EJ gone

[BassProCat]

Haarms was a backup on an average to poor Purdue team and people are trying to build him up as special.I've watch lots of Purdue games because my brother goes there.Guy is soft as charmin and not a good rebounder.

Uhh what about the year prior when Purdue has Carson Edwards...Haarms started and that team went deep into the tourney.

Haarms doesn’t need to be an AA just needs to play his role. Defend rebound and convert easy paint touches.

UK fans if they aren’t a 5 star and all world then we don’t want them.

 

[Kentuckiddy]

Adios!

 

[coryrusso]

Uhh what about the year prior when Purdue has Carson Edwards...Haarms started and that team went deep into the tourney.

Haarms doesn’t need to be an AA just needs to play his role. Defend rebound and convert easy paint touches.

We will have 2 guys who can score on the whole team.You think that's enough for a title?

 

[UK90]

Brooks, Jackson, Ware, Haarms. 4 guys for 2 positions. Pretty standard.

You realize we don't have Haarms yet, right?

I'm noticing a lot of "counting chickens before they hatch" type posts with Haarms. Kinda reminds me of all those posts prematurely acting like we already had Blackshear locked up last year.

 

[BassProCat]

We will have 2 guys who can score on the whole team.You think that's enough for a title?

Oh yeah...did you watch the 20/21 season already ??

Clarke, Boston, Brooks and Allen can score I bet.

Also I can promise you this...Cal isn’t recruiting Haarms to score and put up huge scoring numbers.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Who? I have absolutely no idea who that is or if tht is a real person....

 

[CalipariCapo]

According to the first part of your post, he had a lackluster motor, less than emphatic work ethic and very little production. If he sucks so bad, why are we gonna be in trouble if we don’t find his replacement? Seems like we would be better without him according to your assessment of his play.

I’m upset that he is jumping ship without reaching his potential. He will likely go undrafted and that is not successful to him or U.K. Was his play, up to this point, lackluster? Yes. However, he could’ve stuck around, got his head out of his dad’s ***, filled a much needed position, add continuity, and attempt to make the “Nick Richards/PJ Washington jump”. Now, we’re left scrambling to fill an entire front court that was already, for the most part, less than stellar this past year.

I’m happy that we got KB back and I look for him to make improvements next year (if theres a season), but he will be the ONLY player that played a single minute in 2019-2020. He will still carry a lot of characteristics as a freshman due to learning an entirely new team and entirely new teammates.

Theres no reason to think that EJ couldn’t have jumped to a 12 and 8 type of player next year and that’s exactly what we’re left scrambling to find right now. I could see the intensity in his play improve at the end of this past season (I hope it wasn’t only contributed to March/the draft being right around the corner) and if he could give that type of effort next year all year long, we would have our starting PF sured up. Now we need to replace him with a guy like Kuminga or Banchero in order to make this a net positive.

 

[UK90]

It sounds like these letters are all written by the same guy, but he mixes the information around to make them seem different.

That's because they are. The reason these goodbye letters all sound the same is because they're drafted by the SID office. The player just signs them.

 

[BigBlue1992]

Wait, did people actually think EJ was going to be a difference maker next year? Hate to break it to ya, but the writing was on the wall, he never showed the potential Richards did—he wasn’t going to make some huge leap.

Is it bewildering a guy like that is leaving? Sure, but I don’t know where this idea came from that we desperately needed EJ to stay next year. Haarms is an instant upgrade over him.

It took Richards until his junior year to learn how to catch a basketball. Not sure what potential you saw in him in his first two years. And that's not a knock, that's a praise for how far he's come.

Haarms is 7'3" and averaged 8 ppg and 4 rpg. Shot 52% from the field and 63% from the free throw line. Plus he's years older than EJ. Not sure how he's an instant upgrade, but okay.

 

[wildcat_bigd]

 

[TomTraubertsBlues]

I have never begrudged players leaving early, but until recently it has always been players that had a reason to. Whitney and EJ doing so cannot be defended. Both are so far from ready to play in the NBA it's not even funny. I'm sick of us getting kids that think they are better than they are. Just because Cal recruits you, doesn't mean you are a year away from becoming a millionaire.

 

[Trinity45]

per his instagram

Best of luck to him, I am just afraid he needs more work on his skills, but hey there is always the G league.

 

[TomTraubertsBlues]

ONE returning player from this year's team. ONE. What a f'ing joke.

 

[BassProCat]

It took Richards until his junior year to learn how to catch a basketball. Not sure what potential you saw in him in his first two years. And that's not a knock, that's a praise for how far he's come.

Haarms is 7'3" and averaged 8 ppg and 4 rpg. Shot 52% from the field and 63% from the free throw line. Plus he's years older than EJ. Not sure how he's an instant upgrade, but okay.

On defense he is an instant upgrade.

Main reason he is being recruited is to hold down the 5 spot. He isn’t being recruited to carry the team on his back.

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan_rivals377587]

Don’t have to be elite the cut the nets down

I wish this was the case for Cal, but so far it hasn't been.

 

[LowCountryCat]

per his instagram

Well, no sense in wasting another year, right? And I mean us, not him.

 

[TomTraubertsBlues]

Duke, Kansas and UK should all be significantly worse next year.

 

[CalipariCapo]

I’m telling you all...you talk to everyday folks and their fandom is just about done. If something doesn’t change in the next few years, we’ll lose a ton of the fanbase. You’ll probably see around 12-14k attendance at Rupp. There are blue tint die hards on this board, but I’m telling you that the average fan is about done. Zero of them care about draft picks or the NBA. It’s going to be a sad day when kentucky, and college, basketball are dead.

It’s getting a lot closer than a lot of people on this board realize. This board represents MAYBE 10% of the fan base. A lot of the die hards are the older guys and they don’t give a flip about the NBA, one and done, or the overall product on the court now. My grandfather got me hooked on the CATS and now, he doesn’t even watch a game unless I go over and watch with him. His fandom is just about shot. He blames the system on Cal but I’ve explained how his anger is misplaced. He doesn’t care. He’s just frustrated to the point of no return and I’ve gotta say, I’m getting there. The times are coming where no one cares about the regular season and college basketball fandom is ultimately condensed down to the 3 weeks of March Madness.

 

[TigerMoving]

You realize we don't have Haarms yet, right?

I'm noticing a lot of "counting chickens before they hatch" type posts with Haarms. Kinda reminds me of all those posts prematurely acting like we already had Blackshear locked up last year.

If you read the post I quoted, it was based on the premise that we got "the back up 7 footer from purdue."

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan_rivals377587]

I wish the Big Blue Madness would be done away with. Quit hanging off these one year rentals nuts, and use more of that money to pump into Football.

 

[ConRay9]

It took Richards until his junior year to learn how to catch a basketball. Not sure what potential you saw in him in his first two years. And that's not a knock, that's a praise for how far he's come.

Haarms is 7'3" and averaged 8 ppg and 4 rpg. Shot 52% from the field and 63% from the free throw line. Plus he's years older than EJ. Not sure how he's an instant upgrade, but okay.

Richards has always had a better motor than EJ, has never tried to develop a perimeter game at UK, and was an overall different player than EJ. EJ wanted to show off a perimiter skill set and that has overall been a negative. Richards should also be considered the exception, not the rule.

A player averaging 8 and 4 is literally an upgrade over what we’ve gotten from EJ, who averaged 6 and 5 with half the blocks all in less minutes, but okay.

Edit: Looking at the advanced statistics, they VASTLY favor Haarms over EJ. 23.7 to 14.1 PER alone is a huge difference, but alright.

 

[$Z71$]

LOL if you think next year’s team will be better than 16-17 you may be in for a surprise.

2016-2017
Fox/Hawkins advantage 2017
Monk/Briscoe Advantage 2021
Briscoe/Mulder advantage 2021
Willis/SKJ/Gabriel Advantage 2021
Bam/Humphries/Wynard Advantage 2017

Mintz/Askew
Clarke/Boston/Allen
Boston/Fletcher/Brooks/Allen
Ware/Brooks/Jackson
Haarms/Jackson

this is if we land Haarms which I think we do this week, and if we add another reclass player lookout. You can argue the SG is a wash if you want. Remember this is Freshman Gabriel too, I’m not seeing the drop off people are so panicked about. Most talented team in the nation going into the season , some may argue but easily top 3 in talent regardless of argument. Will we be young? Yes, but I like our team.

 

[Cats192]

Well, no sense in wasting another year, right? And I mean us, not him.

Exactly!

He got better at the end of the year, but he still fouled a lot. He wasn’t a good rebounder.

He wasn’t as strong physical guy. I worry he never will be. We may have been very frustrated with him again next year. I’m not terribly sad that he is moving on.

 

[oldsports_]

He was a 5* LOLOLOLOLOL

 

[JerseyCat84_rivals57050]

2016-2017
Fox/Hawkins advantage 2017
Monk/Briscoe Advantage 2021
Briscoe/Mulder advantage 2021
Willis/SKJ/Gabriel Advantage 2021
Bam/Humphries/Wynard Advantage 2017

Mintz/Askew
Clarke/Boston
Boston/Fletcher/Brookes
Ware/Brooks/Jackson
Haarms/Jackson

this is if we land Haarms which I think we do this week, and if we add another reclass player. You can argue the SG is a wash if you want. Remember this is Freshman Gabriel too, I’m not seeing the drop off people are so panicked about. Most talented team in the nation going into the season , some may argue but easily top 3 in talent regardless of argument. Will we be young? Yes, but I like our team.

That’s if Boston and Clarke play to their potential as well. I suppose that’s the benefit of hindsight. There are still a lot of IFs as you mentioned (Haarms and Reclass). But right now as it stands, no. Now if we get Haarms and Kuminga then yes, I would agree with you.

 

[Bigblueamyou]

I wish this was the case for Cal, but so far it hasn't been.

No he’s not perfect,probably should have a couple more titles,but who else would you want?

 

[Ukbrassowtipin]

I'm declaring too. Why not?

 

[jessieshorts8]

It would take a miracle Kuminga reclassified for a championship next season IMO.Haarmes doesn't impress me at all.This really sucks.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan_rivals377587]

No he’s not perfect,probably should have a couple more titles,but who else would you want?

I agree

 

[ZaytovenCat]

I’ll say it and i don’t care if makes someone mad, I’m not rooting for him one single bit. In fact, when he goes undrafted or never plays a second in the nba I’ll take a little joy in it. In his two years he probably made only one meaningful play and it was the last one of his career.

If players are going to leave early and blatantly use us as a stepping stone that’s fine, but they sure as hell better produce at a high level while doing so.

 

[bookerfan66]

Nuts to lose all the starters plus JJ.College basketball sucks and I am about done with it

 

[UK90]

Nuts to lose all the starters plus JJ.

Not to mention Whitney. We forget about him now because he left mid-season ..but that's yet another player from this team now entering the draft under just ridiculous circumstances.

 

[SuporChin]

This guy was a year away from becoming a star player. I thought he was going to pull a Nick next year and dominate. At least he'll always have that Superman flying in at the last possible second for the tip-in to give us the win against UF. Great play by a guy who didn't reach his potential.

 

[gamecockcat]

I mean we will be playing small ball in terms of weight but not height . our starting line up will be

6'3 6'7 6'8 6'8 7'3 . LOL that ain't small ball . And that 6'8 is Brooks ( but Ware is 6'9 and Fletcher 6'8 so the same applies )

I'm not counting Haarms until he's on campus. So, without the 7'-3" question mark, we've got a team that tops out at maybe 6'-9". That seems to be small ball to me. And, honestly, I've got no problem playing small ball if we've got the talent to do it, i.e. consistent shooting and at least one or two guys who love to rebound and D up.

 

[Cats192]

Uhh what about the year prior when Purdue has Carson Edwards...Haarms started and that team went deep into the tourney.

Haarms doesn’t need to be an AA just needs to play his role. Defend rebound and convert easy paint touches.

UK fans if they aren’t a 5 star and all world then we don’t want them.

This.

Clarke and Boston will score. We need a big to rebound, defend and score on easy paint touches.

We DON’T need EJ chucking 20 footers 8 seconds into the shot clock.

 

[kywildcats8]

Who? Thats what people will be saying about his pro basketball career in a year or 2

 

[yabbadabbadoo_rivals213851]

Good
Best of luck EJ
You’re probably gonna need it
I’m sure life was rough at UK

 

[uk78_rivals88018]

EJ's decision as I had posted before it was made follows a long line of those seemingly and obviously not ready or likely to be drafted. How is it that we all see what is so clear and those close to him (including himself) can't see reality?

 

[TheWyldKat_rivals45219]

per his instagram

Screw it, if they don’t want to be here then see ya later!!!

Is it me or is this not comical. He isn’t even on the draft board. So he’s going to go to the G league and try to play his way into the league surrounded by other talented players. Seems like somebody’s getting some terrible advice.