I'll be truly surprised if JQ isn't physically near 100% by then. Maybe not 100% overall...but unless something is wrong, his knee should be fine in 9 months, conservatively. Based on my 3 knee surgeries, he could be in the gym tomorrow shooting FT's. That's a long way from ready to go but still good for him in short bits.
Brandon Garrison is returning to Kentucky
- Thread starter shaudyshaud
- Start date
The frontcourt rotation will be decided in practice, for example, if moreno performs better than Garrison/big j, he has no reason to get 0 minutes
Put the best 4 in rotation
This would be toward the end of the year. I expect him to get minutes at the beginning. If he is good enough to demand minutes, I'd love it, but he's competing against a top 10 pick in JQ and a Junior former MCDAA in Garrison.
I believe Pope saw up close what it takes to win in this league and he’s smart enough to build that team.
Boo!
You took the easy way out on your answer.
We all know this to be true.
What I was asking was for you to predict how you think it will play out.
LOL!
Hard to guess
I think JQ, Mo and Big J are best there
Not sure if Garrison is better than Moreno
If I have to predict, I think Moreno will be 5th frontcourt player
If Moreno is as good as reported, he'll get the kind of minutes Chandler got this year. Without looking, I'd say 12-15 minutes in conference. Of course barring injury or something stupid. I hope he's good enough for more but I think I'm being optimistic enough already. Every single freshmen needs to grow into their spot, even AD or John Wall types improve over that first year, almost without exception. I can't think of any.
I think the battle is going to be whether Jelavic or Moreno better fits into the rotation or is more ready to contribute.
He could be a monster next year. Our front court is gonna have some nice practices
I'm glad the tea leaves we were reading were incorrect. Garrison may not start but he will play, a lot. And his experience, going through an entire season at UK, will be very valuable to this team. I like the pieces we have. It's looking good. 👌
If it happens, I'll be happy for him, but I think he's going to need some time to develop. I think he's going to struggle defending in the PnR and on switches. I see his trajectory to be similar to Nick Richards, though maybe slightly more accelerated.
I’ve always expected Moreno to be a 2-3 year player for us.
Love the maglorie comparison, we need an enforcer and big with some attitude in the paint. Hopefully he learns when to use it and when to dial it back but glad he’s back and hoping to see a huge improvement over the summer.
I hope you're right, BPC. BG seemed, to me, to come in last season with a feeling of entitlement. It always seemed to me that he was dissatisfied with his playing time. It also always seemed to me that he thought too much of his own game. If he comes in showing some humility and team orientation in 2025-26 ... I'll respect that !
Go 'Cats !
This. You need an enforce, a junk yard dawg type. The 2025-2026 team needs to be a lot tougher. BG can set the tone. He just didn't have enough toughness around him last year.
As long as we have Garrison, JQ is strictly an upside play. There's zero risk. The original plan at Center was Garrison. If JQ can't play or isn't as effective coming back--the plan is Garrison. But assuming/hoping he's 100%--well, now you're stupid good at that position with those 2 guys.
Moreno is a freshmen that's never played CBB, let alone the grown men in the SEC. I hope he's an AP All-American and goes top 5 in the draft. We'd have to be the best team in the country if our 3rd center does that. But I'm not counting on him being anywhere near that good year 1. And the good news is, under Pope, we don't have to. We can treat the freshmen like freshmen. They don't have to carry the entire team.
BG--for all the $hit people can say about him--is an SEC player. He's got the size and strength . He's got the toughness both mentally and physically. He makes some mental mistakes. If he can cut those down, the ceiling is the roof.
Waiting didn't hurt Nazr Mohammed, who went on to play almost two decades in the NBA, surpassing guys like Delk, Anderson, Mercer, and even Walker in terms of pro longevity.
Moreno will come back as a sophomore and be one of our better players. Same with Jasper Johnson.
Pope is building a system, filled with something Calipari was never willing to give our program: player retention.
"If you want to help my family, come back.
If you want to help your family, go ahead and go 2nd round so I can give your scholarship to the next freshman who won't be as good as advertised.
Actually, please don't help my family. I'm stealing 8 million a year from UK to put you kids in the draft. Just go ahead and go."
With respect to BG as "an enforcer" ... my father was a pretty tough guy; college football and basketball during the Great Depression; journeyman iron worker after college because that was the best money; landed on Omaha Beach at about 7:30 a.m., 6-6-1944; etc. finally became a successful lawyer; had three literal fist-fights that I know of in his late thirties. He told me, "Son, if you never have a fight in your life, that's OK ... I've had enough for both of us." He always told me not to worry about "the guys that you could hear" (i.e., a guy that was runnin' his mouth). He said they were almost always all mouth. He always said it's the ones you can't hear comin' that you need to watch out for. I think BG is the kind that my father wouldn't have been too worried about. Just MHO, of course.
I just worry that Moreno may not be ready year 1.
He's a top 30 recruit. The upside is obvious.
But we've seen top 30 freshman come in and not be starter material or even playable year 1. Nick Richards was #15 overall coming out of high school, and didn't make the jump until his Jr. year. If Moreno is good enough, then he'll play year 1 regardless. Cream rises. I hope he he's great from the jump. I'm just not confident in it.
I like that Pope is loading up on raw talent at the position. He's got a Center from each of the last 3 McDonald's All-Americans. He's really minimized risk and maximized the odds that 1 guy breaks out. If JQ's knee is 100% after rehab, forget about it. BG is a Junior and primed for a breakout. Moreno has elite upside.
What I love about Pope's plan for retention is that even if 80% of his guys next year decide to stay, he's still in a position where he's bringing back 7 or 8 guys.
Lowe
Chandler
Perry
Noah
Mo D
Williams
Garrison
Moreno
Johnson
Jelavic
Pope could lose three of those guys to the portal, and still bring back 7.
It's a far cry from the days when we knew Cal would push marginal talent out the door (Diallo, Gabriel, Hagans, Boston, Skal, Livingston, Montgomery, Orton, Dakari Johnson, Aaron Harrison, Goodwin, Briscoe, etc.).
Where does it have Garrison ranked ??
Any other Cats ranked ??
Thanks, in advance.
PG: Lowe
SG: Chandler
SF: Williams
PF: Mo
C: BG
As Juniors and Seniors, this is a top 10, maybe top 5 lineup in CBB. And then we'll add pieces.
3rd/4th year Collin Chanlder is going to be a problem. Hell, Sophomore Collin Chandler may be a problem.
I'm not even sure what to expect from Jelavic. He may start over Mo this year or next.
That group could be an elite defensive team. Bring Johnson back as your elite scorer and you're set.
Maglorie didn’t really run his mouth, he played with an edge and toughness and that’s what I & Saul are talking about. I don’t want BG talking smack the entire game or “trying” to act tough, those guys are all jokes but you can be an enforcer and not say a word or say very little. This team needs that kid of guy, never said I wanted BG out there running his mouth all the time but playing with an edge & toughness is way different than telling everyone tough you are.
The thing about Magloire is that he would elbow them right in the jaw.
Also in the neck, head, chest and back.
You can't get away with it anymore.
Boo
GBB!
This is true. But the difference is that there were zero expectations for Nazr. He was a fat unknown unranked project when recruited. Even he knew he wouldn’t play as a freshman, so nobody was disappointed by it.
For a McD AA like Moreno, being relegated to third string status will likely be a tougher pill to swallow.
I agree with you about Garrison, he has the size and skill set to become an NBA player. It’s his maturity that holds him back. I believe Pope can get him there if he listens.
Amari, Robinson, Carr, Butler, Brea in the 2nd round this year and has Quaintance going 10th next year. I haven't looked at the 2nd round of 26 yet.
I'm sure over 90% of people said the same about Richards ever turning out to be a star then too and were wrong. He deserves the chance to come back next season with an offseason to improve before people start saying what he can or can't do. He doesn't have to be a first team All-SEC to be a solid contributor. Front court players like Harrellson and even Amari Williams weren't All-SEC or anything. Still were contributors.
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He has the tools but that's not the same as saying he will be. I'm glad we get to find out.
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Not sure who "Lamar" is but Lamont Butler is a Senior and has no eligibility left. Oweh would be a complete BOOM!
