2024-2025 Roster
- Thread starter ChicagoCat1990
- Start date
Cal now has Tom Crean giving him advise. Crean said that Cal needs to go out and get a legit 4 in the portal. Then needs to keep all of his team he can. And do not revert back to not being able to shoot the ball.
Ugo was better? I thought he just played a little more.
The others were a hot minute back.
Point being, not sure the current iteration of coaching really supports growth and improvement.
He had a legit 4 (see modern basketball 4), but he's in the portal now. And he played like 20 mins/game. Granted he was hurt some too.
Don't know why so many are assuming Adou will be here next year,he entered the transfer portal immediately after meeting with Cal. Yes he did leave open the option of returning,but looking at the huge number of teams courting him,he is gone. Fland and JQ will start regardless, hide and watch. Also don't be surprised if Knox starts or is first of the bench. One can only hope they are as good as advertised, or we have another freshman surprise us like Reed did. If Reed and Wagner return we will be competitive if not we will be lucky to make tournament. I wouldn't get my hopes up for a huge portal haul,Cals terrible strategy of allowing kids to wait till last minute to decide if they ate coming back will see the portal picked clean just like last year.
Maybe the number one thing I would love to know is if Barnhart agreed with Cal to let him do just like he has always done and wait about seriously getting players from the portal until all his 5 stars tell him they are leaving or not. My attitude is get the very best 4 portal guys you can get now while they are available and tell all these superstar freshmen they will have to earn their playing time, much less starting. About the team and program, not individuals. The individual thing will take care of itself if the freshman 'earn' their living.
What goes on behind the scenes will neve be known to the everyday fan. I honestly believe that player decisions made by Cal are based on promises made, relationships with handlers or organizations representing players. The UK program and winning basketball games is secondary(at best) in Cal's priorities. The players know this and act accordingly, winning is not a primary motivator for 90 % of them.
I wonder who is in Cal's inner circle. It probably isn't any of the assistants. Everyone at this level has an inner circle(even someone like Cal)
Top flight portal guys aren't going to come here and risk sitting behind some unproven frosh. They aren't going to come to contend for an NCAAT championship ( that ship sailed long ago for Cal)
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Cals' inner circle.......Bruiser, Brad, Ellen, the daughters, the little dogs and Michael Landon's ghost.
That's it.
A coaching genius like Cal doesn't need ANYONE advising him. Come on, man.
The scary thing is you could be right, but I think it could consist of people outside the program and not associated with UK at all.
Makes you wonder if sometime one of his former players comes out about any promises made to come here. Has taken a lot of happiness from a lot of people across this state.
dunno but I think next season will be just about as exciting as a diet root beer.
We need to get a good 3pt shooting SG/SF, if not 2 of them. That should be #1 priority. We are clearly losing 2, may lose all 3 of our good 3pt shooters. And have none coming in. Yes, I know Perry could be one, but am also pretty confident he won't play much as a FR.
As for the PF that Crean says we need, that could be Theiro, it could be Z (if we added a C). I'm not disagreeing that an addition like that would be helpful, it would, but is not as critical as us getting/replacing our good 3pt shooters.
Speaking of Bruiser.
What do we think Bruiser "has on" Cal. It must be something big.
Oh, forgot Larry Brown. What is he... 85 yrs old now? I'm sure he is re-enforcing Cal's 90s style basketball.
Maybe you just haven't tried the right diet root beer. Stewart's Diet Root Beer is the bomb.
Funny we haven't even contacted the Drexel guy that FL is going after hard. He is just one of the very best defensive bigs in the country that could help us not get pushed around inside. We whined about that all year of getting pushed around. Now that a guy like this is available we are nowhere to be seen.
I think Big Z and probably Ugonna could become the type of Center that can hold his own against the big physical grown men every SEC team seems to have. They have the bodies for it, assuming they put in the work this offseason. If not them, however, then I agree that UK needs a Big like that who ALSO has good hands.
UGO maybe, Z that's just not his game. Z can help but he will get pushed all over the place
You may be right, Doc. But I always thought Z had the body (lower body especially) to put on muscle that would enhance his game even more. I just don't think that having skills means a player can't also be physical.
If Edwards came back, I’d expect him to have a solid 3 point percentage. He greatly improved his shot over the season once his confidence improved
i actually do love me some diet root beer!! lol. in fact to me it's the only diet drink that actually very much resembles an original non diet version.Maybe you just haven't tried the right diet root beer. Stewart's Diet Root Beer is the bomb.
What's up with most on this board thinking DJ is on the roster next year? I don't think he will be and I hope that he isn't. Now that the Edwards domino has fallen, I'll share my thoughts. Unfortunately, it's going to be another bad roster under a washed-up coach:
PG Fland
SG Richmond
SF Knox
PF Thiero
C Big Z
Bench: JQ, Perry, Burks, Somto
That's 9 guys without any portal players mentioned. If I'm wrong about Adou and Wagner, this roster gets even worse. DJ Wagner returning and Thiero departing would be an absolute disaster. Also, decent chance Big Z takes off if he gets an NBA team to promise a roster spot.
Now, tell me what portal guys want to come given Cal's track record of playing undeserving freshmen over experienced guys? I believe some will come, but not the best ones out there. And are we running 9-10 guys again? That's not what final four teams did last year or this year.
PG Fland
SG Richmond
SF Knox
PF Thiero
C Big Z
Bench: JQ, Perry, Burks, Somto
That's 9 guys without any portal players mentioned. If I'm wrong about Adou and Wagner, this roster gets even worse. DJ Wagner returning and Thiero departing would be an absolute disaster. Also, decent chance Big Z takes off if he gets an NBA team to promise a roster spot.
Now, tell me what portal guys want to come given Cal's track record of playing undeserving freshmen over experienced guys? I believe some will come, but not the best ones out there. And are we running 9-10 guys again? That's not what final four teams did last year or this year.
I'm a big Z fan and would love to see him return, just don't see him ever being a physical player. He has plenty enough skills to be effective. Another year here and we might see a whole different player.
I really don't want Onyenso or Bradshaw to be the only big to return if that means Calipari will play Quaintance at the 4. With Ivisic, Quaintance wouldn't be too bad playing the 4.
We are in a poor situation where the guys likely to return don't fit well with the freshmen coming in, or between themselves:
Onyenso - Quaintance, Cyril
Bradshaw - Quaintance, Cyril
Wagner - Fland
Knox - Richmond
It's really Sheppard and Ivisic or bust in terms of getting back useful pieces that Calipari might use correctly.
We are in a poor situation where the guys likely to return don't fit well with the freshmen coming in, or between themselves:
Onyenso - Quaintance, Cyril
Bradshaw - Quaintance, Cyril
Wagner - Fland
Knox - Richmond
It's really Sheppard and Ivisic or bust in terms of getting back useful pieces that Calipari might use correctly.
Definitely agree about Sheppard. We really need him back if we truly want to be a contender. He brings so much more to the table than Wagner and fits better with Fland.
Ivisic should be a good complement to Quaintance. Both can play the 4 or 5 offensively, from what I’ve seen of them. Ivisic might actually be the 4 when they are on the floor together.
If those two came back, my biggest concern would be the 3 spot. Not real comfortable with Knox and Richmond there. Would like to add a portal guy here. But it needs to be lockdown defender. We desperately need that kind of guy.
But the key is getting Sheppard back. The whole season really hinges on his decision, IMHO. He’s the difference between being mediocre and great. We are likely a bubble team if he bolts.
