Cockburn withdraws from NBA draft

Padsfs07

All-Conference
Jan 19, 2013
3,689
3,449
108
If - and I don't jinx anything so I emphasize if - Cockburn joins the Cats I believe there is room for a sober comparison of the 2022 and 2015 rosters.

Let me say up front, the 2015 team until Poythress got hurt would have a clear edge as a team capable of withering defensive intensity that I don't believe we'll see again. And that's a big deal - a decisive factor. No other factor outweighs that for me.

But after that, it gets more interesting when you start weighing the other critical components of basketball like shooting, rebounding and experience.

Junior Wheeler -- Freshman Ulis?
Freshman Washington - Sophomore Harrison?
Senior Grady - Freshman Booker (and try to stay honest to what Booker was when he'd just turned 18)
Senior Mintz or Sophomore AA Harrison?
Junior Fredrick/Allen or Sophomore Hawkins?

Sophomore Toppin or Freshman Lyles?
Junior Brooks or Junior Poythress?
Freshman Collins or Sophomore Johnson?
Junior Tschiebwe or Junior Cauley-Stein?
Senior Cockburn or Freshman Towns?
Freshman Hopkins/ Sophomore Willis?
Sophomore Ware or Sophomore Lee?

I'd say overall 2022 would have an edge in shooting. And experience. Rebounding would be close. Team speed? Hard to say. Scoring in the paint? Hard to go against Cockburn.

I’m pretty sure I’d take the 2015 player in every one of those head to head match ups except the Hawkins one.
 

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
But lottery picks don't equal college basketball titles.

We need to stop putting so much weight on NBA draft picks and put more weight on college basketball players.

That 2015 team got beat by a good college basketball team. 2010 was loaded with NBA talent, got beat badly by a bunch of hard nosed college basketball players and a smart coach.
Not my point. I was talking about pure talent.
 
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bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
No way Collins isn’t in the rotation. He has the highest upside on the roster.
Who does he replace?

Put Collins in the platoon rotation and you’ll have a half dozen posters telling you that so and so needs to be in there.

This is Cal’’s dilemma, even if he runs a platoon, you will have 2-3 guys that fans are going to gripe about not playing and 2-3 guys who will seriously consider transferring during or after the season starts.

I just can’t see any way Cal keeps all of these guys happy.

Whether it’s an 8 man rotation, 9 man rotation, or platoon, you still have a lot of players who won’t play.

I’m not griping, I like this a lot better than having 9 guys on scholarship and praying nobody gets injured.
 

sa_hunt

All-Conference
Sep 2, 2009
3,042
2,822
0
I'll bet absolutely anyone interested $1000 dollars that the 2021-2022 Kentucky Wildcats win fewer than 38 games.

This will be a steady, veteran, deep, balanced team, but it isn't even a top 5 Cal at UK team, much less the equal of the most dominant and ridiculous roster assembled in the modern era. Please stop that nonsense.
With a Duren or Cockburn commitment, what about 35?
 

GonzoCat90

Heisman
Mar 30, 2009
32,377
34,559
0
Because the greatest teams in UK history only won 38 games and you say this ain't one so I figure 35 would be about right.

But the point is to prove that they aren't one of those teams. It'd be stupid for me to make that claim then take a bet that proved me correct but still lost me $1,000.
 
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bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
If Illinois with Antigua couldn’t get him to the NBA, how is Illinois without Antigua going to get it done?

A year with Cal, plus another with Antigua, plus Cal’s NBA connections equals a no-brainer.

But kids sometimes follow their hearts instead of their brains.
 

Gromcat_rivals

Heisman
Jun 28, 2021
10,292
27,496
0
If - and I don't jinx anything so I emphasize if - Cockburn joins the Cats I believe there is room for a sober comparison of the 2022 and 2015 rosters.

Let me say up front, the 2015 team until Poythress got hurt would have a clear edge as a team capable of withering defensive intensity that I don't believe we'll see again. And that's a big deal - a decisive factor. No other factor outweighs that for me.

But after that, it gets more interesting when you start weighing the other critical components of basketball like shooting, rebounding and experience.

Junior Wheeler -- Freshman Ulis?
Freshman Washington - Sophomore Harrison?
Senior Grady - Freshman Booker (and try to stay honest to what Booker was when he'd just turned 18)
Senior Mintz or Sophomore AA Harrison?
Junior Fredrick/Allen or Sophomore Hawkins?

Sophomore Toppin or Freshman Lyles?
Junior Brooks or Junior Poythress?
Freshman Collins or Sophomore Johnson?
Junior Tschiebwe or Junior Cauley-Stein?
Senior Cockburn or Freshman Towns?
Freshman Hopkins/ Sophomore Willis?
Sophomore Ware or Sophomore Lee?

I'd say overall 2022 would have an edge in shooting. And experience. Rebounding would be close. Team speed? Hard to say. Scoring in the paint? Hard to go against Cockburn.

This is utter nonsense and I’m surprised even for your standard you were able to push submit.

This is the kind of bs that makes everyone jump up and down then lose their minds when cals underachieving takes effect.

Cal cannot yet show that he can hold down the conference anymore. It’s a tough league and these guys have never played together at all.

I’m going to save this to see you spin for eternity trying to defend it. Maybe then you’ll stop and allow these teams to show something before the crown.
 

Gromcat_rivals

Heisman
Jun 28, 2021
10,292
27,496
0
Lol. I’m not sure which of the banned trolls you used to be but in the two weeks or so under this new identity your constant negativity and nastiness has already exposed you again. Not to mention the fact that you can’t read since I clearly stated the 2015 team was decidedly better. So I’m not too worried about your plans for the future. You won’t be here long.

Like I thought.

There was no nastiness. You’re overboard badly, and your post was ridiculous. This UK team on paper is not close to 2015, as a matter of fact I don’t see where it would rank in the top half of the Cal era. Your comparisons are off the charts wrong.

This team has the potential to do something , but it also has the potential to be very average. What it does not have the potential to be is near the class of 2015.
 

BigBlueKush

Redshirt
Jul 4, 2021
20
9
0
Like I thought.

There was no nastiness. You’re overboard badly, and your post was ridiculous. This UK team on paper is not close to 2015, as a matter of fact I don’t see where it would rank in the top half of the Cal era. Your comparisons are off the charts wrong.

This team has the potential to do something , but it also has the potential to be very average. What it does not have the potential to be is near the class of 2015.
If you say so, boss.
 

sa_hunt

All-Conference
Sep 2, 2009
3,042
2,822
0
But the point is to prove that they aren't one of those teams. It'd be stupid for me to make that claim then take a bet that proved me correct but still lost me $1,000.
I’m lost. So let me clarify. If UK gets Kofi or Duren do you think they will win 35 games or more?
 

TopCatCal

Heisman
Dec 10, 2012
5,483
21,435
0
No way Collins isn’t in the rotation. He has the highest upside on the roster.

I agree Collins has more NBA upside potential than anyone on the roster. He will be in the rotation. Would love to see him get in the weight room this summer & fall & put on an additional 15 to 20 pounds. If he doesn't & has to go up against Oscar & Kofi everyday in practice it won't be pleasant. Players come here as skinny high school seniors & they're just as skinny as freshman. Example Isaiah Jackson.
 

BigBlueKush

Redshirt
Jul 4, 2021
20
9
0

This article states an Illinois return could happen, but they concede "another program" has the momentum.

"While the Illini are still alive for Kofi’s commitment, it does seem that there is momentum pointing towards another program. With that being said, the Illinois lineup would look extremely dangerous if Kofi does come back to Champaign."

It's in Illinois homer page for what it's worth. I can only assume they mean UK when they say another program.
 
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JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
7,509
15,537
113
If - and I don't jinx anything so I emphasize if - Cockburn joins the Cats I believe there is room for a sober comparison of the 2022 and 2015 rosters.

Let me say up front, the 2015 team until Poythress got hurt would have a clear edge as a team capable of withering defensive intensity that I don't believe we'll see again. And that's a big deal - a decisive factor. No other factor outweighs that for me.

But after that, it gets more interesting when you start weighing the other critical components of basketball like shooting, rebounding and experience.

Junior Wheeler -- Freshman Ulis?
Freshman Washington - Sophomore Harrison?
Senior Grady - Freshman Booker (and try to stay honest to what Booker was when he'd just turned 18)
Senior Mintz or Sophomore AA Harrison?
Junior Fredrick/Allen or Sophomore Hawkins?

Sophomore Toppin or Freshman Lyles?
Junior Brooks or Junior Poythress?
Freshman Collins or Sophomore Johnson?
Junior Tschiebwe or Junior Cauley-Stein?
Senior Cockburn or Freshman Towns?
Freshman Hopkins/ Sophomore Willis?
Sophomore Ware or Sophomore Lee?

I'd say overall 2022 would have an edge in shooting. And experience. Rebounding would be close. Team speed? Hard to say. Scoring in the paint? Hard to go against Cockburn.
You are smoking crack. That 2015 will never be matched in our lifetime with the amount of talent they had. You can type it out and say oh these players are similar all you want but they aren’t. At every position the 2015 team was better and more talented. Is there a chance Ty Ty or another freshman blows us out of the water and is better then their 2015 counterpart but it there is 0 chance those team is as good or better then that team.
 
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STL_Cat

Heisman
Dec 4, 2011
65,005
57,937
98
I suppose I bear some of the responsibility since so many people were incapable of understanding what I said. I thought putting this section in bold at the front might make things clear:

Let me say up front, the 2015 team until Poythress got hurt would have a clear edge as a team capable of withering defensive intensity that I don't believe we'll see again. And that's a big deal - a decisive factor. No other factor outweighs that for me.

But I guess that part got overlooked.
Having established that the 2015 was clearly, decisively better, in my mind, I simply listed the match-ups and offered that the 2022 team might do a few things better -- like shoot the 3. (Kentucky shot 34.9 percent in 2015 from 3. Is it insane to think that a team with Grady, Washington, Fredrick and Mintz would shoot better than that? I would say no.) And I suggested 2022 would have an edge in experience. That's a simple fact. Does it matter? Well, it did in 2015 when Wisconsin had more experience than Kentucky, and in 2010 when West Virginia did. So yes it does matter.

For the record, I gave up crack many moons ago. There are things that make crack seem like bubble gum, but I doubt you are ready to hear about them.
I guess most just didn’t understand the point of the comparison when one is so clearly and decisively better than the other. I didn’t comment on it, but I didn’t get it either. Even with the caveat. Why pick 2015?
 
Jul 26, 2003
21,180
11,162
0
Thanks Cowtown Cat. Reading that, kind of hard to believe he didn't leave. Couldn't be too many guys that big and strong that has that type of skills. He would actually give us exactly what we need, a solid interior scorer to go with all those shooters on the perimeter. The one thing I was concerned about the most. Just don't think any of our other bigs will give us a lot offensively on the inside, so this guy would obviously make us a complete team inside and out.
 
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Cowtown Cat

Heisman
Aug 23, 2015
24,156
54,915
100
Thanks Cowtown Cat. Reading that, kind of hard to believe he didn't leave. Couldn't be too many guys that big and strong that has that type of skills. He would actually give us exactly what we need, a solid interior scorer to go with all those shooters on the perimeter. The one thing I was concerned about the most. Just don't think any of our other bigs will give us a lot offensively on the inside, so this guy would obviously make us a complete team inside and out.
You’re welcome, brother. Yeah, he gives us an element we don’t really have. I mean, if Oscar doesn’t pan out, we are screwed as far as inside scoring does. Plus, it gives us five more fouls at the center position.