Still cant believe Dakari Johnson declared

[Louis_Skunt]

The benefits to coming back would've been so beneficial. The draft is loaded with great big guys this year, and DJ would've played major minutes for a top program next season. Instead playing 8 mins a game, he could be playing 30, vastly improving his stock. He's one of my favorite Cats, but this wasnt a wise move.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Playing 30? Yeah right. Skal will be playing 30. DJ would have played about 15 per game.

 

[Cawood86]

Dakari is a meat head I'm not surprised

Be a man and tell him to his face. Thought so...

 

[Fancatstik]

That one is a head scratcher

 

[W_Heisenberg]

Why? he's projected first rounder

 

[crawfords corner]

It was a terrible decision, but it was his mistake to make. I will still be rooting him on though.

 

[kyfan606]

He is late first round projected pick. I never blame a kid for trying to get paid.

 

[.S&C.]

My issue is more with the NBA making kids like Dakari think they even have a place on an NBA court. dakari is a 4 year guy that graduates and figures out the rest after graduation if this was 1995. Just because it's the old way doesn't mean it's not the right way. This current system blows. It's not really the players fault.

 

[.S&C.]

He is late first round projected pick. I never blame a kid for trying to get paid.

If ANY GM takes Johsnon in the first round they need their job yanked draft night.

It won't happen.

 

[GYERater]

Honestly Im glad Dakari declared, just too slow and unathletic for my liking.

 

[ulismyman]

Truth be told karl trey and willie only 3 that had any business declaring but nobody wants the cold hard truth

 

[GonzoCat90]

Dakari is a meat head I'm not surprised

You're terrible.

Also, Dakari wasn't going to get more explosive, and that's what keeps his stock where it is. Teams know what they're getting, they've seen him in extended stretches for two years, and that wasn't going to change with more minutes.

He'll be drafted in a solid spot, and what he develops and improves on from there will decide how long he plays and for how much money. Kendrick Perkins makes several million a year to sit on the bench, and Dakari is already better offensively than Perk ever was. We've seen that he plays hard and works to get better and will accept a role on a team. At 7' 260 pounds, that'll keep you around.

 

[GonzoCat90]

Truth be told karl trey and willie only 3 that had any business declaring but nobody wants the cold hard truth

Truth be told, the only ones who could have improved their stock by coming back were Lyles and Booker, but they're late lotto to mid-first round picks, but terrible fans don't want the cold hard truth.

 

[qwesley]

Like Lamb I think a lot of it has to do with all your buddies going and feeling left behind.

He will not go in the first round. Probably a 1 in 3 chance he goes undrafted.

 

[CUJO_1970]

Can't dribble, can't jump, can't score. Got his shot thrown a bunch last year. Bad things happened every time he tried to do the simplest move with a basketball in his hands.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

 

[W_Heisenberg]

LOL...I swear some of you guys....look, there is zero point zero chance he goes undrafted....if there was a number less than zero, that would be the number.

Can we please just support his decision instead of questioning it?

 

[W_Heisenberg]

Can't dribble, can't jump, can't score. Got his shot thrown a bunch last year. Bad things happened every time he tried to do the simplest move with a basketball in his hands.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

Wow, so are you glad he's gone?

 

[KentuckySir]

500k plus a year? I'd take the money

 

[W_Heisenberg]

My issue is more with the NBA making kids like Dakari think they even have a place on an NBA court. dakari is a 4 year guy that graduates and figures out the rest after graduation if this was 1995. Just because it's the old way doesn't mean it's not the right way. This current system blows. It's not really the players fault.

So the NBA wants to trick players who you say don't belong in their league, into coming into the their league?

I got news for you...it's not the "NBA", these are coaches, scouts, GM's, etc. from a lot of teams that give feedback. You think they will draft a player who can't play in the league? Have you thought, just for a second, that perhaps they know a little more about their own league than you?

 

[ManitouDan]

I blocked his shot .

 

[CUJO_1970]

Wow, so are you glad he's gone?

No I'm really not happy about it. I like Dakari. Would have been glad to have him back.

It's just that he was so frustrating to me last season, he seemed to regress after having a strong tourney in 2014. And now he's going pro?

 

[Hjack]

I blocked his shot .

Doubt we'll ever hear anything else about him. Expect that name to disappear from basketball folklore.

 

[.S&C.]

So the NBA wants to trick players who you say don't belong in their league, into coming into the their league?

I got news for you...it's not the "NBA", these are coaches, scouts, GM's, etc. from a lot of teams that give feedback. You think they will draft a player who can't play in the league? Have you thought, just for a second, that perhaps they know a little more about their own league than you?

Some of the things you say... Man.

The NBA has butchered their draft. Anyone can see it. Almost everyone. Do you know how many of those scouts miss their ass drafting these prospects? Don't you see all the different coaches that DONT like the system currently? Please with that crap.

 

[Habiki]

Can't dribble, can't jump, can't score. Got his shot thrown a bunch last year. Bad things happened every time he tried to do the simplest move with a basketball in his hands.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

Honestly, I felt the same way. He was one of my favorites his freshman year, but something happened. I support his decision and hope he finds a solid spot, but there were miles of difference between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

It got to a point with my friends where we would zero in anytime Dakari touched the ball. Rarely did something good happen.

 

[3rex]

It's the culture that's been cultivated here. If you come, the expectation either externally or within the player, is that you're here for a short time, then on to the league. And if you don't, then you're somehow a failure.
Still goes to Cal's mindset that the greatest days for UK now are the NBA draft. Players feel the pressure/need to be a part of it as soon as they can.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

This year he played with a weaker interior player when he was on the court. Lee isn't the offensive threat that Randle was, therefore the double team came often on Dakari...he was great 1v1, horrible against the double...he didn't like passing out of it, probably because he was trying to do too much since his minutes were limited by all of the other talent on the team.

 

[actiondan101]

He's seven feet tall and has some skill, he's GOING to get drafted in the first round. Get paid while you can.

 

[Arrogant Blue]

Wow, are these people for real ?.... Don't know if its jealousy or bitterness.

The kid was ready to get paid, and he will. He's being projected as a late 1st rounder, but even if he doesn't make it.... he'll make good money playing somewhere.

It's posts like these that remind me of the the hate these kids must get on social media..... It's a damn shame, especially if coming from some of our own "fans".

 

[ManitouDan]

I dont blame the young man cashin' in .. its the system that allows such limited role players to go pro EARLY thats all screwed up . I remember the dinosaur days , like 5 years ago , where going pro EARLY meant you were a stud . You were an accomplished player if you went pro early . Now nominal players who havent done much , or actually very little at all , are going early. Its just a piss poor broken system. Hurts both the college game and the pro game .

 

[bcox13]

It's the culture that's been cultivated here. If you come, the expectation either externally or within the player, is that you're here for a short time, then on to the league. And if you don't, then you're somehow a failure.
Still goes to Cal's mindset that the greatest days for UK now are the NBA draft. Players feel the pressure/need to be a part of it as soon as they can.

Cal was quoted last year as saying that he told Dakari the NBA was interested in him. Dakari said he would talk to his mom, but ultimately, he came back. I guess the pressure didn't get to him.

The fact is, our coaches gather info and present it to these kids, then they make a decision. Dakari is what he is, a 7 footer with decent skills. If he gets to practice all day every day and not have to worry about school, or practice limitations, he will probably be a serviceable NBA player. What's in their best interest isn't always in the best interest of the fans that support them, I get it.

 

[JasonS.]

Eh, he wasn't getting any better here and decent chance he goes in the First Round.

Might as well go.

 

[Hoskins91]

I don't blame them for going to get the money. The twins and Dakari leaving doesn't bother me, because they are what they are, and that wasn't really anything that was not realistically replaceable. Lyles and Booker were the two that possibly could have gained something by coming back, and you could even argue that Booker could easily drop if he didn't come back and show he could be something other than be a guy who spots up and comes off screens. We have Poythress so Lyles leaving just opens up the starting spot for him, but we could have really used Booker.

 

[brianpoe]

No one can judge the kid until we see how he pans out. Who thought Nazr would be playing this long?

 

[W_Heisenberg]

Some of the things you say... Man.

The NBA has butchered their draft. Anyone can see it. Almost everyone. Do you know how many of those scouts miss their ass drafting these prospects? Don't you see all the different coaches that DONT like the system currently? Please with that crap.

How have they butchered the draft? If anything it's better than before since they have an extra year to evaluate.

Tell me how, I'm reading.....

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Cal was quoted last year as saying that he told Dakari the NBA was interested in him. Dakari said he would talk to his mom, but ultimately, he came back. I guess the pressure didn't get to him.

The fact is, our coaches gather info and present it to these kids, then they make a decision. Dakari is what he is, a 7 footer with decent skills. If he gets to practice all day every day and not have to worry about school, or practice limitations, he will probably be a serviceable NBA player. What's in their best interest isn't always in the best interest of the fans that support them, I get it.

3 Rex and others like him are too dense to understand that Coach Cal said that in 2010 for marketing and recruiting purposes. Intelligent UK fans know what he meant. Unfortunately, we have a lot of stupid so called UK fans on here.

 

[3rex]

UKWildcats8-- the ultimate Cal worshipper. To him, it's all about Cal.

And he's my biggest stalker.

I believe, as I said, it's part of the culture here now.

 

[FtWorthCat]

If he goes early Second Round, which is where I think he will go, he will likely end up negotiating about a 2-year, $1.5 million guaranteed contract. If he comes back and blows out a knee he risks losing it all. So even if he never makes it in the NBA, he'll make about $1.5 million by the time he is about 22 years old. Not a bad start to your adult life. He seems like a really good young man. I wish him the best, and I'll be rooting for him.

 

[gossie21]

The benefits to coming back would've been so beneficial.

They always are.

 

[wildcatdonf]

Seven feet tall = money.

 

[BlueRunner11]

I say, "Go on, take the money and run"... "hooh, hooh, hooh"