Nothing against the kid, just from a personnel take. I know this is the most trying time of his life right now and I am pulling for him, but this is a basketball take and I've thought this from the time we recruited this player.
I just think he choose the wrong school and I'll tell you why.
He just started playing basketball his junior year, never touched a weight until he got to UK. He's just so unprepared for basketball at this level, in this big stage spotlight to get the time and development that he needs. I think the learning curve is just to big for this situation.
You have to produce quickly at UK or it's going to be really tough.
He's just out of position way too much, slow to respond, especially on defense, b/c he just hasn't seen it enough, hasn't played enough ball to be able to keep up at this level. Especially at this level and against top level, experienced opponents.
One isolated recent point....b/c of foul trouble, we had to have him play against Hauser from Michigan State, a smart, experienced D1 player. I thought Hauser worked him over.... DC was late getting off screens, had some poor d rotations. There was one sequence where he was out of position on D, and then promptly threw the ball away on O, a really bad pass that players with a deeper bball experience (not only college) would not have made......... in the spotlight of a double overtime loss.... where there are a million ways to lose on one possession and he had two back to back. That's tough to put out there in big time games.... and UK has a LOT of them.
I understand that with that enormous potential, UK would take a chance on him and vice versa. I just think he'd would have been better off go to a smaller stage, not so much of a pressure filled spotlight where he could play thru a ton of growing pain mistakes and develop. I just don't think that can be accomplished here b/c of his limited preparation and experience.... plus to try to develop him it will take time form say, Toppin, who needs every minute, and/or Livingston. There'sonly so much time to go around.
Hopefully, I'm way off base..... maybe he turns that potential here at UK in an impressive season some year.
I just think he choose the wrong school and I'll tell you why.
He just started playing basketball his junior year, never touched a weight until he got to UK. He's just so unprepared for basketball at this level, in this big stage spotlight to get the time and development that he needs. I think the learning curve is just to big for this situation.
You have to produce quickly at UK or it's going to be really tough.
He's just out of position way too much, slow to respond, especially on defense, b/c he just hasn't seen it enough, hasn't played enough ball to be able to keep up at this level. Especially at this level and against top level, experienced opponents.
One isolated recent point....b/c of foul trouble, we had to have him play against Hauser from Michigan State, a smart, experienced D1 player. I thought Hauser worked him over.... DC was late getting off screens, had some poor d rotations. There was one sequence where he was out of position on D, and then promptly threw the ball away on O, a really bad pass that players with a deeper bball experience (not only college) would not have made......... in the spotlight of a double overtime loss.... where there are a million ways to lose on one possession and he had two back to back. That's tough to put out there in big time games.... and UK has a LOT of them.
I understand that with that enormous potential, UK would take a chance on him and vice versa. I just think he'd would have been better off go to a smaller stage, not so much of a pressure filled spotlight where he could play thru a ton of growing pain mistakes and develop. I just don't think that can be accomplished here b/c of his limited preparation and experience.... plus to try to develop him it will take time form say, Toppin, who needs every minute, and/or Livingston. There'sonly so much time to go around.
Hopefully, I'm way off base..... maybe he turns that potential here at UK in an impressive season some year.
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