God help the kid when Mick loses his **** and decides to punt him under the bus.
Lose big to michigan state and send him to the locker room at halftime ?
good luck, son you're gonna need it.
Kustarica to UCLA
- Thread starter Anon200440
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Lose big to michigan state and send him to the locker room at halftime ?
good luck, son you're gonna need it.
I heard the same thing, which is stupid. Pay the kid $7M for this season and $7M for next, $14M, if he leaves we use the money on portal kids. He hung 37 on our 17u team, the kid can play now
Hubert Davis and Mick Cronin have both been on the doorstep of a title and look what UConn did in 2014 with a terrible coach.
Pope's system is not the issue, you have to have good players that get hot and when I say "good", history has proven that most of the time, those players end up being college journeymen.
It’s the players that make or break you and timing has something to do with it too. Our 1998, 2011 and 2014 teams proved that.
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No, what we have is people on this board repeating a rumor as if it’s an established fact.
The entire “minute restriction” narrative comes from BigBlueDylan saying he spoke with an unnamed Gonzaga source and that source saying “what I’ve heard” is Kusturica’s camp is asking for a minutes guarantee.
That’s not evidence. It’s anonymous, secondhand information from a program that’s reportedly out of the recruitment.
Yet somehow that turns into, “His camp is demanding minute restrictions,” as if it has been confirmed.
It’s the same pattern we see over and over again: an unverified claim gets posted, enough people repeat it, and suddenly it’s treated as fact without anyone asking for actual evidence.
I watched a little of his games this weekend, he’s definitely got talent but overall 3 point shooting needs work. He was 2/20 in his last 2 games and 26% overall on 50 attempts
And I could not care less if he wins enough. But he hasn’t.
Yeah, but he went for 37 against the best at his age the United States has to offer, so there's that....
such a rupp rafters comment. dude dominates all week, but some uk fans would pass because of a bad game or 2 from three.
The kid is a STUD. Definitely a lottery pick in 2 years.
I have to admit, I'm looking forward to this kid crashing out under Mad Ginger Napoleon just as much as I'd enjoy watching him put on the blue and white.
I keep hearing we don't need top 20 picks around the program anymore. We're much better with fringe 2nd rounders and come-from-behind wins.
"We'll be fine."
Who needs a potential first-team all-american anyway?
i think we are all mostly satisfied with how the roster was built. it looked like it was going to be way worse. but we are going to start the year ranked 15-20 by most folks and 4th or 5th in the SEC. thats not good enough.
we will see how it all pans out, but pope's job is still on the line. this kid would have given the 2nd unit a significant upgrade.
Kusturica won't be coming off the bench wherever he goes. He will play more than that 14 mpg bullcrap also.
In what world did my comment say I would pass on him. You should try reading comprehension for dummies.
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Nobody said that. They said you don't need a roster full of 5 stars to win. And that a roster full of 5 stars doesn't guarantee winning. You keep exaggerating
Am I? I've seen a ton of our fans (maybe not you) who are more than content with roster construction that looks like Pope's first team. Their argument is that "if we were healthy" that was a team that could have made the Final Four.
Pope's first team is exactly what I described. Maybe two to three 2nd round picks, maybe a sprinkling of fringe guys who might get two-way contracts and no top 20 picks. Kinda like this upcoming roster, in fact.
So who's exaggerating again?
Hed be our most talented player
Momcilovic would play the 4 and Kusturica the 3 if he came here
Kinda random but in a thread the other day..I think the krissa thread..the video somebody posted of a game made me sick to my stomach almost when I seen who was on the court...
It was Krissa,Noah,Perry,Chandler,and Almonor.
I was like holy crap that isn't a Kentucky roster
I have no clue how we won any games that year. Ik those weren't the starters and we had some decent players on the starting five but man talk about culture shock. I don't need five 5 star players on the court but dang that was rough remembering we had a lineup like that on the court year one.
And, I disagree that he starts. May get starter’s minutes but I think there is too much experience at higher levels in front of him.
At mop up.Kinda random but in a thread the other day..I think the krissa thread..the video somebody posted of a game made me sick to my stomach almost when I seen who was on the court...
It was Krissa,Noah,Perry,Chandler,and Almonor.
I was like holy crap that isn't a Kentucky roster
I have no clue how we won any games that year. Ik those weren't the starters and we had some decent players on the starting five but man talk about culture shock. I don't need five 5 star players on the court but dang that was rough remembering we had a lineup like that on the court year one.
Yea that lineup together was mop up but they all played quite a bit individually before mop minutes. We need more talent regardless
More experience doesnt mean better lol, kustarica is better than anyone we got
And you will still be insufferable. Some things never change!
You can put me on ignore. That work for you?
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First unit may not be the Bad Boy Pistons, but they would have excellent length at every position. I prefer to think of how badly we outscore the opposition with that 5 in. Zoom and Wilkins can both drive the basketball, Kusturica can obviously score the Hell out of the ball, Momcilovic is the best shooter in college hoops, and Moreno is a 1st round caliber center.
None of us truly know for sure whether or not this team is a true title contender. I lean toward it isn’t — it’s likely just outside being one due to defensively deficient players and lacking an elite rebounder.
But I hate that the 2025 team always gets thrown in the dumpster everytime someone wants to make a lazy argument. Was it a perfect team? No. But it was a darn good one. Half the year in the top ten and finishing with a 3 seed despite the second worst injury riddled season I’ve ever seen. How any Kentucky fan takes shots at that team is beyond me. Yes, they got blown out a couple times and they didn’t show up against Ohio State, but they far surpassed most expectations and went further in the tournament than any Kentucky team has since Zion Williamson was still in college.
But I hate that the 2025 team always gets thrown in the dumpster everytime someone wants to make a lazy argument. Was it a perfect team? No. But it was a darn good one. Half the year in the top ten and finishing with a 3 seed despite the second worst injury riddled season I’ve ever seen. How any Kentucky fan takes shots at that team is beyond me. Yes, they got blown out a couple times and they didn’t show up against Ohio State, but they far surpassed most expectations and went further in the tournament than any Kentucky team has since Zion Williamson was still in college.
I wasnt really crapping on them. Not the starting five. But when it comes to Kentucky Basketball I don't really want a team that looks like they don't have talent to compete and then overachieve. I just want a good team that should win without a talent disadvantage. That was a fun season and they won some big games but still...
I don't want to compare them to the last five years since zion was there when we were miserable and not winning tournament games. That's like when Pope compared his first two years to Cals last four.
Even if you don’t want to compare them, that’s perfectly fair. But everything I said about that team was correct. We talk about that team like it is was a bunch of scrubs. It took losing both point guards to move them outside the top ten and even then, after losing one of their best players also SF Jaxson Robinson, they still finished 14th in the final AP poll. They deserve respect, especially considering how low the expectations were before the year. That team absolutely looked destined to give up the all-time wins lead vs Kansas, but instead widened the game by another two games.
I respect that team immensely. I just don't want that type of talent to be the template for future roster construction. Pope put them together in a pinch, which I also give him credit for, and they fought like hell all season. My issue is that a bunch of our fans seem to think a roster like that is enough, and it's not.
That's the same team that had its entire roster against an unranked Ohio State team, and still lost by 20 points, only to follow that up by getting beat down by 13 to an unranked Georgia team a few weeks later when UK was 100% healthy and Butler having an incredible game.
Now, you put that team together with one real NBA rotation level player, and you've got a real Final Four contender. We were a legit piece short.
I think most people already agree the 2025 team was a notch below true title contenders. Including me. That’s why I appreciate them so much — they had no business being as good as they were.
I agree and respect what they accomplished. I just was saying I hope the talent level can improve overall. I'll take that starting five most of the time.
I am probably alone when I say this but I was happy to see Chandler leave. I don't think he's a player that will take you far being the focus point of a team. He's a 7th 8th man imo. I'll take Zoom and the other guard we got ten out of ten times over Chandler. If he would of stayed and came off the bench then ok. I just can't imagine Chandler Perry and Noah playing big minutes this year. Would get ugly.
I like Noah coming in to give guys breathers this year. Unless he's drastically improved of course. And that's possible he has.
It just hurts to see UK at a talent disadvantage
I think in terms of pure talent, we will be up there with most teams. The issue is much of our talent next year is untapped potential that has a high risk component.
Wilkins has the goods but he’s making a step up in competition level. His playmaking is a mixed bag with otherworldly feats and failures.
N’Diaye is a freak athlete with rare skill but has struggled to build the necessary discipline and repeatable performance.
Mason Williams has pedigree and intangibles but was a late bloomer and still young.
Kam Williams has shown flashes but lacks playmaking and motor.
Malachi Moreno has rare size and touch but lacks conditioning and upper body strength.
Milan Momcilovic has elite perimeter scoring ability, but hasn’t demonstrated defensive/rebounding proficiency.
Zoom Diallo has a warrior’s relentlessness but has struggled with decision-making and shot selection.
Trent Noah was a better-than-advertised defender and rebounder a year ago, but is slow laterally and shot-making hasn’t translated to games.
Justin McBride is a jack of all trades, master of none. Can slash and shoot, but does neither at an elite level — is prone to disappearing.
Jerone Morton is a low ceiling, reasonably high floor, stable backup who is a reliable shot maker and dependable handler, but is purely a cog on a good team.
Braydon Hawthorne is being asked to show everyone why he had everyone waiting eagerly for him to begin suiting up. However, despite all the hoopla, many have disregarded the fact that he was third on the depth chart at his position a year ago. He has a lot of work to do to figure it out.
Frank Kepnang is a paint beast, more than capable of being a difference maker at the backup center but injuries continue to be an everyday reality for him.
Reece Potter was a decent reserve for a midmajor — expecting significantly more than that at Kentucky would be unwise IMO.
^ The problem with a team like this is the draw of optimism and pessimism. If you’re an optimist you see all the potential and you focus less on the deficiencies. THIS HAS THE MAKINGS OF A FINAL FOUR FAVORITE! If you’re a pessimist you see all the warts and you focus less on the strengths. THIS HAS THE MAKINGS OF A FIRST WEEKEND EXIT!
The truth is they will likely begin the year 11-16 preseason and will have to far outperform expectations to be a true title contender. They will have to far underperform expectations to be worse than a 6-seed. The team’s floor is middling, not bad. But the ceiling is very high — it just seems unlikely we roll a 12 and every player reaches their peak.
^ This is why you’re getting sobering practice reports. People are waiting on superstar Hawthorne — hasn’t happened yet. Waiting on superstar Wilkins — hasn’t happened yet. Most of the people who have seen the team in practice are saying the ‘27 team so far appears to be a piece away. I hope they are wrong.
Wilkins has the goods but he’s making a step up in competition level. His playmaking is a mixed bag with otherworldly feats and failures.
N’Diaye is a freak athlete with rare skill but has struggled to build the necessary discipline and repeatable performance.
Mason Williams has pedigree and intangibles but was a late bloomer and still young.
Kam Williams has shown flashes but lacks playmaking and motor.
Malachi Moreno has rare size and touch but lacks conditioning and upper body strength.
Milan Momcilovic has elite perimeter scoring ability, but hasn’t demonstrated defensive/rebounding proficiency.
Zoom Diallo has a warrior’s relentlessness but has struggled with decision-making and shot selection.
Trent Noah was a better-than-advertised defender and rebounder a year ago, but is slow laterally and shot-making hasn’t translated to games.
Justin McBride is a jack of all trades, master of none. Can slash and shoot, but does neither at an elite level — is prone to disappearing.
Jerone Morton is a low ceiling, reasonably high floor, stable backup who is a reliable shot maker and dependable handler, but is purely a cog on a good team.
Braydon Hawthorne is being asked to show everyone why he had everyone waiting eagerly for him to begin suiting up. However, despite all the hoopla, many have disregarded the fact that he was third on the depth chart at his position a year ago. He has a lot of work to do to figure it out.
Frank Kepnang is a paint beast, more than capable of being a difference maker at the backup center but injuries continue to be an everyday reality for him.
Reece Potter was a decent reserve for a midmajor — expecting significantly more than that at Kentucky would be unwise IMO.
^ The problem with a team like this is the draw of optimism and pessimism. If you’re an optimist you see all the potential and you focus less on the deficiencies. THIS HAS THE MAKINGS OF A FINAL FOUR FAVORITE! If you’re a pessimist you see all the warts and you focus less on the strengths. THIS HAS THE MAKINGS OF A FIRST WEEKEND EXIT!
The truth is they will likely begin the year 11-16 preseason and will have to far outperform expectations to be a true title contender. They will have to far underperform expectations to be worse than a 6-seed. The team’s floor is middling, not bad. But the ceiling is very high — it just seems unlikely we roll a 12 and every player reaches their peak.
^ This is why you’re getting sobering practice reports. People are waiting on superstar Hawthorne — hasn’t happened yet. Waiting on superstar Wilkins — hasn’t happened yet. Most of the people who have seen the team in practice are saying the ‘27 team so far appears to be a piece away. I hope they are wrong.