Duren or Kofi?
- Thread starter so_obvious
- Start date
From what I’ve read, he’s very interested. If he pulls out of the draft and UK wants him, he’s a lock. That’s what I’ve gathered.
Man, it's tough. It's really tough. And I'm so glad I'm not the one that has to manage this situation.
70% of me thinks Duren. The versatility helps. He can play with Oscar. He'll have that rock star persona. He'll signify the return of UK recruiting.
But 30% of me thinks Kofi Cockburn just averaged 17 and 10 in the Big 10. He's 7'0 and 285. 2nd Team all American. He already has a relationship with the assistants.
There's a world where Cockburn has a better college season and Duren is the 1st pick in the draft. The best college player is what I think we need.
70% of me thinks Duren. The versatility helps. He can play with Oscar. He'll have that rock star persona. He'll signify the return of UK recruiting.
But 30% of me thinks Kofi Cockburn just averaged 17 and 10 in the Big 10. He's 7'0 and 285. 2nd Team all American. He already has a relationship with the assistants.
There's a world where Cockburn has a better college season and Duren is the 1st pick in the draft. The best college player is what I think we need.
I don't get why he would go to Memphis.It's a ******** and Penny sucks as a coach.
The most recent thing I can find from one of the sources that matter has him projected in the mid-50s. So a solid chance to go undrafted.
But that same article says he's keeping his name in the draft according to guys like Slater. That was at the end of May, so maybe he's changed his mind. We'll know in the next five days.
I see Kofi Cockburn as the rough equivalent for Kentucky next year of what Udonka Azibuike was for Kansas 2020 -- for good or ill.
The good: Kansas was going into that tournament as the #1 overall seed, largely based on what Azibuike had brought to the table. So, that's here any program would want to be in March. Azibuike was a guy who in another era would have been long gone to the NBA, but stuck around because the NBA isn't drafting aricraft carriers early. Same with Cockburn.
The bad: I really felt Kentucky had a better chance than Kansas of winning that tournament if Hagans got his head out of his *** and became part of a three-guard attack including Maxey and IQ. I felt someone was going to do to Kansas what Loyola-Chicago did to Illinois last year -- a judo move where you use a team's size and bulk against them. Now, Kentucky would have so many other options with Collins and Oscar and Brooks and Toppin to go smaller and quicker that the Cats would not face the same vulnerablity that Illinois did -- and that Kansas might have.
The good: Kansas was going into that tournament as the #1 overall seed, largely based on what Azibuike had brought to the table. So, that's here any program would want to be in March. Azibuike was a guy who in another era would have been long gone to the NBA, but stuck around because the NBA isn't drafting aricraft carriers early. Same with Cockburn.
The bad: I really felt Kentucky had a better chance than Kansas of winning that tournament if Hagans got his head out of his *** and became part of a three-guard attack including Maxey and IQ. I felt someone was going to do to Kansas what Loyola-Chicago did to Illinois last year -- a judo move where you use a team's size and bulk against them. Now, Kentucky would have so many other options with Collins and Oscar and Brooks and Toppin to go smaller and quicker that the Cats would not face the same vulnerablity that Illinois did -- and that Kansas might have.
Don't worry, the refs will have 2 or 3 of our bigs in foul trouble before the first under 12 timeout.
That's a good comparison. We're seeing it at the NBA level too. A guy like Gobert can be DPOY but all you have to do is go small and hunt him on the perimeter and he's useless. A guy like Drummond actually killed the Lakers because they ruin spacing and can be exploited on the perimeter.
What worries me is that Cal switches everything, and I think that's a great strategy when you have the size and athleticism we do. But we've seen that it works best when he has a guy like Davis or Willie who can effectively do that. Otherwise it leaves us scrambling.
Kofi is like a more powerful Dakari Johnson. I know Cal will always love having a behemoth on the block he can go to for a bucket, but that comes at a price on defense and isn't the most effficient way to run an offense.
With the shooters we have, 15 shots per game for Kofi and Oscar is doing the defense a favor.
I would be thrilled with either one. But I'm leaning towards Duren at the moment.
Unkowns regarding both..
Is Duren going to be as good as we think? Most likely, but we all learned a lesson this past season that you don't know of sure...
but if Duren reclassifies and goes the college route, IMO he is option #1. He has all the tools to be an elite college basketball player and looks like a can't miss difference maker... And, he will most likely be a top 5 pick in the NBA draft with potential to be #1 overall.
Kofi - you have a better idea of what you are getting... but he might cause more of a lane clog than Duren.
As for fit.. (strong assumption) Duren fits better because of his mobility and he would probably defend much better on switches. Travis Graf said he thinks Duren could shoot 30% from 3 right now.. and he's an elite passer. He doesn't need to shoot 3s, but either him or Oscar will need to be a threat from 15-18feet or the lane will be clogged...again. Our shooters will help with that... but still 2 bigs that can't shoot at all past 10-12 feet would not be good for UK's move to a more modern "spread the floor" offense.
Can you still win with 2 non-shooting bigs? Absolutely... but you better defend the HELLLLL out of the 3 point line... , offensive rebound at greater than 40%, and both bigs needs to be very efficient from the floor on 2s... like 60% efficient.
Is Duren going to be as good as we think? Most likely, but we all learned a lesson this past season that you don't know of sure...
but if Duren reclassifies and goes the college route, IMO he is option #1. He has all the tools to be an elite college basketball player and looks like a can't miss difference maker... And, he will most likely be a top 5 pick in the NBA draft with potential to be #1 overall.
Kofi - you have a better idea of what you are getting... but he might cause more of a lane clog than Duren.
As for fit.. (strong assumption) Duren fits better because of his mobility and he would probably defend much better on switches. Travis Graf said he thinks Duren could shoot 30% from 3 right now.. and he's an elite passer. He doesn't need to shoot 3s, but either him or Oscar will need to be a threat from 15-18feet or the lane will be clogged...again. Our shooters will help with that... but still 2 bigs that can't shoot at all past 10-12 feet would not be good for UK's move to a more modern "spread the floor" offense.
Can you still win with 2 non-shooting bigs? Absolutely... but you better defend the HELLLLL out of the 3 point line... , offensive rebound at greater than 40%, and both bigs needs to be very efficient from the floor on 2s... like 60% efficient.
Last edited:
I'd be elated with either Duren or Kofi.
Now that we've been told that either is a possibility over the last few weeks, I'll be a little disappointed if one doesn't come to Kentucky.
(Which would be a shame as I think Kentucky has had a really good off-season in terms of rebuilding with the transfer portal and returning players.)
As for concerns of it tempting Cal to play big, I get it, but I feel like you can't pass on a talent like Duren or a guy who was already a
Second-Team All American in college in Cockburn if they wanna join the team.
Now that we've been told that either is a possibility over the last few weeks, I'll be a little disappointed if one doesn't come to Kentucky.
(Which would be a shame as I think Kentucky has had a really good off-season in terms of rebuilding with the transfer portal and returning players.)
As for concerns of it tempting Cal to play big, I get it, but I feel like you can't pass on a talent like Duren or a guy who was already a
Second-Team All American in college in Cockburn if they wanna join the team.
I'm taking Duren.
Take the guy with the better future NBA dividends every time.
Plus, Cal's is winning 37.3 games/year (over four years) when he has a #1 pick on the roster. Duren looks like he could be that type of guy.
Take the guy with the better future NBA dividends every time.
Plus, Cal's is winning 37.3 games/year (over four years) when he has a #1 pick on the roster. Duren looks like he could be that type of guy.
Last edited:
Damn, don't like the sound of that. Slater's almost always right.
I bet we miss out on both.
Seems odd that there'd be all this speculation now if it was a done deal six weeks ago for him to remain in the draft. There wouldn't be reports about "if he withdraws," so I don't know what to think.
I still wonder if the staff isn't floating it to hurry up Duren because of the staff's relationship with Kofi.
I can’t believe a guy like Duren would consider going to a school like Memphis to play for a coach like Hardaway instead of going to a school like Kentucky and playing for a coach like Calipari.
Just doesn’t seem smart. I thought Duren was a bright guy? I guess not if he goes to Memphis.
Another James Wiseman.
I guess it’s alluring for a big man to go play in a weak conference so he can show off dunking on 6’6 guys most every game.
Wonder if this one will actually last the entire season at Memphis?
Man I hope Duren is smarter than Wiseman.
Part of it could be some guys wanna play for a black coach.
Also, didn't we start recruiting Duren just recently? I think we got
involved when Chin and Antigua were hired, and the rumblings started that
he may go to college. Penny has probably been recruiting him for a year or more.
Our previous clown assistants probably thought it was a waste of time because
he was going Pro.
Also, didn't we start recruiting Duren just recently? I think we got
involved when Chin and Antigua were hired, and the rumblings started that
he may go to college. Penny has probably been recruiting him for a year or more.
Our previous clown assistants probably thought it was a waste of time because
he was going Pro.
That is my hope.
If I had to chose, I would take Jalen Duren in this situation just for the recruiting impact and NIL momentum it would give us.
Kofi. Proven, 2nd team All American last year, absolute beast great rebounder and tries to tear the building down on every dunk. I know he and Oscar can't guard every position but that frontcourt would just overpower teams.
I’ll add this, your 3 other players need to be able to shoot and handle on the perimeter or teams will pack it in against the big boys.
That’s why it needs to be Washington, Mintz, and Grady with the two bigs, if we get Duren or Cockburn. They should have the length and quickness to defend the 3 point line and they all shoot near 40% from 3.
Shocking, not
that you view Cal getting too many good players as a bad thing.
if he gets neither, he’s lost his touch, right?
Cover all them bases, and backwards
First of allCal needs to stop that switching on everything crap. Second you take Kofi all day long. You don’t turn down that size and talent for an unproven high schooler. Kofi is a second team all American. Will be interesting to see how this ends up.
Supposedly, UK is actively pursuing Cockburn. Ironically, him and Oscar were the two bigs I hoped we would land a couple years ago, if Wiseman went elsewhere. I’m sure many other UK fans felt the same.
I really hope we get Kofi. We could wait around and still lose Duren and end up with neither. Things could get interesting over the weekend/ first of next week.
Cockburn and Oscar may be the most ultimate front court ever. You could get through Fort Knox easier than those two
Agreed. You gotta take a junior 2nd team AA performer, if he wants to come. Figure the specifics out later. JMO.
Well Cockburn is an old school type of center.
Duren is going to be playing a lot of PF at the next level. Needs to work on his handle and playing outside.