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Cal on Onyenso Next Year

Gonna hit the portal second the season ends.
No he's not (probably, in this day you can't be 100% about anyone, but he's as sure a thing to return as anyone).

Why?
1) he came here a year early, too late for the Bahamas trip, backing up the returning NPOY, saying he didn't even know if he would play or not this year. So he did not arrive with any expectations to play significant minutes.
2) yes he flashed very good potential vs undersized mid-major cupcakes, but was pushed around enough by the P5 big guys (& I'm sure by Oscar everyday) to be obvious to himself that he needs to get stronger
3) he has shown no obvious dissatisfaction with his PT
4) I'm sure after our final game Cal will sit down with each player, say what they need to work on and what he expects from them next year if they put in the work. And from this it appears Cal expects very good things from him, which he will surely like hearing.

And I've been wanting to see UKO play more all year, really like his potential, and he does something this team has really needed, even if he does have other weaknesses.
So I've been a big advocate saying that UKO will probably START next year at the 5 for us over Bradshaw. Although I guess Collins is a possibility too. I could see all 3 in 10-22mpg range, obviously the average of the 3 is lower (13.3mpg) unless Collins plays some 4, which he probably will do unless we add a transfer PF. I do think Edwards and Livingston will be our 3/4 pair, interchangeably.
 
Next year! Next year!

Trying to keep him from entering the portal

He’s so important for next year. Can’t play him this year, but wait until next year

I’ll play him with a vengeance!!!

You do realize (actually probably not as you don't seem very bright) that some players aren't ready to play one year but can work at it and be ready to play the next year, right?
 
Reeks of Cal scared as hell that he’s portal bound. Recruiting him already. Would not be surprised at all. Needed minutes all season. Rim protection makes this team completely different.
Yep, COW knows there might be a mass exodus if we lose to Providence, so needs to put these feelers out prior to Friday. He already did one for Thiero, so I'd say that Collins might be next.
 
We have 3 centers on the roster, one of which was the NPOTY last season.

If we want every player to get minutes so that they can develop, it will be at the cost of wins. How many of us were ok with the results early in the season when we were playing all our guys?
 
He’s recruiting him again. Once again Calipari can’t manage his roster. Ugonna should have gotten some kind of cleanup minutes this season in games. Instead Calipari still does the same old nonsense, tried to wiggle his roster down to peanuts, resulting in transfers because players don’t know where they stand in his system while he’s constantly recruiting other players and sitting the current “outside the Calipari 6” on the bench.

He still runs his teams like it’s 2006, on the court and In games.
 
Cal’s roster management has become criminal. The fact that this kid, or thiero, or Collins, couldn’t consistently get 10-15 minutes a night for development purposes is a damn shame. And I’m sure at least one will transfer because of it. Wash, rinse, repeat next year.
 
I don't try to read between the lines of Ugo is leaving and Cal is re recruiting him.

But of all the Crap Cal does....I don't give him a ton of grief over Ugo's minutes. Oscar deserved 32 minutes a game. Warts and all...I'm not benching him for Ugo/Ware. That would have lost more games and we needed to win more than anything.

So the question is....Ware or Ugo?
1. Ugo has more potential....but for this year...Ware is better player.
2. Ugo was not good in pick and rolls when he played early in the season. His feet/reaction just aren't top notch yet. Maybe his reaction time would be better with more experience.....but early in season....Oscar has never been good at pick and roll situations....Ugo was a bit worse IMO.
3. Lance is a good bit better than Oscar and even moreso than UGo in pick and roll defense.
4. Lance has the worst offensive tool set of Oscar, Ugo and himself.....but I'd argue we don't need to focus on getting offense from the 5 spot (maybe that is wrong) but we needed to not break down so much defensively in those 8 - 10 minutes Oscar rested.

I think Ugo sees ton of minutes at UK next year at the 5....Oscar is gone and we all know Ware can't play more than 15 minutes a game (I hope Cal knows this).
 
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I’d be 2.5 points. 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks happy that I gave up my senior prom for this. That is, until conference play rolled around.
 
Onyenso will be raw as a roadside rack of roadkill ribs... now maybe Collins for rim protector and rebounds wouldn't need his scoring much with Reeves and other guys back.
 
You guys act like every coach isn't having to re-recruit every player they have since the transfer portal hit.

This isn't just a Cal thing. This is college basketball now.
 
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