Summer fun

On the first day of summer, we survey the latest news and notes of the college landscape — from WVU's coaching search to KJ Adams' progression to Seton Hall optimism

Author

Mike Miller
June 21, 2023

Victor Wembanyama is an enormous human being who does remarkable things on a basketball court. It’s a small relief that he can’t do everything well in sports, though. FWIW, not sure how hands like these are supposed to grip a baseball …

Let's get to Tuesday’s news.

1. Mountaineer players reportedly have a favorite coach

As West Virginia officials continue to evaluate their coaching options in the post-Bob Huggins era, one of the priorities has been to minimize disruption to the 2023-24 roster. It’s loaded with talent and should be an NCAA Tournament team, provided there’s a steady hand on the sideline.

Sounds like the players are thinking long-term, too.

UAB coach Andy Kennedy reportedly is the favorite among the players. That makes sense given his track record and history with Huggins.

Kennedy was an assistant for Huggins at Cincinnati and was the Bearcats’ interim coach in 2005-06 after Huggins resigned. He’s been a consistent winner since then, logging nine winning seasons at Ole Miss and racking up 78 wins at his alma mater in the past three years.

It doesn’t mean Kennedy is the favorite to land the job, though.

West Virginia AD Wren Baker has a longstanding relationship with D-II coach Ben McCollum, while former Mountaineer and current Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is advocating for Youngstown State coach Jerrod Calhoun (also a former Huggins assistant).

2. KJ Adams with a jump shot? (Big 12 shudders)

KJ Adams does a little bit of everything for Kansas. He can guard every position, he’s an excellent passer, a dynamite rim roller and perhaps the sport’s premier glue guy.

His glaring weakness? A consistent jumper. But he’s working on it.

“I just did more reps, that’s about it,” Adams told The Kansas City Star. “Nothing really special about it. Just going to Austin (and) shooting as many reps as I could.”

The practice makes perfect adage should make Big 12 teams nervous — Adams as a reliable scoring threat from 15 feet and in would cement him as the No. 2 or 3 scoring option — but it’s also a little optimistic. Adams’ shooting form probably needs some technical revisions. He’s a career 60 percent free throw shooter, which usually indicates one’s overall mechanics. There’s something to be said for repetition and muscle memory, but it’s gotta have a chance to start.

Still, credit Adams with working. If Kansas wants to play him and Hunter Dickinson at the same time, Adams needs to be a more reliable scoring threat inside the arc, not just at the rim.

In related Kansas news, big man Zach Clemence changed his mind about transferring. He’s back in Lawrence and plans to redshirt this season. Bill Self talked about it here.

3. Nevada replaces a big piece

How do you handle the loss of a 7-footer? You add another one.

Gardner, a Top 150 recruit in the class of 2023, chose Nevada over Florida State, San Francisco, Ole Miss and Oregon, a nice nod to Steve Alford’s program.

Gardner won’t be a one-to-one replacement for Will Baker, who transferred to LSU. He’s not as developed physically, and his interior offensive game will need work. But he should be able to match Baker’s rebounding and provide more rim protection.

Plus, having Kenan Blackshear around always helps (not to mention last season’s MWC Newcomer of the Year, Jarod Lucas).

In transfer portal news:

4. Burnett’s eligibility shouldn’t be an issue

Michigan officially welcomed Nimari Burnett a few weeks ago, but given their admissions process, maybe Juwan Howard shouldn’t take anything for granted.

Then again, maybe this one’s a slam dunk.

Burnett’s a two-time transfer, so he would’ve needed a waiver to play in 2023-24. The NCAA supposedly isn’t rubber stamping transfers this summer — roughly 99 percent of players were cleared last summer — so having Burnett as a grad transfer should ease any eligibility concerns, both for the NCAA and that admissions office.

5. Holloway optimistic about Seton Hall’s shooting

Shaheen Holloway’s first season at his alma mater didn’t end the way he wanted. The Pirates lost seven of their last nine games, finishing 17-16.

But summer’s here, and Holloway’s outlook matches the weather.

“From what I see so far, we can shoot better than last year’s team, which to me is a plus,” he told Adam Zagoria, after watching a week’s worth of summer practices.

One would hope they can shoot better than last season. Seton Hall ranked 221 in field goal percentage (43.9 percent as a team) and was 279 in 3-point percentage (32.5 percent). The defense was its calling card, which is no surprise for a Holloway team. But making some shots would help.

Part of those end-of-year struggles was the result of not having point guard Kadary Richmond, who missed the final five games with a back injury. He was cleared for light workouts this week. Holloway specifically cited Austin Peay transfer Elijah Hutchins-Everett (one of three new bigs and five transfers) as a shooter (he made 51 percent of his 2s last season), so it’ll be interesting to see if the summer workouts materialize with the same fall outlook.

The Draft’s best shooter (Part II)

Some maintain Gradey Dick is the best shooter in the 2023 NBA Draft. Other maintain it’s Jordan Hawkins, the tireless guard out of UConn, who’s got a lightning-quick release and superb footwork. How does Hawkins project to the NBA? I’ll Rob Dauster explain.

Links as you celebrate summer’s official arrival.

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