Cane would make a great scout. Plays for Kentucky? Greatest player in the world. Doesn't play for Kentucky? Overrated, not very good.
**Mcdonald's all American game thread**
- Thread starter bigblue_07_rivals
- Start date
You saw Wall play in the hoops summit right? Fox has a long way to go. Maybe he was trying to get the assist record or something. Monk and Bam are the real deal. Jones could be a surprise.
And every player on the court for the McDonald's All American Game would of committed to Kentucky, regardless of the year. [winking]
Of course. I was speaking in terms of this game compared to his HS games. This one, no matter how irrelevant, is far more important than his HS games strictly due to the competition.
Fox is billed as a elite defender and we saw his vision. He didnt know how to score vs. this size/athleticism. Its something to keep our eyes on. We cant just write it off b/c he didnt play like we expected.
Lonzo Ball tied the game record with 13 assists tonight.
Fox will be perfectly fine for us, Monk too. We shouldn't take too much from these games.
Bam is a beast, could have really used him this year.
Fox will be perfectly fine for us, Monk too. We shouldn't take too much from these games.
Bam is a beast, could have really used him this year.
Just say they are all the greatest ever, like I ended up doing with Skal last year. When I tried to tell the board he was way overrated, the same idiots pounded.
Just let them figure it all out on their own.
Kind of like ESPN announcers are with Duke . LoL
Monk is one of the better outside shooters Coach Cal could have next year. Did you see the games on ESPN and there was plenty of them with Mr. Fox this past year? His team always played the toughest competition on ESPN and in those games he was always the Player of the Game. The games I saw he was scoring 30+ points and with being 6'5 he is a good rebounder and averaged 8rpg and near double digits in Assists. The one thing that impressed me in these ESPN games was he was hitting the outside shot and draining the 3-point shot. I dont know what was going on with his game tonight but in most games I have watched him he did remind me of John Wall but a better outside shooter and 3-point shooter! That was in the games I watched him on ESPN!
maybe fox started passing first because he built a brick mansion ? Man his shooting the last few days has been awful. Has to work on that....
Logic tells you it should be a great scouting tool, but after watching so many of these over the years and watching guys like the big kid that went to KU last year that just killed it in the game and then go on to do lil to nothing at Kansas, it makes you think different. Skal looked like one of the best prospects we have seen in years and we all know what happened after that. I remember a bunch of Kentucky fans being scared of the Ku frontcourt after watching last year's mcdonald all american game. Anthony Davis didn't look like much, but once the season started, about 10+ games in, we all know the outcome. Tatum didn't look so well in this game, but odds are he does great things at Duke next season. If you're a GM and you're using this as a scouting tool, you would be fired soon after. This game tells me nothing about any of these kids. I've seen enough of Monk to know he can shoot the ball. Fox may need to work on his 3 point shot and need time to get used to playing college basketball, but once the season is over, i bet all of us will be proud he decided to play for Kentucky. I'm not going to talk about Bam. We all know that kid is an instant starter and a guy that will produce right away. Even if the kid had no post game at all, he still will be able to rebound and after watching our frontcourt rebound this season, that is a skillset i will never take for granted again. It is one of the most important must haves for great basketball teams. If you don't have it, i don't care how good your guards or forwards are, it won't matter. I used to think this game was fun to watch, but after these last few years with these announcers, i don't even think it's any fun anymore.
I feel bad for Fox because the hype machine and UK fans expectations will be a lot to deal with. He isn't physically as mature as Wall (whom comparisons are being made) was, so he won't be able to do some of the things he's capable of yet, and he will be following a sophomore version of Tyler Ulis. As a freshman he won't be near the decision maker Ulis is and we have grown accustomed to a PG that doesn't turn the ball over...so much so that a typical assist to turnover ratio will be seen as tragic.
I just hope he is given time to progress naturally and our fans leave him alone.
I just hope he is given time to progress naturally and our fans leave him alone.
Cal will do work on these guys. I think we're gonna have a top 5 backcourt in the country by February, but it's still gonna be a step down, because we had an undisputed #1 backcourt by February this past season.
But our bigs will be much better.
But our bigs will be much better.
Unfortunately, you're already seeing comparisons made by some of our more colorful posters to JohnWall, and the kid is not John Wall.
The way Cal recruits, I'm afraid freshman must come in and perform pretty immediate, or our system won't work like it's designed to. Missing on freshman talent can cost an entire season, as we just saw with Skal.
You can argue that. You can also argue Izzo had a veteran team with a lottery pick and it got him nowhere either. It happens to every type of team.
it's ok to be disappointed in fox and monks shooting 12 feet and out.... We can't afford them briscoe'ing it up next season.
Just shows us they are human and not machines... Even Murray had one awful and disappointing game ... Unfortunately it was the final game we played.
I hope this shows them they still have work to do
Just shows us they are human and not machines... Even Murray had one awful and disappointing game ... Unfortunately it was the final game we played.
I hope this shows them they still have work to do
Fox is a much better shooter than he showed tonight. Bad shooting nights happen, Booker couldn't buy a 3 the last month he was here, no look at em.
We will be in position to compete for a title again next year. That's my takeaway tonight and that's all you can ask.
We will be in position to compete for a title again next year. That's my takeaway tonight and that's all you can ask.
Izzo recruits a lot of 75-150 players, and Michigan State is not Kentucky. We are trying to keep our position as number 1 all time, keep UNC and Duke off the heels, and sustain our greatness.
The way Cal recruits, he cannot afford to miss on freshman targets or we cannot be as effective as we need to be. Not MSU effective, UK effective.
And even if someone doesn't like that, it doesn't matter. For us to be what our pre-season ranking is, we must have a crop of freshman that play like OAD, NBA ready players. We don't have room for failure there, because we don't have a bench to make up for it.
And Cal has sustained our greatness. Skal didn't measure up this year but Cal still won 27 games. UK just isn't going to be a final four team every year. No team ever is and never was except for the UCLA run. But I like this roster next year with Bam being a huge boost.
.S&C, you act like Cal does nothing but recruit OAD type players. Orton, Booker and Bledsoe were not projected OADs by anybody. Dodson, Poole, Harrow, Willis, Wiltjer, Humphries, Wynyard, Mulder, Matthews. That's 12 right there. Oh, and Ulis was not OAD. Nor was Lamb.
Cal has a OAD system set in place, absolutely. Anyone denying this is being naive. Orton was a first round prospect, borderline lottery, and Cal preaches for those to leave. Dodson and Poole transferred, because they didn't fit the system. They go to my point, not yours. Wiltjer was NOT recruited by John Calipari, I don't know how many times it has to be stated. Wiltjer committed out of nowhere, and still, transferred, because he doesn't fit this system. Another one that goes straight to my point.
Willis was not recruited here to be a huge part of our system, neither was Hawkins. They are from the state, thats the only reason they are on this roster. Don't believe it? Make the case Cal would have recruited either of them had they not been Kentucky boys.
Lamb only returned due to a lockout, same as Jones. Had it not been for that, they would be OAD's. Humphries was recruited here for late assurance. Nothing more than that.
Mulder? Might as well transfer. Matthews? We'll see. You might have a point with him.
Ulis was not cals first choice. His first choice was another OAD type athlete. Again, goes straight to my point. And in any event, all of those guys are either OAD, 2 and done, or poof, they transfer.
I'm fine with it, even though I'd slightly tweak it, but lets not pretend it something else.
And Bledsoe was seen as a first rounder early. He was a rivals top 25, number 3 point guard in the class.
Booker was taken as a second choice, to a OAD. Didnt matter, as he ended up being a OAD anyway.
Wow. You pretty much found various reasons why none of the ones I mention were true. Kudos for creative license I guess.
Not UCLA effective, UK effective.
I don't see whats wrong with the post. UK recruits a OAD system. In that system, you can't afford to miss. We've been kind of lucky to have what we have. Our 2014 run was pretty damn wild. It won't happen like that most of the time. We just hit a second round exit. That could happen 3 or 4 years in a row if we miss our targets. Thats all I'm saying. I hope we are evaluating at extremely high levels.
Silents I'm not getting it.
You mentioned guys like Wiltjer (we didnt recruit him). You don't think that matters in your opinion of our system?
You mention transfers who transferred because they don't fit the system and culture here.
You mentioned top 25 kids that were going to be OAD to begin with. Saying they weren't intended to be because you don't remember them having a good stock doesn't hold weight.
You bring up Kentucky kids that weren't recruited here to be a big part of the picture. They are only here because they are Kentucky kids.
You bring up guys like Ulis who are only here because Cal missed his OAD targets.
I gave you Matthews (possibly) because we don't know yet. Does he fit out culture and system? Probably not. Could he transfer too? yea, he could.
You bring up guys that came back because of a once in a 20 year lockout. It doesn't mean anything as far as our recruiting system goes.
Cal didnt recruit Bledsoe, Orton, Knight etc to be here 3 years. Believe it or not, he didnt recruit Booker to be here that long.
I'm sorry some people want to paint this as Cal being a victim of his system, but it's HIS system nonetheless.And pretending he's out there recruiting kids to be at Uk 2,3,4 years isn't true. Maybe a few to be here 2, but he's not recruiting any to be here 3 or 4, none. At least, none that he wants to be a huge part of our yearly roster.
I'm not being creative, its facts.
Not a bad take on what we saw,SKJ runs the court well, I think Monk and Fox look very different (in a good way)when the game has a bit more structure. Adebayo may get in foul trouble getting a drink of water
I don't disagree with your premise. Cal's rate of recruiting success has to be above other coaches with the type of program he runs. But sometimes, he is going to be wrong on some players. It's been a remarkable run really.
Lol at you clowns making definitive statements EITHER WAY about guys in a glorified And 1 game.
I guess it goes with the territory. We had people on this board proclaiming Stacey Poole to be a hidden gem after playing OK in the Derby Classic and some thought Davis might be a multiple year player because he "looked too skinny" at the McDAA game. Lol.
I guess it goes with the territory. We had people on this board proclaiming Stacey Poole to be a hidden gem after playing OK in the Derby Classic and some thought Davis might be a multiple year player because he "looked too skinny" at the McDAA game. Lol.
You are splitting hairs. Cal took Wiltjer and all the other players you mentioned. What does it matter if they took visits or if Cal spent a lot of time on them? They are players Cal brought in. And we have had a LOT of them that were not the OAD types. And just because a player is a 5 star doesn't mean he is a OAD type player. Every coach has players as back up if they miss on their main targets. Izzo recruits a LOT of the same players we do. So does Pitino. They don't get them. So, no, I don't agree that Cal has this vastly different recruiting system. He just gets more of his top targets. We disagree. Let's just leave it at that.
It's not splitting hairs.
Cal didnt recruit Kyle Wiltjer and was shocked at his commitment. He didnt recruit him, Wiljter never visited UK, and Cal was told about it out of left field. Pretending that proves Cal doesn't "just "recruit OAD types is misleading.
If you don't agree that Cal has a completely different recruiting system than any other coach, you'd be wrong. That's fine, but it's wrong.
Ptino and Izzo know they aren't getting the OAD players at every position like Cal because they don't have the turnover and record with these kids that Cal does. They cast wide nets, and reel in what they can. Cal casts narrow nets, and reels in the crop of the class. It's two totally different strategies.
I'm not trying to fight with ya, but the facts are known to be Cal specifically recruits for OAD type "talent" at most positions every single year. He's unique in that. If he misses, the next recruit is the closest thing to the original. He's not recruiting for anything but early departures. Cal is a recruiting coach first, this is part of how he defines his system to recruits.
You know better than every coach is recruiting the same way. You're definitely a smart guy. You know what you're saying isn't true. But I'll let it go. As long as you don't say Cal recruits the same way as Izzo, Pitino, etc because its not true.
Last edited:
I think it just means he doesn't speak in broken English like many of his peers. Why are you so racist?