The one the Lakers signed? Are you seriously about to put him and Noah in the same category. Yes he was UK material and the only player I wish stayed from when Cal left.
Braden Hawthorne Returning
- Thread starter TheResistance
- Start date
no im not putting him and noah in the same category, im just saying theres no point of writing hawthorne off for no reason
I’m not writing him off. I thought he was going to play. I seriously want to know if he’s better than Noah why did he redshirt? During a season in which we are short handed because of “injuries”
Which one is faking being injured? That is what you were implying when you put quotation marks around the last word.
He got hurt around the same time we needed him. Just bad luck. If he was healthy, maybe you play him after Kam goes down but it isn’t certain. That’s late in the year to consider pulling a redshirt. Especially on a team that’s going nowhere anyway. It’s not like BH was going to be Senior Tayshaun Prince out there if he was so far down the depth chart to begin with. He’s a developmental guy and will need time to incubate.
i think pope gave trent the benefit of the doubt, a "paid his dues" thing
I understand his redshirt. Not giving him a hard time for it. But if we are going to say he is already better than Noah who got big minutes this year…. I’m absolutely giving him a hard time. Or Pope. Whoever is to blame.
im not talking about pulling his redshirt three quarters through the season. He should have been playing day one if he’s better than Noah.
I’m guessing he’s not. Which is why he redshirted. And if not… as a Kentucky fan.. I can’t get excited about him being our only recruit next year.
Think about that. I see all these “fans” excited about Hawthorne like he is going to be senior T Prince. The guys obviously a redshirt project. I’m supposed to be excited he announced his return? He hasn’t played a single minute.
Fair. I believe Pope is that bad of a coach to do something that dumb. We hang banners. Let’s fill the roster up with Utah Valley players.
somebody switched his keys up. He’s trying to unlock the Ferrari with his mini van keys.
I didn’t say he was better than Noah. Not right now. I’m not convinced Noah is as bad as most say. He’s certainly limited offensively but he’s a decent rebounder and his defense has improved this year. Noah’s biggest issue is that he just doesn’t make the open looks he gets. Hawthorne will be a far better player than Noah, but not yet. Could be an Adou Thiero type of progression for BH.
What Kentucky needs is a coach who knows how to recruit and evaluate AND keep them in place. Again the best method is to do all things. At Kentucky coach should be a master at his craft, he should be able to retain guys that fit and are part of the family and are the best of the best. I don’t think we want Kentucky turning into a transactional program, it’ll hurt our family and our legacy, and our kids won’t even have the same appeal to the game as we did.
If you miss then recycle absolutely. But how about we find a coach that does EVERYTHING well and sells Kentucky, molds and recruits well, and if he’s a great coach with the Kentucky brand, we don’t have to worry about any of this. You’ll always have to do it to some degree, but if you’re having to recycle rosters non stop, then that means you aren’t a good evaluator and shouldn’t be here.
Now Pope is not a good evaluator we both know that much. So if he retains from this bunch, his career here is over. I’m talking about the next guy. Pope doesn’t evaluate worth damn, so he’ll have to go transactional to some degree. But I don’t think he can land top portal and recruits anyway. We know he can’t with recruits.
My prediction for Hawthorne. He ends up getting big minutes just like Noah and we say he belongs not because he actually does. But because we have no other options and he will have to get on the court.
Noah isn’t terrible. He’s a good 10/12 guy at a place like Kentucky. If Pope is the coach. When the talent level is where it’s supposed to be he would be playing for South Carolina. We don’t have to have a team full of five stars for the talent level where it’s supposed to be. But Noah is never supposed to be playing big minutes at a place like Kentucky.
sure you sign him and allow him to live out a Kentucky boy dream. As the 10/11 man. But we got Pope over here inserting him because he has to.
yea he gets some rebounds. I like Noah. Think he hustles and gives it his all. He can’t control his physical abilities.
And ik you didn’t say he was better than Hawthorne I was saying that for anon up there.
Guys like Noah would be perfectly fine at the end of rotation at a blue blood if he makes his shots. Hell, last year we did more than fine with Ansley Almonor lol and Noah can do more than AA could. But AA was a sniper. That needs to be Noah.
Noah isn’t better than AA man. We won a couple games just because of him last year. What game has Trent Noah won us?
Almonor couldn’t guard or rebound. Had no mid range, zero post moves. He was literally just a catch and shoot sniper. If Noah makes his shots, he’s just as valuable if not moreso
Yeah it is a big if, but that was the whole point of my post. IF Noah does in the game what he’s supposed to do which is make shots.
IF he doesn’t make them, obviously he isn’t valuable.
Hawthorne will put his name in the portal. Why wouldn’t you? At least hear offers.
Just disappointed that we are a If program these days. If we get a single recruit to sign. If Trent Noah makes shots. If we didn’t have the injuries. Man
Exactly. He says he’s returning but you just watch. He will enter the portal. Might return might not.
Every program is a “IF” program dude. You’re letting the losses blur your vision.
Example:
IF Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Nbonga are lost to catastrophic injuries, Duke would be terrible.
IF Yaxel Lendeborg and Elliot Cadeau had drama over a girl and the point guard refused to pass the ball, Michigan wouldn’t be as good.
IF Pat Kelsey wasn’t a midget, he wouldn’t be a midget lol
The last one makes no sense but it just felt fun.
Try this exercise: Go find out how many teams had so many missed games due to injuries that were still elite. You won’t find any this year for sure, and there probably aren’t many at all throughout history. Yes, Pope deserves most of the blame, but there are also circumstances to consider here. Think I’m with Matt Jones on this topic — next year will tell us more about the injuries. Everything hinges on that. But yes, this is an IF world and CBB is an IF game.
Na man they aren’t. That’s terrible examples.
So IF we have a bunch of injuries next season… does Pope get a pass again?
You lost me at complaining about what if scenarios and then I gave you scenarios that are logically and physically possible and you just dismissed them. Like you and tried to engage fairly and honestly with you. All good, we can agree to disagree
I didn’t dismiss them. I just want the topic to stay Kentucky. You gave examples about other programs.You lost me at complaining about what if scenarios and then I gave you scenarios that are logically and physically possible and you just dismissed them. Like you and tried to engage fairly and honestly with you. All good, we can agree to disagree
I’m talking about the number one program in America. Well it was in the 1900s. I guess you’re right we are the same as the ones you gave examples. We are just another school these days.
It’s all good we can agree to disagree. I’ll be right here with you next season when we are below average.
Could trip over his feet every time down the floor and give better numbers
No way he can perform worse than Noah, mod, Garrison, jj and several others.Let’s pump the brakes fellow Wildcats fans, this guy is coming off a Red Shirt, meaning, he’s going to be raw as raw can get, so don’t expect much more than what Johnson (stats wise) or Noah put up for numbers.
Also, barring a complete surprise, if Pope is relying on BH for more than 8-10 minutes per game next season, UK will be in even more trouble than I initially expected.
With all of that, I’m excited to hear this news
At least he might show some hustle and desire
I mean to be fair AA was a senior that got to play with much better players last year vs what Noah had this year. Trent was great in that TN game in Rupp last year.
I'm not saying they are alike at all, but Pope has had a kind of similar first couple of years to Nate Oats. Oats first year was pre NIL so they weren't very good. The next year was the year he had Herb Jones and were a sweet sixteen team pretty similar to Pope's first year. The next year they weren't good and he went 19-14 probably like Pope is about to do. Then he got Brandon Miller and they were a groin injury to him away from possibly winning a national championship. I think if (a big if) Pope can land Stokes, Dink Pate and a portal stud PG we could have a similar year to that Alabama year. Hopefully Pope can build momentum from there, but everything I just mentioned is a pretty big ask for him.
This is the first time, where Pope is trying to control the media spin on Kentucky, by pushing this news out.
Compared to Cal recruiting media spins this is a pretty weak attempt. a guy that everyone knew will be back , is now announcing his return.
About the player , himself if he was better according to Pope evaluation than any players on current roster he would have played this year.
the hope , since we know how good evaluation of player is maybe this guy is okay for next year.
Compared to Cal recruiting media spins this is a pretty weak attempt. a guy that everyone knew will be back , is now announcing his return.
About the player , himself if he was better according to Pope evaluation than any players on current roster he would have played this year.
the hope , since we know how good evaluation of player is maybe this guy is okay for next year.
Arguably the most troubling idea of all is that there's literally no player out there that can inspire confidence for me again in Pope. I just don't see any offseason "acquisitions" that make me go "here we go! Cats are back!". He's lost that. I no longer trust him. Even a big win or upset in the tourney favoring UK won't inspire future confidence because I know that the trend is and always has been terrible/let-down losses shortly after.
I think about Stokes; if we land him, does that change my mind? I'm picturing it now, and I'm still left wanting more. Let's consider best-case scenario and what we must have to actually "contend" moving forward; A) we land Stokes. B) we get a true stretch-4 in the portal that can knock down the three at a 33%+ clip. C) we get a lethal point-guard in the portal that also shoots the three at an average/above-average clip. D) supplement with depth. (this is all assuming we keep key components; Moreno, Chandler, Williams). Are we inspired? Is faith renewed?
For me I don't think it is because I know the trend. It's proven/demonstrated. Pope will stick to the analytics. He'll play a 10-12 man rotation. He'll lose inexplicable games. He'll high-five and hand-shake his players all through the ups and downs of the regular season when he should be ripping into them ah-lah Todd Golden to Xavien Lee after an ill-advised three early in the shot-clock last Saturday "What the f*ck are you doing!!" (God that was awesome).
I don't know where I'm going with this. Uggh, I'm at a loss. This sucks so much.
Yea I would stay too if I was getting a mil or mil+ cause
nobody overpays like we do
Hawthorne is very athletic and if he can add 10lbs of muscle could be a serviceable bench player next season and starter year 3. Think Jacob Toppin, that's what Hawthorne can be, he is basically Jordan Burkes right now and you see what he did at UCF 13 and 5 averages.
People need to realize is 5-6 of our guys are on 2 year NIL deals. We will have more returners than people think do to that. This is also why the true spend was closer to 14-15 million not 22 because that 22 number doesn't factor in multi year deals and from what I've seen posted had the top 3 guys for us at a higher one year deal than they actually received. Still too much for the roster we have but what's done is done.
People need to realize is 5-6 of our guys are on 2 year NIL deals. We will have more returners than people think do to that. This is also why the true spend was closer to 14-15 million not 22 because that 22 number doesn't factor in multi year deals and from what I've seen posted had the top 3 guys for us at a higher one year deal than they actually received. Still too much for the roster we have but what's done is done.