Lively Decision next week!
- Thread starter senonesy
- Start date
If it goes down as expected with Lively to Duke, what do you think happened? Pilgrim said on his podcast that until a few days ago, everything was pointing to UK and then within a few hours, it was Duke. Is Scheyer's schtick just that good?
I doubt Pilgrim knows jack about this recruitment (no pun intended) and was probably basing his info on a crystal ball pick made back in July. I enjoy his podcast but I usually listen just to get a scouting report on who UK is recruiting and I dismiss his picks on the end location of the player.
Jack Pilgrim doesn’t have any sources.
My opinion - what happened was this….
we were never close on Lively. He’s always been Duke. K/Scheyer dropped info to get some to believe it was looking good for UK; they ran with it. Lively may or may not have know this would happen (but my guess is he did, and even may have been asked to play into just slightly). Then he picks Duke (as he always was) and makes it look like Cal lost it again.
he did same with Zion, same with Bolden. It’s a fun game for K to play, especially when there isn’t a defense for it from Cal.
some will say I’m crazy - I say I’m right.
That’s how it felt to me a few days ago. Lively was a Duke lean, and they moved him up to steal some of UK’s thunder.
Now Bilas and Vitale can spend all season talking about the number one class and possibly number one player coming to play for Scheyer next year.
Duke tradition continues, they just reload, blah blah blah.
This x100.
1. Pilgrim has no legit sources
2. That podcast is PAINFUL to listen to
3. This was ABSOLUTELY a master ploy by the evil empire to try to usurp Cal’s return to recruiting glory
They’ll do a Zoom during the game on the Jumbo-tron. Or maybe a hologram like Tupac.
In the midsts of Cals issues he usually has a top recruiting tag. He can lose in the SEC tournament, lose before the final four, have a mediocre year, but he pulled a top 2 class. It’s really the main selling point to hiring Cal in the first place.
When there really isn’t anything to look at, he pulled a top class?
No doubt. Has nobody here but you or me noticed that the team that gets the Number 1 class never wins the title the next year? Our 2012 team is the only time I can remember it happening in ….well, like ever, in the entire history of the sport. They usually don’t even win their conference.
So I don’t know why people here gets so worked up over having the number one recruiting class. History shows it only means you’re the school likely to have the most freshmen enter the draft in a few months. …and little else.
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With Lively and Filipowski, does that mean Duke will be playing a 5 out motion offense? Both of those guys want to hang out on the perimeter on offense. They are probably going to give teams fits offensively. I just wonder how they handle a team with a dominant big man or an elite, athletic 4 man (like Livingston) on the defensive end?
It's a nice get for Duke from a high school that loves to flirt with Kentucky and never pulls the trigger. Mo Bamba, Cam Reddish, Franck Kepnang, and now Dereck Lively.
Now I'm not as upset with this decision as I just expected some great classes for everyone who signs players in the '22 class. That's how things happen. If Kentucky can finish off with Adem Bona and Cason Wallace to add to Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Livingston, you bring back someone like Collins, Hopkins, etc...it's going to have it's most talented team since '15. As in NBA high Lottery Talent mixed with some proven guys and not have to trade skill for athleticism-you'll have both.
Enjoy what you get, not what you miss and it's not like Kentucky hasn't had 2 great weeks of news recently and more good news to come.
Now I'm not as upset with this decision as I just expected some great classes for everyone who signs players in the '22 class. That's how things happen. If Kentucky can finish off with Adem Bona and Cason Wallace to add to Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Livingston, you bring back someone like Collins, Hopkins, etc...it's going to have it's most talented team since '15. As in NBA high Lottery Talent mixed with some proven guys and not have to trade skill for athleticism-you'll have both.
Enjoy what you get, not what you miss and it's not like Kentucky hasn't had 2 great weeks of news recently and more good news to come.
Well said. I'm most concerned with sealing the deal with Wallace. Pick up a serviceable big man in the portal, if needed, and roll on. I'm not sold on Bona.
Because it's either duke or UK that gets the #1 class and the teams winning titles are not relying on one-and-done players. Villanova, Baylor, UVA and UNC don't need 5 and 6 freshmen players every year.
To me, it's not about the #1 class, it's about getting the best, top shelf players possible, because that's what Cal needs to win.
I still think he'll have plenty of talent in 22/23 if he gets Bona and Cason and retains some guys off the 21/22 team. But that would require Cal to actually try to retain players.