Cal isn't done

[RalphDaltonFan]

Sestina is a very good player but he isn't Blackshear.

I believe Sestina is a perfect fit for how UK wants to play and will be able to space the floor well for the DDM attack we'll likely see more of. If you land a guy like Blackshear-he can face or post and has done so successfully.

Anxious to see Nick/EJ and how much they've improved.

 

[dave5164]

EJ wants to play forward and said the NBA teams he worked out for said for him to play forward and work for him to work on his shot.

Richards has always been prone to foul trouble in his 2 years playing center. He picks up 2-3 fouls the quickest when he enters the game. Richards also turns over the ball more than any center and is usually on the bench as soon as he makes a couple of turnovers. He has terrible hands for a big man. The 3 weeks Travis was out with injury was his opportunity to step up in those games and he and EJ didn't do this last year.

If Blackshear doesn't come I still see Sestina playing like Travis last year and playing 25-28 minutes and Richards playing his 12-15 minutes we game. This is why we need that final piece of the puzzle and that is Blsckshear at Center. This move will help us make the Final Four and possible National Championship next year.

 

[Kcats11]

IMO Blackshear is better right now than any of the bigs we currently have. To many people content with the roster as is. Anything that will help us be the best we can be as a team is what we should want. Blackshear would come in and start no questions imo. He may commit elsewhere but I will be hoping and praying he becomes a CAT very soon.

 

[SPECT imaging]

We have plenty of bigs as 4 is what you want but I do agree I think we might add 1 more since brooks can play some 3 as well and will ( though he more of a 4 in college then a 3 ) .

Brooks is a perimeter player and a pretty good one. But anyone counting on Brooks to play a baseline position will be disappointed because he is not big enough for that.

Nobody knows how Sestina will play against this level of competition. I saw him play once for Bucknell. He is a decent player but not in Reid Travis’ class.

Richards is frequently in foul trouble. We need one more baseline player.

 

[Tampa_cat54_rivals112262]

Will we find out immediately after visit Tuesday?

I think it'll be pretty quick. It'll probably happen by the weekend or early next week IMO.

 

[SPECT imaging]

It will be interesting to see what Cal does now.

He could be finished. He has 13 players (10 scholarship players and three walkons) on the roster right now. He has went into the season with less before.

But another big man seems like a logical move with three open scholarships.

And if he plans to play Montgomery at the 4, he probably should add another guy at the 5.

I'm sure we will hear something soon on the matter.

I do not see why we would even discuss the walk ons in this context. They won’t get into games unless the outcome is locked up, and they do not raise the level of competition in practice.

The ten scholarship players you mentioned are mostly guards and wings. Three are baseline players. One of those, Richards, has made strides defensively but is as foul prone as any Kentucky player in some time. You were on the right track when you said we need one more interior player. I think Cal will add one more, probably through a reclass.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Brooks is a perimeter player and a pretty good one. But anyone counting on Brooks to play a baseline position will be disappointed because he is not big enough for that.

Nobody knows how Sestina will play against this level of competition. I saw him play once for Bucknell. He is a decent player but not in Reid Travis’ class.

Richards is frequently in foul trouble. We need one more baseline player.

It's not 1978. In this day and age, the 4 man is usually a perimeter player.

Brooks will play like Willis, Gabriel, and Washington (this past season). It's called a "stretch 4."

 

[bucsrule8872]

EJ wants to play forward and said the NBA teams he worked out for said for him to play forward and work for him to work on his shot.

Richards has always been prone to foul trouble in his 2 years playing center. He picks up 2-3 fouls the quickest when he enters the game. Richards also turns over the ball more than any center and is usually on the bench as soon as he makes a couple of turnovers. He has terrible hands for a big man. The 3 weeks Travis was out with injury was his opportunity to step up in those games and he and EJ didn't do this last year.

If Blackshear doesn't come I still see Sestina playing like Travis last year and playing 25-28 minutes and Richards playing his 12-15 minutes we game. This is why we need that final piece of the puzzle and that is Blsckshear at Center. This move will help us make the Final Four and possible National Championship next year.

I think this is spot on.

I do wonder if Blackshear would be happy with the 5 spot here, since it's likely he heard the same thing from scouts that Montgomery heard about stretching his game?

Might be that Cal has to sell them both on playing together and being interchangeable at the 4 and 5.

I believe if Blackshear wants to get to the NBA, he is going to have to show a long and mid-range game. He needs to show he can play on the perimeter and can defend all over the floor.

The best thing for this team is Blackshear coming in and accepting a role as the 5 man and dominating in the post. That might not be what is best for him as an individual player.

It will be interesting to see how Cal plays this one out.

I think he has to plan to play Blackshear away from the basket some or Blackshear won't come.

 

[HagginHall1999]

I think this is spot on.

I do wonder if Blackshear would be happy with the 5 spot here, since it's likely he heard the same thing from scouts that Montgomery heard about stretching his game?

Might be that Cal has to sell them both on playing together and being interchangeable at the 4 and 5.

I believe if Blackshear wants to get to the NBA, he is going to have to show a long and mid-range game. He needs to show he can play on the perimeter and can defend all over the floor.

The best thing for this team is Blackshear coming in and accepting a role as the 5 man and dominating in the post. That might not be what is best for him as an individual player.

It will be interesting to see how Cal plays this one out.

I think he has to plan to play Blackshear away from the basket some or Blackshear won't come.

Blackshear is definitely more of a face up big....not a back to the basket guy.

To me this isn't about what position you are but about:

1. Length/Height
2. Rebounding
3. Depth
4. How the team plays

Blackshear checks all the boxes and can be a perfect fit here.

 

[ib4ky_rivals111873]

Just a generic stat comparison IF Kerry Blackshear hopefully decides to come to UK for the 2019/20 season, versus players coming back to UK for the 2014/15.

2014/15

• 8-players with the following combined stats
• 268 D-1 games played prior season
• 138.3 total minutes per game averaged
• 46.8 points per game averaged
• 23.4 rebounds per game averaged
• Recruits: KAT, Lyles, Booker, Ulis

2019/20

• 6-players (NS/ KB) with the following combined stats
• 214 D-1 games played prior season
• 131.8 total minutes per game averaged
• 51.4 points per game averaged
• 27.8 rebounds per game averaged
• Recruits: Maxey, Whitney, Juzang, Brooks, Allen

Not much will ever match that 2014/15 year for preseason expectations......

 

[Colonial Farm 80]

IMO Blackshear is better right now than any of the bigs we currently have.

Blackshear would come in and start no questions imo.

I agree. Blackshear is better than Richards or Sestina. Montgomery is a 4, as good as Blackshear talent-wise but with different skills. Blackshear and Montgomery would start together and compliment one another in the lineup. Kentucky would be dominant on the offensive glass.

He may commit elsewhere but I will be hoping and praying he becomes a CAT very soon.

I live in Virginia. Word here is that it is down to Kentucky, Florida, Texas A&M or a return to Virginia Tech. People feel like Texas A&M is the least likely of these possibilities, but not out of it yet if Buzz can get a visit. Kentucky’s chances may depend on selling him on his role during the visit and getting his commitment during the visit or soon thereafter. If he keeps taking more visits after this, Kentucky’s chances go down. I am not saying they would be ended. But the longer he waits to make a decision, the better it is for Virginia Tech and maybe Texas A&M.

 

[kl40504_rivals]

You’ll never get rid of Jesus

Blackshear signing with UK would seal the deal. You would go into hiding to only rise from the dead in 3 days with another account.

 

[bigblue1971]

So if Blackshear ends up at Tennessee or Virginia Tech or wherever, does UK get a reclass N'faly Dante or another big man or ride with what we got?

 

[caneintally]

IMO Blackshear is better right now than any of the bigs we currently have. To many people content with the roster as is. Anything that will help us be the best we can be as a team is what we should want. Blackshear would come in and start no questions imo. He may commit elsewhere but I will be hoping and praying he becomes a CAT very soon.

This is true but Sestina was a top 3 grad transfer and a great player . EJ has a world of potential . Brooks is this years Herro or SKJ ( from top 30 player to first rounder) and all Richards needs to do is improve as much from year 2 to year 3 as he did from year 1 to 2. We have the best front court in the SEC as is . Just think about it . LSU and AU are the only other teams with front courts nearing ours.

BUT you are correct with KB we are a 37-3 type team without more like a 35-5 which either way is a 1 seed but we are better with him and I think we get him but who knows.

 

[caneintally]

So if Blackshear ends up at Tennessee or Virginia Tech or wherever, does UK get a reclass N'faly Dante or another big man or ride with what we got?

No we have 4 bigs and 3-4 are the most most teams use . No way we go elsewhere if KB doesn't come as we don't need to . EJ coming back was a godsend as it made our roster the best in CBB.

 

[Nooneputsbabyinacorner]

Blackshear/Richards- 25/15
EJ/Sestina/Brooks- 25/15/spot
Whitney/Brooks/Juzang/Allen- 25/10/5/spot
Maxey/Quickley/Juzang-25/5/10
Hagans/Quickley-25/15

Just estimates but adding a big doesn't change much.

That is 10 deep + Allen who I think needs time to get healthy. I know there are advancements in ACL but you have to consider the kid is going to essentially have not played ball in almost a year and playing against more talent for minutes than he has ever seen. That surgery takes a 9 months to year to recover from for nearly everyone. He is going to be a great player here, just tempering expectations.

Coaches play the best players as many minutes as possible. Typically, that means 28-32 minutes per game. Not 25. At 25 they are almost not playing an entire half.

 

[SnellYeah]

So if Blackshear ends up at Tennessee or Virginia Tech or wherever, does UK get a reclass N'faly Dante or another big man or ride with what we got?

No

 

[HagginHall1999]

Coaches play the best players as many minutes as possible. Typically, that means 28-32 minutes per game. Not 25. At 25 they are almost not playing an entire half.

Totally depends on the talent/depth of team...this would be deepest team from a talent perspective (if we land KBJ) in several years. We are rarely a legit 10 deep.

2014-2015, WCS led team at 25.9mpg, 8 guys at 20mpg and 2 more 10+mpg

1995-96, Walker led team at 27mpg, 9 guys in double digit mpg

 

[syrus12]

Disagree. I think he's done.

Yeah. He’s done.

 

[Johanngambolputty]

Now he's done.

 

[BBUK_anon]

Now he's done.

Sacrilege....