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Posted by Trey Ball (Member # 332) on 02-06-2018, 10:42 PM:

Other than Alexander, do you really want to see any of these kids even return to UK?

I'm in the camp that I don't. I'm not sure you can teach basketball IQ to these kids at this stage of their career. I mean they are lacking some very basic instincts out on the floor.

Posted by ALA_KAT2 (Member # 1559) on 02-06-2018, 11:31 PM:

I'd like to see Alexander, Green, Washington, Richards and SKJ and Gabriel return, but I hope we got players coming in who can steal many of their minutes, not because Cal plays the 1NDones over better players, but because they are just better players, particularly shooters. Hope Herro can fill one of those shooting voids, as well as Baker.

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 02-07-2018, 07:15 AM:

I'll take everyone except Diallo and Vanderbilt. Neither of them are actually basketball players - they are just athletes.

Posted by Cold Spring Cat (Member # 14751) on 02-07-2018, 08:26 AM:

A majority of this team have shown they play for the name on the back of the jersey and not KENTUCKY. They can all hit the road as far as I am concerned.

Posted by CatFanInYankeeville (Member # 2025) on 02-07-2018, 04:33 PM:

Only 1 I've seen I'd take for sure is Gabriel. I'll be the first to admit though, I've not watched nearly as many UK games this year as usual. Life is busy, sure, but I just can't get into watching this group.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 02-08-2018, 08:06 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by Trey Ball:
Other than Alexander, do you really want to see any of these kids even return to UK?

I'm in the camp that I don't. I'm not sure you can teach basketball IQ to these kids at this stage of their career. I mean they are lacking some very basic instincts out on the floor.

You are judging those players from the whole littany of classes that Calipari has had before. This is the youngest team he has had and it shows. They will be fine next year, because they will have some experience back.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 02-09-2018, 03:07 PM:

I do believe you are judging them on past Calipari teams, on purpose or subconsciously. We tend to forget that UK's previous coaches could not get many top players to come to UK and it took a lot of them several seasons to even be a contributor on the team. I don't know how many freshmen Pitino had starting, but I am sure it wasn't 4 or 5 at a time.

The best player that Tubby ever landed was by default, in Rondo, only because Pitino was too stupid to realize he was a beast. When Azibuke left, Rondo had no other scorers on the team and he was a racehorse surrounded by draft horses.

Posted by viccolo (Member # 1860) on 02-09-2018, 10:04 PM:

Treyball,you are Spot on

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 02-09-2018, 10:46 PM:

If we take a look at the number of UK kids on pro teams I'll bet it has fallen off drastically from a year ago. You are right and I have said before when their contract is upwhich ones will remain? Only the top UK kids will be playing after 2-3 years. But I too think some of these guys should go ahead and get on a G league team like you said and see if they can get good enough to make an NBA roster.

Posted by Trey Ball (Member # 332) on 02-09-2018, 11:31 PM:

BC,

Actually I believe there are 30 former UK players in the league, which I believe is an all-time high. You have 8 guys in the league this year that were not in the league last year:

Fox/Monk/Adebayo/Darius Miller/Liggins/Andrew Harrison/Dakari Johnson/Alex Poythress.

I think Terrence Jones and Archie Goodwin are the only players that were in the league last year that are not in the league this year.

It’s pretty amazing to me to see the difference in improvement of players playing in College vs playing in the G league or internationally. It is night and day. I think it is because basketball is their entire focus. Darius Miller, who was a very good player at UK, is a far better player now after 3 years of playing internationally. He was leading the NBA in 3 PT shooting, I think he is still top 5. He is much more physical now and a much better ball handller and passer vs when he came into the league in 2012-2013.

List of Players:

Cousins
Davis
Liggins
Rondo
Miller
Meeks
Patterson
Wall
Bledsoe
Knight
Ulis
Booker
WCS
Skal
Fox
Monk
Adebayo
MKG
Murray
Lyles
Nerlens
Poythress
Harrison
Randle
KAT
Young
Dakari
Kanter (he went to UK but never played obviously)

So I guess it is 28 vs. the 30 that I said in the original post. Only a handful of them don't start or play significant minutes when not injured: Dakari/Young/Monk/Liggins. Although Liggins has found a home in New Orleans and actually drew a start a few nights ago.

[ 02-10-2018, 11:34 AM: Message edited by: Trey Ball ]

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 02-10-2018, 05:23 PM:

There are a few not mentioned. Some who made a mistake by leaving early and are now on the outside looking in.

Like Aaron Harrison, Jones, Lamb, Teague and Goodwin.

Johnson is mostly at OK City and Young is on something called a 2 way contract. Not playing much, or scoring much and will be ut not too far down the road.

We still have a lot up there but my point was that some of them raising the number of UK players was inflated due to some of them leaving early and not hanging with the NBA very long. If some of these kids go this year they won't be on an NBA roster, they will be in development.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-10-2018, 05:46 PM:

I've been doing my best to be patient with this bunch this year. I said from the beginning that we didn't have a team leader and I'm not sure if we've found one yet!

Posted by Trey Ball (Member # 332) on 02-10-2018, 08:21 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Bama Cat:
Some who made a mistake by leaving early and are now on the outside looking in.

Like Aaron Harrison, Jones, Lamb, Teague and Goodwin.

Johnson is mostly at OK City and Young is on something called a 2 way contract.

This is where we disagree. Harrison/Jones/Lamb//Teague/Goodwin all made the right decision in my mind. The first three came back for their Sophomore years and their draft position did not change. Aaron Harrison’s actually went down. After his tournament performance he was a last 1st to early 2nd. Coming back he went undrafted. Lamb was a second round pick after his Freshmen year and even after having a terrific soph season he was still a second round pick.

Teague parlayed a great tournament run into a 1st Round pick and guaranteed money (not that he needed money as his family is extremely wealthy).

Archie Goodwin was a 1st Round pick in a weak draft. Once again guaranteed money for a kid who didn’t have money.

Jones was picked 18th and the only reason he is still not in the NBA is due to the nerve damage in his leg. He was coming into his own and starting for Houston when the injury occurred.

Once again, there is no doubt in my mind that these type of talented players improve more playing professionally in the G league and over seas vs playing in college.

[ 02-10-2018, 08:31 PM: Message edited by: Trey Ball ]