Every year there is always 1

uk78_rivals88018

All-American
Feb 6, 2003
12,401
8,783
0
It seems each year in recruiting there is always that one recruit who if they came would add to making our team the most favored to be a champion. This year it was Kofi and then losing out before on Duren. Obviously next season it was Lively (what was he thinking he could have had something truly special for a year), others like Cunningham or even Wiseman (who knows how that would have worked out if no injury) etc. There have been other examples in the past. Who do you think of in that respect?
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,533
62,292
113
Well, we don't really know if Kofi or Duren are the answer. Maybe they don't do all that much, maybe we get a Final 4 with out them, maybe a lesser player on the roster does just as well.

I always wonder what a player like Xavier Henry could do with the John Wall team. Made nearly 2 three's a game at a very efficient clip. He plays a position that we could have used, being very heavy on PG and PF/C types. Having that wing player who could hit 3's would have been huge for Kentucky against WVU..
 

kybassfan

Heisman
Jul 1, 2005
20,032
16,368
113
There is always one that got away. All the hand wringing is utterly pointless. You can take 5 4 stars that are skilled motivated, play rabid dog team defense and beat the living hell out of 5 stars that are disjointed and lacking a full skill set.

More stars translates to athleticism and future potential. If that potential is realized the next year is s crap shoot. The question here is not the one that got away. The question is whether the ones you got are mature enough to learn cohesive defense, passing and other team skills. We learn the answer in December and January.
 

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
4,514
9,095
113
Well, we don't really know if Kofi or Duren are the answer. Maybe they don't do all that much, maybe we get a Final 4 with out them, maybe a lesser player on the roster does just as well.

I always wonder what a player like Xavier Henry could do with the John Wall team. Made nearly 2 three's a game at a very efficient clip. He plays a position that we could have used, being very heavy on PG and PF/C types. Having that wing player who could hit 3's would have been huge for Kentucky against WVU..
The only issue is that John Wall would have never came if Xavier did.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,533
62,292
113
The only issue is that John Wall would have never came if Xavier did.

Was that the issue? I feel like it was just X. Henry bucking the trend and going somewhere that 1. offered more touches and 2. was desperate. That's interesting though.. I didn't know this.
 
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JHannibalSmith

All-American
Sep 28, 2006
2,525
7,711
98
Was that the issue? I feel like it was just X. Henry bucking the trend and going somewhere that 1. offered more touches and 2. was desperate. That's interesting though.. I didn't know this.
That’s what I thought, too. For some reason I keep thinking that Henry’s dad was heavily involved in the process & was concerned about touches. But, as hard as it is to believe that was over a decade & millions of brain cells ago so I’m probably talking nonsense.
 

Fgpoe03

Senior
Jan 31, 2018
704
901
0
There's only one What If I like, it's currently streaming on Disney + lol.
I definitely see what everyone means but also a chance it doesn't work out. If one of these players come, does someone else not get the playing time they need to perform? What if UCLA, Kansas and Duke never got to cheat like they have? How many more titles would we have then?
 
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bthaunert

Heisman
Apr 4, 2007
29,518
21,619
0
I mean come on...

G - John Wall - Consensus 1st Team AA, Rupp NPOY
G - Jodie Meeks - Returning Consensus 2nd Team AA
F - Patrick Patterson - Returning 1st Team SEC / 1st Team SEC
F - Darius Miller
C - Demarcus Cousins - Consensus 2nd Team AA

G - Eric Bledsoe
G - DeAndre Liggins
F - Darnell Dodson
F - Ramon Harris
C - Daniel Orton

Damn you Jodie Meeks
 

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
4,514
9,095
113
I mean come on...

G - John Wall - Consensus 1st Team AA, Rupp NPOY
G - Jodie Meeks - Returning Consensus 2nd Team AA
F - Patrick Patterson - Returning 1st Team SEC / 1st Team SEC
F - Darius Miller
C - Demarcus Cousins - Consensus 2nd Team AA

G - Eric Bledsoe
G - DeAndre Liggins
F - Darnell Dodson
F - Ramon Harris
C - Daniel Orton

Damn you Jodie Meeks
We may see a sophomore Eric Bledsoe in that scenario.
 

Yardeth

Heisman
Jan 2, 2007
13,512
17,813
67
If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, wouldn't it be a Merry Christmas?"
 

Paulyv94

Senior
Jan 21, 2020
660
884
63
This is trolling. Kofi was not the answer. That Illinois team lost in the first round if I can recall. Dude couldn't guard a safety cone. Duren was never a possibility. We were already absolutely loaded in the frontcourt. Let's not discount this team before they take the floor.

Oscar is a bruiser.
Collins is a big question mark, but should be a steady shotblocker.
Mintz is the leader and Dog of this team.
TyTy is the superstar scorer.
Grady is the Clutch Three point taker.
Keon is another question mark.
Toppin could be very good as well.

I like my team.
 

Tapemaster8

All-Conference
Feb 9, 2003
14,661
3,929
98
Well, we don't really know if Kofi or Duren are the answer. Maybe they don't do all that much, maybe we get a Final 4 with out them, maybe a lesser player on the roster does just as well.

I always wonder what a player like Xavier Henry could do with the John Wall team. Made nearly 2 three's a game at a very efficient clip. He plays a position that we could have used, being very heavy on PG and PF/C types. Having that wing player who could hit 3's would have been huge for Kentucky against WVU..
Jodie Meeks was what that team needed.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,533
62,292
113
Jodie Meeks is a perfectly fine answer for what that team needed, but the question was about recruits specifically, not players who we wish stayed.
 
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ruppcat

All-American
Jan 1, 2003
3,698
5,185
0
I mean come on...

G - John Wall - Consensus 1st Team AA, Rupp NPOY
G - Jodie Meeks - Returning Consensus 2nd Team AA
F - Patrick Patterson - Returning 1st Team SEC / 1st Team SEC
F - Darius Miller
C - Demarcus Cousins - Consensus 2nd Team AA

G - Eric Bledsoe
G - DeAndre Liggins
F - Darnell Dodson
F - Ramon Harris
C - Daniel Orton

Damn you Jodie Meeks
How much talent is needed for crying out loud???
 

MbergCat

Heisman
Nov 23, 2014
7,532
14,170
113
Well, we don't really know if Kofi or Duren are the answer. Maybe they don't do all that much, maybe we get a Final 4 with out them, maybe a lesser player on the roster does just as well.

I always wonder what a player like Xavier Henry could do with the John Wall team. Made nearly 2 three's a game at a very efficient clip. He plays a position that we could have used, being very heavy on PG and PF/C types. Having that wing player who could hit 3's would have been huge for Kentucky against WVU..
I'll forever say that Cal's biggest recruiting miss was not getting Jodie Meeks to return for one more year with that team.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,351
72,220
113
It seems each year in recruiting there is always that one recruit who if they came would add to making our team the most favored to be a champion. This year it was Kofi and then losing out before on Duren. Obviously next season it was Lively (what was he thinking he could have had something truly special for a year), others like Cunningham or even Wiseman (who knows how that would have worked out if no injury) etc. There have been other examples in the past. Who do you think of in that respect?
When you depend on 1 year players every year, instead of developing players from scratch, this is going to be the case 9 out of 10 times.
The odds of actually getting every piece you need every season are incredibly low.
We had the perfect mix in '12 and '15, but that's it. '12 was aided by the NBA lockout and '15 had something no other Cal team has had, a group of starters and key reserves that returned off a FF team.
Maybe NIL will fix that, but it sounds like we won't even get to retain Wheeler off the 21/22 team, so who knows.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,351
72,220
113
Well, we don't really know if Kofi or Duren are the answer. Maybe they don't do all that much, maybe we get a Final 4 with out them, maybe a lesser player on the roster does just as well.

I always wonder what a player like Xavier Henry could do with the John Wall team. Made nearly 2 three's a game at a very efficient clip. He plays a position that we could have used, being very heavy on PG and PF/C types. Having that wing player who could hit 3's would have been huge for Kentucky against WVU..
I would rather have retained Meeks for 09/10. I don't think X Henry was a good fit.
We win the title with Meeks.

Edit: I see that the Meeks topic has been breached already, but my point still stands, that was Cal's first year, so recruiting and removing the existing players, is something Cal would have done. So Meeks was a recruit an IIRC, he was on the fence about staying.
 
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kybassfan

Heisman
Jul 1, 2005
20,032
16,368
113
This is undoubtedly true.

But “the one that got away” is a little tougher to swallow if it was one that you could’ve had but refused to offer ….even though you had extra scholarship spots available.
Again, a self fulfilling prophesy. The funny thing about bogus clams like this is they are always hindsight. For every ‘rare gem’ claim like this there are a hundred that bomb. Damn poor odds. Also there is little point in recruiting guys to get splinters in their ***. If you think you can make selections like this with high probability then by all means you should let the staff know. But you can’t. Nobody can.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,533
62,292
113
I would rather have retained Meeks for 09/10. I don't think X Henry was a good fit.
We win the title with Meeks.

Edit: I see that the Meeks topic has been breached already, but my point still stands, that was Cal's first year, so recruiting and removing the existing players, is something Cal would have done. So Meeks was a recruit an IIRC, he was on the fence about staying.

For sure. I would 100% take Meeks over X Henry, and probably any other "what if" in this scenario. God, Meeks on that team would have been unreal.

Still, I like my choice of recruits, IF they can mesh. Maybe Wall and Henry don't, as it turns out. But I think Henry might have been a bigger get than say Wiggins. I dodn't know if Wiggins makes us better.
 

seccats04

Heisman
Dec 6, 2004
14,581
23,592
113
When you depend on 1 year players every year, instead of developing players from scratch, this is going to be the case 9 out of 10 times.
The odds of actually getting every piece you need every season are incredibly low.
We had the perfect mix in '12 and '15, but that's it. '12 was aided by the NBA lockout and '15 had something no other Cal team has had, a group of starters and key reserves that returned off a FF team.
Maybe NIL will fix that, but it sounds like we won't even get to retain Wheeler off the 21/22 team, so who knows.
'15 also benefitted from WCS's injury at the end of '14 or he would've been gone.
 
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