The biggest weakness of last season’s Kansas team was its season-long struggle to consistently protect the rim. Perry Ellis has never been known for his defense and probably never will be, but a frontcourt of he, Jamari Traylor, Cliff Alexander and Landen Lucas swatted only 12.3 percent of opponents’ shot attempts on the season, the team’s second-worst mark since 2005. Kansas’ results on the defensive glass were similarly uncharacteristic (and galling). The Jayhawks rebounded just 68.4 percent of opponents’ misses in 2015, their lowest rate in five years and a mark among the bottom half nationally (205th) for the first time in the Bill Self era. While Kansas didn’t really miss a beat offensively in winning an impressive 11th straight Big 12 title, the Jayhawks clearly weren’t the same team we had grown accustomed to on the other end. Thanks to Tuesday’s commitment from one of the nation’s top big man prep standouts, however, that deficiency could be addressed as soon as next season.

With Cheick Diallo in the fold, Kansas is on its way to restoring its reputation as a defensive stalwart.

After an NCAA eligibility issue effectively ended Cliff Alexander’s college career, the Jayhawks needed an immediate influx of size and defense to shore up their frontcourt. Self got busy on the recruiting trail and ultimately beat out Kentucky and St. John’s for forward Cheick Diallo, a 6’9″, 225-pound athletic wonder. While he lacks offensive polish, Diallo’s shot-blocking prowess, rebounding ability and motor renews the hope that Kansas’ front line will return its typically intimidating defensive force.

The native Malian (he arrived in the United States in 2012) will arrive in Lawrence this summer with as many accolades as imaginable. He’s a consensus five-star recruit who played in the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic, capturing MVP honors in the former as one of the few players who showed great energy in the showcase event. He also suited up for the World team in the Nike Hoop Summit earlier this month, where he went for 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 16 minutes of action.

In addition to his great effort and quickness at the position, scouts love Diallo’s upside. His 7’4″ wingspan is identical to those of high-level rim protectors like Nerlens Noel, Chris Obekpa, Jordan Bachynski and Cameron Ridley, and the general sense is that while the rising freshman appears ready to be a defensive force from Day One, he’ll become an even more versatile threat once he develops a sustainable post arsenal (although it should be noted that he can already flash a short turnaround jumper and drop step). With Alexander gone, Diallo projects to man the middle of the floor right away, where his defensive reputation should be a strong complement to Ellis’ finesse game.

Kansas lost its two best defenders in Alexander and Kelly Oubre to the NBA Draft, but with gradual improvement expected from Lucas and the additions of Diallo and fellow freshman forward Carlton Bragg, Self’s club looks to be well on its way to reestablishing its defensive calling card, and the rest of the Big 12 should be on notice.

Brian Goodman (987 Posts)

Brian Goodman a Big 12 microsite writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BSGoodman.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 at 2:59 pm by Brian Goodman and is filed under big 12, microsites. Tagged: bill self, cheick diallo, feature, kansas, perry ellis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.