Josh Selby- first round talent, second round decision maker?

       A year ago, there was no doubt in our minds in the incoming talent that freshman guard Josh Selby would bring to the Jayhawks. At his Baltimore high school, the 6'2" standout averaged 28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game, so needless to say, big things were expected when he came to Lawrence, KS. We had him pegged as a one-and-done lottery pick based on his size, athletic ability and attacking, aggressive mentality. His biggest question mark was what position he would play- if he could run the offense, he could be a very high pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, if not, he could slip a bit as he's more of an undersized 2 guard, but still valuable to an NBA team.

        After sitting out the first nine games of the 2010-11 season (due to receiving improper benefits), Selby came off the bench for a game-high 21 points, knocking down five 3s in the two-point victory over USC. He was the hero and scouts were drooling at the potential this guard offered. But everything was downhill from there. He never hit the 20-point plateau again, suffered a foot injury that caused him to miss three games and removed some of that explosiveness and athleticism that made him so special. He averaged under 4 points and had as many assists (15) as turnovers in the season's final 13 games- hardly grounds for earning lottery hype. He looked inconsistent, out of control and full of bad decisions.

        Yet, here we stand. A little more than a month before the draft and the Selby hype is rising up again and he resembles the superstar we once thought he would blossom into. Through a couple of workouts so far this summer, he's dominated his competition- getting into the lane at will with his quickness, superior ball-handling and knocking down jump shots with regular consistency.

        Are general managers willing to overlook a season of mediocrity for a couple of great workouts? We'll find out on June 23rd.


By President Corey Ruff - 5-18-11