At this point, who comes back next season?
- Thread starter NociHTTP
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Just assume everyone is leaving and be pleasantly surprised by whoever comes back.
Bradshaw needs to return but I think he is gone. I agree with Edwards but I believe he will leave also.
Agree. There have been a handful that stick around for a second year...but not many. My opinion is that if you are guaranteed a multi-million contract, you take it...no second thought. Unless your daddy is Jeff Bezos.
Edwards
Wagner
Reed
Rob
Aaron
Tre (grad)
Toni (grad)
Ugo
Adou
Z
The only one I'm sure is a lottery pick is Dillingham so I'd say he is gone for sure along with Reeves and Mitchell.
I'm sure Bradshaw is a 1st round pick and is likely gone. Sheppard is at least a near lottery pick but his NIL money might be unprecedented so I could see him coming back.
I don't see Wagner or Edwards being a 1st round pick so both should come back but neither are real likely to come back. I think if neither are projected as 1st round picks when it comes time to decide Wagner is the more likely to return(and a starting backcourt of him and Sheppard next year would be college basketball's best backcourt by a wide margin).
I'm sure Bradshaw is a 1st round pick and is likely gone. Sheppard is at least a near lottery pick but his NIL money might be unprecedented so I could see him coming back.
I don't see Wagner or Edwards being a 1st round pick so both should come back but neither are real likely to come back. I think if neither are projected as 1st round picks when it comes time to decide Wagner is the more likely to return(and a starting backcourt of him and Sheppard next year would be college basketball's best backcourt by a wide margin).
I agree with this... Reed is from a smart family and will stay and be a 1st maybe top 20 next year. International players and such will keep him out of lottery this year but a all American next year and a top 20 pick.
Agree except for the last sentence. I just haven’t seen Edwards’ “guard skills”. His handle is loose, he cannot finish in traffic and can’t guard anybody. But he’ll leave, no doubt.
But for what reason exactly? If he's a projected first round pick there's no reason for him to come back to "play better". He can work on playing better in the NBA while they pay him a few million dollars a year minimum.
Anyone expecting any player to return. My question for you would be. Have you not learned anything about following Kentucky the last decade plus?
Expect nobody to return. Then you won't be letdown.
Likely a couple guys will. Highly doubt more than three do. Highly doubt more than one of the top 7 do. With a very good chance that none of the top 7 do.
We will not see a offence like this again for a long time. So enjoy it now. Hopefully the defense will improve enough to make this team a legit title contender.
Expect nobody to return. Then you won't be letdown.
Likely a couple guys will. Highly doubt more than three do. Highly doubt more than one of the top 7 do. With a very good chance that none of the top 7 do.
We will not see a offence like this again for a long time. So enjoy it now. Hopefully the defense will improve enough to make this team a legit title contender.
By end of season I see DJ climbing the draft boards. He's playing so much better already and seeing work he's put in show in results. He's tough and really see improvement in shot selection/form on the jumper.
I get feeling Reed will be back next year.
The guy who could take this team next level if he breaks through is Edwards and I've seen some glimpses of him stepping forward with effort improved defensively and not getting caught up in missed shots effective his total game. He would be fantastic as a Soph player but as many have said, I'm not expecting that but man if he did-he'd be a catalyst and think he'd relax a bit and improve this year. So many guys come here expecting to be 1 and done-that they add pressure. I view Edwards as a normal FR and if he went the PJ/Quickley route it would help him/his Pro career and think it would relax/help him this year too but we know how this usually goes.
I get feeling Reed will be back next year.
The guy who could take this team next level if he breaks through is Edwards and I've seen some glimpses of him stepping forward with effort improved defensively and not getting caught up in missed shots effective his total game. He would be fantastic as a Soph player but as many have said, I'm not expecting that but man if he did-he'd be a catalyst and think he'd relax a bit and improve this year. So many guys come here expecting to be 1 and done-that they add pressure. I view Edwards as a normal FR and if he went the PJ/Quickley route it would help him/his Pro career and think it would relax/help him this year too but we know how this usually goes.
Totally reasonable. But I also think we have to shape our minds around the event differently than we have. I don't know if we as fans have been conditioned to expect more or if we have been bred impatient or what. But this past off season some of our fans were adamant that they did not want reeves back (insane isn't it?). Some had the same feeling towards Oscar. We should count any returnees as a blessing. Cal has a good staff right now and I believe they should be trusted to develop these kids. But they can't develop if we run them off.
Exactly... Make it easy and just list the one or two guys that might come back. Rinse & repeat. This what I can't stand about our coach. We are never going to have enough home-grown experienced players as long as he is here.
You have no clue if that's true or not, so don't speak in definitives when your ammunition for a definitive is a subjective analysis. None of us know how those guys might have been if they turned in a longer tenure at Kentucky. Sometimes it's all about opportunity and which NBA franchise is willing to give you that opportunity. James Young is a great example of that. Because he was drafted 17th, Boston was willing to give him an extra year or two to see how he would develop. They invested a higher draft pick in him and that bought him more time.
If Archie Goodwin, for example, comes back for a season and ends up in the lottery instead of as a 29th pick, maybe Phoenix gives him an extra year or two. So the player is helped and so is Kentucky in such a scenario. That probably would have been true for about half of the guys I listed.
I am hoping Sheppard comes back. He’s not a typical Cal player, so it’s possible.
I really believe that next season hinges upon him returning. If he comes back, we are a legit contender. I mean, likely the favorite and he will likely be the favorite for NPOY.
I think Thiero, Onyenso, Burks, and Hart will return.
Then we have Fland, Perry, Richmond, Quaintance, and Cyril.
That’s enough to contend, but I think we add at least one more wing (Knox, most likely).
Even with no one else added, we are in good shape, as long as Sheppard returns.
Rotation
G Sheppard
G Fland
G Thiero
F Quaintance
F Onyenso
6 Burks
7 Richmond
8 Cyril
9 Perry
Add a 5-star wing like Knox, a reclass like Peterson or Jasper Johnson, or maybe a portal guard/wing and we are in even better shape.
I really believe that next season hinges upon him returning. If he comes back, we are a legit contender. I mean, likely the favorite and he will likely be the favorite for NPOY.
I think Thiero, Onyenso, Burks, and Hart will return.
Then we have Fland, Perry, Richmond, Quaintance, and Cyril.
That’s enough to contend, but I think we add at least one more wing (Knox, most likely).
Even with no one else added, we are in good shape, as long as Sheppard returns.
Rotation
G Sheppard
G Fland
G Thiero
F Quaintance
F Onyenso
6 Burks
7 Richmond
8 Cyril
9 Perry
Add a 5-star wing like Knox, a reclass like Peterson or Jasper Johnson, or maybe a portal guard/wing and we are in even better shape.
I hope you’re right but I expect at least one of the players that should come back to hit the transfer portal. But I also believe Reed will be back next year. Dillingham, Wagner, Edwards and Bradshaw gone regardless of their projected draft position imo
As long as Sheppard comes back, losing a player or two to transfer won’t hurt too bad.
I don’t figure Thiero will leave given that he should have an expanded role next season.
If Onyenso leaves, we still have plenty of size with Quaintance and Cyril.
Hart probably won’t play much anyway, so losing him won’t be a huge blow.
Burks is probably the guy with the biggest decision to make. His role could grow next season or he might be pushed further down the bench depending on who else stays or who else we get.
He’s probably a second rounder tbh. I don’t know where this lottery hype comes from but I don’t see it. I see a guy who plays a great college game right now but not a high draft pick.
He has potential to improve and that's what the NBA drafts on. He wouldn't be playing a guard in the NBA but I have seen way worse SF handles at this point in their careers.
