If Blackmon does graduate in 3 years( I doubt it) I think we would be stupid not to take him..He shoots 40+ % and he can do more than shoot..Defense is not strong, but i like 3 pt shooters..And wow would that piss off IU fans
JBJ Rumor UK?
- Thread starter poppycat
- Start date
His father played for UK. Cant blame a guy for trying to breakout on his own. If he wants to come and Cal thinks it's a good fit I say he should be welcomed with open arms.
If he is eligible immediately and wants to come here the coaching staff would be insane not to take him. He would be a much much needed 3 point shooter.
We need guards, we only have 3. If they get into foul trouble we are screwed, SEC refs suck it will happen.
You have to transfer to a school with a graduate degree program your current school doesn't offer.
That said the last time this was brought up an Indiana poster said this kid would be lucky to have the grades to be eligible anywhere much less be close to graduating. No clue if true or just sour grapesm
I can't believe he'll graduate in 3 years. But I'd be glad to have his shooting on next years team if he'll accept his role and play some defense which he didn't for IU.
I saw that too. There is nothing to it, they actually got that from this board, rupp rafters. Its was just a post here about people speculating would we take him. He's not coming here. And, the kid stays hurt, constantly, and the play by ply radio guy for IU blasted JBJ for his poor defense, He said JBJ should bring a lawn chair to the court to sit down when Idiana is on defense since he isnt playing D he might as well rest
Jon Bon Jovi had a good run in the 80's but like many of the legends his time has passed.
If he doesn't come to UK then UL is the school. So yes I want him. The other factor is whoever they hire is going to be factor. I have said this for 2 months.
They also have to have the will to play solid D for long stretches. I'm sure he understands how to defend by now, yet he hasn't really shown much of a desire to do so. That's what's concerning to me. People keep pointing to Monk and fox, but they seem to have bought into playing defense. They still need more work on playing it the full game, but they have still improved quite a bit in 1 year. Blackmon is in year 3. I'm sure Cal could get more out of him than Crean ever hoped. I would just be more intigued by him if he had shown better defense.
I believe the only way he could play without sitting out would be as a grad transfer or if his school was placed on probation.
If he can help us and wants to come here, screw fans who say screw IU. No offense but....Bring him on! If Cal wants him, I'll take him all day. He can shoot the lights out.
I bet that JBJ wishes back in 2014-2015 that he would have put that BIG BLUE HATON and committed to the Kentucky Wildcats! He has been at IU for now 3 years heading into his 4th year and everyone thought when he was coming out of high school JBJ would probably be a one and done or at the most in his 2nd year at IU going PRO! If he would had listened he would had been one and done at Kentucky. He averaged 16 points a game and 6 rebounds and shot 40% from 3 point and 80% from the charity stripe in his freshman season at IU. With those numbers at Kentucky he would had been One and Done at UK!
"Screw fans who say screw IU" ? Dude, that was totally uncalled for, just because someone has a different opinion on a topic doesn't warrant that type of thing.
I can't help it, I hate IU more than any other program, and have for nearly 5 decades. To me, it's unfathomable to bring in a player who picked them over us to begin with. He's played against us on a hated rival's team. In my eyes, it would be tantamount to bringing in guy who played for UL.
Just makes me want to vomit thinking about it. He wore an IU uniform, I just cannot see him in a UK uniform.
That said, if it does happen you won't hear me complaining about it because at that point it becomes pointless, as it would be crystal clear Cal wants him, and he would now be Wildcat. He would never be a "favorite" of mine....unless he helped us BEAT IU in the NCAA, ha ha.
I don't hate the kid at all, I just hate the IU program and it's crappy fans.
Peace, WW.
I was being sarcastic. Didn't mean any ill will in that post at all. Just joking around with my post. That's all. I apologize to the way I put it. It wasn't my intent to offend.
I completely get your point. I despise IU too and with a passion. I think Bobby Knight is the lowest form of dirt scum on my show and IU fans are the absolute WORST fan base in all of college basketball. I dislike several teams but none more than UL, Puke, and IU. Those are just the worse of the worse. So, I feel ya on that brother.
With that said, I'd gladly take a defected player from any of them IF that player can help us win a title. Especially Blackmon with him being a legacy too. I'd take a defected player any day of the week if that player can help my team win a championship and I think JBJ could just be that player for us. He is exactly what we need on this team next year and in the end, if that happens, then he will ultimately screw his former team by helping us AND by keeping them from winning a championship. Winning a title trumps EVERYTHING for me and I can easily get by all the other stuff if we are cutting down the nets.
That's all I meant with my posts. Probably a poor choice of words to portray that point but it's what I was trying to say anyway. I've said a few times on this board lately that I'd like to see us go to transfer route for a couple backcourt players next year. There are always a couple or more out there after the season that can really be game changers for certain teams. I'd like for us to go that route and find 1 or 2 that can really score and shoot. That would be ideal, IMO. Can you imagine next year's team with a guy like Damien Lee or someone similar? Man!! A guy who could open up the lanes for Diallo, Green, and our other young studs (possibly Knox)! A guy who could shoot 40-45% from 3! Maaaannnn!!!!! Now, that would be an awesome addition.
Given that as it's sits we have only 3 guards on next year's team I certainly think Cal would take him. I had figured he'd end up getting someone like this, I just couldn't imagine it'd be from IU. One can't blame him for wanting to get a way from Crean, if Crean is even there next year.
Even if Blackmon isn't here next year, Cal isn't going to ride into next season with only three guards. He will add another guy this spring.
BIG IF (?) it happens, you take him and it's a no brainer to me; IMO.
Show me a spot up 3-pt shooter on next years UK roster (returner, committed or uncommitted) that would be any better than JBJ?
JBJ 2016/17 stats:
17.0-ppg
4.8-reb
.837-ft%
.423-3pt%
.477-fg%
Next years team is going to have a lot more interior beef and "rim protectors" (Richards/ (?) Bamba/ Washington) than this years team, so his potential poor defense could be concealed more.
I think it will all be dependent on IOU's next coach (big name versus obscure name)??
Show me a spot up 3-pt shooter on next years UK roster (returner, committed or uncommitted) that would be any better than JBJ?
JBJ 2016/17 stats:
17.0-ppg
4.8-reb
.837-ft%
.423-3pt%
.477-fg%
- Diallo
- Green
- Alexander
- Gabriel (?)
- Vanderbilt
- (If he returned) Briscoe
- ????
I think it will all be dependent on IOU's next coach (big name versus obscure name)??
Also interesting to note:
Kyle Macy-national champion
Travis Ford-final four
Derkek Anderson-national champion
Actually seem to remember something like that as well. I think he may have said that but let's be honest, Cal says a lot of ****. Lol
Doron Lamb (autocorrect) played a lot on a team with great rim protectors. I'd take jbj in an instant. He could be the final piece.
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First of all, not taking a kid who can help you in order to prove some kind of arbitrary point to the kid for a decision he made at 17 would be idiotic. If a player is the difference in winning the title and not, I'm positive he won't be scoring buckets for some other school and thinking, "boy, Kentucky really showed me. My life is ruined."
Second, he's better than any of the options currently available, although I'm not sure he's really available either. He can play a little bit of both guard spots, and we're already *stacked* with defenders next season. We won't be playing many teams where their worst perimeter scorer could dominate the game against our weakest defender, especially with our rim protection next season.
Third, that scholarship will probably be open anyway. We're losing a lot of guys and have three guards committed. We should try to add a capable body if possible, and he's very capable.
Plus, as much as we mock shooting, next year's team could use one, and veteran shooting is more reliable. Not many grad transfer shooters that end up going ice cold for the year.
Second, he's better than any of the options currently available, although I'm not sure he's really available either. He can play a little bit of both guard spots, and we're already *stacked* with defenders next season. We won't be playing many teams where their worst perimeter scorer could dominate the game against our weakest defender, especially with our rim protection next season.
Third, that scholarship will probably be open anyway. We're losing a lot of guys and have three guards committed. We should try to add a capable body if possible, and he's very capable.
Plus, as much as we mock shooting, next year's team could use one, and veteran shooting is more reliable. Not many grad transfer shooters that end up going ice cold for the year.
From an IU site:
Players that might transfer
James Blackmon Jr.: It’s a known fact that James Blackmon Jr. is trying to graduate by the end of the year. It’s known, because he said so on Tom Crean’s radio show earlier on in the year. If Blackmon sticks to that plan, he would be free to leave as a grad transfer. This would mean he wouldn’t have to sit out a year of eligibility.
Players that might transfer
James Blackmon Jr.: It’s a known fact that James Blackmon Jr. is trying to graduate by the end of the year. It’s known, because he said so on Tom Crean’s radio show earlier on in the year. If Blackmon sticks to that plan, he would be free to leave as a grad transfer. This would mean he wouldn’t have to sit out a year of eligibility.
Well, that's not really the whole story. He committed to IU and then decommitted because he really wanted to come here and play for Cal. Then Devin Booker committed to UK on 10/31/13, the day before JBJ was set to make his announcement. It's my opinion that JBJ was coming here, but Booker beat him to it, so he ended up recommitting to IU on 11/1/13.
I believe he would have a strong interest in transferring here for his senior year and would give us the shooter we're missing right now for next year's team. As for his aversion to defense, Cal has a way of getting guys to buy in on that end of the floor.
I would take Blackmon in a heartbeat next year as he could be a missing piece for a team that could win it all next year.
Nice. IU fans on the mains board had been saying just the opposite a little over a month ago. Guess they were misinformed. I'd love Blackmon. Get it done and come on down JBJ!