Buckle up (next year) ...
- Thread starter jb1010
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* At a minimum next year's team has three additional terrific shooters in Herro, Baker and Quickley. That was a major part of what was missing this year. Think how far a thin 2011 team rode the shooting of Lamb-Knight-Miller. Good shooting can't be underestimated as a transforming weapon.
* It has a more mature and stronger Washington who has the potential to be all-first team SEC as a forward.
* It has two five-star juniors in Gabriel and SKJ, both of whom finally seemed to be getting it late this year and both of whom will be very hungry to make a statement about their worth as pros.
* Richards will be back, some half-assed "feeling" by the OP notwithstanding. He was lost this year. That's not uncommon for freshmen centers who haven't played a great deal. I expect his improvement to be the talk of the fall. And no, he's not sitting out a year, which is one of the stupidest things I've heard today. At the end of next year he has a good chance to be a first round pick. He's not pushing that back a year because Cal hurt his feelings.
* It'll have Quade Green, at times a terrific PG this year. I expect much more consistency out of him.
* And, oh yeah, I almost forgot Keldon Johnson. This kid is a natural scorer, and a tough player who can get into the paint and do damage. He's a more athletic Keith Bogans who will be an impact freshman - maybe not a complete replacement for Kevin Knox, but close.
That's the minimum. Nine 5-star talents with much more balance between scoring and defending than this year. Add Vanderbilt and things improve exponentially. Add Diallo and you have the best mix of talent and experience in the country (that may be true without him.) And I wouldn't be stunned to see Cal pull a rabbit out of his hat none of us see coming.
Give this team a chance to bond with a summer trip (it's that fourth year) and I fully expect an early season win over Duke to catapult them to near the top of the rankings, where they'll stay all year.
* It has a more mature and stronger Washington who has the potential to be all-first team SEC as a forward.
* It has two five-star juniors in Gabriel and SKJ, both of whom finally seemed to be getting it late this year and both of whom will be very hungry to make a statement about their worth as pros.
* Richards will be back, some half-assed "feeling" by the OP notwithstanding. He was lost this year. That's not uncommon for freshmen centers who haven't played a great deal. I expect his improvement to be the talk of the fall. And no, he's not sitting out a year, which is one of the stupidest things I've heard today. At the end of next year he has a good chance to be a first round pick. He's not pushing that back a year because Cal hurt his feelings.
* It'll have Quade Green, at times a terrific PG this year. I expect much more consistency out of him.
* And, oh yeah, I almost forgot Keldon Johnson. This kid is a natural scorer, and a tough player who can get into the paint and do damage. He's a more athletic Keith Bogans who will be an impact freshman - maybe not a complete replacement for Kevin Knox, but close.
That's the minimum. Nine 5-star talents with much more balance between scoring and defending than this year. Add Vanderbilt and things improve exponentially. Add Diallo and you have the best mix of talent and experience in the country (that may be true without him.) And I wouldn't be stunned to see Cal pull a rabbit out of his hat none of us see coming.
Give this team a chance to bond with a summer trip (it's that fourth year) and I fully expect an early season win over Duke to catapult them to near the top of the rankings, where they'll stay all year.
I don’t watch or care anymore on who leaves and my mindset is I hope we have a few back next year to blend with a really good recruiting class so we don’t have to hear Cal ever say again “we’re so young and the youngest team ever!” Am sick of hearing that and Cal needs to quit spouting it! Look whoever you have is who you have for the UK team so just coach them and play without the qualification/excuses!!
Hami should return and have a huge season a la Victor Oladipo did his Jr year at IU. They are similar players and Victor was a late bloomer much like Hami will be.
I love Shai as a college player. I think he’s really suspect as an NBA prospect.
Been over this several times. He hit 10 of his last 14 shots. He was improving.
His rebounding and hustle is elite.
Wouldn’t you have liked to see him on the floor last night?
There were plenty opportunities for him to get rebounds or keep plays going off missed free throws.
Plus, he can pass the ball. Pj and Vandy looked good together before injury.
For those who said we were looking fine without him .
Last nights game is where he was needed!
He had 1 good game and a few average games, he would be crazy to go. Not saying he wont but...
Love Shai, but he has struggled all year against physical teams and last night was no exception. The next level will be immensely more physical and he will need to work on his shot even more. Very slow release which will not work at the next level. He is probably 2-3 years away from growing into his body and getting stronger to absorb the physicality of the game better. I can see why GM’s would be high on him for potential but not as high as his stock has gone. Would love for him to come back for just one more season at least but I know that won’t happen.
I don’t see any way that SKJ comes back if Richards does. We have too many kids that don’t compliment each other. Wouldn’t hurt if we would post up our 6 foot nine players up on the 6 foot 4 player guarding them!
Not sure this makes any sense to me at all....
SKJ is playing way more than Richards.
What basketball team doesnt have at least 2 players per position?
I totally agree with posting up guys like Knox and even Hami on shorter defenders.
How many of those 10 of 14 were dunks or layups? He has no offensive game and his shot is SO bad it’s highly, highly unlikely he ever will. I agree with you that he helps UK a lot and we needed him last night. But unless he’s the second coming of Dennis Rodman he won’t be in the NBA for long, if at all.
Bingo. Great post.
Nothing is guaranteed, but if it pans out this way, and I think it will (possibly even Vanderbilt as well), then we will have a really really good team with more experience and balance than we've had the past couple of years.
Man, college basketball sure won’t be as fun to watch when this happens. OAD is great for the college game and for the NBA. These are the best years to be a UK fan and those that don’t appreciate it are missing out. When Cal leaves you will understand. As the old saying goes: You don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone.
That's your opinion.
I've been a fan for over 50 yrs and college bb has always been fun to watch.
It's not the winning that bothers me about OAD's, it's all the other stuff that comes with it.
I hate the end of the season except for the 4 I have seen end in a championship. Your post helps the pain of the loss and has me looking forward to next season. Thanks
I would think because of our returning front court, it’s hard to see an EJ Washington being added to the roster. Crean, btw, trying to bend his ear about playing in Athens.
But Cal is the master at this stuff.
For the first 70 years of the NCAA tourney, UK had 13 final fours. 1 every 5.3 years. Cal has 4 in 9 years. 1 every 2.25 years. One and done is twice as successful in getting to the final four, championships are right on average at 1 every 10 years.
Hey Bud..what’s your problem
..Jarred is a elite rebounder who hustles and is a great passer.
I think he would have been a tremendous help crashing the boards last night and trying to rebound or keep alive some of PJ’s bricks at the line which basically cost us the game.
He could have guarded Sneed and also brought some energy which most of our guys were lacking.
I still laugh at all the guys on here after SEC Tourney who said we don’t need him.
We needed him last night!
A guy his size with his rebounding ability and hustle not too mention above average passing skills and handles will play in the NBA.
All of his baskets were down low as you mentioned but that won’t keep him out of NBA.
Look at MKG.
It may be the 'UK Way' but some expecting a mass exodus this year are looking at it through blueish tinted glasses. I'm not sure the NBA is as high on some of these guys as you think. Other than Knox and Alexander of course.
Good riddance to all of them, including Calipari. He’s turned this program into an under-achieving coddled group of losers who all think they are one and done because Calipari told them so. I wouldn’t draft any player from this UK team....including Knox. How many times was Pitino or Tubby a 4 seed in the SEC tournament. It just keeps getting worse......and it will continue.
I think Vanderbilt could be a really good college player.
I don't see him being anything but a bench sitter in the NBA.
He needs to prove he can stay healthy, and he definitely needs to improve his offensive game a lot just to be average.
We don't know "most of the team is coming back" yet.
If we lose several guys and and Montgomery commits to Duke, it's going to be a rough off-season, potentially another tough season, and the Calipari era at Kentucky could be in perile.
Hoping the above doesn't happen, but it's possible. It's why many are on edge right now. A ton of uncertainty with the program at the moment.
Best guess, since none of us knows anything for a certainty. Knox, SGA, Wynyard are gone. Diallo will be invited to the predraft camp again, and will probably leave in this draft as a low 1st round or high 2nd round choice. Vanderbilt and Washington will be invited to the predraft camp, but with Calipari’s guidance both will return for their sophomore season to improve their draft positions. Our roster will be Vanderbilt, Washington, Richards, Gabriel, SKJ, Johnson, Baker, Herro, Green, Quickley, plus 1 more player TBD later. (That last player may or may not be Montgomery.) The 1st 4 players I mentioned will be the 4 most improved players on the team. Green and Quickley will share the point and will be effective, so we will play with a better pace next year. Herro, Baker, Green, Quickley, Gabriel will give us the perimeter offense we lacked this year. Washington, Vanderbilt will be all SEC. Since our current team reached the Sweet Sixteen, I have no problem thinking that our next team will be a legitimate FF contender.
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