Emmanuel Malou

We lost Vaughn because his handler was offered big bucks for him to play at UNLV. Diallo was ours to lose, but Fred closed the door when he told him that he may not even be here next season.


Of course there's always a reason why we lose recruits, and each recruit is a unique situation, but my point is what you said could hold true for every 4/5 star that chooses a KU (or fill in the blank blue blood) over a school like ISU. For the most part, these recruits are interested in the NBA 10x more than they are becoming a college legend.
 
I think there *could* be an element of...

ISU doesn't have the time/resources/clout to develop relationships with many elite prospects, so we have to concentrate all our effort to really built up our linkages with one and hope it pays off.

KU can build these relatively quickly and easily because of who they are. They can have the pick of the litter in many cases. Why not, then, if you can do that, cause both gain to yourself (if all elite recruits have something great about them you can make work for you) and harm to your conference opponents by kicking their sandcastle while you're at it at the same time? That conference streak to defend, yo.

The net benefit to KU is even higher that way.

That's not crazy/conspiratorial. That's just smart strategy by Self, unfortunately.
 
Hurting ISU by recruiting Malou is just a benefit to Self but there's no way it's part of the plan. He offered because he wants him. Beyond that is just conspiracy theory which is far too typical over here.
 
Typical paranoid ISU fan

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Of course there's always a reason why we lose recruits, and each recruit is a unique situation, but my point is what you said could hold true for every 4/5 star that chooses a KU (or fill in the blank blue blood) over a school like ISU. For the most part, these recruits are interested in the NBA 10x more than they are becoming a college legend.

So, are you trying to imply that he can’t get to the NBA playing here at ISU or that an opportunity to truly be the “big man on campusâ€￾ is of no interest to a young athlete? Sorry, but that dog don’t hunt.
 
No, but he's not recruiting them and/or offering them just because ISU did.

My god, I didn't realize the conspiracy theorists were so damned aplenty around here.

You don't think Osco drug looks at where Walgreens is in deciding where to build their new store? If they can pick a place that undercuts them and get good trafic they are going to pick that location over a place that just has good traffic 10/10 in fact in real life they concede some business just to hurt their opponent because in their mind it's about the long game (economists have studied this phenomenon extensively). It happens all over the place look at home improvement stores, Gas stations etc. If you think Self doesn't think about hurting his competition when deciding where to recruit I think you are vastly underestimating him. It isn't conspiracy theory it's classic game theory 101.
 
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You don't think Osco drug looks at where Walgreens is in deciding where to build their new store? If they can pick a place that undercuts them and get good trafic they are going to pick that location over a place that just has good traffic 10/10 in fact in real life they concede some business just to hurt their opponent because in their mind it's about the long game (economists have studied this phenomenon extensively). It happens all over the place look at home improvement stores, Gas stations etc. If you think Self doesn't think about hurting his competition when deciding where to recruit I think you are vastly underestimating him. It isn't conspiracy theory it's classic game theory 101.
Basketball recruiting = gases stations. Got it.
 
Came here to see if Malou had narrowed his list. Read four pages, continually shaking my head. Thanks.
 
There's a reason that people make fun of this website.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see this play out
 
So, are you trying to imply that he can’t get to the NBA playing here at ISU or that an opportunity to truly be the “big man on campus” is of no interest to a young athlete? Sorry, but that dog don’t hunt.

No, I'm implying that teams like KU and UK have far more evidence to point to regarding the NBA (particularly big men), than ISU does. It doesn't make it true, but the fact that we have to point to theoretical examples, and they can point to actual examples, year after year, is a big selling point.

Also, I'm implying that "becoming a college legend" apparently is not that important to recruits, or we would land more 5 stars.
 
You don't think Osco drug looks at where Walgreens is in deciding where to build their new store? If they can pick a place that undercuts them and get good trafic they are going to pick that location over a place that just has good traffic 10/10 in fact in real life they concede some business just to hurt their opponent because in their mind it's about the long game (economists have studied this phenomenon extensively). It happens all over the place look at home improvement stores, Gas stations etc. If you think Self doesn't think about hurting his competition when deciding where to recruit I think you are vastly underestimating him. It isn't conspiracy theory it's classic game theory 101.

Maybe this is why Walgreens is kicking Osco's behind so badly. No business can afford to lose money in perpetuity just so that their competitor loses money too.

Malou has to be a player that Self sees as scholarship worthy for him to offer. Why did Self not try to swoop in and pick up Soloman Young at the last minute if he's just out to undercut ISU?
 
You don't think Osco drug looks at where Walgreens is in deciding where to build their new store? If they can pick a place that undercuts them and get good trafic they are going to pick that location over a place that just has good traffic 10/10 in fact in real life they concede some business just to hurt their opponent because in their mind it's about the long game (economists have studied this phenomenon extensively). It happens all over the place look at home improvement stores, Gas stations etc. If you think Self doesn't think about hurting his competition when deciding where to recruit I think you are vastly underestimating him. It isn't conspiracy theory it's classic game theory 101.
In current basketball terms - Jameel McKay dominated KU in the paint turning Perry Ellis & KU into a jump shooting perimeter player/team. KU's current supporting cast is not good enough to compete with ISU on the perimeter & Self knows that, he needs to neutralize Jameel Mckay. Enter Cheick Diallo an athletic, mobile, big man & proclaimed 1 & done guy. Without a Joel Embiid, Cheick Diallo, or a paint presence the KU equation falls apart. KU can't overplay or be as aggressive on defensive without a rim protector. Offensively, KU's offensive has spacing issues without a legitimate big man in the paint. Malou makes sense for Self, he helps the KU conundrum & hurts his competition.
 
You don't think Osco drug looks at where Walgreens is in deciding where to build their new store? If they can pick a place that undercuts them and get good trafic they are going to pick that location over a place that just has good traffic 10/10 in fact in real life they concede some business just to hurt their opponent because in their mind it's about the long game (economists have studied this phenomenon extensively). It happens all over the place look at home improvement stores, Gas stations etc. If you think Self doesn't think about hurting his competition when deciding where to recruit I think you are vastly underestimating him. It isn't conspiracy theory it's classic game theory 101.

You lost me at Osco Drug. You know they are pretty much gone, right? In all seriousness, I understand your point. But this is Kansas we're talking about. They can choose who they want and are not going to choose a player over another one because Iowa State covets that player. They are thinking much bigger than Iowa State. Frankly, if they were thinking about game theory, they're trying to get players from Kentucky, Duke, etc. They think national championships there. Iowa State is a challenge to their B12 prowess, but having won 12 straight, they probably are not that concerned about that. IMO, if Malou is a piece of a national championship-caliber team, that's who they are going after, regardless of who else wants him.
 
You lost me at Osco Drug. You know they are pretty much gone, right? In all seriousness, I understand your point. But this is Kansas we're talking about. They can choose who they want and are not going to choose a player over another one because Iowa State covets that player. They are thinking much bigger than Iowa State. Frankly, if they were thinking about game theory, they're trying to get players from Kentucky, Duke, etc. They think national championships there. Iowa State is a challenge to their B12 prowess, but having won 12 straight, they probably are not that concerned about that. IMO, if Malou is a piece of a national championship-caliber team, that's who they are going after, regardless of who else wants him.

And they do compete with them but they can't steal from Duke and Kentucky they can from ISU. I freaking guarantee you Self has a sheet on who ISU, Texas and OU are in on and they check those kids out. If they are legit they go for the steal. Good news is Manny is legit. If there are 5 kids that are all pretty equal and one ISU is sitting good with and you know you have a 100% track record in recruiting battles with ISU and it would seriously **** ISU (even if you don't get him maybe your negative recruiting sends him elswhere) of course you make the play on that kid more than the other 4. It is not in Self's interest for ISU to be a legitamate challenger to their Big 12 supremacy. They want us good enough to make the big 12 respectable but that's it.

Also yeah so the Osco was a bit.dated but an example of Walgreens game theory success though. Just worded poorly.