Ben Roberts: Kentucky finds itself in an odd place on the national basketball recruiting landscape

[Deli owl]

I don't think anyone is saying it would have happened without AD. 2012 was a great mix of highly talented freshmen and great depth and experience from returning players.

I believe the reality is that a freshmen focused team, no matter how talented will not be able to sustain 6 tournament wins against increasingly talented teams.

You have to have a mix of guys who have been there before and can consistently deliver. We had a veteran POY on last years team and without a supporting cast, it resulted in one of the most embarrassing losses of the program

Every program has embarrassing losses. UK will have more over the years.

freshman focused teams have done it twice so far and it’s a relatively new concept in the grand scheme of things. There’s also a limited number of top quality freshman that can do it and not every year.

Transfers can be sketchy as well. We’ve had some very mediocre and inconsistent transfer that our fans thought would put us over the top. Not all but most either go to a small school for a reason or are late developers.

our fans are Bi-Polar. They want 3-4 year starters and if they don’t look good after a year or two they want them out.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

It’s only plain as day to those that think they know what they are talking about and you obviously don’t. Recruiting rankings are based on the number of recruits you bring in. Cal just simply didn’t return as many upperclassman in the past as he did this upcoming year. If UK would have signed the normal 5 or so man class they would be in the top 2 as usual. It’s not rocket science. Maybe to you it is. You can either have experience or top ranked recruiting classes. Can’t have it both ways

Lmao Good Lord. We have 3 scholarship openings right now. Did you miss that? Furthermore, you can absolutely have it both ways.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I like the idea of adding Dillingham to the current roster, since he has to (unless the rules don’t matter again) stay for two years. He can learn and play limited minutes and if he is good enough to help us year one, fine, but if not, no worries, he shouldn’t be looking to transfer and can’t go pro.

I would also like for Cal to add a 12th player. Maybe a project recruit or a project transfer with multiple years left. Someone promising like Toppin when he came in, that isn’t expecting to go to the pros after one season. Someone who can be developed.

That is what we need, IMHO.

 

[TankedCat]

our fans are Bi-Polar. They want 3-4 year starters and if they don’t look good after a year or two they want them out.

I don't

 

[CB3UK]

I agree with that approach IF we are getting the transfers we want, which doesn't appear to be happening.

The best option is for Cal to develop a strong bench of players that stay until their Jr or Sr year and don't feel pressured to contribute.

Unfortunately Cal has no ability to do this with any regularity, nor do I think he has any interest in doing what it would take to make it part of the program.

Usually we agree on this stuff, but it's 2022. I want us to build a roster exactly as you say. But we can't. NIL and the new transfer rules and all that crap, Cal can't keep guys here that long. It blows.

 

[JJBlue06]

We still eat first. Cal just decided he wasn't hungry.

He’s just intermittent fasting to load up in 2023z

 

[TankedCat]

Usually we agree on this stuff, but it's 2022. I want us to build a roster exactly as you say. But we can't. NIL and the new transfer rules and all that crap, Cal can't keep guys here that long. It blows.

He's never tried to keep guys. He has been convinced they are an easily replaced commodity in his quest to a team of newcomers to win a title and go undefeated.

 

[CB3UK]

He's never tried to keep guys. He has been convinced they are an easily replaced commodity in his quest to a team of newcomers to win a title and go undefeated.

I'm saying even if he tries to in today's environment, he can't. Who the hell transfers after their junior year as a starter? Keion did. It's just the shitty nature of college basketball these days. I care less and less every passing season.

 

[yoshukai]

Jones begged Cal to come back and said he wasn’t ready. Lamb never would be ready.

I don’t believe the first part and Lamb left the first year there wasn’t an nba lockout.

 

[Deli owl]

I don’t believe the first part and Lamb left the first year there wasn’t an nba lockout.

It’s documented and there’s no evidence of the second.

 

[Deli owl]

I don't

Yeah it’s not an absolute thing. Come on you read here. Look at Brooks and what half the people are saying.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Well yeah , probably everyone would. But Oscar is a unicorn. We haven’t gotten anyone else in the same stratosphere as Oscar from the transfer portal, and we probably won’t ever again.

Probably the next player of the year isn't going to be in the portal on a regular basis and even if lightening struck more often than anyone would ever guess we aren't going to fish them out everytime.

This surprises very few I'd imagine.

You can find seasoned solid contributors, even decent to good starters fairly often though, which I thought was the main point not expecting superstars one after the other (if ever at all) by any stretch.

Especially for big guys my optimistic high side expectations are more like Reid Travis and that is pushing it. Guards though seem like fair fishing but you're going to have to recruit your studs and surround them with some experience if you can.

 

[TankedCat]

Yeah it’s not an absolute thing. Come on you read here. Look at Brooks and what half the people are saying.

but ask yourself why is that? Was this a thing with UK fans before Cal came here?

The coach sees these guys as disposable. He's created an environment where if they don't leave after the first year, they are a failure or a misfit

 

[Deli owl]

but ask yourself why is that? Was this a thing with UK fans before Cal came here?

The coach sees these guys as disposable. He's created an environment where if they don't leave after the first year, they are a failure or a misfit

I think it is a relative new thing since the one and done. Expectations are pros or bust now most times. Although some issues even back to Joe B existed in different ways. The old joke about people robbing a bank and Joe telling his guards not to shoot. Every coach has had their criticisms including Rupp. Now social media just makes it stupidly over the top.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

The whole thing with Brooks was more about Cal than it was Brooks. Cal was loyal to that dude to a fault. So much so that it cost us several games, St. Peters being one in particular. You can’t just keep playing a guy regardless of how little they produce and/or how much they hurt the team. It was a detriment.

 

[yoshukai]

It’s documented and there’s no evidence of the second.

Bullshit . Prove it .

 

[Deli owl]

Bullshit . Prove it .

You can google if interested. Seek out facts that you don’t know. I don’t work for you.

 

[yoshukai]

You can google if interested. Seek out facts that you don’t know. I don’t work for you.

Sur thing skippy . It’s because you can’t . You’re full of bullshit.

 

[Deli owl]

Sur thing skippy . It’s because you can’t . You’re full of bullshit.

Your a lazy ass. No mention of lock out anywhere in first two searches.

don’t be lazy all your life with no effort at all.

 

[Deli owl]

https://247sports.com/college/kentucky/Board/296/Contents/-Terrence-Jones-returning-to-UK--3176736/

 

[Deli owl]

http://m.espn.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=katz_andy&id=6656685&src=desktop

 

[yoshukai]

Your a lazy ass. No mention of lock out anywhere in first two searches.

don’t be lazy all your life with no effort at all.

Burden of proof was on you Skippy. He wasn’t going to come out say “ I can’t leave because of the lockout “ . Only a total idiot like yourself would expect that. And Lamb HATED school and was destined to leave as soon as he could. The lockout kept him in school one year longer than planned. Regardless, when your god Cal rides off into the sunset , he will have ONE championship and it is directly because of his “relationship” with WWW along the nba lockout year . He will also have TWO vacated final fours .

 

[Deli owl]

Burden of proof was on you Skippy. He wasn’t going to come out say “ I can’t leave because of the lockout “ . Only a total idiot like yourself would expect that. And Lamb HATED school and was destined to leave as soon as he could. The lockout kept him in school one year longer than planned. Regardless, when your god Cal rides off into the sunset , he will have ONE championship and it is directly because of his “relationship” with WWW along the nba lockout year . He will also have TWO vacated final fours .

You just make up stuff. Hahahah. Good luck with that.