The Naismith Trophy will be awarded at the Final Four in Houston. Kansas forward Marcus Morris was named to the 2010-11 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday. “I think Naadir will have some of the same characteristics. He was very smart in that regard,” Self said with a laugh. He could be ornery and still get anybody to do what he wanted them to do, to do what was best for us and have them not know he totally manipulated them. 91-rated player to four-year KU starter Aaron Miles. As soon as we were on his list, he (said), ‘I want to go to KU.’ Being recruited pretty high, to tell everybody else he definitely wanted to be a Jayhawk was pretty cool,” Self added. It’s one of those neat things that sometimes happen in recruiting. “We’re kind of scrambling around and ended up getting a guy we wanted. He ended up choosing another school,” Self added of Arizona commit Josiah Turner of Sacramento, Calif. We thought we had another point guard who we spent a lot of time on, about three years on.

“We recruited a couple kids off his team (New England Playaz AAU players Kaleb Tarczewski and Alex Murphy) that are young. “He is one of those guys we really didn’t recruit,” Self said. KU entered the recruiting picture late, stealing Tharpe from the clutches of Oklahoma and Minnesota. I don’t know when the last time anybody’s ever worn a tie on a visit. “He showed up on his (campus) visit wearing a tie. He will be the most popular kid on campus by the end of the first semester. “I’m telling you, people are going to love this kid,” Self said. Self thinks he sees a future on-court leader in Naadir Tharpe, a 6-foot senior from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., who last week signed a letter of intent with KU. I really feel we could have seven different players be our leading scorer at some point this year.” “I do see a lot more balance on this team,” Self said. The great news is there are so many candidates on a KU team that takes a 2-0 record into Friday’s 7 p.m. Sherron will do something.’ I am hoping we have players emerge to do that,” Self said. You’d look around, and we’re not playing very well, and it’s, ‘Sherron will make a play. How soon he gets comfortable I think could go a long way in giving us a presence,” Self said.Ĭollins finished his career as KU’s all-time winningest player. He has that inner confidence that few people at that age have. He doesn’t need it at all times, but he believes he should have it. He really believes he wants the ball at all times. “Josh has a mind-set that is similar to Sherron in that he really believes that nobody can guard him. “When Josh gets comfortable,” Self said of freshman point guard Josh Selby, who has practiced but not yet been cleared by the NCAA to play in games. Self said there’s a huge “X-factor” in the leadership department. I think Travis (Releford) is a leader in his own way.” I believe Brady (Morningstar), Mario (Little) and Tyrel (Reed) are tough. “I do believe those guys (Taylor, twins) are capable. I think we’ll do it by committee,” Self said.

“I don’t know if we’ll have one (leader). The Jayhawks this season need to replace one of the great leaders in school history in point guard Sherron Collins of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats. Talking, of course, is a form of leading. I’ve seen Tyshawn (Taylor) get after Marcus and Markieff (Morris), and I’ve seen them get after Ty, and it’s kind of water off your back, which is a good thing.” “They seem to respect when the other guy gets on them. I listen to them coach each other and get on each other,” KU coach Bill Self said on Tuesday’s Hawk Talk radio show. Kansas University’s basketball players aren’t shy about speaking up when a teammate needs direction on the court.

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