 2nd round, and he’ll need to do more than that to hope to have a shot on getting his name called.

Udoka Azibuke – Azibuke has transformed his body. He’s sporting a lean midsection with an absolutely massive chest and arms. He’s a bit of a plodder, but showed good defensive instincts. He probably blocked 5 or 6 shots and altered 5 more. His sheer size and a good effort carving out position probably got him 10 points too. When he’d get tired, he’s kind of trip over his own feet, but actually had some good baby hooks, and he’s an improved player. In the 80’s I’d say pencil him in for a draft spot, but in today’s game I’m still in wait and see mode.

[SubZeroParticipant]

Does Devonte Graham remind anyone else of a little less intense and better shooting Patrick Beverley, or am I letting the hair influence me?

[JoeWolf1]

I don’t see the similarities. While Graham is a capable defender, he’s not that bull dog kind of defender in which Beverly has made a career.

I think shooting and handles is what is going to make Graham a career in the NBA. Think Patty Mills, or Steph light…

[SubZeroParticipant]

Patty Mills really is a way better comparison

[TRC1991Participant]

 Mykhailiuk still looks terrible? After 3 years of college ball? Maybe, just maybe he actually isn’t very good…

[JoeWolf1]

I wouldn’t got that far. It’s not that he’s not good, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to his hype. At the end of the day, he’s a 6’8” guy with really good ball skills for his size who can knock down a corner 3. He’s also added a lot of strength at Kansas.

Will he play a big enough role ( on a stacked team) to warrant a draft pick? Not sure, but he’ll almost certainly be on a summer league roster with a chance to make an NBA squad. He’ll make a lot of money as a professional basketball player, even if it’s overseas. He’s still pretty good.

[Bankroll PJParticipant]

 Any word on how Terrence Phillips looked? Will he be the starter this year? PG play is going to be key for that team if they want to make some noise

[JoeWolf1]

I thought Harris out played him during this scrimmage, but got plenty of playing time. I’m sure he’ll play a pretty big role with the Tigers this year.

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Did Sam Cunliffe play?

[JoeWolf1]

No, he’s not eligible until the second half of the season since he was a mid-season transfer least year.

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