People who can barely type sure do love to post in every thread that Cal hates ky kids, white kids and the same wingspan joke over and over.
Stall ball then jacking up a circus shot is not an offense.
This. Powell won't play here. He's Allen 2.0 only Allen actually has shown the ability to score inside the arch.
Yessss the perimeter weave into late shot clock desperation
If Cal basis playing time on skill. Powell will get plenty of minutes.
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“Guts...how about the guts...from the kid from Central City!”
- Dayton, Ohio’s finest.
He’s not one dimensional. He averaged 6 rebounds and 4 assists playing out of position. That’s pretty good for a freshman
You need to look again. Don't just look at the numbers.
Keep in mind, Bruce Pearl plays a wide open, shoot first system, Allen would kill it in their system.
Watch this highlight clip. Powell had 9 assists. Every single one of them is from him just simply passing the ball from outside the arch to another player outside the arch that was wide open. Powell didn't even have to take a dribble, he just swung the ball. Count how many times he actually stepped inside the arch. He is a very poor fit here.
You tell me, is there a difference between Powell and Allen after watching this clip? Actually there is, Allen actually gets baskets in the paint. Powell will be picking splinters out of his *** here.
Watch "Justin Powell Auburn Tigers 26 PTS 9 AST vs South Alabama | Full Game Highlights" on YouTube
I’m not saying he’s Rondo or even a true PG, but he looks to be a nice secondary playmaking option.
You have a valid point about Auburn’s system being more stat-friendly than ours, but even so his 11/6/4 averages would be first or second on our team in each. If his assists all come from just making the simple play that’s fine with me. We had a team full of guys who couldn’t even do that this year.
Yup.
He is not a PG, not in Cal’s system.
Our best bet, if we get him, is to also get Mintz back and hope and pray that Cal adapts his system to his players.
Mintz at the 1, Powell at the 2, and Allen at the 3, could be a killer 3 guard backcourt if you play the right style.
If Cal tries to force them to play in his system, we are looking at another bad season, most likely.
And since there is not a single Wall, Knight, Fox type player available to us, what choice do we have? Hardy is the only guy that can fit that mold and he is highly unlikely.
Cal has to change with his personnel or we struggle again.
Lol. “The right fit” doesn’t sound promising for us. Why in the world would he want to play in Cal’s offense after he just witnessed Askew and Boston play heavy, heavy minutes while struggling mightily. All while the likes of dontaie allen received multiple dnp-coach’s decisions.
You're applying the stats he amassed at AU to what he would get here and that won't happen.
Did you watch that highlight video? He got 9 assists by just passing the ball around the horn and only stepped inside the 3 point arch twice. It just won't fly at UK. He's nog what everyone thinks he is. He's a great shooter, but that's it.
If the SEC doesn’t change the rule then KY needs to bolt to the Big 10. Powell would already be a CAT if the rule was changed.
That's why I said in the post he isn't a true PG and doesn't have elite court vision. But if he is just willing to make the right play to the open man, he will be fine as a two guard in Cal's system. Being an unselfish and willing passer combined with a good shooting stroke will work in any system
I still see a problem with that back court. Mintz isn't a pg and he can't break down a defense, but he would be a very good 2g next year.
Hopefully someone pops up in the transfer portal. We don't need Wall or Fox, we just need a Teague.
More or less, I think they understand your argument, but the intent of signing Powell isn’t necessarily to be a “playmaker.”
If we sign Marcus Carr—or another player in a similar mold—then this shouldn’t be an issue. A true PG who can set the offense; control the tempo of the game; get paint touches; and a player who possess “wiggle” is a must-have for next season—there is no question about that.
However, Justin Powell is an excellent complementary piece, and he has shown proven skill as a spot-up shooter and off the dribble—which is what we need!
This will allow a “playmaker” at PG to access the paint easier, and it opens more passing lanes for players inside the perimeter by spreading the floor.
If Powell can do that, and play sufficient defense, then this is a no-brainer. His passing display may seem elementary, per say, in that highlight tape, but he did have a couple nice plays that suggest he is a player with high “IQ,” or at least the potential to have more advanced vision in terms of distributing the ball.
Most importantly, we need Cal to implement a more progressive offensive style, and spread the floor with an increased focused on three-point shooting and less long-range two’s.
With a “playmaker” as our lead guard, then a couple shooters such as Justin and Dontaie in the lineup, this alone will help spread the floor, and also allow big Oscar to go to work in the block.
Personally, I enjoy watching Illinois play right now, as that is an offensive strategy I could see us emulating next year with the personnel we will potentially have next season.
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I love the style of ball that Illinois plays. Every player passes the ball well and they have the big man that knows who he is so he’s not out there jacking up threes.
What is the difference between Powell and Allen?
How much did Allen get to play this year?
Powell is not a need if we get Mintz and Allen to stay. Cal never uses all his scholarships and shrinks his roster to 7 come March. Powell will be sitting next to Allen.
However, if Powell is coming here knowing he's going to stay here 2 or 3 years, that's something that would work, but that's just not why kids come here and I don't trust Cal when he says he's going to change that.
We need a pg in the worst way. It can't be Askew, it can't be Mintz and it can't be Powell or Hickman. It needs to he a legit Cal style pg.
If I'm Powell, I stay right where I'm at, they play a style that is perfect for his skill set, he won't play here. He can't defend up to Cal's expectations and if Allen can't get clock, Powell won't.
You want to spend Saturdays in the fall playing Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Maryland, Rutgers, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota, etc? Good Lord.
There is one huge difference. Powell was running the point playing out of position waiting for Cooper to get eligible.
Have no problems with easy passes seems to be a better option than having constant turnovers that costs us many games this year!
Problem is, I don’t see a Teague out there.
Cal is a HOF coach. He should adapt to his roster. If he can’t get an elite PG, then change your style of play.
How do other coaches win without elite talent? They work with what they have.
Time for Cal to prove he can win without superior talent, because we ain’t getting superior talent anymore.
Again, Cal doesn't run the same offense BP runs.
Can you tell me the difference between Allen and Powell? They look to have the same game, which is spot up shooter. Why do so many on this board think we need another bench sitter?
He won't play here and if he does, that tells me Cal missed on every multi dimensional 2g he tried to recruit, including Mintz.
If Mintz and Allen return, we have no need for Powell next season. We have more important needs at this point.
Well, most of the players that will eventually be in the portal, are either still playing or haven't decided yet. There will be some damn good pg's in there eventually. Heck, what if Max Abmus wants to be a grad transfer?
Sure, there are a gazillion other coaches out there that have a Mintz type pg, but if you look at the teams in the top 25 (minus Villanova), there isn't a contender that has a below average pg.
Sure, if we want to just be an also-ran, use Mintz at the 1, but after this season, Cal needs to hit a home run.
I just don't trust that Cal will change to fit his roster. He always says he does, but, with the exception of late 2021, I've never seen him do it. He always takes the tallest guys he has and tries to turn them into Patrick Ewing and what's funny about that is, even Patrick Ewing isn't running that garbage and he made a career out of it.
Whoa! Slow down there, I never said that. To be honest every coach that is brought up on this board has had a rough go of it the last five years.
I wouldn’t want the gig of finding his replacement when that time comes because if you make the wrong hire your job is on the line. UK got lucky because Gillespie never signed his contract in the two years he was here so Barnhart got off easy. That should have been a red flag right there when you have to pester the coach to sign his contract for that long.
I just don’t see Cal getting the type of PG he needs in the transfer portal.
Guys like Abmas (spelling) probably head to the pros. If they are good enough to play PG for Cal they are at least good enough to make some money somewhere.
That’s the problem with this situation.
Until DJ Wagner is ready for college, I don’t know if there is anyone out there that we can get that can lead us to the promised land.
Yes, Dontaie did not play as much as he should have in the beginning. He deserved more of an opportunity than what he Initially had—that is entirely on Cal.
However, his shooting did digress some as the season went on, and even when he did play he wasn't hitting shots at the same rate he was and is capable of—that happens.
If he wasn’t hitting shots, then it became difficult to play him. Defensively he’s not atrocious, but he isn’t great, either. That was Cal’s biggest hesitation to play him, and rightfully so, because everyone could see the defensive lapses that occurred at times with Dontaie.
I am sure he will improve defensively, as well as, offensively.
If anything, his greatest contribution has been the potential enlightenment of Calipari and his potential realization that he needs to prioritize more shooters and greater skill, than athletes.
Will Cal adapt? That remains to be seen. I thought his final interview with Tom Leach was a candid conversation, and I still have faith he will do what is necessary.
In terms of Powell, bring him on! We can have multiple “Dontaie’s” at the same position. You want several guys that can shoot and knockdown shots.
It helps space the floor, and it helps mitigate an “off night” in case someone else isn’t shooting well during any given game.
You can do this in a modern offense.
However, you can’t do that today with multiple “big men” who can’t shoot. That’s when you have no offense, as we have all seen, because opponents will pack it in down around the block and high-post.
Also, we know we need a true PG on the roster next year, no one is denying that.
But, we also need shooters, especially at guard/wing with size, which is what Justin Powell brings.
And, besides, who doesn’t love another kid from Kentucky on scholarship?!
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Since when has Cal done that?