Hopefully, next year Rondo and Ulis can help Cal figure out who needs to be playing and how best to utilize the players we have on both ends of the floor before the 20th game.
#1 Recruiting Class
- Thread starter giffhawk
- Start date
That team will be a good 15-20 team. If that's the case it's bad because we need big men and shot blockers. That roster won't get it done as far as FF.
Man that’s a wealth of talent…..on paper. If Cal can’t take that team to the FF then I’m not sure what to say. I’m 50/50 on Cal and it changes week to week, but if this is our roster next year…..could be fun. Shooting could still be an issue though, even if Reeves comes back
I could get real excited again for next year. I hope the coaching staff recruits some of the players on this year's roster to return. Bring back Livingston, Reeves, Theiro, Ugonna, Ware, Frederick and we are loaded and most likely the favorite to win it all.
Been saying this for a couple of years now. We need some big guys with skills. About 3 more of them. Cal avoids them like the plague. When they show up in the portal he won’t take them because of the promises he has made to the freshmen. I am sick of his schtick. He can’t leave soon enough for me.
Not what I want, but kind of what I expect. He’s not playing Livingston at the 4, that is pretty apparent. Livingston will start, so it’s at the 3. Edwards will start. His best position is at the 3, but with Livingston back, he slides to the 2. Wagner starts at the 1. Bradshaw at the 5. That leaves the 4 spot open and that means Collins is the most likely guy there unless he adds a stud from the portal (doubtful). Onyenso might start at the 5 and move Bradshaw to the 4, but I think that is unlikely unless Onyenso makes a huge jump over the summer.
So, Cal starts five former 5-star, McD’s AA’s. He’s back to his preferred MO: a Point, two Wings, two Bigs. Defense and rebounding. Out size and out athlete the opposition. The Calipari Philosophy.
From the little I’ve seen of them , they both appear to be ball dominate guards . It’ll be interesting to see how it works out with both of them on the floor together.
You would think they are going to be good but until I see them play college ball, who knows. What I do know is you are here to troll.
Think Livingston is gone. I could actually see Toppin or Oscar coming back before Livingston.
Dillingham
Wagner
Edwards
Toppin/Oscar
Bradshaw
Would likely be a great defensive team but lack shooters unless Reeves comes back. Can't see Fredrick ever being a major contributor.
Thiero
Ugonna
Collins
Ware
Pick up a player or 2 in the portal.
Dillingham
Wagner
Edwards
Toppin/Oscar
Bradshaw
Would likely be a great defensive team but lack shooters unless Reeves comes back. Can't see Fredrick ever being a major contributor.
Thiero
Ugonna
Collins
Ware
Pick up a player or 2 in the portal.
Wagner mainly played off of the ball at EYBL and in HS he has played off of the ball . He’s is more effective with the ball in his hands though . He will have to adjust some but he should be fine .
I’m not disputing at all your belief/fear that Calipari will do exactly what you’re saying. But man, it will be so disappointing. I always watch video and usually a few games of our incoming recruits. But I‘m guessing that you probably watch them more and have more knowledge about the recruits than me. So, I wonder if you feel about it like I do, which is that the recruits next season are more skilled than we often see. For example, the Guards may not have as much length or athleticism as in other classes, but they have a lot of skill (for high school seniors). And Edwards looks like one of those rare incoming freshmen who could actually be a good college SF right out of the gate.
So, I think it will be really, really frustrating – maybe to the point of me just giving up - if Edwards is made the starting 2G next season. I don’t believe that Edwards will bring the offense needed from the 2G spot. But, again, I think he would be fine at SF. Trying to force him into the 2G spot – esp. with Reeves, Fredrick, Wagner, Shepherd, and Dillingham (or other good portal pickups if a few of those guys don’t come back) – will, I suspect, just flat out be coaching malpractice. If you do that, you have metaphorically cut off the right arm of your team before the game even starts.
Tonight against two guards projected to go in the top 10
KSR stating that Reeves himself is expecting and anticipating coming back. I know he is a finesse player, but if Reeves could get a little stronger and tougher, and learn to be a better driver and play through contact better, he might be able to work himself into playing some at the next level.
Reeves has a great floater not great at driving all the way to the basket.
Edwards plays the 4 if CL returns.
He's pushing 6'9. The two is not even his NBA position.
Guarding the 2 would be too much to ask of Edwards. He can handle a 2 on a switch but would be a recipe for foul trouble otherwise.
I have heard he is closer to a 2 than a 4, but who knows? Cal plays positionless basketball which usually means playing bigs as wings rather than playing wings as bigs. I would like to see Edwards as a stretch 4, but skeptical that Cal will play him there.
I would think Fredrick would be the most likely to return, since he is local and his fiancée is on the Women’s team.
If Edwards is a 4, I wouldn’t be surprised to see all five Freshmen on the floor a lot together. Wagner, Dillingham, Edwards, and Bradshaw will likely start. Playing Sheppard with them at the 3 puts another shooter/ball handler on the floor. And Cal rarely sits highly touted Freshmen.
To me, part of it seems to be that he tries too hard to avoid contact; and also gives up on the shot if he gets that contact (i.e., not many and ones).
Yes it is. I was an average high school player. The fall after graduating, I played with some older guys at our elementary school. Was much stronger, could jump better, and was really better in all phases. Can only attribute that to physical maturity as I was not practicing basketball any more. That is why I prefer our teams when we have some 2-3 year players at all positions.
Very good info. Here is another one. Brandon Miller is two full years older than Kevin Knox was during his freshman season.
That's the first highlights I've seen of him. Damn he is quick and gets to his spots even quicker.
Congrats on your fourth title! You guys finally caught up to UConn!
We won our fourth title in 1958 so we can relate to when we reached that level. 65 years ago.
Actually, I was trying to stay more positive than I really felt. I hoped (but didn’t really believe) that Edwards could be a good enough SF his freshman year. And then there was all this talk about Bradshaw being the starting PF and Edwards actually being the 2G and how great they would be, and I just thought it would be an absolute disaster.
