Mitchell commits to UK
- Thread starter TheBlueCat
- Start date
Interesting thread on the Duke board arguing what's the better recruiting philosophy in today's world, one and done's or the portal.
Duke is pretty much where UK fans were before the lights went on. There is something mesmerizing about those little 18 year olds with all the unlimited potential talent, that leave you in a year before they even start shaving. The 5* high, and dreams of banners and Zion's. It's wild the effect it has on fans, even if it cannot produce champions. They are there, in that spoiled state thinking their Brotherhood is the bomb.
Scheyer is mixing it up a bit this year, and I hope he flops again.
BTW, Duke in their longest drought since K took over, going on 12 years. Longest prior was 11.
Routing against other programs just doesn't hit home like it does with Duke and their fans. Seems like we should hate UConn, but it's not the same or as fun.
Duke is pretty much where UK fans were before the lights went on. There is something mesmerizing about those little 18 year olds with all the unlimited potential talent, that leave you in a year before they even start shaving. The 5* high, and dreams of banners and Zion's. It's wild the effect it has on fans, even if it cannot produce champions. They are there, in that spoiled state thinking their Brotherhood is the bomb.
Scheyer is mixing it up a bit this year, and I hope he flops again.
BTW, Duke in their longest drought since K took over, going on 12 years. Longest prior was 11.
Routing against other programs just doesn't hit home like it does with Duke and their fans. Seems like we should hate UConn, but it's not the same or as fun.
I've said it for many years, in today's college basketball, if you're going to try to win with freshmen, they better be top shelf kids and you better have damn good veterans to pair with them.
It’s too physical and advanced for 95% of these high school kids.
Guys like Flagg are good enough to overcome it, but even he had flaws that reared their ugly head when the stakes were high.
100% agree - still a very valuable resource, especially if you're getting those top 3-4, but you need leadership and guys that build the culture and chemistry on the squad.
Flagg was that kinda guy, so was Boozer. They don't come around that often. Scheyer over-relied on Flagg. How much can you make one kid do? They had him operating as a point forward, the isos when they needed a bucket late never worked.
Milan is a slow pf. I'm absolutely serious
Agreed, Scheyer screwed up 2 years ago. He had studs at all 5 positions, but he relied on Flagg way too often.
I think Boozer was even better and Scheyer managed the 25/26 team better, but again, they lost to a veteran team that refused to quit.
But, if you're going to rely on freshmen, you have to do it the way duke is doing it if winning is the goal.
Problem is, there aren't many programs that can spend what duke is OBVIOUSLY spending to get these guys.
I love the transfer portal. You can fill your roster with proven college level guys. It worked for Michigan and Florida the last 2 years.
Scheyer goofed in 2025. He went off the traditional path of what works in CBB and got cute, operating without a true PG in swap of positional size.
If you look at the last 18 MOP's of the tournament, 10 are PG's. There is a reason they say guards win in March. Yes instead he tried running his offense with large SG's at the point in James and Proctor. Where if he went and got a kid like Javon Small, they were probably bullet proof. Now, in perfect reflexive response, he has 3 point guards.
Scheyer had a very good squad last year, may have been the best team in the country if healthy. They did beat Michigan mano y mano on a neutral floor when healthy. They were still very young with two freshman and two sophomores in the starting lineup. Even younger when Foster was banged up and they had to play the other Boozer. They lacked some depth last year, so what did he do this year, he got depth.
He has no excuses on that this year. He went out and got a senior SG in Blackwell. Foster is a senior. Ngongba is a junior, Sarr a sophomore. The Belmont kid is a junior. What he doesn't have this year is Flagg or Boozer, so we'll see what his coaching is all about.
He also can’t coach defense. Surely the shine has to be wearing off of him by now. No way would I trust my child’s NBA future on him. He hasn’t proved or earned anything, he was handed a golden goose and still can’t do what he should with it. Duke fans have to be getting somewhat flustered. I think it would be hilarious if he went to the NBA, talk about a short career. He can’t coach.
I don't think they are....yet. He's botched NCAA tourney games three years running, should likely have a F4, a NC and a Championship game.
On the whole, he's won - he just hasn't been able to close in tournaments. He's probably got a leash of another couple years of screwing up before they start raising eyebrows over there.
I thought I heard different but I’ll take your word for it for sure. He reminds me of Cal, Duke fans will hate the constant NBA rumors regarding him.
It’s hard to get mad at his regular season winning and recruiting but they have to be disappointed in the coaching blunders he has had in the tourney.
If there was ever a text book 3, Milan is it. He's white Khris Middleton.
Not sure where you watched him make any move off the bounce. Hasn't happened. A text book 3 isn't a 6'9 slow spot up shooter. But everyone has their own opinion I guess
He is sooooo limited. How in the heck has Milan become the most potent shooter in college basketball? It’s a miracle. Truly. The experts have spoken.
Yeah I don’t know about that. He can’t guard a 3 and I don’t think he has the handles or athletic enough to be a text book 3 but I’ll take someone’s word who’s watched more of him than I have which is admittedly not a lot.
He doesn't have any of the 3 things you listed. He doesn't have to for it to work somewhat. Every year our fans over look huge holes in players games and act as if they are unstoppable.
Milan is one of the best shooters I've ever seen. The rest of his game is mediocre at best. Including getting himself a shot. If it weren't he would have been a lottery pick.
Agree. If he was a perfect 3, he would be in the league. I just hope the team gets him wide open looks and he drains them all day long. Good enough for me.
This thread hurts NGL, sorry for the necro, but I accidently hit staff posts and this was at the top. I thought someone posted new in it for some reason based on the court case or something.
He should have never been recruited by Pope. There had to be a breakdown in communication between Pope and the President- who twice voted for the rule that excluded him. It’s another bad look.
Considering the initial lawsuit won the obviously thought he would be eligible. At least stick with the commitment even if you won’t play in the end. I’d have made that a requirement to avoid exactly what happened. If you recruit him, go all the way. For him to drop the last day just really sucked. What sucks the most is we never filled the spot, and it felt like we finally lucked into something really good, only for it to blow up yet again. Like no matter what Pope just can’t get all the guys he really needs.
I don’t understand the Mitchell thing. Why did Pope recruit a guy he knew couldn’t actually play here? How desperate was he? Why not take a player who could’ve actually have been able to play if you’re taking a 5th year senior? That scares me. And now that Morton is out, we have no backups in the backcourt.
Pope is the Ky coach for another 7 years. Get over it 
With all that, watching Will Stein save football is kinda like feeling happy for your best bud while you also have to be with the cow on a double date just so he can get her hot friend.
People will get over Kentucky basketball real quick if that’s the casePope is the Ky coach for another 7 years. Get over it
Except...that's not what you or anyone else on here was saying when Mitchell chose UK. Everyone was ecstatic. Then the SEC makes the ridiculous ruling they did, and now people pretend they knew it all along and Pope was somehow at fault. Make it up as you go
Every UK fan who has a brain and is not a bigot will love for Pope to retire at UK many years from now.
Everyone was definitely happy as could be at that moment.
Seeing that UK is part of the NCAA and the NCAA decided by rule not to grandfather in any departing senior and yet teams smartly pursued players who courts deemed eligible, your post lacks sense. Mitchell pursued the SEC rule, as well. Had it been deemed unlawful, Pope would have been seen as dumb by you for not pursuing Mitchell. No one should trust your filter. You are definitely not ortho.
I'm a bigot toward losing, not Mormons.
Here is my point, perhaps I wasn’t clear:
On August 25th, the presidents of the SEC schools unanimously approved a resolution allowing Sankey the right to punish/penalize schools that signed players like Mitchell. The penalties were stiff as you know. Mitchell committed around 8/21st and ultimately he decided to return to Missouri on 8/31. I get that a judge allowed him to play without penalty; however, the judge could not overrule the penalty on the individual SEC schools.
To me, Pope should have known before celebrating the signing that there was a strong likelihood that Mitchell would never play at UK. Could he have not kept this from turning into a clown show? The AD and president didn’t just start thinking about giving Sankey this power on the 25th. He should have insisted that the signing would only occur after the vote.
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I think this ignores the context of the vote happening quickly due to the LSU football signings. Mitchell was just a byproduct of the football season starting so soon.
I agree with that. I still believe Pope should have waited a few days
This has been said before but you are conflating the “pro player” rule with an old SEC intra conference transfer rule. For the same reason courts permitted players who graduated and played in some summer league games, the SEC could have said that rule put into place for football would be waived given that no player knew by the deadline they would be eligible. Had the SEC waived the rule or a court set it aside and Mitchell transferred to Alabama, you would have been one of the first to crawl up Pope’s butt to claim he dropped the soap.
Why didnt UK sign a starter of Mitchell's caliber during the transfer period n spring?
We clearly felt we needed another guy. Miracle august players dont happen much and this miracle didnt work out.
We clearly felt we needed another guy. Miracle august players dont happen much and this miracle didnt work out.
Cal deserved to retire from here because of his accomplishments. Even Tubby. But we didn’t let them as their last couple of years were clearly showing a downward trend.
WTF has Pope done to deserve to freaking retire here? The man has no accomplishments and you’re thinking about Pope remaining coach long enough to retire? Jesus Christ the hyperbole is so blatant you’re clearly trying to start something.
I think it more plausible that we had an open spot and saw a really talented player who may be available.
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