Bill Self says Bobby Pettiford will be Kansas men's basketball's 'next really good guard'

LAWRENCE — Back in October, during the Big 12 Conference’s tipoff event for men’s basketball, Kansas coach Bill Self outlined part of the vision he had for his team.

Self had been asked if having two combo guards in the game together would be a key for the Jayhawks this season. And he said their best team at that moment, on Oct. 20, would have junior guard Christian Braun, senior guard Ochai Agbaji and redshirt sophomore forward Jalen Wilson in the game together.

But, Self allowed, in the future that would only be their best team part of the time. Part of the time, there’d also be the combination of super-senior guard Remy Martin, sophomore guard Joseph Yesufu, redshirt sophomore guard Dajuan Harris Jr. and freshman guard Bobby Pettiford on the floor together. Self just didn’t know how it’d all play out, or how much they’d play five guards.

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However it does play out, Self indicated in that instance how much confidence he has in Pettiford’s potential prior to any games being played. At that point, the scrimmage against Tulsa and exhibition against Emporia State were still upcoming events. And in a follow-up question about Pettiford’s potential role this season, Self spoke even more highly about the newcomer’s potential with the Jayhawks overall.

“Bobby is the next really good guard at Kansas,” Self said. “I’m talking about he’s explosive, low to the ground, got it on a string, above-average shooter, tough. But is he experienced enough yet to do those things? I don’t know. But Bobby’s going to be a really good player … The thing about it is, and I told our guys this yesterday, ‘How we play on November 9th may not be how or who we play February 1.’”

Pettiford said during Kansas’ media day Nov. 2 that for Self to say that at a program like Kansas would be “crazy for anybody,” and it’s mind-blowing for him that he’s the one Self is talking about. Pettiford just views himself as a young kid having fun playing basketball, someone who revels in the fact each day he gets up he’s playing basketball for the Jayhawks and a Hall of Fame coach.

Of course, Pettiford, a 247Sports Composite four-star prospect out of high school who ranked in the top 100, has confidence in his own game. Every day in practice, when he’s guarding playerd he sees as future pros, he feels he’s showing he can compete with the best players in the country. He feels he’s showing he deserves to be a part of the best team in the country. Pettiford just understands he’s not a finished product.

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Pettiford said last week that the biggest thing he’s working on is playing off of the ball, because Self is using him as a combo guard. Pettiford sees his role more so right now at the 2-spot, with a pair of true point guards like Martin and Harris on the roster. In the exhibition against Emporia State the next day, Pettiford had three points, two assists and four rebounds in about 20 minutes of action with a +/- of +12.

Self’s praise led Pettiford to watch film of talented players who’ve been with the Jayhawks in the past like Devonte' Graham, Devon Dotson and Frank Mason III. And Braun compared Pettiford to a couple of those guys, too. Braun, who thinks Pettiford will become a fan favorite, has the same confidence in Pettiford’s potential as Self.

“I would say, from a personality standpoint, his smile and just his — how he is, his personality,” Braun said. “People can really catch on to that, really love that. But just from a basketball standpoint, the explosiveness he has, the way he gets two feet, the way he can score, you see a lot of it in the past guards, Frank and Devonte' and those guys, the way they can score, the way they can lead a crowd. So, I see a lot of that in Bobby. And I know he’s young and it’ll take a while, but it took those guys a while, too. So, you’re going to have to give him some time, just as you have to give every other player time, but Bobby’s got it in him, for sure.”

Pettiford had originally planned to go to Louisville before reopening his recruitment and choosing Kansas. Picking the Jayhawks, he feels, will allow him to learn from Martin, Harris and Yesufu, and even Braun and Wilson. He knows about the history of point guards that Kansas has.

Pettiford sees his freshman year as a year of learning, and envisions having a much more significant role in the next year or two. There’s a vision Self has, that he connects with.

“(Self) always tells me it’s a marathon,” Pettiford said, “not a race.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas guard Bobby Pettiford already turning heads as a freshman