I don’t want any player back who is already focused on whether they want to come back. Santa Clara must love Ryan’s report.
BB: KSR - Ryan believes only 3 returnees
- Thread starter TheResistance
- Start date
Only if that team lets him play zero defense and stand out on the 3 point line jacking up shots. What you been watching all year?
I’m similar.
I’d like to see him get stronger, work on his shot selection and play team basketball.
He starts hunting his shot as soon as he checks into the game, and a lof of his shots are ill advised.
Think Kam, CC, Moreno, Noah, Hawthorne, and Potter all return. Think JJ is gone. Think Lowe is gone if staff is doing what they need to do and recruiting someone at least as good if not better and telling him he may be the backup. Jury is out on Mo, BG and Jelly. If JQ's stock has dropped to bottom of first round then he should come back but don't see it even if that is the case.
It honestly might be in Pope's best interest to let a lot of these guys walk and try his hand again in the transfer portal. We can blame a lot of this on Pope, and Mitch and JMI, but some blame has to be put on the players, who in large part never seemed to give a ****. You can't tell me this team wasn't lacking in maturity and leadership, something that last year's team had tons of.
I'd like to keep Moreno, Chandler.. maybe JJ to see if he can improve? Jelavic showed promise and I like having euro players as opposed to AAU primadonas. That's about it. The other guys I either don't want at all (BG) or are replaceable (Lowe).
This roster is a lot like various card games where you get your hand, look at it, and opt to just redraw entirely.
I'd like to keep Moreno, Chandler.. maybe JJ to see if he can improve? Jelavic showed promise and I like having euro players as opposed to AAU primadonas. That's about it. The other guys I either don't want at all (BG) or are replaceable (Lowe).
This roster is a lot like various card games where you get your hand, look at it, and opt to just redraw entirely.
Maybe. Had Lowe been healthy, however, it appears Chandler may have come off the bench this year.
These 3 will stay, I want Kam and (Lowe as a backup) Id take Jelly too. Noah will stay to play role minutes. The rest can go.
I might keep JJ but he would need to be a 2 not a pg.
Great description of Ryan Lemond. He is all of those things plus more. A source for UK sports? Nah
Definitely has to work on the strength and the handle. He also needs to learn how to work within an offense. I don't know how many times this year he just dribbled up the court and shot the ball. He doesn't look confident with the ball so instead of passing, just jacked up shots.
let's hope that's not all.
Given all the money BYU is throwing around it always seemed like a possibility they would try to lure him back. Basically offer him the Richie Saunders role.
I have mixed feelings on Chandler. He has hit several clutch shots this year and a few good defensive plays. However, he's not strong with the ball and scares the crap out of me when he dribbles. Not great on defense. Not a starter IMO but definitely could come off of the bench and provide some offense. Now is that the role he wants? Is that the role Pope sees him providing?
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I’m sure roster spots will be discussed after the season. That could be why he hasn’t been asked to come back just yet
Chandler probably isn't a starting piece. But I would really love him as an experienced 6th or 7th man next year. He's got a good attitude, can shoot it, experienced.. seems to be one of the few guys who actually cared to be here this year. I'd reward a guy like that. But.. yeah he probably shouldn't be a starter, at least not a heavily relied on starter.
Here is Vaught's,3/18/2026, article and quotes from Jaland's father, about how they haven't heard from Kentucky about coming back next season.
Jaland Lowe Healing Fine, Waiting for Word on His UK Future | Your Sports Edge 2021
"The Kentucky junior indicated at the Southeastern Conference Tournament that his “plan” was to be back at Kentucky for another season. However, Marland Lowe is not sure if that is Kentucky’s “plan” for his son."
“We have not heard anything (about next year). Nothing,” Marland Lowe said. “That is what it is. I keep him out of a lot of things. I asked him if anyone mentioned about him coming back next year and he said, ‘No, sir,’” Marland Lowe said.
Jaland Lowe Healing Fine, Waiting for Word on His UK Future | Your Sports Edge 2021
"The Kentucky junior indicated at the Southeastern Conference Tournament that his “plan” was to be back at Kentucky for another season. However, Marland Lowe is not sure if that is Kentucky’s “plan” for his son."
“We have not heard anything (about next year). Nothing,” Marland Lowe said. “That is what it is. I keep him out of a lot of things. I asked him if anyone mentioned about him coming back next year and he said, ‘No, sir,’” Marland Lowe said.
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Lemond does have sources around UK, partly because he's not looking for any. Lemond is a good guy who also has sports knowledge, but no confidence or seemingly any real desire to understand or speak out on any issue. He’s willing to float by with as little effort as possible and rely on superficial cliches’ instead. Almost any time Lemond gives an opinion or comment on something that has happened he prefaces it with “we all thought” – never wanting to be on an island with any thought or have an opinion attributed to him alone. But the thing is when he unconsciously lets his guard down he’s got some good takes and information and definitely has some sources around UK – he just doesn’t put any effort into digging deeper or running a rumor to ground. In this case I think he has information (e.g., a sense from the family) in regard to Johnson at least.
1. Stud point guard who can score from 3 levels, facilitate the offense, and play solid defense
2. Dink Pate (or similar player)
3. Kam Williams
4. Stud power forward who can get to the rim, but shoot it well enough to keep the defense honest
5. Malachi Moreno
6. Back-Up Point guard who can run the offense, make an open 3, and play decent defense
7. Collin Chandler
8. Braydon Hawthorne
9. Andreja Jelavic
10. Strong semi-athletic big who can bang, rebound, block a shot, dunk, and play physical
11. Trent Noah
12. Reece Potter
There’s your team.
2. Dink Pate (or similar player)
3. Kam Williams
4. Stud power forward who can get to the rim, but shoot it well enough to keep the defense honest
5. Malachi Moreno
6. Back-Up Point guard who can run the offense, make an open 3, and play decent defense
7. Collin Chandler
8. Braydon Hawthorne
9. Andreja Jelavic
10. Strong semi-athletic big who can bang, rebound, block a shot, dunk, and play physical
11. Trent Noah
12. Reece Potter
There’s your team.
Jello's been gone since he had to run steps in November. He recently spoke out because he's out of here, doesn't care and has known it for a while.
I think next year is all but guaranteed to be bad but if it’s any 3 other than Hawthorne, Chandler and Moreno then Pope is going to set some more records next year and they won’t be good ones.
My thoughts exactly. I think next year is likely as bad or worse than this year anyway but if he doesn’t keep Chandler and Moreno then Pope will be fighting to even get an NIT bid.
Pretty darn reasonable and realistic in my opinion. But I'm not comfortable with Pate, at least in regard to being the only 2G added. But then again, I haven't seen nearly enough of Pate to have a solid opinion of him. I want an Oweh replacement, even if the skill sets are not exactly the same. I want a strong driver and a guy who can get his own 3pt. shot (while shooting it pretty well, even if a little streaky), and I think the portal will have a number of potentially really good ones. I also think getting a European league PG might be the way to go because the domestic PG option probably won't view that guy as competition for the starting spot and the European PG probably doesn't know much about or probably really care too much about whoever else is on the roster.
Who knows in this age of NIL, players are free agents every year and bounce around like ping pong balls.
I've been thinking some lately about the backup point guard spot. Obviously you can't expect to have a great player in that role or they wouldn't be a backup. What I'm wondering is it better to get someone who is serviceable in all the aspects of the game you want a point guard to manage, or find someone who may be lacking in some areas but is great at one thing. In other words, maybe they are an offensive liability, but they are a lockdown on-ball defender. Or maybe their size and defense are suspect, but they can get by anybody and distribute. Or maybe they're a terrific shooter.
In some ways it seems like what you want more than anything is for your backups to be consistent. They aren't going to be world beaters, but if you can count on your backup center to come in and rebound and alter shots, that's enough and you can plan around that. If you can count on your backup PG to take care of the ball and hit open shots, that will do.
That's an obvious problem with Garrison, you just never know what you get from him. It could be back to back threes and switching onto a guard and getting a stop, or it could be missed layups and mental lapses on defense.
The other guys said 5. You guys have to quit taking Ryan so seriously. Great guy, but he doesn’t have info. He was wrong on every recruit last off season.
My expectation as well.
I count Potter and Hawthorne, the number then becomes 3-4 players that actually played this year.
There’s a level of talent out there that we gotta go get. I’m not buying the BS from the Michigan dude. The only reason these kids switch up schools is to get paid. Show me one that says he did it because the coach really cared about him and I’ll show you a lying stack of dung. We need to find great team players that can adapt and work together as a team. They say JMI isn’t the problem? How can it not be? Something, someone here, is keeping recruits from committing. This is Kentucky. We generally hand pick who we want or at least we used to do what’s changed in that dynamic? It’s like some sort of secret club at the school that turns off recruits. Kids want to go where they know they will get the attention and exposure they crave. There’s no place like Kentucky.
Great question. My answer would be ball handling: dribbling skill, security, decision making, and distribution. Without that skillset, you can’t run an offense.
One of his kids is Jaspers best friend. I wouldn’t dismiss his opinion so quickly. He’s a lot more knowledgeable than his KSR schtick shows.
If true, we better get Stokes and hope that draws a bunch of people in the portal as well. Otherwise, we are looking at potentially a losing season. Unacceptable.
Ryan has a lot of contacts in that program. Even before Dane Key was there.