I wish this kid success at Michigan.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...erines-basketball-charles-matthews/326067001/
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...erines-basketball-charles-matthews/326067001/
Good Charles Matthews read
- Thread starter jimisize1
- Start date
Good story but I don't exactly buy that his unreported injuries caused all his difficulties. I saw him play at Miami Arena and his problem was simple, he couldn't shoot very well. He put up shots, he was a decent player, but nothing outstanding stood out and again his outside shooting was just so-so at best. I actually liked that he had the courage to take shots but at some point you do have to hit them. In High School, being physically developed beyond most others gains you great stats but in college there will be other players equally developed. Then it starts to boil down to having certain fundamental skills. If he stayed he might have developed them, but we will never know. It is true that Cal will always be landing the top elite players for every position, so you have to be really good and continue to improve if you want playing time.
I wish him success, but I'll say, I sure as hell hope Cal doesn't sign anymore Charles Matthews types -
That is, kids who are barely top 50, who think by coming to UK they are magically going to become OADs, and when that doesn't happen, they have no interest in sticking around and getting better, contributing to the team, and competing for PT.
That is, kids who are barely top 50, who think by coming to UK they are magically going to become OADs, and when that doesn't happen, they have no interest in sticking around and getting better, contributing to the team, and competing for PT.
I agree, but I doubt he told Cal he wanted to be a one and done (and Cal never tells anyone they'll be one). I'm sure Cal thought he would be a 3 to 4 year player and he would have really contributed last year and this year.....I wish him the best but he needs to get real. He wasnt even Illinois Mr Basketball or a top 50 player.
He was top 50 by many . He is a guy who will play pro ball eventually but it will take a few years.
Don't wish bad upon him and hope he accomplishes what he is seeking but I won't follow his career.
The article says he was #59. What I meant was while he was a good prospect he certainly wasn't an elite 5 star or Burger boy.
Nice utility guy ala Liggins. Unless his offensive game has grown thats what i expect from him which if fine. Too bad he didnt have the stones to stay here and grow. Now we llhere what a great job Belien did developing him....
He wasn't going to play very much at all even if he competed, and he knew that. I'd have left, too. I wish him well.
He will not play in the NBA, hes not that type of player. He would literally have to explode at Michigan and start being deadly from deep for that to happen.
A lot of you are underestimating Charles Matthews. Calipari didn't. Matthews has some elite athletic tools. He needs development, and he played behind some great players at Kentucky. Lots of young players with great tools need a couple of years of development in college ball. Some make it, others don't. I think Matthews will be a great player at Michigan. Obviously he has to develop a consistent jump shot to get drafted, but that wouldn't surprise me either.
A lot of us have seen Charles MAtthews types come and go through out the years. Guys with phenomenal athleticism but no real skill. We know all about it.
Matthews showed flashes on and off his freshmen year, but his injuries hampered him. He under-rated himself apparently.
He could have been a contributor to last year's team. I could see Cal going small and putting Matthews in at the 4 in situations when the other team's PF was eating up the taller Willis or Gabriel.
Like - I don't know - Luke Maye in the Final 8?
He could have been a contributor to last year's team. I could see Cal going small and putting Matthews in at the 4 in situations when the other team's PF was eating up the taller Willis or Gabriel.
Like - I don't know - Luke Maye in the Final 8?
UK isn't for everyone. Seems like a good kid. Hope he does well unless they run into UK somewhere along the line...then....well you know.
I think this is something Cal has not figured out yet and we will see more of. Let's face it, it's tougher not being a one and done player at Kentucky. If I wasnt going to jump to the pros, I'd go to Florida or Oregon or Michigan or wherever. There, if you're a Top 50 recruit you're going to start or be valuable reserve. Basketball practice is not fun and going through it with no hope of playing and still getting yelled at is for very few people. Not just today but even thirty years ago a ranked recruit still got ten minutes of action.
And it's not that Cal is mean and doesn't play enough players. He went nine deep this year.
The solution isn't to find the patient Top 50 player. Those guys are too valuable for good schools. It's going to have to be finding the right Top 150 player. Someone who isn't blessed with raw talent but dreams of playing overseas. Like a Hawkins or Willis. They don't have to come from Kentucky, but they cant be stars wherever they are.
Not sure if i remember any flashes that you saw.
But he could have contributed. Not sure why he transferred. It's not like all freshman should be able to contribute right away. Look at SKJ, i think that's what he should of done. 6-6 is a good size SF. Would have made our team slightly better defensively, and our rotation would have strengthened.
Just a silly decision he made. I think he would be noticeably ahead in terms of his skillets by now.
As I posted earlier, Matthews biggest problem that I observed was shooting skills. However, why do people here feel he cannot develop and at the same time will talk about how SKJ will be a totally different player this year? Of course players can develop. The problem is at a program like Kentucky and with the way Cal gets elite players, the expectations are that relatively instant (or certainly near March) our Freshman are going to be really good and close to NBA caliber. It's a shame that some kids are so inpatient and see anything but quick success as failure. Briscoe made great strides from his Freshman season to this past one. But, he should have stayed and continued to develop. He would have been the type of player by Senior season that could have been a top 20 pick. Now, he will have to keep his fingers crossed that anyone selects him. Matthews should not have run away from the competition if he wanted to get to the next level. But the need for instant gratification is now tough to handle.
Could have used him last year as UK was one decent front court player away from a title in my opinion. Don't really need him in the crowded front court this year though.
I actually think he would have gotten some major playing time here.I really couldn't understand why he transferred.
Just curious , what have you seen from him that makes you think he definitely will "play pro ball?"
Just curious.
That's silly.
If he competed , and showed out... improved his shot, and became an actual asset to the team, he absolutely would have played over the years.
Brings up something I've thought about. For those who wish Cal would recruit differently and bring in more guys who will stay at least 2 and some up to 4 years.....how do you do that, exactly? It's too unpredictable. The twins were top 5 (in a great class), stayed 2 years and likely should've stayed more. Booker was barely top 30 - and then is a lottery pick without even starting at UK and gets 70 in an NBA game when he's 19 or 20. The only way to be certain you're getting kids who'll stick around 4 years is get guys towards the bottom of the top 100 (and then no one is happy with recruiting). Only way to do this is to do what Cal and every other coach who's ever coached does - get the best players you can.
Of course Cal would have played him had he done all those things, but sometimes a person knows if they have it in them or not and apparently he knew he didn't. Does it make him a bad kid? Hell no.
Cal has recruited players by saying not to come here if they didn't think they were a one and done. Cal's the greatest recruiter, one hell of a coach, but he's not perfect. We've adopted this mindset that if you're not a one and done here, it's almost as if you're a failure. That's just a fact.
Hmm, here is a player, similar size, similar ranking and from Chicago and he was No 7 in Mr. Basketball for Illinois. We all remember this player very well in college and has gone on to win multiple NBA titles and be on multiple All-Star games. http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/dwyane_wade_65053.html
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