A blessing and a Kerr-se

The portal brought a player to an unexpected place, Kentucky fans' anger grows and Bill Self pulls a Leonardo DiCaprio in the "Wolf of Wall Street."

Author

Sean Paul
April 06, 2023

Just because the nets have been cut doesn't mean the season is over. Portal action continues to stir at a frenetic pace. NBA decisions have started to pour in as well. And yesterday's latest involved a handful of big names.

Let's get to the news.

1. Take me home, Kerr.

How often do you see something on Twitter and check to see if it’s from a parody account? That was certainly the case when I saw this on Wednesday.

Kerr Kriisa averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 assists and helped Arizona capture back-to-back Pac-12 titles and a top-2 seed in the past two NCAA tournaments. He also led the Pac-12 in assists and is generally viewed as one of the top players in the portal.

So why the double take?

Kriisa isn't a typical Bob Huggins guard. He’s not a defensive stalwart like Jevon Carter or Deuce McBride, who could single-handedly alter a game by locking down opposing guards. That’s not the case with Kriisa, who Pac-12 athletic guards regularly targeted on defense and posted a 0.4 defensive box plus-minus this season.

Then, there's the other component. Kriisa is an emotional player. He isn’t afraid to let opponents or fans know when he’s amped up. But Bob Huggins isn't typically a fan of players who hunt the highlight plays. A similar player, Erik Stevenson got on Huggins' bad side several times this season for untimely technical fouls, and for embracing the hero ball mentality, like Stevenson showed in the Round of 64 defeat to Maryland. Kriisa's always been just as likely to shoot a team into a big lead as he is to shoot their way to a loss.

There's no denying Kriisa is a talented player. And there’s a chance he and Huggins are a good match.

But it's gonna be a wild ride.

Kriisa isn't the only player moving, though. A rundown of other portal moves:

Notable portal entrants

  • Texas Tech forward Daniel Batcho

  • San Francisco forward Zane Meeks

  • Oklahoma forward Jacob Groves

  • Purdue guard Brandon Newman

  • Miami forward Anthony Walker

New schools for these players

Players returning to programs

  • Terrance Arceneaux (Houston)

  • Noah Carter (Missouri)

2. Big Blue Nervousness

It's been an interesting few days for Kentucky fans. Antonio Reeves and Jacob Toppin declared for the NBA Draft. Sahvir Wheeler hit the portal. And Wednesday, freshman Ugonna Onyenso did the same.

Does John Calipari have a truck under his sleeve? He already has an elite incoming freshman class. And he might be adding an influx of experienced talent from the portal.

Many around the program expected Onyeso to succeed Oscar Tshiebwe as the starting 5-man in Lexington. His experience would've been valuable to pair with that incoming class, too.

The star-studded freshman class, headlined by guard DJ Wagner, wing Justin Edwards and center Aaron Bradshaw, will play significant roles from the jump. But if the past few seasons have taught us anything, you need more than just talented rookies on the roster against seniors who might be as old as 23, 24 or even 25.

So what do you do? You have a Zoom meeting with perhaps the top player in the portal, Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson averaged 19 points and nine boards for the Wolverines and would be an immediate star. Oscar Tshiebwe could return for another season, although his statements have made it sound unlikely. (There's also a possibility that Reeves returns.)

If Kentucky lands Dickinson, there's reason for optimism. If not, prepare for an offseason of BBN wondering what's next.

Kentucky fans are restless about the current state of the program. It’s been a torturous past three seasons — a missed tournament, a loss to Saint Peter's, and a Round of 32 exit this season. That's not what Kentucky is used to. A big addition from the portal seems like one of the only things that'll quiet them ... for now.

3. Bill Self's motivated to elevate Kansas to new heights

When Kansas announced earlier this week that Bill Self would hold a press conference on Wednesday, it prompted immediate fears of the worst from fans.

Self missed the final five games of Kansas' season due to a heart procedure. Was this going to signal the end of his time in Lawrence?

In a word: No.

Self squashed those rumors, saying he’s “100 percent positive” he’ll be roaming the sidelines in Allen Fieldhouse next season. Not only that, he threw out this bold statement:

Huh. What does that mean? He's already won two national championships, a billion Big 12 titles, and has more NCAA Tournament wins than any other active coach. How much better can he be?

Self was jovial and relaxed during the press conference, telling the media he missed them, and speaking openly about his health.

For some people, going through a health scare could make you reconsider your current status in life. Self’s time in the hospital allowed him to reflect on his career: “All this did from a job standpoint was reconfirm I love what I do.”

The future will not include Jalen Wilson, who is officially headed for the NBA. Additionally, several other players are transferring — only KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, Ernest Udeh and Zuby Ejiofor are returning. That makes the Jayhawks significant shoppers in the portal. They're among Dickinson's suitors (Self sad KU needed a big man who could put up 20 and 10 every night) and will be grabbing 2-3 wing players to pair with a Top 5 incoming class, headed by McDonald's All-American guard Elmarko Jackson. (Self also said the door's open for Kevin McCullar to return.)

All that said, Self is isn't going anywhere. Rejoice, Kansas fans.

Here comes the requisite UConn dynasty talk

The Huskies just won their fifth national title in 25 seasons, and coach Dan Hurley has a Top 5 recruiting class headed to Storrs. Given his approach to rebuilding UConn and the talent around the program, is it too early to talk about how many titles his program can win?

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