Another thing, why is everyone completely discounting SKJ in this discussion about our 5 spot? He and Bolden are right next to each other in almost every ranking. Just a few spots separating them. So, why is Bolden being seen as our saviour at the 5 spot as if SKJ is this massive project who has no chance of winning that spot? I know Bolden is supposedly more of a back to the basket guy than SKJ is, but SKJ still is considered a 5 correct? And he's ranked very near Bolden. Can't see how Bolden makes us a title contender but SKJ doesn't.
Duke Insider Andrew Slater Just Changed Pick For Bolden To UK
- Thread starter dlh331
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I've only seen these guys in all-star games and in edited highlight packages on YouTube, but Killeya-Jones doesn't look like a 5 to me. In most of these spring games he was playing sort of like a stretch.
Of course a lot can change when things get more scripted and organized, but they look like pretty different players.
I think many believe he is behind the rest of our class.He really needs some weight and strength before he can battle inside.I think he could be terrific in his second year.
It would have to be the fact on their frames and not talent. In terms of talent, they are near each other in all the rankings. SKJ doesn't have the build as Bolden. Bolden is an instant impact player from the first game tip-off. SKJ needs more time to build to his frame and get stronger. I personally believe SKJ will end up being the better talent out of the two, but it just may take SKJ an extra year to get there than Bolden. SKJ as a SO big at Kentucky would be one of the best frontcourt players in the country. Since both players are near each other in all the rankings, i'm thinking this is the only explanation that makes any sense. Plus by adding both of these bigs it just adds extra depth for our frontcourt and as we all know from this past season, that can never be considered a bad thing.
After following this thread and all the experts, i think it's pretty obvious that none of these guys really have a clue what is going on with this recruitment. These guys are just guessing on what this kid will decide to do. It's obvious none of them have any real information or else they wouldn't need to keep flipping back and forth with their picks. No way in heck can this kid be leaning to Kentucky one day and the very next 10 minutes he's back to leaning towards Duke. These guys do just as much guessing as the rest of us. The only difference being they have a bigger fanbase to troll. I think i'll wait and see what Bolden eventually decides to do before i try to figure out what's going on in this recruit's head.
agree - because we'll have experience and leadership in Lee (assuming return), Willis, Hawkins and Briscoe - a year of extra work for Humphries, maybe Wynyard can contribute something, I don't know.
I really don't believe the entire season hinges on whether or not we get Bolden. If Bam and and Gabriel are the players they're projected to be we'll be fine.
Bolden to Duke isn't a guarantee for them, either - does anyone really think K will play Bolden ahead of a fifth year Jefferson?
Having no sources and no inside info whatsoever, I am basically of the belief that if a spot does open up he is ours, but that if Lee and Briscoe come back, he goes to Duke, because I don't see Cal kicking someone off the team.
I wonder how long it will take for them to decide?I agree Cal wouldn't kick a player out but it seemed to me by some of Marcus's comments that he wanted to move on.I can't see an NBA team taking him but he could make some money overseas and he could always get his degree later.
We don't have a stick him on the block, back to the basket big.
That's what this is about.
That's what this is about.
I was referring to the NCAA deadline to withdraw your name from the draft.
You guys? I'm not a Duke fan. I post on UK scout.com board but it has been slow lately
Sorry but not a Duke fan. Carry on
Go back to your board. You guys are just puppets to those guys. They are playing you guys like a drum, getting you hopes up for nothing. The choice is UK and it has been for some time. Chris Fisher, Paul and Tj have been saying UK the whole time. They're not fickle or uninformed like the duke "insiders".[/QUOTE]
Go back to your board. You guys are just puppets to those guys. They are playing you guys like a drum, getting you hopes up for nothing. The choice is UK and it has been for some time. Chris Fisher, Paul and Tj have been saying UK the whole time. They're not fickle or uninformed like the duke "insiders".[/QUOTE]
Because SKJ is not a five he is a stretch four. He is not a back to the basket player he doesn't have the strength or the aggressive nature yet
That's a valid point. However, it comes down to skill sets and what each bring to the table as a player. I think we can be a title contender without Bolden but adding a player like him makes us more dynamic and a lot more versatile of a team. Adding his skill set to this team can really help our team. IMO, I think we need a sharp shooting scoring Wing more than we need Bolden but that's not going to happen. Whether that be from a transfer or recruit, it would be an amazing addition for this team. That's not going to happen though and so, I think our next area of concern would be to add a skill set similar to Bolden's skills. It may just be a luxury to add him to this team but you can never have enough talented freshman on a team. So, I think it's all about versatility because you never know who we are going to be matchup with in the tourney. The NCAA will always put the toughest teams in our path and I want to add as many different skill sets as possible to combat the NCAA. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big SKJ fan and I think he is going to make waves this year for us.
Keep repeating what? I never said anything about him forcing anyone out, so how can I keep repeating it? I'm not sure you understood what I was saying because I didn't say anything from your quote above. I just said that Cal has it figured out already and I believe he does. That doesn't mean that he is forcing anyone out or anything else but I'm sure he knows how it will be worked out. That may simply be Cal knowing something about one of the player's intentions that hasn't been made public or whatever, nobody knows what's going on behind the scenes. That's my point too, we may not know but I'm sure Cal knows what he is going to do. I don't know what that will be and nobody else does either but if Cal says that he wants to add another player and he is still very much actively recruiting Bolden then you can be confident in the fact that he has it worked out. I do know that much. Whatever case that may be, I'm sure he has it figured out and knows what is going to happen to get us under the scholarship limit. That's all I ever said. I'm not sure how you interpreted my post but I never said anything about forcing anyone out of the program. Just to trust in Cal, he knows what he is doing.
Sorry to have made that assumption. Some have been saying recently that this is a business and Cal will cut some one if he needs to to get Bolden. I guess I just don't see many other ways this can play out. If a spot is guaranteed as you say, then there is nothing holding up his committing to UK same as Duke. I think more than likely the only way Bolden can come aboard is if Lee leaves. There has been not even a hint that anyone else is even considering leaving. And I highly doubt anyone is going to go off scholarship to pay his own way, if that is even a possible solution. As for comments Cal has made, I am not aware of what he has been saying lately, but even if he has said he would like to add another player, that doesn't mean he's not referring to whether or not a spot becomes available. Basically there are 3 possibilities IMO. 1, Cal is ready to cut a player, 2, A player is willing to voluntarily give up his scholly if Bolden comes, or #3 Lee doesn't come back. I think the last one is really the only probable option, and if it is, then a spot is not guaranteed at all. Nobody has to leave other than those who have signed an agent, or exhausted their eligibility.
Maybe it's not the scholarship situation holding him up. Maybe it is the actual decision. Nobody really knows what the hold up is but I personally don't think it's the scholarship situation at either school. I think it's either that the kid is really torn between both schools or him and his parents are at a stand still and neither will budge. But again, that's just my opinion cause nobody has a clue what's going on and tumors seem to change hourly.
About Cal's comments, he said he likes him team already and hopes to even add another player. I guess he could mean IF a spot opens up but I highly doubt that. He's not going to say something like that without knowing the situation. He is much more calculated to do that. Plus, if he did mean that he would like to add a player if a spot opens, he wouldn't be actively recruiting a kid from this class. He wouldn't be going into a family's home and telling the family a bunch a BS while recruiting him and then not a spot for him. I just don't see that at all. Cal is so calculated in every move he makes and he always says things for a reason, that you have to know that he knows what he is doing and there has to be a plan in place. I hope people have at least learned over the years to just trust the guy. He knows what he is doing and everything he says and does is for a purpose and I trust that this situation is same thing. He is too calculated for it not to be. You may feel otherwise but I choose to trust him.
Just got on this morning and took at where the Crystal Ball stood---and from what I see Andrew Slater said Duke on Friday at 539 PM, and in fact, Adam Rowe from Duke Insider said Central Connecticut State (that's a new one--is Adam throwing up his hands in despair over the delay? ) shortly thereafter on Friday. The kid may well be waiting to see what the scholarship situation is going to be a UK before making a decision, and if that's case than the "experts" are either engaging in ideal speculation or wishful thinking as we all are given the uncertainties for Briscoe and Lee in the draft. Hope he comes to UK but not putting life on hold until the kid makes his decision.
this whole thing is getting beyond comical, really
A possibility: those Duke guys did hear something yesterday or in the last couple days. They didn't just all randomly flip from Duke to Kentucky. Something is out there they believed.
I think then they heard from whoever has been their Duke source all along, someone they have a long relationship with, and they held firm to their initial Duke pick, so they flipped back.
Now, that means there's still something out there credible enough for those guys to flip to UK. That didn't go away just because a longtime partner refused to give up their call.
I think then they heard from whoever has been their Duke source all along, someone they have a long relationship with, and they held firm to their initial Duke pick, so they flipped back.
Now, that means there's still something out there credible enough for those guys to flip to UK. That didn't go away just because a longtime partner refused to give up their call.
The insiders are just guessing, but this seems pretty simple to me. Bolden apparently wants to play for Calipari. That's why he hasn't announced yet. If Bolden wanted to play at Duke, he could have announced weeks ago because Duke already has an open scholarship for Bolden if he wants it. Kentucky does not have an open scholarship for Bolden. Here is the math. Matthews, Hawkins, Mulder, Briscoe, Fox, Monk, Willis, Wynyard, Lee, Humphries, Adebayo, SKJ, Gabriel. That adds up to 13 full scholarships, and that's why Bolden has not been able to commit. With Calipari's encouragement, Bolden has been waiting and waiting for a scholarship to open up at Kentucky. At some point, a scholarship might open up at Kentucky, or else Bolden will eventually tire of waiting. Nobody knows how much longer Bolden is willing to wait. If Bolden gets tired of waiting, he might take his plan B option by picking Duke. That's a pretty good plan B. But IMO, if Bolden picks Duke, that would simply mean Calipari wasn't able to open up a scholarship for Bolden at Kentucky. He has obviously waited this long because he knows Calipari and Payne are the best in the business at preparing bigs to play in the NBA.
I don't get people saying he's not valuable.
@JasonSpear
I see few people overhyping him. If anything we are more likely undervaluing him if we ran a cross section through the posters here.
I agree he's not likely a big time game changer, but it's not like we are loaded in the paint and his depth would be invaluable, imo.
@JasonSpear
I see few people overhyping him. If anything we are more likely undervaluing him if we ran a cross section through the posters here.
I agree he's not likely a big time game changer, but it's not like we are loaded in the paint and his depth would be invaluable, imo.
LOL! Are you going to pay Hawkins' tuition? Unless this idea comes from Hawkins without prompting from the coaches, it would be an insult. This coaching staff doesn't treat our players like that, which is why our program is like a family.
Besides Allen coming back of course, one of the reasons people started talking about Duke being so strong next year was because of Jefferson coming back. No way does Bolden start over him. Barring an injury to a key frontcourt player, I don't see Bolden getting more than 12 mins a game for Duke. I think he could get around 20 for us.
Hawkins started out of scholarship from my understanding so he wouldn't be eligible to go off and remain on the team. That is not permitted. If so, it would happen all the time. Someone would have to leave.
Nobody can say whether Bolden has been overhyped until we see what he can actually do playing against top P5 competition. Marcus Lee was overhyped. Skal Labissiere was overhyped. Rivals lists Bolden as the #16 high school prospect this year, just 1 spot ahead of Wenyen Gabriel. Gabriel is a nice player, but probably not OAD. For comparison, Dakari Johnson was the #9 ranked prospect in the 2013 class. Bolden is physically very similar to Dakari, with similar skills, and I suspect Bolden will also end up being a similar type of player. Adebayo is also physically similar to Dakari and Bolden, but the ASGs and highlight tapes tell me that Adebayo is quicker and more skilled than Bolden. I also think Wynyard is a better player than people realize, and Humphries will be improved with a year under his belt in the system. I believe Bolden wants to play for Calipari and Payne because he knows they are the best in the business at preparing bigs to play in the NBA. But getting onto the floor next year will take a lot of work and patience. It will be tough for Bolden. I think Bolden is a good player, much like Dakari was. I don't think Bolden would be an impact newcomer, and I am not sure he is a OAD type of talent. He will show us. If Bolden ends up at Kentucky, so much the better. But I am far from convinced that he would be a difference maker for us next year.
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If I am reading correctly, your understanding is inaccurate. Dominique Hawkins was recruited and signed to a scholarship by Calipari after he was MVP in the Kentucky High School championship tournament. NCAA scholarships are renewable annually. So Hawkins came to Kentucky on scholarship. He could be taken off scholarship next year, but that would be a bad idea. I know a lot of fans are really hung up on stars, and haven't learned much from Marcus Lee and Skal Labissiere. But even if Bolden somehow ends up at Kentucky, I think there is a decent chance Hawkins could be a more valuable player than Bolden next year. If Hawkins comes to Calipari on his own initiative and offers to give up his scholarship, that's 1 thing. Calipari will not suggest the idea to Hawkins, and he certainly shouldn't. That would be an insult to a dedicated, hard working, contributing scholarship player. It would send a negative message to every future player considering Kentucky because it would say they are disposable commodities. It's a penny wise pound foolish kind of idea.
You really think Hawkins would be more important to UK than Bolden next season?If Briscoe returns I don't see Hawkins playing much at all next season.
Hawkins averaged 15.5 mins a game in our 2 tourney games this past season. I think he will be get more PT than you suggest.
I don't see Hawkins playing much next season if Briscoe returns.Between Briscoe,Fox and Monk I just don't see it happening.
