Chad Ford on Harrisons: "I don't see either player as first round prospect"

[MWes11]

If they are not first round selections, do they come back for their junior year? Chad Ford does not have them in his mock draft at all, first or second round. Granted it is still early in their sophomore year and a ton can change from now until the end of the year. But I pose the question (and might get blasted but I can take it), would you rather have a backcourt for next year of:

Ulis, Booker, Harrison, Harrison

or

Ulis, Booker, Briscoe, Newman

This post was edited on 1/7 2:32 PM by MWes11

http://ukrecruiting.bloginky.com/2015/01/07/espn-analyst-on-uks-harrison-twins-i-dont-see-either-player-as-a-first-round-prospect/

 

[Willy4UK]

Briscoe is signed.

 

[acatnamedmyra]

I don't particularly give a crap either way right now. Why do you care?

 

[caneintally]

Chad Ford is so off base sometimes its not funny. I think Andrew will be late first rounder and Aaron will early 2nd . Both are gone and wil be in the league for a long time. They just have it . what it is . they are pros.

 

[RondoBaller21]

Aaron will be a first rounder. Hes just too clutch of a shooter not to be. And last night proves my point

 

[qwesley]

I would bet they will not go in the first. IIRC, Draft Express has them in the 50-70 range.

The trend you are seeing is the reluctance for the teams in the 20's to take a guaranteed contract. This is supposed to be a decent international pool so you will likely see teams draft and stash players. The Spurs and Bulls have done very well doing this.

 

[.S&C.]

It won't matter because both will be given a good contract and will be in the league. They will both live their dream and make a killing.

There's no problems.

 

[Ron Mehico]

I hope we win the championship this year. They will get the customary deep NCAA tourney bump (Just like Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb) and then they can go live their dreams in the NBA. If aaron has anymore 26 point performances like last night he'll be just fine, and so will Andrew. But to be honest I don't really give a crap right now and I hope they don't either.

 

[caneintally]

Originally posted by .S&C.:
It won't matter because both will be given a good contract and will be in the league. They will both live their dream and make a killing.

There's no problems.

THIS . Anyone who gets either in the 2nd round ( which i think Aaron will be ) is getting a freaking steal.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Agreed, I hope they aren't paying attention to this junk. No projected draft ever mattered. The only one that matters is the actual draft, and thankfully it takes place after the NCAA tournament. Do your work, push harder and harder each day, grab that title, and the draft will take care of itself. That simple.

 

[wild mandu]

No.

 

[Smashcat]

The only one that matters is the actual draft, and thankfully it takes place after the NCAA tournament. Do your work, push harder and harder each day, grab that title, and the draft will take care of itself. That simple.

Ditto.

 

[UK90]

Oddly enough, his mediocre draft stock might be a reason why Andrew should go now. His stock has done nothing but fall since he left high school (back when he was projected as a sure lottery pick) and that trend could easily only get worse with another year.

Ulis is already pushing him and will likely only get better and take more of his time next year, PLUS we've got Isiah Briscoe coming in, who's merely the No. 1 rated point in his class.

If Andrew leaves now he'll at least get drafted (albeit it might be as a second rounder). But if he comes back and gets outshined by Ulis and Briscoe (a distinct possibility) while being a year older (which scouts hold against players), or god forbid suffers an injury, he could possibly fall out altogether.

 

[K_TIME]

Originally posted by Ron Mehico:
I hope we win the championship this year. They will get the customary deep NCAA tourney bump (Just like Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb) and then they can go live their dreams in the NBA. If aaron has anymore 26 point performances like last night he'll be just fine, and so will Andrew. But to be honest I don't really give a crap right now and I hope they don't either.

I agree with this take...A good NCAA run and team play will bump thier stocks. I don't Teague was even on a draft board to begin with this time in his 1 year at UK and NCAA run got him labeled as an "Orchestrator" that can play with bigtime players.

Aaron has been hot from 3pt line in last 4 games vs. good opponents (UNC, UCLA, UL and Ole Miss)...as he get's his 3pt % to 35% or more...he'll be lining up for a good stretch in NCAA.

 

[AnarchoNeoLuddite]

Well Ford was probably one that missed on darko or kwame brown or hasheem thabeet or joe alexander or sheldon williams or wesley johson or expe udoh and on and on it goes.

 

[chris42503]

Andrew is the better PRO prospect. I like Aaron and am glad we have him but 6'5" shooters are a dime a dozen in the league. No way Aaron is a 1st rounder.

 

[docholiday51]

Draft projections have gotten to be like bracketology,it changes on a game by game basis.I have gotten to the point that I don't pay much attention anymore,I try to live in the moment(season) with the team we have.I will cheer for whoever is here next year and wish well for those who are not.

Sometimes it seems plain (even to an average fan like me)who is ready to move on and who would benefit from more time in the college game.When players reach their highest level of draftability they should go(in some cases their game may be ready but their physical or emotional/mental developement may not be ready for the next level)

As many have said it is not all about the first contract it is more about the second one.

 

[jslash1]

Originally posted by UK90:

Originally posted by Ron Mehico:

They will get the customary deep NCAA tourney bump (Just like Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb) and then they can go live their dreams in the NBA. .

I'm sorry, but there was NO draft "tourney bump" for Teague or Lamb. Teague's a guy who'd been the No. 1 rated point projected as a lottery pick out of high school who ended up falling to very last pick of the first round--his draft stock actually dropped quite a bit during his year at UK. And Lamb ended up falling to the middle of second round after some mocks had him late first earlier in the season. The title run did not improve their projected draft positions at all.

Without that Tourney run Lamb doesn't even get drafted, don't even try and act like that run didn't help their stock.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

14-0 >Clutter

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

Ask yourself this... If you were a NBA team would you draft them?
If you would how would you play them?
Is either good enough to play?
How is Andrew going to play against the super quick guards that are outstanding athletes that he struggles so much against in college?
How is Aaron going to play against guys as tall or taller than him but much quicker at the wing?
How is either going to guard their opponent?

Personally If I was a GM I wouldn't draft either. If Aaron becomes a knock down shooter who can be dependable on the outside shot and shoots at like 50% from 3 in the SEC then he will be getting some looks as a scorer like Jodie Meeks.
Meeks was a tremendous scorer for us with a little more athletic ability than Aaron but didn't like to play D. Aaron likes to play D a little more but is not as athletic. Can Aaron score at a clip like Meeks? Maybe but I don't think he is going to this year. Meeks was a special player for us in his Junior year.

 

[Samwise Ganjee]

Clutter!

CLUTTER!!![/B]

Don't bring this stuff in here!!!

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Originally posted by *Bleedingblue*:
Ask yourself this... If you were a NBA team would you draft them?
If you would how would you play them?
Is either good enough to play?
How is Andrew going to play against the super quick guards that are outstanding athletes that he struggles so much against in college?
How is Aaron going to play against guys as tall or taller than him but much quicker at the wing?
How is either going to guard their opponent?

Personally If I was a GM I wouldn't draft either. If Aaron becomes a knock down shooter who can be dependable on the outside shot and shoots at like 50% from 3 in the SEC then he will be getting some looks as a scorer like Jodie Meeks.
Meeks was a tremendous scorer for us with a little more athletic ability than Aaron but didn't like to play D. Aaron likes to play D a little more but is not as athletic. Can Aaron score at a clip like Meeks? Maybe but I don't think he is going to this year. Meeks was a special player for us in his Junior year.

Sounds reasonable. I hope they both stay four yrs, win 3 straight titles at UK, while both entering the 1,000 point club, Aaron could end up pushing 1,500 plus points, then both graduate and end up Living Legends in the state of Kentucky.

Trust me, some UK hating GM/NBA Owner will draft one if not both just to keep that from happening...

 

[UK90]

Originally posted by jslash1:

Originally posted by UK90:

Originally posted by Ron Mehico:

They will get the customary deep NCAA tourney bump (Just like Brandon Knight and Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb) and then they can go live their dreams in the NBA. .

I'm sorry, but there was NO draft "tourney bump" for Teague or Lamb. Teague's a guy who'd been the No. 1 rated point projected as a lottery pick out of high school who ended up falling to very last pick of the first round--his draft stock actually dropped quite a bit during his year at UK. And Lamb ended up falling to the middle of second round after some mocks had him late first earlier in the season. The title run did not improve their projected draft positions at all.

Without that Tourney run Lamb doesn't even get drafted, don't even try and act like that run didn't help their stock.


I know that's what you want to believe, but you're simply wrong. At least there's no evidence to support your claim that it helped their stock. Neither guy got drafted any higher than where they were generally being projected before the tourney ...in fact they actually fell a bit from where some had previously projected them.

The whole notion of a "tourney bump" is a bit overblown. By tourney time, scouts usually already have their assessment of where these players stand based on years of data going back to HS--a couple good games in the tourney ain't likely to change their position on a player much.

Hell, a good example of that is the topic of this thread. Last year's run to the title game didn't seem to help the Harrison twins' draft stock at all, despite the fact that Aaron was the clutch hero of the run. It's as low or lower after the run as it was before.

 

[Lumpy 2]

They must have improved a lot in Ford's opinion since the UL game. After that game he said neither one would be drafted at all.

 

[DDS62]

I think Aaron has first round potential for sure, and I think Andrew would have if he would give the point to Ulis and get some experience at the two.

 

[Bank Cat]

If I had to choose, I would definitely take the exact same backcourt we have this year and have them suit up for us again next year. Not even close. I know these guys are very good and with them as juniors and seasoned sophomores? Sign me up.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Originally posted by UK90:

I know that's what you want to believe, but you're simply wrong. At least there's no evidence to support your claim that it helped their stock.

But is there viable evidence (outside of the suspect draft projections for players outside the top 20) to support your claim that the tournament run didn't help Lamb and Miller, particularly in solidifying their upward draft potential?

The reality of the draft for players projected outside the lottery is that there's a ton of uncertainty. Draft projections become largely misleading for fringe first round picks. Draft Express and other media outlets can project a player in the late first round, only to watch that same player have a bad pre-draft cramp and fall deep into the second round.

The NCAA tournament may not give a viable bump to individual players who do well, but an argument can be made that playing well in the tournament solidifies a player's standing in the eyes of NBA general managers. Obviously, it's an arbitrarily decided matter when it comes to draft stock, and mostly dependent on particular scouts and gms. It's not a definitive science, but it certainly doesn't hurt a player to perform well in the NCAA tournament.














This post was edited on 1/7 4:12 PM by Son_Of_Saul

 

[AnarchoNeoLuddite]

IF PJ Hariston can make the league Aaron Harrison can make the league. Same player.

 

[Aike]

I would be very surprised if either went undrafted. First round is a crap shoot. There are actually several 6'5" PGs on the board, so Andrew will have his work cut out for him to stand out.

Like someone else mentioned, there are 6'5" shooting guards everywhere.

I still would absolutely draft both of those guys in the second round without blinking.

 

[RondoBaller21]

Originally posted by chris42503:
Andrew is the better PRO prospect. I like Aaron and am glad we have him but 6'5" shooters are a dime a dozen in the league. No way Aaron is a 1st rounder.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Aaron has first round talent. He might not be drafted in the first round but he will be a steal in the second round and be a solid player for years in the league. Clutch shooters like him don't come around often.

 

[WallMashKyBall]

I would take Harrison, Harrison, Lamb, Harrelson and Liggins over Goodwin who got drafted first round.

We go far in tourney the UK effect should sweep both Harrisons into the draft.

 

[jslash1]

Originally posted by WallMashKyBall:
I would take Harrison, Harrison, Lamb, Harrelson and Liggins over Goodwin who got drafted first round.

We go far in tourney the UK effect should sweep both Harrisons into the draft.

But why? Archie is better than all of them. Just because you like a player based on what he brought a college team you cheer for should have nothing to do with when you would draft them.

 

[Festivus Miracle]

I agree with DDS62. Andrew could possibly be an effective 2 in the NBA. He has the body and the skills to at least make a roster in the league. Now he needs the correct position with a little better decision making skills. One way or another, I really like these kids. They chose UK. They led us to a championship game and who knows what this year. With that the case, I hope for the best for them and their families. They will always be in the UK family.

 

[Hoskins91]

I think they leave, regardless of their draft position. They almost left last year, despite being in the same position. They will decide to go ahead and go after seeing coming back a year didn't really help in that regard.

 

[Tannerdad]

I think most fans believe only Aaron has a shot at the 1st round but honestly, both may be 2nd rounders. And as someone who could not give 2 craps about the NBA, I don't care. I would love for them to graduate from here.

But I think they are both definitely gone this year regardless as to their draft position.

 

[KyFaninNC]

I don't watch the NBA either. I think they both leave as their draft stock will never be any better than it is. I think they will be lucky to go in the second round. As of today, I think Aaron has a better chance at first round, he is a better shooter and drives the ball better. Hopefully they both get much better before April.

 

[Festivus Miracle]

Accurate or not, the Harrison's were seen as a clear cut one and done's coming out of Texas. The hope of moving up in the draft brought them back for another year. I just can't see them becoming Juniors on the basketball court at UK. But I'll tell you this, I'll take them back in a heartbeat.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Originally posted by Festivus Miracle:

Accurate or not, the Harrison's were seen as a clear cut one and done's coming out of Texas. The hope of moving up in the draft brought them back for another year. I just can't see them becoming Juniors on the basketball court at UK. But I'll tell you this, I'll take them back in a heartbeat.

Some draft sites also had Goodwin, Teague and Poythress as projected lottery picks coming out of high school, no doubt partially based on the fact that they were going to Kentucky.

I never understood some of those projections, just like I don't understand the Harrison pre-college projections. Aaron was a 33% three point shooter in high school, and yet he was billed as "the best shooter in his class" by some of the "experts." Andrew was billed as an overpowering point guard, but given his speed and shooting limitations, how the hell was he projected so high before he even laced 'em up in college?


This is partially why I reserve the temptation to believe the hype for 2nd tier talents. 1st tier guys almost always turn out - Wiggins, Davis, Wall, Irving - but after that, it's anyone's guess.

 

[Mojocat]

My suspicion is neither is athletic enough to survive at the next level. Hope I'm wrong. It happened once......