Guess who was off to day to annoy y’all
Player Development Blueprint
Improvement priorities based on each athlete’s most recent season
Milos — From All-Conference to All-American (if he returns)
- Already a solid defender; but can reach elite-defender status.
- Against weaker defenses he was a great facilitator, but against top defenses he reverted to tough shots for himself with few assists. Next step: generate easy looks for others even when the opposition is elite.
- Attack more frequently while sustaining last year’s shooting efficiency.
Sharp — From Big 12 Honorable Mention to Player-of-the-Year convo
- Turn “Sharp moments” (those two-minute shooting bursts after limited production the other 28 minutes) into sustained stretches that span entire halves or entire games. He broke 20 points only twice in 40 games last year, despite being the lead free-throw shooter. He can take over full games, beyond those short bursts.
- Develop counters against elite perimeter defenders, who too easily took him out of games last year.
- His passing is far better than the career assist numbers suggest; less than 1ast a game.
Pop — To Projected All-Big 12 guard
- Drastically improve defense and fully adjust to the team’s culture.
- Effectively manage the role of sole point guard.
- Maintain his offensive shooting percentages from his Creighton performance.
JoJo — From National Defensive POY to Legitimate All-American
- Cut the foul rate to stay on the floor 30+ minutes.
- Take 1–2 threes per game at 33 percent or better.
- Add semi-reliable low-post scoring moves.
Harwell — All-Big 12 potential
- Master defensive rotations.
- Maintain decent shooting numbers.
- Defend aggressively like he did in HS but reduce the frequent fouling.
- Develop a stronger rebounding instinct (not a natural rebounder in high school).
Cenac — Starter today, Freshman-of-the-Year ceiling
- Dramatically raise his physicality—he shies from contact.
- Sustain offensive and defensive aggression for full games, not spurts (has a reputation of).
- Learn the defensive scheme.
Kingston — Heavy-rotation freshman to Starter/All-Freshmen
- Learn the Cougars’ defensive roles quickly.
- Add 10–15 pounds in the offseason to handle Big 12 guards.
- Become a pressure-proof ball-handler who rarely turns it over.
- Be a 35%+ 3pt Shooter on decent volume
Mercy — Cracking the rotation
- Master defensive rotations to meet team standards.
- Vastly improve shooting percentages.
- Shed the tunnel-vision scorer label by finding open teammates in appropriate times.
McFarland — First big off the bench to Clear Post Successor
- Clear the mental hurdle that lingers after injury.
- Keep building functional strength and weight.
- Develop go-to post moves.
Ramon — From deep bench to sixth/seventh man
- Shoot without hesitation; scared possessions killed spacing last year.
- Grow as a secondary playmaker.
- Attack the basket on mismatches. Cannot play scared or mentality to defer to others when pressure arises
McCarty — Fighting for minutes
- Master defensive rotations.
- Become a high-percentage no-hesitation shooter.
- Improve rebounding (was not a notable rebounder in high school).
Ced Lath — Earning legitimate minutes
- Use raw strength more effectively as a true weapon on offense and defense.
- Improve as a low-post scorer.
- Enhance agility and coordination to transition to the 4 position.
** Note: Doubts remain about his rim protection ability at the 5, but he has the physical tools to become a dominant, non-shooting power forward (similar to J’Wan Roberts) if polished properly and paired with a true rim protector 5.
Kordelius Jefferson — Rotation hopeful
- Sharpen point-guard skills: handle and playmaking. PG is his best path to PT
- Make early season “culture” impact plays (high-intensity defensive turnovers, dives, emphatic dunks or and-1s) to leapfrog others on the depth chart—make coaches take note.
- Turn an adequate jumper into a genuine threat.
Sahko — Rotation hopeful
- Improve as a shot blocker (current numbers are underwhelming given his competition level).
- Embrace More physicality on the glass and in post defense.
- Master defensive rotations.
Jackson — Avoiding a redshirt
- Be a lights-out shooter and relentless defender every day in off-season practice to force the staff’s hand.
Not every goal will materialize, but this roadmap highlights the most realistic levers for each Cougar to pull as next season tips off.
and, as I read the article, I’m thinking how it applies to Coach Sampson and the Houston Cougars! This is what the Sampson’s refer to as “the process”. It’s all about continuity and team chemistry while controlling player turnover.
