Sacha Killeya-Jones

[Cornered Weasel]

What's the latest on his recruitment?

Kid is a Chapel Hill native but appears UNC didn't really recruit him the first time around. What's with that?

Visited UK 6/12 & UNC on 6/14, I believe. Blew up at the NBPA Top 100 camp recently.

Anybody got anything?

 

[bnewt]

really like to see this kid commit to UK

 

[bucsrule8872]

If UNC gets no more than a slap on the wrist (as I suspect), then this kid stays in Chapel Hill, unfortunately.

 

[tommyg4uk]

I think he's ours.

 

[z71sab]

I think he's uk bound , was blown away on his visit

 

[Bombur]

What's the latest on his recruitment?

Kid is a Chapel Hill native but appears UNC didn't really recruit him the first time around. What's with that?

Visited UK 6/12 & UNC on 6/14, I believe. Blew up at the NBPA Top 100 camp recently.

Anybody got anything?

Tony Bennett managed to get an early commit by convincing him schools like UNC and UK were never going to offer. When SKJ figured out that was bogus as he started to climb the rankings, he Decommitted.

He is not only a Chapel Hill native. His mother works at UNC. As you would expect, since he is home for the summer, he has been on campus at UNC quite frequently. He played pickup with the UNC team 3 times last week.

It is currently shaping up to be a UNC vs UK battle. Don't expect UVA to be seriously considered this time around.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

I think he's uk bound , was blown away on his visit

There he is...got a question for ya. Did you hear that Murray was going to Oregon or was that just a guess? I'm not busting ya balls for being wrong, I was just curious cause you were so sure that he was bound for Eugene. I am just curious to hear what the rumors were going around. It seemed like the Murrays kept things very tight. I wonder if it was people just going off assumption in the last couple days leading up to the announcement. Serious question though, all the way.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

I think he's uk bound , was blown away on his visit

Can't go by what they say or do. They are all blown away and they all visit.

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

He also plays with UNC commit Jalek Felton on former Heel Raymond Felton's AAU team. With the abundance of bigs that UK is on, it'll be interesting who they make a priority come July viewing period.

 

[NavyKat]

If he is dumb enough to go to UNCheat, then he will fit right in!

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

If he is dumb enough to go to UNCheat, then he will fit right in!

If the NCAA just pats them on the wrist like it appears is going to happen, why would it be dumb for him to go there? He is from Chapel Hill and looks like his mother works at UNC too. This kid is one that I really want at UK but it will be a difficult pull to get him away. You've got to look at it realistically. Geez, this kid will be a good one though, IMO.

 

[Cat Ballou]

I think SKJ will surprise and spurn the home school. All Cal has to do is point at the progression of WCS vs. the progression of Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson. WCS ended up being an All-American and lottery pick despite playing only around 25 mpg whereas Merks and Johnson will probably go undrafted.

At the end of the day, these kids want the safest route to the NBA and absurd wealth, and UK offers that.

What is most interesting is that UK has a lot of offers out to bigs in 2016. A couple of these guys need to get on the bus quick.

 

[z71sab]

It was a guess with a little bit of what someone else was saying. I'm glad I was wrong

 

[gunslingerdick]

I think SKJ will surprise and spurn the home school. All Cal has to do is point at the progression of WCS vs. the progression of Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson. WCS ended up being an All-American and lottery pick despite playing only around 25 mpg whereas Merks and Johnson will probably go undrafted.

At the end of the day, these kids want the safest route to the NBA and absurd wealth, and UK offers that.

Brice Johnson will be a first rounder next June. Meeks will probably be a second rounder after his senior year. Not bad for two guys that were ranked in the 30s and 50s respectively. If I recall correctly, Cauley-Stein was ranked in the 40s by most services so it's not like he was a nobody that became a somebody. And regarding "development", no offense to Willie, but he's kind of the same player leaving as he was coming - an athletic rim protector and finisher. It's not like he really developed a solid low post game. I think Coaches get far too much credit for what players do or don't do. Of course Cal helped him grow up and become a mature basketball player. But I'm not sure he did anything for his skill set and I don't think any coach would have done much more or less with Willie's skill set. He is the player he is.

Back to SKJ, I feel good about the Heels' chances of landing him. Of course we'll battle UK for him but with all of his familiarity with Chapel Hill and UNC, we have a leg up. And we need some advantages right now.

 

[Phil McKracken]

Not sure why everyone thinks UNC is getting a slap on the wrist. The NOV was fairly strong and the ncaa is kinda backed in a corner on this thing. I would have to think a post-season ban for a season or two is very likely.

 

[wcc31]

WCS is pretty much the same player as when he got to UK? Bwahahaha. OK. Our KU friends told us he was the seventh best player in Kansas his senior year. Just got drafted #6. Good post!

 

[wcc31]

Believe when I see it with Johnson and Meeks going 1st round, too.

 

[Nick Horvath]

Willie Cauley-Stein is a ridiculously athletic 7-footer. If someone that tall and that athletic can walk and chew gum at the same time, they're gonna be a lottery pick. Despite what some of you UK fans think, Cauley-Stein still isn't even remotely close to a polished offensive player. He simply got more comfortable at the college level over his 3 years. And Cauley-Stein was extremely smart to stay for 3 years, I think it made him millions in the long run. But let's not pretend like he developed into any kind of offensive threat, because he didn't. And he won't be in the NBA either.

Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks are both 6'9 bigs with limited athleticism (especially in Meeks' case) compared to the legit 7-footer Cauley-Stein. Why would anyone expect either one of Johnson or Meeks to be lottery picks, or even 1st round locks for that matter? That's simply not in the cards for those types of players. They are both really good college players that aren't the greatest pro prospects. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like if WCS had gone to UNC he would have gone undrafted and Calipari would have turned Johnson and Meeks into lottery picks. Each of those 3 players would have turned out exactly the same had they switched places.

It is hilarious how you UK fans rationalize what you want to believe.

 

[wcc31]

Yeah, its UK fans rationalizing. Get pumped, moron.

 

[Cat Ballou]

It really doesn't matter what we believe - what matters is what a kid like SKJ believes - and what he sees is UK with a string of big men lottery picks and UNC with a bunch of multi-year bigs recently that will probably go undrafted.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Believe when I see it with Johnson and Meeks going 1st round, too.

For the record, I said 1st round for Johnson and second round for Meeks. I think there's a chance both could end up in the second round and a chance both could end up in the first. But I would be shocked if either went undrafted, let alone both.

Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks are both 6'9 bigs with limited athleticism (especially in Meeks' case) compared to the legit 7-footer Cauley-Stein. .

I agree with most of your post but this is inaccurately stated. Brice Johnson does not have "limited athletic ability". He's a "very good" athlete and close to "elite". If he could just pack some weight on and stay as explosive as he is, then he'd be elite. He was a state champion high jumper in South Carolina. But yeah, poor Meeks,...that dude is not athletic at all. Very "skilled" though.

WCS is pretty much the same player as when he got to UK? Bwahahaha. OK. Our KU friends told us he was the seventh best player in Kansas his senior year. Just got drafted #6. Good post!

In what areas is WCS markedly different in his game from when he was a freshman? That's how I see it but I will yield to UK fans here as you obviously watched him far more than I. But help me out here...what areas of his game were developed over his 3 years at UK?

 

[Stonewall12]

It was a guess with a little bit of what someone else was saying. I'm glad I was wrong

Hey man it is all good. Nobody bats .1000
Keep on posting info in recruits in the future.

 

[Stonewall12]

For the record, I said 1st round for Johnson and second round for Meeks. I think there's a chance both could end up in the second round and a chance both could end up in the first. But I would be shocked if either went undrafted, let alone both.



I agree with most of your post but this is inaccurately stated. Brice Johnson does not have "limited athletic ability". He's a "very good" athlete and close to "elite". If he could just pack some weight on and stay as explosive as he is, then he'd be elite. He was a state champion high jumper in South Carolina. But yeah, poor Meeks,...that dude is not athletic at all. Very "skilled" though.



In what areas is WCS markedly different in his game from when he was a freshman? That's how I see it but I will yield to UK fans here as you obviously watched him far more than I. But help me out here...what areas of his game were developed over his 3 years at UK?

His shooting, his defense , his effort, his post moves. Pretty much everything Cliff did not improve in.

 

[gunslingerdick]

It really doesn't matter what we believe - what matters is what a kid like SKJ believes - and what he sees is UK with a string of big men lottery picks and UNC with a bunch of multi-year bigs recently that will probably go undrafted.

That's true - perception is everything. I agree. But that statement alludes to an assumption that SKJ wants to go league as quickly as he can. That's not necessarily the case for every prospect - especially those that are not "hardship" cases - which SKJ is not.

 

[bucsrule8872]

WCS could not guard all five positions on the floor when he got here.

Cal turned him into a player that can do that.

That is why he was drafted #6.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Also, Duke and UNC fans need to realize that Cal is better at developing pro players than their coaches.

They have won more titles, sure, hang your hat on that. I would. But you guys are delusional if you think K and Williams can turn out successful pros like Cal.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Also, Duke and UNC fans need to realize that Cal is better at developing pro players than their coaches.

They have won more titles, sure, hang your hat on that. I would. But you guys are delusional if you think K and Williams can turn out successful pros like Cal.

I take issue with "developing". Was Anthony Davis "developed"? Or was he just a badass that would have won POY and been drafted first had he gone to pretty much any school? John Wall? Demarcus Cousins? Hell, I could have coached those guys.

Terrance Jones was developed and has turned into a nice NBA player. He's the kind of guy that would illustrate Cal's ability to develop players. But c'mon now, the other guys listed were going to be successful regardless. Has Cal developed them as humans? Certainly. But as basketball players...I'm not so sure about that. MKG would be an example of a guy that didn't expand his game in the slightest while in college. Cal used him correctly and that let NBA scouts have a look at what he could do. But he never became an offensive threat other than a finisher on the break. He's still not.

And Coach K has quite the track record for putting guys in the NBA - especially those that you probably once thought had no shot at playing in the NBA. Roy, to a lesser extent has put guys in the NBA. Ty Lawson is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. But here again, Lawson was a special talent. Most likely, he was going to be playing in the NBA regardless of what school he attended. So whereas you see Cal "developing" all these NBA players, I see it as he has recruited top talent (which is a skill in and of itself) and was lucky to have some claim to their greatness. I bet even Cal would agree with me.

 

[wcc31]

If you can't see how much WCS improved from a freshman project to a junior 1st Team AA, you should probably just your mouth and not talk basketball because you're obviously an idiot who doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

 

[jwhite123]

For anybody wanting to question how Cal develops talent, go watch Booker from the Bahama games versus the end of the year.

 

[Cat Ballou]

What Cal accomplished with WCS was a mental transformation as much as anything. That was always Willie's biggest barrier to greatness. What's important though is that Willie credits Cal for his growth as a player and a person.

Towns is another example of Cal developing a player in a short period. There are lots of quotes from people out there who saw Karl play in high school who were amazed at his transformation. Cal brought out his toughness and turned him into a post player. Again, Karl, his Dad, his former coaches, all credit Cal - but what do they know. According to Cal's detractors, Karl could have gone anywhere and been the No. 1 pick. WCS could have gone anywhere and ended up a lottery pick.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I take issue with "developing". Was Anthony Davis "developed"? Or was he just a badass that would have won POY and been drafted first had he gone to pretty much any school? John Wall? Demarcus Cousins? Hell, I could have coached those guys.

Terrance Jones was developed and has turned into a nice NBA player. He's the kind of guy that would illustrate Cal's ability to develop players. But c'mon now, the other guys listed were going to be successful regardless. Has Cal developed them as humans? Certainly. But as basketball players...I'm not so sure about that. MKG would be an example of a guy that didn't expand his game in the slightest while in college. Cal used him correctly and that let NBA scouts have a look at what he could do. But he never became an offensive threat other than a finisher on the break. He's still not.

And Coach K has quite the track record for putting guys in the NBA - especially those that you probably once thought had no shot at playing in the NBA. Roy, to a lesser extent has put guys in the NBA. Ty Lawson is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. But here again, Lawson was a special talent. Most likely, he was going to be playing in the NBA regardless of what school he attended. So whereas you see Cal "developing" all these NBA players, I see it as he has recruited top talent (which is a skill in and of itself) and was lucky to have some claim to their greatness. I bet even Cal would agree with me.

No one gives Cal any credit for developing players.

WCS was not a lottery pick by any stretch of the imagination when he arrived in Lexington.

Darius Miller was not on any sort of trajectory to get drafted after his year with Gillispie. Same thing for Liggins.

Patterson would not still be in the league if Cal hadn't expanded his game in the one year that he had him. PPat never stepped more than five feet from the rim before Cal got to Lexington.

Eric Bledsoe was not projected as a first rounder before he arrived. He would not be the player he is today without Cal's help.

And you guys act like every top 10 player is guaranteed to get drafted in the lottery, yet you don't talk about guys like McAdoo that regressed. McAdoo was one of those "can't miss" top 10 guys that could go pro regardless of where he went. How do that work out for him? Hicks was another top 10 player. The list goes on and on. So the "anybody can get top players drafted argument" is weak.

Plus, you guys act like Cal just started coaching when he came to UK and started getting elite guys.

No one talks about him developing guys at UMass and Memphis. There weren't that many NBA stars, but he turned several guys from 3-star nobodies into great college players.

You guys don't talk about how he led UMass to the #1 ranking in 1996 as a young coach with just one 5-star (Camby) and led them to the Final Four. K and Williams were pulling in three or four 5-stars a year at that time and Cal had better teams with mid-major talent. Padilla and Travieso weren't exactly considered a Final Four backcourt coming into college, you know.

Obviously, Duke and UNC have great coaches, but you have got to give Cal credit for getting kids NBA ready in a short amount of time.

But you won't.

 

[Stonewall12]

Unc honks think they will get him.

 

[GonzoCat90]

It is hilarious how you UK fans rationalize what you want to believe.

He says with no self awareness.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Unc honks think they will get him.

Unless they get hammered by the NCAA, they are probably right.

The kid isn't going to pass up playing in his hometown, where his mom works, for the school he grew up cheering for, unless they are under sanctions that force him to leave.

 

[Hoskins21]

Unless the NCAA wants to seal its fate and crumble to the ground, they have no option but to punish UNC.

 

[RondoBaller21]

Brice Johnson will be a first rounder next June. Meeks will probably be a second rounder after his senior year. Not bad for two guys that were ranked in the 30s and 50s respectively. If I recall correctly, Cauley-Stein was ranked in the 40s by most services so it's not like he was a nobody that became a somebody. And regarding "development", no offense to Willie, but he's kind of the same player leaving as he was coming - an athletic rim protector and finisher. It's not like he really developed a solid low post game. I think Coaches get far too much credit for what players do or don't do. Of course Cal helped him grow up and become a mature basketball player. But I'm not sure he did anything for his skill set and I don't think any coach would have done much more or less with Willie's skill set. He is the player he is.

Back to SKJ, I feel good about the Heels' chances of landing him. Of course we'll battle UK for him but with all of his familiarity with Chapel Hill and UNC, we have a leg up. And we need some advantages right now.

Cauley was indeed a nobody who turned into a somebody. To go from ranked in the 40's to a lottery pick is absurd. Booker also saw that kind of climb in the rankings under Cal.

 

[RondoBaller21]

Willie Cauley-Stein is a ridiculously athletic 7-footer. If someone that tall and that athletic can walk and chew gum at the same time, they're gonna be a lottery pick. Despite what some of you UK fans think, Cauley-Stein still isn't even remotely close to a polished offensive player. He simply got more comfortable at the college level over his 3 years. And Cauley-Stein was extremely smart to stay for 3 years, I think it made him millions in the long run. But let's not pretend like he developed into any kind of offensive threat, because he didn't. And he won't be in the NBA either.

Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks are both 6'9 bigs with limited athleticism (especially in Meeks' case) compared to the legit 7-footer Cauley-Stein. Why would anyone expect either one of Johnson or Meeks to be lottery picks, or even 1st round locks for that matter? That's simply not in the cards for those types of players. They are both really good college players that aren't the greatest pro prospects. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like if WCS had gone to UNC he would have gone undrafted and Calipari would have turned Johnson and Meeks into lottery picks. Each of those 3 players would have turned out exactly the same had they switched places.

It is hilarious how you UK fans rationalize what you want to believe.

Nope! Get off this board

 

[bucsrule8872]

Cauley was indeed a nobody who turned into a somebody. To go from ranked in the 40's to a lottery pick is absurd. Booker also saw that kind of climb in the rankings under Cal.

Josh Harrellson is the poster child for nobody to somebody under Cal.

He was a 3-star out of HS, went one year of JUCO, then ends up as 12th man in 2010, then a starter the next season, and drafted after that.

But Cal doesn't develop players.

 

[gunslingerdick]

No one gives Cal any credit for developing players.

WCS was not a lottery pick by any stretch of the imagination when he arrived in Lexington.

Darius Miller was not on any sort of trajectory to get drafted after his year with Gillispie. Same thing for Liggins.

Patterson would not still be in the league if Cal hadn't expanded his game in the one year that he had him. PPat never stepped more than five feet from the rim before Cal got to Lexington.

Eric Bledsoe was not projected as a first rounder before he arrived. He would not be the player he is today without Cal's help.

And you guys act like every top 10 player is guaranteed to get drafted in the lottery, yet you don't talk about guys like McAdoo that regressed. McAdoo was one of those "can't miss" top 10 guys that could go pro regardless of where he went. How do that work out for him? Hicks was another top 10 player. The list goes on and on. So the "anybody can get top players drafted argument" is weak.

Plus, you guys act like Cal just started coaching when he came to UK and started getting elite guys.

No one talks about him developing guys at UMass and Memphis. There weren't that many NBA stars, but he turned several guys from 3-star nobodies into great college players.

You guys don't talk about how he led UMass to the #1 ranking in 1996 as a young coach with just one 5-star (Camby) and led them to the Final Four. K and Williams were pulling in three or four 5-stars a year at that time and Cal had better teams with mid-major talent. Padilla and Travieso weren't exactly considered a Final Four backcourt coming into college, you know.

Obviously, Duke and UNC have great coaches, but you have got to give Cal credit for getting kids NBA ready in a short amount of time.

But you won't.

First of all, I never said Cal doesn't develop players. I questioned how much development he facilitated with Davis, Wall and Cousins. Why would I not want to give Cal credit? He's a great coach. I have no beef with him and no reason to dislike or disrespect him.

As far as Cal's UMass teams, I remember them well. I loved Lou Roe who I think had graduated the year before UMass's FF run. Yes, sure, that was quite a coaching job he did. But you know as well as I that in basketball, it only takes one 5 star to make a big difference. Camby was a freak. But again, I fully recognize and respect Cal's coaching ability.

However, with all that said, I still question how much Cal or any coach really "develops" the truly great players. You named off several players and while I'm sure Cal was a big influence, can't pretty much any coach make the same claim? How in the world did K get Shavlik Randolph in the NBA? Or Kyle Singler? Or Ryan Kelly? Or the Plumlees, for cryin' out loud. He turned two walking stiffs into decent NBA role players. And what about Roy? Tyler Zeller is a starting center in the NBA and pretty damn productive. Slow as molasses Kendall Marshall will probably collect a paycheck in the NBA for 10 years or more. Danny Green and Barnes are starters and world champions. Even Jawad Williams had a cup of coffee in the league. My point is that coaches are credited with getting guys to the league and we really don't have any way to measure whether it was their tutelage or just the will of each individual player that got them there.

But it's all kind of moot. Because I already acknowledged that perception is reality. And all you really should care about is what the next crop of top prospects think. Do they see it like I do? Doubtful. Do they see it like you do? Probably. Which is good for you and UK.

 

[bucsrule8872]

First of all, I never said Cal doesn't develop players. I questioned how much development he facilitated with Davis, Wall and Cousins. Why would I not want to give Cal credit? He's a great coach. I have no beef with him and no reason to dislike or disrespect him.

As far as Cal's UMass teams, I remember them well. I loved Lou Roe who I think had graduated the year before UMass's FF run. Yes, sure, that was quite a coaching job he did. But you know as well as I that in basketball, it only takes one 5 star to make a big difference. Camby was a freak. But again, I fully recognize and respect Cal's coaching ability.

However, with all that said, I still question how much Cal or any coach really "develops" the truly great players. You named off several players and while I'm sure Cal was a big influence, can't pretty much any coach make the same claim? How in the world did K get Shavlik Randolph in the NBA? Or Kyle Singler? Or Ryan Kelly? Or the Plumlees, for cryin' out loud. He turned two walking stiffs into decent NBA role players. And what about Roy? Tyler Zeller is a starting center in the NBA and pretty damn productive. Slow as molasses Kendall Marshall will probably collect a paycheck in the NBA for 10 years or more. Danny Green and Barnes are starters and world champions. Even Jawad Williams had a cup of coffee in the league. My point is that coaches are credited with getting guys to the league and we really don't have any way to measure whether it was their tutelage or just the will of each individual player that got them there.

But it's all kind of moot. Because I already acknowledged that perception is reality. And all you really should care about is what the next crop of top prospects think. Do they see it like I do? Doubtful. Do they see it like you do? Probably. Which is good for you and UK.

I just shake my head at those guys you mentioned. Weren't they all McD's AA's or close to that?

I don't really think those guys strengthen your argument.