Is the team set for next season?
- Thread starter Anon668007
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We've gotta keep adding and get some more shooters. Maybe another 4 who can chase some rebounds. No way that we are done.
So he thinks Hawthorne is the backup for all five positions?
Pope
has been working with him on his ball handling so Point Forward could be an option
this is why i actually think the whole "uk fans = crazy" argument is overstated here. bc that there is a comically bad lineup and everyone is just carrying on like business as usual. What are we doing???
I almost hope it is. Would guarantee this is Popes last year and that would be worth it.
If we go starter, backup (2nd string) and reserve (3rd string) characterizations, I think a 5/4 option – for example, an upperclassman with maybe a stockier build and a minimum of legit 6’8” – would be important to play with Potter as co-backups to Moreno (i.e., both backups rather than reserves with playing time being shared depending on the situation).
I’m good with K. Williams, B. Hawthorne and Noah (reserve likely) at SF; and B. Hawthorne (backup) and K. Williams (reserve) at PF – especially if UK got that 5/4 option I mentioned.
I think M. Williams has the skill currently to be a backup PG for UK, but that role will probably most often be filled by Wilkins when Diallo is out. Interestingly, I think M. Williams shoots it well enough to probably play some 2G even as a freshman, but I don’t think that would be the plan or the best idea as a freshman. So, I think UK has to go get another 2G (CG is fine, but I don’t believe they need to have real PG ability). And it looks to me like there is a whole lot of playing time available for another good 2G option. Maybe, Morton fits that role, but I don’t know enough about his game today to even make a fan’s guess. Paul McNeil would have been nice, but he might be looking for a guaranteed starting role (and reportedly high level starter money). Seems like it’s just hard to get a high-level option out of the portal because even if they had success last season coming off the bench, this season they’re looking for a starting role. Without a good freshman option for backup 2G, maybe Pope has to go the overseas route here.
If this is materially it for the starting roster construction (with few back up add ons to fill out roster) I would be lost for words yet not surprised at this point.
I may be proven wrong, but I don’t sense Stokes as the savior. He has been circle jerking his decision for to long, which should be alarming and red flag. I don’t sense he is generational talent for what I have seen (Garnett, Wall, Shaq, etc).
I was hoping for two “star” additions either through high school reclassification or international. Time will tell regarding my wishful thinking.
But if that is what we are going with (excluding star additions) this season will be a blood bath by prior UK standards.
Welcome to today’s UK standards defined by managed decline and mediocrity.
I may be proven wrong, but I don’t sense Stokes as the savior. He has been circle jerking his decision for to long, which should be alarming and red flag. I don’t sense he is generational talent for what I have seen (Garnett, Wall, Shaq, etc).
I was hoping for two “star” additions either through high school reclassification or international. Time will tell regarding my wishful thinking.
But if that is what we are going with (excluding star additions) this season will be a blood bath by prior UK standards.
Welcome to today’s UK standards defined by managed decline and mediocrity.
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THANK YOU for taking the time to provide these comparative splits. They are interesting to look at and consider.
Aside from Knox and Kam, the 3-point shooting is rather ordinary, I think. It be nice to see better percentages from beyond the arc.
For a little more reference and comparison, I've added minutes per game in bold to your splits.
Shelstad: 34.8/15.6/2.9/4.9/39.1%/31.4%
Diallo: 29.6/15.7/3.9/4.5/48.9%/31.5%
Montgomery: 30.6/13.4/4/2.1/49%/33.5%
Wilkins: 29.8/17.8/2/4.7/46%/32.8%
Knox: 22.2/8.1/4.5/1.2/46%/37.7%
Kam: 18.5/6.0/2.1/1/44.9%/35.9%
Folgueiras: 20.7/8.4/3.6/2.2/50.0%/33.3%
Ndiaye: 27.4/10.0/5.0/.7/53.7%/31.8%
Bidunga: 31.5/13.3/9/1.5/64%/0%
Moreno: 22.6/7.8/6.3/1.8/58.2%/0%
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Both rosters are 25-40th type starting 5s. Louisville's bench better than ours currently but I was simply showing how wild it is people are clamoring over PK and Louisville portal haul and clowning on Popes roster construction. Its a narrative that is being spun because that's how badly people want Pope gone. So badly they no longer live in reality, obviously I want 1-2 more starters added and several quality bench pieces but I'm not going to spin a false narrative in order to make it look worse than it is.
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Slim pickings of players left on the board that we can use at our positions now.
SG - McNeil
SF - Tounde Yessoufou - NBA possibly
SF - Juke Harris - NBA possibly
PF - Milan Momcilovic - NBA possibly
PF - Allen Graves - NBA possibly
C - Massamba Diop
C - Julius Halaifonua
SG - McNeil
SF - Tounde Yessoufou - NBA possibly
SF - Juke Harris - NBA possibly
PF - Milan Momcilovic - NBA possibly
PF - Allen Graves - NBA possibly
C - Massamba Diop
C - Julius Halaifonua
He’s not a starter! He can’t create his own shot. lazy on defense doesn’t hustle so yeah, he’s definitely below average. I bet Hawthorne is much better than Williams. Much better!
I understand and agree with you ... we need to add 1-2 quality starter pieces to be where want to be. Hopefully, we can finish strong and get them. Thanks.
As it stands, we don't finish in the top 5-6 of the SEC or get better than a 6 seed in NCAA. No way!
As it stands right now that roster would struggle to win half 33 guaranteed games (reg season plus 1 SEC tournament game) and would likely miss any other post season appearance. Not saying a few additional players wouldn't swing things the other way but that is sparse.
As it stands we have several roster spots that will be filled, meaning you can't take the team we have now as its not complete.
As to the top 10 picks we are in the mix with, Hugo Yimga, Stokes, Stefan Joksimivic and Cameron Houindo. Making another push for Mcneil as well projected late first round in 2027 and Sayon Keita who is also late first round. We should end up with at minimum one of those and if we don't it will be because we get a Tounde/Milan type from the portal. If we end up with 2 of the guys above we are instantly a top 10 team, too many what ifs right now and until we have a complete roster it is all speculation.
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Juke is leaning Tennessee with Michigan as an outside chance.
We should have MONEY because we haven't spent it on BIG names yet.
Do you think our roster is better than Texas, Missouri, or Tennessee? Just curious
You asked him, but I will flatly tell you that no, in its current construction, our roster is not better than any of those teams.
Either we never reached out or Juke had zero interest. UT even already has a SF signeee in Haralson. He would fit great with the two backcourt drivers we have. Odd.
Not as it is today but I'm not sure what that has to do with losing 17-20 games. We can go 8-5 OOC and 8-10 in conference to equal 17 losses. I don't see a world in which that happens. It is okay to have differentiating opinions.
Not sure -- Hampton was the only one I heard of. I do trust Rainmaker when he hears things, but the staff executing is another story entirely.
Yes, he is a reclass candidate. I don't have any info, I'm just going by what everyone said in that other thread about him.
Yes he is a reclass candidate and that is the only reason the staff is going to visit him today. Gauge his interest in reclassing and make him an offer if he is interested.
Well, we do need shooting. Maybe Pope will finally close.
I'm not sure if we have a true shot at him or not but I like the effort to go for it. We have the money to spend and he is the type of player we need, High basketball IQ, able to finish through contact, great mid range game and overall a three level scorer. Would immediately slot into the starting 3 even though in reality he is more of a SG.
Best comparisons for his game are Anthony Edwards and Paul Pierce. Some say he has grown and is closer to 6'7 and is still growing.
If we do not get another notable recruit that can atleast hold down a starting position in the SEC, this could be the worse UK team of all-time.
If we want to not be a bottom-dweller in the SEC, we better hope that we atleast get one stud (Stokes, Momcilovic type player).
If we want to actually have a shot and be competitive next year, then you better hope we get atleast two players of that caliber.
Just my opinion.
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I love your optimism, I really do, but you cant be serious.
With the roster as it now, you are pretty much expecting for Zoom and Wilkins to carry the team. I love Wilkins, as he is my favorite addition so far, but is he ready to help carry a program like Kentucky next year, in the SEC? I hope he is, but I would definitely feel much better without more help, actually a lot more.
For us to even be competitive with this roster, Brandon Hawthorne would have to an NBA-ready player. I love Hawthorne too, but is that actually realistic going into his redshirt freshman year.
Like I stated previously, we need an addition of a Stokes/Momcilovic type player if we want to even be in the middle of the road in SEC play.
If we can somehow get two of these type players, then we can realistically talk about competing.