What Can Jayhawks Expect From Lagerald Vick in 2016-17 Season?
Last season there were three scholarship freshmen on the Jayhawks basketball roster. Cheick Diallo got most of the attention, but didn’t earn enough trust from Coach Self to get meaningful minutes. Carlton Bragg was impressive, but he got limited minutes because he was playing behind Perry Ellis. The third freshman was Lagerald Vick who mainly saw the court in mop-up time.
Mar 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Lagerald Vick (2) drives the ball against Kansas State Wildcats forward Dean Wade (32) in the second half during the Big 12 Conference tournament at Sprint Center. Kansas won 85-63. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Diallo is gone to the NBA and Bragg is expected to have a breakout season as he takes the majority of the minutes at power forward. What can the Jayhawks expect from Lagerald Vick in the upcoming season?
Vick is still playing behind starting guards Frank Mason and Devonté Graham. Both of them averaged more than 32 minutes a game. That only left 16 total minutes for all other guards and thus the reason Vick only averaged around five minutes per game.
In his limited action last season, Vick shot 56% from the field and 47% from behind the three-point arc. Both percentages are better than either Mason or Graham.
Over the summer Vick participated in the glorified scrimmages at Coach Self’s basketball camp. The first game he shot 10-13 from the field with seven of the makes being three pointers. He led all scorers with 29 points.
In the second game he was 9-17 from the field with five of the makes being triples. His 23 points trailed only Frank Mason and Udoka Azubuike. Two solid performances, though admittedly in games where defense is an afterthought.
If we also count the practices and games for the World University Games in the summer of 2015, Vick knows the Kansas system better than a typical sophomore. Coach Self said after a recent Boot Camp practice, “Lagerald’s been great. He’s probably been as good as anybody we have.” He is physically prepared to start his second season.
Taking minutes away from the backcourt duo of Mason and Graham will be tough. Yet Coach Self may also want to give them a more of a break so they remain fresh for the entire season. If they drop to an average of 28 minutes a game, that leaves a total of 24 minutes for other guards. Vick could go from five minutes a game to somewhere around 12-15.
He may not have a breakout season in 2016-17, but he will definitely have a big impact on the team. Vick’s hot shooting alone could help win a game or two if other shooters are cold. If something happens causing Mason or Graham to miss time, he is a very nice insurance policy.
Mason will be graduating after the season and Graham could go to the NBA with another good season. That leaves Vick as a veteran option for one of the starting guard spots in the 2017-18 season.
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