Calipari recruit that surprised you the most?

[HoptownCat93]

Every year we get big names, but has there been a player you overlooked and they turned out to be pleasant surprises their Freshman year and way better than you thought they would be?

I will say Willie Cauley Stein. I knew we brought him in as an athletic center, but did not realize how dominant he could be until the season began. I did not see him becoming a top player on the team that season, with Nerlens and Poy I was not really expecting much from WCS. The team did not do well that Freshman year, but Willie was a bright spot during that florida game where he had 4 fouls down the stretch and we still held them scoreless for 7+ minutes.

Others that could be surprises are Booker, Hawkins(Great D during the tourney run), and Bledsoe.

 

[NothinButNylon]

This will be my answer this time next year:

I would have to say Bam. I was really impressed with him his freshman year, but Holy Cow!! Who would have thought he would do what he's done this year! It's always nice to have a sophomore that averages a double double each night like he did. I loved watching him play his natural position as a 4 with Bamba as the 5. This combo is the main reason we took home # 9 this year. So glad Cal got his 2nd title and a big Thank You to Bam and look forward to him being picked in the top 10 in the 2018 draft.

 

[WildMoon]

I see two terrible answers so far.

 

[Cardsstink]

Tyler

 

[WildMoon]

Tyler

That's a good one.

Also Lamb is another.

 

[NCukcat62]

Honestly, Lamb. He had ice in his veins when shooting it. I knew he was a good player but man he was awesome to watch. 2012 was just a great great team.

 

[WitnessGreatness]

Devin Booker

 

[kev69]

Ulis....Willis

 

[Lempface]

Jamal Dobson.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Eric Bledsoe. Nobody expected to see him as a first round draft pick one and one, and now playing well in the nba

 

[blubo]

Booker and ulis in the best of ways.

Skal and harrow in the worst way.

 

[NothinButNylon]

I see two terrible answers so far.

So it wouldn't be a pleasant surprise to you if Bam returned for his sophomore year??

 

[caneintally]

Booker and ulis in the best of ways.

Skal and harrow in the worst way.

You must mean NBA booker as college booker was good but not great. My answer would have to be AD.I know that seems wierd but I had no idea he would be maybe at worst the 2nd best player ever to play at UK . I am too young to know of Issel but everybody says he was the best so lets say AD is #2. Ulis would be right behind him.

 

[kev69]

You must mean NBA booker as college booker was good but not great. My answer would have to be AD.I know that seems wierd but I had no idea he would be maybe at worst the 2nd best player ever to play at UK . I am too young to know of Issel but everybody says he was the best so lets say AD is #2. Ulis would be right behind him.

Great point.
Booker was a solid contributor for us, but he's a star in the NBA.

 

[blubo]

You must mean NBA booker as college booker was good but not great. My answer would have to be AD.I know that seems wierd but I had no idea he would be maybe at worst the 2nd best player ever to play at UK . I am too young to know of Issel but everybody says he was the best so lets say AD is #2. Ulis would be right behind him.

I mean the uk booker. he came in a 4star recruit who i thought would be a multi year player, but turned out to be a high percentage shooter that made him a first rounder.

Never being a fan of undersized pt guards, i was totally skeptical of ulis coming in. nothing else i can say about that.

 

[mj2k10]

Bledsoe, then Booker.

Bledsoe because he was such a freak athlete, and a ball of muscle to boot. Hard to believe that everyone missed so badly on a guy with those kinds of physical gifts. Booker was obviously a lot more well-known than Bledsoe, but what you usually expect from shooters rated outside the top 20 are guys with somewhat limited overall skills, and some physical limitations (see James Blackmon for a great example). That was NOT Booker, from the moment he stepped on the court for UK. He's not an elite athlete, but everything else was there.

On the negative side, it was hard not to be surprised with how much Skal struggled. There were some clear red flags, but he seemed like such a fluid athlete, with such a good stroke, that I figured "struggling" would mean at worst 11-12 ppg, 6-7 rebounds, a lot of blocks.

 

[ORCAT10]

Tyler

 

[cal=8]

I was surprised and impressed at how well Hawkins played during the SEC and NCAA tournaments this year. He really stepped his game up with that floater and his outside shooting. Huge player for us!

 

[CELTICAT]

Skal. Easily.

 

[cawoodsct]

Knox

 

[BleedinBlue85]

Stacey Poole. All I can say is wow. Him and his brother both were turds

 

[drainthatub]

Towns. Knew he'd be pretty good, but was even better than I ever would have thought.

 

[drcats2013]

Hawkins. Never thought he'd be as important as he was for us. Dude can ball.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Towns. Knew he'd be pretty good, but was even better than I ever would have thought.

How ya been drain?

 

[drainthatub]

How ya been drain?

Sky blue. Meant to add to my original post that since his walk was known to be slow, he impressed me even more.

 

[Jbapp1978]

Every year we get big names, but has there been a player you overlooked and they turned out to be pleasant surprises their Freshman year and way better than you thought they would be?

I will say Willie Cauley Stein. I knew we brought him in as an athletic center, but did not realize how dominant he could be until the season began. I did not see him becoming a top player on the team that season, with Nerlens and Poy I was not really expecting much from WCS. The team did not do well that Freshman year, but Willie was a bright spot during that florida game where he had 4 fouls down the stretch and we still held them scoreless for 7+ minutes.

Others that could be surprises are Booker, Hawkins(Great D during the tourney run), and Bledsoe.

Also live in Hoptown. What year did you graduate?

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Sky blue. Meant to add to my original post that since his walk was known to be slow, he impressed me even more.

Lol the first person to post in his threads he makes a point to ask them how they've been, even if it's an enemy he asks

 

[morgousky]

none really, but I did however give Cal a ton of praise for recruiting Harrow in a class where I though guards weren't that great. I just kept thinking "blue chip point guard transfer in a class of crap guards". BRILLIANT!!

 

[drainthatub]

Lol the first person to post in his threads he makes a point to ask them how they've been, even if it's an enemy he asks

Or he says "that's why u on ignore bro. Have a good one." If he really doesn't like you. Trips me out every time lol

 

[EvilMD]

Skal. Thought he was another Tayshaun, only taller. Boy were we wrong.

 

[YouKay]

Tyler Ulis. Who would believe he would be the first of Cal's great point guards to win the Cousy Award?

 

[usinfantrycat85]

I have to say Brandon Knight. I know he was a top guard but still one of my favorite tournament players of all time...The player I say Coach got the most out of is Jorts..the biggest flop is either Orton or Skal

 

[AndreDaBossManMaGee]

Unless I overlooked anyone's answer. Um. Can anyone say MARCUS LEE!!?? Can't believe I hadn't seen him posted as he was the most surprising of all IMO.

 

[Bobcat94]

Definitely Ulis in the best way. If you would have told me he would be drafted after 2 years and only 5'8 with average athleticism I would have thought you was crazy. Kid is the best floor general I've ever seen. The worst surprise was Skal. I actually thought he would be the best scoring big we've had under Calipari.

 

[OldEvilleCat]

...Jon Hood. Surprised Cal would recruit him with no intention of ever really using him. He just always seemed to be the odd man out every year.

Got him a front row seat for 5 years though. I'm not hatin', just envious.

If Cal admires loyalty as much as he claims to, then JH should be one of his favorites.

 

[mj2k10]

...Jon Hood. Surprised Cal would recruit him with no intention of ever really using him. He just always seemed to be the odd man out every year.

Got him a front row seat for 5 years though. I'm not hatin', just envious.

If Cal admires loyalty as much as he claims to, then JH should be one of his favorites.

Cal didn't recruit Jon Hood. He inherited Hood, and honored the commitment to keep the yahoo portion of the fan base mollified.

Hood was the odd man out because he wasn't very good, at least by the standard of UK rosters while he was here. Jarrod Polson was a better player, and he got 738 minutes of PT from 12-13 through 13-14.

 

[jwhite123]

James Young and how he fell almost 10 times more than Bledsoe did. I didn't think anyone could fall down during a game more than Bledsoe.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

When we got WCS, I never dreamed he'd be as good as he turned out to be. I pictured him coloring on the sidewalk listening to headphones in his own world. Kid was different. Then / stud. This block was epic:

 

[OldEvilleCat]

Cal didn't recruit Jon Hood. He inherited Hood, and honored the commitment to keep the yahoo portion of the fan base mollified.

Hood was the odd man out because he wasn't very good, at least by the standard of UK rosters while he was here. Jarrod Polson was a better player, and he got 738 minutes of PT from 12-13 through 13-14.

You sir...are correct on all accounts. I forgot he had already committed prior to Cal's hire. Maybe I meant I was surprised Cal kept him on the team for as long as he did...?

 

[Bkocats]

Booker and ulis in the best of ways.

Skal and harrow in the worst way.

actually I don't think Harrow was that much of a surprise
with everything that happened with his Dad just before the season - and, I think, he was prepared to be a back up pg, rather than the starter. (I will believe forever that Cal expected Teague to return, and encouraged him to). Too much pressure with too much outside stress.

JMO